by Sara Cate
“Why don’t you just get a snowball and ice me up, this shit’s fucking cold.” I look at Avery, who clenches her teeth in pain, sarcasm staining her red lips.
“This one’s funny, Chloe, glad you brought her along.” Without waiting for another snarky response, I tuck my hands under Avery’s body, one on her ass, and the other under her knees, hauling her up into my arms.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” she snaps back, trying to wiggle out of my hold.
“Stay fucking still unless you want me to drop you on your ass again sweetheart,” I sneer, already pissed I have an unwanted visitor, now to make matters worse one with a serious attitude problem.
“Put me down old man,” she sneers, “Bet you’re enjoying yourself aren’t you, with your hand gripped around my ass you perv.”
She has to be fucking kidding me. I’m tempted to drop her, make her walk on her own, or bend her over my knee and show her just how tightly my hand can grip her ass, but decide against giving her something she’s sure to enjoy.
Instead I smirk at her, “No need to fake an injury to get me to put my hands on you sweetheart, I would have done it if you’d asked nicely.” With that I set her down and take two steps, before I hear her wince in pain once again. I know I’m playing with fire speaking this way to Chloe’s best friend, but she pushed my buttons claiming it was me who planned this to get my hands on her. As if I need to trick her into it.
“Fuck, okay,” she squeals hopping on one foot. “I’m sorry I said that, just not used to men putting their hands on me in a harmless manner.” I abruptly turn to stare back at her. “Fuck, not like that either. Usually guys who are nice and shit, want something in return.”
“Trust me sweetheart,” I say as I walk back to her, hauling her into my arms once again. I daringly bring my mouth just a mere inch from hers, inhaling the subtle scent of vanilla and spearmint. “There’s nothing you have to offer that could appease a man like me. You’re a child, I’m a grown ass man. My likes and needs are so far out of your league.”
There is a flicker of shock in her eyes at my forwardness but it’s quickly replaced by something mirroring defiance. “We’ll see about that old man.”
I chuckle deeply, so fucking confused as to what the fuck I’m doing flirting with Avery just a few feet away from Chloe. If she heard the things I said to her best friend, she’d cut my fucking dick off. It’s harmless of course, no way I’d actually act on any of it, but Avery’s pluckiness is entertaining and fun to mess with.
I know I’m a good looking man, I’d even go as far as saying I’m above average. Dark hair, bulging muscles, green eyes, and a sharp jawline, I can have any woman I want. Despite Avery’s claims of me being old, thirty six is merely old. Rebecca was five years older than me so technically, I’m the young one in that relationship. But flirting and bantering with an eighteen year old, no matter how fucking tempting she may be, is dangerous fucking territory.
I managed to carry Avery into the house and over to the living room sectional, without dropping her on her ass. Maybe that’s because her snide comments stopped and she remained silent, and dare I say appeared embarrassed the whole walk over.
“I got the ice and the first-aid kit. The driver brought the bags in and left them by the door. Do you think she needs to go to the hospital? Shit, I should have asked the driver to stay so we could take her.” Chloe’s one hundred miles a minute blabbering is making me tense.
“Chloe, calm the fuck down sweetie. She’s fine. I’ll take a look at the foot and if she needs medical attention, I’ll drive you guys down to the hospital. Although if it needs to be amputated,” I say, turning back and nearly laughing at the sheer look of panic on Avery’s face, “I have an ax in the back I can use. You know, to save us time and money.” I smirk, breaking out of character, and get an eye roll from Avery.
“Zane,” Chloe shouts, smacking me on my arm, “He’s kidding Avery. Tell her you’re kidding.”
“I’m sorry, I have a weird sense of humor,” I confess, though Avery is not buying my apology.
“Yeah weird as in it is non-existent. Where’d this guy come from?” Chloe asks, and now it’s Avery who smirks, surely thinking my mood has something to do with our earlier exchange outside. Can’t let her think that.
“Well now that my favorite girl is here,” I say, engulfing Chloe in a bear hug, “I can’t believe you’re all grown up Chloe. I missed you baby girl.” I place a soft kiss upon her head.
