by Claire Adams
Realization dawned on me, and hard emotion slammed into my chest. I rolled over and carefully got out of the bed as tears burned my eyes. My father loved my mother with a passion that made no sense to me. He'd been single for ten years out of the longing that he had for only her.
I couldn't imagine loving Chloe for the next ten years and then having to say goodbye.
Walking to the shower, I pressed my fingers to my eyes and growled. "Stop it. Idiot."
The water was hot and felt good against my skin as I let my worries bleed out. I tucked the situation with my mom and dad somewhere back into a corner of my heart and figured I'd get Chloe to help me with how to talk the old fart into giving Milly a try. She was the next best thing to my mom, but convincing Dad of that would be hard. We'd have to get manipulative, but Chloe was a woman...she could figure it out for me.
I smiled and turned the shower off, knowing she would give me lip for calling her manipulative by nature.
"Finn?" her voice called out from the bedroom.
"I'm in here, baby. Just needed to get moving." I wrapped a towel around my waist and walked back into the bedroom to see her curled up on her side, clutching the covers around her chest.
"You have to work today?" She sat up and ran her fingers through her hair as she kept the blanket up against her.
I leaned over and pinched the bottom of it, pulling hard as she yelped. "I wanna see you."
"Then get back in this bed. It's fucking cold." She pulled the covers back up and rolled around in the bed until she was properly wrapped up.
I crawled over her and straddled her side with my full body as I kissed at the side of her face.
"My dad's already grumpy about me calling in sick the other day. The cute girl I was going to spend the day with told on me." I huffed. "Around the shop, we like to say that snitches get stitches."
She turned and lifted her eyebrow at me. "Oh yeah? Is that what you guys say?"
She jerked back, and I fell onto the bed, only to have her crawl on top of me and run her fingers along my sides, tickling me.
I trapped her hands and rolled us back over, snuggling in between her thighs and cursing my towel and her blanket. "I'm gonna get you for that."
She lifted her chin to the ceiling and let out a sexy moan before rubbing herself against my stomach.
"Please get me. Get me like you got me last night."
I nipped at her breasts as they jutted out and ran my hands up her arms as my cock hardened.
"You're going to get me fired or disowned." I brushed my face down her stomach and pressed my teeth against the swell of her sex.
Her fingers slid into my hair, and she pulled me up using a handful of it. "Get out of here before I decide to play your games and submit to your research."
I got up and tugged my towel off, more than happy to prance around naked and fully erect in front of her. "What research?"
She turned on her side and reached for me as I pulled away and found a pair of clean jeans.
"How to make women have longer orgasms? We should work on that."
"If I recall, you had a six hour one last night." I chuckled as she threw a pillow at me.
"You were incredibly amazing." She turned on her back and pulled a pillow onto her face, screaming like a silly girl into it. She looked out from the side with a huge smile on her beautiful face. "Amazing. The best lover in the world."
I leaned over and pressed my chest to the bed before reaching out and touching her face. "Only for you."
"I'm going to hold you to that." She turned to kiss my hand.
"If I get to take you to bed at night and wake up with you in the morning, you can hold me to anything you want to." I moved more onto the bed and kissed her. "I gotta go. Want me to cook you something before I do?"
"No. Give me a minute, and I'll get dressed. I don't have a key." She started to get up, but I gently pressed her back down.
"There's an extra one hanging on the rack by the door. Take it with you, and be careful going home. Another thick snowstorm blew in last night."
"That's great for business, but shitty for people like me who can't drive in the snow." She let out a content sigh. "I don't want you to go."
"Is my independent woman getting needy?" I chuckled at the warning look I'd gotten.
"Never. Be safe and call me..." she paused, and I smiled, "you know, whenever."
She rolled away from me playfully, and I popped the curve of her butt in the sheets. "I'll call you when I get off. Bad girl."
"Your bad girl." She glanced over her shoulder and gave me a hot look that had me considering telling the world to go to hell.
"I gotta go before I decide not to." I grabbed my t-shirt, walked to the front door, and worked quickly to get my jacket, boots, hat and gloves on.
"See you later, Finn." Her voice was sultry, and I knew better than to turn around, but dammit if I couldn't help myself.
The sexy little minx was completely naked, leaning against the doorframe to my bedroom. She twirled her fingers around a section of her hair and bit at her lip in a way that had my body reacting violently.
I turned and charged her, loving the squeal she gave as she ran for the bed. She'd have died if she knew how much I enjoyed watching her perfect ass jiggle as she hauled it back to the bed.
I stopped at the door to the bedroom and smiled. "You're lucky I have shit to do or you'd get a spanking for teasing me."
Somehow, I knew before she did it, that my own words were going to come back to bite me. She rolled over and presented me with the prettiest ass I'd ever seen. "Come spank it?"
"Damn, woman." I turned and walked to the door as I ran my hand down my face. "Behave."
I walked out into the snowy weather and stopped, breathing in deeply and letting the cold seal my good mood in tightly. There was nothing that could ruin the incredible feeling that filled me up. Chloe was mine, and after spending the night in her arms, I knew without a doubt that I would be hers for however long she would have me.
