Fire & Ice: A Ménage Fantasy

by Chance Carter

  Autumn was still unconscious in the bed and as he looked at her, he felt an emotion that could only be described as love burn in his chest. She was so beautiful, so peaceful and pure, sleeping in his bed like she didn’t have a care in the world.

  He’d wrapped her in the blankets but now he knew he had to take her clothes off. They were wet and cold and she wouldn’t regain her body heat in them.

  “Autumn,” he said softly, trying to wake her, but he couldn’t.

  He pulled back the blankets and examined her clothing. It wasn’t soaking wet but it was damp. The room was warm and she’d regained some of her heat in the bed, but he had to get her into the bathtub to really bring her back to life.

  “Please God forgive me for this,” he said as he began taking off Autumn’s boots and coat.

  She lay unconscious on the bed as he undressed her, one item at a time. He tried not to look too much as he pulled off her coat, then her dress, then her undergarments. He grew aroused at the sight of her nakedness, the whiteness of her breasts, the softness of her flesh, the pink lips of her bare pussy.

  He lifted her into his arms and carried her into the bathroom.

  She began to stir and come to life in his arms.

  “What’s going on,” she mumbled.

  “You were out in the snow,” he said to her softly.

  “Where am I?”

  “I’m going to put you in the bath. You need to warm up.”

  “Grady?” she said, confused.

  “Yes,” he whispered.

  He lowered her slowly into the hot water, his strong arms easily able to bear her weight. She gasped as her body dipped into it.

  “Is it too hot?” he said.

  She shook her head and he lowered her all the way in. Then he stood up and looked at her.

  “How do you feel? You’re not going to faint are you?”

  “I think I’m going to be okay.”

  “I’ll go get more hot water,” he said. “It’s on the fire. I’ll be right back.”

  He took a deep breath as he left the bathroom. He’d never been so aroused in his life. He felt guilty for feeling that way while she was going through something so traumatic, she’d almost died out there, but he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t lie to himself, and more importantly, his body wouldn’t lie.

  His cock was hard in his pants, firm and throbbing, and as he got the hot water he felt silly for having a boner while Autumn struggled for her life.

  “Here,” he said, pouring the hot water into the bath by her feet.

  She made no move to hide herself, to protect her modesty, and he knew it was only because she was so confused and traumatized by what she’d been through. He’d explain it all to her in time. For now, he was just glad that she was in the bath and the color was returning to her cheeks.

  “How is it?” he said.

  “I feel numb,” she said weakly.

  “The feeling will come back quickly now. It might hurt. You were out in the freezing wind overnight. You’re lucky to be alive.”

  “Thanks to you,” she said.

  “Well, you’re obviously a strong person. Not everyone would have pulled through like this.”

  “I’m lucky you found me.”

  He nodded and went to get her some towels. He still had some he’d bought in town and hadn’t used yet. They weren’t stained with mud and dirt like the one’s he’d been taking out to the stream.

  He brought them back to her and forced himself to look only at her face. It wasn’t hard because her face was so pretty, but it took all his will not to steal a glance at her perfect little breasts, white and soft, or her long legs that led to the v of her pussy. Even through the bathwater he could see everything.

  “Take your time,” he said. “Stay in the water until your body feels normal. Then we’ll wrap you in towels and sit you by the fire. I’ll start making some hot coffee, and something to eat. I’ll bet you’re famished.”

  She smiled up at him and nodded.

  “Grady,” she said.

  He stopped and looked down at her, hoping the bulge in his pants wasn’t too obvious.

  “Thank you for finding me.”

  CHAPTER 21

  AUTUMN

  Autumn felt dizzy as she lay in the bathtub.

  What happened?

  What was she doing there?

  How had Grady found her?

  On the one hand, she was mortified. Not only had she nearly killed herself running through the wintery forest in the middle of the night, but even more importantly, Grady had stripped her and carried her, naked, to the bath. She’d been naked in his arms! He’d seen every inch of her!

  No man had ever seen her before.

