by Heather Long
“I can walk.”
“Uh huh,” he said, slanting an amused look at me. “You still want to hot tub?”
Oh. That sounded amazing. “There’s the one out on the deck, right?”
“Yep.” He bumped the door open with his hip and then paused as we both stared at my bed. Not only had it been made—something I knew we hadn’t done that morning, but there was a fresh coverlet on it, this one a deep green, and there were roses on every single surface. Red roses. White roses. Yellow roses. Pink ones. There were blue and violet ones. Every color I could think of, including rainbow roses.
Jake set me on my feet, kissed my forehead, and gave me a little nudge before he withdrew and closed the door on his way out. None of them followed me into the rose-perfumed and bedecked room. I turned in a slow circle, some of my exhaustion fleeing. There was even a mini-Christmas tree with roses affixed to it. I searched each bouquet, pausing to sniff them. There were no cards, no notes, nothing, at least not on the ones on the dresser. But I moved slowly as I padded around the room. I’d stripped out of the snow gear before I slipped into the car.
Someone had stacked the fireplace, but it wasn’t lit and that was okay. The warmth in the room was more than sufficient for me to strip off the socks. The only note present was next to what had to be four dozen red and white roses on either side of the bed. It was a simple white card with silver thread along the edges.
We wanted to get them for you.
Right next to it was a new charm for my bracelet—a simple pair of skis and poles. Tears flooded my eyes, and I bit my lip as I swung my gaze over all the roses. They’d wanted to get them for me.
My heart thumped almost painfully. I snatched up my phone and did a quick video sweep of the roses, and then hesitated. It seemed almost too personal to send to Rachel. And at the same time…
You know what, I’d figure that out later. I dropped the phone on the bed, even as it began to vibrate with updates to the cloud account. The guys were uploading pictures, and some of them images danced over my screen and I grinned. I hadn’t even realized the guys had taken snaps of me on the ski lift. There was one of me and Archie with me grinning up at him like he was everything, and that thump in my heart double-timed.
As I stripped off my clothes to leave on a stack next to the chest at the end of the bed, it hit me. I didn’t bring a bathing suit, did I? I checked my suitcase, which had been emptied and put away into drawers. The staff had been busy while we were gone. Archie insisted they were going to be discreet, and he’d been right. I hadn’t seen them yet.
In the top drawer, I found a new strapless bikini in red waiting for me. The tags were still on it. I debated it, but I wasn’t sure I was brave enough yet to go down there naked. Not even if they’d all seen me naked and wrecked. Then again…
I chewed my lower lip as I held the scraps of cloth up and glanced at the mirror over the dresser. My cheeks were flushed, and my eyes shone. Was I nervous or excited?
Possibly both?
Well, I could always take them off. Not that they left much to the imagination once I had them on. The heat to my face had spread down my neck and to my chest. I darted into the bathroom to run a brush through my hair. I’d had it braided for most of the day, but it felt good to let my scalp relax, so I settled for piling it on my head into a messy bun.
It was stupid how much something like doing my own hair filled me with a measure of glee after weeks of having to rely on the guys to help me. Not that they’d ever minded or complained, but still…
I kind of wanted to put my charm bracelet on, but not in the water. Finally, after having delayed enough, I grabbed my robe and tugged it on before sweeping my gaze over the room again. The roses were amazing.
Flat. Fucking. Amazing.
I half-expected the guys to be waiting for me in the hall, but they weren’t. Taking the time on the walk downstairs and out to the deck to get my shit together, I tried not to focus on how giddy I was or how the muscles in my legs were caught in that in between state of sore and stiff, but also wobbly and overtired.
Downstairs, a fire burned merrily in the fireplace and the Christmas tree twinkled with all its assorted lights, and those were the only sources of illumination. A note with my name on it waited on the coffee table, and I paused to snag it. Flipping the card over, I laughed.
We’ll be back in to enjoy the lights. C’mon out to the hot tub, drinks and food waiting.
I kissed the note and set it back down. I’d steal it later and add it to the card about wanting to get me flowers.
