Page 26 of The Sweetest Season
“No,” Noel said, stopping her thoughts.“I can see you putting up those walls you’re so good at building.Don’t shut me out, Beatrice.Not now.”
“What’s so special about now?”
“You’re asking that after what just happened?”
“What happened?Men and women indulge their desires all the time.”
“Was that all this was?Raw desire?”He looked wounded.“You think I’d see you every damn day, paint for you every day, dream about you every day just because I want to fuck your admittedly luscious body?Is that why you kept cooking for me?Just keeping me around until I caved in to my lust?”
“No, of course not!I’ve never cooked for anyone like that, new dishes every day, new flavors, new ideas.I wanted to feed you.I wanted you to remember me, and return to me.”She choked out the last few words, not fully realizing the truth until she spoke them.“You sawme.I don’t know how.But once you did, I couldn’t stand to be unseen by you again.It would have crushed me.”
“Sweet Bea.”He kissed her softly.“You can’t be crushed.You’re far stronger than I am.But you’re also much softer than you pretend to the world.I promise I won’t tell anyone, though.”
“You’d better not,” she warned.“Lord, how am I going to get home tonight?My chemise is in tatters, my stays are sticky with honey, and my gown is on the floor.”
“I was very much hoping you’d stay the night,” he said, almost shyly.“That is, I was actually hoping that you’d be so satisfied by my wild lovemaking that you simply couldn’t stay awake—”
She tried not to laugh but failed.
“—but I’ll settle for you simply wanting to avoid the roads at night.As a favor to me.I hate the idea of you riding back to the city in the cold.”
So did she, now that she contemplated the reality of that lonely journey, with a dark room and empty bed at the end.
“What will people say?I have to open the shop tomorrow.”
“No, you don’t.It’s Christmas tomorrow!”
“Oh.”Astonishingly, Bea had forgotten that little detail.“Your wild lovemaking drove the fact from my mind.”
He smiled.“Excellent.Stay with me, Bea.I have a lot of spare bedrooms, if you don’t want to stay in mine.”
She lifted her gaze to meet his.“What if I do want to stay in yours?”
Noel kissed her, then lifted her off the table, setting her on her feet.“I’ll show you, and you can decide.”
An hour later, Beatrice had decided it was a very fine bed—large, luxurious, warm, complete with an eager man—and she lay satisfied and sleepy in Noel’s arms.
“I forgive you for the cake, Bea.You gave me the perfect gift.”
“’Tis the season, I suppose.”
“I have a gift for you too.”
“Did you not just give me a gift?”she asked.“More than once, really.”
He kissed her soundly.“That was for me as well.No, this is something I’ve wanted to give you for a while.”
“A painting?”she guessed.
“No.”
“Then what is it?”
“You must promise not to laugh.”
“Why would I laugh?”
“Because I’ve never given this before, and I am afraid that I’ve no idea how to do so without sounding like an idiot.”
