Crossing lines (Noah and Aiden) novel Chapter 194

Chapter 194

Noah

The days leading up to Christmas felt like I was trapped in a film I never signed up for—one where I was forced to play a role that didn’t fit me at all.

Lexie threw herself wholeheartedly into every festive plan—family dinners filled with warmth, the glow of the tree lighting ceremonies, and the endless laughter that echoed through every corner of that house. Her happiness was genuine, radiant even, and watching it stirred a deep ache inside me, one I couldn’t quite put into words. She was kind-hearted and brilliant, the kind of person who deserved all the softness and light the world had to offer. Meanwhile, I was nothing but a lie, hidden behind a carefully crafted smile.

Two days before Christmas, she caught me off guard with a surprise: a day trip to Aspen. “It’ll be fun,” she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Just the two of us.”

And on paper, she was right. The streets of Aspen looked like something straight out of a Christmas card—snowflakes drifting lazily from the sky, carols spilling out from open shop doors, and twinkling lights adorning every building. We stopped to sip hot cocoa, picked out ornaments for the tree, and rode a carousel that made her laugh with the carefree joy of a child. For a few fleeting hours, I almost managed to forget who I was. Who wouldn’t want this? A perfect girl, a loving family—minus William, of course—money, success, beauty… I could have loved this too. But then she leaned over on that horse-drawn carriage and kissed me—soft, sudden—and my heart sank deeper than I expected.

I’d been avoiding any real intimacy for days, keeping a polite distance, hiding behind the excuse of family being around. But this time, there was nowhere left to run. Her lips were warm, trembling with hope. I kissed her back—not because I felt the same, but because I couldn’t bear the thought of hurting her.

Dinner followed at a charming little inn adorned with twinkling fairy lights and sprigs of mistletoe. When she told me we’d be staying the night—just the two of us—I realized there was no easy escape without breaking her heart.

She had thought of everything: a roaring fireplace, soft music playing in the background, a bottle of wine waiting on the table. It was perfect. Too perfect.

“Let’s go in the hot tub,” she suggested at one point, flashing me a mischievous grin. “Can you undo my zipper?”

Fuck.

She kissed my neck—gentle at first, then with a hunger that made my pulse spike for all the wrong reasons. I froze. This was the one thing I hadn’t agreed to. I could fake the smiles, the charm, the role of the devoted boyfriend. But not this. My body refused to lie.

She was breathtaking—God, she was perfect—but none of it mattered. Nothing inside me responded. Not to her nearly bare skin, the warmth of her body pressed against mine, her flawless curves against my chest. All I could think about was the man who had shattered me, the one whose voice still echoed relentlessly in my mind.

I closed my eyes.

In another life, I would have been all over her—kissing every inch of that soft skin, craving her without hesitation, needing no permission from any Hart senior to pursue, date, or be with his beautiful daughter.

But not this time. Not anymore.