Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

R ae

I was young when I got married the first time around. I don't normally admit to being young and stupid exactly, but I definitely didn't have a lot of life experience to draw from. My ex-husband, Gavin, was my high school boyfriend and my first lover. I've since been with a few other men and have learned that Gavin's bedroom skills were subpar at best.

But kissing Hutton Calder on the floor in the middle of a snowstorm?

This might just be the best kiss of my life.

His other hand joins the first, cradling my face and positioning me exactly where he wants me, which is an incredible turn-on. I like a man who takes charge while also ensuring my pleasure. He's not taking the kiss too far too fast, instead nibbling on me as if I'm some midnight treat he wants to savor. My heart feels like it might beat right out of my chest. When I open for him, his tongue tangles with mine, the heady taste of red wine and something uniquely Hutton blooms. A groan rents the air and I'm not sure if it's me or Hutton, but as we break apart, both of us are breathing heavy.

He rests his forehead on mine, eyes squeezed shut. "Damn, sugar," he rumbles, barely audible over the crackling of the fire and the roaring inside my head.

"I like it when you call me that," I whisper back, being as vulnerable with him as he was with me during our question-and-answer session.

He pulls his head back and peers down at me. His thumb begins swiping back and forth on my cheek, keeping time. His lips curve into a grin that only makes me want him more.

"I won't lie. I'd like to call you that while I'm inside you, but my boy is sleeping a few feet away on the couch. So would you settle for snuggling in front of the fire?"

My heart melts, even as every other body part of me ignites at his words. A man who thinks of his son before his dick? And he wants to snuggle ? I reach up and grip his wrists before this dream can flitter away.

"I'd love to snuggle, cowboy."

Hutton holds my gaze just a few beats longer and then we're adjusting so we're both under the blankets and horizontal. His arm comes around me and I roll to my side, head pillowed on his chest, hand on his washboard abs. If I thought the man smelled good before, it's nothing compared to being cozied up to him from head to toe. I almost want to take a selfie, just to prove to myself days from now that I was actually in Hutton Calder's arms. I don't, mostly because I don't want to break whatever spell we're under right now.

He reaches over and gently pulls my hair out of the messy bun I had it in to wash my face. He runs his fingers through the strands, playing with it. If he keeps that up, I might just fall asleep on him.

"I have to confess, I drove all night to get here. I'm tuckered." I feel his lips on my forehead and I nearly die right there on the spot.

I shift my head to look up at him. I don't know what he looks like on a day he got a good night's rest, but the man is too gorgeous to have dark circles under his eyes like a normal human.

"Go to sleep, then. We can talk in the morning."

And, somehow, we do.

The whinny of a miniature horse wakes me up the next morning. I crack one eye open in time to see Henry pounce on his father's chest and nearly put out his eye with a plastic horse figurine. Hutton grunts and rolls away from me, taking Henry with him and ensuring I don't get caught up in whatever's happening in the five-year-old's imagination. Morning light is streaming in from the windows I don't normally draw the drapes over at night.

The two wrestle while I contemplate the bed head sported by country music's hottest singer. The blankets shift and I get an eyeful of his muscular ass in flimsy boxers. My, my, singing on a stage every night sure does a body good. How does Hutton look even hotter first thing in the morning when I probably look like a train wreck?

No amount of finger combing will help the rat's-nest situation going on since Hutton took my long hair out of the bun before we went to sleep. Cupping a hand over my mouth I also discover that I have raging morning breath from drinking wine and then not brushing my teeth. I pull my legs out from under the blankets with plans to go to the bathroom and get ready, but my teeth start chattering the second I'm standing.

I put our health over vanity and make a beeline for the fireplace that's sporting some glowing embers and that's about it. Only one log makes it onto the pile before Hutton deposits Henry back on the couch and comes over.

"Henry, we men need to make a fire for the lady." Hutton crouches down and takes a log out of my hands before leaning in and whispering, "Good morning, beautiful."

My ass hits the floor thanks to thighs that have given up in the face of a sleepy Hutton Calder. Pretty sure that's a pillow crease across his cheek. The scruff on his jawline is even longer this morning, giving him a mountain-man appearance I like very much. Don't even get me started on the muscled legs below the navy-blue boxers. He winks at me and gets busy stoking the fire.

"Rae-Rae canna do it?" Henry asks, toddling over and watching his father.

I pat him on the head, realizing his hair is the exact same shade of brown as his father. "Rae-Rae can do it, but?—"

Hutton interrupts. "Just because a lady is perfectly capable of doing it doesn't mean we should let her do all the work. Like making beds. Let's clean up all the blankets we used, okay, buddy?"

"Cwean up! Cwean up!" Henry singsongs as he goes around grabbing blankets and dropping most of them when he moves on to the next blanket.

My heart is fluttering like I've eaten all the sugary Christmas cookies Janna and I talked about baking this year. Hutton stands and holds out his hand. I place my palm in his and let him tug me to my feet. His eyes are practically twinkling with humor. For a guy woken up by a play horse and forty pounds of kiddo, he sure looks happy.

