“So that’s a yes?” I couldn’t hide the excitement in my voice.
“Listen. Do you want the damn tree or not.” The tree man folded his arms and stamped his boot.
Nick looked at me and then to the tree man. “Yes. We will take it.”
I paid and Nick hoisted the tree over his shoulder. When we got to the parking lot, he put the tree in the back of his truck. “Luckily Chaser gave me these sandbags.” He grunted as he packed the sandbags around the bottom of the tree trunk, then patted his work. “That’s not going anywhere.”
Smiling, I stood on my toes and kissed him. “You’re going to fit in just fine here.”
He looked puzzled.
“That’s a small-town thing to do, strap something into theback of your pickup and say, ‘That’s not going anywhere.’”
His laugh was deep and throaty. “I think that’s a guy thing, not just a small-town guy thing. Come on, Evie. Let’s go check on that dog.”
The last ofthe afternoon sun glinted on the fresh snow as Nick and I walked the pathway to his cabin. “What do you think Rocky is doing?” he asked.
I didn’t say anything, but the fact that he was using my dog name had to be a good sign. “I bet he’s sleeping on the couch. What do you think he’s doing?”
Nick set the tree next to the door and kicked his boots on the threshold. “He’s probably eating the garbage and maybe some of the furniture.”
“I want to change my bet.” I peered into the window, my hands beside my face. “I bet he’s standing on the dining room table wagging his tail at us.”
“Rocky.” Nick stepped into the cabin. “What are you doing on the table?” He was trying to sound tough, but there was a sing-song quality to his voice. “Get off the table, you goof.”
Rocky jumped to the ground. His tail wagged his whole body and he leaned that wriggling self into both of us. He looked up at us, his tongue lolling out of his mouth. “Hi, Rocky.” I knelt and let him lick my face. “I missed you too.”
We took Rocky for a walk along the river. He hopped in and out of the frigid water but never strayed more than twenty feet from us. Nick threw snowballs for him, and at first he seemed confused, but then understood that it was a game. “It’s like he doesn’t know how to play,” Nick mused.
“We can teach him.” I hopped and clapped my hands. “Rocky!” I shouted. He bounded toward me and I ventured into the deeper snow, then turned and ran toward him. Hefroze, but when I reached him, I patted him roughly. “That’s a good boy. You’re such a gooood boy.” Then I ran again. He chased me, and this time, when I turned and chased him, he ran. Nick joined in. Rocky would run at each of us and we’d greet him with a flurry of pets and praise, then he’d run to the other. Anyone on that river would’ve heard the laughter of two grown-ups acting like kids and the excited barks of a dog that was learning how to be a puppy.
Exhausted, the three of us returned to the cabin. “I think that the tree is dry enough to bring inside.” Nick took off his glove to feel the needles.
He didn’t have a tree stand but was able to stand it up in one of the wood boxes. “That actually looks pretty cabin chic.” I brushed my hands off as Nick cut the twine holding the branches together.
“It does look good.” Nick smiled. “Thank you, Evie.”
“You’re going to need some decorations.”
“We can pick some up tomorrow after the game.” Stubble had already started to darken his dimpled chin. “Wait.” He rushed to his coat that was hung next to the door. He pulled out one red Christmas ball. “I forgot that I had this.”
“Should I ask?” I took the ball from his hands.
He ran his hand through his hair. “It fell off a tree. I was going to put it back, but I got distracted.”
The ball glinted in the flickering light of the fireplace as it spun lazily from a clear string. “What could possibly distract you from this? It practically glows.”
“A pretty girl.” He slipped his hands around my waist and pulled me to him. “Not just a pretty girl. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.” He took the ball from my hand and hung it on the branch closest to him.
His calloused hands ran up either side of my waist. I raised my arms, letting him pull the waffle henley over my head. His lips found mine. He pressed his hand to my back, my shirt bunched in his fist, before dropping it on the floor.
My hands went to the waist of his jeans, knuckles raking along the V-cut I’d admired at the Last Chance. I slipped my fingers between his skin and the denim, sliding them to the zipper. It was easy to pop the button and undo the fly while kissing him. The pants dropped to the floor and he stepped out of them. His cock slapped his abdomen as I pulled down his boxers. We had to stop kissing while I slid them down his legs, but I continued planting my lips down the front of his body.
“Oh, Evie.” He groaned and tried to pull me to my feet.
“Not yet.” As I spoke, my lips brushed the end of his manhood. I wasn’t sure if I could take all of him in my mouth, but I was going to try my damn best. His legs trembled and then shook as my lips met the base. I retreated and then did it again, sucking Nick while I looked up at him.
“Evie.” He picked me up by my armpits. “If you do that one more time, I’m going to blow.” I squealed as he threw me over his shoulder and climbed the ladder to the loft. He tossed me onto the bed and pulled off my pants. His stubble scratched my inner thighs. With the heat of his breath on the front of my panties, the tingling between my legs intensified.
