Текст книги "25 Days"

Автор книги: Claire Adams

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Текущая страница: 10 (всего у книги 16 страниц)

Chapter 19

Three Days Later

Chloe

It had been three days since I'd spoke to Finn, since the night he came through my bedroom window. I hadn't thought of too much other than him, but I wanted to make sure I was ready for a relationship before approaching him. He was as fragile as I was. No reason to start something that I couldn't finish.

The meeting with my Dad a few days back went relatively well. He liked my designs and even allowed me access to one of his manufactures to start working on a prototype for the women's wind-breaker I designed. It wasn't what I wanted to do with my life, but it was a first step in helping him see me for the professional I was becoming.

With only ten days until Christmas, I had a list of gifts I needed to get, mostly for my brother, but I was running out of time. I had a piece of toast and then headed out for the morning and made sure Parker was still planning on taking me snowboarding for the afternoon. I'd decided over the last three days that I wanted to learn how to do it. I would have asked Finn, but we had some damage repair to get through.

After talking about everything with Parker, he confessed to lying about me still being with Seth simply because it seemed to be in my best interest to steer clear of Finn. I was pissed, but I understood where my brother was coming from too. He was all for me calling Finn, but I needed to make sure I was completely for it too.

I picked up my purse and paused by the door as my brother called for me.

"Chloe. Wait. I wanna go."

"Shopping? Have you lost your mind? You're the worst shopper in the universe."

"Come on. I don't want to stay cooped up here. Let's go shop, eat lunch and then we'll go hit the slopes and I'll teach you some tricks."

"Yeah, let's start with the one where I stay vertical on the board."

We laughed and I moved out into the garage. I got into the Cherokee and buckled up as he got into the other side.

"I invited a friend to go boarding with us. Hope that's okay." He turned toward me.

"Yeah, sure. Just show me the ropes and then you and your friend can go get lost." I winked and pulled the car out. "I'm glad the roads haven't been too bad this Christmas. Sometimes they are so bad here. I remember as a kid having to help Dad put those track thingies on the wheels."

"Chains?" He snorted.

I popped his arm. "Hush or I'll take you into every pantie store I see."

"Please?" He growled and I rolled my eyes.

I'd forgotten I was dealing with a sixteen year old boy. He wasn't a kid anymore, oddly enough. Neither was I, and I needed to stop acting like it in several areas of my life.

"I think I'm going to call Finn today." I turned on the heater and waited for my brother's reaction.

"I think that's a great idea, actually. He's the only thing that can keep you here, so I'm all for him."

I glanced over at my brother. "Keep me here?"

"Yeah. I don't want you to go back to Cali. Neither does Dad. We were talking about it last night when you conked out on the movie." He smiled and leaned back in his seat. "It's fantastic having a woman around the house. We get to eat, have clean clothes... and feel loved."

"Awww, you feel loved by me?" I teased him, reaching over to pinch at his chest and ears.

"Alright. Never mind. Get your ass back on a plane." He pulled from me and laughed. "Stop. I'm ticklish."

"Finn's not the only one that could keep me here, Parker. I would consider it for you and Dad."

"Right, but he'd be enough to sway the vote." Parker shrugged. "And honestly, after thinking about everything, I think maybe I misjudged him. He didn't seem like a playboy asshole the other day. He seemed like a normal guy to me."

"He is. I think we've all done a lot of misjudging each other." I turned into the large shopping mall and parked. "You ready for this fun day?"

"Just get me a hot chocolate and a nudie mag and leave me in the food court."

I laughed and snorted at my brother and his antics. "I am not getting you a hot chocolate. You'll be jumping everywhere."

He slipped his arm into mine and chuckled at my response. "Where are we eating lunch?"

"It's ten in the morning. I seriously have to get a few gifts today. That's my focus."

"Okay, but that still begs the question. Where are we eating lunch?"

"The Chinese place on the top floor? You like their soup and egg-rolls, right?"

"I do. I'll meet you there. I'm going to go look at the game stores. Like an hour?"

