by Marla Monroe
“This is the room we want you to stay in, Lacy. Now unpack and get some rest. Who knows, if it stops snowing tomorrow, we might make that snowman after all,” Tanner said.
Lacy smiled and walked deeper into the room to turn on the electric blanket and found that it was already on.
“I turned it on when I put your suitcase in here,” Jet said.
“Thank you. It will be nice and comfy when I get out of the bathroom. I really appreciate everything you guys are doing so that I can work,” she said.
“Hey, we’re just looking out for ourselves, darling. Without you here we’d starve,” Tanner said.
Lacy shook her head at the man. “No, you’d have survived, just not comfortably.”
Before she knew what he was going to do, Tanner pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the forehead. “Night, darling. See you in the morning.”
He released her, and immediately Jet pulled her against him. “If you need anything in the night, we’re in the next bedrooms across the hall.”
She gasped when he kissed her on the lips. Just a peck, but the brief touch sent shockwaves down her spine to curl low in her belly.
“N—night,” she finally managed to get out.
They smiled then closed the door behind them as they left. Lacy stood there in the center of the room staring at the closed door, wondering what had just happened.
* * * *
By Wednesday at lunchtime, Lacy was ready to get out of the house. She’d cleaned every inch of the place and cooked several meals, in addition to the ones they’d eaten, to put in the freezer for them when she was off on the weekends. It wouldn’t be long before they’d need to replenish their pantry and refrigerator.
“You look like you’re wound tighter than a clock,” Tanner said as he entered the kitchen seconds later.
“Just stir-crazy I guess. I need to take a walk around the back deck after lunch to clear my head.”
“More than likely you’ll only end up clearing snow off the deck when you land on your butt,” Tanner said.
“I’ll be careful. Just a few minutes outside should help. Aren’t you guys sick of being stuck inside like this?” she asked.
“Work has us too busy to think about it. Now, once the weekend gets here, yeah. We’ll get snow crazy,” Jet said.
“We probably need to think about going down to town tomorrow. We’re running low on supplies. I could use another set of clothes. I don’t want to wear the same three outfits over and over,” she said.
“We’ll watch the weather tonight and see if it looks like it’s going to be clear tomorrow or not,” Jet said. “As long as it’s not going to be snowing hard, we can make a trip down. Do you have a list made up?”
“Yeah. Is there anything you guys want to add to it?”
“I need soap and popcorn,” Tanner said.
“Add Cheetos, too,” Jet said.
Lacy chuckled at their requests but dutifully added them to her list. It was a long one.
“Probably better double up on some things since we don’t know when we’ll get back down the mountain again after this,” Tanner said.
“You need a second freezer if you’re going to have wild winters like this to deal with,” Lacy suggested.
“You’re probably right. We’ll look at that this spring. A second freezer wouldn’t be such a bad idea,” Jet said.
“We can put it on the carport. It will be easy to get to and protected from the weather that way,” Tanner said.
“I can’t believe it’s still snowing out there. There has to be at least two feet of snow on the ground,” Lacy said.
“Close to it. The wind keeps it piled up higher in some areas than others,” Tanner said.
After lunch, Lacy bundled up and walked out on the deck to get some fresh, though frigid, air. It helped clear her head so that she could think.
Every night after watching the news and weather, the guys had walked her to her bedroom and kissed her good night. They hadn’t tried anything else and didn’t push her for more, but it was enough to stir her hormones into a frenzy. She hadn’t talked to Gail since the week before, so she decided to call her while she was outside in hopes of catching her on her lunch break.
“Hey, girlfriend. It’s about time you called me,” Gail said by way of greeting.
“Hey back. You could call me, too, you know,” she said.
“Sorry. Mike has had me out of sorts all week. I’m moving in with him this weekend if the snow doesn’t ruin it again. We tried for last weekend, but it snowed so much we only got a few things moved in.”
“Are you excited?” Lacy asked.
“More like nervous. I didn’t think I would be, but now that I’m actually doing it, I am a little.”
“Why?”
“I guess because it is almost like getting married. It’s more permanent, you know?”
Lacy smiled to herself. “I get it. But you love Mike. He’s all you ever talk about.”
“I know. I’m just nervous. Like pre-wedding jitters, right?” Gail sighed into the phone. “So, what’s going on with you?”
“Well, I’ve been staying up on the mountain with the guys because its snowed so much I can’t get up and down the mountain on my own,” she said.
“You’re living with them?” Gail all but screamed in Lacy’s ear.
“Um, not really. I’m staying in the master bedroom, and they sleep in their rooms. It’s not the same as you moving in with Mike. Plus, I’ll be going back to my apartment once the weather clears up,” Lacy told her.
“How are they acting with you being there all the time?” Gail asked.
“Actually, about the same except, well, they kiss me good night every night.” Lacy waited for Gail to say something. When she didn’t right away, she thought she’d dropped the call. “Gail?”
“They kiss you good night? Like on the lips?” Gail asked.
