AllFreeNovel
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“Does this change in outfits mean you accept my invitation to breakfast?” My eyes scan the length of her body, appreciating the way her jeans follow her curves.
Lex shifts on her feet and twirls the end of her braid through her fingers.
“Yeah,” she nods. “What kind of woman would I be to turn down a perfectly nice invitation that includes coffee?” She shrugs.
“You’re right. You shouldn’t turn it down, but only if it comes from me. Any other man will have to deal with the disappointment.”
Lex laughs, walking toward me. “You’re cute when you’re jealous.” She pats my chest as if I were a child.
“Jealous? No. Protective of what’s mine? You better believe it.”
“Yours?” She steps back and tilts her head to look me in the eyes.
“Mine.” The one word comes out with finality, leaving no room for argument. I want Lex to know where I stand with her.
I wrap my arm around her waist, tugging her to me and dropping a chaste kiss on her lips. “I want this more than you know,” I say with centimeters of space between our lips.
“It scares me,” she whispers.
“I know, but I’m working hard to prove to you that I’ve learned from my mistakes. The biggest one was letting you walk out of my life without a fight.”
Her bottom lip trembles right before she sucks it into her mouth, biting it down, likely to hide her emotions.
“We can go to The Bean for coffee and pastries or the diner.”
“The Bean. I could so go for their apple tartlet.”
“One apple tartlet and a latte coming right up.” I smile and grab her hand to lead her toward the front door. Lex laughs and puts the brakes on.
“Hold on. Let me grab my purse and coat. It’s freezing out there.”
“Yeah, okay.”
She laughs as she slides her arms through her coat and slings her purse across her body.
“You don’t have a Christmas tree up yet,” I comment, noticing the lack of one in her home.
“Ugh, I haven’t had time to buy one between work and the workshop prep and a certain man trying to take up every free minute I have.” She stares at me.
“I will not apologize, but I do know how to make up for it. After breakfast, we’ll go buy a tree, and I’ll help you decorate it.”
“You will?”
“Of course. It’s not like I’ll be putting one up this year, so I can get my tree decorating out of my system.”
Lex reaches for my hand and squeezes. “I like that plan.”
I lift our entwined hands and kiss the top of hers. “Good. We’ve got a busy day ahead of us.”
After breakfast, where a few people looked on at us with unmasked curiosity, we drive to the Christmas tree farm outside of town. We could grab one in the lot near the market, but nothing screams Christmas like cutting your own tree from a farm while there’s snow on the ground.
Lex wears a gentle smile that makes her glow. She’s been relaxed and happy all morning, making me feel like the king of the world. Knowing she feels that way when she’s with me fills me with hope.
“This is so fun.” She leans over the dash and stares at the lines of trees as I park. I’m glad there are still plenty to choose from.
“Let’s go find you the perfect tree.”
Her smile blinds me, but I wouldn’t complain about losing my sight if I knew she’d be wearing that smile permanently because of me. She turns and steps out of my car. I take a deep breath and watch her for a second. When she looks at me over her shoulder, her eyes colliding with mine through the windshield, I know I’m in trouble. This woman has always had a special hold on me.
