Christmas Cancellation

16. NOELLE

Chapter sixteen

I shivered, the cold seeping into my bones now that the heat of our passion had faded. “This room is freezing,” Kol said, rubbing my arm. He pushed up slightly on his elbows.

“Noo, I don’t want you to leave,” I whined. “I love the way you fill me, the way you keep me warm.”

He gave me a tender, sweet smile that made my heart ache. “I’m not going anywhere, Noelle,” he promised. “But we do need to get going, build up the fire, find out what’s happened now that the snowstorm has passed, and eat something.”

As if on cue, his stomach growled loudly, a reminder that we’d worked up quite an appetite. I laughed.

He stamped a kiss on my forehead before pulling out of me. “I’m going to rekindle the fire, and then we can see what we can scrounge up for breakfast.”

Unabashedly I stared at him as he moved to stand next to me, his muscles flexing and contracting with each movement. This man was a sight to behold, and I marveled at how far we’d come in such a short amount of time. We’d gone from strangers to lovers, and although it was too soon to tell where this would lead, I knew one thing for certain—I was falling for my captain, and I was falling hard.

The warmth of his body lingered on my skin as I sat up and spotted his open suitcase behind me on the sofa. I reached for the T-shirt lying on top and pulled it on. It was way too big, but the soft fabric and the scent of him made it perfect.

Kol’s stomach growled again, louder this time.

“Hungry much?” I teased.

He raised a brow, smirking in that way that drove me insane. “Can’t help it. All that cardio worked up an appetite,” he said, pulling on a pair of sweatpants and a crewneck sweatshirt.

“Cardio? Is that what you’re calling it now?” I shot back. I rose to my feet, wincing when my ankle protested at the sudden movement. His brows tightened, but I waved off his concerned look. “I’m fine. It’s just a little tender.”

He narrowed his eyes slightly. “You’re not fine if you’re in pain…well, that is, except for the kind only I can deliver.” He winked, raking his gaze up and down my body.

Trying to steer the conversation back to our current circumstances, I said, “The power’s still out.”

“How long do you think it’ll take before it’s restored?” he asked.

I shrugged. “Hard to say, but Saratogians are experts at dealing with snow. They get buried every year and somehow manage to dig out quickly. So, probably not too much longer.”

I took a couple of cautious steps toward the kitchen.

Kol tilted his head slightly, the corners of his mouth tightening as he studied me. “Sit down,” he commanded, wrapping his arm around my waist and guiding me to sit in the armchair by the sofa. “I don’t want you to overdo it.” He leaned down and gave me a quick kiss before pulling away. “I’ll be right back.”

He disappeared upstairs. I spotted his bomber jacket hanging on the back of the chair and slipped it on. The smell of leather and Kol wrapping around me was divine. The jacket was way too big and a lot heavier than I’d expected, but it was exactly what I needed to stay warm.

A few minutes later, Kol returned with a compression bandage and some thick fuzzy socks. His eyes roamed over me, slow and possessive, as he took in the sight of me in his jacket. “You look incredibly sexy in that,” he growled, leaning down and cupping my cheek, brushing his thumb over my lower lip. “But let’s take care of that ankle. I rummaged around one of the bathrooms and found this. It should give your ankle the support it needs.”

He kneeled before me and wrapped the bandage around my ankle gently. It was a sweet, caring gesture. “Thank you,” I said as butterflies fluttered in my tummy. There was more to this man than met the eye.

He handed me the socks, and I propped my foot up on the edge of the seat, inadvertently flashing him. In response, he grunted and leaned in just a bit. My knee seemed to have a will of its own as it fell open. He yanked my foot down, pressing my knees together. I couldn’t help but giggle at his annoyance.

“That will have to wait for now,” he ordered.

With that, he stood and moved to the fireplace, placing some wood on the remaining embers. He added a little more kindling and poked at it, making it spark.

I slipped the socks on and headed for the kitchen but then decided to take a quick detour to the quaint little powder room just off the hallway, quickly taking care of my business and ignoring my disheveled reflection in the mirror. The bandage’s support was just what my ankle needed—I could walk without any pain now, ready for the rest of the day.

“Come on, let’s fix something to eat. The fire will be fine!” I shouted over my shoulder as I entered the kitchen. “You’re not the only one who’s hungry.”

When he joined me, we searched through the freezer and pantry, finding a bag of frozen blueberries and a box of pancake mix. Kol grabbed a pan from the cabinet and set it on the gas stove. The blue flame flickered right to life when he turned the knob—thank God for appliances that didn’t rely on electricity.

I mixed up the batter, adding water since we had no milk. Kol stood behind me, his arms caging me in as he watched. “You’re doing it wrong,” he teased, his breath warm on my neck.

I elbowed him playfully. “Oh, really? And I suppose you’re the pancake expert?”

He chuckled, taking the bowl from me. “As a matter of fact, I am.”

Reaching for one of the eggs, he cracked it into the bowl. Taking the spoon, he barely mixed the ingredients. “Now we need to let the batter rest while I warm up the little bag of blueberries. I used to make pancakes for my sisters all the time.”

He shoved the bag halfway into his pants, covering it with his shirt.

“Yikes, that’s one way to do it,” I said with a laugh.

While we waited, he put the teakettle on to heat. Once the water came to a boil, he teased, “There goes Stinkerbelle.” He laughed at his own joke as I glared at him. He then filled a coffee filter with grounds, tied it closed with roasting string, and added it to the water to steep. He called it cowboy coffee. I didn’t care what he called it; I was desperate for some caffeine and a couple of headache tablets after all the wine we’d drunk. After a while, he proclaimed that the berries were thawed and the batter rested. He lightly buttered the hot skillet before pouring in some batter and sprinkling a handful of berries on top.

