She follows me to the front door. “Thank you for a wonderful time tonight. Your family is great.”
“I’m glad you had fun.” Before I can stop myself, I lean in and kiss Aspen’s cheek, the scent of vanilla wraps around me. I ignore the way my dick twitches in my pants. “Bye.”
She doesn’t answer she just nods, while biting her lip.
I stay on the porch again until I hear the deadbolt flip and only then do I climb in and head back to my place.
“Officer James, can I see you in my office please,” Chief Lange says before walking toward his office. Nelson looks at me with a raised brow. I lift a shoulder as I follow behind Chief. “Close the door behind you.” He says as I step inside.
Once seated he watches me, silently. Am I in trouble for something? I try to wrack my brain, thinking about something I might’ve done.
“I hear you’re interested in the detective’s position.” He folds his hands on his desk.
I nod, “Yes, sir, I am.”
“Good, Brock wouldn’t have recommended you if he didn’t think it was the right call.” He pulls a booklet out of his desk drawer. “Here’s the information on the test and what study guide you can get to help you. Once we get to the first of the year, we’ll schedule it, and set up your interview.”
“Okay, that sounds great. Thanks, Chief.”
We both stand up and he holds his hand out. “You’re a good officer, Alex, and I think you’d make an excellent detective.”
I take it and smile. “Thank you, sir.”
The rest of the day goes well. I even grab the papers to add Dakota to my insurance and make her the beneficiary on my life insurance. I know I’m jumping the gun, but I want them so when it’s time, I can fill them out.
On my way out, Dad stops me. “Your mom is calling Aspen. We want to take Dakota to go look at Christmas lights.”
“She’d love that I’m sure. I’m going over there tonight to help put up their tree.” I zip up my coat because it’s frigid this afternoon.
“What is going on with you and Aspen? I only ask because you weren’t dating before, right?” They know that she and I only spent one night together—it was not something I wanted to admit to my parents.
They know I have sex and I date . . . sort of but telling them that, is something completely different. “No, we weren’t. That night I felt a connection to her. There was definitely something there.”
“She is a good mother. You can see how the two of them love each other, but damn, did you see the way Dakota and Tiny were together? It was just like the way the OG Tiny was with you.” He pats me on the back before telling me bye and I tell him I’ll talk to him later.
I need to go home and change, grab Tiny, and then head to Aspen’s.
Chapter Ten
Aspen
“Mommy? Is Daddy gonna be hewe soon?” Dakota asks as she runs into the living room, where I’m untangling the strands of lights.
I nod, looking at her. “Yep, he should be here soon”
Earlier, I was surprised when Ripley called, asking if they could take Dakota to look at Christmas lights tomorrow. I, of course said yes. They’re her only set of grandparents, and they seem to be good people. If my daughter doesn’t want to go with them when they come to get her then I won’t make her, but I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to do something with them.
Dakota stands in the window, watching for him. I love how excited she is about him coming over. I won’t admit that I’m excited to see him too. An excited squeal rips from my daughter’s throat as she runs to the front door, pulling it open.
She hops up and down as she waits impatiently at the door. It opens and Tiny comes jogging in. “Tiny,” she hollers, before throwing her arms around his neck.
“Momma, Tiny’s hewe.”
“I see that, baby. Come here, Tiny.” I squat and he comes over knocking me to the ground, making me laugh.
“Tiny get off of her.” I look up into the smiling face of Alex. “Sometimes I think he forgets how big he is.” He holds out his hand that’s not holding my daughter and he pulls me up with ease. “Hey.” His voice is soft, and he doesn’t let my hand go right away either.
“Hi,” I whisper back. The air crackles around us with some unknown force and it makes my heart flutter. I let go and step back. “How was your day?”
Alex sets Dakota down and we watch her lead Tiny down the hall to her bedroom. “It was good. It’s okay that I brought him, right?”
“Of course.” He slips off his coat, and I take it from him—all while trying not to look at the way he fills out the green thermal shirt he’s wearing. I hang his coat on the back of the kitchen chair.
