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“I said sure thing. I’m sure she’ll love it.” Nice save pervert.
Chloe shrugs, buying my deflection, “Maybe some of your famous buttermilk biscuits too. I know Avery will love those.” Her ear to ear smile is back in place, and a light blush creeps over her already rosy cheeks as she sways back and forth, not daring to meet my gaze.
That’s odd, she’s been on edge since the moment they arrived and was acting totally out of character when we were at the tree farm earlier. I’ll even admit the guy at the front register gave me a weird look when she jumped into my arms after I agreed to buy the twelve foot monstrosity. He was either jealous about the beautiful, young girl in my arms, or was calling me a fucking pervert in his head.
Without warning, she rushes back down and pounces on me, nearly tackling me back against the couch catching me off guard. Dammit, I need to get out of my head and stop daydreaming. “Thank you Zane, for letting me be here with you, for putting up with my crazy, and spending the holiday with me. I missed you so much.”
“I missed you too baby girl,” I whisper into her hair as I rub my hand up and down her back. I feel her body tense against me, her heartbeat speeding up and pounding against my chest.
“I love you Zane,” she whispers into my chest, and I can’t help the smile that appears at her confession.
“I love you too Chloe.”
ChapterFour
AVERY
“Rise and shine!”
I cover my head with my pillow hoping it will tune out the loud blaring of the alarm clock. But there is no alarm clock and I’m afraid there is no damn snooze button on Chloe’s morning cheeriness. It’s no use you can hear her through anything, even through sound proof walls.
“I know you can hear me, Avery.”
I roll over on my stomach, burying myself under the plush comforter, and praying my sudden disappearing act will make her leave me alone.
It doesn’t work.
“Ugh,” I groan into the pillow, “I thought we were on vacation, Chlo. Usually on vacation one can sleep in however long they want.” I am definitely not a morning person, especially when I no longer have school to worry about. Least of all when the smell of coffee is nowhere to be found.
I chose a class schedule for our first year at the University of Florida that starts no earlier than eleven in the morning. A girl like me needs her beauty sleep, especially when I plan on being out into the early hours of the morning. I’m currently on phase one of my plan to convince Chlo to get a job at a college bar around campus to make a few bucks we can use to spruce up our place.
Thanks to Chloe’s mom, we’re not living in the dorm rooms on campus instead staying in a cute little condo a few minutes away. At least temporarily. Phase two of my plan - convincing Chlo to join a sorority.
“Come on Avery, it’s tree decorating time,” she squeals, tugging the covers off of me in one swift pull. It’s a good thing I wore pajamas since I usually prefer to sleep in nothing but my bra and panties. “You’re lucky I didn’t drag you downstairs last night to do it. Zane figured you’d be tired and needed to lie low so he forced me to wait till morning.”
“He did?” I ask, groggily sitting up, surprised Chloe’s stepdad cared enough to say that. Or maybe he doesn’t. Maybe he just preferred to postpone his house turning into a scene from“How The Grinch Stole Christmas”.
Chloe nods, “Yeah, I think he just didn’t want to have to do it with me. Bad enough I dragged him out to get a tree.” She sits on the edge of my bed, the mattress dipping slightly as she sits. “Anyway, get out of bed, into the shower, and then put on the matching pajamas I bought us.”
I look down at the oversized t-shirt and pair of gym shorts I put on last night and back up at her but she’s halfway to the door, looking back at me before she exits.
“Breakfast will be served downstairs in twenty.”
With a wink she slams the door, leaving me alone in the huge guest room that’s mine for the week. It’s easily the size of the two-bedroom apartment I share with my mom and her boyfriend back in Cali. A queen size, four-poster bed with the comfiest mattress and plushest comforter, a walk-in-closet, an attached en-suite bathroom, and a gorgeous view of the snow-covered mountains through the floor to ceiling window to my right.
I debate going back to sleep but decide against it. No need to make Chloe come back up and drag my ass out by the ear. I need to make this Christmas perfect for her since she went through the trouble of including me in her plans. And I need to find her the perfect present. Only problem, I do not know where to begin.
* * *
It was almostimpossible to drag myself out of the shower, the warm jetted shower head massaging my scalp in the best way. But after fifteen brief minutes, I’m out, dressed, and ready to head downstairs and join in whatever merry festivities Chloe has planned for us.
Luckily, my ankle was much less swollen this morning and I can put my entire body weight on it now. Not that it’s a lot. I’m shorter than average. Five foot three with a petite frame but thanks to my dear momma I’ve got the hourglass shape many women would kill for.
I look down at my ankle and notice a hint of purple along the ball of my ankle. My mind drifts off to yesterday just as we arrived. I can’t believe I slipped the moment I stepped foot out of the Uber. It was fucking embarrassing landing on my ass and having to be carried in like a child.
Even if it was in the arms of Chloe’s unexpectedly sexy as sin stepfather. I only ever saw him once after her mom and Zane were already divorced.
I knew he was fairly young and pretty good looking. I mean Chloe’s mom is super-hot for a woman in her early forties, but what I wasn’t expecting was Zane to be some sexy Roman God with dark hair and tantalizing green eyes. He’s a fucking vision with the perfect amount of scruff on his angular jaw, and I’m certain he’s hiding a body sculpted by the almighty gods under the flannel and T-shirt he was wearing yesterday.
