by Claire Adams
"I know you don't, but I really think she's the one. We'll find out as we get closer to the time she's supposed to leave, but her dreams are out there, Brian. She wants to design a line of clothing for people in warm weather."
"And you want to build a lodge for families who like to ski. That's here. You can't do that out there." He shook his head and sighed heavily again.
"I know, and for the first time in my life, I'm alright with that. I'm in love with her. Giving up my dreams to see hers come to fruition is okay with me. I want to give that to her. To support her fully."
"You're fucking crazy. This right here is why I don't date."
I laughed. "You don't date because you're scared to talk to girls."
He tipped his beer toward me and smiled. "That right there is the second reason."
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chloe
It was incredibly hard to leave Finn the night before when all I wanted to do was curl up next to him. It took most of the night to calm my racing heart, but after a glass of wine and a movie with my brother, I was finally ready to crash. Having to respect his and Brian's relationship wouldn't have even been on my radar a few days back, but after seeing the hurt in my dad's face over him and Clark, it was something to be concerned about now.
I woke on Saturday morning to my phone ringing on my night stand. I yawned loudly and reached for it, too cozy to be in a bad mood.
"Hello?"
"Hey, baby. Where are you?" Finn sounded as if he'd been up for the last two hours.
I rolled over and looked at the clock, surprised to find it was ten already.
"I'm still in bed. I guess I stayed up later than I thought." I yawned again and sat up.
"Well, get your fine ass dressed and get over here. Oh, and pack a bag. I want you in my arms tonight. I'm twenty-seven. I don't like guys’ night. I want my woman with me," he growled.
"Mmm...I like the sound of that." I moaned into the phone playfully.
"If you plan on us doing anything today besides making love, you need to tread carefully. I've had you once, which was a teaser that's left me a grumpy ass bear."
"You shouldn't have thrown yourself down the side of that mountain, and we could have fucked twenty times already."
"I hate me right now."
I laughed at how cute he was. "Alright. I'm getting up and packing. Are we going out today?"
"Yes. I had Brian take me out last night for a little while, but I didn't find the jacket I want to get for my dad. You mind helping me find it today? We can have dinner at this great restaurant downtown that overlooks a deep gorge and then back here. Sound good?" His voice sent goosebumps running down my arms and legs.
"Sounds great. I'll pick you up in an hour."
"Thirty-minutes."
"You're so bossy right now."
"You like it," he chuckled.
"Actually, I love it." I let him go and got up, moving faster than I really wanted to, but the anticipation of seeing him drove me forward.
I moved through the kitchen and ruffled my brother's hair as he ate a donut and played on his phone.
"Where're you going?" He glanced around.
"To Finn's house. I'll be back tomorrow."
"You better. It's Christmas Eve. Dad would blow a gasket if you didn't." He extended another donut in the air. "Need food?"
"Yes. Thank you." I snagged it and held it in my teeth as I jogged to the door, pulling my bag over my shoulder as I went. "I'll be back tomorrow. Love you."
"Yep. All the girls do."
I rolled my eyes and walked into the garage to find Dad's car already gone. He didn't work on Sundays, so I had to assume he was out with a woman. Where we needed to get Clark to see Milly as a viable candidate for romance, I desperately needed to get my dad to stop whoring around. He was a handsome guy with so much to offer. It made no sense that he would not only use women like Finn used to, but let them use him. There wasn't any good in living that kind of life.
* * * *
I used my key at Finn's, not wanting to have him get up seeing that he was crippled for the time being. He wasn't in the living room, so I called out, not wanting to scare him.
"Hey. I'm here."
"I'm in the bedroom. I can't figure out how to get my damn pants over this cast." He grunted, and I walked in to find him sitting on his bed in sexy black boxer briefs with one leg in his jeans and the other not.
I pressed my fingers to my lips, not wanting to laugh, but he was so far beyond cute.
His warm brown eyes moved across my face as his expression turned to anger. "Really?"
"I'm sorry. You're so cute." I moved toward him and slid my hands along his face, pulling it up toward me and bending down to kiss him soft and slow. By the time I was done with my greeting, his expression relaxed, and he looked a little dizzy.
"Hot." He licked at his lips and tugged at his jeans again. "What am I going to wear?"
"What did you wear with Brian last night?" I pulled the jeans off and tossed them behind me.
"Sweats, but I'm not wearing those with you. You're my girlfriend, and we're going to a nice dinner." He ran his fingers through his hair and grumbled under his breath.
"So let's not go to dinner."
"No. I want to. It's the holidays, and besides, the restaurant is right by that festival of lights that I want to show you."
"Then, I'll cut the seam of your jeans and expand the leg where your cast is." I moved to pick up the jeans, but waited until he gave me the okay.
"Yeah. I forgot you were a seamstress. Shit. Is there anything you can't do?" He smiled and reached for me.
I jerked out of his way and walked to the living room. "Where would I find scissors?"
"The drawer next to the stove in the kitchen. Hurry back in here. I want more of your kisses."
"If I give you more kisses, we'll be staying here today."
