Page 111 of Nick and Noel's Christmas Playlist

Once they were inside the truck, following behind Pike, Nick asked, “Should we tell him about the bachelorette party?”

Anthony shook his head. “Nah, you heard him. He’s cool.”

Chapter 25

NICK

Rows of green trees with twinkling lights and festive ornaments filled the large open space of the Mistletoe Community Center. The high ceilings allowed for trees anywhere between six and twelve feet. Different donation bins were placed sporadically around the event for people to donate toys, coats, and hygiene products. All would be donated after the event along with proceeds the event raised to help local charities.

Nick stood off to the side of the pie eating contest, checking out his sister’s tree. It was the first time since Holly opened A Shop for All Seasons that she’d entered, always pitching in with his parents to do a joint tree. The independent move put her store on the map, because in Nick’s opinion, it was the best-looking tree out there. Even better than his parents’.

Noel grabbed his hand and yanked him towards the pie table. “Come on.”

“What are we doing?” He laughed. Since Monday, Noel made it a habit of stopping by his apartment after work to have breakfast with him. Sometimes she brought food or he’d whip something up, but it always ended with them kissing. Touching. Cuddling.

And other more intimate activities.

His favorite meal happened Wednesday when he’d bought Nutella and strawberries for crepes, but they’d never made them. Instead, he’d licked half the jar of Nutella off Noel’s body. He’d been sick most of the day from the sweetness, but making her come twice made it worth the bellyache.

They hadn’t had sex yet. They’d done almost everything but the whole enchilada and Nick didn’t even care. He was having too much fun being with Noel. They were still friends, but better. After they’d fooled around, every day she’d fallen asleep in his arms, in his bed. When she woke up, they’d have lunch and sometimes she’d read or watch TV while he finished working. Other times he’d let her distract him. There was no resisting Noel when she stripped down to nothing, crawled between his legs and made him lose control.

Everything with Noel was amazing and he never wanted it to end.

They stopped next to the pie eating contest, Noel’s arms wrapped around his waist as she gazed up at him, that mischievous gleam in her eye. “Let’s go next round. Two-to-one odds I beat you by two minutes.”

“Please, do you know who you’re talking to? I am the pie master.”

“We’ll just see about that,” she said, grinning as she climbed onto the bench.

Nick squeezed in next to her, his hands clasped behind his back like hers, immobilized.

“Eaters take your mark. Get set. Chow!”

Nick dived in, widening his mouth to rake in the soft pudding center and realized too late it was banana cream. He gagged into the pie pan.

Of all the pies in all the world, his had to be that one. Nasty.

He looked at Noel, who took the time to smile, dark brown dessert all over the lower half of her face. It was obviously chocolate, but it didn’t make the visual any less disturbing.

Nick closed his eyes, pretending the creamy center was lemons instead of mushy, ripe…

Nope.

Nick got up from the table, wiping his face with the napkin offered to him by one of the high schoolers running around to all the quitters. He watched Noel devour the pie, using her tongue to lick the plate clean.

He probably shouldn’t tell her how erotic he found her pie eating skills. She’d think it was weird.

Finally, she whooped, holding her plate in the air for inspection. The fire chief, Brendan Kline, placed a medal around her neck and handed her an envelope. Noel took a napkin on her way back to him, dancing the whole way as flecks of chocolate custard plopped to the cement ground with every move.

“That’s sexy, right there.”

“Yeah? Wanna clean me up?”

Nick laughed, looping an arm behind her neck and bringing her in for a messy kiss. He smacked his lips. “Mmmm, yum. Why couldn’t I get chocolate mousse instead of banana cream.”

“You trying to say the only reason you lost is because you can’t swallow a little banana?”

Nick took the napkin and wiped it along her cheeks and chin. “I am saying you got mad tongue skills, but so do I. If I’d only gotten a better flavor, I could have showed you.”

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