Festive Faking (Rust Canyon #1)

6. Mac

Chapter 6

Mac

Baking had taken up the entire afternoon, and after another delicious home-cooked meal from Daisy, the Sullivans and I were relaxing before a fire, enjoying a round of eggnog.

Aspen and I were seated on the same couch, but she’d made sure there was space between us. She’d been off since our little incident in the kitchen.

In the moment, it had been purely reflex. She was falling and I reached out to catch her, but you’d have thought my touch had burned her with how fast she ran off.

Her absence created an uncomfortable silence in the kitchen, so I’d forced myself to keep busy, working to finish assembling our assigned cookies. But when she returned, she gave me mixed signals.

First, she wouldn’t meet my eye. Then, when she did, I saw those brilliant blue gems flare when I licked the spoon clean. It was driving me crazy wondering if there was even the slightest chance she might be interested in me.

I was just as chickenshit as Tripp, too afraid to tell the girl I liked how I felt.

That was the thing about harboring a secret crush—if you kept it to yourself, it would never materialize into something more than a fantasy, a series of what-ifs. I was stuck in that limbo, and if I didn’t take Meemaw’s advice and man up, I would always wonder what could have been.

Six days. I had six days to make a move or make my peace with letting Aspen walk out of my life forever.

The fire crackled, and I drained the last of my drink. The scene set before me was so cozy it made my head swim. Everyone was content to simply exist together, the conversation having trailed off after dinner.

I couldn’t remember the last time my entire family was in the same place together, let alone anyone actually enjoying the company of those we happened to share genetic material with.

Suddenly aware of how pathetically cold and lonely my upbringing had been compared to what Aspen must’ve experienced as a child, a vise tightened around my chest. Finding it hard to breathe, I stood, desperate to put space between myself and this heartwarming display I’d never get to experience for real.

When all eyes turned to me, I raised my empty glass. “Refill.” My voice came out strained.

Aspen arched an eyebrow, but I gave a subtle shake of my head, hoping she’d let it drop.

Moving through the family room and into the kitchen, I inhaled deeply, trying to regain my bearings. It wasn’t like me to be knocked off balance like this.

The warmth of the home extended beyond the heat coming from the fireplace. There were homey touches everywhere I looked. Framed pictures graced every available space on the wall, marks on the doorframe showcased the heights of Aspen and her brother as they grew up, and the stockings hung by the tree had been lovingly embroidered and personalized for each family member.

What did it say about me that, in my entire life, I’d never entered a private residence where you could feel the love oozing from every surface, like it had been absorbed into very fibers of the home? It scared the living hell out of me to think that once I left this place, I might never encounter it again.

I needed to stop drinking. My buzz had clearly turned on me, and instead of feeling loose, I was just plain sad.

Abandoning my glass inside the empty sink, I turned to rejoin the family scene that filled me with so much longing it threatened to suffocate me. I barely reached the threshold when a body crashed into mine, and on instinct, I reached out to steady whomever it was.

Aspen blinked up at me in surprise, her breathing ragged. “I, um . . . You were gone a while.”

“Ooh, boy. They’re at it again!” Meemaw’s amused voice carried through the room.

Together, we turned to face the rest of the family, but I didn’t release my grasp on Aspen. Holding her made it easier to breathe, and I wasn’t ready to let her go.

Meemaw flashed us a wicked grin. “And under the mistletoe? That boy’s not just a pretty face. He’s smart too.”

A quick peek above our heads proved that we were, indeed, standing beneath the mistletoe hanging from an exposed wooden beam along the ceiling.

Nervous laughter fell from Aspen’s lips. “How did that get there?”

“The idea was for Tripp and Penny to find themselves beneath it, but you two will do just fine.”

Tripp groaned. “Meemaw, we’re just friends.”

She waved him off. “You keep trying to sell that story, but nobody’s buying.” Gesturing to us, she encouraged, “Come on, now. Don’t be shy.”

Instantly, Aspen protested, “Oh, I don’t think—”

When she tried to step away, I only banded my arms tighter around her, slipping one hand to the small of her back as the other moved up to cradle the side of her jaw.

She gasped, her eyes widening at the intimate hold.

Lowering my voice so only she could hear, I teased, “Come on, Freckles. Are you really gonna deny dear, sweet Meemaw’s request for a show?”

Aspen’s only response was a shaky inhale, so I used her silence to my advantage and dipped my head to pepper kisses across her cheek, working my way closer to her plush pink lips.

She trembled, so I only gripped her tighter, relishing how perfectly we fit together. My nose teased along the side of hers. This might be fake for her, but for me, it was so very real.

