by Terry Towers
“Fine.”
This was a losing battle and if she wanted to go out who was I to stop her? It’s not like I was her parent. I really didn’t need to spend more time in the cold, but at the same time I did feel that Tyler did have a valid point.
“Good. It’ll be good for all of us.”
I’d been the one to initiate the entire thing last night and a part of me did feel a little guilty. If it made her feel uncomfortable to be around us then it was on me. The cabin came into view and I gave a sigh of relief. The day was almost over and a nice long nap after going out with Genevieve would be divine. Rolling up in front of the cabin, I put the truck into park and shut off the engine.
Getting out of the truck, I made my way to the front door, pulling out my key as I walked. Before inserting the key, I tested the door and the handle turned in my hand. My jaw clenched as I attempted to control my anger. She’d been told to keep the door locked.
Opening the door, I called out to Genevieve. No reply came to my calls, sending a surge of fear through me. What if they’d come while we were gone?
“Genevieve!” Not bothering to remove my boots, I rushed into the house, drawing my weapon from the holster at my hip with Tyler in tow. Generally we didn’t carry weapons on our person, though we always had rifles on hand in case they were needed—in these parts you never knew when you could come across a wild animal intent on making you its dinner.
I hesitated before opening Tyler’s bedroom door, checking to see Tyler’s whereabouts—he was about to enter my bedroom. With a nod, we opened the doors at the same time and stepped into the rooms.
~*~ TT ~*~
Genevieve
“Genevieve!”
I heard my name being called through the fog. There seemed to be an urgency in the way my name was being called. I moaned softly as my eyes slowly fluttered open.
What in the hell was going on?
“Thank God! Why didn’t you answer me!”
Yawning, I rolled over to my back and without any sense of urgency sat up. “What are you talking about?”
“The door was unlocked. And you didn’t answer when I called,” Brock exclaimed, sheathing the pistol he had in his hands. He looked angry, his massive size intimidating, but I’d be damned if I’d let him intimidate me.
“I went outside to check things out. Then had a nap, I didn’t get much sleep last night—as you are fully aware.” Frowning, I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and blinked, my vision much clearer than it had been. “Why are you freaking out?”
“It was an irresponsible thing to do. You don’t seem to be grasping how dangerous this potential situation can be.”
It was my turn to be angry. Leaning over to the nightstand, I pulled open the drawer and motioned to the gun. “The gun is right there. I’ve said a dozen times before, I can handle myself.”
“Jesus, Genevieve, I came into the cabin, yelled your name and was in the bedroom before you even opened your eyes. If I’d been one of the fugitives then you’d be dead by now!”
“If they wanted in here then a locked door wouldn’t have stopped them!” I fired back, sliding from the bed and standing, planting my hands on my hips and glaring at him. Though in the back of my mind I could see where the problem was, I should have been more mindful of ensuring the door was locked. But he’d woken me and come at me hot, if he’d come at me with a reasonable tone then perhaps I’d have been more apologetic.
“That’s not the fucking point, Genevieve!”
“Whoa—hold on!” Tyler came into the room with his hands out at his sides. “Everyone just slow down and take a deep breath.”
“She’s not being smart.”
My mouth dropped opened. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” Brock growled. “You’re not being smart right now. You’re too interested in being stubborn and proving that you don’t have to listen to anyone than to listen to reason.” With a huff, he stormed from the room leaving me alone with Tyler.
Tyler sighed and raked a hand through his hair. “Okay. I think what we need to do is calm things down a bit here.”
Waving my hand in the direction of the door, I responded, “Brock is the one that started it!” As the words left my mouth, I cringed. It sounded very childish. They were trying to protect me and I’ll admit to not being the most co-operative. But at the same time, there was no reason for him to have come at me hot like he had.