When I turn around, I find the living room empty. I spot Alex standing in the hall and he gives me the “come here” signal. He holds out his hand to me when I reach him and I take it, ignoring the tingles that shoot up my arm.
Alex maneuvers me until I’m standing in front of him. He places his hands on my shoulders. We peak around the door frame and find Dakota showing Tiny around her room.
“Dis is my baby.” She rocks it in her arms before shoving it in Tiny’s face. “Kiss hew.” Tiny licks it and then licks Dakota’s face.
The two of us head back into the living room. “I’m so glad she and Tiny get along,” he says before picking up the strand of lights I was working on. “Should we order pizza?”
Alex calls and orders us a large pizza with the works and a kid’s size cheese pizza for Dakota—she eats like a bird and it’ll take her at least two days to finish the whole thing.
I try to give him money, but he gives me a look that basically says, don’t even think about it.
While we wait for the pizza to get here, we put up the tree. It isn’t anything special, I got it on sale right after Christmas, when Dakota was almost a year old. I plug the lights in and between the two of us we get them perfect.
The pizzas arrive and Dakota and Tiny come running out. She squeals when she sees the tree. “Pwetty Mommy. Daddy do you wuv it?”
“I do, baby girl.” She runs to him and jumps into his arms while I place the pizzas on the counter.
I grab plates and napkins, setting the table. I turn around to find Tiny sitting behind me. “Hey, boy.” I squat in front of him, scratching behind both his ears. His big tongue gives my cheek a surprise lick, making me laugh.
Once we all sit down to eat, I don’t want to admit that this feels good and it feels right.
I take a huge bite of pizza, moaning as the flavors explode on my tongue. Opening my eyes, I find Alex staring at me. “Sorry, this is really good,” I say as I wipe my mouth with my napkin.
As usual Dakota eats one piece and guzzles down her glass of milk. “Mommy, I all done.”
I hand her a paper towel. “Wipe your face and then you can get up.” She does what I ask and then runs into the living room, followed by Tiny.
It’s just the two of us now and suddenly I’m nervous. I chance a glance at him and find him with a soft grin on his face. “My parents are really excited to take Dakota tomorrow night.”
“I’m glad. She’ll enjoy looking at the pweeties,” I say imitating her sweet little voice. Of course, now I’m embarrassed as he shakes his head, laughing.
We finish eating and I wrap up the leftovers, sticking them in the fridge. In the living room I find Dakota showing Alex the ornaments I’ve gotten for every Christmas she’s had, as well as the ones she makes at daycare.
“These are beautiful, baby,” he tells her.
I watch her get between his legs, grab his face, and give him a big kiss on the lips. “Fank you, Daddy.”
I throw in the movie Elf, and then we get busy decorating. Between Alex and I it takes no time at all.
The three of us end up snuggling on the couch, watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the live action one, after Elf and Dakota passes out halfway through it. Before we had sat down, she wanted to be on Alex’s lap with me right next to them.
Chapter Eleven
Alex
I pull up in front of Aspen’s and I wonder if this is a good idea. Dakota is spending the evening with my parents and if Mom has her way my daughter will be spending the night, getting spoiled rotten.
When Aspen said she didn’t have any family I knew having our daughter gone might be hard for her. I climb out, grabbing the bags of Chinese food. I hope to god she likes what I got.
I didn’t bring Tiny since Tyler is staying at my place. I wanted the chance to get to know Aspen without any distractions. I step onto the porch and ring the doorbell. The curtain moves and then there she is. I move back as she opens the front door. “Hey, what are you doing here?” she asks as she pushes the screen door open.
“I know Dakota is with my parents and I thought maybe you might want some company.” I hold up the bag. “I brought China Café.”
Her face lights up. “Gimme.” She holds out her hands. I hand her the bag and follow her into the house. “This is my favorite. Thank you.”