Sure enough, the guys were outside. Darkness had fully fallen, and there were twinkling lights all over the deck. It had been mostly cleared of snow, and the hot tub steam rose up invitingly in the air, even if the chill out there made me shudder before I even opened the door.
Even better, my favorite four people were waiting for me, and they all glanced over or twisted to see me as I slid the door open. The cold air was bracing after being inside, and the wood was cold against my feet. Yeah, I should totally have grabbed slippers or something.
“Hey, guys,” I called, hurrying the door closed and not hesitating to make a run for the tub. I dropped the robe and slid in without taking a pause. Jake caught my hand as I stepped up and in to offer me some balance. “Holy fuck, it’s cold out here.”
The water was blissfully hot, and I sank right into it.
Archie chuckled, but his heated stare did almost as much to warm me as the water. “I like the bikini.”
“I debated whether to wear it or not,” I admitted as Jake tucked me under his arm and pulled me right against him. The smoothed seats were comfortable, and the water bubbled as the jets surged it. Four harsh inhales greeted that statement, and I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. I didn’t dare glance down in the water to see what they’d gone with, but I was pretty sure Jake had on trunks of some kind.
“Well,” Archie said, recovering first. “You can do whatever you want. No one here will judge.”
“Nope,” Coop said, and I caught him studying me, a small smile playing on his lips.
I wasn’t going to leave them in suspense. Before I could say anything more, Ian handed me a glass of wine and paused long enough to give me a kiss before he settled on the bench on my other side.
“Smooth,” Jake complimented him, and Coop snorted.
“He was just faster.”
“You snooze, you lose,” Ian said cheerfully, and his thigh pressed against mine. Another shiver worked its way up my spine that had absolutely nothing to do with the cold. The varying grins held nothing of recrimination or jealousy or anger.
Another tense band of worry relaxed, and I took a sip of the wine with a sigh. The snow falling overhead was magical because it seemed to evaporate before it got to the water. At the same time, it was like we’d been transported to another world.
“Dinner’s inside,” Archie told me. “Ready for whenever we are, but there’s also snacks and fun.” He motioned to the covered trays around the edge of the tub. I hadn’t really paid that much attention to them.
“Fun?” I asked glancing from one to the other.
“Well, we are in Colorado,” Archie said. “All the rules are suspended for the next couple of weeks, agreed?”
“I don’t see why not.” Jake stretched his legs out.
“Or something,” Coop teased, eyeing me. “Technically, most of us are legal adults.”
I wasn’t alone in flipping him off. Jake gave my shoulders a squeeze. “Fine, then Frankie and I will be over here in our youth while you old fogeys be legal.”
Ian snorted. “Technically, Frankie’s emancipated, Jake. So you’re the ‘baby’ for the moment.”
“Fuck that,” Archie dove in to it before the two could start sniping at each other. “The point is, I had some treats picked up for us, and since we’re not worried about random drug tests with the season over, I don’t see why we can’t enjoy them.”
Drug tests? My eyebrows
climbed, and I wiggled away from Jake to twist and pop open one of the silver lids. Chocolate waited for me, and I blinked slowly. “You got us edibles?”
“Guilty,” Archie murmured, and I stole a look over at him.
“Um…before we dive into whether this is wise or not,” I hedged. “I really need to do something first.” I put the lid back on and took another swallow of the wine. Between the heat, the alcohol, and the company, more of the tension bled away. At Jake’s curious look, I cupped his face and kissed him.
He was closest after all.
Then one by one, I moved around the circle, giving each of them a long, if gentle kiss. Coop caught the back of my head and deepened it until I was half-panting when he let me go. Apparently, that was all the encouragement Archie needed to drag me onto his lap as part of his kiss, and the sudden déjà vu to our first night sent a thrill through me as his fingers slid right under the seam of my bikini bottoms to stroke my ass.
