by Claire Adams
We each took turns going around the table throughout dinner to update everyone on the happenings in each of our lives. Cindy had seen the world, Kinsey had her own million-dollar on-line business, and Janet had published her fifth book.
"How about you?" Cindy sat back and rubbed at her stomach. "Tell us everything."
"Well, I just graduated from UCLA with my design degree, so now I'm working on starting my own company, which should launch next spring." I glanced down at my top. "I designed this bad-boy."
"Oh, nice!" Kinsey reached across the table and ran her fingers over the fabric at my shoulder. "Feels so good. I'm impressed."
"Is your dad supplying the seed funding?" Cindy asked and lifted her hand to take the check from the waiter.
"Yes, but you know him and his rules. I'm stuck here for the next few weeks, and if I can stick it out for the holidays, he'll help me." I tried to overemphasize how put out I was by the demand, since they expected me to be bratty and catty like we all were in high school.
"That’s dumb." Kinsey rolled her eyes. "So...what's up next? Shopping? Movie? Dancing?"
"I wouldn't mind checking out the new dance club that opened in the center of town." I shrugged. "Some of the guys here are incredibly hot."
"Yes, and being here for the night means only one thing..." Cindy smiled nefariously.
"One night stand!" Kinsey and Janet yelled in tandem.
I glanced around as several people from nearby tables looked our way. Heat rose up my chest and coated my cheeks.
"I love them. So much easier than relationships, don't you think, Chloe?" Cindy turned her dark eyes on me. She was beautiful, the exotic one out of the four of us. Her mother was Asian and her father Hispanic. She was never without a boyfriend back in high school. I had no doubt that not much had changed.
"Love 'em." I turned my attention to my wine and emptied the glass.
"I want to find a local boy. The town whore." Kinsey wagged her eyebrows. "You know, every town has one and this place is so big that I bet there's one for each of us."
I stiffened at the thought of seeing Finn with any of my friends. Anger rose sharply inside of me and I stood, having to excuse myself to the bathroom. How people could be such assholes was beyond me. Not that Finn didn't set himself up to be used, but still.
I walked into the bathroom and moved to the sink, washing my hands and checking myself out in the mirror. I wasn't beyond dancing with a few boys, but going home with one of them meant that the possibility of a second date was highly probable from both sides. Sleeping with someone only to have them lose my number the next day was too much for me. My friends...not so much.
I walked back out to find them all waiting by the front door, giddy with anticipation.
"You ready?" Cindy slipped her arm into mine and pulled me to the front door. "You drive. I want to get trashed."
"Absolutely." I pulled the keys from my purse and glanced at her. “Where is your luggage?”
“I dropped it off at the hotel next door where Kinsey and Janet are staying before meeting you.” Cindy smiled. “It’s right next door. Remind me to get it when we get done tonight.”
The twins were giggling furiously about something and I couldn't help but smile. They were identical, both of them with brown hair and green eyes. There wasn't anything that made them stand out from the next girl, but they were wild women and knew how to get attention when they wanted it.
"Your dad finally dating?" Cindy asked as we walked through the dark parking lot.
"He's turned into a man whore, too." I shook my head and unlocked the car.
"That's not good," Cindy said as she moved around the SUV and got in. "You think he's just still hurt over your mom?"
"I guess. He and I don't speak much. I bitch at him about his diet, and he grunts at me and reminds me how unworthy I am for everything I have." I buckled up and lamented over the fact that I wouldn't be getting drunk. It seemed like the only way I might find relief. Seeing that I wasn't going to do it alone and yet had no friends, tonight had been my only chance.
"I'm sorry to hear that. He's always been a jerk like that, though. You know you’re beautiful, talented, and everything you should be." She reached over and squeezed my shoulder. "I'm proud of you, and I've missed you."
"I’ve missed you, too." I turned on the lights and pulled the car out into the road as the girls in the backseat started giggling.
