Holiday Hideout (Polar Bear, Alaska)

“Yeah, you look familiar,” Shannon Greene says, flipping her long strawberry-blonde hair over her shoulder. “Aren’t you the guy who dumped Trinity?”

“It is you.” Mandy’s finger almost touches Fender’s nose.

“In the flesh,” Fender says with an easy-going smile.

I must applaud him. I’d want to crawl away in a hole and never resurface, but he’s handling it like a champ.

Shannon, Mandy, and Gretchen launch into a million questions regarding the breakup. Taking Trinity’s side, of course.

After a few minutes, Fender holds up both hands in a surrender stance. “Listen ladies, the heart wants what the heart wants, and mine wanted something else.” He drapes an arm over my shoulder.

Shannon clocks the action. “Your heart wants Rachel?”

Fender’s smile is delicious. “Damn right, it does. Now if you’ll excuse us, ladies.”

We leave the pond, heading toward a stretch of land for my next surprise of the day.

We hop out of the Jeep after I park along the side of the road.

“What’s this?” Fender asks, staring at the snowy field filled with nothing but Douglas Firs.

“You’re going to chop down a Christmas tree.”

Fender stuffs his hands into the pockets of his winter coat and turns around, heading back to the Jeep. “Oh, I don’t think so.”

I laugh. “Come on. You’re a real mountain man now. And here in Alaska, we chop down our own trees.”

He spins around, his blue eyes blazing into mine. “Who says I even need a tree?”

I park a hand on my hip. “Quit being a baby.”

“Fine.” Fender steps up closer to me. “How about that one?” He points to a fat Douglas Fir sitting in the middle of the field.

I smile wide. “It’s the exact same one I would have picked.”

I head back to the Jeep, grabbing the saw and rope so we can tie it up once he chops it down.

We get to work, both of us working the saw back and forth until finally, I let Fender finish chopping the tree with the axe. He swings a few times, and then yells ‘Timber’ as the tree falls to the ground.

“You’re a pro,” I tell him.

“I could get used to a life like this,” he says as we tie the tree to the roof of my Jeep.

As soon as all the tools are put away, Fender grabs me, pulling me close to his chest.

“I had fun today,” I say, staring up into his eyes.

“Me too.” He kisses the top of my head. “And I really meant it about getting used to this.”

I close my eyes as I hug him harder, trying my best not to read too much into what he’s saying, because then that would mean I’d be planning a future with him, which is what I want to do.

I can’t tell you how quickly we exit the field, or how fast I drive to Mistletoe Mountain to let Fender have his wicked way with me, but I will say this—it was faster than Santa’s reindeer flying across the sky.

Once we’re in the cabin, Fender kicks the door shut. “I’ve been thinking about slamming my cock inside you all damn day.”

“Fender, for tonight, let’s not think about tomorrow. But tomorrow, I think it’s best we never do this again.”

I just can’t afford my heart the pain it’ll have when he walks away. I’m already in too deep.

Chapter 13

Fender

* * *

I don’t want only tonight. Tomorrow we pretend like this didn’t happen? No. It happened. It is happening.

It’s happening to her. It’s fucking happening to me. I can’t make sense of what is happening, but it’s monumental. As I scoop her up in my arms and carry her to the bedroom, the thought of her wanting to pretend like it’s not life-changing crushes me.

But I won’t let her know it does. Tonight, I’ll give her everything she wants.

I lay her on the bed and start with a kiss, moving our tongues in tandem, tracing along one another, opening my heart to her, laying it right there before her, sliced open, bleeding and wounded. And I pray she knows how to make it whole again.

I slip a finger past the material of her panties and bury it deep inside her. She moans into my mouth, and her legs spread, eager for my touch. She’s soaked when I remove my finger and pull her to straddle my lap, grinding her down onto me.

“Feel that? This is how much I want you.”

The moonlight streams into the window, highlighting her beauty. Her tits are so close to my face I reach out and smooth my hand over one.

“Fender,” she moans as her body continues to grind against my hardness.

With hunger, I move Rachel under me and gaze into her eyes. “I want to own your body.”

She palms my face. “It’s yours.”

I kiss her with all the trust, fear, lust, and every other emotion rippling through me.