* * * *
"So what happened?" Brian sat on the extra snowplow I'd brought with me to the job site. He was on a late lunch break, and I was finishing a large job by hand to make sure it looked nice for our client.
"She took a few days to think things through, and I guess since it was just a big misunderstanding, she's willing to give us a try." I reached up and readjusted my hat.
"So, no boyfriend?"
"Nope. They broke up before she came here for the holidays." I shrugged and went back to shoveling. My back and legs were burning like crazy, but I figured it had more to do with making love to Chloe half the night and little to do with my everyday movements.
"So, where are you guys going from here?" Brian took a bite of the burger in his hands and leaned back in the plow's captain chair.
"No clue." I stopped and sat the shovel down. "Give me the burger you brought me."
He tossed it to me and wiped his mouth before responding. "Don't you think you should have a clue? This doesn't feel like anything you've been involved in before. I mean, we're talking like second or third date at this point. This could be serious, Finn."
The look on his face caused me to laugh. We'd been friends since we were kids, and he was always worried about me, always looking out for me.
"It is serious, buddy." I took a bite of the burger and looked around. "She and I will figure things out. It's only the fifteenth. I still have ten more days or so with her."
"Ten days with someone you're obviously falling in love with? Why am I the only one panicking here? It would be good for you to panic with me." Brian sat his burger down and shook his head. "I'm scared, and this shit isn't even mine to deal with."
"It's all good. When you fall in love, I think part of what keeps you sane is believing that all things will work out for good." I took another bite of my burger, not really feeling the insane worry that Brian seemed to be experiencing.
"So, that's it? Just let the shit fall where it may?
"
"What else is there to do besides have fun with her, make memories, and then hope they're enough to keep her here?" I finished the meal in three bites and chucked him the balled up wrapper.
"I guess you’re right." He shrugged and went back to eating.
"The only real issue I see is her father." I checked my work, finding it just the way my father would want. "I need to have a real sit down with my dad and see what the fuck happened between him and Chloe's dad."
"Any clue what it could be?" Brian hopped down and pulled out his keys.
"Nope. I just know there is some bad blood there. With me and Chloe finally getting over all these silly little things, I don't want anything big to pop up in our way."
"Would she choose her dad over you if he put his foot down?" Brian wiped his mouth once more and balled up the bag he was holding.
"No clue. She's known me for two weeks and him for her whole life. I would assume she would choose him, but I'm not willing to consider that he'll give her an ultimatum."
Brian pinned me with a stare that said I was a dumb ass dreamer. "He would."
"So, I'll take care of it. If I can figure out what happened between our dads, then maybe there is a way to clean it up and not have it become my and Chloe's problem." I tucked my shovels on the back of the plow and climbed up.
"Just be careful. You and Chloe’s dad are more alike than you realize." Brian slipped his hands into his pockets and began to shiver.
"Because he sleeps around? My dad said he was a bit of a man whore, but my days of that are over. I'm tired of finding my worth in fleeting moments." I took a drink of the soda Brian had brought me.
"Yeah. I'm glad to hear that. It's cool from the outside looking in, but you don't want everyone thinking poorly of you, like you can't commit to anything. The guys at the office made fun of Mr. Burke when he left because he has a different date daily while he's here. I think he's boned most of the women in our office."
"I'd have thought that was awesome a month ago, but now...not so much."
"Same. Just tread carefully, Finn. She's planning to leave soon and I-"
I lifted my hand to stop him. "It's all good. Grown-ass man, remember?"
"Yeah. Sorry. Call me later."
"Will do. Thanks for lunch."
"Anytime." Brian watched me for a minute more, but I ignored him.
I swear he was born to be the sister I never had instead of a best friend.
* * * *
I wrapped up and headed back to the shop. There was no one there, including Milly, which was odd.
After hanging up my shovels and refueling the plow, I decided to ride over to Chloe's to see if she wanted to go out for pizza or something. If her dad was there, it probably wouldn't be pretty, but I needed to talk with him. Talking to my dad was most likely the smarter bet first, but after searching the shop and finding no one, I gave up and headed to the Burke residence.
The drive over was quick, and I decided to use the front door to show respect should her father or brother answer the door. I slipped my hands in my pockets while I waited for someone to answer and cursed myself for not checking to see if her SUV was in the garage.
A good-looking older guy in his early fifties opened the door, and gave me a scowl. "I didn't order a service today. Tell your dad that this strike two."
He started to shut the door, but I stuck out my hand and stopped him. "I'm not here to clear your driveway, sir."
"Then, why are you here?" He took a step forward, forcing me back a little to keep our personal space intact. "Because I see no reason at all for you to be on my property."
"I realize that you and my father have some old score to settle, but that's between you and him. I've done nothing wrong." I kept his gaze, not willing to give up on pleading my case.
He chuckled. "Let me get this straight. You're here because you want to give Parker snowboarding lessons, and you think by convincing me that you're nothing like your piece-of-shit father, that I'll allow you to do so. Is that it?"
Heat ran from the top of my head to my toes. My father was everything to me. I spoke through clenched teeth, not liking this bastard at all.