“Genevieve…”
My jaw clench as I stared into his blue eyes. He was tired. No doubt they both were. They’d spent most of the day in the cold ensuring everyone was safe. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m not the one that needs an apology. After last night I’d have hoped we’d have been able to get over the childish bickering.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks as flashes of last night came into my mind. Lacing my hands behind my neck I groaned and let my head fall back, giving in to the delicious feel of the stretch. “You’re right.” With a nod, I walked past Tyler and out into the main cabin, finding Brock in the kitchen making a sandwich.
Walking up to him I stopped a few feet away from him; his back was turned to me. “Brock…” I noticed his entire body stiffen as I said his name. “Can we talk for a minute?”
With his back still to me, he nodded. “Okay. We can talk,” he said turning, the ham and cheese sandwich in his hand. The sight of the sandwich momentarily made me forget the task at hand and I was struck by a hunger pain. I hadn’t eaten much at breakfast and it was now well past supper time at this point. But first things first.
“I’ll just say it. I’m sorry that I didn’t lock the door.”
He remained silent for a moment, his green eyes boring straight into me. “The issue isn’t just the locked door, it’s the fact you’re very foolhardy with your safety. And you’re too stubborn to realize it.”
I inhaled sharply. Perhaps I was more combative then I needed to be, but this wasn’t the time to start psychoanalyzing myself. “I recognize the issue and I’ll be sure to be more cautious. I am sorry.”
We stared at each other for another moment and I felt the tension between us begin to change to something raw and primitive as a rush of desire flow through me.
He finished the sandwich in a few bites and nodded. “Apology accepted. I shouldn’t have snapped. I’m tired and I was concerned. I don’t want anything to happen to you that could have been avoided.”
“Thank you.” An awkwardness began to settle between us. I didn’t know if I should go back to my room or close the distance between us and kiss him with the passion that was brewing inside of me.
Coming up behind me, Tyler casually slung an arm over my shoulders. “Hey, now that we’ve got that settled how about we go for a walk? We have some snowshoes. We can build up a good appetite and have a big supper to end off the day.”
Looking up at Tyler, I grinned. Despite being hungry, getting out for a walk, albeit a cold one, would do me good. “I’d really like that.” I looked over at Brock. “You’re coming too.” It was more of a statement then a question.
“Yeah. It’s safer if we all go.”
Mr. Worrywart. I refrained from groaning and rolling my eyes. I had to remind myself that he was the way he was because he cared…. Or at least cared as much as a person could who just met me a few days ago.
Chapter 10
Genevieve
It took some time getting used to walking in snowshoes, but I was finally getting the hang of it. The ground was a blanket of virgin snow and all trees and shrubbery were snow-capped. The snowfall had let up enough that you could see quite a way ahead of you, but by the looks of the sky it was going to come down on us with a vengeance sometime soon. There was a freshness in the air that you could only get from being in the middle of the woods on the mountains. It was the complete opposite of what I was used to back in New York and I’d admit that I could see myself living here a little more permanently. Maybe it was time for a life change?
“You’re doing p
retty good there, rookie,” Brock joked giving me a wink. The earlier tension between us was completely gone now and the vibe had become more free-spirited. That being said, there was a certain sexiness about seeing the guys walking with me armed with both side-arms and rifles, checking for tracks.
Grinning, I shrugged. “Thank you. Getting the hang of it, I think. The clothing is a little cumbersome though.”
“You’re doing great.” He nodded and grinned. “Despite your clothing.”
“Your clothing,” I corrected, looking down at myself. I was wearing a combination of both men’s clothes. They didn’t pack my winter jacket, hat or gloves so I had loaners. Luckily, they did pack my boots because I could only assume their size twelves wouldn’t stay on my feet.
“You look cute.”
If my cheeks weren’t already rosy from the cold, I was sure the compliment would have turned them crimson. “Thank you.” I gave him a blatant up-and-down look. “You’re not looking so bad yourself.”
