Page 16 of Festive Faking
She gasped, her eyes widening at the intimate hold.
Lowering my voice so only she could hear, I teased, “Come on, Freckles. Are you really gonna deny dear, sweet Meemaw’s request for a show?”
Aspen’s only response was a shaky inhale, so I used her silence to my advantage and dipped my head to pepper kisses across her cheek, working my way closer to her plush pink lips.
She trembled, so I only gripped her tighter, relishing how perfectly we fit together. My nose teased along the side of hers. This might be fake for her, but for me, it was so very real.
I’d dreamt of kissing this woman for over two years, and this might be my only chance. I wasn’t about to waste it, family audience be damned. I wanted her to remember this moment because even though our lips hadn’t touched yet, I knew I would never forget it so long as I lived.
This was a defining moment. I just knew it.
“Aspen.” Her name fell from my lips like a prayer, the anticipation hanging heavy in the air.
Without warning, she closed the gap between us, fusing our mouths.
Surprise that she’d taken the initiative faded away in an instant as I sank into the kiss. Electricity buzzed beneath my skin at the contact, and I licked across the seam of her lips, desperate for a taste but terrified that she’d pull away as I demanded more.
I didn’t give a damn that my groan was loud as she parted for me and I teased my tongue inside. Fingers slid through my hair, grasping at the strands and moving my head to where she wanted it.
It was slow, lazy, and exploratory, but it was the hottest kiss of my life.
She tasted like peppermint, likely having sampled a few of the cookies we’d made earlier, and I couldn’t get enough. I was dizzy as lust swirled through my veins, blood pooling below my waist with her soft curves pressed against me.
Aspen must have felt my physical reaction because she gasped, opening wider for me to claim her deeper. Her moans were the sweetest sound I’d ever heard, but a throat clearing loudly had my head snapping up and heat rising along my neck.
Our mixed breathing was harsh, coming out in pants like we’d finished running a race.
Wide blue eyes peeked up at me, and one of her hands left its perch—tangled in my hair—so she could press the fingertips gingerly against her swollen lips. If she looked this incredible after a single kiss, I bet she was a goddamn vision freshly fucked.
The urge to experience that sight firsthand grew overwhelming, but I knew better than to push my luck.
“Now,thatwas a kiss!” Meemaw declared, and the bubble surrounding us burst.
Aspen stepped back, effectively breaking our body contact. I fought the urge to shiver, suddenly colder without her touch.
A blush crept onto her cheeks, and she glanced into the kitchen. “What happened to your refill?”
I shrugged. “Decided I didn’t need it.”
“Oh.” She nodded slowly.
Unable to help myself, I grasped her hand and tugged her back toward the couch. This time, when we sat, I didn’t allow her any space. My thigh was pressed flush to hers, and my arm restedalong the back of the couch behind her so my fingers could brush against her shoulder.
Under her breath, she asked, “What are you doing?”
Bringing my mouth to her ear, I replied, “You were just moaning as we made out in front of your family. It’s my right as the boyfriend to touch you. I promise I don’t bite.” I waited a beat before adding, “Unless you ask nicely.”
Being this close, I felt when that innuendo sank in and a surprised rush of air flew past her lips, but she didn’t try to pull away.
“You can tell a lot about how a man is between the sheets by the way he kisses.”
Aspen’s eyes grew comically large as she whipped her head around toward her grandmother, who was completely oblivious to her shock and distress.
“Your Pop used to maul me with his mouth, and let me tell you, he was no slouch in the bedroom. Or any other place we happened to get carried away.” She threw in a wink for good measure.
“Ma!” Jett shouted, running a hand down his face. “You can’t talk like that.”
She pointed a bony finger in her son’s direction. “The hell I can’t! You act like I wasn’t young once.”
