I rapped again before she finally opened the door. Noelle peered through the door that wasn’t opened all the way, not like those wide brown eyes of hers.
Was she worried about something?
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
I knew no one had snuck onto my property. I would’ve been alerted of that right away, so I had no idea what could have placed the fear that I saw in her eyes.
“Yes. Is there something I can do to help you?”
This was a first.
Scratching my beard, my eyebrows dipped down. “Uh, yeah. I was just coming by to check on you.”
“Oh, well, I’m fine.” She still hadn’t opened the door, which was odd in itself. Her disposition was different than usual. Tinged with wariness.
“Okay,” I said with a careless shrug and turned away.
Something had spooked Noelle. I could see it in her eyes and the firm set of her mouth.
Making my way back along the path, I didn’t bother to look over my shoulder, but I was concerned about what was going on with her. My alarms hadn’t been tripped, so no one could be in there holding her hostage.
I continued my route as a myriad of thoughts ran through my mind. And it wasn’t until I’d slipped through the back door of my house that I knew what it was.
Shit! Why hadn’t I thought about that earlier? The cottage was rarely used. It’d been so long ago, though, that I didn’t think about it much anymore. Not that I didn’t think about her but not every detail of the aftermath.
I made my way back into the house and down to the wine cellar. Opening the door, I walked to the back and flipped one of the wine racks, which appeared to be built into the wall, upside down.
Keying in a combination in the previously hidden keypad, I waited until the light flickered green and pushed the button. A door hidden inside the wall slid aside, allowing me entrance into the sealed off room.
The secured room held an arsenal of weaponry, which no one knew about, not even Foster and Richardson. Three walls were lined with glass display cases holding various types of guns, I grabbed a nine millimeter from the collection and placed the cold metal against my back inside of my waistband.
The third wall had a display case with knives of varying sizes. And in the middle of the room was a large case that held other types of weaponry.
I passed it by and walked to a rear corner of the room and kneeled to pull up a loose floorboard. Moving aside a little chest, a manila envelope, and a couple of brown paper wrapped parcels, I pulled out a carefully wrapped package.
Pulling the zipper of my coat down just a little, I tucked the package inside before zipping my coat again.
Now all I needed to do was get inside of the cottage and ease whatever fears had taken hold of Noelle’s mind.
I left the house and headed down the driveway. Taking a left at the bottom, I walked about five hundred feet before disappearing into the woods.
My ears tuned in to the background as I listened to the snapping of a twig, the crunching of snow under my feet, and the whistling of birds. Somewhere in the distance, a lonely coyote howled.
Nothing was out of place. There wasn’t even the slightest note that anything was off or that any negative energy invaded my territory.
It had to be me.
I could hear her singing in the front room. She had a lovely voice that brought a smile to my lips as I listened to her sing The First Noel.
She was relaxed as long as I wasn’t around posing a threat to that gorgeous woman. It was me that she was afraid of, and the thought of that brought sadness to my heart. I needed to find a way to get through to her. But before I could do that or slip out the back door again, she stood in the doorway of the kitchen staring at me.
The beautiful golden bronze skin was pale much the way it was the night she’d passed out drunk in my arms. Those gorgeous brown eyes held terror in them now, and those perfectly kissable lips were now open as she stared at me.
I saw her gulp, saw her fists ball at her side, and saw her glance around until her eyes rested on the knife rack.
“Noelle, I know you’re afraid of me...or concerned, I should say.”
“Why...why would you think that?” she asked, gulping.
“Because you wouldn’t let me in before. Something about your demeanor was off, and I’m trained to recognize that. Although, I think I know what’s going on, I wanted to make sure that you’re good first.”
“I’m...I’m good. So...so, you can go now.”
Sighing, I shook my head. “Noelle, I’d like to clear the air about something first.”
Biting down on her bottom lip, her eyes flitted to the left, and I imagined she was thinking about her discovery.
“Remember when I told you that I didn’t have a girlfriend or a wife?”
She nodded.
“That wasn’t a lie. But there was something I neglected to share with you. But trust me when I say I wasn’t trying to hide anything. It’s just that I’m very protective of my private life. And you’ve discovered something that has probably left you with lots of questions.”
Her eyebrows lifted.
“Can I come in?” I asked, nodding my head toward the living room.
She nodded. I walked toward her and watched her take a step back. It ate me up that she was afraid of me, that she’d ever feel she needed to be.
I sat on the couch and said, “First, let me tell you that I have a gun on me. The only reason that I do is that I walked off my property to come into the cottage the back way. Any time I leave the property I’m always armed. I’d rather be prepared rather than sorry. So, let me do this,” I said, standing.
I removed the gun and set it down on the table and then took a seat on the couch and rested my elbows on my knees.
“If it makes you comfortable, Noelle, you can grab the gun. I promise you that I’m not here to harm you.”
Noelle nervously eyed the weapon and then me. Biting down on her bottom lip, I could tell that she was trying to assess how quickly she could get it before me. So, I grabbed the gun and handed it to her.
