Troping Through the Snow by Alexa Riley

“Please?” He lifts his head, and I audibly hear him swallow.

“Fuck.” He pushes up off me, shoving his cock back into his pants. “I went too far,” I think I hear him say under his breath as he pulls my skirt back down to cover me. “I should get you home before the town comes searching for you.” He smiles, but I’m not sure it’s real.

“Ah, yeah.” I sit up quickly, wondering what changed. I was laid out for his taking and would probably have let him slide right in without protection or anything. That wasn’t anywhere in my mind when he was touching me.

Gabriel helps me get dressed before silently walking me home and leaving me utterly confused.





CHAPTER 12





GABRIEL





Noel: And then he just left. Did I do something wrong?

I hesitate with my thumbs over the keyboard as I think about what to reply. I’m such a fucking idiot, but things went so far so fast, and Noel doesn’t know who I am or why I’m here. I couldn’t let things go any further without telling her the truth. I paced the floor of my hotel room all night, and when she finally texted me, my anxiety kicked into overdrive.

Not only have I not been completely honest with her, but I’ve been texting her as someone else for months. It’s a multi-level betrayal, and I can’t see a way out of this while still holding on to her.

“One problem at a time,” I say to myself and then begin to text my response.

Me: There’s no way you did anything wrong. Maybe he was worried he rushed you into it.

Noel: Maybe. He’s so great and our conversation was like something out of a romance novel.

Me: Then I’m sure you were perfect. Maybe just keep an open mind the next time you see him.

Noel: What if I don’t see him again?

Me: Trust me, you will.

Noel: I hope you’re right. Last night was the best night of my life.

“Mine too,” I say and tuck my phone in my pocket.

“Everything okay?” the woman who owns the bakery asks as she gives me a refill of my coffee. Her name tag says Frostie, with snowflakes and glitter all over it.

“Yep.” I nod toward the library in the distance. “Just waiting for it to open up.”

“You’ve been waiting for three hours now. Must be something good in there you’re checking out.” She gives me a knowing smile before walking back to the counter.

I want to tell her that’s an understatement, but she already knows I’m going to see Noel. Hell, everyone who comes in here smiles at me like I’m their long-lost family member, and it’s the weirdest thing ever.

Noel was right when she said everyone here gossips because I’ve heard her name whispered as people looked at me. I should have been more careful last night, but I was in a cloud of lust, and all I knew was that I wanted her more than I’ve wanted anything. Now that desire for her has only grown because I know what it feels like to hold her in my arms and to watch her come undone. It’s like getting a taste has made this feeling for her intensify, and my insides are on fire.

Not only do I want to do what we did last night all over again, I want to do it for the rest of my life. I realized last night after practically wearing a hole in the carpet of my hotel room that I’m not just falling for Noel anymore, I’ve gone over the cliff and I’m deep in love. One look and I was a goner, but the more I got to know her, the heavier those feelings got. It wasn’t just infatuation or even desire; it was soul-crushing, and I have to make this right.

That’s why I’ve been here for hours waiting for the library to open. At least this way her mom and dad aren’t nearby listening and I can find a place that’s quiet for us to talk. There’s no more getting around it—the time has come.

And as if she’s heard my inner thoughts, I see Noel in the distance taking her keys out and unlocking the door. I nearly fall over in my hurry to rush out of the bakery, and Frostie waves at me. I ignore her because I realize I look like a love-sick fool. Joke’s on all of them because I am.

By the time I get to the door of the library, Noel is already inside, and there are a few people trickling in. When I see her at the circulation desk reading over something on the screen in front of her, I walk over and clear my throat.

“How can I—” She stops talking when she looks up and sees it’s me. “Oh hey.”

“Hey,” I say, and I’m kind of out of breath. “Can we talk?”

“Um, sure.” She’s hesitant, and all the comfortable feelings from last night seem to be out of her reach.

Deciding that I’m going to make her remember before I start breaking open the truth crate, I reach out and take her hand in mine. There’s a moment where her hand flinches, but just as quickly it relaxes, and her fingers caress mine.

“Is there someplace private we can go?”

“The romance section?” she offers with a grin, and thank god I’m starting to see my sweet Noel from yesterday.

“My favorite.”

Once we get to the stacks and away from the people in the lobby, I turn her to face me and walk her backwards until she’s pressed against one of the shelves.

“I missed you,” I say, and it’s the god's honest truth. I cup her face with both my hands and tilt her head back so she looks up at me. “I’m sorry for how quickly I left last night. You deserve an explanation.”