Snowed In & Set Up

by Whitley Cox

  Had the man blinked yet? Amber wasn’t sure.

  “I’m not sure I can even bring myself to use it,” he said.

  Will snorted. Hunter chuckled, and Austin made a noise Amber couldn’t quite discern; was it a scoff? A hiccup?

  “No, you should probably use it,” Juney said with a laugh. “And I tossed in a bottle of my family’s finest as well. A 2007 merlot, so don’t drop that bottle. It’s worth almost as much as the knife.”

  Rowan’s gaze zipped to Juney’s face. Amber’s own core clenched, and her nipples tightened again against her tank top. The way Rowan was staring at Juney was enough to make anyone feel the heat and longing. So feral, so lustful. Was anyone else seeing this? The man was ready to take the little novelist right then and there on the couch. His eyes flashed pure need, while his nostrils flared and his pupils dilated.

  “I can’t believe you managed to get your hands on this knife,” he said softly, gently running his finger along the side of the blade, having removed it from its velvet casing. “My gift isn’t going to be nearly as amazing. At least not now. And not with you as the recipient.”

  Juney’s lip twisted. “I’m sure it’s going to be a great gift.” She opened the bag and lifted out a hardcover copy of a book. “Endless Souls: Book 1, Ravens Will Cry. By J.J. Davidson. Oh, I hear she’s good.” Her body shook lightly with merriment as she opened up the front cover. “And it’s signed. Wow, a limited edition. This wasn’t cheap.”

  Rowan’s lips wiggled sheepishly. “I have two copies. I bought two, just . . . because, and then I didn’t get my ass in gear to buy a secret Santa gift, so I tossed this in last minute and stopped and grabbed a bottle of wine.”

  Juney put her hand back in the bag and lifted out a bottle of pinot noir. “Mmmm, Unbridled Passion Vineyards. I love their wine. This is wonderful, thank you.”

  Rowan looked down at his lap. “I’m sorry, Juney. It’s nothing compared to your gift.”

  She shook her head and placed her hand on his, giving it a gentle squeeze. “No, it’s fine. It’s better than fine. I love my own books, and I love this wine. Thank you. Besides, you didn’t know you’d be spending Christmas with the author, or that she would be opening your gift.” She chuckled softly. “The universe has a funny sense of humor sometimes.”

  More like the magic and wonder of Christmas. But Amber didn’t say that out loud. Instead, she lightly shook her beautiful snow globe and watched all the flurries flutter around.

  “Isn’t it crazy that we ended up with one another’s gifts, and that we all love what we received, and we all gave the same kind of booze? Wine, scotch and tequila.” Juney turned the bottle of wine over and read the label. “I mean, it’s nuts.”

  “I think it’s kind of funny that all six of us bought alcohol,” Will said with a laugh.

  “Anyway,” Rowan said, stretching his arms above his head and groaning lightly, “I better get in that kitchen. That turkey isn’t going to stuff itself.” And then as if a light flicked on inside his brain, he paused and perked up. “Would you guys object to having only turkey breast for dinner with baked stuffing? I have an idea for the dark meat. I noticed a meat grinder in the cupboard and was thinking about making turkey burgers for our last night here.”

  Heads shook and shoulders shrugged.

  “Not at all,” Hunter said with a yawn. “That sounds good.” She stood up from her nest of blankets on the floor and picked up her gift bag. “I’m going to go and have a shower. Then I’ll come out and help with breakfast.”

  Juney wandered into the kitchen behind Rowan, her hand lightly grazing his back as he peeled his new knife out of its casing and gently ran it under the faucet. “I’ll get going on breakfast. Everyone good with fruit salad, soft boiled eggs, and toast? Something light before a big meal.”

  Now heads were nodding.

  “I have to go shovel the driveway,” Austin muttered, getting up from where he sat. He’d been quieter than normal since they’d all opened their gifts. Amber wanted to reach out to him, but she wasn’t sure how responsive he would be.

  Amber began cleaning up the mess of wrapping paper and gifts, grabbing a plastic bag from under the sink and collecting everything that could be burned later in the fireplace.