I bit his lower lip, and he groaned before he sucked on my tongue, and I was definitely not even a little chilled. With reluctance, I pulled away and moved back to Ian, and he set his beer aside to kiss me deep, dirty, and raw. This Ian took my breath away every time. It was like any restraint he’d held on himself since our first kiss had all but disintegrated. The erection rubbing against my ass was a reminder that I wasn’t the only one getting turned on.
Gulping in air, I sank back into my spot for all of two seconds before Jake dragged me over into his lap, and the gentleness in the kiss gave way to something far fiercer. I wasn’t just playing with fire anymore, I’d definitely lit the blaze.
“Better,” he murmured before tracing my lips with a finger. “I was trying to be polite, I should have known better.”
A giddy laugh escaped me as he settled me back on the seat between him and Ian. When Ian handed me my wine, I grinned at them.
“Not that I’m objecting to the kiss, Angel, but was that for something in particular?”
“Because I wanted to,” I told him, and then glanced around our little circle and met each gaze one at a time. “And because I loved the roses, thank you.”
The smirk on Archie’s face was perfect, as was Coop’s and Jake’s deep laughter. Ian just nodded at me, then winked. “You think we don’t always listen, but we do.”
“No,” I told him softly. “I know you do. I’m just as guilty of being dense, you know.”
“Truth,” Coop announced. “But you’re with us now, right?” The look in his gray-green eyes made my heart stutter, the conversation we’d had on the mountain so close and fresh in my mind.
“Yes,” I said, then drained the last of the wine. He chuckled at me and moved to grab the bottle, and I passed him my glass. Jake tipped up his beer and took a long swallow. It was hard to look away from the motion of his throat.
Honestly, it was hard to look away from any of them.
“As I was saying,” Archie cut back in. “Before I was so gloriously interrupted.”
I laughed.
“I got us some edibles to try. There’s gummies. Chocolate. Cookies. A little bit of everything. But I thought it might help some of us relax and experiment as we like.” The last had to be directed at me, but then he focused on me as Coop returned my newly filled wine glass. “There is absolutely no pressure.”
“Well, I’m definitely curious,” Jake admitted, and he pressed a kiss to my temple before shifting to grab the chocolate from the tray I’d been looking at before. He took a bite, and we were all watching him as he chewed it thoughtfully. “Peanut butter,” he admitted, and then washed it down with his beer.
At my face, he chuckled and tugged me close for a kiss.
Beer and chocolate, ugh. I smacked his chest, and he rumbled with laughter. “Want to try a bite, Baby Girl?” He held up the second half of the piece he’d eaten, and I pursed my lips.
“Are we going to get stupid and say ridiculous stuff?”
“Maybe,” he said with a shrug. “We’re all safe here, right?”
I trusted all of them, right? That was the unspoken question. “I have never been high,” I admitted. “Except for like, the pain drugs, and then I was just asleep.”
“You were adorable, even when you were sleeping,” Coop told me. “But you don’t have to.” He popped a couple of the gummies, and Archie had a cookie in his hand. He locked gazes with me as he took a bite, and even Ian had stretched past me to snag one of the pieces of chocolate.
“What the hell,” I said. “You only live once.” I opened my mouth and Jake fed me the chocolate. It was very peanut buttery, and I had to scrape it off my teeth with my tongue before washing it down with the wine. I didn’t know what I’d expected to happen, but it was just good. There were other snacks, too. Not just loaded ones. Like, there were brownies, sans the THC, and there were hot wings under one of the trays on a heated plate, even.
I giggled at the feast of it all, and dinner still awaited us. Leaning back against the tub, I stared up at the sky. “I really love this,” I admitted.
“Me too,” Coop agreed. “Skiing was a lot of fun.”
I grinned at him. “It was. And we’re going again, right?” I glanced at Archie.
“We can go as many times as you want,” he promised. “We rented skis for this, but if you end up loving it, babe, I can totally buy you your own pair and we’ll make ski trips a regular thing.”
“There’s skiing on the East Coast,” Jake told me, before pressing a kiss behind my ear. “Good places in Pennsylvania and Maryland that I know of.”
“And we can always come back here,” Ian suggested. “I have a feeling Archie’s grandfather wouldn’t mind it.”
