Part 7 (2/2)
”I underestimated her death stare until the day I was playing in the back garden and decided to bury her jewellery and pretend I was looking for treasure.” I laugh as did Noel. ”G.o.d knows how I made it out of that one alive. She was unhappy with me for weeks and told me I should be ashamed of my behaviour because that's not the little girl they wanted to raise.” My gut twists at her words that I can still hear in my thoughts, and I wonder what they'd make of my behaviour now. My voice, now just above a whisper, as I ask the question that twists my insides. ”Do you think they'll be unhappy with me knowing that I've cancelled Christmas these past few years?”
”No, I think they'd be proud that you're trying hard to believe in it again. I know I am.”
I turn my head to look at him. ”You're always telling me that.”
”It's because it's true.” My heart fills with b.u.t.terflies, my smile growing wider as I turn back to look out to the garden. I scan my eyes over the snow. Every inch of Noel's back garden is covered, and every inch is left untouched. No one has stepped foot onto the carpet of white and excitement hits my belly at a fast pace when a childhood idea springs to mind.
I take Noel's hand. ”Come on. Let's go.”
”Where?”
”Outside.”
”Why?”
I lean in close, pointing my finger towards the window. ”You see that untouched white stuff? Well, it's screaming for snow angels.” His grin is a mile wide as I pull him towards the hall to collect our coats.
The cold hits my warm cheeks as I run out to fall into the snowy cus.h.i.+on. Spreading our arms and legs like stars, we begin to make human snow angels, while laughter leaves our bellies. It feels so good, marking the ground with the evidence we'd been here.
”Have you ever noticed that even though the sky is blue in the winter it's not as bright as it is in the summer?” I say as we lie on our backs looking up, the cold slowly creeping its way through my clothes as patches of snow dust over our bodies.
”My G.o.d, I knew there was something different about winter other than the temperature,” he says sarcastically. ”Thanks, babe, I can now sleep better at night.”
”Don't be smart.” I giggle. ”I don't often walk around with my head looking directly to the sky in winter, you know.”
”But you do in summer?”
”No, but I sunbathe, you notice the sky more.”
”G.o.d you're ridiculously adorable.” He chuckles. ”Next, you'll be saying that you've just realised Santa only comes once a year.”
”He does only come once a year... Poor b.a.s.t.a.r.d.” Both our laughter fills the air as a hot haze battles the cold cloud around us. Even though it's freezing out here, I don't want to move. I don't want what we have to end.
Turning on my side I face him, pulling down my scarf that's bundled too far up my neck. His chocolate eyes glitter as they focus on the sky, eyes that keep me complete even when they aren't on me. As I glance down his body, devilment hits me full force, as I focus on the gap of his clothes that shows the small exposed area of his waist. I don't hesitate. Grabbing a handful of snow, I push it up under his jumper, he twists with a yell, frantically trying to remove it. Laughing hard, I quickly get to my feet, grabbing another handful of snow to mould it into a ball. It hits his chest as he stands.
”Picking a fight with me was a big mistake. You're guaranteed to lose,” he says, scooping up a s...o...b..ll that's twice the size of mine. I know there and then I am defeated.
”Bring it on big guy, show me what you're made of.”
As soon as I say it, I start to run as s...o...b..a.l.l.s fly everywhere. I quickly scoop up more snow turning to throw another when I'm caught off guard. The hit of the large s...o...b..ll on my waist causes me to miss place my footing, shrieking out with a giggle as my back hits the snow with a thud. Noel is over me in seconds, a little look of concern in his eyes but laughing with it. ”You alright?”
”I think I'm dead.” I chuckle. Laying down beside me and I move to straddle him, pinning his arms to the ground so I have control over them.
”Ever had s.e.x in the snow?” he questions, a hint of desire in his eyes, fighting against the coldness that hits his cheeks with a rosy glow.
”Do you ever think of anything other than s.e.x?”
”Not when you're around.” He smirks.
”Well, I haven't and don't get any ideas either.”
”Why not? No one's going to catch us, the side gate is locked.”
”I couldn't give a s.h.i.+t if you had an electric fence, we're not exposing any s.e.xual parts in freezing conditions.”
”Worried I'll get hyperthermia while you ride me?” He chuckles.
”I'm more worried for myself. If your c.o.c.k withers and falls off where will that leave me?”
”I dread to think.”
I lean down close, flick my eyes on his mouth before I place mine on his. Our tongues meet. Warmth versus the coldness of our lips. After being out for over two hours laying in the snow, the cold has now soaked into my bones and begins to make my body shudder. I release Noel's hands and they cup my jaw, sweeping his thumb over my mouth. ”Your lips are turning blue, Angel?”
”I'm a little cold.” My teeth chatter.
”Then we best go get you warm.”
Tamzin.
For dinner, Noel's prepared us homemade soup and hot rolls. It was delicious, just like the man that slaved over the stove with the help of a girl that loved being beside him. Only now, I am once again fighting to try and protect my heart with the feelings that are growing rapidly for him.
”Don't go,” he breathes, pressing me into the wall as kisses plant my shoulder. I've been trying to escape his hold for the last hour. I've hardly been out his arms since we came in from outside, and after showering and placing one of his sweaters over me before relaxing by the fire, I found it harder to leave.
”I have to. It's late, I've got work tomorrow.”
”But it's cold out. I'll drop you back early before work.” He resumes his kisses as my need for him grows.
”I can't, Noel.”
”But I want you to stay,” he murmurs. ”I like having you here, the place feels more like a home with you in it.”
”After tomorrow you'll have me all weekend, I'll come back then.” My demands to leave are failing me as I fall further into his warmth. He removes his hand from my thigh and reaches into his back pocket of his jeans. A quick glance at the phone screen and his lips are back, the phone to his ear. ”Noel, who are you calling?”
I'm about to ask again when I hear a voice on the other end of the receiver. ”Dad, it's me. Tamzin King just called to say she needs to take a sick day tomorrow. She'll be back on Monday.” Ending the call, he throws his phone on the sofa, pulling us down so I straddle him. A grin wider than I've ever seen plasters his handsome face. I push him back slightly with wide eyes.
”What the h.e.l.l was that?”
”Let's see. A boring eight-hour day in front of the computer thinking of s.e.x with me or a day out the office where can use those eight hours and have s.e.x time with me?”
The a.s.shole has me. Using my weakness to his advantage. ”Well, I do have a lot of paperwork I'm not looking forward to.”
He bites my earlobe; my hands brace his neck. ”That will give you a headache.”
”And I've got a ton of emails to type out.”
He sucks my collarbone. ”That'll make you tired.”
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