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  Glancing at her watch, she saw it was after ten. Maybe this should happen tomorrow. Suddenly she was exhausted. Then he was there, filling up her line of vision with those long legs of his.

  Eyes grew heavy again, but for a different reason this time. Yearning surged through her body as her gaze roamed over the evidence of his desire held back by the tight confines of his jeans. Forcing herself to continue up, she finally met his smoldering gaze. “Everything okay with your sister?”

  “Yes. She was just wondering where I was.”

  Aspen tilted her head to the side. “Why would she call me?”

  “My little sister knows a lot more than she lets on about,” Colt said with a shrug. “Ready to put up some lights?”

  Grateful he wasn’t going to pursue what had just happened, Aspen nodded. “Sure am. I have to check all these first to make sure they work.” As she got up and headed to the outlet she wondered why she also felt disappointed he hadn’t tried to pursue it. Get a grip, Aspen.

  After putting up two strings of lights, Colt caught her yawning. “You need to get some sleep. Mind if I crash here on the couch?”

  “Not at all, but there is a bed if you want it,” Aspen said as she yawned again.

  Cocking his head at her, Colt waited for her to clarify. She didn’t say a word, just pointed at his dogs and the door. Understanding her gesture, he took his dogs outside one last time for the night. All three of them were cold when they came back inside.

  Aspen waited for him to grab his bag and then she led the way up the stairs to the guest room. Opening the door, she allowed Colt to enter the large room.

  There was a queen-size bed along one wall. A dresser and mirror sat opposite that. There was a chair and a footstool as well in the room. The bedside tables were made of the same maple as the rest of the furniture. The colors of the room were a dark green and burgundy.

  “You can crash here,” Aspen offered. “There is a bathroom through that door over there.” She pointed to the far door in the room. “Everything in it is clean. I will see you in the morning.”

  Aspen spun and began to head to her own room when she was halted by a grip on her bicep. Looking over her shoulder she was met by the ardent silver gaze of the man who held her immobile.

  * * * *

  Colt blinked once, slowly, and drew Aspen’s body back toward him. Never did he allow his gaze to fall from her face. Her beauty reached out and wrapped around him; he didn’t want to let her go.

  When she was back in front of him, Colt set his feet shoulder-width apart and threaded his right hand into her thick hair at the back of her skull. Lowering his frame over her, he kissed her one more time. His left hand settled on the curve of her hip which allowed his long fingers to rest along her buttock.

  His tongue swept resolutely through her mouth. Coaxing her tongue to follow, he drew on it, delighting in each shiver that overtook her body. He lessened the pressure of his mouth when he felt her hands tighten themselves in the material of his shirt.

  His erection throbbed painfully against the confines of his jeans. Colt knew he had to stop or he wouldn’t be able to. Slowly pulling away from her mouth, Colt waited for her candy-like eyes to open.

  They were heavy-lidded with unreleased passion as she met his smoldering ones. Brushing his lips over her forehead, Colt murmured, “Sweet dreams, my Aspen.” He let go of her and went to his room and shut himself away from her tempting body. He shook with need as his head dropped to rest against the cool wood of the door.

  * * * *

  Aspen looked at the closed door. She knew he desired her; she could tell that easily. And, Lord knew, she wanted that hunk of a man behind that door. Her body trembled with passion that wanted to be released.

  Forcing herself to go to her own room, Aspen replayed the night’s events in her mind as she got ready for bed. The way his eyes watched her every move while they ate. How his body pressed against hers as they washed dishes.

  Who knew washing dishes could be such an intimate act? The feel of his hard physique behind her and his arms and hands on hers had been more of a turn-on than she had had in a long time. Until his kisses. That man could kiss. And now, in the hallway, when his sensuous voice said, “My Aspen.”

  Aspen slid between her sheets and turned off the lights. Sleep overtook her quickly and allowed her to live in a world of imagination that Aspen, the awake adult, never let her visit anymore. A world of fantasies and dreams. A world of Aspen Townsend and Colton Larkin.

