Whiteout

by L. E. Harner

  Whiteout

  By

  L.E. Harner

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Whiteout

  Copyright© 2010 L.E. Harner

  ISBN: 978-1-60088-579-2

  Cover Artist: Sable Grey

  Editor: Jana Hanson

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  Cobblestone Press, LLC

  www.cobblestone-press.com

  Chapter One

  Christina Thomas adjusted the pretty, pink scarf around her neck and pulled her coat tighter around her. It wasn’t that she was particularly cold, just that she didn’t want to be recognized. She’d never done anything like this before. With a big blizzard in the forecast for the weekend, she’d decided to stock up on all the things a girl might need to keep her warm and comfortable.

  She trudged through the light layer of snow to get to the darkened glass door. Stomping the snow off her boots, she tried not to blush at the signs warning no admittance to anyone under twenty-one. This was her last stop of the morning. Her car was already loaded with food and wine. At home, the wood was cut and stacked by the woodstove, and for the next few hours, the road leading to her remote cabin would be clear.

  Christina wrapped herself in determination and pushed through the door. She started to remove her sunglasses but noticed that most of the other customers in the store wore dark glasses, too. Damn it! Why should I feel so embarrassed?

  Her chin rose, and she slid her glasses on top of her head before she looked around to get her bearings. The shelves were clearly marked, just like any other good merchandiser: Videos, Fantasies, Toys, BDSM. She planned to head straight for the toys, get what she needed, and head home before the storm hit. It had been too long since she’d had a steady guy.

  She selected an assortment of toys and lubricants, all promising the orgasm of her life, and slowly made her way past the other interesting shelves. She stopped next to a display that caught her attention. She stared, letting a fantasy run through her mind.

  A blast of air hit her when the door opened, but Christina resisted the urge to look up. If she didn’t see the other customers, they wouldn’t see her either. She took one last look at the display before heading to the register.

  Out in the lot, Christina froze in her tracks when she recognized the distinctive yellow Hummer parked next to her own four-wheel drive. There was only one vehicle like that in all of Northern Arizona, and she knew who it belonged to: Cade McMartin. Had he been in the store and she’d not noticed him? Her face burned, and she rushed to get into her SUV and drive away before he came out and caught her.

  Cade watched through the store window as Christina hesitated next to his Hummer. He’d been stunned when he’d driven by the adult bookstore outside of town and seen Christina’s late model Tahoe in the parking lot. In a town full of four-wheel drives, his eyes seemed to find Christina’s nearly every day. Maybe because you’re always looking, whispered the little devil on his shoulder.

  Cade shrugged, as if to loosen the grip of his inner demon. Christina hadn’t looked up when he’d entered, and he’d stopped himself from going over to say hello. They’d known each other since the first day of second grade, and he’d been in love with her since. Not that he’d ever done a damn thing about that fact. They’d moved in different circles even then.

  Christina was everything he wasn’t: cool, reserved, and brainy. While he’d gone away to college, she had stayed local and finished her degree in half the time. When he’d returned, he’d discovered that she’d started an interior design company. In her own way, she was as driven to succeed as he was, but success for him meant winning. It was why he’d become an attorney.

  He wandered to the display Christina had been staring at to see what had captured her attention. He couldn’t help grinning. Maybe their circles weren’t so different after all. Although he’d be willing to bet money she didn’t know it. He’d recognized that look on her face. Curiosity mixed with wistfulness, sprinkled with desire.

  Cade made a few purchases, then headed back to his townhouse to make some last-minute adjustments to his schedule.

  * * * * *

  Carter Montgomery heard Cade’s key in the door and debated whether to throw on some pants. It wasn’t as if his roommate hadn’t seen him naked before. They’d been on the same sports teams, roomed together in college, and eventually bought this townhouse together as a convenient way to stop paying rent. He gazed down at his rock-hard erection and decided he didn’t have time to do anything more than set the newspaper over his lap.

  Cade had been his best friend his whole life. Their parents met in Lamaze class, and the boys had always shared more than a birthday and the same initials. They’d taken the same classes, played the same sports, and dated the same girls, occasionally at the same time. They’d even gotten the same degrees and now shared the same law offices.

  They were both so clearly hetero, they only occasionally faced speculation that their relationship might be more than it seemed. It never had been. Now Carter was starting to question that assumption. Two months ago, he’d awakened in the middle of an orgasm to end all wet dreams. In his dream, he’d been on his knees giving Cade a fucking blow job while he worked his own cock!

  Ever since then, he’d had a difficult time controlling his thoughts where his best friend was concerned. And goddamn if Cade didn’t appear to know something was up. The more Carter tried to distance himself, the more it seemed Cade worked to keep their friendship close.

  There had to be something missing in his life if he was starting to have fantasies about his best friend. It was time they both found women of their own and got on with raising their families, just like their parents. They’d become too comfortable in their bachelor pad, living without boundaries for too long. That’s all it was, Carter told himself. He just needed to set down roots. Maybe it was time to look for a place of his own.

