by Susan Hayes
“I think that in this case, the word you’re looking for is yes.” Evan waggled his brows at her. “I’m sure hoping that’s what you’re going to say, anyway.”
“Oh, very smooth.” Rory leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth and she felt his tongue briefly dance over her skin. He kept his lips just brushing hers as he continued talking. “Evan and I have been best friends since I was ten years old. He’s a part of my life, and I’m part of his. We share everything.”
“Everything…as in…everything?” Jess stressed the last word, her heart beating faster at the erotic images that invaded her mind as she considered just what Rory meant.
“Absolutely everything, baby.”
Evan chimed from her other side as he brushed back her hair to kiss her temple. “Not everything. I have my own toothbrush.”
Jess giggled. She hadn’t meant to, but the ridiculousness of the entire situation simply made it impossible to do anything else. Giggles turned to laughter, and she found herself reduced to chortles and snorts until her cheeks were hot and there were tears streaming down her face. Still sniggering, she reached up a hand to each of them and patted their stunned faces. “You should see your expressions!” She fell into fit of giggles.
“I think she’s lost it.” Rory looked slightly panic-stricken as he stared at Jess. “Maybe she hit her head harder than I thought?”
“You’ll have to excuse him.” Evan finally joined in the laughter, leaning down to cut off her giggles with a kiss that seared her all the way through to her bones. “He’s always too damned serious. I really hope you can help me fix that.”
Jess was too surprised by the kiss to react at first, and by the time she got over her shock, her body had very definitely overridden her mind. At least that was what she told herself as she found herself burying her fingers in Evan’s sandy hair, her tongue dueling with his.
“Holy shit, that’s hot.” Rory swore and reached out a hand to cup her breast. “So I guess this means you don’t have a concussion?”
Jess giggled again and Evan lifted his head to glower at Rory. “You are ruining this moment for me, bro.”
Jess managed to gather her scattered wits and scooted out from underneath Evan until she could sit up. “I think we need to get me back to my cabin before we have any more conversations about seals, or sharing, or well, anything! I can’t seem to think straight when I’m around the two of you, and half of us aren’t wearing much in the way of clothing.”
“Fair enough.” Rory released her breast and Evan sat up, giving her an eyeful of sculpted male flesh that distracted her to the point she forgot what she was going to say next.
As Evan moved away from her and retrieved his shirt from the floor her synapses started firing again. “Guys? I’m going to need something to wear, please.”
Rory sighed. “You really don’t need clothes. We could just bundle you up in the blankets and then I’ll carry you to the truck. That way when we get to your place we can just pop you straight into the shower to get cleaned up.”
Jess turned and looked at him, doing her best to hide her smirk. “Nice try. But when we get to my place you two are going to let me out and I’m going to go home, alone.”
Just then her stomach growled and Jess ducked her head to hide her blush of embarrassment.
“New plan,” Rory announced. “We’re taking you back to our place first and feeding you. Then we’ll take you home.”
“I’m fine.”
“No, you’re hungry.” He quirked a brow at her and gave her a sardonic smile. “Or are you going to argue with me about that, too?”
“I can eat at home. The two of you have done more than enough for me already.” Jess took a quick breath and then looked up at Rory. “In fact, I would like to invite you to dinner tomorrow night. Both of you. I’ll cook you a ‘thank you for not letting me drown’ meal.”
“Can you cook?” Evan asked her, grinning.
“I promise you’ll leave full and satisfied,” Jess answered and then winced inwardly as she realized the sexual undertone to her words.
Rory rose up off the bed, stooping to avoid hitting his head on the ceiling. “Then we are most definitely coming to dinner tomorrow. However that doesn’t mean you’re not coming home with us right now to get something to eat. I know I’m starving, and Evan’s delicate constitution can’t go long without food or he whines, so we’re eating. I’d really like for you to join us.”
Jess clutched at the blankets and tried to decide what she wanted to say. She was hungry, and she did want to spend time with the two of them. But it was just so much to take in. They were too much. She needed time alone to think about what they’d said, and what they’d offered her. Though she still wasn’t entirely sure what it was they’d been suggesting.
Before she could come up with an answer Evan dropped back down onto the bed. “Hey, sweetheart, it’s all right. You’ve had a rough day and I swear we’ll be complete gentlemen.” He glanced up at Rory. “Isn’t that right, Rory? And don’t think I’m going to forget about that delicate constitution crack either. You’re going to regret that.”
Rory just laughed and then reached up and skinned his sweater over his head, baring a chest that made Jess’s eyes widen in appreciation. He was broader than Evan, and where Evan’s chest was sculpted muscle, Rory was a solid wall of muscle and dark hair.
“Put this on while we go see if we can’t find you something to wear on your bottom half.” He tossed her the sweater and ducked out the doorway.
Evan made to follow him and then stopped in the doorway and looked back at Jess. “We’ll be back in a second with more of your wardrobe, sweetheart. Rory’s right, you need to be taken care of for today.” Evan’s eyes softened. “Please let us.”
