"It's not going to happen, but it's all good."
"Why not?" I pulled him to a stop, confused at his reasoning.
"Dreams take money to build. I have a lot of heart and loads of passion, but money has never been something we've had." He smiled so authentically that I was stunned into silence. I'd judged him all wrong. He was nothing like I thought him to be. "It's okay though. If it's meant to happen, it will."
I stepped back and lost my footing, wanting to respond, but rolling down the small hill behind me. I landed on my back and laughed so hard that tears sprung to my eyes.
"Chloe!" He ran after me, skidding to his knees as he bent over me with fear in his face. "Are you okay? Were you hurt? Can you move?"
I swatted at him. "Yes. I'm just stupid levels of clumsy."
"I'm aware." He smiled and offered me a hand.
I took it and turned, pulling him down with me and rolling us until he was on his back and I was laid out across the top of him. He reached up and pushed my hair back before consuming my mouth with another hot kiss.
I moaned deeply in my chest and gave myself over to him. I opened my mouth and sucked gently at his tongue as it darted in and out of my mouth. He rolled it against mine and I groaned again at how good of a kisser he was, the slow sensual way he made love to me left me with no doubt that one night in his arms would never be enough.
He broke the kiss and brushed his nose against mine. "Such a bad girl."
"You've no idea," I whispered, kissed him quickly and got up.
"Well, damn you for making me want to know."
I offered him a hand and he took it, pulling hard and causing me to fall back down. We rolled around in the snow playfully, laughing and tossing small handfuls of the soft white stuff at each other.
"How can you not love it here?" He asked as he sat up and brushed his hair.
"I guess it reminds me too much of my mother." I shrugged and sat up. I worked to brush his back and shoulders off and then he returned the favor. It was fine until he ran his hands over my hair slowly, gripping lightly and tugging a little.
"You're so fucking beautiful. I honestly haven't ever seen a woman more intriguing, more naturally stunning than you." He touched the side of my face as his eyes moved along my face, leaving me to feel treasured.
"You're just being sweet." I forced a chuckle and got up, using his shoulder.
"No, I'm really not." He got up and pointed just behind us. "There's the pond. Looks like we had a sense of direction that worked in our favor today."
I looked back at the pond and smiled. It looked like something out of a hallmark movie. "Can you ice skate on it?"
"I'm sure you can, but I've never tried. We should try sometime. The damn thing is frozen like that most of the year." He moved in behind me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders.
I relaxed against him and asked a question that kept bouncing around in my mind. "Do you know what's up with our Dad's?"
"They're anal-retentive?"
I chuckled. "No. My Dad can't seem to stand your Dad, which is so weird. They have a lot in common. Know the story behind it?"
"Not a clue. I had no idea there was an issue."
The wind picked up and I shivered, getting so cold all of a sudden. I turned in his arms and looked up at him. "Let's go back to your place. Do you have anything to eat?"
"We can whip up a stew or something. I have potatoes and meat."
"Can you cook?" I asked, moving up beside him as he wrapped me in a side hug and kissed my cheek.
"Yep. Way better than any of the men in my family."
"I thought it was just you and your Dad?" I looked up at him as my heart fluttered in my chest.
"I have a grandfather and uncles, silly girl." He shook his head and snorted.
"Then you're cooking. I've been cooking since I got here. My brother was living on Cheez-Its and gummy worms."
"That actually sounds delicious." He released me as we got back to his place.
"Boys," I mumbled and walked in as I started to pull off my coat, gloves and scarf.
"Men, actually. I'm not a boy anymore. My father calls me a grown-ass man." Finn moved to the fireplace and worked to start a fire as he continued to talk. "I'm not just a common man, but I get the designation of being a grown-ass man."
I plopped down on the couch and leaned back. "You and I are one in the same then. My Dad tells me that I'm a groan-ass woman too."
He glanced over his shoulder and stole my heart. "I knew we were supposed to be together."
His brown hair was disheveled and curled on the edges from being a little long. The warmth in his golden brown eyes spoke volumes of the man underneath and the sexy curve of his lips left me wanting to taste them again. How easy it would be to stretch out on his couch and offer him all of me, but it would be all.
To spend a night with him wouldn't just be an offering of my body, but my heart would be involved too. It scared me to think it might already be.
Finn got up and walked to the kitchen as he tugged his jacket over his head. It pulled at his shirt and I turned to watch him with the hopes of seeing some of his tanned skin.
"So let's talk as I cook dinner. Wanna?" He glanced over at me and lifted his eyebrow. "You should be cooking and I should be laying on the couch watching you like a sex-starved man."
"Do I look sex-starved?" I moved to get my shoes off and decided not to tell him just how close to the truth his descriptor was.
"If I say yes, can I be the one to help you change your status?"
"You're relentless." I popped the first boot off and groaned before starting to work on the next one.
"Only when I want something I feel like I can't live without." He turned back to the stove.
I needed to get us away from the topic of us, and especially with sex being part of the discussion. I was too close to giving into the desire to get sweaty with the handsome devil.
"Tell me your most embarrassing date." I worked on my other boot and ignored the stare I received over his shoulder.
"Right. You sure you want to hear this?"
I got up and walked to stand behind him, sliding my hands up his back and pressing my fingers into the tension in his shoulders. "Yeah. I do."
"Her name was baby, but you knew that."
I snorted and laughed loudly, pinching him and whispering, "Terrible."
"Anyway, I was probably nineteen and she was way out of my league, but I met her at one of the ice cream shops in town. Why we have ice cream in Aspen is beyond me."
"Tell the story." I pinched again and he groaned, the sound of it starting a fire deep inside of me.
"Right. So she sits down at the table in Brian's seat and tells me I'm cute."
"You are."
"Are you going to let me tell the story?" He laughed as I slid my hands down his sides and squeezed tightly.
I wrapped him in a hug and pressed my cheek to his back, unable to help myself. I wanted warmth, but only from him all of a sudden. I was grateful he didn't call me out for it. Every move that was made during the day was me doing it. He was intentionally not coming on to me, which was great and frustrating all at the same time. It was my fault either way.
"So she licks at her ice cream in front of me and promises me a good time if I come back to her place with her. I ditch Brian..."
I cut him off, rubbing my hands over his chest. "Poor Brian."