Page 303 of Screwged for Christmas

She blinked in confusion at the rapid change of subject. Excuses? “Oh, the town part? I’m not showing my hand that easy.” She quickly regained her composure and brushed off the rush of excitement that threatened to take over. What was she? Still in high school? No control over how he made her body react with a simple brush of a finger?

His low-rumbling laugh was contagious with how much easygoing small-town energy he worked into the warming sound. Some people just knew how tonotlet anything bother them.

Not her. And a point that made them such a great couple once upon a time. He balanced out her crazy big-city energy.

Aspen pressed a hand to the small of her back and guided them around to the other side of the vegetables and gathered enough potatoes to feed a small army. Next went in cloves of garlic and some red bell pepper. She wouldn’t read anything into the small gesture no matter how fast her mind wanted to click over to the loving, caring touch. He had always protected those around him. Sometimes the gestures were small, like now. And other times he’d gone the extra mile to help others.

It was in his nature as much as it was in hers to notice the small things. And she so easily fell into the safety he provided. She did it in high school and if she didn’t grow some steel in her backbone she would fall all over again. That couldn’t—wouldn’t—happen. Not again. Dixen, Alaska, the big dix man himself and everything about this place had no room in her life anymore.

Aspen pushed aside the cart and between the cabbage and squash pulled her into his arms. Old habits had her cheek resting over his heart and her hands wrapping around his middle. What was she just telling herself about steel backbones?

“What has you so worried, sweetheart? Talk to me.”

He stroked a hand down her hair.

Her eyes dipped closed. Just a second wouldn’t hurt anything. All those nights of questioning her sanity about walking on him came tumbling back. What the hell had she been so scared of back then? Being trapped in a small town was the short, albeit dumb answer.

She cleared her throat. “Gran. She’s gone and has left me with the B&B for the holidays.”

He whistled low, his hand still in her hair. “Mastermind at work, indeed. So she was up to something this morning.”

His deep voice made his chest rumble and she nuzzled closer.

“Apparently. This Christmas she’ll be living it up Vegas style while I’m tending to the B&B, dolling up the place with new curtains and putting some fresh paint on a few walls before heading out to New York the day after Christmas. Remember the guy from the pictures this morning?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, the sexy fox of a grandpa promised her lights and flashy shows and now I’m left with the B&B and all the newcomers she has lined up this year.” She felt a panic attack rising. Air seemed to stop short of entering her lungs. She closed her eyes and took a couple of small breaths to calm herself. Errant tears threatened to spring up but she fought them back. No one needed to see her wiping tears away in the produce section.

“Easy, baby. I’ve got you. I--”

He paused, leaving whatever he was going to say for some other time as he brought her head off his chest with his warm, strong hands around her face. He stroked the callused pads of his thumbs near the crease of her lips. Her mouth parted as his gaze stroked along her lips.

Her tongue darted out and passed over her bottom lip.

“Aspen, I--”

His expression turned passionate, like flipping a switch. He turned from friend only to would-be-lover.

Ivy sucked air into her lungs.

And just like that, she was finally one of those people. The ones who didn’t care where they were when the hottest kiss of their lives happened. Audience be damned.

Aspen rumbled a growl of appreciation, bent and hauled her up his body. Fearing she would fall, her legs wrapped around his thick waste the second his lips claimed hers. A warm swipe of his tongue had her lips parting for him.

She reached up and took his scruffy cheeks in hand and deepened their kiss, stroking her tongue over his. Melting into him as if trying to reclaim all those missed years.

Hot liquid pooled between her thighs to soak her panties.

Between them, his hard-on thickened and she rocked her hips over the steel length. Damn she’d forgotten how thick and long he was. How he could fill her up, stretch her body with a delicious ache Their last love session was the eve of their wedding. It had been the hottest night of their lives that left them spent. She’d even feared they’d have nothing left for their wedding night. Both were barely graduated with the world in front of them. And then she ruined it the next day.

His hands cupped her ass and he drew her to him, dry humping her pussy with small thrusts.

Air came in short supply, but she didn’t have it in her to pull away.

Every fantasy of having him back in her life clawed to the front of her mind. His taste, his scent wrapped around her soul and for once in a long while she didn’t care about anything.

Breathing heavy she broke the kiss. Leaning her forehead against his, she said, “I love when you touch me. Kiss me. You still taste like peppermint and coffee.” Something else she didn’t mean to say but it seemed whenever she was around him it didn’t matter what she wanted. Her body and heart took the wheel and her brain and good sense were shoved in the backseat.

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