  She was almost more overwhelmed by the thought of being in Grady’s strong, muscular arms, naked as the day she was born, than the fact that she’d almost been killed by wolves in the middle of a dark forest.

  And mixed in with all that overwhelming emotion was an undercurrent of excitement. She’d been rescued, and not just by anyone, by the one person she hadn’t been able to get out of her mind since leaving home. The one man she’d ever felt sexual attraction to. She’d been rescued by Grady.

  She shuddered as the memories of the night before flooded back to her. The darkness, the cold, the pain in her ankle.

  And worst of all, the howling of the wolves.

  She’d been lying there in the hot water for almost an hour. Every few minutes, there would be a light knock on the door and Grady would come in with another pot of hot water. As she gradually came more and more to her senses, she grew shyer and shyer. At first, she’d been so out of it that she’d just been grateful Grady was there, taking care of her, and that the water was heating her body.

  Now that she felt more herself, she was embarrassed by her nakedness.

  “No more water,” she called out to him when he knocked again.

  “You sure? You feeling yourself again?”

  “Yes,” she called out, embarrassed to be even talking to him through the door.

  “Okay, well there are towels in there. Take your time. I’ll try to find something for you to wear.”

  “Thank you,” she said.

  She felt surprisingly relaxed as she lay there. The room was made of beautiful, rich wood and as far as she could see, the only thing separating it from a luxury cabin or resort in the mountains was the fact that it didn’t have hot water. There was electricity, she was pretty sure, because there was an electric bulb in a fine brass fixture above her. It wasn’t turned on, the sun was pouring in through the window, but she felt confident it would work if she flicked the switch.

  She stood up and was immediately reminded of the pain in her ankle. She put a little weight on it but it was still tender. She grabbed a rich, soft, white towel and wrapped it around her waist. The cabin might be rustic but Grady’s taste wasn’t. She climbed out of the bathtub and saw for the first time how ornate it was. She’d seen tubs like that in catalogues and knew they weren’t cheap. It had an authentic, antique feel to it, and went well with the rest of the fixtures in the room. She hopped over to the sink and looked in the little cupboard behind the mirror. Grady’s toiletries, his razors, shaving cream, soap and scented lotions, were all from the same expensive department store her gifts had been ordered from.

  She smiled to herself. She could have guessed he’d enjoy the little luxuries like that, even if he’d decided to renounce civilization and make his home in a remote cabin.

  “You okay in there?”

  “I’m good, Grady. I’m coming out now.”

  She opened the door and stepped out to the main room of the cabin. She took it all in with a single glance. The huge fire roaring in the hearth, the fine quality wood, the rich rug and comfortable furniture, the iron cooking things above the fire.

  “Here,” Grady said, handing her his man-sized housecoat. It was as rich and expensive as the towel and she pulled it around herself tightly.

  “This i
s beautiful,” she said, motioning to the cabin.

  “Sit,” Grady said, pulling a leather chair closer to the fire. “I’ve got some coffee ready and there’ll be venison stew in a little while.”

  Autumn smiled and sat on the comfortable chair. She was snug and cozy and would have happily sat there for hours.

  “You feeling okay?” he said.

  “Yeah, much better, thanks to you.”

  “I noticed you limp.”

  “I twisted my ankle when I was escaping the hotel.”

  “They tried to keep you there.”

  “They locked me in a room when they realized I wanted to leave.”

  “What pushed you over the edge?” Grady said.

  “Well, I called home and found out they hadn’t been sending my paychecks to my mother like they promised. I confronted them about it and they got mad. Locked me up.”

  “God,” Grady said, furious. “I should go over there and give them a piece of my mind. If the man wasn’t so old I’d kick his ass.”

  Autumn laughed. “That’s okay, Grady. Just as long as you don’t send me back there, I’ll be satisfied.”

  “I’d never send you back,” he said.

  He got up from his seat next to hers and bent down in front of her. Shyly, she shut her legs and tried to hide more of herself under the housecoat.

  “Don’t be afraid. I just want to look at your ankle.”