Tyler who was walking slightly ahead of us suddenly stopped and put his hand out with one finger pointed up. I’d seen enough war movies to know that meant to be quiet and not move. A sense of fear gripped me. What was going on? Did he see the fugitives? Ohmygod!
Looking up at Brock, I mouthed “What?”
He didn’t seem to be as concerned as I was feeling, and nodded ahead of us and slightly to the right. It only took a moment to see what Tyler had been wanting me to see, but as soon as I did, a smile spread across my face. A deer with her fawn was standing deathly still, their ears perked up and their dark eyes staring at us.
“They’re so cute.” The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them and the deer sprang into action running away in a full sprint. My smile quickly faded and a frown took its place. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. You saw them, they wouldn’t have stayed much longer anyhow,” Tyler said. “Let’s keep going, we’re going to need to turn back soon.”
“I suppose.” The guys’ clothing was meant for sub-zero temperatures so most of me felt pretty good; it was just my feet that were feeling rather chilly. I had to say, I was disappointed our little excursion would end so soon.
“We can come back again. It’s not smart to be out after dark anyhow.” Brock backed his partner up.
On our way back I saw a few rabbits and a curious wolf. None of which were all that interested in associating with us. My heart fell a little when the cabin came into view, though to curl up beside the fire with supper and perhaps some hot cocoa seemed like a great way to end the day.
Maybe being kidnapped by the guys wasn’t such a bad thing after all. My creative juices were flowing. I was getting to explore with knowledgeable guides. And last but not least, I had to acknowledge that most women would die for an opportunity to be with two sexy-as-sin men like them.
Brock slung his rifle over his shoulder before reaching into his pocket and producing the key to the cabin. A few moments later we were entering the cabin and the shelter it provided from the elements. The fire was almost dead at this point, but the cabin was still warm. Considering how bundled up I was, the cabin was too hot.
Within a minute I was stripped down to a t-shirt, wet jeans and socks. “I’ve got to change out of these wet clothes.”
Tyler who was in the process of hanging up his jacket looked over his shoulder at me and grinned. Why did my heart have to do a little pitter-patter when either of the two men smiled at me?
“Would you like some help with that? Wet jeans can sometimes be tricky to get off,” Tyler offered.
For a moment I considered his offer. Last night had been amazing and I certainly wouldn’t be averse to having another go with them. But it wasn’t as though their flirting constituted them offering. Not to mention that breakfast this morning had been slightly awkward for me, what with not knowing where I stood or what they thought of me. Was I just a fuck toy for them to play with to pass the time? I didn’t like that idea, so I pushed it to the far back of my mind.
With a teasing smirk of my own, I replied, “I think I can probably manage on my own.”
“If you change your mind, I’ll just be getting more comfortable myself.”
“Guess that leaves me to cook supper, huh?” Brock cut in, kicking off his boots and entering the kitchen.
“Thanks partner, I’ll get us tomorrow night.” Tyler called out before closing the door to his bedroom, which also doubled as my bedroom.
Chucking, Brock began getting the fire in the wood stove going and fussing in the kitchen preparing for supper.
Looking at Tyler’s closed door, I made a brazen decision and crossed the room, opening the bedroom door without hesitation, entering and closing it behind me. Tyler froze, his back to me, no doubt surprised that I was bold enough to enter as he changed.
“You said if I wanted help to just ask,” I attempted to be as flippant as possible despite my heart thudding in my chest. If he was upset at the intrusion I’d be hurt and it would get severely uncomfortable.
Oh, stop it, the voice in the back of my mind scolded. You had his dick in your mouth less then twenty-four hours ago!
The voice was right, as soon as his eyes locked onto mine and he turned to face me, a wicked grin spread across his lips. “Glad you decided to join me.”
I matched his smile with one of my own. “We are sharing a room and I do need to get changed as well.”
“You have a point.”
Taking a few steps toward him, I noticed a black and gray tattoo of a little boy on his arm that I hadn’t noticed before. Curious, I closed the distance between us to get a better look at the portrait of the child. “Who is that on your arm?”