  * * * *

  Sleep didn’t come easily for Colt. He tossed and turned, trying to find a way to ease the ache that one Aspen Townsend put in his body. Finally, he fell asleep to the sounds of the howling winds and blowing snow.

  Dead to the world one second, Colt was awakened by a noise he couldn’t identify. Peeking through his lashes under the pretense of still being asleep, he almost smiled at the sight before him.

  Aspen stood in his doorway, the hall light illuminating her clothed body. She was trying to get his dogs out of the room. Valor had gone easily, but Duchess was not budging.

  “Duchess,” she hissed. “Come here.” Aspen rolled her eyes in exasperation as the dog didn’t move.

  Colt knew that unless she was out hunting, his dog, Duchess, was a prima donna. She hated getting up in the mornings. He was just about to let her know he was awake when Aspen ordered, “Duchess, come. Now!” She ground it out, pointing toward the floor in front of her.

  Damned if the dog didn’t get up and go. Duchess moved to the door and past Aspen, who muttered as she shut the door behind her, “Damn dog. What the hell do I care if you starve or can’t get out to go to the bathroom?”

  A chuckle erupted from his chest as he lay on his back, hands behind his head. “What a woman.” Tossing back the bedcovers, he sucked in a breath at the impact of the cold air that hit him. Grabbing his bag, he took another set of clothes out and headed for the bathroom to shower, shave, and dress.

  Padding down the stairs to the first floor in socked feet, Colt froze. Aspen was standing near the tree, holding dog dishes full of food. He wanted to yell and warn her that his dogs could get very obnoxious when it was time to eat.

  But he didn’t move. She stood before the two dogs and said, “Sit.” Both dogs sat and Aspen leaned forward to set the dishes down. When either of them budged, she cleared her throat. Neither dog moved until she had placed the dishes down and had stood back up and said to them, “Okay.” They both dug into their food.

  Wiping her hands on her jeans, he heard her complain as she walked back to the kitchen, “Yeesh. That is why I don’t have dogs.”

  Following quickly, Colt entered the warm kitchen behind her. His observant gaze took in the black form-fitting jeans and the loose sapphire-blue sweatshirt that she had on over them.

  As he stood there and watched, she went and grabbed herself a mug and filled it full of fresh, hot coffee. “Morning, Aspen,” he drawled. Colt noticed the shiver that flowed across her body before she got herself under control and turned to face him.

  Chapter Five

  The sound of his intoxicating voice flowed over her and with those two simple words, Aspen felt herself lusting again for something she couldn’t afford to want. Turning, she gave him a lopsided grin. “Morning, yourself. Did you sleep okay?”

  Her gaze swept over his showered body. Hair was still a little damp and his face was freshly shaven. He had poured himself into another pair of blue jeans and wore a black shirt that stretched tight across his massive biceps.

  Swallowing, she gestured at the coffee. “Help yourself.” Aspen couldn’t get her legs to move as he strode toward her, his loose-limbed gait making it appear as if he floated over the floor.

  “Don’t mind if I do,” he responded as his lips descended upon hers. The kiss may have been brief, but it rocked them both to the core. “I slept fine, would’ve been perfect with one minor adjustment, but…I’m working on that.” Reaching around her, he took a mug from the c
upboard and poured himself some coffee.

  Praying for sanity, Aspen moved away from the devilish temptation that filled her senses with lustful thoughts. She sat at the table and tried not to watch him fix his drink the way he liked it.

  “Looks like it’s still snowing,” he commented as he plunked himself down at the table as well.

  “I think we got close to two feet last night.” Aspen glanced out the big kitchen windows, grateful for something other than a handsome man to focus on.

  “It’s slow enough that the plows should be able to get all the roads clear by night.”

  “I guess so,” Aspen sighed. She loved the pristine look of freshly-fallen snow. “I will make some breakfast in a moment.”

  “I can do it,” Colt protested. “What do you want?”

  You. “I’ll make it. You’re a guest.” Standing, she moved toward the fridge and opened it. “Are you really hungry?”