I leaned against the counter, watching him. “So, you’re a man of many talents, huh?”

He flipped the pancake with a flourish. “You have no idea.”

As the pancakes cooked, Kol grabbed his phone to put on some Christmas music, and soon the festive tunes filled the kitchen. He sang along, his voice surprisingly good. I laughed, joining in as he made a stack of blueberry pancakes. It felt…domestic. Comfortable. Like we’d done this a thousand times before.

Midway through the second song, Kol pulled me into a dance, wrapping his arms around my waist. He leaned in close, his breath warm against my ear, whispering a string of dirty sweet nothings that made my cheeks flush with embarrassment and excitement. Each naughty promise he made sent a thrill through me. His words were a tantalizing preview of what I hoped was to come. Kol could make even the simplest things seem electric, and here in this freezing house, with the aroma of fresh pancakes wafting through the air and his arms locked around me, he made me feel like the only woman in the world.

After a few minutes, he spun me around and let go. Then he poured us each a steaming-hot cup of coffee, and we sat down to eat, the stack of pancakes piled on a plate between us. We drizzled syrup over them and dug in.

Eagerly I took a bite of the pancake, the blueberries bursting in my mouth, and sighed in pleasure. “So, what’s your plan for the day?” I tried to keep my tone casual, but my heart was pounding in my chest as I waited for his response. I didn’t want him to leave, but I also didn’t want to seem desperate. Despite the coziness and the fabulous sex we’d had, I was still plagued by something he’d said last night .

His words replayed in my mind: “ I’ll help you in the morning with whatever you need to get sorted before I get out of here. ”

Kol looked up from his plate, his mouth twisting into a devilish grin. “Well, I was thinking about making a quick exit. You know, before you start singing Christmas songs again.”

I rolled my eyes, fighting a smile. “Ha ha, very funny. But seriously, are you taking off after breakfast? You seemed pretty eager to get out of here last night.”

He leaned back in his chair. “Well, I should be heading out soon. But if some blondie elf needed me to stay, I suppose I could make that happen.”

My stomach fluttered, but I tried to play it cool. “I’m sure you have Christmas plans with your family. Big meal, presents, all that jazz.”

Kol’s expression softened, and he shook his head. “Actually, I don’t have any plans this year. As a new and very junior captain, I was scheduled to work a three-day trip over Christmas, but thanks to a certain snowstorm, my entire trip was canceled.”

This news sparked a little hope that he’d stay with me. I hated Christmas Eve and really didn’t want to spend it alone, here, of all places. “Oh, so you’re saying you’re free for the holidays?”

He shrugged, pinching his lips together, fighting a grin. “Yes, but if you don’t want me here, I can take off. My Bronco could probably handle the snow apocalypse.”

I snorted, trying to hide my eagerness for him to stay. “Oh, sure, because driving through two feet of snow is totally sane. Your Bronco might be tough, but it’s no match for a Saratoga snowstorm. But then again, if Holly is right, your big red sleigh probably could fly you out of here. I’m sure Mr. Claus needs lots of help tonight.”

His eyes crinkled at the corners as he studied me. “Is that a challenge, Noelle? ”

“Maybe it is. But seriously, you’re welcome to stay. I mean, if you want to. You really shouldn’t drive in this kind of snow and ice. Besides, I’m sure there are ways we can stay warm and keep ourselves entertained without the power on.”

“Well, there’s always more of what we did last night,” he said, giving me a sideways glance. “I mean, it was quite effective at keeping us warm.”

Heat rose to my cheeks. “Yeah, but we can’t spend all day doing that…can we?”

“Oh, you’d be surprised how creative I can get when it comes to staying warm.”

“Is that so?” I said, giving him a mock-serious look. “I’ll have to hold you to that then.”

“I might just enjoy spending more time with you,” he said, running his fingers across his lips and nodding.

“Well, in that case, I have a proposition for you.”

He raised his chin, squinting in curiosity. “Oh, really? And what might that be?”

I leaned forward, toying with a bite of pancake on my plate. “I propose we adventure out into the snow apocalypse and walk into town. See if anyone else is out and about. It is Christmas Eve, after all.”

He considered this for a moment. Then he nodded, a slow smile spreading across his face. “All right, Stinkerbelle. Not exactly what I had in mind, but I’ll play along. You pick what we do during the daylight hours, and I’ll pick what we do once night falls. Is that a deal?”

I bit my lip, excited at the thought of spending more time with him. “Deal.”

“Good. But don’t say I took advantage of you when the sun goes down. ”

Anticipation raced through me. “I’m sure you’re not that demanding and we’ll get a little sleep.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “No, not demanding at all. But I warn you, I may ruin you for any future men…and as for sleep, I’m not making you any promises.”

He didn’t know it, but he had already ruined me for other men. No man I’d ever been with had come close to making my body light up like he had. He was better than any fantasy, bringing an edge of danger with him into the bed. The mere thought of it had me growing wet. I wasn’t a naturally submissive person, but if it meant him introducing me to a new world of possibilities, I was all in.

“Ruin me, hmm,” I said. “That’s some bravado you have there.”

He reached over and took my hand, glancing down at my plate… Well, this was embarrassing. The bite of pancake I’d been spinning around on my plate was now only a small pile of purple mush. I set my fork down and took a deep breath.

That earned me another of his deep belly laughs. “Let’s go see what Saratoga has to offer on Christmas Eve.” He beamed excitedly at me.

I nodded, cutting off another bite from the unharmed pancakes on my plate, not able to look up at him just yet.

As we finished our breakfast, contentment washed over me. Despite the power outage, despite the snowstorm, despite everything, I was happy. Happy to be here, spending Christmas Eve with Kol.