  “Hey, Carter, what’s shakin’?” Cade asked as he strode past on the way to his bedroom. “Come in here a sec, would you? I want to run something by you.”

  “I thought you were going to try to get a few hours of work in before the storm hits,” Carter said, mentally rolling his eyes. An invitation to Cade’s bedroom. Just what he needed with a raging hard-on. Not.

  “Nah, something came up. Seriously, come in here,” Cade said.

  Carter grabbed a robe from the bathroom door on his way to the bedroom and then lay on Cade’s bed to watch as he gathered some clothes in an overnight bag. “Where the hell are you going? I thought the storm was keeping everyone home.”

  “Yeah, well, something came up on the way to the office. Do you remember Christina Thomas?”

  Carter grinned. “You mean the same Christina Thomas you’ve been secretly lusting after since second grade? I think you jacked off over her more than any other girl in high school.”

  Cade smiled back. “Yeah, that Christina. I saw her this morning and I got to thinking—”

  “Cade, you see her everywhere. You’re always telling me about her, where you saw her, what she was doing. How come you never asked her out?”

  “Shit, she’d never give me the time of day.”

  “Still. Not like you to let someone go without trying,” Carter said.

  Cade sat down on the bed, close to Carter’s head. Carter’s heart beat uncomfortably fast. Shit, he thought, Cade’s going to realize something’s wrong.

&nbs
p; Carter bounced up and sat cross-legged, keeping his robe closed over his growing erection. Shaking off his own concerns, he tried to figure out what Cade was thinking about. “Did you talk to her?” he asked.

  “She wasn’t exactly someplace she would have wanted me to notice her. Have you ever thought you knew someone and then bam, something happens and you can never look at that person the same way again?”

  “Oh, yes,” Carter said, and he was filled with the images from his dream.

  “So, what if I want to chase a fantasy and I find out the illusion is more like me than I thought?” Cade asked.

  Carter laughed. “Buddy, that is the most convoluted question I’ve ever heard from you. Just tell me what’s on your mind. You know I’m there for you.”

  Carter’s statement was casual, and he fought to keep his breathing even, to keep his gaze steady as he looked into Cade’s blue eyes. He tried to keep his face neutral, tried to show he was interested in Cade’s worries and not caught up in his own. He could hardly breathe for all the desire washing through him sitting here on Cade’s bed, dressed only in a robe, his aching dick straining for release. Shit. Cade would have to be stupid not to feel the sexual tension pouring from Carter. Cade wasn’t stupid.

  There was a long pause while Cade stared at Carter. Then Cade’s eyes widened slightly.

  “Well, fuck,” Cade said.

  “Fuck,” Carter agreed, looking away at last.

  Cade began to laugh. A rich, rolling sound that shook the bed and forced a smile to Carter’s lips and tightened things low in his stomach. Well, at least Cade isn’t pissed, he thought.

  Far from being angry, Cade seemed to be bursting with excitement. “Carter, go grab some spare clothes. We’re taking a little trip. I’ll tell you about it on the way.”

  Chapter Two

  The roads had still been clear when Christina arrived at her cabin, but the sky had that special flavor of ominous it got in the mountains just before it snowed. The three bedroom cabin was immaculately furnished, a showcase of Christina’s designer skills. The floors were a rich golden oak, the colors warm and inviting, and soft cushions and buttery leather were everywhere. It would remain warm and comfortable despite the incoming storm.

  The local news predicted twelve inches of fresh snow before midnight with more on the way tomorrow. This was supposed to be the biggest storm in decades, and she could count on another lonely weekend. At least I have my new toys.

  Once her SUV was unloaded and everything put away, she stoked up the woodstove and stripped on the way to the shower. She looked at herself in the antique full-length mirror in her room and wondered for the umpteenth time what was wrong with her.

  Overall, she thought she was an attractive woman. She had short, curly brown hair that was so dark, it looked black in dim lighting. Her eyes were big, dark pools of brown. Her complexion was golden, tanning easily in the summer and never completely pale in the winter. Her figure wasn’t bad. Maybe a little round at the breasts and hips, but she was a woman, damn it, not a stick figure.

  So why can’t I find a guy who likes me the way I am?

  Her last boyfriend actually stopped in the middle of licking her pussy when she’d suggested they try adding a little whipped cream. He’d only gone down on her in the first place because she’d insisted turnabout was fair play. He’d sent her an email the next day saying he thought it would be best if they took a break from each other for a little while. An email. Really?

  Why did guys make her feel abnormal when she wanted to be bold in bed? Although, she supposed it was better to find out sooner rather than later. If they only knew the way her real fantasies played out, they’d never give her the time of day.

  She cupped her full breasts and pinched each nipple hard before she began to twist and pull. She felt the muscles between her legs clench in response. She wanted sex to be a little rough around the edges. She wanted her man to be a little dominant and a whole lot adventurous. Too bad for her that most of the men she met through her design business were either gay or married. That didn’t leave much out there on her dating horizon.