"Then, let's just do that. Dad sits in the damn office all day, anyway. He doesn't need a new jacket."
I laughed and worked on the jeans until I was satisfied that they would work. Walking back into the bedroom, I stopped to pick up a cookie from the plate I'd sent over.
"Did you like these?" I lifted it and took a bite.
Finn reached for it. "Hey! Those are mine."
I tossed his jeans at him and walked to the bathroom. "You can share, handsome boy."
"Anything for you, actually."
I looked out of the bathroom and smiled. "Anything?"
"Anything."
* * * *
It took far more time than Finn seemed okay with on finding his dad's coat, which left us having to pick up a hot dog at one of the street vendors for the festival of lights, but I didn't mind so much. The show was beautiful, and after a few minutes of walking around, someone felt bad for us and offered us half price on a horse drawn carriage ride.
We got in and leaned back, snuggling up to each other and letting the various colors and styles of Christmas lights lull us into a great mood.
"Oh." I sat up and looked around at him. "Dad told me what happened between him and your dad."
"Yeah, mine did, too. So sad." He reached for me and pulled me back down. "We need to get them to talk it out. It was thirty years ago."
I leaned in and kissed him, mumbling my agreement. The warmth of his fingers playing along the edge of my shirt caused my blood to burn, and looking at Christmas lights didn't seem so spectacular anymore.
"I'm ready to go," I mumbled against his mouth.
He licked at my lips and drew me down for another kiss before moving back. "Tell them to stop this thing and let's go home. I want to hold you all night. You up for that?"
"Yes. More than you know."
I helped him out of the carriage, which he didn't seem to enjoy at all. He was used to being independent, and the last thing he wanted was my help to get him in and out of places. He grumbled at me as I got him out of the truck at home, and I whipped around on him, tired of his pride.
> "Hey. I'm happy helping you." I poked my finger into his chest. "I would pick you up out of a wheelchair and move you around every ten minutes if you needed me to. This isn't going to last long, so stop bitching about me helping you and just be grateful that you have someone that loves you and is willing to do it."
He pulled me to him and wrapped his strong arms around me, looking down at me as the snow started to fall all around us.
"You love me?"
I hadn't realized I'd said it out loud—moment of truth.
"Yes. With all of my heart." I touched his face as he dove in for a passionate kiss.
I opened myself up to him, turning my face a little to give him more room to play.
His hands moved down my back and squeezed my butt softly, kneading at it as he pressed his erection against my stomach. He broke the kiss, and we both panted softly, knowing that it was beyond time to get into the house and share ourselves with each other.
"I love you, too." He kissed me again, this time softly. "Now, help me in the house and make love to me."
I smiled and moved back. "Gladly."
When we got into the house, he moved to the bedroom, sitting down on the edge of the bed and letting out a long sigh. "Damn, that was honestly exhausting. You'd think after me snowboarding all my life and working outside shoveling snow, these crutches wouldn't be that big of a deal, but they are."
Reaching for them, I put them against the wall and bent down, working his boots off as he watched me.
"It's a different set of muscles you're using, Finn. You'll get used to them, and by the time you do, they'll be gone." I moved up and kissed him as I tugged his socks off. There was an odd comfort of being in each other’s presence that let us move into doing common things for each other that I wouldn't have thought of doing for Seth. It was like we had been married for thirty years, and whatever he needed, I was ready to give it.
He pulled his shirt over his head, and then reached for mine, pulling it off of me. I wrapped him in a hug as he worked on my bra. He pulled it from my shoulders and pulled me back up against him, scratching at my back as I groaned softly.
"Move up on the bed, baby." I stood and worked my jeans off as he used his arms and good leg to push back against the mattress. His efforts caused his chest and stomach muscles to contract, and I watched intently, needing to drag my lips across him slowly.
"Like what you see, Chloe?"
I turned and slid my panties down my legs, bending over and putting myself on display for him.
He growled loudly, and I stood up, glancing over my shoulder as I tugged my hair down. "Like what you see, Finn?"
"Mine," he grumbled and beckoned me to come to him.
I crawled up the bed as he licked his lips slowly. Scooting down, he lifted his hips, pushing his jeans down, and I moved in to do the rest.
"You're so fine," I whispered and brushed my cheek along the side of his arousal, kissing the head of his cock as I moved up his body.
He stiffened and let out something like a whimper as I drug my tongue from the center of his stomach up to his neck. His hands pressed on my back, and I flattened myself against him, enjoying the warmth of his flesh against mine.
"I could stay like this forever. You're so far beyond perfect. Why do you want me?" he asked as he turned his face toward mine and stroked his hand over the curve of my ass over and over again.
"Because you're every fantasy I've ever had. In the bedroom and out of it." I pressed my hands to his chest and sat up, shifting my hips forward and pressing back against his dick as it rubbed along my wetness.
He groaned loudly and pushed hard against my hips, impaling me on him.
"Oh my God," I moaned and let my head fall back as he latched onto my hips and lifted me enough so that he could jerk up and down, fucking me from below.
"I needed you so bad, baby," I said. I used my body in a way that left me able to take control from him any minute, but completely subservient to what he wanted.
