12. Phoenix
12
PHOENIX
W alking down the sidewalk, I can’t help thinking that being with Aspen should be harder than it is. She’s beautiful and kind, and I’d do almost anything to make her smile. Which is how we ended up ducking inside Mug Life Coffee for a cup of hot chocolate.
Aspen got hers with extra whipped cream and shaved peppermint on top, and I’d discreetly made that note in my phone for future reference. I’d gone for the white hot chocolate and she’d done nothing to hide how boring she thought that choice was as we maneuvered back onto the street.
“What’s your favorite holiday tradition?” she asks, holding her cup in both hands and looking up at me through her lashes.
Swallowing hard, I count the streetlights ahead, the answer hitting me harder now that I have to say it out loud.
“Bristol and Navy live with Talon, but I always spend the night Christmas Eve so I can be there when Navy wakes up.”
“That’s really sweet; I’m sure she loves it.”
“She does,” I say, licking my lips. “And I do the elf on the shelf.”
“What do you mean?” she says, taking a sip and humming as her eyelids flutter closed. It’s adorable and sexy, and I have to clear my throat before attempting to speak.
“It was never a thing when we were growing up, but my parents gifted one to Navy and she loves the damn thing. She didn’t totally get what it meant in the beginning, only that it was something silly. Bristol hates it. She’s exhausted trying to do it all, so I became the elf.”
“And what is your elf name?” She giggles and I snort because I totally asked for this. And strangely, I don’t hate it.
“Gaston.” My lips twitch at the memory. “Bristol, Talon, and I all played rock, paper, scissors and Talon won.”
“That’s not adorable at all.” She sighs as she drops her empty cup in the garbage. “So what? Do you sneak over to their house every night after Navy is asleep?”
“It depends on how elaborate the setup is. Sometimes, I’ll just leave Bristol with instructions, like when I made dumbbells using pieces of a straw and some marshmallows, and other times, like when I did a car chase across the counter, I went over to set up.”
“Do you clean up the mess too?”
“Talon usually takes care of it, but if I have to, I’ll make a big deal of stopping over to see what the elf did.” Throwing my own cup away, I give her one more truth. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for my niece and my sister. It’s hard enough for Bristol being a widowed, single mom, and while Talon and I could never replace Davis, we still try to make sure Navy has our full attention.”
“She’s lucky to have you.”
“It’s cliché but we’re the lucky ones.”
“Who knew under all that grumpiness you’re just a big softie.”
“Nothin’ soft about me, Aspen.”
“Is that right?”
“Where you’re concerned? Definitely.”
“That sounds promising,” she muses, stepping just out of my reach when I hear footsteps behind me, and I know before I even look that there’s not enough time to get to her.
“Aspen, watch out,” I call a second too late as a teenager runs into Aspen, knocking her off the sidewalk and into the sand.
“Sorry, ma’am!” the kid calls out but doesn’t stop chasing his friend, and I’m already in motion.
I reach for her, but she’s so off-balance we go toppling into the sand, her landing on top of me while I take the brunt of the impact.
Her body on top of mine must short-circuit my brain because when she gasps and tries to move off me, I hold her tighter and tangle my fingers in her hair.
“You were right,” she whispers.
“About what?”
“The landing was pretty hard .” Her hips rock gently against mine, illustrating her point as I harden beneath her. It’s impossible to stop my self-satisfied grin as she stares down at me with those big green eyes. Leaning up, I let my gaze fall to her mouth before traveling back up, making my intentions clear.
Because I want this—and I know she does too.
“What are you doing?” she pushes as I lift my head off the ground and pull her down to meet me.
“Trying to impress you,” I murmur.
“By causing a scene?”
“You’re worth it,” I breathe against her lips.
“Then get to it.”
Our first kiss had been feverish—the clashing of tongues and teeth, battling for dominance while I pulled her impossibly closer to me in that darkened corner. This is nothing like that but just as good.
It’s unhurried as her tongue slides against mine, and I feel the small nip of her teeth against my bottom lip before she’s diving back into my mouth, the sweetest seduction.
“We should take this back to my house,” she whispers, dipping her head to nibble on my earlobe. My groan rumbles through my chest, and she chuckles as she climbs off me and offers me her hand.
It’s a simple gesture, but it feels like so much more in this moment.
Taking it, I let her pull me up but she doesn’t let go, instead pressing her tits against my chest as she looks up at me.
“I’m a no-sex-on-the-first-date kind of girl.”
“What about tryin’ to take me home after karaoke?”
“That’s a hookup, totally different.”
The growl that escapes is completely involuntary, and I hold her to me tighter, making her giggle and snuggle closer.
“Are you a watch-a-Christmas-movie and make-out-on-the-couch kind of girl?”
“I might be.”
“Let’s go find out.”