by Amanda Rose
“It’ll just be a couple of quiet days hanging out and eating,” Max says with a shrug. The strange thing is, although he is acting like it’s not a big deal, I can tell he really wants me to say yes. There’s almost a look of desperation about him. Bryce and Hudson are the same, they seem way to tense for this to be a casual request.
“Tell that to all the girls hankering after you three. I’m pretty sure most of the females in the resort would love to join you and would happily take my place,” I say, trying to make light of what is fast becoming a very tense situation.
“Like Hud said, we don’t want anyone else,” Bryce says, his hazel eyes darkening so that they are almost the same colour as Max’s.
“We thought it would be fun,” Max chimes in, his voice slower, more sensual than usual.
Thank God there is a kitchen island between me and the brothers because right now I feel as though they were all about a second away from doing something stupid. My heart is beginning to thump erratically in my chest as my mouth opens and closes like some dumb-arse goldfish. I am saved from responding at all when my phone rings loudly. I snatch it up from the counter. It’s mum.
Flipping open the phone, I walk from the room listening to my mother’s tirade whilst the brothers Freed watch me walk away from them yet again.
CHAPTER NINE
Later that evening I sit at the table with the brothers, swallow down the rising sickness I feel and try to act like nothing’s the matter.
“You not hungry, Louisa?” Hudson asks, pointing to my half-eaten lasagne.
I plop my fork on the plate, giving up on trying to eat. “Nope, I’m not feeling that great. I don’t have an appetite tonight.”
“Do you think you’re coming down with something?” Bryce asks, a look of concern on his handsome face.
“Nope, just a cold or something. I feel a bit bunged up, shivery. I’ll be fine with some paracetamol and an early night,” I say, ending the conversation. They eat the rest of their meal and talk about their day on the slopes, every now and then giving me surreptitious looks. I pretend not to notice. As soon as they are all finished, Hudson gets up and starts clearing up the table.
“Hey, you don’t need to do that,” I say, placing my hand on his arm. His eyes flick up and I snatch my hand away, the skin of my palms burning from the contact.
“We want to,” Bryce says, looking between me and Hudson. “It’s about time we took care of you.” He’s doing that sexy thing with his voice again and it's distracting me. I look at Max helplessly, but he too has a strange look on his face like he’s about to do something silly.
“Erm, thanks. I’m just going to sit on the sofa, watch a movie then. Have fun this evening.”
“You shouldn’t be alone if you’re unwell. One of us will keep you company,” Hudson says from his spot in the kitchen.
“Don’t worry about it, honestly. I’ll probably just turn in early,” I say, getting up. I go and sit on the sofa and start flicking through the choice of movies that are available to watch.
It doesn’t take the three of them long to tidy up and after a few minutes they are making their way up to their rooms. I can hear the low murmur of their chat, but I can’t make out what they are saying. I imagine it will have to do with which one of them is willing to stay behind, not that I want any of them to do that. The fact that they are willing to spend their own precious holiday time staying in with me when they could be out having fun makes me feel so much worse.
A wave of nausea hits me as I recall the five-hundred pounds I stole this morning. Trust me to have a mother who gets herself in trouble with a loan-shark then uses her daughter as a cash cow. The hate I have for her right now is toxic, making the nauseous feeling worse. I’ve never stolen before, but mum had sounded so scared, desperate even, that I couldn’t think of anything else to do. I wasn’t due my first wage packet until the end of the month, and no matter how much I hated my mum for putting me in such a predicament I couldn’t allow anything to happen to her. So, I did what I promised myself I’d never do, I withdrew the money from the cash machine in the resort using the credit card I’d been given to buy supplies. Then I deposited the cash into my bank account and transferred it directly into mum’s account. It had been that easy.
Now, as I sit on the sofa absentmindedly flicking through the cable channels, I hate myself even more than I already did, and a very real pain blooms inside my chest.
