“People let you down,” I mumbled my confession.
“I’m not people,” Chris replied quickly before turning and talking to Noelle.
I stood there and watched them go. Chris made sure Noelle was bundled up for the short walk down the stairs. With his jacket draped over her shoulders, it hung to her ankles and looked like a dress, but I knew she’d be warm. And safe. There was something about Chris that assured me he’d protect her.
When the door clicked closed, I let out a sigh and leaned against the counter. Everything was topsy-turvy, and I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do.
After a moment, I shook off my confusion and headed into the bathroom. I stripped off, hoping the hot water would wash away the feelings that were tipping me off-balance.
twelve
CHRIS
It had been almostan hour and there was no sign of Holly. Noelle and I had come downstairs and talked about her favorite reindeer over a bowl of Lucky Charms before her attention faded and her focus turned back to her doll.
After checking on the fire and finding Noelle her book from the backseat of the car, she was settled on the couch reading while I headed upstairs to check on Holly.
I stepped into my apartment to silence. An eerie silence filled the space.
“Holly?” I called out, stomping the snow off my boots on the mat.
When she didn’t reply, I went looking for her.
Big mistake.
Huge.
I nudged open my bedroom door and had the wind knocked out of me.
Holly was lying on my bed, completely naked, her skin flushed red.
Spinning around, I put my back to Holly doing my best to atleast try to be a gentleman. “Holly?” I called again only for a murmur to reply.
Something was wrong. I knew it and I didn’t have to be looking at her. I reached around the bedroom door and took my robe from the hook on the back. I took a deep breath and assured myself that I was doing this for all the right reasons before turning back around and stepping toward the bed.
“Holly?”
Her beautiful eyes flickered but remained unfocused.
I draped my robe over her body, giving her back her modesty before closing the gap between us and reaching for her hand.
The moment our skin touched, an electric zing passed through my body but I shook it off. Now was not the time for my dick to come to the party.
She was hot. Temperature hot. I didn’t need to touch her to know she was sexy as hell and more than enough to scramble my brain and have me changing my ways and who I was.
I squatted down, ignoring the cracking of my knees. With trembling fingers, I reached out and wiped the hair from her sweaty forehead. “Holly?” I tried again.
“Um … what … where?” Holly mumbled as she tried to sit up, the robe sliding down her body exposing her magnificent tits and those dusky pink nipples my mouth watered to taste.
“Just relax, Holly,” I replied, gently pushing her back down on the bed and pulling the robe back over her.
I rested my hand on her forehead and yanked it back hurriedly. She was burning up.
“Just wait here a minute. I’ll grab you some Tylenol,” I instructed, stepping into my bathroom and rifling through the cabinets. The whole room was still bathed in steam and smelt like something I could easily become addicted to. Something sweet and delicious. Something uniquely Holly.
I was only gone a second, but when I returned to the bedroom, Holly had fallen back to sleep. I was no doctor, but I didn’t need to be to know she wasn’t well. I sat the pills on the bedside table and pulled the blankets up over her. The last thing she needed now was to get a cold. Once she was settled, I walked into the kitchen and filled a glass with water.
I returned to the bedroom only to freeze in the doorway. She was snoring like a freight train. Her face was flushed. Her hair was a knotty mess, and she was still the most beautiful thing I’d seen in a long time. With the exception of her daughter of course. Noelle was beautiful but in an adorable, innocent way. Holly was enough to knock a man on his ass and take his balls before he even realized he’d handed them over and I was quickly coming to the realization I wasn’t immune.