  “I’m going to call my mom,” Will said blandly, getting up from his spot on the couch. “It’s already Christmas afternoon in Trinidad, so she’s probably at my granny’s getting the goat ready for dinner.” With a wink and a smile at Amber, he took off to the bedroom.

  “Has that guy lifted a finger since he arrived?” Rowan asked, the blade in his hand gliding through a raw carrot as if it were no more than a warm stick of butter.

  “Not unless it’s topping up his drink,” Juney said with a chuckle. “He’s taking this whole vacation thing seriously.”

  Amber’s cheeks caught fire. It was true. She’d been noticing it here and there, but hadn’t really given it much thought. But Rowan was right, Will was totally freeloading. Everyone else did something around the cabin to carry their weight. Rowan and Juney always jumped into the kitchen, she and Hunter were usually on cleanup, sweeping and tidying and doing dishes, and Austin had designated himself the keeper of the fire and official driveway shoveler. He was out there multiple times a day, keeping the walkway ploughed and the driveway clear. But what was Will doing to pitch in? Besides that first night, where he’d grabbed everyone a drink, the man hadn’t done a thing to help out. He was sitting back and letting everyone else do the work, while he reaped all the benefits.

  Hmm. Was this something she could bring up with him? Were they close enough yet? She folded the wrapping paper from her gift to Will and continued to think. Maybe she could ask him to help her do the dishes? Shoo Austin and Hunter out of the kitchen to go avoid eye contact with each other in the living room while she and Will scrubbed pots together. Yeah. She nodded and smiled to herself. That sounded like a great plan.

  Chapter Ten

  Hunter cringed as she, Austin, Will and Amber trudged their way into the garage from the side door. And the award for the most awkward afternoon goes to: Austin and Hunter! They were all damp, with rosy cheeks, runny noses and snow on their lashes, having been accosted by a brief storm and dump of the white stuff on their way back from snowshoeing. It’d been Amber’s idea. She said she was feeling restless and fat. Eating food all day long, drinking booze all night but not exercising nearly as much as she was used to. The woman apparently went to kickboxing five nights a week. Hunter had giggled at the image of the tiny redheaded sprite be-bopping around swinging punches and trying to kick guys twice her size in the head. Tiny person, big personality.

  After digging around in the garage for nearly half an hour, Amber and Hunter had uncovered four sets of snowshoes, which all seemed to be in working order. Juney and Rowan were elbow-deep in preparing dinner and had declined to venture out into the wilderness with “tennis rackets” on their feet, which meant unless Austin and Hunter wanted to sit around the cabin all afternoon watching the two lovebirds cuddle and giggle in the kitchen, flaunting their lust, they needed to get out.

  Only it’d been like a goddamn double-edged sword. Because Will and Amber were equally disgustingly affectionate, holding hands, laughing, pushing each other playfully. It was enough to make Hunter sick . . . with envy.

  “All right, you two little lost lambs,” Will said with a chuckle as they had made their way through the snow. The trail was eerily quiet. Nothing but the sounds of their feet in the snow and their breath making warm fog in the air. The clouds hung low and gray too, threatening more snow. “We’re going to go, uh, walk ahead over here for a bit. Check out this part of the trail. You two . . . ” He grunted. “You two stay put.”

  Hunter rolled her eyes as Will grabbed Amber’s hand and pulled her down a side trail. They disappeared around a bend. The heavy snow-laden branches of the evergreen trees quickly hid their bright ski jackets.

  “They’re not going to . . . ?” Austin asked f
rom behind her.

  Hunter spun around to face him. “Yes, I believe they are.”

  “B-but . . . ”

  “I hope his dick gets frostbite,” she said heatedly.

  “If they’re having sex, that’s unlikely. The friction alone should generate enough heat to ward off any frostbite. And then there’s the fact that he would be inside Amber, and the human body, even when outside in the cold, is ninety-eight point six degrees, give or take.”

  Hunter’s mouth hung open.

  Austin noted the look on her face, and his eyes quickly fell to his feet. “You were kidding.”

  “Yes.”

  He kicked at a clump of snow. “I wonder if Juney and Rowan are engaged in the exact same thing. Though hopefully not on the counter where they’re making our dinner. I know it’s not a restaurant, but that’s a huge health-code violation.”