“Here, take this,” Max says, bringing me out of my worrisome thoughts. I push them aside as he strolls towards me. He’s wearing a pair of slacks and a loose jumper. In his hand is a hot-water bottle. I guess he has drawn the short straw to stay behind with me.
“Thanks,” I say softly, surprised by his consideration.
He settles himself next to me. “I’ve decided to stay in tonight, keep you company,” he says, making himself comfortable. His blonde hair is rough dried, and he smells of the vanilla shampoo that has become so familiar now. I find myself having the sudden urge to lean in and sniff his hair. Stop it. Don’t even go there.
“Good, you’ve got the hot water bottle. That should help with the chills.” I turn my head and Hudson is staring at me, a strange look in his eyes.
“Where are you going tonight?” I ask, noticing the casual attire he is wearing.
“I’m not going out.” He looks at me, his eyes trailing over my face.
I smile brightly, trying to hide my growing nerves but almost jump out of my skin as Hudson sits beside me. Stealing that money has sure made me a nervous wreck. I really hope the brothers don’t notice and start questioning me about it.
“You don’t have to Hudson, Max has already said he’s staying in. I’m sure Sacha would be glad to see you?”
Hudson frowns. “Sacha and I are history,” he says firmly.
“Why?”
“I like someone else,” he says, shrugging.
“Oh,” I say, not sure why that makes me feel worse.
“Actually, we’re all staying in,” Bryce says, as he strolls into the room. He too has showered and changed into something more comfortable than ski-wear. He has a pair of soft slacks on and a fine-knit, grey jumper.
“You okay with that?” He chooses to sit on the floor rather than the sofa, and I can feel the warmth of his arm as it presses against my leg.
“Sure, okay,” I murmur, not certain that I am okay, actually, given the strange mix of nausea and butterflies I am feeling.
“What are we watching then?” Max asks, gently prising the control from my hands.
“You choose,” I say, feeling decidedly antsy in close proximity to all three brothers. Granted I’d been alone with each of them separately these last couple weeks, but the air seemed charged differently tonight and I am not sure what to make of it. Probably a mixture of guilt from stealing that money and the strange looks the guys keep giving me.
Bryce presses a button on another control, which dims the lights and closes the curtains automatically, whilst Max picks a movie. I don’t pay much attention to his choice, acutely aware that both Hudson and Max have somehow moved in closer to me. Bryce is resting his hand on the floor so close to my foot that I can feel the warmth of his finger as it brushes against my skin. That touch alone has my heart hammering in my chest. So loud, I am certain they can hear it.
About halfway through the thriller we are watching, a scene comes on where the main character is seducing a woman. The sex is graphic and I find my heart rate increase, not because of what I am watching necessarily, but because the atmosphere in the room has changed from charged to electric. I breathe in sharply when I feel Bryce’s warm hand curling around my ankle. That sudden intake of breath seems to ignite something within the room.
“Damn it, Louisa,” Hudson groans into my ear at the same time as Max presses a kiss against the side of my face. Stunned, I clutch onto the hot water bottle pressing it into my belly.
“What are you doing,” I whisper. It is a stupid question, it is pretty damn
obvious what they are doing but I need them to answer me.
“You must know what we feel about you,” Hudson says, pressing his soft lips just behind my ear. A thousand traitorous tingles rush down my spine and pool in my belly at his words and his touch.
“I don’t know what you mean…” My words are lost in the warmth of Hudson’s mouth as he gently turns my face to him and pulls me in for a kiss. His kiss is slow and gentle, and sweet, and nothing like I expected. As Hudson’s kiss deepens, as his tongue explores my mouth, I am acutely aware that Bryce has shifted position and is now kneeling between my parted legs, his hands massaging my calves. They are firm and strong as they knead my flesh. Hudson pulls his mouth away and presses his forehead against my own, breathing heavily. He pulls back and as I turn away from him, he gently pushes aside my hair and kisses my neck again, sucking slightly on the skin there. My eyes flutter closed until I feel Bryce’s hands rest on my knees. When I open them, I find myself staring into Bryce’s hazel eyes. As he moves towards me, the dim golden glow of the table-lamp casts a soft warmth across his features making him impossibly handsome. Something catches in my throat as his gaze flicks from my eyes to my mouth. In a sudden rush of decisiveness, he has his hands tangled in my hair and his tongue shamelessly probing my mouth. The feel of his coarse beard against my skin only seems to heighten the kiss. I let go of the hot-water bottle and wrap my hands around his back.
