Festive Faking (Rust Canyon #1)

21. Aspen

Chapter 21

Aspen

“Mmm.”

A moan sounded, rousing me from sleep, but I kept my eyes closed. That was until a giant palm gripped my bare ass and squeezed, forcing a yelp to climb up my throat.

“Faker,” Mac teased.

I tried and failed to bite back a smile at having been caught. Turning my head on the pillow, I peeked at him from beneath my lowered lashes.

“Morning.”

That deep voice settled between my legs, where I could still feel where he’d staked his claim. Every shift brought with it a pleasant soreness.

The memory of what we’d shared last night, combined with the realization that we were both still naked, had my face flaming, and I buried it into his chest with a muffled, “Morning.”

Fingers gripped my chin, forcing my gaze to meet his. Brown eyes pleading, he said, “Don’t do that. Don’t hide from me.” When I remained silent, a sigh sounded. “Do you regret last night?”

“No!” I cringed at the volume of my voice. Sitting up, I pulled the covers to my chest. “Last night was amazing. You were amazing. Honestly, I’d pictured what my first time would be like a million times, and I never expected to feel so safe. So, thank you for that.”

Mac’s lips turned up into a shy smile. “I had a great time too.”

I shifted so that I rested on my side and could take his hand in mine. “I know we fell asleep together, but it kinda caught me by surprise when we woke up. I guess, for me at least, it’s a little awkward being naked when we’re not, you know, all hopped up on hormones and trying to maul each other.”

“Fair enough.” His fingers offered a reassuring squeeze. Leaning in, he gave me a soft kiss. “I’ll give you a free pass this time, but I have to tell you, I could get used to waking up with a beautiful, naked woman in my bed.”

I frowned. The idea that there had been other women who came before me chafed like the one time I’d been stubborn enough to insist I could ride Snowflake in a dress. I knew it was probably a bad idea, but I still went there anyway.

Had Mac ever been in love with any of those women? Had he been as tender and caring with them as he’d been with me? Had he made them feel special, beautiful, desired?

One more thought struck, and my stomach lurched.

Had his twist on truth or dare been nothing more than a pickup? One he’d used countless times before to get women into bed?

Nausea churned in my gut, and excess saliva filled my mouth. I was going to be sick.

“Aspen?” Mac’s concerned voice reached my ears. “What’s wrong?”

“How many?” Fuck. I slammed my eyes shut as the embarrassment of my jealousy burned through my veins. I had no right to ask that question. Not after one night.

His confusion was audible. “I don’t understand. How many what?”

My fight-or-flight response kicked in, and suddenly, I needed to get out of here.

“Never mind,” I muttered, dropping the covers and scrambling off the mattress.

Fingers circled my wrist, halting me. There was a rustling of the sheets and the sound of bare feet hitting the hardwood.

Mac turned me to face him, standing before me. Brows drawn down, eyes searching, he asked, “How many what, Aspen?”

Ashamed, I dropped my gaze to the floor. “Women.”

He blew out a heavy breath. “You don’t want to know that.”

That meant it was worse than I imagined. Summoning all my courage, I raised my chin and met his eye as I declared, “Yes, I do.”

The hold on my wrist released, but there wasn’t time to pull away before two warm palms cupped my cheeks. “None of them meant anything. Not a one.”

My lower lip trembled, and I cursed myself for getting so emotional over this. “Tell me, please.”

“Here’s what I’ll tell you, Aspen. Last night wiped the slate clean for me. It might’ve been your only experience, but I wish more than anything it had been mine too. Because it was more than two bodies colliding with the goal of getting off; there was a connection, a merging of souls. I’ve never felt that before in my entire life, and I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to let it go.”

Jaw hanging slack, I let out a stunned exhale.

How the hell did you respond to something like that?

I blinked up at him as he softly stroked over my cheekbones.

“Do we have anywhere to be today?”

What was the date? Mac had sent my head spinning, so it took a minute to figure it out.

Today was Christmas Eve.

“We have church service to attend in the evening, and I’m sure we’ll be expected to make an appearance at the big house at some point before then.”

A mischievous twinkle lit up his dark eyes. “What’ll it take to get us off the hook until tonight?”

My head cocked to the side. “Why would I do that?” The minute the words left my lips, his erection poked against my belly. Eyes widening, I peeked down at the answer to my question.

“Oh.” Heat rose up my neck.

“Maybe later.” Mac flashed me a cheeky grin and winked. “What I’d really like to do is lounge around, strip down our walls, and get to know each other better. You know, the way people tend to do before hopping into bed and having the best sex of their lives?”

“Whoa, better back up there, buddy. Who said it was the best of my life?“ It took all my effort not to smile as I teased him.

A playful growl worked its way up his throat before he nipped at my lower lip. “Guess I have my work cut out for me, then.”

His hands slid down to my hips, hauling me close enough to trap his hard dick between us as he claimed my mouth. I was spun around and flat on my back in an instant, and my giggles quickly turned into moans.

You wouldn’t hear a complaint from me about the sudden change of plans. Speaking without words was a lot more fun.

We finally came up for air when Mac’s rumbling stomach could no longer be ignored. I slipped out of bed, grabbing my phone to text my mom so she wouldn’t worry and come knocking when we didn’t make an appearance at some point.

Recovering from having too much to drink last night, so Mac and I are gonna take a lazy day at the cabin. We’ll meet up with you guys before church.