  Timidly, she let her leg peek out and he took it gently in his and examined it.

  “It’s not broken,” he said. “Just a sprain. It will get better in a few days if you stay off it.”

  He caressed the ankle in his hand and she felt a thrill rush through her. Then he let go and went to the fire. He poured them each a cup of strong, black coffee and handed her one. Then he went to the bedroom and returned with a thick, patchwork blanket that seemed to compliment perfectly the forest and cabin.

  “Thank you,” she said, sipping the coffee.

  It was stronger than she was used to but she liked it. It reminded her of dark chocolate.

  “You just rest up, Autumn. We’ll get you back on your feet in no time and then I’ll help you get wherever you want to go. No one’s going to take you back to the Hildegards.”

  She smiled and nodded. She wouldn’t have minded staying right there with him and Destiny. She looked behind her at the baby. She was lying asleep in a handmade crib close to the window, basking in sunlight like a cat.

  “That’s beautiful,” she said, motioning to the crib. “Did you make it?”

  Grady nodded.

  “I’ve been fixing up this place, trying to make it more comfortable. I mean, I’m a guy, but ladies like a few more comforts than a cabin usually offers.”

  “Ladies?” Autumn said, before realizing how nosy that sounded.

  “You know. Destiny. I don’t want her bugging me to move into town as soon as she’s old enough to realize the difference.”

  Autumn nodded, relieved that the baby still seemed to be the only lady in Grady’s life.

  “She’ll love it here, Grady. It’s really beautiful.”

  “It still needs a bit of work, but we’ll get there.”

  Autumn sipped her coffee and suddenly all the emotion of what had happened in the past twelve hours started to catch up to her. Being safe and warm, having a chance to breathe and collect her thoughts, was too much. She took a deep breath and felt like she was going to burst into tears. She tried to hold them back but couldn’t.

  “Autumn,” Grady said, “everything’s going to be okay.”

  She laughed at herself, feeling silly, and wiped her face.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay. You’re allowed to cry.”

  “Really?”

  He laughed, and she burst into a mixture of laughter and sobs.

  “This is all so nice,” she said. “You’ve done so much for me.”

  “I’d do a lot more,” he said, and then stopped himself from saying more.

  She felt a rush of emotion, wondering what he meant by that, but she had too much on her mind to let thoughts of romance or adventure get very far.

  She cried again and Grady went to the bedroom and came back with a box of tissues.

  “You’re so kind,” she said, before blowing her nose in the napkin, mortified that her nose was running and that she was sobbing in front of him.

  “We’ll sort everything out, Autumn. It’s all going to be okay.”

  She nodded, but she couldn’t fool herself so easily. Her mother was in a desperate situation and she knew it. She wanted to stop crying and enjoy her coffee with Grady, but she couldn’t ignore reality.

  “How can we sort it out?” she said to him.

  He smiled, as if he’d been hoping she’d ask him that.

  “Just tell me what’s the matter,” he said.

  “What’s the matter? The real question is what isn’t the matter.”

  “Start at the beginning, Autumn. Trust me. It’s amazing how much better you feel when you talk through your worries with someone else.”

  She felt silly, immature, turning to him for help, but she also felt such a strong need, a need for help, and she couldn’t resist it. She knew enough about the world to know everyone felt overwhelmed at times. Everyone needed a friend to lean on. Everyone needed help. She helped people whenever she could, and she owed it to herself to allow Grady to help her through her issues now.

  “I’m worried about my mother,” she said hesitantly. “The Hildegards never sent her my pay, and now she probably thinks I forgot all about her. She’s been kicked out of the good hospital she was in and now she’s in a free clinic. They can’t give her the help she needs at the clinic though.”

  “The Hildegards never sent the checks? Even though they knew it was for your mother’s medical bills?”

  Autumn nodded and began crying again. “And the worst part is, my aunt thought I was holding back the money on purpose.”

  “Your mother won’t think that, Autumn.”

  She shook her head. “What if she does?”

  “Do you love your mother?”