"My ex used to be such a grump in the mornings," I say without thinking. Me and my big mouth, spilling ex secrets to a man who probably can't wait to get out of here and back to his normal life.

Hutton grimaces but doesn't let go of my hand. "Good thing you dumped his ass."

I bark out a laugh, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, I think so too." I turn to Henry who has now tripped over the mountain of blankets and is on his back, neighing like a horse. "Shall we see if we're still snowed in?"

That gets him up on his feet and racing to the front door. "I wanna see!"

"You need a jacket first!" Hutton calls after him.

He collects his jeans off the floor while I grab my jacket off the hook by the front door. I keep snow boots here all winter long, which comes in handy this morning. When we're all dressed for the snow, I finally unlock the door and let Henry run down the two steps to the grass which is nowhere to be seen. Blinding white snow covers every surface and has turned the pine trees flanking our neighborhood a gorgeous Christmasy white. It's beautiful, but it's also more snow than I've ever seen from one storm.

"Snow!" Henry shouts and I join in, hopping down the stairs.

"Watch this," I say, turning my back to the snowdrift and keeping my gaze on Henry. I spread my arms wide and let myself fall back. I land with a poof of air and snow, creating a Rae-sized indentation in the snow.

Henry shouts and rushes to copy me as Hutton laughs. When Henry lands in the snow, his eyes go wide at how cold it is.

"Now move your legs like windshield wipers so we can make snow angels!"

Henry kicks his legs into the air instead. I grin like a loon while Hutton comes over to show him how to move his legs for maximum snow angel creation.

"You're crazy, you know that?" Hutton says quietly, leaning over me with a confused grin when I'm done with my snow angel. I shrug but regret it when a clump of snow slides under the neckline of my jacket and makes me shiver. Hutton holds out his hand again and I take it, letting him pull me up. My sweats are wet and I'm sure its uncomfortable, but the only thing I'm focused on is my hand in Hutton's.

"It's a snow day, cowboy. You gotta make it fun." He pulls me to his chest, thick layers between us and his son screaming from the snow at our feet and yet it feels flirtatious.

"My ex used to be such a grump about snow. Or rain. Or wind. Or dirt. Sometimes even a nice compliment made her mad."

It's my turn to grimace. "Good thing you dumped her."

Hutton tosses his head back and laughs, letting me go. Henry scrambles to his feet and we step back to inspect our work. Hutton declares them the best snow angels he's ever seen and we trudge back inside to get warm and make breakfast. The power's still out, so I grab a flashlight and head for the garage to find some of my camping gear. When I come back in with a small canister of gas and a camp stove, the fire is even bigger and all the blankets have been picked up and folded.

"Rae-Rae! You have a twee!" Henry comes running when he sees me.

I put the load down on the small kitchen counter and turn to look at the Charlie Brown tabletop tree that sits in the corner of the room on top of one of Mom's antique side tables. I have a few old ornaments from my childhood that hang from the scraggly branches.

"I do," I say, picking him up and walking over to the tree to show him my ornaments. I let him touch all of them before explaining about the traditions in Snowhaven. "We have Snowmass each year. One activity per day leading up to Christmas. I don't decorate my house much for the holidays but I do participate in Snowmass."

Hutton comes up behind us, and I'm hyperaware of his every move. "We got to make some gingerbread men yesterday before the wedding."

"You did?" I ask Henry, acting jealous. "If you guys stick around longer, you can paint ornaments, take a sleigh ride through the snow, even meet Santa!"

"I wanna meet Santa!" Henry exclaims, wild excitement in those brown eyes of his. I look over his head at his father, seeing an expression on his face I can't make out. "Can we do Snowmass, Daddy?"

Hutton tips his head side to side. "Our reservation at the lodge is only through tomorrow, buddy."

Henry's eyes fill with tears and my heart damn near does a swan dive into depression. My arms tense, as if I'm afraid the little boy will be pulled from my embrace before I'm ready. "You could stay here."

The words are out before I have a chance to really evaluate the offer. Or to think twice about throwing that out in front of a five-year-old. Hutton's gaze flies to mine, surprisingly not filled with irritation. I wince and mouth "sorry" over Henry's head. Hutton shakes his head like it was fine to throw him under the bus with my offer.

"Pwease, Daddy? Pwease?" Henry begs.

Hutton holds up his hand, stopping any further pleading. "This is something for the adults in the room to discuss. I'm not saying no, but I'm not saying yes, either. Rae and I need to talk about it."

Henry looks back at me, hope and excitement filling his expression. I'm pretty sure it matches what my face is saying too. "Why don't you play on the couch where it's warm while your dad and I make pancakes?"

Henry wraps his precious arms around my neck and leaves a wet kiss on my cheek before kicking his legs to get down. I set him on his feet, already feeling like I'm wrapped around his pinkie finger. When I straighten and he shoots off to the couch, Hutton gives me a wry smile.

"He's got a way about him, doesn't he?"

I smile right back, heart thumping. "Like father, like son."