His Heart for Christmas (Love is Back in Mistwood Hollow #1)

Chapter 4 - Josh

Every day that Emma is here is a test of my will power. Her determination to involve herself in every bit of the process, no matter how difficult it is for her, no matter how much time it takes, impresses me. She works hard and always makes sure things are done properly.

And she does it all with that annoyingly beautiful smile. I’ve noticed she has a little dimple on her left cheek. It only shows when she gives a real smile, but I don’t think that Emma has ever given anyone a fake one.

She brings hot chocolate every morning and I try it each time since she says it’s a different mix. Every time I take a sip, I miss the sharpness of coffee, but end up drinking it again when she beams at me. I’m not sure whether it’s her smile or the hot chocolate that has me buzzed on a sugar high. Emma is really something else.

Her genuine kindness, the way she looks after everyone around her, no matter how well she knows them, and her determination to make finding a tree an experience they want to repeat—all of it leaves me staggered.

“Josh,” Emma says as I work to get a seven foot tree in position.

“One second.”

“I just-”

“Emma,” I growl.

She moves some branches so she’s suddenly close to me, her breast grazing my arm before she presses closer, like we’re sharing an intimate secret that no one else gets to know. She hushes her voice. “There are two chipmunks in this tree and I have a feeling that if you’re too rough, they’ll climb you.”

I’d love for her to climb me. I arch an eyebrow. “And you’ll do what? Sing to them and take them somewhere safe?”

I chuckle. “I already owe you for making me drink your hot chocolate every day, even if it’s so sweet I can barely taste the chocolate.”

“Well, I suppose that counts,” she grins. “Since I can’t seem to make it any less ‘too sweet’ for you.”

“Sure, sure. It’s the hot chocolate that’s too sweet,” I say with a smirk.

Emma watches me for a long moment, her eyes more green than brown because of the tree. She puts her hand on mine, her gloved fingers nearly spreading between mine. “We can make this easier. Just hold the tree a bit further down and I can get them out.”

I don’t know where my will power is when she looks at me like that. I just lower the tree like she asks and she chirps at the chipmunk. She’s gentle and soft, more asking than demanding, but she must startle them because one runs up her arm and the other takes off across the ground.

Dropping the tree, I take a step closer to her, not wanting her to get bit, wanting to protect her even if it’s just from some woodland small creature. She giggles and shakes her head. “I’m not a tree. I’m not nearly as much fun. Scamper off with your friend.”

The chipmunk jumps off her shoulder and darts away. Emma stands, then turns to face me. Her cheeks are flushed, eyes sparkling and she actually bounces as she holds onto my jacket.

“You’re more fun than a tree,” I say.

She blinks, her eyes widening, then she bites her bottom lip. “Depends on who’s perspective we’re talking about.”

She tries to walk past me but catches her foot on the edge of the tree. I reach out and pull her tightly against me as she lets out a small squeak. She glances down at her ankle, then back up at me, her entire body pressed against mine, her curves teasing every inch. I just have to hope that my jeans are hiding exactly how hard she’s made me.

Double her age. Double her age.

I keep repeating the phrase, hoping it will be enough to calm my nerves, but when Emma gently runs her hands over my arms, her soft little breaths echoing between us, I’m afraid to breathe. I don’t want to like her. I don’t, but my body either doesn’t care about that, or doesn’t get the memo.

“I’ve got you,” I say.

“Yeah,” she breathes.

“Who the hell protected you when you were away?” I growl.

“I did. A few skinned knees, some heart ache, it’s nothing but character growth, right?”

Heart ache? The idea of her pining over someone else, of looking at them the way she looks at me, her stripping for them, riding them, just for them to hurt her ... it tightens my muscles.

“Josh?”

“You’re back now. So I’ll have to save you from all that myself,” I say evenly.

She swallows. “I’m a big girl, not a little kid.”

“I’m well aware of that, Emma,” I say, adjusting her in my arms so she’s facing me. “That doesn’t mean you don’t need some protecting.”

She trembles slightly and presses herself closer to me. “And you’re volunteering for the job?”

Apparently I have to, since no one else sees it. I can protect her, show her exactly how much fun she could be in my eyes. And if protecting her just happens to lead to tasting her sweetness right off her lips, getting to be the reason she smiles brightly, the reason that she moans, comes, shows up to work sleepy and pleased ...

“Josh,” she breathes. “We ... could you take care of the tree?” ? I blink a few times and realize how tightly I’m holding her against me, how my hands are spread over her lower back, how I’m leaning down to study her face. I can nearly see the individual snowflakes on her eyelashes and reflecting in her eyes.

Forcing myself to let her go shouldn’t be so difficult, but it takes me longer than it should. I clear my throat. “Grab the top and watch for the ice. I don’t want you slipping and ending up impaled on a branch.”

“Well, my new protector would never allow that to happen,” she teases.

I wouldn’t let a branch impale her, but my cock is desperate to fill her, to feel her pussy tighten around me, to ... I force the thoughts back. Half my age. New to adulthood. Too innocent.

We take care of the rest of the trees, then we both have to report to the front. Half the town must be here, plus people who’ve wandered in from the towns around us. It’ll be a good night for profits. Even though Tony is getting quickly overwhelmed trying to make change and keep everything flowing, I notice that Emma is glowing.

I hiss at Tony to handle wrapping trees instead and move Emma to the main register. She manages to slow the line with polite conversation, questions, and her general sunshiny personality.

It’s almost awe inspiring. She connects with customers so effortlessly when I can’t imagine anything worse than a line of people waiting to interact with me. After she’s cleared half the queue and I’ve loaded a few trees into cars or onto roofs, I catch her watching me. She blushes the second our eyes meet and looks away, but I see her gently rub her chest.

Maybe I’m not the only one having naughty thoughts right now.

Maybe I could steal her away into one of the groves, have her brace against a tree and show her exactly how I’d like to enjoy her, see how hard she can take every thrust I give her, all while keeping her quiet so no one else sees her gorgeous body on display or hears her moans.

I bet she’d claw the tree, arch back to take more of me. She’d be hot and wet and too perfect to resist. I’d move her shirt, palm her perfect, perky breasts, whisper every dirty fantasy I have in her ear, starting with how pretty she’d look on her knees with my cock filling her mouth.

That’s how I’d finish her too. After letting her come all over my cock, moaning and panting my name, I’d pull out, shove her onto her knees and thrust into her mouth. I bet I’d like that more than seeing her smile. I’m sure she’d like the taste of my cum more than her hot cocoa too.

But I just promised to protect her and I’m starting to think that one of the things I need to protect my innocent Emma from ... is me.