The smile on his face faded and I could see a look of sadness and yearning on his eyes. Shit. Immediately I regretted the question but couldn’t take it back now so waited silently for his response.
“It’s my son.”
“Oh!” My eyes widened. I was genuinely surprised, I never pictured either of them being dads.
“He passed away a number of years ago, along with my wife.”
“Oh no.” My heart felt like it was beating in the pit of my stomach. “I’m so sorry.” My first instinct was to put my arms around him and give him a hug. My second was to ask him how it happened. I did neither of those things.
“No need to be. Death is a part of life.” Hooking his thumbs into the waistband of his jeans he pulled them down and they dropped to the floor, puddling at his feet.
“Yes, I suppose you’re right. It’s still unfortunate.”
Tyler nodded and pointed to his chest, where his heart would be. “But they’re still with me and always will be. But life goes on.”
“It does.”
The sad look evaporated from his eyes and he closed the distance between us. “So, since you came here seeking assistance, allow me to be of service.”
“What?” I was momentarily stunned, forgetting about our previous flirtation. His arms circling my waist and his lips lowered onto mine very much reminding me of what he meant. His lips were cool, but soft as they brushed against mine.
I inhaled against his lips, our breaths intermingling. Placing my palms against his chest, I ran them up the length of his thick, defined abs. There was such beauty in him; not just his body but—as I was learning—his soul as well.
Tyler nipped at my lower lip, pulling it into his mouth before releasing it. Grinning, I teased him back. As our lips and tongues played and teased, his hands lowered down my back and to my ass. Gripping my ass in his hands, he gave it a gentle squeeze and pulled me up and against his hardening dick.
“You are wet,” he muttered against my lips though I wasn’t sure if he meant my clothing or between my legs, because both would have been accurate.
“Guess you have an effect on me,” I whispered before deepening the kiss, not waiting for a reply to feel the rush of our tongues frolicking.
One of his hands circled to the front of my jeans and undid
the button and fly. Once undone, he tugged them down. They fell to the floor. I pressed myself tight to his groin; the feel of his dick against me with only two thin pieces of fabric separating us amplified my desire for him.
“Mmm, I want you,” I whispered, my lips leaving his and working their way down the side of his neck.
With a smile on his lips and hunger in his eyes, he straightened, grabbing the bottom of my t-shirt and pulling it up. Lifting my arms, I smiled up at him as the shirt was pulled up and over my head and was thrown onto the floor at our feet. My bra came next, revealing my breasts, with my nipples that were already tight—whether it had been from the cold or my desire for him I was unsure.
Tyler’s hands slipped around my waist against, pulling me tight against him, my breasts crushing against his bare chest. “What do you want, baby?”
The question surprised me and made me unsure of how to respond as I stared up into his eyes.
Chuckling, Tyler backed me up until the back of my legs were hitting the side of the bed. “I mean, what would you like, sweetheart?” Damn I loved the way sweetheart slipped off his tongue, as smooth as silk, as if that word were reserved for only me.
“I…I’m not—”
He gave me a gentle push and I squealed as I tumbled backward onto the bed, my lower legs still dangling over the edge. Bracing my elbows behind me, I looked up at him towering over me and watched wordlessly as he spread my legs, stepped between them and lowered himself to me.
“What I mean, is where do you want my lips?” He placed a kiss on the side of my neck. I was helpless, my eyes closing and my head falling back as a jolt of electric pleasure raced down my spine to cause a pulsing between my legs. I couldn’t seem to find the words to respond, his lips felt too damn good brushing and teasing my flesh.
His lips moved lower, along my collarbone and to the center of my chest. Tyler’s head dipped a little lower, his tongue tracing a line from the center of my chest to my left nipple. As his tongue circled one nipple his hand palmed the other breast, his fingertips teasing and pinching the hardened nub.