The stories they shared left me wondering where my friends from school where. The hookers in the car with me and Cindy were a hoot to watch sober. I was almost scared to see them drunk.
* * * *
"I love this place!" Kinsey danced around, throwing her hands up in the air and sloshing her beer all over her sister.
"Hey, bitch. Watch your drink," Janet laughed and turned to the bartender. "Another round, please."
He looked over at me and I nodded before shaking my head and smiling.
"You want another Coke, pretty girl?" He leaned over and tapped the bar between us. He was handsome and looked like he belonged with me in California.
"Nope. I'm going to float out of here if I'm not careful."
"One beer won't hurt, unless you're a lightweight." He lifted his eyebrow and I chuckled.
"I had a glass of wine at dinner; besides, I'm not used to driving in the snow. I'm from Los Angeles."
"What? Me, too." He chuckled and extended his hand. "Caleb. Nice to meet you."
"I'm Chloe. What are you doing here in Aspen?"
"Taking a break for the winter. I love the sun and the snow, so half a year there, half here." He shrugged. "Living the life, I guess."
"Sounds like it." I turned as Kinsey to wrap her arms around my neck.
"Oh my God, Chloe. The finest boy in the whole universe is here. He's so fucking dreamy."
I untangled her arms from around me and brushed her hair from her face. She was sloppy drunk and the fun was about to begin. Being designated driver sucked ass, but these next few moments would make it all worthwhile.
"Where? I want to see the best looking thing in Aspen." I got up and walked to the edge of the dance floor before Janet pulled me back.
"No, silly. He just walked in. Look at that group of guys. Hot. So hot!" Janet fanned herself and I looked around for Cindy.
She was against the bar, leaning in closely to Caleb.
"Figures." I let out a soft growl and resigned myself to helping my friends have a good time. I didn't need anything more than a good laugh and a break from the house. Falling in love with some guy wasn't at the top of my list, and even if it was, it was a horrible idea. I was heading home in ta few weeks and the last thing I planned to leave behind in Colorado was my heart.
"There. With the blue shirt. Tell me you see him."
I narrowed my gaze and scanned the faces, finally finding a group of handsome guys. "Blue shirt...blue shirt..."
A gasp left me as I spotted him. The twins were right. He was the finest thing in the bar, if not the city.
Too bad he was off limits.
Finn.
Chapter 8
Finn
I spent the rest of the day thinking about Chloe. There wasn't another time in my life that I could pinpoint the desire to hunt some girl down just for the chance to see her again. The good thing was that I knew she would be in Aspen for another two weeks, the bad thing was that I didn't have her last name. There was no smart way to go about finding her.
The only option was to haunt the slopes she'd been on as often as I could. Surely, she would show back up.
A smile lifted my lips as I finished getting dressed and walked into the kitchen for a quick sip of water. My place was only a few miles from my father’s, which was on purpose. He wasn't getting old just yet, but if he needed me for anything, I wanted to be available quickly.
My studio log cabin was far too small for two people, but it was just me and I didn't see my relationship status changing anytime soon. Besides, the only girl I wanted wasn't
up for grabs and wouldn't be around to change her mind, anyway.
I brushed my hands down the front of my dark blue button up shirt and made sure my jeans and boots were clean.
"Alright. Let's go have fun being the designated driver." I rolled my eyes and grabbed my keys, not quite sure why I signed up for the job, but I did. My father had been more generous than I'd expected when I told him what I'd be up to. He was letting me borrow one of the fifteen passenger vans for the evening.
After stopping by the shop to get it, I drove to Brian's and picked him up first. The rest of the guys were staying at the Sheraton downtown – seemed everyone was doing better financially than me. I couldn't afford half a night at the Sheraton, but dwelling on it was too depressing.
"Hey, buddy. Looking good." Brian got into the front seat of the van and popped me in the chest.
"Thanks, bro. Not too shabby yourself." I glanced at him and nodded to the window. "Fix that side mirror for me. Something hit it and it's crooked."