“Nope,” Archie said. “Grandpa will let us visit whenever we want. Open invitation.”
I smiled. I’d already grown super fond of this place. “I can’t believe you set all this up,” I murmured. “Just made all the arrangements so we could all steal away together. It’s such a you thing though.” I glanced at Archie, and he grinned at me.
“Did you think I’d be more likely to steal you away by myself?”
“Maybe,” I mused, but not so much anymore. “You guys were also so specific about parceling my time. Making sure I didn’t ignore you and keeping me so busy, I barely had time for anything else.”
“You make time for what’s important,” Coop reminded me. “And to be fair, you didn’t notice it as much until this year.”
“That’s not totally true,” I pointed out, still mellow. The absolute lack of tension was just kind of profound. Was I always so wound up? “I noticed before, just…figured it was what friends did. You were kind of greedy when we were kids, too.”
He snorted, even as Archie let out a soft laugh. “I’m still greedy,” Coop informed me. “I pretty much want everything with you. But I told you that earlier when you asked me.”
Oops. That got some interested looks. “Asked him what?” Ian nudged me.
“Um…”
Jake had taken out one of the chocolate pieces and snapped it in half, then he offered me the other half, and I studied it and him a beat. It was a good excuse to not embarrass myself. Then again, I took it and held the piece of chocolate before I glanced around at them. Coop gave me a soft, if encouraging look, and I sighed.
“I asked Coop what happens if I can’t choose.” I really didn’t want to ruin our trip or this evening or anything. We were all here and we were all having fun and I was going to ruin the mellow.
“You’re not ruining anything,” Jake told me and nudged my hand to my mouth. Oh, good idea. Better to eat the chocolate and shut up. I was almost done with my second glass of wine, and maybe I should go for a third.
Maybe that would let me hold onto the mellow floaty sensation.
“What happens with all of us if you can’t choose?” Archie clarified, shifting in the water to get fresh beers for the guys. He drank wine, too. He’d had wine with me. But when they were together, they enjoyed their beers. I wasn’t going to
complain. I could drink beer, but I preferred the wine.
At my nod, Ian curled one loose tendril of my hair around his finger. There was still peanut butter on my teeth, so I was licking at it and keeping my mouth shut for the most part. “Then you don’t choose, Angel.”
Just like that, and my eyes rounded.
“Am I for real?” Oh, look, he could translate my expression. I nodded dumbly.
“Yep,” he said slowly, and then tugged the curl, and I leaned toward him automatically. “I had a lot of time to think about this. What it’s like to be without you, I got a taste of that too. Not a fan. And I’ve had a taste of being with you and even watching you with all of them.” He gave me a considering look. “And I’m a little selfish, I’m going to want you to myself more than I want to share, but that doesn’t mean I am going to make you choose.”
Holy shit. “Really?” My stomach seemed to be flip-flopping between bottoming out and filling with a thousand butterflies.
“Really,” he promised. “I know I have a long way to go to make sure you trust me again, Angel. So I’ll reassure you anytime you need it.”
He didn’t have to go that far, but I just… “I don’t want to mess this up.” It was easier to just say it to him. Like it had been to Coop. But I’d told Jake that in the beginning, and I swept my gaze over to include Archie. “I never imagined this. All of you, and now I can’t imagine it without you. I don’t want to.” Anytime I tried to, everything just seemed bleak. “And I’m selfish, too. I don’t want to have to.”
“Okay,” Jake told me, pulling me back against him. “It’s okay, Baby Girl. You don’t have to imagine anything. I stand by what I said. I’m okay with these three idiots. No one else.”
“Agreed,” Archie told me, locking his gaze on me. “I know you love me.” My face heated. “I told you I love you, and I meant every word.” There was absolutely no shyness in him. “Would I leap at the chance to have you to myself? Yes. But can I share you with them?” The corner of his mouth curved. “Not in bed, and not all the time. But the rest of it? Yeah. I can. For some reason, I like these assholes, and I know you need them.”