She gave him a faint nod and his answering smile warmed her to the tips of her toes. He left her alone then, and she pulled on Rory’s sweater. It was still warm from his body and she found herself surrounded by his scent as she rolled up the overlong sleeves. When she stood up she laughed as she realized that it came to nearly mid-thigh, and no matter how many times she tried to adjust it, the whole thing kept shifting to one side or another, baring her shoulders. Jess was still fighting with it when Evan reappeared at the door, a pair of heavy wool socks in one hand and a rain jacket in the other.
“The only pants we could find on board were in the rag bin, and believe me you did not want those touching your skin. So I’m afraid that we’re going to complete this stunning fisherman ensemble look you have going on with a pair of ugly gray socks and a jacket to keep the rain off.” He offered her the items as his eyes raked over her body from top to bottom. “That sweater has never looked so good. I think Rory should let you keep it.”
Jess laughed and shook her head. “I’m going to look like a complete ragamuffin. If we run into a single soul, I’m never going to forgive either of you!”
“Right, I’ll tell Rory to cancel the parade through town, then.” Evan winked. “Get dressed and come on up when you’re ready. We’ll have to make a run for it. The weather went to absolute hell while we were all taking our naps.”
He scooped her wet things off of the floor and vanished back through the door. “And hurry up, Jess. I am starving!”
She tugged on the socks, happy to have something to cover her bare feet, which were already chilled from standing on thinly carpeted floor. With the rain jacket in hand, she made her way back into the galley, and then stopped, stunned as she realized the low roar she was hearing was the sound of rain hitting the roof overhead. The noise had been muffled down in the fore-cabin, but now it was obvious that they were in the middle of yet another storm. She put on the jacket and listened to her two rescuers banter. They both had their backs to her and were bent over an open compartment at the back of the boat, completely oblivious to the rain that was coming down in sheets.
“If that offer for food is still available, I’m ready to take you up on it,” she called out to
them. Both men turned around immediately, and Rory’s deep-brown eyes widened as he stared at her bare legs and then slowly perused the rest of her.
“I take it back, Evan. You’re right, she does look better in it than I do.”
“Told you so.”
“You both need to have your eyes checked,” Jess said, deflecting the compliment. She wasn’t exactly comfortable showing so much of herself. She knew her body was far from perfect, and she usually worked hard to dress to her strengths. Bare legs and a baggy sweater weren’t going to help highlight her assets, and she really hoped she could find something else to wear soon.
“Just give us a second here, baby. We need to put this new engine to bed and then we’ll be heading home.” Rory turned back to the compartment and tugged a cover back into place over the top of it. He was wearing a rain jacket, but he’d left the hood down and his dark hair was streaming with water. Jess could see he wasn’t wearing anything under the jacket, either, and she wondered how he was managing to stay warm. A gust of wind blew the rain nearly sideways and she heard him cursing under his breath. Apparently he wasn’t warm after all.
“If you don’t get out of this weather soon, we’re going to be treating you for hypothermia next,” she scolded him.
Evan snickered, “I think we finally met your match, Rory. She doesn’t seem to be the least bit intimidated by your dark and glowering persona.”
“Don’t you get cocky, Evan. You’re the one standing there watching him get drenched. I thought you two were supposed to be looking out for each other.” Jess tipped her head to one side. “Or do you share your colds, too?”
“If you’re so worried about my catching cold, why don’t you help keep me warm?” Rory covered the short distance in a few quick strides and before Jess could take more than a single step backward she found herself swept up into his powerful arms. “There, now you can keep me safe from the elements while Evan runs up to the truck and gets it started.”
“Fine, fine. You can carry her to the truck, but I’ve got dibs on carrying her into the house!” Evan shot back and leaped neatly up onto the gunwale and then onto the dock. He tugged his hood forward with one hand and made a dash for the ramp leading to shore, leaving Jess and Rory alone.
“You two certainly bicker like you were family,” Jess observed as she wrapped her arms around Rory’s neck and held on as he stepped up onto the side of the boat and jumped to the dock. His muscles flexed as he cradled her to his chest as they landed, and then he was heading up the dock. He reached up and tucked her head under his chin, sheltering her from some of the rain and wind. The only part of her that was really exposed were her bare legs, and she knew by the time she got back inside, she was going to need another pair of socks and a towel.
“We’re like brothers. It’s been that way for so many years I can’t imagine my life without him.”
“I understand. My best friend and I are like sisters. Leaving her back in Toronto was the hardest part about moving here.” She paused and then added. “But maybe we’re not as close as you and Evan. We have most certainly do not share everything.”
Rory laughed as he carried her through a small, gravel lot and past a handful of buildings. “I’ll admit it’s a bit unconventional. I promise once we get you inside, you can ask any questions you want.”
“I’m not even sure where to begin,” Jess said and shivered as a gust of wind drove rainwater straight the backs of her thighs.
“How about we start with hot chocolates and double marshmallows?”
Jess groaned in agreement, suddenly starving. “That sounds perfect.”
As he carried up to the passenger side door of a massive black pickup truck, Rory quietly said, “You can trust us, Jess. We would never let anything happen to you. I promise.”
Then he was bundling her into the warm interior, and she found herself hauled into his lap, his arms closing around her as he settled his big body into the seat.