  “Do you think about what comes out of your mouth before you say it?” she asked. There wasn’t exactly accusation in her tone, but Hunter was finding herself a little irritated with Austin. He was so awkward around her, and yet she hadn’t given him any reason to be.

  He swallowed. “Sometimes.”

  “Hmm.”

  “But not all the time.”

  “Hmm.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  She shook her head and let out a defeated sigh. She needed this guy to see her as normal. See her as the girl next door, not some untouchable millionaire bombshell. She rested her gloved hand on his arm. “Don’t be. It’s who you are. And I happen to think who you are is charming. A little dorky, but charming. Honesty can be refreshing.”

  Austin’s gaze flew back up to hers. Even through all the layers, Hunter knew her nipples were tight, and the heat that generated low in her belly made her chest break out into a sudden sweat. Without even trying, the man could give her the most scorching looks. Stripping and penetrating.

  “So . . . ” He cleared his throat. “Like Juney’s real name is Juniper, but she goes by Juney, do you have a nickname? Do people call you Hunny?”

  She exhaled a laugh through her nose. “Nope. You’re the first.”

  “Oh.”

  Tired and not wanting to stand any longer, Hunter plopped herself down into the snow. It sucked that things with Austin were so uncomfortable. That first day when they were all sitting around the kitchen and living room getting to know one another had been the best. He’d clammed up later that evening when they were alone, then there was that awkward bit in the hallway after Sam had left. And he rarely smiled, at least not at Hunter. But when he did, he took her breath away.

  Austin sat down in the snow across from her, and the silence between them grew to a deafening shriek. Should she say something to him? Ask him more questions about his life, his work? Ask him about his family?

  “So, um, any siblings?”

  He nodded. “A sister. She’s twelve years younger.”

  And . . . ? Come on, dude, give me something. Add to the conversation.

  “And are you close?”

  He shook his head. “No. Age gap is too big. I left home when she was four.”

  “Oh.”

  Nothing.

  “Which car company are you working for? You mentioned earlier you and Reginald Carruthers were working on a project for a big car company. Or is it top secret?”

  “It’s top secret.”

  Warm breath wafted out and up into the ether as she let out a big huff through her nose. The guy was killing her.

  Come on, dude, talk to me.

  “But if you’re good at rhyming . . . ”

  Hunter sat up straight. If her butt wasn’t slowly starting to freeze, she might say she was on pins and needles. She loved puzzles and poems, riddles and mysteries.

  His lip turned up at the corner into a naughty little smirk. Like a high school girl or devoted church parishioner getting ready to dish the dirty deets. “It might . . . I’m not saying it does, but it might rhyme with Howdy.”

  Her mouth twitched and then finally the smile broke free. “Howdy, hey?”

  He nodded, his green-gold eyes glowing even though the rest of his face remained stoic and innocent. “But I’m not saying that it is for sure. Only that it might be. It could also rhyme with Ward, or Moyota, or Wee Nem Bubble Screw.”

  Hunter burst out laughing. “Wee Nem Bubble Screw?”

  “Yeah, you’ve heard of it?”

  “Perhaps. Is that who your project is for?”

  Austin’s smile made the butterflies in her belly wake up. “Maybe. Or it might be Howdy.”

  “Hmm. Well, I drive a Howdy. I traded in my Wee Nem Bubble Screw earlier this year, loved it.”

  “I’ve always wanted an M5.”

  “Oh, does Wee Nem Bubble Screw label their cars the same way as BMW?” she teased.

  Another big smile.

  Why couldn’t he be this charismatic and fun all the time? They were chatting, laughing, teasing. Was it all in Hunter’s head that they had chemistry? Was she deluding herself?

  Suddenly, Austin’s smile faded, replaced with immediate panic, and he lunged at her. “Look out!” He leaped across the trail in the snow and tackled Hunter to the ground, falling on top of her. Less than a second later the whizz and rumble of a snowmobile going Mach-1 filled her ears as she fought to breathe beneath the big hunk of a man on top of her. The frigid rush of air from the speed of the vehicle brushed across her face, and a rampant chill coursed through her body. She’d nearly been hit. Austin had saved her.