  More than you could ever know. “Don’t make more on my account. Toast is fine for me.”

  Aspen spun around, disbelief in her eyes. “I think you require a bit more than toast.” She looked back at the fridge and began to pull out veggies, cheese, and eggs. “How about an omelet?”

  His eyes were glued to her ass as she was bent over. “Fine,” he croaked out. “An omelet would be just fine.”

  Closing the door, Aspen faced him once again. “Do you want meat in yours?”

  Colt bit his lip from saying the first thing on his tongue. “However you have yours will be fine.” He stood and moved to her side.

  “Well, then it will be meatless. I don’t eat a lot of meat.” Shoving a cutting board and knife at him, she ordered, “Cut those up for me. Diced, please.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He gave her a mock salute and washed them and began to cut them up.

  Aspen rolled her eyes and focused on her part of the meal. Somehow during that time, her imagination snuck past her blockades and swung her into a fantasy land of wedded bliss between her and Colt. This was how they would spend every morning, making breakfast together.

  “What are you thinking about?” his low voice broke into her dream.

  Blinking furiously and blushing, Aspen shook her head. “No…nothing.” Damn her imagination for taking over.

  “Now, now, Aspen. Do you really think you should be lying to me?” he teased.

  “I’m not lying to you. I was just lost in my own thoughts, and they have nothing to do with you.” She sprayed the pan with a cooking spray and set it back on the burner.

  “So did we get to make love this time or did our children interrupt us?”

  Wide-eyed, Aspen looked back at the man who was popping diced bell peppers in his mouth. One eyebrow of his was raised as he waited for an answer. “What are you talking about?” she forced out.

  An arrogant smile crossed his handsome face as he placed powerful forearms on the counter. “I’m talking about all those dreams you have of us making love. You know, like the ones you used to write about in your diary.” He paused before adding smugly, “Although, I’m sure you’re imagination is a bit more explicit nowadays. Not that it was bad back then.”

  Pouring the egg mixture into the heated skillet, Aspen retorted, “Figures you’d be snooping around where you weren’t invited.”

  “Hey,” he sounded offended. “I paid Ashton good money to get a look at that.”

  Aspen groaned. “That was a long time ago. I don’t indulge in childish fantasies anymore.” Eyeing the eggs, she adjusted the heat to her satisfaction. “I’m not fifteen anymore.”

  “Baby, I can tell you aren’t fifteen anymore. You are pure woman, all the way around.” His voice caressed her as if he was touching her. Aspen held out her hand and he wordlessly handed her the extras she was putting into the omelet. “See how well we work together? Just wait until this transfers to other pleasures.”

  “Shut up, Colt,” Aspen muttered, even as her body betrayed her.

  “Tell me you didn’t dream of me last night.”

  Adding the cheese, Aspen did just that. “I didn’t dream about you. Now get some plates.”

  Grabbing a handful of her ass, Colt squeezed it and said, “Liar.”

  “I am not,” she protested.

  Setting the table, Colt watched as she expertly flipped the omelet. “You know you dreamt about me. Tell me, was I as good as I know you will be?”

  It took a miracle for Aspen to control the trembling of her body at his comment. “I don’t know how many times I have to say this, but I don’t dream of you.” She carried the skillet to where he waited at the table and set it down with a thump.

  Colt furrowed his brow as an unwelcome thought crossed his mind. “You don’t have a boyfriend, do you?”

  Aspen arched a black brow at that and sat down, took a drink of coffee and wondered, “You have been back in my life for two days now, Colt. Two. What gives you the right to get nosy with my business?”

  “You mean, aside from the fact I have had my tongue near your tonsils? I want to know what my competition is.” He held her gaze. “Oh, and we have never been separate, my Aspen. Ever since our first kiss under the mistletoe, we have been connected.”

  At a loss for words, Aspen took a bite of the omelet he had placed on her plate. This was the second time he had called her his. Unnerving and touching all at the same time.

  She looked up at him in time to see him wink at her; Aspen shook her head in mild irritation. There was no way she was going to win this argument with him, so why bother with it. Taking a piece of toast, she settled in to enjoy her meal.