"Two." I pulled from him and walked toward a large department store as the lights and Christmas music beckoned me to come.

"Two? Come on, Sis."

"One and a half." I called over my shoulder and walked in, stopping by the fragrance counter and smelling three different types of men's cologne. The last one smelled like Finn.

"Yum," I mumbled and found the largest box of it.

"Chloe?" The feminine voice beside me caused me to freeze. I didn't know any girls in Aspen.

"I'm Kari, Finn's friend from school." She moved up beside me and extended her hand. The nasty snarl she wore a few nights before was gone and her expression was almost kind.

I shook her hand and nodded. "And what can I do for you, Kari?"

"Nothing. I just saw you and thought I recognized you. I'm glad I did. I needed to apologize."

"For what?"

"For being a bitch the other night." She pursed her lips and let out a long breath through her nose. "Finn's such a great guy and I think all of us around here and beaten him up and taken him for granted for far too long. The other night when he got upset was the first time I'd seen him show emotion about anything since we were kids. Like a part of him died when he lost his mother, and then slowly over time it kept getting worse. I know he gets around, but I understand why."

"Your point?" I didn't want to be rude, but I couldn't help myself seeing that this bitch was unbelievably rude to me only a few nights back.

"No point. Just an apology. I was jealous and acted like a jerk. I'm sorry."

"It happens." I glanced around to see if he was somewhere behind us. Seemed like him to start sending flowers and people to help me see the good in him. It was ingenious, which was right up his alley. "Did he put you up to this?"

"Finn? Heavens no. I haven't seen him since the other night. He's working his ass off no doubt. He wants to build his own lodge, but money has always been so tight for him and his Dad." She smiled. "Anyway. I'm sorry and I hope things work out with you guys. He deserves a good woman."

"And you think that's me? That I'm a good woman?"

"I don't know, but I think he believes that, which is enough for me." She nodded and turned, walking back into the crowd.

I reached for my phone and dialed his number.

He answered on the first ring, breathless. "Chloe."

"Hey. Sorry it took so long, I was just..."

He cut me off. "No apologies. I told you to take your time."

"You working?" I looked around at all of the people milling about. Most of them were couples, holding hands and having a good time together. It made me long for him all the more.

"Yeah, but I get off around two. You want to get together and talk?"

"No. I want you to join me and Parker on the slopes. He's going to teach me to snowboard."

Finn snorted, and my lip raised in a smile. "Confession time."

"What?” I asked.

"Parker already invited me. The kid's been texting me for the last three days with what to do and what not to do. I didn't have the heart to tell him that I wasn't getting involved until you were ready for me too." The sound of his voice caused my heart to swell in my chest.

"So you're his friend for this afternoon?"

"I am, but I was going to text you just after lunch to make sure you were okay good with it."

"Too funny. That little shit." I turned as the attendant walked up. I pushed the cologne toward her and gave her my card. Finn would be upset over my getting him something, but I didn't care. I wanted to buy him the world now that I'd decided to give us a try. What that really meant, I had no idea, but the thought of even taking a first step left a peace settled on me that affirmed that I was headed in the right direction.

"He's a good kid." Finn cleared his throat. "Where are you?"

"At the mall. Getting gifts."

"For your Dad and Parker?"

"And you." I smiled.

"Chloe. I don't want anything but you. Don't buy me anything. Just tell me we can go on a second date and I'll be the happiest man in the world. I don't need things. I need you."

"Wow. From friends to an instant romance. Almost like that crazy love you read about in romance novels."

"We were never friends. That was your dumb rule and it didn't work." He chuckled and I did too.

"True. Come with us today and let's get one over on Parker. Help me pull a prank on him."

"Only if you'll agree to a second date with me."

"Deal."

"What are we doing?"

"Show up like he wants you to and when I see you, I'll throw a fit and shove you backwards. Lose your balance and slide down that small hill by the lift. Drag me with you and let's roll down and play dead until he gets there. Then we'll pull him down and bury his ass in the snow." I was smiling so hard that my cheeks hurt.