  “Y-you okay?” he asked, pushing himself up on his hands and gazing down at her.

  She took a couple of huge breaths; he’d knocked the wind right out of her, and now she was struggling to get enough air in again. His eyes squinted, and then horror streaked across his face.

  “Hunter! Are you okay?”

  All she could do was nod and blink.

  Using his gloved hand, he gently wiped snow from her face, his own face still in full-on panic mode. She gazed up at him, allowing him to take care of her, and despite the circumstances, his weight on top of her felt good. Really good.

  When he finished clearing off the flurries, his eyes fell back on hers. “You’re all right?”

  She nodded again and blinked a few times. “I think so. Thank you.”

  “All right, you two,” Will’s voice behind them boomed. “Well, that’s a start. Though it’d be nice if you were only partially dressed.”

  Austin helped Hunter sit up. She was still panting, and her heart was threatening to pump itself clear out of her body. Will stalked toward them on the side trail. He pushed a big branch out of his way and held it up so Amber could duck under. Color infused her cheekbones, and her hazel eyes were bright.

  “And here I’d hoped we’d come back and find you two tangled up half-naked in a snow bank. Melting the flurries with your fiery passion. We can give you more time if you need it,” Will teased.

  Hunter shot him a look that said, “fucking drop it.” “I was almost run over by a snowmobile,” she said. “Austin pushed me out of the way in the nick of time.”

  Amber’s mouth dropped open. “Holy crap. You okay?”

  She nodded. “Yeah, a little rattled, but otherwise, I’m okay.”

  Flurries fluttered down around them. The flakes were huge and thick. Will looked up into the sky, the white flakes stark against his dark skin. “I think we should head back. It’s getting dark, and if it starts to cover our tracks, we could be in trouble.”

  Everyone nodded, and Hunter pushed herself to her feet and fell in line behind Amber. She turned around to face Austin. “Thank you. I could have been a frozen pancake.”

  He smiled, his lip lopsided and kind of sad. Then he quickly averted his gaze and looked down at the back of Hunter’s boots. “You’re welcome.”

  The butterflies in Hunter’s belly, the ones that had been laughing and dancing when they’d been joking earlier about car companies, suddenly all dropped into a frozen heap, their wings co
vered in frost while their little jaws chattered and trembled as they kept asking, “Why?”

  “Well, that was fun!” Amber said with a contented sigh as she shrugged out of her ski jacket and hung it up over the heater Will turned on once they all got back to the cabin. “I didn’t think I’d like snowshoeing, but . . . ” Will flashed her a big grin. “I think it might be one of my new favorite sports.”

  Will growled, then reached over and cupped her face. “Mine too, Little Red.”

  “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Hunter grumbled, ditching her boots, snow pants and finally her coat, hanging them up on the rack. She stomped toward the garage door and opened it, her good mood from earlier having flown the coop. She’d been having a great time with Austin. They’d laughed and chatted. Granted, the conversation had been rather one-sided, with her asking most of the questions, but at least he’d answered them. It was a step in the right direction. Then she’d nearly died, and he’d saved her. Another plus (well, kind of). And then all of a sudden, as soon as Amber and Will returned from their frozen backwoods tryst, Austin had zipped his lip and hadn’t said a peep to her since.

  Merry fucking Christmas.

  Amber was tight on her heels as Hunter exited the garage, followed by Will.

  Shaking her head and muttering the word “wine” under her breath, Hunter headed toward the kitchen, only to stop short at the sight before her.

  “Oh, shit! Fuck! Oh, sorry!”

  Rowan’s bare ass and one of Juney’s nipples were visible between his teeth as he pushed her up against the fridge, hammering hard and fast. Juney’s eyes were closed and her head thrown back as she bit her lip and pulled on the ends of Rowan’s blond hair.

  Amber bumped into Hunter’s back. “What? Oh!”

  “What?” Will asked. “Damn.”

  “What is it?” Austin asked.

  “Nothing for you to see, little man,” Will said, turning around and ushering Austin down the hallway toward the bedrooms.

  But the lovers’ trance was broken.

  “Oh crap!” Juney’s voice, hoarse and sexy and full of remorse—and pleasure—chased them all down the hallway. “Sorry, guys.”