Chloe’s face turns bright red at my admission, something I must admit happened more often than not whenever I’d compliment her. My baby girl has never understood how stunningly beautiful she is. Her beauty is natural and effortless, unlike girls like Avery who are stunningly gorgeous it’s almost unreal, Chloe bleeds class and sophistication making her all that more intriguing. That, I'm afraid, comes from her mother’s wealthy pureblood and high-class upbringing.
“Zane, I missed you too,” Chloe mumbles, her voice cracking as she snuggles under my arm.
“Not to interrupt this beautiful reunion, but um I’m in fucking pain over here.” Chloe rushes to her feet, while I simply turn and raise a brow at Avery, who is no longer downplaying her injury.
“Well then, let’s look at the damage.”
…
“So, what’s the damage Doc?” Chloe asks, pacing back and forth behind us.
“Stop fucking pacing,” both Avery and I shout at the same time.
“Oh my god it’s like you’re the same fucking person,” Chloe mocks, sitting back down on the ottoman.
“It’s just slightly sprained, I’m afraid there will be no chopping it off. Damn I was really looking forward to using the ax. Oh well, verdicts in, you’ll live, Avery.” I can’t help the teasing, which I need to turn down a notch if I don’t want Chloe reading into it. I’m never like this, especially not with a fucking stranger.
“Thanks for nothing Doc, I could have figured that out on my own.” Avery moves to stand, but I bring my hand down on her thigh to keep her in place. Her eyes go wide at the contact, and I slowly remove it before she calls me out on touching her again.
“I need to bandage it to ensure it heals properly and the swelling goes down. Chloe can you grab the compression tape, it’s the tan roll.”
“How fond of these jeans are you?” I ask, grabbing the pair of scissors Chloe hands me along with the tape. I’m only teasing but, it would be easier if she weren’t wearing her jeans so fucking tight.
“Don’t even think about it buddy,” she sneers, sitting up.
“They’re too tight, I can’t roll them up enough and I need to start the wrapping a bit further up your leg.”
“I can just take them off,” she says with a hint of seduction.
“Avery!” Chloe shouts, clearly hearing her friend's insinuation.
Avery’s toying with me, a clap back at my earlier comment about being out of her league. I raise a brow in question, oh sweetheart you don’t know what you’re playing at.
“I mean obviously not here Chloe,” Avery says, realizing she spoke out loud.
“You can’t walk on it,” I spit out in frustration.
“Maybe you can just carry her upstairs…”
“No!” Both Avery and I shout out again, Chloe raising a brow in suspicion.
“Just cut them Doc,” Avery sneers, throwing her head back against the couch. She lifts her head up slightly, her eyes look at me through thick, long lashes, “But you’ll owe me a pair.”
…
I cut them, slow and careful not to snip at her flesh, though it would have been fun to watch her snap at me for cutting her. I don’t know why I find the thought of irritating and taunting her so pleasurable, but I need it to stop. This can get out of hand quickly if I don’t watch myself. Avery isn’t only gorgeous and sexy as fuck, but she’s experienced and not at all shy, at least she acts like she is. However, none of these high school boys are a match for a man like me.
What t
he fuck am I saying?
It doesn’t matter how experienced she is, I won’t be going anywhere near her.
After the girls went upstairs to get settled in, Chloe dragged me out to the tree farm in town to pick a Christmas Tree. Avery insisted it was fine she stayed home alone when in reality I was hoping her injury would have canceled the whole trip. I hate Christmas, and not because of any fucked up childhood trauma or reason, I simply don’t like it. As a kid, we never celebrated it. My parents, who are both lawyers and workaholics, were usually out of town on business during one of their busiest seasons.
Yet here I am, dragging a twelve foot Douglas Fir up the front steps of my porch, only to make sure Chloe has the best Christmas before going off to college. Women.
“It’s going to look perfect!” she squeals once it’s perched and standing in the middle of the den. She insisted it be front and center in the living room, but there is no way that thing is going to be the first sight I see when I walk through the front door.
