"It go okay today?" My Dad's voice was gruff behind me.

"Yeah. Got a date out of the deal and got done early. I'd say it was a good day." I clocked out and pulled the checks and receipts from my back pocket. "Here's this stuff."

He gave me a look as he took it from me. "Why can't you use the damn bank bag I gave you? You're a mess, boy. You gotta grow up."

"Really? I like the thought of never growing up. Like Peter Pan and shit."

My Dad rolled his eyes and turned, walking back into his office without another word.

"Right," I mumbled. "Love you too Dad. Great talk? Yeah, great talk."

I jogged down the long hall and walked into the men's locker room, stripping my sweaty clothes from my body and jumping in the shower for a quick scrub. I dressed as fast as possible, almost losing my footing and slamming into the lockers with my ass hanging out of my jeans. That would have been enough to have the other guys tease me for the rest of the year and all of the following one.

Checking myself in the mirror, I nodded. "Good enough."

My jeans, t-shirt and leather bomber would work for the date I had planned, and if things went off without a hitch, I'd be out of them before too much longer. Katie seemed like a girl who wanted to eat fast and then move onto the main course: me.

* * * *

"Dinner was good, hm?" I took Katie's hand as we left the restaurant, ready to get the rest of the night started and leave. The girl had bitched through the entire meal, unsatisfied with everything they brought out, and making the poor girl waiting on us miserable.

"It was okay." She shrugged and snuggled in closer to me. "You want to go back to my place or yours?"

"Yours if that's okay." I smiled down at her.

"Yeah. I'd love to show you off anyway." She giggled and I kept my comments to myself. It was girls like her that left me wanting to write women off fully. I wasn't a piece of meat to swing around like some fucked up accomplishment, though my Dad would tell me that I set myself up perfectly to be just that.

What man turns away sex? One with more class than me.

"Are we sharing me tonight?" I opened her door and she jerked back as if I'd slapped her.

It was almost comical. Almost.

"No." She moved to get in the truck and stopped. "Are you hoping that's going to happen? Because it's not. If I'm not enough woman for you, then just drop me off and we can end the date now."

Her mood turned from friendly and energetic into cold and unyielding.

"I'm a one woman, man, baby. Besides, I was just teasing you, silly girl." I popped her ass and helped her into the truck.

"Oh. I'm sorry." She fussed with her hair and turned her attention to the small mirror hanging above her head. "Silly me."

I closed the door and walked languidly in the snow back to my side of the truck. Some part of me wanted to keep walking, to find a park bench and just rest, but it was the same part of me that hoped for love. Seemed like no one in our town really fell in love. Plenty of people came to visit with loved ones, but finding love in a transient town? Not likely.

I got in the truck and turned the music up only to have her change the station. I started to tell her not to touch my shit, but decided it wasn't worth the fight. It was five minutes back to her place and the song wasn't too bad.

We pulled up and she got out of the car without waiting on me. Her energy seemed to have spiked again.

I got out and walked to the door with her practically bouncing on her toes. "I want you so bad."

"Oh yeah?" I glanced down at her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she fumbled with her keys and opened the door.

"Fuck yes. You're like every girl's wet dream." She turned and pulled me into the house before kissing me hard.

The sound of giggles caused me to untangle myself from her. "Let me grab a glass of water and I'll meet you in your room. Which one?"

"Third one on the left." She turned her attention to the two girls in the kitchen, who were sharing a bottle of wine. "Look what I found shoveling snow in the yard. Can I keep him?"

They laughed and I smiled as if their taunting didn't bother me. I stopped by the sink and picked up a glass from the rack as I glanced at the other two.

"Ladies."

"Sexy snow shoveler." The blond one smiled and popped my butt before running down the hall toward her friend.

"Hey, I don't know you, but you look too much like my older brother not to say something."

I filled the glass with water and turned to the third girl. "What's that?"

"Katie has herpes, so make sure you have a condom. She doesn't tell guys and that shit gets on my nerves. There's no cure for the disease." She shrugged and turned from me. "Don't tell her I told you. Just consider it a warning. Most guys don't care."

I sat the glass down and pursed my lips. Herpes? Fuck.

"Yeah, I'm out. Tell her my grandmother called while I was standing here. Thanks for the head's up." I jogged to the door as the girl called after me.

I didn't stop until I made it to the truck, which of course wouldn't start. I hit my hands on the steering wheel and closed my eyes for a moment, trying to think through what to do. Calling my Dad seemed the easiest and most efficient way to get out of the shit storm that was headed my way if Katie came out of the front door. I hated lying and yet it was part of the deal. A true whore knew how to lie and do it well.

The house was only a half a mile from where I lived, but it was insanely cold. The sound of a door slamming caused me to duck. I peeked over the edge of the window to see Katie and one of her friends walking toward me. They were yelling at each other.

I tugged the keys from the car and moved along the floorboard to the other side. I opened the door and slipped out, barely shutting the door and being thankful for the lack of light thanks to the moon hiding somewhere.

I jogged down into the woods beside me and didn't stop until my legs gave out just before reaching my house. Pressing my back to a large pine tree, I looked up at the starless sky, wondering what the fuck I was doing.

There was so little I loved about my life and yet I was the only one able to change it.

"That's it. No more whoring around until after Christmas. 25 days. No sex unless I find the girl I want in my life and not just my bed."

I pressed my hands to my face and let out a long breath. I'd been with four to five different girls a week. Not sleeping with someone for twenty-five days was a little harsh, but something had to give. I couldn't keep living the way I was. I needed a change. Something to shake up my world and set me on the right course.

I needed a good woman. The right woman.

"Easier to find the abominable snowman out here," I grumbled and jogged across the street toward the house.

Chapter 5

One Week Later

Chloe

There were several things over the last week that I'd learned while staying in Aspen. Firstly, my father seemed to be a complete manwhore that had a new date every night of the week. I was surprised more by his nonchalant attitude about it when I brought it up on a morning a week later at the breakfast table.

"So you're dating."

He glanced up from the paper and sat his coffee down. "I am. Why?"

"I don't know. Just seems weird." I shrugged.

"Am I supposed to be alone forever?" His eyebrow lifted sharply. He was a handsome man, his salt and pepper hair leaving him looking distinguished and important. He was built like a basketball player, strong and tall with taunt muscles and a healthy complexion.