I watched as she tested the weight of it in her hands and looked at me. “How do I know that you don’t have more?”
Unzipping my jacket, I removed the packet and lay it on the table. Placing my jacket onto the couch, I then pulled my sweater over my head. Tossing it onto the couch, I removed my t-shirt next.
Noelle’s eyes were glued to my chest and slowly lowering to my abs. Did she want a show?
I kicked off my boots while unbuckling my belt. Sliding it from the loop, I tossed it onto the couch beside my sweater and t-shirt. Unfastening my pants, I slid them down my thighs and stepped out of them.
Reaching for my underwear slowly, I watched as her eyes grew larger.
“Um...I trust you! I trust you! That’s enough,” she said.
Smirking, I stepped back into my pants and took my time re-dressing. By the time I looked up again, Noelle was looking away and twisting her locs around her finger.
Clearing my throat, I pulled her attention back to me. “Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I wanted to explain a few things to you.”
“Go ahead,” she said smartly.
“I know you discovered those clothes and that gun in the closet. It had nothing to do with me trying to hide anything from you.”
“Well then, why didn’t you tell me? When I needed clothes, I would have thought that would have been your first thought or suggestion. They’re even close to my size,” she said.
Lowering my eyes to my clasped hands, I forced images out of my head. Pushing down a face that I’d seen millions of times over the years.
“Honestly, I’d forgotten they were in there. Time passes and a lot of things just aren’t at the forefront of your mind anymore. This cottage is rarely used, but my housekeeper keeps it clean anyway. Just in case. So, when I saw how strange you were acting, I realized why and that you’d probably drawn erroneous conclusions. That’s i
t.”
“Well, who do they belong to?” she asked curiously.
I lifted the packet and extended it toward her.
9 – CHOPPING TREES
“What’s that?” I asked, looking at the packet he’d lifted from the table.
“Just a few things about the person who those items belong to,” he said.
I took it from him and removed the wrapping around it to reveal a miniature photo album.
Flipping through the album, I saw the pictures of what I suspected was a little Easton and a little girl who looked enough like him to appear to be his younger sister. They were the cutest kids, and from his parents' images, I could tell that they favored their mother and not their father. Easton had gotten his height from his dad, but that’s where the resemblance ended.
The pictures showed an aging family until Easton was college age. Then nothing until newspaper clippings about a murder.
I read the newspaper clippings, which insinuated there was a lover’s quarrel that ended badly. It suggested a love triangle between a woman named Chelsea McKnight, a man named John Crawford, and an unidentified man who’d supposedly killed John after John had beaten their common lover, Chelsea.
“I don’t understand,” I said when I finished reading the article.
“That was my sister, Chelsea.”
“Did she...”
“She died. Those were her clothes that you found in the closet.”
“The gun?”
He nodded. “That was hers, too. It was with her things when they returned them to me.”
“What about the third man? Did he die? Did anyone find out anything about him?”
“Nothing.”
“I’m so sorry, Marc. I can’t imagine how difficult this was for you.” I dropped Easton for the moment because what he shared with me was too personal for us to be on a last-name basis.
“It’s been five years, and every day is a different experience.”
I closed the album and moved to sit beside him. “You didn’t have to do this, you know.”
“I felt I needed to. I never want to be the reason a woman has to fear me, Noelle. You’ve been through a lot in the last few days, and I didn’t want to add to that burden. You’re in my home, and I want you to feel safe while you’re here. It may not have been my intention to have anyone here, but the fact is you’re here.”
“Is that the reason you didn’t want me here? Because I’d discover this?”
“No. I just don’t...I don’t allow anyone to get close to me.”
“Why not?”
Shaking his head, he said, “There haven’t been many people in this life that I could trust.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve had a bit of experience with that myself.”
“Tucker?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“What’s the story with that guy anyway? How’d you become involved with him, if you don’t mind me asking? I mean, knowing he was engaged and all.”
Of course, he would assume that.
“When Tucker and I met, there was no Anya. At least, not in his life. We talked about engagement and plans for our future. It was only two weeks ago that he came and told me he was getting engaged to another woman. At that time, we’d been together for almost two years when he told me.”
“Had he been seeing her all along?”
“No, he’d just met her six months ago. It felt as if someone had turned my world upside down. I was angry and hurt and couldn’t imagine life without him at the time. He convinced me that the only reason he was marrying her was because of a business contract they were trying to get with the city. After they married, he promised it would only be a short-term thing and that I should hang in there. So, I’ve been waiting around.”
“Until the truth became clear?”
“Yes, because it was there all along.”
“Sometimes, it’s not so easy to see the truth even when it’s in our face beckoning us,” he said.
“Is that why you won’t let anyone in? Are you missing your truth, Marc?” I asked.
A smile lifted the corners of his lips and danced in his blue eyes.
“Is that what you think?”
Smirking at him, I said, “You said so yourself a minute ago. So, I’m guessing that it’d have to take a pretty special lady to knock down those walls, huh?”