"My father is a good man. You guys fucking each other over in your younger years doesn't change that."
"You don't have a clue what you're talking about, boy." He crossed his arms over his chest, and glared down at me. "Is this about Parker or Chloe?"
"Both." I stepped closer to him. "You have no room to judge me, seeing that you're as much of a whore as I've been the last ten years."
He stiffened, and I knew I'd hit him square in the chest without having to touch him. I continued, though I shouldn't have. Attacking Chloe's dad wasn't at all the plan. I'd only wanted to see her.
"From what I hear, you have a different woman across the table from you every day." I shrugged and brushed my fingers by my lips, wishing I could just shut the fuck up. "Oh yeah, everyone knows."
"Did your dad tell you that? Is he spreading lies about me?" He moved toward me aggressively, and I held up my hands.
"No. Like I said, my father's a good man. He doesn't want me involved with Chloe because he assumes she's a greedy asshole like you, but she's not. She's a great woman with huge dreams and an even bigger heart."
He grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me against him, his nose pressing to mine as anger burned through his expression. "You stay the fuck away from my little girl. She deserves better than you could ever give her. Do you hear me? You're a piece of shit who will rot in this town, boning any available woman and dreaming about a life that will never ever be yours. Do yourself a favor and don't bring down Chloe to your level. You'll hate yourself for it later. Ask your father about that."
He pushed me, and I stumbled backward. His words burned down my veins painfully. Did the situation between them have to do with my mother?
"Fuck you, old man. You don't know anything."
"Right. That's why I live in this house and drive these cars, Finn. You're right. I'm ignorant." He snorted as if it were funny and turned back to the house, disappearing inside it and leaving me feeling like absolute shit.
He was right. Chloe did deserve better. Much better than me.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chloe
I laid around Finn's for most of the morning and then decided to clean the place up for him. Having figured it would only take an hour or two, I was shocked when I looked up to see it was already after noon. I cleaned myself up and grabbed my keys, deciding to treat myself to a muffin, coffee, and a fabric store. The type of material I needed to work on my ski jacket design wouldn't be easy to find, but seeing that it was a common fabric for Colorado, I had high hopes.
The snow had piled up so high around my tires the night before that I had to find a stick and force most of it away. I would need to get my father to show me how to put the chains around the tires later that day, but it could wait. Most of the main roads were salted, and I could take it slow until I came to them.
Moments later, Christmas music blared from the radio and heat from the vents. My mood was high and my heart full. I would have loved to have called Jessie and told her the good news, but I couldn't bring myself to talk to her just yet. The situation with her and Seth was still a little too raw.
I made it to one of the large shopping centers in town and parked by a row of trucks before getting out and walking into the fabric store. I paused at the front and breathed in deeply, finding myself at home in the midst of all the different textures and colors.
"No. It's too girlie, woman. I told you to get brown." A man's voice rose up from an aisle over, and it was too familiar not to check it out.
"It is not. Blue is a man's color, too." A pretty blonde pushed at a guy's chest and smiled like the world revolved around him.
He turned to look up at me as I walked down the aisle, having planned to skirt by them.
Finn's dad. A smile lifted his lips, and he extended his hand to me.
&nb
sp; "Chloe. What a nice surprise." He shook my hand as I offered it, and nodded toward his friend. "This is my secretary, Milly."
The woman flinched, and I had to assume it was the title he used with her.
"Nice to meet you. I'm a friend of Finn's." I shook the woman's hand before turning my attention back to Clark. "You finally get a day off? That wayward boy of yours working in your absence?"
He chuckled as he released my hand. "I'm sure he's out working hard after all this snow we got."
"No doubt he is." Milly moved in closer to Clark, who didn't seem to mind. "That snow we got last night was horrible. We were worried to get out into it today."
"Yeah, me, too. I'm from California, so this has been an adventure and a half." I nodded to the fabric. "You making something?"
Clark butted in. "Make sure you have chains on your tires, Chloe. If your dad doesn't put them on, bring them over, and I'll have one of the boys do it for you."
I smiled at him. "Thanks, but I'll have my dad do it. He won't mind."
Milly pushed at Clark's chest and smiled. "Get out of here. I'll bother Chloe to help me look for colors. You go get us a coffee next door."
"Bossy-ass women," he mumbled and walked to the door before pausing and glancing over his shoulder. "Chloe, you want something, honey?"
"No, sir, but thank you." I chuckled at him using my and Finn's latest joke, and of course not knowing it.
"So, look at these two fabrics." Milly held them up. "Which do you think would better suit Finn?"
"Oh, the blue. Definitely." I reached out and brushed my hand down the front of it. "What are you making?"
"A vest to wear under his jacket." She beamed, and I could tell that she cared for Finn tremendously.
"Have you considered flannel or fleece?" I moved to the racks of materials and found the same shade of blue in the other two fabrics. "Here, run your hand over these."
She gave a sound of appreciation as she did. "These are both great."
"I'd use fleece as cold as it is out here." I stopped and pressed my fingers to my lips. That was it. I needed to use fleece in the paneling for my own jacket I was designing.