Chapter 27

CHAPTER 27

GEMMA

T he Christmas party was in full swing and so far it was a huge hit. Everything was going off without a hitch and the vendors we’d chosen were awesome. For once, the evening was progressing so smoothly that I didn’t have to worry about a thing.

With jazzy Christmas hits in the background and the lights turned down low, fires crackled in the fireplaces in every room and the scent of cinnamon wafted through the air from one of the pastry booths. Golden snowflakes as well as reindeer and baubles hung from the ceiling, white garland wrapped around the beams.

The long tables had been done up in black and white, and a huge Christmas tree was twinkling in the foyer. I felt like we’d absolutely nailed classy and festive , and I was damn proud of what I’d achieved here. Especially given how little time I’d had to prepare.

Occasionally, I went around just to check that none of the staff needed help, but we’d squared them all away during the day, and for a change, I was getting to enjoy the evening with my clients.

As Noah’s date, he rarely let me leave his side and I was only too happy to be there. He, Lewis, Jack, and Brandon all made a point of introducing me to the hundreds of people they worked with, and I was honestly impressed that the band knew everyone’s names.

They greeted them personally, asked about kids and relatives, and even seemed to know what was going on in most of their lives. They joked about school schedules and hometowns, teasing people about blunders they’d made in the kitchen or family holiday moments gone wrong.

As I followed them around the room on Noah’s arm, it was clear that these guys paid attention and they really cared. With that realization, it also became clear to me that the people they worked with felt appreciated and loved on tonight, with lots of laughter and surprised looks being exchanged.

A warm and fuzzy feeling invaded my chest. We’d actually done it. We’d created a family-like Christmas for almost three hundred people.

The evening went by in a blur of smiling faces, dancing, and expressions of true gratitude and adoration, and at the end of the night, Noah and I were the last to leave. He groaned as he sank into the backseat of the car that always seemed to be waiting on him.

“God, what a day.” He wrapped his arms around me as I climbed in after him. “How long does it usually take you to recover after an event like that? It’s exhausting to be a host.”

I chuckled as I burrowed into his side. “Well, to be fair, I’m not usually the planner and the host, but sure. It’s exhausting to be the host. That’s why people pay people like me to do the planning for them. It means they just get to enjoy as much of the event as they can without having to worry about the logistics.”

“You’re amazing,” he murmured against my temple, pulling me with him when he relaxed back against the seat.

I closed my eyes as Noah’s car backed out of the driveway, silently thanking everything out there that the first of the City Lights events had gone so well. Slotted against Noah’s side with my head on his shoulder and my hand in his, I couldn’t even begin to imagine how I would’ve felt if it’d been a disaster.

I hadn’t told him this for obvious reasons, but I was still finding my feet as a solo planner. Without Mariam, it was a lot more intense than it’d been with her, and I was still getting way more nervous for each event than I used to.

This party had been a definite feather in my cap, though. As tired as I was, it had been so totally worth it.

As his driver navigated us back to the hotel, I was almost lulled to sleep, but my eyes flew open when Noah started murmuring quietly to me. “Thank you for putting on such an awesome event for us, Gem. It means a lot. I know the others have already thanked you, but I know how hard you worked and I wanted you to know that I really appreciate it.”

I smiled up at him. “It was truly a pleasure. I had a great time. You have a lot of wonderful people working with you, Noah. It was an honor to be able to do this for them.”

As he gazed down at me, an intensity started brewing behind his eyes. His jaw suddenly ticked and he lifted a hand to tuck a lock of hair behind my ear. I swiped my tongue across my lips, my mouth drying up. He kept staring at me like there was something he needed to say. It had to be bad if the fearless Noah Parks was hesitating.

“What?” I whispered, my heart squeezing in my chest.

“I want to be with you,” he murmured, completely scattering my thoughts when he said the exact opposite to what I’d been dreading. “Like, officially, Gemma. I want you to be my girlfriend. I’ve never actually asked anyone that before, so I’m not sure exactly how it’s supposed to go, but will you be my girlfriend?”

My lips parted and my heart kicked into a way higher gear as I gaped at him. “You want to be with me?”

“Yes.” He pulled me closer to him, smiling, then planted a tiny kiss on the tip of my nose. “I’ve met a lot of women before, Gem. I’m sure you already know that, but none of them have been like you. None of them have made me feel the way you do or fit with me like you.”

“I fit with you?”

Smile widening, he gave a one-shouldered shrug and nodded. “I’ve never had to doubt why you’re with me, Gem. You’re a natural around my team and you didn’t get weird around my closest friends. When we’re together, I feel like I can just be me. A better version of me, actually, but I think you get what I mean. I can’t get enough of you.”

