Chapter 5
Aspen
My eyes open, slow and heavy and my forehead creases.
“Where am I?”
Charlie pops up beside the bed and laughs. “You’re at my house!”
Jerking, I screech and scrabble at the soft quilt spread out across me.
The door slams open and I scream again. “Aargh!” I jerk at the blanket, trying to pull it over my head.
“Charlie! I told you not to wake Aspen up!”
Charlie giggles. “I wasn’t trying to wake her up.”
“Well, now you have. What do you have to say for yourself?”
My wide eyes peek over the top of the blanket. Charlie grins. “It snowed last night. You wanna build a snowman?”
“That’s not what I meant, Charlie.”
“I don’t know what you want then.”
“I’m sure you don’t. Apologize to Aspen for waking her like that. You must have scared the hell out of her.”
Charlie leans into my side and gives me a wide-eyed smile. “Sorry, Aspen. But I knew you’d want to build a snowman with me today. It’s perfect outside.”
Sebastian huffs. “I don’t think that’s much of an apology, kiddo.”
Charlie grunts but doesn’t repeat her apology and I grin at her. “I get it. Nothing’s better than building a snowman, right?”
Charlie grins back at me and puts her little hand up for a high-five. “You know it!”
Sebastian chuckles and warm syrup trickles down my limbs. It’s such a sexy sound. My cheeks heat and I scissor my legs a little under the soft quilt, trying to help the ache in my core.
This guy does things to me that I’ve never felt before.
“I’m sorry that I fell asleep on you but you should have woke me up and sent me home.”
“I would never send you home in the dark like that. Fucking rude.” There’s something warm and wanton in my soul that reaches out to a warm side of him.
Charlie huffs. “Language, dad.”
He rolls his eyes. “I’ll put a dollar in the swear jar. But for now, go downstairs. I just finished making pancakes.”
Charlie yells, pumping her little fist again and races out of the room.
Awkward silence moves in around us and I can’t look up at him. “I’m sorry that I’ve been so much trouble when all you asked for was a little help.”
Rustling is all my answer for a moment. And then his big, warm fingers close on my chin and he lifts it up, his blue gaze on my face.
“There is nothing that I wouldn’t do for you. And you could never be trouble.”
Laughing lightly as we both hear Charlie’s very exuberant exit echo through the house, he slowly moves his fingers, trailing them lightly over my skin until all I feel is the shadow of his touch under my skin.
“Come on downstairs. And if you have plans, just let me know and I’ll help you get Charlie under control.”
Shaking my head, I grin. “Nope! I don’t have any plans at all. I’d love to build a snowman with her if you’re okay with it.”
He flashes the sexiest grin I think I’ve ever seen. “You’re not getting out of this that easily, Aspen. I need all the help I can get with her. Come on down and have some pancakes. I put clean clothes on the chair for you.”
And with those parting words, he shoots me a wicked smile and closes the door behind him.
And I fall back to the bed, my eyes closing as I hug myself, not sure what I did to deserve whatever’s going on here but knowing that I’d do just about anything to make it last longer.
Even freeze my ass off in the cold. Kicking my legs wildly, I turn my face and scream into the pillow.
I never dreamt that I could spend this much time with my dream man and his little girl.
But I’m gonna take advantage of all of this.
“Come on down, Aspen!” His wild roar comes up the stairs and I can’t stop the grin on my face as I slip out of the bed and grab the sweatpants and sweater off the chair, my excitement dimming somewhat when I see that they’re in my size.
Who left these here?
Shaking my head at my crazy thoughts, I tug the pants on, only to pull them back off when I feel something in them.
A tag!
Searching, I find the same thing in the sweater.
How the heck does he have brand-new clothes in my exact size?
I push the thought aside as I pull them on, loving the soft feel of the new clothes. These are much nicer than anything I own.
I’m not about to look a gift horse in the mouth here. I’m gonna have a wonderful day with my dream man and Charlie.
I don’t care how this happened. It’s like a dream. But if it’s a dream, I never want to wake up.
I shoot out the door and down the stairs into what I’m sure is going to be the best day of my life!
Ice smacks into my cheek and I groan. “Charlie! Come on.”
She giggles and darts behind the trees again. “I knew I should have said no to a snowball fight.”
I duck behind our lopsided snowman. Sebastian ducks behind his girlfriend that we just finished building. His bright blue eyes are practically glowing with happiness and my heart lurches in my chest.
“How ya doing?” He whispers.
“Why are you whispering?”
“I don’t want to get a snowball upside the head like you did!”
Shaking my head, I glare at him. “You could have told me that she’s got a crazy arm on her!”
He cocks his head and grins and my belly swoops. “She takes after her old man. What can I say?”
Closing my eyes, I sigh. “Yeah. I would have appreciated hearing that before she got me.”
He laughs, rich and warm. “Sorry about that. But I wasn’t ready for you to go home. Sorry not sorry.”
Happiness bubbles up inside me and I can’t catch my breath. And this time it’s got nothing to do with an icy ball hitting me in the face. It’s all about heat and warmth.
And the man in front of me.