In the kitchen she unpacks the containers, oohing and aahing, as she peeks inside each one. “I wasn’t sure what you liked so I got Mongolian beef, Sesame chicken, and a ton of Crab Rangoon.”
“I love both so whichever you want I’ll take the other.”
We end up sharing, taking a little of each. I follow her into the living room, taking a seat on one end of the couch while she sits on the other. I see that she’s got a movie paused. “What movie is this?”
Aspen tucks her hair behind her ear. “Uhh . . . it’s Die Hard.”
“That’s my favorite movie. I don’t care what anyone says it’s a Christmas movie,” I say and then I feel like a nerd for saying it.
“Oh my god, yes. It’s my favorite—my dad and I used to watch it every year.” She hits play and we begin watching while digging into our food.
An hour into the movie, plates are in the sink, and we’ve both got our feet up on her coffee table. Aspen quotes the movie, making me laugh. My phone pings and I pick it up—it’s a text from my dad.
I open it and smile, before turning it toward Aspen. Our daughter is sitting on my sister’s lap, Dad is on their right and Mom is on their left. They’re all bundled up, smiling widely at the camera.
She hands me the phone back as it pings again.
Dad: We stopped for hot cocoa and to watch the ice skaters. Have Aspen call your mom—she wants Dakota to spend the night.
Of course, she does.
Alex: Sure thing. Is she having a good time?
Dad: She’s perfect.
That makes me smile. I’m so happy they embraced their granddaughter, no questions asked.
“I’m glad Dakota is having fun,” Aspen says as she turns to face me. “She really does look like your sister.”
“Mom wants you to call her. They want Dakota to spend the night. I swear they’d take good care of her, but I understand if you’re not comfortable with that.” Mom probably already has a room for her, or she’s working on it.
Aspen shrugs. “I don’t have a problem with it.” She grabs her phone off the coffee table and presses a couple of buttons and holds it to her ear. “Hi Ripley . . .” She pauses. “I’m fine with that. She still wears sleep diapers just because she’s a heavy sleeper.” Aspen nods. “Okay, I’ll keep my phone by me in case you need something.” She pauses, and her whole demeaner changes. “Hi, baby. Are you going to stay with Papa and GiGi?” That’s what my parents decided they wanted to be known as. “Okay, baby, I love you to pieces too. Do you want to talk to Daddy?” She smiles and then hands her phone to me.
“Hi, baby girl.”
“Hi, Daddy, I stay wif Papa and GiGi.”
I look up at Aspen and smile. “That’s great. You be a very good girl. In the morning I’ll come have breakfast with you, okay?”
“Okay, Daddy. I wuv you.”
My heart beats wildly in my chest and warmth spreads through my body. “I love you, too, sweetheart. Bye.”
We disconnect and Aspen scoots closer to me. “She’s pretty sweet, right?” Her arms wrap around me.
My eyes burn, and I blink rapidly to stop any tears from falling. I am not an emotional guy and I don’t know where all of this is coming from. I wrap my arms around her, hugging her tight. “Thank you for letting me be a part of her life.”
“Of course, she’s your daughter.”
I pull back and Aspen reaches up to cup my cheek. “You are so beautiful,” I whisper. Are the sparks that were firing off between us four years ago still there? Or was just one special night that ended with the conception of our daughter all we had? I touch my lips to hers, slowly at first, just gauging her reaction. The moment I feel her tongue brush the seam of my lips I open to her.
Our kiss turns heated as her fingers spear my hair, gripping it on both sides. I pull back enough to nip at her lips. I attack her mouth again and brush my tongue against hers.
Aspen moans into my mouth and I grab her, moving us until I’m flat on my back and she is on top of me. Fuck, she tastes just like I remember . . . like cherries.
She grinds against my hard cock, causing me to groan. I thrust up against her and we begin dry fucking each other. I’m suddenly fifteen again, except it’s not Jenny Jones on top of me—it’s Aspen Winters.
Her moans and cries are music to my ears. I reach between us, sliding my hand inside her yoga pants. The moment my fingers slide through her wet pussy I groan. I rub her clit, swallowing her mews.