"Damn. That's a little much. Is that what sisters do to their baby brothers?"

"You bet your ass it is. Help me or I'll get you back too." I took the bag from the lady and thanked her before moving to the next store.

"I'm in. You're too scary to cross, just don't really hit me, please."

I laughed. "Never. See you later today."

"Chloe."

My breath caught in my chest. I prayed that he wasn't about to say that he loved me. I knew it was starting to build to that, but it would have been too much, too early.

"I've missed you. I haven't stopped thinking about you." His voice was gravelly and sensual.

Chills ran down my back and I groaned under my breath. "Stop it. You're making me all hot and bothered in the middle of the shopping mall."

"You gave me a damn fever the first time we went out. I think payback should be hell."

"I'll see you around three, handsome."

"Yeah you will. Be careful, baby."

There was no need to pretend I wasn't interested or to play hard to get anymore. We didn't have time for that drama. My days were running short and I needed to make sure hard decisions.

I dropped the call and dropped the phone back in my purse, feeling good about the afternoon and evening to come. After we snowboarded with my brother I was going to find a way to get Finn to cook for me. He had mentioned his cooking skills several times, but I'd missed out on trying his stew seeing that Parker ate the whole bowl of it.

Letting my thoughts go, I ducked into another store and started my search for the two most difficult people in the world to buy for. My father and my brother.

"What do you buy for guys who have everything already?"

* * * *

Parker was bouncing on the balls of his feet as we purchased our tickets for the lift, the nervousness running through him was almost humorous.

"You excited or what?" I glanced over at him while handing my card to the guy at the front counter.

"It's the hot chocolate. Should have stuck to your guns on it." He turned around as if looking for someone.

"Your friend here yet?" I asked and took our tickets. "I got him one too, just to be nice."

"Oh cool. Yeah, I see him." Parker smiled like a tom cat.

"Great. I'll be outside, by the lift. You guys just come out there and bring my board with you, okay?"

"Yeah, whatever you want, Sis." He chuckled as I turned and walked outside.

Nervousness swelled in my stomach over seeing Finn again. The last time I'd laid eyes on him, I was half dressed in my bedroom and things got hot quick. I'd fantasized over him taking me against the wall of my bedroom twenty times since it almost happened.

His aggressiveness combined with his soft fingers and warm mouth left me needing him in ways I wasn't used to. I wanted to explore every inch of him, and have him return the favor. Hopefully he would be up for it sooner than later. Something told me I had nothing to worry about.

"Chloe. This is my buddy." Parker's voice had a lightness to it that said he was on the verge of laughter.

I had my back to them, but I'd moved over near a small embankment that wouldn't be too far of a fall for me and Finn. Turning, I let my eyes grow wide and my brow crease.

"What are you doing here?" I looked at Parker.

His face dropped and concerned filled his features. "I thought you would love this."

"You thought wrong." I turned my angry stare on Finn and damn if he didn't have a sexy smirk on his face. I was doing all I could to keep our rouse under-wraps, and he was smirking.

"Come on, Chloe. The kid was just trying to help." He put his back to the small cliff, and put his hands on his hips. "Don't be like that."

"Like that?" I moved toward him as Parker moved toward me. I pushed at my brother's chest, which surprised him.

"Chloe. Stop," Parker yelled at me, but I was already in motion.

"Don't tell me anything, you sorry bastard." I pushed my hands into his chest, and he put on a good show, grabbing me at the last minute and pulling me with him. We slid down the hill with me on top of Finn, and him on his back, both of us laughing.

We stopped, and I could hear Parker yelling as he ran after us.

"I am not pretending like I'm dead." Finn gave me a look.

"For a long hot kiss?"

"R.I.P." He closed his eyes and sunk into the snow.

I did the same until I could hear Parker getting closer. "Ready?"

"On your queue, you mean ass witch."

I giggled. "Now."

Parker dropped beside us and we bolted up, attacking him and laughing a he fell back.

"You assholes! That scared the crap out of me." He rolled, and balled up a snowball, throwing the first at me and the next at Finn.