“Ah, yeah. Just a quick kiss on the lips then they leave me alone. I’m not sure what to think about it. Are they interested in me or just demonstrative and saying good night is all they really mean?” she asked.
“Men don’t kiss for no reason, girl. They’re interested. What are you going to do about it?” Gail asked.
“I don’t know what to do.”
“Have you tried kissing them back?”
“No. I’ve been too nervous to,” she admitted.
“Kiss them back. If they’re serious about getting closer, they’ll show it. If not, then you know.”
“What if I’m wanting it to mean more and it really doesn’t to them? I don’t want to ruin this job, Gail. I love cooking for them.”
“All you can do is try and see what happens. If they aren’t really interested, you keep on like you have been, but I think they’re more than attracted. They’ve maneuvered you there for a reason. They could have worked something else out without you having to live up there with them all winter. You said that they have big four-wheel-drive trucks. They could easily pick you up and drop you off each day. They’re interested, girlfriend,” Gail said.
“And if they are, that means both of them. Can I fall for both of them? What if I end up only wanting one of them? They aren’t going to change how they want to live just for me. I’m so confused, Gail.”
“Just go with it for now and see how it turns out. For all you know, you’ll fall for both of them and turn out to be the next ménage on the mountain,” Gail said with a giggle. “Oh, I’ve got to go. You know how the boss is. If I’m even one second late, she wants to dock my pay. Talk to you later.”
Lacy hit End and stuffed the phone back in her pocket. Now that she’d been outside for the last fifteen or twenty minutes, the fresh air was feeling more like slivers of ice cutting into her throat. She carefully turned around and walked back to the door. Once inside, she removed her boots and carried everything to the front entrance hall to hang up.
“Hey, you been outside?” Tanner asked.
“Yeah. I needed some fre
sh air. Boy was it fresh,” she said, chuckling.
“You didn’t go far, did you? I’d hate it if you fell and hurt yourself.”
“I just stepped out on the back deck and called Gail to chat on her lunch hour. I was only outside about twenty minutes. I don’t think anyone could stand more than that without some seriously warm clothing.”
Tanner chuckled. “That wind cuts like a knife through these trees. Go stand in front of the gas logs and warm up.”
Lacy followed him into the living room and stood in front of the fireplace, clasping her hands together. He continued into the kitchen, then returned with a bag of potato chips. They had a small fridge in the office with beer and water, but he’d obviously gotten the munchies.
“Want some?” he asked, holding out the open bag.
“No thanks. How’s work going?” she asked, still warming up in front of the fire.
He grimaced. “It’s going. I’m going to be glad to finish this particular project and take a day off. We worked all last weekend, so we wouldn’t have to worry in case the electricity went out, and we didn’t have enough juice with the generator to run the computers.”
“Goodness, I hadn’t even thought about how it would affect your work if the electricity went out.”
“We’ve got a generator that will run most everything, but the computers are too much of a drain. We have a battery backup for each computer that will give us time to save everything before it runs out, but the generator can’t run the computers as well as the rest of the house,” Tanner said.
“Well, hopefully we don’t lose power,” she said.
Tanner set the bag of chips on the coffee table and strode closer to where she stood in front of the fire. He rubbed his hands up and down her arms.
“Warming up?” he asked.
“Yeah. I thought I was cold all the way to my bones, but I’m warming up,” she said.
He pulled her toward him and engulfed her in a hug. “Can’t have you catching cold. If you go back outside, be sure you’re covered from head to foot, so you don’t get sick.”
“I was plenty covered. Much more, and I wouldn’t be able to walk,” she said with a laugh.
Lacy looked up into his face and smiled. She couldn’t stop smiling around them. There was something about them that made her happy. Well, except when she was turned on. They did that to her, as well. Like now. Her pussy was wet and aching just from the innocent touch of his hands on her arms.
She licked her lips and found his eyes following her tongue before he lowered his head and captured her mouth with his. She groaned into his as he deepened the kiss and swept his tongue inside her mouth. Lacy’s nipples hardened against his chest to the point of pain. She desperately wanted to rub them against his hard body but was too afraid she wouldn’t be able to stop. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and went up on tiptoes to follow his mouth with hers as he slanted his head.
When he slowly pulled back, it left her gasping for breath. Had she really just kissed Tanner like a wanton hussy? What was wrong with her? What must he think?
“Fuck, darling. Your lips taste like the sweetest berries. You smell like vanilla mint cookies. I could lose myself in your scent and your kisses,” he said as he ran his hands up and down her back.
“I—I don’t know what came over me. You must think I’m…”
“Stop it right there. I think you’re a sexy woman who isn’t afraid to put herself out there for what she wants. You want me, don’t you,” he said.
“I don’t know what I want. You took me by surprise,” she said.
“I’ve seen how you react to mine and Jet’s kisses each night. You’re attracted to us like we’re attracted to you,” Tanner said, the lids of his eyes heavy as he looked down at her. “Don’t lie to me or to yourself.”
“I’m not. I don’t know what’s going on with me. You’re my employer. I can’t get involved with you or Jet. I love my job, Tanner.”