  She’d thought about trying one of those online dating services, but that seemed way too scary. Christ, she couldn’t even work up the nerve to ask Cade or Carter out, and she’d known both of them since she was seven. She indulged in a little fantasy about what might have happened if she’d waited by Cade’s Hummer until he came out from the porn shop. Her hand dropped between her legs, and she moaned at how wet the thought made her.

  She rubbed the wetness over her clit, giving herself a little tease. She imagined Cade pushing her back against his door and pressing his erection hard along her belly. She pulled her fingers away from her swollen pussy. She didn’t want to spoil herself too much before she got to her new toy.

  * * * * *

  “We’re doing what?” Carter asked as Cade navigated over the already slippery roads.

  “Yep, we’re going to spend the weekend at Christina’s. I figure there’s no reason for a beautiful woman like her to spend it alone, playing with a fucking toy, when she could have two studs, such as yours and truly here fulfilling her fantasies.”

  “Okay, let me get this straight. You saw Christina’s Tahoe at the porn shop, so you went inside and basically stayed out of sight so you could see what interested her. Now we’re going to invite ourselves to her cabin to fulfill her fantasies?” Carter asked, using his best lawyer voice.

  “Fuck,” Cade said. “When you put it that way, you make me sound like a stalker. You know how I‘ve always felt about her. You like her, too. I know you do. I know her expressions, I know what I saw. She’s lonely, she’s a little sad, and she’s hungry for a little adventure.” Cade paused, and then said, “I know you, too, Carter. Want to tell me about it?”

  Carter blew out a breath and looked out at the snow swirling around the Hummer. The storm was here. There would be no turning back once they got to Christina’s cabin. There would be no turning back if he told Cade what he’d begun to feel.

  “Tell me,” Cade urged. “We’ve been friends a long time. We’ll face whatever is happening together.”

  “Not this,” he said.

  A smile tugged at Cade’s lips. “What, you getting a little horny around me?” he asked, a note of teasing in his voice. Carter stared out the window. Cade put his hand on top of Carter’s and gave a hard squeeze. He didn’t move it when he was done.

  “You’re not the only one with fantasies, you know. When we were dating Sheila in college, I used to dream about us both taking her at the same time. It isn’t something I wanted to do with any other guy, just something I wanted to do with you. I’ve thought about it before, what it would be like, what it would feel like.

  “Shit, Carter, I’ve seen you naked more than I’ve seen any woman. We’ve lived together since we graduated from high school. It’s only natural to look at another person you spend that much time with and wonder what it would be like. Maybe this is the weekend we put all the fantasies out there and see what happens.”

  He pulled the Hummer into Christina’s drive and gave Carter’s hand another squeeze. “You ready for this?” Cade asked.

  Carter slowly turned and met his gaze. Then he reached and pulled Cade’s face to him and pressed their lips together. They held their lips tightly pursed, a hard little peck on the mouth, before pulling away again. Cade laughed, leaned forward, and tried the kiss again, his mouth open and smiling. Carter’s tongue slipped inside, and the kiss exploded.

  * * * * *

  Christina was just about to get serious with her vibrator when she heard the Hummer pull up. She peeked out from behind the curtain, shocked to see Cade and Carter sitting in her driveway, the snow swirling around them. She’d watched as Cade said something to Carter, and Carter slowly turned to face Cade. Then Carter had planted a quick kiss on his friend, and they’d both jumped back as if burned. Then they slowly leaned toward each other and tried again. From the looks of things, it was g
etting steamy hot in the Hummer. She wondered if what she’d just seen was their first kiss. It was sexy as hell!

  Holy shit! Cade and Carter were making out in her driveway. They’d both flirted with her a little over the years, and she’d harbored a secret crush on the two of them. They’d been the standard against which she’d measured all other men. Now they were here, but not like anything she could have imagined.

  Ever since high school, Christina had watched the two friends, never able to decide which one was her favorite. They were both all male, comfortable in any situation, smart, friendly, and sexy as hell. Now they were downstairs in her driveway shoving their tongues down each other’s throats.

  Had she been wrong? Had they been gay and she hadn’t sensed it?

  No, she was sure she hadn’t been wrong. They’d each had plenty of girlfriends. Christina had heard the stories; she even knew some of the women they’d dated. There had never been a whisper about failure to perform. In fact, all the women she knew that had been with either of them praised them, both in bed and out. They might have been love ‘em and leave ‘em types, but they treated the women well while they’d been around.

  Okay, so if they weren’t a couple, what was this about?

  A slow flush of embarrassment crept up her neck. Cade had been there in the store when she’d bought her little toys. He probably saw what she’d been looking at and had gotten ideas.

  Twice as Nice the top of the display had read. The picture was of a woman on her hands and knees with a man at both ends. Her face was pressed against one man’s groin, while another man was preparing to enter her from behind. From the range of displayed merchandise, he’d had the smaller hole in mind. The table held a collection of anal plugs and dildos, lubricants, paddles, light bondage toys, and of course condoms.

  She hadn’t really thought about a threesome before. The assortment of toys and the way they were displayed had captured her imagination. Obviously Cade had wandered over there after she left and gotten a very different idea.