A Billionaire's Holiday Love - Posey Parks Page 0,27
cheek, browsing the large selection. I glanced at the warm cider and hot chocolate display in front of the sprawling two story farm house. Couples and families strolled the grounds. Noah and I found the perfect row of trees. Glancing up at the sky, snowflakes landed on my cinnamon complected face.
“You’ll love Aspen.” He squeezed my waist and his lips fell on my neck from behind.
“Why because I love the winter?”
“Yup.”
His eyes were a vibrant green this morning. Fuck, he was fine. The rugged lumberjack model. And he was mine. I couldn’t wait to fuck him.
“Hope.” Noah’s eyes darted toward a tree.
“What about this one?”
He shook the tree. “The Balsam Fir is your favorite, right?”
My lips parted. “How do you know what a Balsam Fir looks like?”
“I’ll show you.” He waved an older, gray-haired gentleman over.
“How can I help you today?”
“Hello, I’m Noah Canyon. My grandfather was Piero Benatti.”
The man extended his hand.
“Well, well. “Good to see you again, Noah. How long has it been?”
Noah shook his hand.
“Five years.”
“I sure hated hearing Piero passed away. He was a good man. He brought you and your brothers here every year.”
“Yes, he did, Mr. Brewer. This is my girlfriend, Hope Manning.”
We shook hands.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Brewer.”
“Likewise, Hope. You picked a fine tree. Not surprised you have the expert with you. He pointed his grandfather in the right direction when it came to trees for years.”
“I never knew that. You know I like the one Noah selected and this one too. We’ll take both.” I shoved my nose against the branches and sniffed.
“Sure thing. We’ll get them wrapped up for you two. Enjoy beverages while you wait. Good seeing you again, Noah.”
“Same here, Mr. Brewer.”
Noah turned to me. “Why are we buying two trees?” his brows lowered.
“I’m buying two trees. We’re spending Christmas between both houses. I get the best of both worlds. On the way back we’ll need to stop by the Hobby store and grab all the trimmings needed for our trees.”
His jaw twitched. Shit, he didn’t like what I did.
“Warm cider’s calling my name. Come on, Mr. Grinch.”
Two hours later, we arrived home. Noah placed my tree in the stand in the corner.
“Tomorrow, after we install the new window, we can move the tree to the other side of the room. So no decorating yet.” He waved his finger.
“And no tree trimming for me.” His lips fell upon mine.
“I’ll unload the truck, then start a fire.”
“Ok.”
I peeked out the window as he removed the second tree from the roof of the truck. Wearing a brooding scowl, Noah carried it onto his porch and plopped it against the house. He carried in several bags and placed them on the kitchen counter.
“Noah, are you taking your tree into the house?”
“Later.”
Whipping off my red beanie, I stepped to the middle of the living room. “I can decorate yours in the meantime.”
“That’s unnecessary. Have a seat. I’ll crank the heat. Nothing better than a new furnace,” he stated excitedly.
I smirked, not feeling the same joy. “Noah, I’d like time alone. I’ll talk to you later.”
He removed his black beanie and threaded his fingers through his shiny brown locks. “Hope, is this about the tree?”
Every muscle throbbed in my body. Not because of all the work we’d performed, but because the man I was falling in love with wouldn’t open up to me. “Please close the door behind you.” I shrugged off my coat, tossed it on the light blue chair and sank into the new sofa. The Hallmark channel and I would spend a lot of time together today.
I heard the door shut softly. And instantly it felt like someone cut off a sliver of my heart. No more dancing around the problem. A conversation about whatever trauma he suffered was in order.
CHAPTER NINE
NOAH
Sulking in a glass of whiskey at an Irish Pub in town, I circled my finger around the rim of the glass. I couldn’t look at myself in the large mirror behind the bar flooded with every kind of liquor imaginable. Brushing my other hand along the cherry wood bar, I inhaled a fresh coat of varnish.
Tourists and the townspeople crowded the bar, filling seats throughout the quaint establishment. I’d planted my ass in a seat here two hours ago. Too long to be away from my woman, who I’d fallen hard for the moment I laid eyes on her. I missed caressing her face and other parts of her body. We hadn’t had sex yet. What was I