“We’re already exclusive,” I whispered. “Unless?—”

“Unless nothing,” he said firmly. “We’re exclusive, but I want it to be official. I want to know that we’re not just seeing each other. I want to plan with you and be with you whenever I can. Please be my girlfriend?”

I couldn’t believe I was hearing any of this, and tears burned the backs of my eyes. I nodded right back at him, a grin splitting my face in half before I pressed my lips to his and replied against them. “I’d love to be your girlfriend. Of course, I will.”

“Yeah?” A slow smile started spreading on his lips. “You’ll be with me?”

“There’s nothing I want more,” I assured him in a low whisper.

His lips crashed into mine for a kiss that chased away all my exhaustion and left only burning desire in its wake.

I barely even noticed it when the car stopped, but Noah broke away from me when the door behind him opened. He grabbed my hand and practically dragged me to the elevator as he raced toward it. Breathing hard and with my panties soaked, I tried to regain some semblance of composure now that we were out of the car, but as soon as the elevator doors slid shut behind us, Noah’s hands were on me again.

Aw, well. Who needs composure anyway?

I sure didn’t. Not when he was looking at me with fire in his eyes. His fingers flexed on my hips as he walked me back until I was pressed against the side of the elevator. When his lips slanted over mine once more, I gave up on the idea of catching my breath anytime soon and wound my arms around his neck, then kissed him back with every ounce of my feelings for him pouring out of me.

When the doors slid open to deposit us on the top floor, he picked me up like a bride with one arm under my knees and the other supporting my shoulders. Carrying me effortlessly, he strode to his suite. Then he nearly dropped me in his attempt to unlock the door.

He cursed under his breath when he realized he wouldn’t be able to do it.

I giggled, anticipation and lust making my voice a lot huskier than usual. “Give me that keycard. I can do it.”

Noah smirked as he handed over the key. “Not as smooth an operator as you thought I was, am I?”

I swiped the card across the reader and even pushed down on the door handle so all he had to do was kick it open. Although we hadn’t planned it, his foot connected with the door as soon as the latch gave and I laughed.

“I don’t need you to be a smooth operator, darlin’. All I need from you is to be you .”

He groaned and shut the door with his ass before he strode across the room and gently laid me down on the bed. As he crawled onto it with me, he completely covered my body with his own. The intensity in his eyes suddenly radiated through me and filled my heart with all sorts of hopes and dreams for a real future with him.

While I knew it was early days yet and that getting ahead of myself was asking for trouble, I caught his face in my hands. The way he was looking at me sure looked like love and I already knew I was falling for him.

If both of those things are true, then why can’t he be the one I build a life with? I want him to be the one. I want this beautiful, genuine, talented, funny, pure-hearted man to be mine. I want to be his home. His family. I want to give him everything.

Noah was staring into my eyes like he was thinking all the same things. Then his mouth descended to mine and it felt like he was making a promise. In that moment, it was entirely unthinkable that things wouldn’t work out for us. For the first time ever, I felt like I’d found the other half of my soul.

He moaned into my mouth, trembling above me. He broke our kiss to press his lips to my eyelids and my jaw, trailing down to my throat while his hands worked on undoing the zipper of my dress. He pulled it down slowly, his lips never leaving my skin.

I lifted my shoulders, then my back and hips to allow him to slide it off. Then I reached for the buttons of his shirt, undoing them one by one and finally pushing the shirt off once my dress was gone. Noah’s gaze held mine as he knelt between my knees. He lifted each of my feet and unbuckled the straps around my ankles before he pulled my heels off.

After he dropped them, I sat up halfway and hooked my fingers into the waistband of his slacks to pull him to me. He toppled forward, laughing softly. He caught himself on his elbows and brought his lips back to mine.

I pushed my hands deeper into his slacks, running a palm over the hard length of him, and his laughter cut off abruptly. I went to work on his fly. He shivered once I had it open, his head shaking slightly.

“The things you do to me,” he whispered.

I slid his pants and underwear over his firm butt, kicking it away once it’d reached his knees. I flashed him a teasing smile as I took his hand, moving it along the length of my thigh before allowing him to feel that he did the exact same things to me. “I know what you mean.”

A low groan vibrated through him. His lips were on mine, and the next thing I knew, my panties were off, a condom was on, and he was kissing me senseless as he pushed inside. I wrapped my arms around him and held him as close as I could, needing him to know that I couldn’t get enough of him either.

It didn’t feel like I ever would, and I was honestly starting to believe that I might never have to.