An older guy in a uniform called down to us. "Hey! No playing around down there, guys. It's off limits."

We all made our way to our feet and Finn pointed to me. "It was all her, buddy. I'm sorry."

"Last time I help you, Finn." Parker winked and walked back up the hill in front of us.

"I'm praying it's the last time I need help." He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and glanced down the length of me. "Did I tell you that I'm missed you like crazy?"

"Yeah, but you can say it again."

"I've missed you like crazy." He pulled me close and smiled. "Where's my hot kiss?"

"Coming soon..."

Chapter 20

Finn

Chloe was a nightmare at snowboarding, but we switched her back to skis and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon outside together. Parker found a few friends and ditched us, which was fine by me. I needed to talk with the beautiful girl who'd stolen my heart anyway.

I waited at the bottom of the run for her, my hands over the top of my eyes so I could see her come down. Her long blond hair flapped behind her as her pretty muted pink jacket and wind-pants fit her incredibly well. I let out a long whistle as she stopped beside me.

"You got plans later, pretty girl? If not, I know a great place in town that will cut you a steak fresh from the rack. We can grab a few, and I'll grill them for us." I lifted an eyebrow and waited for her response. Just having her with me lightened the load of concerns I carried around all the time.

"Sounds wonderful. I can't imagine anything better." She moved closer to me, and I popped my feet from my board and stepped in between her skis, wrapping my arm tightly around her middle.

"I can imagine something a lot better, but we'll start with dinner and a long conversation." I leaned forward and brushed my nose along hers, wanting to take things slow, and yet not.

"How about a cup of coffee now at the little shop at the club house, and then we'll have our second date? I don't want to talk about anything heavy tonight. Let's get it all out of the way before we leave here."

She slid her pretty pink mittens along my face, and pulled me in for a sweet kiss.

"Get a room!" Parker yelled as he moved past us.

"I like that idea. There are so many things we could do in a room if given enough time." I nipped at her lips and smiled.

"You act like such a nice guy, but I know there's a bad boy underneath it all. I keep seeing him peek out around the edges of your personality." She pulled from me.

"Actually, I'm always a nice guy. You're just making shit up." I licked at my lips again, and glanced down at her mouth. "I want my kiss."

"I do owe it to you." She slid her arms around my neck and flattened herself against the front of me before lifting up and capturing my lips.

I slid my hand over the curve of her ass and squeezed tightly as I explored her mouth fully. She took every bit of what I was giving, and met me with a hot passion that left me needy. It wasn't something I'd experienced in my past. Desire rolled through me and I pulled her in even closer, deepening the kiss as my body hardened.

She broke the kiss and looked up at me a little starry-eyed. "Damn you're a good kisser."

"Mmmm... you should see what else I can do with this tongue." I smiled as she shook her head and pushed at my chest.

"Not here. Not now. So incredibly bad."

"Not me. You're thinking of someone else, which come to think of it is highly disturbing." I picked up my board, and tucked it under my arm before nodding to the lodge. "Let's go have this talk and finish clearing the air between us."

"Yes. Then we should really test out these promises about your magical tongue." She wagged her eyebrows.

I growled and reached for her hand, hoping the talk would be short and the night long.

* * * *

I carried two cups of hot chocolate over to the table as Chloe played with her nails. She was nervous, and she wasn't the only one.

"Peppermint in yours or no?" I held out both cups toward her.

"Yes. I love it, unless you do."

"Nope. It's all yours." I sat down and pressed my forearms to the table. "I need to apologize."

"You already have, Finn." She took a tentative sip and looked shocked. "This isn't scorching hot."

"I know. You tell them child's temp and they make it to where you can drink it." I wagged my eyebrows. "And here you thought I was just sexy. I'm smart too."

She laughed, and the sound of it caused my heart to beat fast. I couldn't even contemplate her leaving in a few weeks. It was too much to consider.

"I owe the apology." I started to cut her off, but she lifted her hand. "No, let me finish. Please."