“Looks great as is,” I scoff, dreading the amount of tinsel, garland, and ornaments that are sure to be hung up before the night is over.
“I’ll go get Avery and we can start decorating it.”
“Chloe, why don’t you go and get some rest. I’m sure Avery isn’t in the mood to be on her feet let alone decorate a tree.” I don’t mention the fact I’m not ready to come face to face with her again, when my cock’s still hard just from thinking about how good she felt in my arms. “Tomorrow morning I’ll bring out the boxes of decorations you stored in my basement and you can decorate it then. Get some sleep, I’m sure it’s been a long day.”
Chloe reluctantly nods, accepting my suggestion. “Okay fine, but you’re making your famous hot cocoa tomorrow morning, I already told Avery about it and I know she’s dying to have a taste.” My cock twitches instinctively at her comment.
“Yeah I’m sure she wants a taste,” I mumble under my breath.
“Huh?” Chloe asks.
Fuck. I really need to stop before I say or do something stupid. “I said sure thing, I’m sure she’ll love it.”
“Maybe some of your famous buttermilk biscuits. I know Avery will love those.”
Without warning she pounces on me, nearly tackling me back against the couch. “Thank you Zane, for letting me be here with you, for putting up with my crazy, and spending the holiday with me. I missed you so much.”
“I missed you too baby girl,” I whisper into her hair as I rub my hand up and down her back. I feel her body tense against me, her heartbeat speeding and pounding against my own chest.
“I love you Zane,” she whispers into my chest, and I can’t help the smile that appears at her confession.
“I love you too Chloe.”
Chapter 3
AVERY
“Rise and shine!”
I cover my head with my pillow hoping it will tune out the loud blaring of the alarm clock. But there is no alarm clock, and I’m afraid there is no damn snooze button on Chloe’s morning cheeriness. It’s no use, you can hear her through anything, even through sound proof walls.
“I know you can hear me, Avery.”
“Ugh, I thought we were on vacation Chloe. Usually on vacation one can sleep in however long they want.” I am definitely not a morning person, especially when I don’t have school to worry about. Least of all when the smell of coffee is nowhere to be found.
“Come on Avery, it’s tree decorating time,” she squeals, tugging the covers off of me in one swift pull. “You’re lucky I didn’t drag you downstairs last night to do it. Zane figured you’d be tired and needed to lay low so he forced me to wait till morning.”
“He did?” I ask, sitting up, surprised Chloe’s stepdad gives a shit. Or maybe he doesn’t. Maybe he just preferred to postpone his house turning into a scene from “How The Grinch Stole Christmas”.
“Yeah, I think he just didn’t want to have to do it with me. Bad enough I dragged him out to get a tree. Anyways, get up, out of bed, in the shower, and put on the matching pajamas I bought us.” She walks toward the door, looking back before she exits. “Breakfast will be served downstairs in twenty.”
With that she slams the door, leaving me alone in the huge guest room that’s mine for the week. It’s easily the size of the two bedroom apartment I share with my mom and her boyfriend back in Cali. A queen size, four-poster bed with the comfiest mattress, and plushest comforter, a walk-in-closet, an attached en-suite bathroom, and a gorgeous view of the snow covered mountains through the floor to ceiling window to my right. I debate going back to sleep but decide against it. No need to make Chloe come back up and drag my ass out by the ear. I need to make this Christmas perfect for her since she went through the trouble of including me in her plans. I need to find her the perfect present, only problem, I have no idea where to begin.
...
It was almost impossible to drag myself out of the shower, the warm jetted showerhead giving my scalp the best massage. But after fifteen short minutes, I’m out, dressed, and ready to head down stairs. Luckily my ankle was much less swollen this morning, and I can pretty much put my entire body weight on it now. I can’t believe I slipped the moment I stepped foot out of the uber. It was fucking embarrassing landing on my ass and having to be carried in like a child.