The part about drinking too much was an outright lie. The two shots I drank had worn off before we made it home, and Mac had only enjoyed a single beer. But saying we were hungover was mildly less uncomfortable than saying we were too busy setting the sheets on fire and didn’t want to stop.

“Put this on. I can see your goosebumps from across the room.” Mac pressed a shirt into my hand on his way to the bathroom while I waited for a response.

I smiled when I realized the shirt was his. It hit me mid-thigh when I threw it over my head, and I couldn’t resist the urge to bring the collar to my nose, inhaling his intoxicating scent.

My phone buzzed, and I peeked at my mother’s reply.

Mama: Sounds like you two had fun. Fridge is fully stocked. Bathroom too. Don’t forget to hydrate. We’ll see you tonight.

I frowned at the message. What did she mean about the bathroom being stocked?

Mac was inside with the door shut, so I knocked.

He opened it, stepping aside to allow me entry, likely assuming I’d been waiting my turn. But when I methodically began opening and closing the drawers one by one, he leaned against the doorframe and asked, “What are you looking for?”

“Not sure,” I replied, bent at the waist to reach the lowest drawer.

It slid open, revealing the item my mother had so graciously stocked for our use. Muffling a groan with my free hand, I held up a box of condoms before tossing it onto the sink.

Gripping the edge of the basin, I dropped my head, explaining on an exhale, “My mother.”

A soft chuckle sounded from the doorway, and then footsteps padded closer. Arms encircled my waist before warm lips pressed to the side of my neck. I melted into his embrace, and our eyes met in the mirror.

His brown ones sparkled with amusement. “Well, that’s fortuitous because I’m fresh out. Remind me to thank Daisy later.”

I spun in his arms. “You’ll do no such thing, or I’m not feeding you today.” If I’d learned one thing this week, it was that the man loved to eat, and right now, I knew he was hungry.

Mac’s eyes widened in alarm. “Hold on, let’s take a step back and think about this rationally, Aspen. If you don’t let me refuel, I won’t have enough energy to do that thing with my tongue you like so much.” A cocky grin accompanied that final statement.

My cheeks heated at the memory of that insanely intimate act. I had to admit he did have a point.

“Fine,” I grumbled. “You can eat, but I expect you to keep your lips zipped about our private relationship when we’re in public.”

“Deal.” He nodded, leaning in to give me a quick kiss.

I climbed back into bed with a bunch of grapes, plucking one off and plopping it into my mouth. Mac opened his arms where he sat against the headboard, and I curled into his side.

It was like we were in this little bubble, and I feared that once we left these four walls, it would burst.

Reality was waiting for us back in LA, and I wasn’t na?ve enough to believe anything we shared now would translate to the real world. He might’ve found a place in my world, but I knew I would never fit in his. Neither of us could change who we were or that our paths were headed in very different directions.

Almost as if he could read my thoughts, Mac squeezed my hip. “What are your plans after graduation?”

My shoulder lifted on a shrug. “Try to get a position as a junior architect at one of the firms where I did internships, I guess.”

Tipping my chin up, Mac stared down at me with his brows furrowed. “Is that your dream? To work your way up from the bottom in someone else’s company?” His eyes softened. “You were destined for greatness, Aspen. I don’t believe for one second that you’ll be happy stifling your creativity working for some big firm where they take that away from you.”

His words, and his confidence in my abilities, had me sucking in a sharp breath before confessing, “No, that’s not my dream.”

His fingers ghosted over my cheek before tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “Then what is?”

A corner of my lips quirked up as my passion project came to mind—the one that kept me going on the days when I grew homesick and contemplated pulling the plug and returning to a simpler life on the ranch.

“So, you know Main Street?” I began.

Mac chuckled. “I may have been there a time or two, yes.”

His playful teasing gave me the strength to press on. “Well, it’s quaint and cute and homey, and I thought maybe I could work with developers building new housing communities someday, where we put in a Main Street. Bring the small town to the suburbs.”

When he remained silent, simply staring at me, doubt began to creep in, and I backtracked. “It’s silly, I know, but—“

“It’s fucking genius!” he declared, voice rising.

“You really think so?” My lips twisted to the side.

“Are you kidding? I had no idea places like this even existed before this week, and I’m sure I’m not alone. Every town has the same restaurants, the same shops. It’s cookie-cutter; there’s no personal touch. What you’re proposing would foster a sense of community that has fallen by the wayside in most places. People would get to know their neighbors and learn to appreciate those running small businesses, which are the very foundation of this country.” He stared at me in awe before grabbing my face with both hands and pressing a firm kiss to my lips. “You’re absolutely brilliant.”

His compliments and over-the-top enthusiasm for my vision were so unexpected that I was rendered speechless. Of course, I thought it was a great idea, but I was biased. Mac was an impartial party hearing my plans—my dream—for the very first time, and he seemed blown away by its potential.

What if I was really onto something?

He might not realize it, but Mac had given me the push I needed. I would do whatever it took to get this project off the ground. It would take time and investors, sure, but if I could find a way to put myself in front of the right people— maybe offer to bring them here as a part of my sales pitch so they could see the beauty of what I proposed in practice—they might fall in love with it too.

Bringing Mac home for the holidays and getting a chance to see Rust Canyon through his eyes was just the spark I’d needed to reignite my fire.