“And we love having you here. Let’s see how this plays out, okay?” Tanner asked.
“I don’t know,” she said, shaking her head.
“Please, Lacy. Just see what happens.” Tanner kissed her on the forehead, then picked up the bag of chips and walked back around toward the office, leaving her to wonder what in the hell had just happened.
I’m going crazy. That’s what’s going on.
Chapter Ten
The trip to town proved to be trickier than they’d expected. After Tanner had told him about kissing Lacy in front of the fireplace and how she’d kissed him back, Jet had deepened his kiss the night before with the same results. Now all he could think about was holding her body against his while he plundered her mouth. Since he was driving, it wasn’t a good idea to reminisce over that kiss.
“You having any trouble with the road?” Tanner asked. “I’d rather put this off if there’s any chance we aren’t going to make it, man. Don’t want to risk it with Lacy in here with us.”
“I’ve got it. Just taking it slow to be safe,” Jet said.
He concentrated on driving with the reminder that they had Lacy in the truck, as well. The roads were covered in snow, but it was obvious that at least one other truck had been down the mountain since the last episode of snow. There was no telling who they’d see in town.
Once they hit the flatter terrain just outside town, he breathed a sigh of relief.
“Where are we going first?” Lacy asked.
“The general store first,” Jet said.
“We’ll stop by Lacy’s place next, then eat lunch at the diner before hitting the grocery store last,” Tanner added.
“Anything in particular you need at the general store?” Jet asked her.
Lacy shook her head. “I’ll look, but I don’t know of anything other than what’s on the list.”
Jet pulled into a parking spot not too far from the door of the store. Tanner helped her climb down to the lot and steered her between the other parked cars up to the sidewalk that had been cleared and salted.
They spent about thirty minutes inside the store gathering the items they needed, with Lacy laughing between them when they got into an argument over one brand or another. She didn’t seem the least put out over their friendly bickering. It was another reason to love her. She got them and didn’t get overly aggravated when they picked at each other.
They stopped by her apartment so she could grab a few more clothes
Lacy walked back to her bedroom and Jet followed her while Tanner hung out in the living room.
“Make sure you pack enough so you can hang around for more than a week or two. Don’t know when another big snowstorm will hit,” he said.
“As long as I have enough for a full week, I can wash my clothes. Surely there won’t be another storm like this one so soon,” she said.
“Don’t count on it, Lacy. Even if it doesn’t snow down here, it will snow on the mountain. With the winding roads, it isn’t always safe to make the trip down.” Tanner watched as she added more underwear, particularly interested in the various colors she had. She caught him looking and shook her head.
“You could wait in the living room, you know.”
“What would be the fun in that?” he asked with a playful smile.
She sighed and began adding a couple pair of jeans along with five additional shirts. She could mix them up with the three she had back at the house. Then she added a couple of sweaters for colder days if the electricity went out. She hadn’t factored that into the equation when she’d packed her initial bag.
After a trip to the bathroom to gather a few more items, she closed the suitcase and zipped it.
“That should do it.”
Jet picked it up and carried it into the living room where they found Tanner sitting with a book in his hands.
“This one yours?” he asked, holding up one of Lacy’s romance books.
“Um, yeah. Most of my books are on my e-reader, but I have a few paperbacks,” she said, taking the
book from him and setting it back on the table.
“Want to take that one with you? I was just getting into it,” Tanner said.
“Not on your life. Get your own books.” Lacy sounded a little put out that Tanner was reading her book.
Jet wondered what that was all about. He’d have to ask Tanner what the book had been about. Maybe it had been one of those Fifty Shades of Grey books or something. He couldn’t wait to grill him.
They drove over to the diner, and Jet was happy to see Gabriel, Baldwin, and Tammy sitting at the back table. Jet led them over to the table next to them.
“Hey, guys. Hi Tammy. Great to see you,” Jet said.
He, Tanner, and the others all shook hands.
“This is Lacy,” Tanner said. “Lacy, this is Tammy, Gabriel and Baldwin’s wife.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Lacy said.
“Likewise,” Tammy said. “I was going stir-crazy on the mountain and needed a day out.”
“I know what you mean. All that snow and nowhere to go,” Lacy said.
The six of them chatted between ordering their food and receiving it. Jet was pleased to see that Lacy seemed to get along fine with Tammy. She also wasn’t the least uneasy being around a ménage family either. That gave him hope that she would be okay with him and Tanner dating her. Until this point, he’d been worried that she’d balk at the idea of being with both of them. Despite how she reacted to their kisses, she could still say no to two men at one time. Only time would tell on that issue.
* * * *
Lacy enjoyed talking with Tammy during lunch. The other woman was obviously happy in her relationship with the two men. She didn’t seem the least bit embarrassed or uncomfortable. It made her think more about how she felt about Jet and Tanner both kissing her. Where before she’d waited for one or the other of them to resonate more intensely with her, now she wondered if she felt the same about each of them. How did she feel about being in such a relationship?
Can I fall in love with two men at one time? Could I live with two men? Well, that was really a moot point since technically she was living with them.