"Yeah, sure." He rolled the window down and I floored it, causing the snow from the window and hood to fly back, a good chunk of it hitting him in the face.
"You fucker!" He jerked back in the van as we both laughed like teenagers.
My father swore that we were the dumbest idiots ever, but it only got worse when we were together. He was my best friend and the only one from our group that still lived in Aspen. We had decided years ago that going out to look for women together wasn't at all beneficial. We were childish when together, and they all seemed to realize that.
"Tonight should be fun." I let out another laugh and turned toward the city lights. "Don't push any women on me. I'm taking December off."
"Off? What the hell does that mean?" He wiped at his shirt and pants as the snow began to melt. I turned the heater up and reached over, pulling a chunk of ice from his collar and slinging it at him.
He moved across the front seat like he was going to tackle me, and I swerved the van, scaring him.
"Hey, stay over there, you behemoth," I growled and swatted at him.
Brian had twenty pounds on me, but he wore it well. He wasn't nearly the man whore I was, but looking good was something he always seemed to care about.
"I'm going to get you back for that shit. I'm going to hand out your number to the whole damn room tonight. That should go over well." He snorted and gave me a shit-eating grin.
"Yeah, I've probably been with most of them." I let out a sigh. "This is why going to the club sounds like a good idea until we actually do it."
"Shut up about your problem of having too many women want you. No one is interested in that shit." He ran his fingers through his brown hair once more and turned to pin me with a hard stare. "Talk. What's up with you giving up women for most of December? This a new thing, like no-shave November? I don't like it. Count me out."
"No, you idiot. I'm just tired of waking up next to a different woman every morning." I shrugged, wishing I hadn't brought it up.
"Yeah, that sounds horrible. How about you take my problem of not finding one who will actually give me ten minutes of her time and I'll beat back the ones that want you for a while. Your arms getting tired?"
"Very funny." I stopped in front of the hotel. "No saying anything to the other guys, just deflect for me tonight. I'm serious about not taking a girl home."
"I'll believe it when I see it." He got out of the van and jogged toward the hotel as I leaned back against the seat.
What were the odds of finding Chloe? I would break the rules for her in a heartbeat. Just the thought of her caused my body to stiffen as need began to pulsate along my pressure points.
"Where are you, baby?" I closed my eyes as a smile lifted my lips at the memory of her talking trash. She was ballsy, bold, and impossibly beautiful. The fact that she wasn't interested in a one-night stand was one of the main reasons why I couldn't shake her. I was tired of them myself, but when that's all that made sense, what else could you do?
* * * *
The club was new and you could tell it by the number of people packed into it by the time we arrived. The guys piled in behind me as we approached the bouncer at the front of the long line.
"Finn. My man. What's up, brother?" The large meat-head guarding the front door extended his hand and I shook it. His father was a good friend of my old man's. It paid to know people.
"Hey, Jeff. Any way we get out of standing in this line? I left my jacket at home and my boy Jared here is down for his bachelor party." I tugged Jared up to the front with me, the poor bastard already too drunk to stand.
Jeff chuckled and opened the door. "Only for you. You know it's the ladies who usually get this treatment."
I moved back and shuffled the five other guys in the door before me. "Well, I've been with most of them. That count?"
"Lucky bastard. Get inside before I change my mind." He patted my back as I walked in and took a quick inventory of the room. Large dance floor to the left, bar to the right, very few seats, loud, sexy music, and pulsating lights.
Yep. It's officially a night club.
Brian snagged the only remaining table in the place, and I glanced toward the bar before looking back at the guys.
"What are we having? Bucket of beers?"
The all grunted their replies and I walked off, not caring much what they wanted. I was buying the first round, and it was going to be the cheap stuff. It was the quickest way to get someone else to pick up the tab for the rest of the night. I had no shame and certainly wasn't spending my last dime on a bunch of drunk guys.