Evan smiled at them both and dropped the truck into gear. “Let’s go home.”
Chapter 6
Jess woke up the next morning and for a minute she couldn’t figure out why she felt like she’d been hit by a truck. Her entire body ached, and getting out of bed was a slow-motion affair. “Nearly drowning comes with a hangover, too? Come on universe, gimme a break here,” she groaned and tried to stretch out the worst of the stiffness, but quickly gave it up in favor of a long, hot shower.
By the time she’d showered, taken a couple of ibuprofen and downed half a cup of coffee Jess was feeling more herself, though she was still moving slower than she would have liked. She had big plans for dinner, but before she tackled that she wanted to sit down and get all her memories of yesterday down on paper. It was part therapy and part research. If she ever decided to nearly drown one of her characters, she would have firsthand experience to draw from, but only if she made notes while it was still fresh in her mind.
Jess settled down in front of her laptop and began typing. As her fingers flew over the keys she found herself reliving every second of terror and pain she’d experienced the day before. She hadn’t meant to document the entire encounter, only the experience up until she was rescued, but as details came to her she continued to type, entering it all into a file and saving it.
There were still some gaps in her recollection, but now she knew that she had seen a seal, and it had pulled her toward the boat! She remembered Evan helping her on board, but nowhere in her memories could she recall seeing Rory. He had to have been there. She’d heard him cursing about the cold. His voice was too distinctive to have been anyone else. Maybe the rest of it would come back to her in time, but at least she’d preserved this much.
It had been a very surreal day, and looking back at everything, Jess couldn’t decide if what had happened between Rory, Evan, and herself was the product of stress, a real connection, or temporary insanity. “At least I hope it’s temporary,” Jess muttered to herself. “I have to be crazy, don’t I? To even consider dating two men at once is definitely not normal.”
She pushed back from the desk and was about to get up when an idea struck her. There was one person who would never turn down a chance to tell her she was crazy. She needed to talk to Viv.
Before Jess could second-guess herself, she turned on the laptop once again and called up her e-mail program and attached the document she’d just finished typing. She addressed it and tapped out a brief message, explaining to Viv that she needed to read the attachment and then please call her back. As her cursor hovered over the send button she nearly chickened out, but then she clicked and sent the e-mail on its way.
“She’s going to think I’m making this up.” Jess stared at the monitor for another few seconds and then stood up, stretching her back yet again before heading to the kitchen. She needed to get started planning dinner, and if yesterday was any indication, she was going to need to make a massive amount of food. Those guys could eat!
When they had arrived at the guys’ place yesterday, Rory had tucked her into a massive couch and ordered her not to move, and she’d enjoyed watching the two of them banter and sidestep each other as they had conjured up a simple meal of tomato soup and a mountain of grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. Not just any cheese either, but a blend of brie and Monterey Jack that had melted into a mound of black forest ham. It had tasted even better than it looked, and she’d eaten two of the crispy, golden creations along with a bowl of creamy tomato soup. The two of them had managed to polish off the rest of the platter between them and chase it down with the promised hot chocolate with masses of marshmallows.
Thinking of their meal, Jess headed for the kitchen and started pulling out all the ingredients for homemade hot chocolate, and she grinned to herself as she added a bottle of peppermint schnapps to the ingredients on the counter.
“In for a penny, in for a pound,” she told herself with a grin. She was still trying to decide between roasted chicken or a casserole for dinner when her phone rang, and th
e opening notes of Pam Tillis’s Mi Vida Loca blasted from the phone’s speaker. Viv must have gotten her e-mail.
Jess managed to get in a brief hello before her best friend cut her off with a squeal. “Oh my god, Jess! You’ve not even been there a week yet and you’ve managed to find two hotties? And you kissed them both! I don’t know whether to be proud or jealous!”
“Did you forget about the bit where I nearly drowned?” Jess asked with a laugh.
“Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. You didn’t drown, for which I am grateful. But more importantly you did meet two cuties! They are cute, right? Please tell me they are cute or I’m going to have to take back that bit about being proud of you.”
“Yes, they’re cute. Actually, I think they are way better than cute, but it’s possible that hypothermia and near-death trauma have affected my judgment.”
“Names. I need last names. And then details. All of them!”
“Rory Frazier and uh, Evan Sinclair. Viv, what are you doing?” Jess asked.
“My Google-fu is strong. I’m—holy shit!”
“What? What is it?”
“I found your guys’ website. You lucky, lucky bitch. They are not cute. They are smoking hot!”
“They have a website?”
She heard Vivian groan. “Grasshopper, you have much to learn. Lucky for you I am better at this dating thing than you are. They run an eco-tour company out of Tofino. They have a website, and pictures, and…ooh, hello, I have their phone number! Shall I just call them and get the scoop directly from the horse’s mouth?”
“Don’t you dare!”
Vivian laughed. “Okay, okay. No phone calls to the owners and operators of Hotties Incorporated.”
“That cannot be the name of their company.”
“You got me. It’s Pacifica Tours. It could be Hotties Incorporated, though. Have you seen these guys?”
“Yes, I’ve seen them. Shirtless, in fact.”