Page 25 of Kiss Me This Christmas

Her eyes closed.Why stop now?“I have been in love with you since I was a teenager. My brother knows it. Most people close to me know it. That jerk out there knows it. He thought all he had to do was pretend to be you, and I’d rush into his arms.” Shealmosthad. “But there’s only one you, and he did not feel right to me.”

“Noelle.”

She kept her eyes closed. After that big confession, she couldn’t face Brady yet. A tear slid down her cheek. “Just get me away from this place? Please?”

The vehicle surged forward. “Baby, I’ll do anything you want. Always. Remember that.”

Chapter Seven

On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…enough nightmares to last me for seven lifetimes. Noelle being taken? Noelle being hurt? My worst fear. Nothing can ever happen to her. I’d be lost without Noelle.

—Brady

“This…isn’t my house.”

Brady killed the engine and glanced toward Noelle. He thought she’d drifted off to sleep during the drive. A feat he would have deemed impossible considering what she’d been through, but she’d closed her eyes and hadn’t opened them. And after her sad plea to get her out of there—herpleasehad broken his heart—after that, she hadn’t spoken again. Until now.

She was right, of course, this wasn’t her house. “I brought you to my cabin.” Before he’d learned about the bastard terrorizing her, Brady had planned to spend the holidays in the old cabin. He’d had a team come in and clean up the place, get it ready for winter, and fully stock the cabin with supplies and food. But, of course, once Elliott had told him that Noelle had faced a masked man who’d chased her from a real estate open house, everything had changed for Brady.

“I haven’t been here in years.” She leaned forward to peek out of the windshield. He’d turned off the wipers already, and snow fell against the glass. “You and Elliott would come here a lot before—” Stopping, Noelle cut a glance his way.

But he finished for her, “Before my parents had a marriage that went to hell and then they both were killed in that crash?”

She swallowed. “Yes.”

“Good memories were at this cabin. After my folks died, being here hurt, so I stayed away.” Away from the cabin and away from the big house in Charm. He reached for the handle of his door.

Her fingers brushed against his arm. “If it hurts, why are we here now?”

Because Brady didn’t care if it hurt him, not as long as she was safe. “He could be watching your house. He got those kids to attack last night. Sure, it seemed like a prank on the surface, but trying to take you tonight was no game. I didn’t want him trying something again. So I brought you here, where you’d be safe.”

Her fingers fell away. “He could have followed us.” A whisper of fear slid beneath the words.

“No.” Of this, Brady was certain. “The roads up this mountain are dangerous, curving like hell. He would have needed his headlights, and I checked in my rearview. No one followed us.” He wanted her to understand this. “You are safe. You can go inside and crash and not have to worry about anything all night long.” She needed that reassurance.

Safety.He would give her that. Hell, if Noelle wanted, he would give her everything.

When he pushed open the door, frigid air immediately swept into the SUV. He jumped out and rushed around to her side, but Noelle had already stepped out. “You don’t have on a coat,” he groused. Reaching into the back seat, Brady grabbed his coat and slid it around her shoulders. The big coat seemed to swallow her whole.

They took a few steps forward, and she slid, falling off balance on the frozen ground. Her hand flew out to grab him. “Elf shoes,” she mumbled with a shake of her head. “Not the smartest for snow. Sure, they looked cute but—Brady!”

He’d scooped her into his arms. “I’ve got you.” No way was she falling on his watch. He carried her through the snow and up to the cabin. Her arm slid around his neck when he unlocked the door and carrying her across the threshold seemed like the most natural thing in the world to him.

It’s not. Get a grip, man. You’re not some husband carrying his beautiful bride. She’s scared and cold and you need to be a freaking gentleman.He kicked the door shut behind him. It was warmer in the cabin than it had been outside, but not by much. Dammit. “Give me a second to get the heat going.” He’d turn on the heater and light the fireplace. No way would Noelle be cold for long. Carefully, he lowered her until Noelle’s shoes touched the floor. Her hand lingered around his neck. “I’ll be right back.” He pulled away. Secured the door. Rushed for the heater. Brady cranked up the temp so that she would be warm, and a few moments later, he had the fire flaring to life in the den.

As he stoked the fire, he heard the rustle of clothing behind him. Figuring that Noelle must be ditching the coat he’d given her, he turned around and…

Notditching the coat. Well, yes, she was. The coat hung off a nearby chair. But she’d also tossed her red sweater onto the chair. Obviously, Noelle believed in matching because a sexy red bra cupped her breasts and boosted them ever so beautifully.

“Wh-what are you doing?” Yes, his voice came out as half strangled.

She quirked one brow at him. He’d hit the lights earlier so there was plenty of illumination that allowed him to see her. Every delectable inch of her. “Ditching my dirty clothes.” Her hands went behind her back and seemed to lower toward her hips.Her skirt.

The hiss of a zipper filled the air.

His dick—already saluting her with a major standing ovation—jerked eagerly. “Noelle…”

The skirt fell down her legs. She still wore her tights. Red tights that matched just like everything else. The elf shoes had been kicked away.

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