I push my finger inside her and she begins coming. Fuck, she’s tight and her body is trying to pull my finger deeper. Aspen pulls her lips away from mine, a guttural moan rips from her throat. I ease up on my ministrations bringing her back down.
Aspen pushes up, biting her lip. She looks unsure and that’s the last thing I want. I pull my fingers from her panties, licking her arousal off my fingers. Her eyes go hooded as she watches me.
“You taste so good,” I whisper hoarsely.
She lays down on my chest and I wrap my arms around her. Neither of us moves, and it feels good having her in my arms.
Chapter Twelve
Aspen
“Should I get him something for Christmas? Maybe something from Dakota?” I ask Dottie, the first person to befriend me when I moved to town. She’s a nurse too, but we work on different units.
We’re taking a coffee break at Starbucks while out Christmas shopping. I was grateful when Ripley offered to pick Dakota up from daycare and keep her while I shopped after work. Alex is also working otherwise I’m sure he would’ve done it.
I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the other night. After the first time we made out we finished watching the movie, snuggling on the couch. When he went to leave, I kissed him again, and then he lifted me, and we made out against the wall next to the door.
“Aspen?” I blink and then turn to look at Dottie. “Girl, what were you just thinking about? Your face got all soft and dreamy.”
“Oh shut up, it did not.” I feel my cheeks heat up, I’m sure they’re beet red. We stand up to leave and she quietly sings “WAP”, even doing a little dance, making me laugh, and swat at her.
“Now back to your question,” Dottie says as she threads her arm through mine. “You can do whatever you want. If you want to just get something from Kota, do it, and if you want to get him something from you, go for it.”
By the time we’re done I have the “Santa” wrapping paper, bows, tags, and all of Dakota’s gifts from Santa. She loves taking pictures, so I got her a princess polaroid camera. A toy purse with all the accessories and a bunch of books.
Dottie has boys so her cart looks different than mine.
“Aspen.” I hear my name called and spot Tyler, Alex’s brother, coming toward us. “Hey, I thought that was you?” He smiles at Dottie, giving her a chin lift.
“Hi Tyler, how are you?” He’s so cute and has a total bad boy vibe to him. Alex has more of the boy next door good looks.
“Good, gorgeous. I just had a snack with my adorable niece. She’s a goldfish thief.” He pulls out his phone and shows us a picture of him and Dakota—she’s on his lap, shoving goldfish in his mouth, and smiling like a loon.
I shake my head, grinning. “She’s definitely taking advantage of all of this new attention she’s getting. I hope she was behaving.” My daughter is such a sweet girl, but she can get a little excited.
“Of course, she was. Mom actually sent me here to grab stockings for both of you. Mara has all her arts and craft supplies out and Dakota is chomping at the bit to help decorate them.”
It warms my heart that they want to, not only include my daughter, but me too. Not having a family this time of year sucks ass. It’ll definitely be nice to have people to spend time with.
“That’s great. Will you tell your mom that I just need to run this stuff home, wrap the Santa stuff, and then hide it—then I’ll be over to get her.”
“Sure thing, gorgeous.” Tyler surprises me by leaning in, kissing my cheek. “See ya.” He heads toward the Christmas decorations and we head toward the checkout.
Dottie leans in. “If I was about ten years younger and single, I’d be all over that boy. Did you see that ass? He fills out a pair of jeans . . . just fine.”
I shake my head. “You’re terrible.” I laugh, and she’s definitely not wrong.
I pull up in front of Brock and Ripley’s and see the driveway full of cars, including Alex’s truck. I climb out and make my way up to the front door. My hands tremble as I reach out, pressing the doorbell.
The front door opens, and Alex’s other brother greets me. “Hey, Aspen, come on in.” I step inside and the living room is empty. “The maniacs are in the family room,” he says as he leads me through the house. Cameron seems to be more like Alex, but with a little hint of bad boy. They’re all good-looking and so sweet.
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