"Okay." I sat back and let my free hand drop into my lap, willing to give her center stage.

"Coming here was something I did begrudgingly, because I had to." She shrugged and glanced down at her mug. "I'm glad I did, but I think I wanted to just treat it like a quick stop off in life and move on. I just wrapped up my degree and my dreams have always been to be on the west coast."

"Which is beautiful." I nodded, hoping to encourage her to forgo thinking about my feelings and just open up to me.

"Yeah, but meeting you and things spiking so fast between us has me wondering if maybe I was just trying to stay in California because this place has too many memories. I mean... I do seriously hate the cold, but this place really is fun." She tugged her cap off and worked to smooth her long, blond hair. "I'd be near my family if I stayed, which would be great. Parker mentioned wanting me to this morning."

I leaned in and slid my open hand across the table, wanting her to take it.

She did, and I closed my fingers around hers.

"Listen, you have to do what you think is best, and remember that any decision you make can be undone. You move here and don't like it? Go back to California. You stay there and it sucks? Come back to us." I smiled, but my words only seemed to hurt her rather than help.

"My apology is for the way I treated you when I first got here. You didn't deserve it. I pre-judged you. Forgive me."

"My actions and the way I lived my life had everyone judging me the same, and you were all right." I pursed my lips. "Your apology is accepted, but it wasn't needed. You were the wake-up call that I needed so desperately."

"Why are you so damn nice?" She tugged her hand from me.

"Because I care about you, Chloe. I want your happiness. Wherever that is...go there. Be free to live your life." I forced a smile and picked up my hot chocolate. "You and I will be friends no matter where you are."

"What if I want more than a friendship?" She sucked her lip into her mouth as her eyebrows pulled together.

"Then we work on that while you're here, and when it's time to go, nothing changes. If we decided to be together like that, then location shouldn't change that. It would be hard, but worth it, right?"

"Yeah. I'm over-thinking this. I just can't help myself."

"Let's finish up here, and get on with the rest of the afternoon. We don't need to sit here and figure out the future. I'm sorry for being an ass, and you're sorry for being so fucking hot, and it's all good." I lifted my hands and shrugged.

She laughed, and leaned back in her chair as the worry on her pretty face melted. "Did you find out anything about our Dads? Why they can't stand each other?"

"Nope. I mentioned it to my Dad, but he closed up tighter than a clam." I stood and offered her my hand. "That's their problem, not ours. When it becomes ours, I'll deal with it for us."

She took my hand and lifted her mug. "Let's get these to go. I don't know what I figured we could work through up here, but I'm over it."

"Good, besides, I'd rather snuggle up by the fireplace and work through our shit if anything comes up as it comes up." I pulled her to me and kissed the top of her head. "But... I'm a simple man. I don't need complexity and I take things as they come."

"I like that. A lot." She moved up and kissed me once before taking my drink to have them put into to-go containers. "So, if I didn't want the peppermint hot chocolate, were you going to drink it?"

"Sure was." I slipped my hands in my pockets and tilted my head as I studied her. Butterflies ripped through the center of me as she narrowed her eyes a little.

"Even though you don't like it?"

"If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." I chuckled, knowing what was coming next, and said it in tandem with her.

"Ain't isn't a word." She smiled and walked back to the counter, leaving me with my insides on fire and the future opened for anything to happen. It was terrifying, but would be worth every minute that I got to enjoy.

* * * *

"How do you want your steak cooked, baby?" I glanced over my shoulder at her. We were on the small porch I'd built at the back of my cabin. Her long legs were stretched out as she lounged in a chair beside me, the top half of her wrapped in three blankets. All I could see was her little red nose and piercing green eyes.

"Medium." She lifted her mouth out of the covers before slipping it back under quickly.

I turned the steaks, and moved to sit beside her on the lounge chair. "Did you have that meeting with your Dad over the jackets?"

She nodded as the top of her cheeks lifted above the covers.

"And?" I reached out and tugged the blanket down. "Tell me what happened."

