She took my hand and lifted her mug. "Let's get these to go. I don't know what I figured we could work through up here, but I'm over it."
"Good. Besides, I'd rather snuggle up by the fireplace and work through our shit if anything comes up as it comes up." I pulled her to me and kissed the top of her head. "But, I'm a simple man. I don't need complexity."
"I like that. A lot." She moved up and kissed me once before taking my drink to have them put into to-go containers. "So, if I didn't want the peppermint hot chocolate, were you going to drink it?"
"Sure was." I slipped my hands in my pockets and tilted my head as I studied her. Butterflies ripped through the center of me as she narrowed her eyes a little.
"Even though you don't like it?"
"If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." I chuckled, knowing what was coming next, and said it in tandem with her.
"Ain't isn't a word." She smiled and walked back to the counter, leaving me with my insides on fire and the future opened for anything to happen. It was terrifying, but would be worth every minute that I got to enjoy.
* * * *
"How do you want your steak cooked, baby?" I glanced over my shoulder at her. We were on the small porch I'd built at the back of my cabin. Her long legs were stretched out as she lounged in a chair beside me, the top half of her wrapped in three blankets. All I could see was her little red nose and piercing green eyes.
"Medium." She lifted her mouth out of the covers before slipping it back under quickly.
I turned the steaks and moved to sit beside her on the lounge chair. "Did you have that meeting with your dad over the jackets?"
The top of her cheeks lifted above the covers as she nodded.
"And?" I reached out and tugged the blanket down. "Tell me what happened."
"It went really well. He's going to let me take one of the designs to market under his line. I guess he wants me to understand the full cycle from idea to an actual product on the shelves."
"And, you're excited?" I pulled the blanket back up.
She nodded, and I stood, checking the meat one more time before pulling it off the grill.
"Let's get inside, Miss. I hate the cold." I grabbed my beer and put my shoulder against the door as she moved in quickly behind me, grumbling about the freezing cold weather.
After setting the steaks down in the kitchen and checking on the potatoes and green beans on the stove, I walked over to the fireplace and wrapped her in a hug from behind. She was thick due to the blankets, but I still managed to get my arms around her. I snuggled my face into the side of her neck as she swatted at me.
"Your nose is cold! Damn."
"Hush, woman. Part of being my girl means you have to warm me up when I'm cold. It's in the contract." I smiled and moved back as she turned to face me.
"All of you?" Her lips turned up into a naughty smile and my chest tightened.
"Yeah. Every last inch." I pulled her in tightly and kissed her with the intent of exploring her warm mouth. The sensation of her cold lips and nose combined with the warm wetness of her mouth caused a growl to slip from my lips. "I want you, Chloe. Say you’ll stay the night with me."
She nodded and pulled her thick bottom lip into her mouth as she watched me. It was enough of an agreement for me. I kissed her nose and moved back to the kitchen. "I'm not the only one with a freezing-ass cold nose."
Her laughter caused me to glance over my shoulder.
"What?" I asked.
"Freezing-ass. We should just make that our private joke. You're a grown-ass man with a freezing-ass cold nose."
I laughed, too, and shook my head. "Tell me a few things about you while I cut this up, then we'll eat."
"Like what?" She moved to sit on the stool at my small two-seater table.
"Like your age. Where you were born. Um...the color of your panties?" I kept my back to her, but couldn't help the huge smile that lifted my lips.
"I'm twenty-four. I was born here in Aspen, and I don't wear panties."