Page 63 of Noel I Won’t
“I should, uh, thank you, too,” Hopper said. “For giving me a push to talk to my dad. I sat him down earlier today, and I told him that I needed him to try to do better, or he needed to let me go. I can’t keep us both afloat.”
“That couldn’t have been easy.”
“No,” he said. “But it felt right.”
“Good. I hope he listens.”
He shrugged. “Even if he doesn’t, I know it’s better for both of us to be honest.” He pressed one more quick kiss to my lips. “But enough of that. I won’t keep you from your calling, Chef. Go. I’ll find you later.”
I nodded, throat tight, unable to find the words I needed just now. I had a service to finish out, and I wanted Kevin’s parents to have the best dinner party of their lives.
But all I could think as I walked away was,what if my calling has been right here all along?
CHAPTER 22
HOPPER
I chasedan exhausted Noel from the kitchen after the dinner party wound down.
“I’ll load another round of dishes. You go get a shower. Crawl into bed. You’ve earned it.”
Maggie and Ed had already gone up to their room, and Noel had done a decent job of cleaning as he went. Everything else could keep until morning.
I hummed to myself while I scraped and rinsed, giving in to Cinnamon’s begging eyes and giving her small bites of leftovers.
Then we both headed upstairs. Cinnamon circled twice, then plopped into the dog bed right outside Ed’s door. She used to sleep by the back door—too much working farm dog in her to be pampered like most pets—but ever since Ed’s heart scare, she’d stayed closer, guarding Ed instead of the door.
It was sweet, if a little sad.
I carried on down the hallway, bypassing Noel’s room, trusting that he’d be in mine. We’d given up on pretending we didn’t want each other every night.
How ironic that I gave up his room to him only for him to move into mine.
I let myself in and stripped down in the dark. The rustle of bedcovers confirmed Noel was right where I wanted him.
I slid between the sheets, pressing up against his hot, smooth skin. “Hey.” I nosed along his neck. “You were amazing tonight.”
“Aren’t you supposed to say that after the sex?”
I chuckled. “Who says we’re going to have sex?”
Noel twisted to look at me over his shoulder. “There’s no need to be mean.”
I kissed the tip of his nose. “You worked all night. If you’re tired, it’s okay with?—”
He cut me off with a kiss. “Tonight was nothing. I’ve got stamina for days.”
“Oh? Tell me more.”
Noel turned to face me and braced himself up on one elbow. “I wish I could keep you in bed till Christmas. You have no idea how much I want.”
I met his gaze, heart thumping, wishing like hell that his words meant what I wanted them to mean.
“Me too,” I whispered.
Noel covered my mouth with his, kissing me gently but thoroughly. His tongue slipped along my bottom lip.
Our limbs tangled as we moved together. I pressed my lips under his jaw, and he grabbed a fistful of my hair, making me growl softly against his skin.