“Yeah, it would. Why? Are you applying for the job?”
I bit my bottom lip, trying to hold back the grin that came from his challenge. Was he flirting with me?
Hell, yes, he was if the way his eyes dropped from mine to my lips and back again was any indicator. There was a hunger in his eyes that looked almost dangerous. I could feel my heart skip a beat as it tried to regulate its hectic, hurried pace.
“What if I were?” I dared to challenge back.
“Then I’d say you’ve been invited to interview,” he remarked.
“Interview?” Just a subtle lift of my eyebrow was all I allowed myself to show the desire was reciprocated.
“Yeah, full panel.”
“What’s it consist of?”
Easton’s eyes dropped to my lips again before he palmed the side of my face. “Testing your abilities to see if you’re suited for the job.”
“Marc,” I whispered.
“You rescinding your application?” he asked in a husky lust-ridden voice.
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” I replied softly.
The pull between us was magnetic, too difficult to ignore or pull away from as his eyes held mine. Speaking volumes about his need for me and what he was about to do.
His movements were almost imperceptible, but not enough for me to miss him moving toward me. Because I felt the invisible tug drawing me closer to him, too, until our lips met. At the softness of his lips against mine, I didn’t jump back in shock. It was impossible to pull away.
I savored the warmth of his lips, the foreign feel of his soft beard hairs under my fingertips. Marc’s warm breath washed over my face tickling me.
My eyes slowly closed when he licked my lips, sucking on the bottom one and then the top. I opened my mouth, hungry for the taste of his kiss. He dove in with fervor at my open invitation. I relished the taste of his tongue and the feelings that ran through me as we explored this unfamiliar experience.
The heat that burned in me had nothing to do with the warmth emanating from the fireplace. And the excitement that leaped inside of me burned me up with desire. I couldn’t recall ever feeling this same excitement with Tucker.
With him, it was always about desperation. Wanting to prove I was worthy of his affection and time. Needing him to see that I was all that he needed, and no one else could ever be as good.
But that same pressure did not exist with Easton. Indeed, no pressure at all, which was what scared me and caused me to pull back.
“What...what just happened here?” I asked as my heart thudded out of control in my chest.
“We kissed,” he said with a blank expression on his face.
I stood and paced the room, trying to control the thoughts running wild in my head that fought with the temptation of giving in to that sexy man sitting on the other side of the room. It was bad enough when he’d damn near stripped in front of me, trying to prove he had no more weapons.
My nipples grew hard, just looking at him. And when he stood there in his underwear showing off that bulge, I thought I would cum on sight.
But now? Now I was scared about what I was doing and getting myself into. I wasn’t looking for a fling, nor was I looking for a rebound because I’d been hurt and rejected. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for or needed.
That was the scariest part because I was just out here open for the taking. That could go either way, and it might not work in my favor.
“Noelle, I’m not trying to take advantage of you,” he said, standing up and coming to stand in front of me.
Easton grabbed my hands, holding me still when I was about to start pacing again.
/> “That shouldn’t have happened,” I said.
“Maybe it shouldn’t have, but it did. And I’m not into making apologies.”
“Is that so?” I asked, my temper flaring in me.
“Yes. If I do something, I have no regrets. I fully intended to kiss you, and I’m not about to sit around and pretend I didn’t. I’m not into games.”
Raising an eyebrow, I said, “Oh, so you’re on your grown man shit.”
Holding his arms out at his sides, Easton said, “Call it what you want. But yes, I’m a grown man, and no, I don’t play games.”
I turned my head away, trying to break the intensity of the moment. My mind knew that I wasn’t ready for this, but my body was shouting a very different message altogether.
“Um, I noticed that you didn’t have a Christmas tree in your living room,” I said, changing the subject to regain control of my emotions.
“What?”
“You’ve got a tree in here, and you had one in your ballroom. But the living room in your house doesn’t look very festive at all.”
“Is that a problem?”
“Well, yeah, it’s the heart of your home, and it has that amazing view of the trees across the street. You’ve got those big wide bay windows. There’s a shame there isn’t a tree to show off there. I noticed that when I walked up the stairs to your home the night of the party.”
“Oookay. If that’s how you want to change the subject, I guess it’s fitting,” he said, lifting an eyebrow and ticking his head to the side.
“No, change. Just an observation. One that we need to do something about.”
Easton pulled a hand down his face and sighed loudly.
“And how do you propose we do that?”
“With all these trees around here, can’t we just chop one down?”
“Just chop one down?”
“Yes. I think we could.”
Laughing, he said, “Somehow I think that we will translate to ‘me.’”
“Well, that’s why you’re decked out with all the muscles,” I said, squeezing his left bicep.
“You’d better watch out before you get another muscle’s attention,” he said, his eyes darkening briefly with the changing tone of his voice.
Noelle's Holiday Rebound: A BWWM Christmas Romance (A Glacier Hollow Christmas Romance Book 1) Page 6