Even if it was in the arms of Chloe’s unexpectedly sexy as sin stepfather. I only remember seeing him a few times when I first met my best friend, since her mom divorced Zane shortly after. I knew he was young and pretty good looking, I mean Chloe’s mom is super-hot for a woman in her early forties, but I wasn’t expecting him to be some sexy god with dark hair and tantalizing green eyes. All I know is Chloe was utterly destroyed and heartbroken after the divorce, and now I can’t help but wonder if there was another reason behind her grieving. I know I’d be completely torn up if I lost this gorgeous hunk.
I changed into the Christmas pajamas Chloe bought us, tiny shorts barely covering my ass and a matching spaghetti-strap tank covered in tiny little candy canes put together to form hearts. I don’t know what she was thinking, getting us these while we’re staying with her stepfather, but I can’t help the extra pep-in-my-step as I descend the staircase and head into the kitchen. Of course it also may be the fact that I’m not wearing a bra under the silk tank, and the peaks of my pierced nipples are definitely hard to miss. Let’s see how out of your league this is, old man.
Zane is leaning back against the kitchen island, wearing low hung sweatpants and a plain white tee, while Chloe sits cross legged on a kitchen stool, in the same pajama set I am wearing. He’s holding a steaming cup of coffee in his hand, laughing at something she’s saying. The smell of coffee, bacon, and freshly baked bread infiltrates my nostrils as I step into the room.
“What is that amazing smell?” I ask, licking my lips as I head toward the array of items neatly arranged on platters atop the island. Chloe is quick to turn to me, hopping off her seat and enveloping me in a hug.
“Only the best homemade breakfast you’ll ever have. That’s one of the things I miss most about Zane, his cooking. Mom can’t fry an egg to save her life,” Chloe says, making us both laugh.
“I know what you mean,” I mutter, “Mom can’t cook anything that doesn’t come frozen in a cardboard box, and even then she manages to screw it up somehow.” I can feel Zane’s gaze on me, as I purposefully lean forward making a point to stick my ass out and grab a strip of bacon from the platter. I bring it to my mouth and take a bite, licking the crumbs off my lips. “Mmm,” I moan, enjoying the delicious, saltiness of the crisp bacon on my tongue. “Why is bacon so damn good?”
I hear a throat clear and when I turn my attention to Zane, I notice he’s watching me intently through dark lashes. He’s sipping the steaming coffee from his thermos, but it’s the heat in his eyes that makes me shiver, the room suddenly much warmer than it was moments ago. What the hell am I doing? Sure he was being a little flirty yesterday, but that could have just been because I wa
s being my usual sarcastic self. However, purposefully egging him on like this, teasing him and flaunting my ass to him, this is dangerous. Though I can’t miss the fact his eyes are focused on my tits. Looks like someone’s spotted the piercings.
I straighten up, moving around the island, and over to the coffee pot on the counter, reaching for one of the mugs set on the counter, and pouring myself a cup. The whole time, both Chloe and Zane remain silent, watching me move about the kitchen as if I’ve done it countless times before.
“Zane made his famous hot cocoa but I figured you’d want coffee first. I told him I didn’t drink any but that you pretty much have coffee flowing through your veins, so he made a full pot,” Chloe states, clearly blabbering nervously at the tension in the room. Her blond hair sits in curls above her shoulders, but I notice she’s wearing a bit of mascara and blush over her cheeks. Makeup this early in the morning, hmm interesting.
My best friend is naturally beautiful, as in she doesn’t really know how truly beautiful she is, whereas I know I’m hot, have a banging body, and luckily have no need to wear any makeup. Though I wear it by choice. But Chloe going out of her way to look pretty this early in the morning can only mean she’s trying to make an impression. The only question is for who.
“Thanks,” I say, to no one in particular. I walk back over to the island and grab a plate, serving myself a bit of everything in front of me. Bacon, eggs, biscuits, fruit, I’m starving having skipped dinner yesterday, and everything looks and smells delicious.
“Zane made biscuits from scratch with apple maple butter, and for dinner I convinced him to make his famous spaghetti alla Bolognese.”
“Seems like he’s a true celebrity,” I mock, realizing too late what I’ve said.
“I see you can walk now?” Zane asks, breaking his silence. I look up at him confused, then follow his gaze down to the bandage around my ankle.