  “Yes,” she conceded.

  “And does your mother know that?”

  “I think she does.”

  “Believe me, Autumn, she knows it. How could she not? You’re such a good, warm, intelligent, kindhearted girl.”

  Autumn laughed in embarrassment.

  “Come on, we’ll take care of this right away.”

  “Take care of it? How?”

  Grady took his phone from his pocket and checked for signal. “I rigged up an antenna,” he said. “My cell works. Do you want to talk to your mother?”

  “More than anything,” Autumn gasped.

  “Here,” Grady said, handing her the phone. “Call her and tell her you sorted everything out. You thought she was getting the money and now you’ve fixed it.”

  “Fixed it? I haven’t fixed a thing.”

  “Yes you have, Autumn. Tell her she has to get right back to the hospital. Tell her the hospital is waiting for her.”

  “The hospital kicked her out.”

  “They’ll take her back,” Grady said.

  Autumn didn’t know how that was possible, but Grady spoke with such confidence that she was already starting to believe what he said.

  She called her mother and between the tears, had the most passionate, heartfelt talk with her she’d ever had.

  “I’m so sorry, mom. I thought they were sending the money.”

  “I know, sweetheart. I didn’t doubt you for one second, despite what your aunt said. I knew you’d never forget about me.”

  “I wouldn’t, mom.”

  “I love you every second of every day, Autumn. Never forget that.”

  “Mom, listen to me. You have to go back to the hospital.”

  “They won’t take me, sweetie.”

  “They will now, mom. Just tell your doctors you’re going back. They’ll be waiting at the hospit
al for you by the time you get there.”

  She said goodbye to her mother and Grady took the phone.

  “What’s the name of the hospital?” he said to Autumn.

  “Western General,” she said, then she listened in amazement as Grady called the hospital, got transferred to the billing department, cleared all her mother’s bills and got his credit card placed on her file.

  He hung up and smiled at Autumn. He was so handsome, and the combination of his looks and the confidence with which he’d just taken care of the medical bills made Autumn feel weak with longing. She’d never known what it was like to have a man around. She’d never known her own father. The way Grady took care of things was exactly how she’d always thought a man should be. Strong and capable and competent.

  “Thank you,” she said quietly.

  Grady nodded. “Now, from what they told me, it sounds like your mother’s condition is pretty serious.”

  “It is,” Autumn said. “My aunt said she probably didn’t have much longer to live.”

  “I know what it’s like to watch someone you love get sick,” he said.

  Autumn nodded, unsure what to say to that.

  “So, you don’t have to say yes, I don’t know what caused you to leave home in the first place, but if you want to see your mother, I’ll drive you.”

  “What?”

  “Right now, you, me and Destiny. We won’t get there today, but if we make good time we could sleep in a motel somewhere around halfway and we’ll be there tomorrow.”

  Autumn burst into tears.

  “Are you kidding me?” she said, unable to believe her ears.

  “I’m not kidding,” Grady said. “If anything happens to her, you’ll remember this for the rest of your life.”

  Autumn looked at him. There was something about the way he was talking to her that told her he was talking from experience. He’d lost someone, and she was fairly certain that if he could have one last chance to speak to that person, he’d take it. That’s how he knew how important this was to her.

  “It’s such a long way, Grady.”

  “I like driving,” he said. “I’ll take it that means you want to go.”

  Autumn couldn’t believe what was happening. Ever since stepping on the train a few weeks earlier, she’d had some notion in her mind that it was forever. She’d thought she’d never be going home. She’d thought she was leaving for good. The distance of the train ride and the remoteness of the new town all served to strengthen that feeling. And then when she’d arrived at the Raven’s Nest, when she’d seen the way the Hildegards put her in a room in the attic and forced her to call them Master and Mistress, when she couldn’t get cellphone reception and had no money, something about it told her she’d never be going home. And in a way she’d had good reason to think that. The Hildegards had tried to lock her up. They’d had a strange notion they could turn her into a mixture of a slave and their dead daughter.