"It went really well. He's going to let me take one of the designs to market under his line. I guess he wants me to understand the full cycle from idea to an actual product on the shelves."

"And you're excited?" I pulled the blanket back up.

She nodded, and I stood, checking the meat one more time before pulling it off the grill.

"Let's get inside, Miss, I hate the cold." I grabbed my beer and put my shoulder against the door as she moved in quickly behind me, grumbling about the freezing cold weather.

After setting the steaks down in the kitchen and checking on the potatoes and green beans on the stove, I walked over to the fireplace, and wrapped her in a hug from behind. She was thick due to the blankets, but I still managed to get my arms around her. I snuggled my face into the side of her neck as she swatted at me.

"Your nose is cold! Damn."

"Hush, woman. Part of being my girl means you have to warm me up when I'm cold. It's in the contract." I smiled and moved back as she turned to face me.

"All of you?" Her lips turned up into a naughty smile and my chest tightened.

"Yeah. Every last inch." I pulled her in tightly and kissed her with the intent of exploring her warm mouth. The sensation of her cold lips and nose combined with the warm wetness of her mouth caused a growl to slip from my lips. "I want you, Chloe. Say your stay the night with me."

She nodded, and pulled her thick bottom lip into her mouth as she watched me. It was enough of an agreement for me. I kissed her nose and moved back to the kitchen. "I'm not the only one with a freezing-ass cold nose."

Her laughter caused me to glance over my shoulder.

"What?" I asked.

"Freezing-ass. We should just make that our private joke. You're a grown-ass man with a freezing-ass cold nose."

I laughed too, and shook my head. "Tell me a few things about you while I cut this up, then we'll eat."

"Like what?" She moved to sit on the stool at my small two-seater table.

"Like your age. Where you were born. Um...the color of your panties?" I kept my back to her, but couldn't help the huge smile that lifted my lips.

"I'm twenty-four. I was born here in Aspen and I don't wear panties."

I jerked around and pinned her with a stare. "You do, too. You had on panties the other night in your bedroom."

"Those were my sleeping shorts." She shrugged. "Panties get in the way. I don't like them."

"In the way of what, exactly?" I lifted an eyebrow, loving this girl all the more. She was letting us have a full on conversation over her underwear.

"Of my pants looking good." She tilted her head to the side and smiled. "What did you think I meant?"

"I'm the town whore, remember? My panties get in the way of a quickie." I winked, and turned back to the stove after teasing her a little. I was surprised when her arms slid around my waist tightly.

"Don't call yourself that again, okay?" She pressed her lips to my back, and I relaxed against her.

"I was just teasing, baby."

"I know, but I don't like it. I don't think you're a whore. Everyone needs warmth, Finn. You just find it in the arms of a woman." She kissed my back a few more times, and I wished like hell that I didn't have my shirt on.

I cut her a piece of the steak and turned in her hold, offering it to her and smiling as she took it. Her eyes closed and she groaned. "Delicious."

"I bet that's not the only thing that tastes good." I tossed the fork behind me and took her face into my hands, leaning down and kissing her. "Where do you find your warmth?"

"I didn't have a place." She licked at her lips and swallowed. "But I do now."

Dinner was ready, but all I could think about was tasting her. I wanted her to find not only warmth, but pleasure beyond anything she could imagine in me – with me.

I pushed at the blankets around her, and ran my hands down the column of her neck before leaning in for another kiss.

She groaned, and slipped her cold hands under my layers of clothes, her fingers freezing, but silky soft. I reached down and pulled my shirts off, tossing them to the side. Pulling her back against me, I cupped her perfect ass, and pressing at the back of her thighs.

"What about dinner?" She pulled back as I beckoned her to jump and wrap her legs around me.

"Fuck dinner." I gripped the back of her neck forcefully, and pulled her back down to consume her mouth as I moved us to the couch. Every cell in my body came alive at the thought of seeing her come, of hearing her cry out my name. I had to force myself to calm down. I didn't want to scare the poor girl, seeing that I hoped like hell that this would be the first night of many with us together.

I couldn't imagine a better future.