LITMIR.BIZ

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on his shoulders. He was muscled and strong. He shifted slightly so he was kissing her cheek, her chin, her jaw. Heat radiated from every point of contact. When he trailed light kisses down her neck, her breath caught.

      It wasn’t just that she hadn’t been kissed in what felt like forever. It was that she hadn’t ever been kissed by this man before. She hadn’t felt the solid pressure of his chest flattening her breasts, hadn’t experienced his large hands splayed against her back, hadn’t known the depth of wanting that left her practically trembling.

      He returned his mouth to hers. She parted her lips without him asking and was thrilled when his tongue swept inside. At the first hungry stroke, she knew she couldn’t refuse him anything. Or if she could, she didn’t want to. She ached all over. Her breasts, between her thighs. She wanted him touching her, exploring her. She wanted to touch him in return, learn everything about his body. She wanted to yield and then she wanted to take.

      The need was so great, so overwhelming, she was suddenly terrified she was the only one at the party. She drew back, doing her best to control her breathing. Gabriel stared at her, his expression hungry.

      “You’re unexpected,” he murmured.

      “I could say the same thing.” She cleared her throat. “I wanted to distract you.”

      “Well done.” The corner of his mouth twitched. “I knew you’d be trouble, but I didn’t think you’d surprise me.”

      She smiled, liking the sound of that. But before she could say anything else, Carter clattered down the stairs, Webster at his heels.

      “Hey,” the teen said as he bounded into the room. “What’s the score?”

      Gabriel glanced at the big-screen TV, muted but still tuned to the football game. “It’s tied.”

      “I should get back upstairs,” Noelle said. “See if I’m needed in the kitchen.”

      Gabriel nodded. “Thank you.”

      For the distraction? For the kiss? For making him realize she was exactly who he’d been looking for all his life? Okay, the latter was a little unlikely, but a girl could dream.

      * * *

      “It’s a family tradition,” Karen said, when the food had been put on the table. “I’ll go first. I’m thankful to be with my boys again.” She nodded at her husband.

      “I’m thankful we have the strongest fighting force in the world,” Norm said.

      Karen sighed. “It’s Thanksgiving.”

      “And I’m giving thanks.”

      Felicia cleared her throat. “I’m thankful for my wonderful family. Immediate and extended. And for my friends.” She smiled at Noelle.

      “I’m thankful for my family, too,” Carter said, squeezing Felicia’s hand. “And Webster.”

      Gideon agreed with Felicia and Carter, and Gabriel was thankful for those who made it. Noelle finished with thanks for finding where she belonged.

      As Norm began slicing the large turkey, Carter leaned toward his uncle. “You’re like my dad, right? Serving in the army.”

      “As a doctor. Your dad saw real action.”

      “But you carry a gun,” Carter said.

      “Sometimes,” Gabriel told him. “Not often.”

      “Did you always want to be a doctor?”

      Norm snorted. “Hell, no. If it was up to him, he’d have studied English literature at some fancy university and become a college professor.”

      Carter and Noelle both turned to Gabriel.

      “Is that true?” the teen asked.

      Gabriel shrugged. “It wasn’t an option.”

      “You’re right about that,” Norm said, putting slices of turkey onto the first plate and passing it to his wife. “In our family, we serve.”

      Karen looked desperately around the table. “This is all so lovely, Felicia. I don’t know why you were concerned. Everything turned out perfectly. Thank you so much for doing this.”

      “You helped,” Felicia said. “Although I am pleased with the turkey.”

      “Maybe talking to it made the difference,” Gideon teased.

      Conversation shifted to the threat of snow and the upcoming holiday festivals. Noelle wasn’t sure if Norm’s outburst was forgotten or simply politely swept under the rug. Either way, she reached under the table for Gabriel’s hand and took it in hers. He turned to her.

      “You okay?” she asked quietly.

      He nodded and squeezed her fingers before releasing her. She accepted the information because it was the polite thing to do and she didn’t know him well enough to push. But she couldn’t help wondering if this exchange was the exact reason he hadn’t seen his parents for so long. Under the circumstances, she couldn’t blame him. She was sure Norm was acting from some misplaced sense of doing right by his family. She just wished he could see that the price of that was losing the very thing he wanted to hang on to.

      * * *

      Gabriel walked toward Noelle’s store early on Friday. She’d warned him that they would be busy and open extra hours in support of Black Friday. He’d been out of the country so long, it had taken him a second to remember what Black Friday was. He had trouble believing that people made such a production of shopping for a holiday that was still a month away, but then he wasn’t the Black Friday target audience.

      Besides, he owed Noelle. She’d been there for him the previous day. From her enthusiasm for the parade, to distracting him from his fight with his father, she’d been by his side.

      He sipped the coffee he’d bought at Brew-haha and crossed the street. He had to give her credit. She was unconventional. He grinned at the memory of their kiss, remembering how the exploding need had nearly knocked him off his feet. For someone who danced with excitement when viewing an elephant in a Santa suit, she was one sexy woman.

      He was still grinning when he rounded the corner and saw a group of people waiting outside The Christmas Attic.

      No, he amended. Not people. Women. Lots of women. They formed a line and were all talking animatedly. When an old lady toward the front of the line spotted him, she called out.

      “When do we get this show on the road?”

      Gabriel stared at her. “We, ah, open at eight.”

      The old lady glanced at her watch. “You’ve got five minutes. If you think you’re going to be late, you’re wrong.”

      He nodded instead of answering, then hurried past her and opened the front door to step into the store.

      Noelle was already there. She’d put on her cheerful red apron with the store logo on the front and was counting out bills as she put them into the cash register.

      “There’s a line,” he said, pointing.

      “I saw.” She looked up, her gaze slightly unfocused. “I don’t think I’m ready.”

      “Not being ready isn’t an option. They seem determined and hostile.”

      She pushed the cash register shut, then drew in a breath. “Okay. It’s going to be a long day. We’ll pace ourselves and do the best we can. If you get tired, you can rest in back. Or leave early.”

      “I can make it through my shift.”

      “I don’t want you relapsing.”

      “Wouldn’t I have to lapse first?”

      Her lack of smile told him she was nervous. He crossed to her and put his hands on her shoulders.

      “You’ll

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