Just at the point I find that I am losing myself entirely to the kiss, Bryce pulls away.
“I’ve wanted to taste that damn smart mouth of yours ever since you first talked back. For someone full of ice, your kiss is like fire, Louisa.” He smiles at me then, letting out a small laugh to show me he means no harm by his words.
My hands fall away as he leans back down and begins massaging my legs again. I can’t help but notice the bulge in his slacks and a small voice of warning pulls at my consciousness. A voice that is telling me that this is what these men do that I am no different from any other girl that has melted under their touch. But I am distracted again by the featherlight touch of Max’s fingers as they trail over the side of my breast. I turn to face him, can see the desire in his eyes as he slants his mouth over mine. He pulls at my bottom lip with his teeth, the tips of his finger now grazing over my hardened nipple. Somewhere in the back of my head, a quiet voice gets louder. I am making out with three men, three men who had promised not to make a pass at me. Three men who I am beginning to grow fond off and who were now ruining our blossoming friendship with their need to fuck.
“I can’t…” I say into his mouth, the little voice in my head stronger now. “Stop!” I push away at Max and his eyes startle open in surprise. I stare at Bryce, anger mixing with an overwhelming sadness that boils inside my chest. “Stop,” I say again. He immediately drops his hands away. He too looks at me with a mixture of horror and confusion.
“Louisa, we didn’t mean…” Hudson starts, but I turn on him. Holding my hand upright. Ignoring the pain in his green eyes.
“Don’t say another fucking word,” I shout. I don’t know why I am so angry, I had been enjoying it, I had wanted them to touch me and, yet, I am angry at them for going back on their word, for treating me like all the rest.
They’re using you. They’ve planned this all along. You’re no different from all the other women they’ve fucked. You’re nothing but a piece of meat to them. They just want you for sex, for what they can get out of you. Just like those countless number of men who have used your mum.
I stand up tears pricking at my eyes. “You promised you wouldn’t. I am not like all the rest… I am not like my mother,” I whisper.
“Louisa, it isn’t like…” Hudson starts. But I can’t look at him, I can’t look at any of them. Instead, I run from the room angry tears pouring down my face.
CHAPTER TEN
The next morning, I wake up groggy and irritable but mostly sad. I spent most of the night going over and over what had happened, and I alternate from being extremely pissed off, to acutely turned on, to incredibly, desperately sad. Most women my age would have jumped at the chance for such an encounter with the Freed brothers. A night of carnal pleasure. God, I had no doubt that it would have been pleasurable. It’s just I didn’t want to be used like that. I wouldn’t be used and discarded like my mother had been countless times. Besides, they had promised not to touch me, to respect my wishes, and they had broken that promise just like mum had done time and time again when she’d assured me she would stop drinking.
There’s a sharp knock at the door. “Louisa, I need to speak with you.”
It’s Hudson, his voice sounds pinched, guarded, but I don’t care. He has no right to sound pissed off, none at all. I get up and pull the door open, wrapping my arms around my chest.
“Can I come in?”
“If I said no, you would do it anyway, so what’s the point.”
Hudson swipes a hand through his hair, narrowing his eyes at me. Today they look more blue than green, like a tempestuous sea. There are dark circles under his eyes too and I feel a sense of satisfaction knowing he hasn’t slept well either.
“Well, what is it?” I snap. Defence is the best form of offense. I’d learnt that particular trick many years ago.
“I see the Ice-Queen is back on form again.” His voice is stiff, cold.