"You're not spending it on a woman, either," I grumbled to myself and stopped by the bar before turning around and catching the eyes of a pair of twins who were having far too much fun dancing together.
I politely declined when the thinner of the two motioned for me to join them. Some guys were good with more than one woman, but not me. I was too much of a selfish bastard. I wanted to leave the girl I was with panting for more.
"Whatcha having, buddy?" The bartender pushed a bowl of peanuts in front of me and smiled.
"Bucket of your cheapest beers. My friends are already tanked."
"Sucks." He laughed and I nodded in agreement before tempting myself by looking back out to the dance floor.
A pretty blonde next to the twins caught my attention as I waited for our drinks. Her back was to me, but the way she rolled her hips left her ass jiggling subtly in her tight skirt and I couldn't help but watch attentively. She needed a man up behind her, taking the brunt of her movements.
I sucked in a deep breath and turned to pay the guy before carrying my bucket back to the table. It would be better for me to steer clear of the dance floor. I had a few moves of my own and didn't need to be pulling them out if I were planning on going home alone, which I was.
"The cheap beer? You bastard." Brian pushed at my shoulder, and drank half the bottle he grabbed. "Actually, that's not bad. Reminds me of high school."
"Which was a long time ago." I lifted to my toes and scanned the crowd again for the blonde. A smile touched my mouth and my pulse sped up. "No fucking way."
Chloe.
"What's up?" Brian pushed his hand against my shoulder as he lifted to his toes. "You see someone we know?"
"Someone I wanna know." I turned and took a beer from the buckets, draining it in a few gulps and walking out to the dance floor. I dropped the empty bottle in the trashcan and slid past the twins. "Excuse me, ladies."
Chloe kept her back to me as I moved up and slid my hands over her hips, pulling her back a little and rocking against her. I pressed my face against the back of her hair and moved in tandem with her, breathing in slowly to taint my lungs with her scent.
Her fingers dug into the back of my thighs, and I bit my lip to keep from crying out.
I pushed my luck a little and ran my hand over her stomach, spaying my fingers and pressing backward to lock her against my body. She would know without a doubt that the man behind her was turned on, but
most guys in a club were. The smell of sex was everywhere and inhibitions were usually left at the door.
She pulled away a little before glancing over her shoulder.
"Hi, baby." I smiled.
She spun in my arms and slid her hands up my chest and over my shoulders before licking at her mouth seductively.
"Have we met?" Her voice was soft and sensual. She was playing the same game she did the day before, but I couldn't care less.
She moved down, rubbing herself against me as her eyes closed.
I gripped the back of her head as the music turned into a beat with a pulsing throb that had the crowd locked into seduction. "So beautiful."
"Me or you?" She opened her eyes and the light caught her perfectly, leaving her to look like something out of my wildest fantasy.
"You, honey. You." I moved down and pressed my lips to the side of her neck, kissing softly until I reached her ear. "You didn't let me give you my number, Chloe."
"Oh, so you remember my name." She stopped dancing and turned, leaving her face so close to mine that I could feel the warmth of her breath on my lips. She was the seductress here, and I was holding on for dear life. Every cell in my body screamed for me to seal the deal and kiss her – hard.
"Of course, I do. How could I forget?" I glanced down at her mouth and moved in for the kiss as she spun away from me.
"Not interested, playboy. Find someone else."
I didn't realize how much I wanted her until she moved to the center of the floor, dancing with her friends and leaving me to watch. My breathing was off kilter, and for the first time in my long life, I yearned for something that I couldn't have: her.
After forcing myself off the dance floor, I rejoined my friends and let out a long sigh.
"The girl of my dreams is on that dance floor." I ran my fingers through my hair, not quite sure I had it in me not to go back after her and throw her over my shoulder like the caveman I was starting to feel like.
"Go get her, man!" one of the guys yelled and lifted his beer. "You're Finn Fucking Warner. You get any girl you want."
I looked over at him and laughed as the guys all hit their bottles together.