  “Cat got your tongue, Aspen?” he asked as he took a drink of his coffee.

  “Does it look like it?” She stuck her tongue out at him, enjoying the trouble he had swallowing.

  His eyes burned hot, as if stripping away the clothes he could see. “Be careful with that, Aspen,” he growled.

  “Look, don’t play games with me, Colt. I am glad we can get along and tease one another. But let’s not get carried away. I’m not a kid who drools over the bad boy in town anymore.” She placed her utensils down beside her plate. “I am truly glad that you explained what happened between us years ago, but that was then…this is now.”

  Colt put his elbows on the table and stared directly into Aspen’s eyes. “I’m not playing games with you, Aspen. I’m not a little boy anymore, either.”

  Like I hadn’t noticed that. Tell me something I don’t know. “I know you’re not a little boy. But I don’t want to be one of your conquests,” she blurted out.

  “What are you talking about? One of my conquests?”

  “You strike me as the type of guy who could have any woman you wanted. I mean, look at you, for Christ’s sake. You are unbelievably hot. I would prefer you respect me and not add me to the notches on your bedpost.”

  “Baby, there are two things you would never be to me…and that is a notch or a conquest. I respect you more than you will ever know and will forever. But there is something between us, there was then…and it is still there now.”

  His liquid eyes hardened with a steel-like determination. “You are mine, Aspen. You were mine since I claimed your lips under that mistletoe, even before that. You were mine the next day when your brother beat the shit out of me for kissing you, and you are still mine today.”

  Quavering from the emotions that filled her at his blatant claim, it took a moment for the rest of what he said to sink in. Then it did. “Ash hit you?”

  “Knocked me right on my ass. I had never seen your brother so pissed in my life.” Colt smiled at the memory of Ashton standing over him, waving that huge fist.

  “So he knew?”

  “About the rumor? I guess. I told him I had wanted to kiss you for a long time and when they dared me, I figured that would be the easiest way for him to accept. He did after a while, even tried to help me get closer to you by inviting you along with him, but you never took him up on it.”

  Aspen pushed her plate to the side
and brought her foot up to rest on the chair so she could put her chin on her knee. “After I heard them talking about why you kissed me, I decided it was best not to be anywhere near you. So I buried myself further into books, and school. And went as far away as I could to school.”

  “I wanted you to come with him,” Colt divulged.

  Something flared between them at that moment. An awareness of each other had been heightened. Passions increased and intensified.

  “You scared me. What you made me feel, dream, long for. I didn’t understand it.”

  “And now?” Colt asked.

  “I don’t know.” Her eyes focused on something behind him. “But I do know that you need to go get your dog off my couch.”

  Spinning around, Colt saw Valor up on her couch, stretched out with his head on one of the tasseled pillows, looking altogether at home. “Valor, get off there,” he roared.

  The dog picked up his head, yawned, and laid his head back down. Colt groaned and stood. Glancing back at a very amused Aspen, he realized that the moment had been shattered. But they had made some headway and he was content with that…for now. So he headed for the couch to drag his dog off her furniture.

  Aspen watched as he wrestled to get Valor off her couch. Sighing, she got up and began to clear the breakfast dishes. Hearing her front door slam, she turned to see him striding back into the kitchen. “What’d you do, kick him out?”

  “Sure did. Sorry he was up there.” Colt helped carry dishes to the sink.

  “Well, I guess it won’t kill anything.” Aspen had to fight to sound upset. In truth she could care less. The kind and intelligent eyes that dog had were amazing; she had found a friend in Valor.

  “Want me to wash?” Colt offered.

  “Naw, I’ll use the dishwasher. I’ll let you load it, though.” Aspen picked up the rag and began to wipe down the counters.

  “No prob,” he said.

  After they had cleaned up, the dogs were let back in, and Aspen had loaded some more music in her player, they began on the tree.

  “So tell me what you did after you left here, Colt.” Aspen handed him some ornaments for the higher part of the tree.