He laid back and released me as his breathing got off kilter. "Whoa. Just a minute. We need a condom. Grab one from beside the bed."
I pulled off of him and got the condom before crawling back onto him and straddling his stomach, facing away from him. I worked to get the condom on as he leaned up a little and licked at my back while his strong fingers squeezed the thick curves of my hips and rear.
"Fuck me this way. Please." He pushed at my lower back, and I looked over my shoulder.
"Anything you want," I said.
"I want this." He cried out as I took him inside of me.
I leaned back and pressed my hands to his chest, digging my nails into him and lifting up, working him slowly as I tried to ignore the building pressure he caused inside of me.
His hands pawed at my back and ran over my shoulders as his hips met mine thrust for thrust. I made love to him with my heart, moving in the ways that had his breath catching and whimpering loudly to let him know how good he felt inside of me.
"I'm gonna come, Chloe." He took hold of my hips and squeezed hard.
I leaned forward and pressed my hand against his thighs as I rolled against him fast and hard. The cry that left him shot me over the edge, and I joined him, taking all that he would give me and knowing that I'd never need anyone in my bed but him.
He was more than enough.
Chapter Thirty
Finn
I'd been with lots of girls, but no one made me feel the way Chloe did. She made love to me the night before with passion like nothing I'd ever seen. It wasn't about getting off or seeing who could make the other person scream more, but about taking her time to show me the depths of her heart with her body.
I shivered at the remembrance of how good she felt against me. After dreaming about her half the night, I woke around two and pressed myself back inside of her from behind, taking my time to make love to her sweet body once more. She stayed curled up, her back against my chest and her ass pressed tightly to my thighs.
She took me so well, and we came again together.
A groan lodged in my chest as I watched her sleep early that morning, unable to help myself again. My father would be expecting me at church, but I wasn't sure she would be willing to go.
"Baby," I whispered and brushed her hair out of her face. Her eyelids fluttered, and I ran my fingers down her flawless cheek. I had to wonder if she would keep her tan if we stayed in Colorado. The sun was warm enough to keep her sun-kissed, but the cold air might keep her from ever getting in it.
My heart contracted painfully at the thought of her leaving and heading back out West. I was willing to go with her, but there was always the off-chance that she might not want me to go. She was young and had just finished school. Maybe she wanted some time to explore what life really had to offer, and she might not want someone tagging alone for the adventure.
"What are you thinking about?" She wrapped her fingers around my wrist, and I realized she was watching me.
"You. Us." I smiled. "My father expects me in church in an hour. You good with going, or you want me to tell him we ate something bad?"
She laughed and scooted closer to me, wrapping her arm around my waist and popping my ass.
"We're going. I brought a sweater dress in my bag just in case we went out today. If your father expects us in church beside him, then that's where we'll be." She kissed my nose and started to move, but I caught her arm and pulled her back down.
"We have time for another round in the sheets, don't you think?" I nipped at her lips, loving the way she groaned at my aggression.
"No, I want to be pretty for church."
"Done. You're always drop-dead gorgeous. No need to make the other girls jealous. That's not real nice." I kissed her again and lamented as she pulled away from me and walked across the room to get her bag. She was the finest thing I'd ever seen. I needed to go to church. I had to make a deal with God. If he gave her to me and let me keep her forever, I'd do anything he wanted.
"Get
up, handsome. We need to grab a cup of coffee on our way out this morning."
"I have coffee in the kitchen. I'll get up and make you a cup." I moved to the edge of the bed and stretched, almost forgetting about my cast.
"You don't have creamer, and it's the holiday season. My peppermint hot chocolate will be gone soon." She sat her bag down next to me, and I couldn't help but reach out and run my hand down her back and over her rear. I leaned over and kissed her hip a few times before she playfully pushed me away.
"You want a peppermint hot chocolate, that's what you'll get." I got up and hopped over to my crutches, not at all worried about being naked in front of her. I planned on being with the woman behind me for the rest of my life; I just wasn't ready to share that with her yet. No reason to scare her, but I smiled at the thought.
She got dressed quickly, and I texted my dad that we would be at church. He was thrilled that there was a "we" to it.
Chloe helped me into my jeans from the night before, and we bumped heads during the ordeal, laughing it off after we got over the initial sting of it.
"This is almost as bad as that night that poor girl made you bleed from your skinny jeans." Chloe helped me out the door as she teased me.
"I was bleeding that night. Ain't nothing funny about that."
She turned to me and looked like she was going to say something, but she just winked.
"Oh yeah?" I had to egg her on. "Did you look it up in the dictionary and see that you're wrong?
"About what, baby?" She sounded as sweet as sugar.
"About ain't being a word."
"Ain't isn't a word. Get in the car, and let's get going." She chuckled and got in the driver's side, leaving me to figure out how to get up into her jeep with only one working leg.
"I see how it is." I turned and pulled myself up by my arm strength, and then tugged the crutches in with me. I turned to see her mouth open as she stared at me. "I'm impressed."
"Yeah?”
“Honestly, that was wicked hot. I'd like to see you do that without your shirt on."