I’d dreamt of kissing this woman for over two years, and this might be my only chance. I wasn’t about to waste it, family audience be damned. I wanted her to remember this moment because even though our lips hadn’t touched yet, I knew I would never forget it so long as I lived.

This was a defining moment. I just knew it.

“Aspen.” Her name fell from my lips like a prayer, the anticipation hanging heavy in the air.

Without warning, she closed the gap between us, fusing our mouths.

Surprise that she’d taken the initiative faded away in an instant as I sank into the kiss. Electricity buzzed beneath my skin at the contact, and I licked across the seam of her lips, desperate for a taste but terrified that she’d pull away as I demanded more.

I didn’t give a damn that my groan was loud as she parted for me and I teased my tongue inside. Fingers slid through my hair, grasping at the strands and moving my head to where she wanted it.

It was slow, lazy, and exploratory, but it was the hottest kiss of my life.

She tasted like peppermint, likely having sampled a few of the cookies we’d made earlier, and I couldn’t get enough. I was dizzy as lust swirled through my veins, blood pooling below my waist with her soft curves pressed against me.

Aspen must have felt my physical reaction because she gasped, opening wider for me to claim her deeper. Her moans were the sweetest sound I’d ever heard, but a throat clearing loudly had my head snapping up and heat rising along my neck.

Our mixed breathing was harsh, coming out in pants like we’d finished running a race.

Wide blue eyes peeked up at me, and one of her hands left its perch—tangled in my hair—so she could press the fingertips gingerly against her swollen lips. If she looked this incredible after a single kiss, I bet she was a goddamn vision freshly fucked.

The urge to experience that sight firsthand grew overwhelming, but I knew better than to push my luck.

“Now, that was a kiss!” Meemaw declared, and the bubble surrounding us burst.

Aspen stepped back, effectively breaking our body contact. I fought the urge to shiver, suddenly colder without her touch.

A blush crept onto her cheeks, and she glanced into the kitchen. “What happened to your refill?”

I shrugged. “Decided I didn’t need it.”

“Oh.” She nodded slowly.

Unable to help myself, I grasped her hand and tugged her back toward the couch. This time, when we sat, I didn’t allow her any space. My thigh was pressed flush to hers, and my arm rested along the back of the couch behind her so my fingers could brush against her shoulder.

Under her breath, she asked, “What are you doing?”

Bringing my mouth to her ear, I replied, “You were just moaning as we made out in front of your family. It’s my right as the boyfriend to touch you. I promise I don’t bite.” I waited a beat before adding, “Unless you ask nicely.”

Being this close, I felt when that innuendo sank in and a surprised rush of air flew past her lips, but she didn’t try to pull away.

“You can tell a lot about how a man is between the sheets by the way he kisses.”

Aspen’s eyes grew comically large as she whipped her head around toward her grandmother, who was completely oblivious to her shock and distress.

“Your Pop used to maul me with his mouth, and let me tell you, he was no slouch in the bedroom. Or any other place we happened to get carried away.” She threw in a wink for good measure.

“Ma!” Jett shouted, running a hand down his face. “You can’t talk like that.”

She pointed a bony finger in her son’s direction. “The hell I can’t! You act like I wasn’t young once.”

It took everything in my power not to laugh at how freely she spoke. It was refreshing as hell.

Meemaw tapped her temple, speaking to Aspen. “Up here, I’m still twenty-one. You’ll see. Goes by faster than you think.”

I flashed her a charming grin as I dropped my hand more firmly onto Aspen’s shoulder, pulling her closer into my side. “Noted. We’ll make sure to make the most of every moment, won’t we, honey?”

Aspen offered me a non-committal hum.

Beaming at me, Meemaw clasped both hands together and brought them to her chest. “I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to see my grandbaby in love. Truth be told, I never thought I’d get the chance to be a meemaw. I put all my eggs into one basket with Jett here.” She threw a thumb in his direction. “He tried to get himself killed more times than I can count. And until he met Daisy, the boy was adamant he wasn’t the settling-down type.”

With the attention on him, Jett shuffled uncomfortably in his seat, but I could see the love shining in his eyes when he gazed upon his wife. They’d found something special if they were able to make a marriage last for what had to be close to thirty years.

“Now, don’t you two go wastin’ any time. I’d love to see a great-grandbaby or two before I leave this Earth.”

Aspen sucked in a sharp breath, but I leaned into it, offering the elderly woman a mock salute. “We’ll try to do you proud, ma’am.”

Bringing both hands to her face, the girl by my side groaned. “Oh my God.”

I was fully aware that I was staring down a second straight night sleeping on the cabin’s hardwood floor, but it was worth it.