“Whatever.”
“I’ve just had a call from the resort manager Bastian. He asked us how you were getting on. We ended up having quite an interesting conversation, actually.”
“Oh?” I say, shifting uncomfortably on my bed.
“Yes, Bastian explained that there has been an unusual withdrawal of cash from the card that has been given to you to buy supplies. He wanted to know whether we authorised it, given we are funding the credit.”
“The money on the card belongs to you?” I ask, my palms clammy. Shawna had said that the company credited the cards, not the individual holidaymakers. Oh God.
“Yes, that money does indeed belong to me and my brothers. Louisa, Bastian may be the resort manager but my brothers and I own it.”
“Own what?” I say, feeling confused. What did he mean?
“Brothers Freed own the resort. We don’t like being stolen from.”
“You own the resort?” My eyes widen as my hands begin to tremble. It doesn’t go unnoticed.
“Yes. What I want to know is why have you stolen from us?” Hudson settles next to me on the bed watching me carefully, but he doesn’t try to fill the gaping silence that has descended.
I drop my head in my hands. “I’m sorry,” I say.
“So you did take the money then? Why, Louisa?”
“To give to my mother. She’s in trouble with a loan-shark. She needed the money. I didn’t have any other choice,” I whisper. I feel completely and utterly defeated. Hudson has every right to have me sacked, or worse have me arrested for theft.
“We can come to an arrangement,” he says, laying a gentle hand on my knee.
My head snaps up, and through the haze of my tears, I can see Hudson staring at me. “What kind of arrangement?” I say carefully.
“You come to the cabin with us today for Christmas and we forget about the money you stole.”
“What?!” I say, pulling my leg out from under his hand, cool air replacing the warmth of his touch. I stand, backing away from him. “You want me to come to the cabin today on Christmas Eve like some hooker, so you and your brothers can have your way with me over five-hundred pounds? Is that all you think I am worth?” Five-hundred measly pounds? I am pretty sure my mother got more than that for her ‘favours’ as she liked to call them.
“No, that is not what I or my brothers think you are worth. This isn’t coming out the way I had planned…” Hudson stalks towards me, and I find myself caught up between him and the wall. “What I meant was, we are willing to ignore the theft if you are willing to spend Christmas with us in the cabin. We have no expectations of you, apart from your company and friendship
. I promise you, Louisa, that is all we want.”
I remember last night and laugh almost hysterically. “That wasn’t the impression I got last night.”
“Last night got out of hand. It won’t happen again,” he says, taking another step closer to me. He’s got that look on his face, the one that makes me think he is going to devour me any moment now.
“Where have I heard that before?” I laugh. Even now, even when he is trying to convince me that neither he nor his brothers would touch me again, he is still moving towards me as though he were going to do just the opposite. And the most fucked-up thing of all is that a large part of me wants his touch, wants to be adored by Max and Bryce too even after everything I had said.
“And what happens if I say no?”
Hudson sighs. “Then we will arrange for flights to get you back home.”
The air suddenly leaves my chest and I go lightheaded at the thought of having to return home. What would I be going home to? A pissed mother, her endless trail of dirty old men, and a mess I want nothing to do with but have got drawn into nonetheless. Looking at Hudson now, thinking about last night and the growing feelings I have for the brothers just makes me even more confused. I’ve stolen from them, I’ve been rude, defensive, jealous of the women they’ve been with, attracted to all three of them and yet done nothing but push them away time and again. Self-preservation is a fucking messed up bitch.
“Will you contact the police?” I say. I hate the fact my voice sounds so small, weak. I hate that Hudson is the one who is making me feel that way, but most of all I despise my mum for putting me in this position at all.
“That depends on your answer, Louisa.”
Tiny black spots start to speckle my vision at the thought that I could get into trouble with the police. It is mortifying enough that I have stolen from them, but to be charged with theft on top of that as well. A stint in prison is not what I want to see in my future.
