by Bella Blake
I can’t help smiling at the ease between them as they make do with what they have on hand.
Actually, there’s an ease between all three of us.
Before this trip, I couldn’t have imagined feeling comfortable gargling and spitting in front of a guy that makes my stomach do flip-flops every time he looks at me, much less in front of two of them.
It’s the sort of thing long-time couples do once they’ve established a deep level of familiarity. Looks like we reached that point already, though.
The thought makes me smile even bigger.
16
MEGAN
We head back inside, and the guys help me back down to my spot on the blanket. I stuff my things back into my bag then look at my bare legs, scrunching my nose.
My ankle has settled down, and so long as I don’t move it much, it doesn’t make me want to cry. I’ll need to soak it again in the river before we go anywhere, that’s for sure.
I glance at my pants, folded neatly in the corner. Despite the makeshift covering over the doorway, it’s still chilly in here. As tempted as we were, we all decided using the propane burner inside wasn’t the safest idea.
But I really don’t want to go through the hassle of tugging those pants back on, not now when my ankle has finally stopped throbbing.
I smile to myself as I think, mmm… maybe the guys could just help keep me warm.
“What’s up?” Hugh asks, as though he’s curious about why I’m suddenly grinning like an idiot.
“I really don’t feel like trying to put my pants back on,” I admit, shrugging with a half-assed snort. “Taking them off was hard enough in the first place.”
“I’m not going to complain a bit if you go without pants,” Hugh says, his gaze traveling up my legs.
“Hell, in fact, I think we should get the rest of those clothes off you, too,” Chase adds, motioning at my shirt and panties.
The energy in the small space builds as their moods shift, and I look between them, incredulous. I know what I was thinking earlier, but half the reason I was grinning at myself was because it’s a ridiculous idea. My ankle is messed up and we all need a Hazmat scrub-down from being in the woods for days now.
“Seriously? Guys, I can hardly move my leg.”
Even as I protest, I know that, honestly, I’m down to figure it out.
If they’re willing… I can get on board. With their smoldering blue eyes on me, and that suggestive curl to their sexy lips, they make me feel like a cat in heat. All they have to do is turn their attention on me for a few seconds and all my logical arguments fly right out the window.
“I think we’re clever enough to make it work,” Chase says as he sidles up next to me, running a hand through my hair. He nuzzles his nose against mine. “If you want to, that is.”
Dammit, I really do.
I run a hand across his shoulder, my fingers dancing against the nape of his neck, and pull him to me. The last of my hesitation melts away as I kiss him passionately.
God, it’s been too damn long since his lips have been on mine. He immediately responds, licking his tongue into my mouth with hunger.
Hugh’s hands slide up my uninjured leg as he presses to my other side, and he grabs the hem of my shirt, raising it up. I break from Chase long enough to allow him to slip it off over my head.
Then his mouth finds my bare shoulder, where he presses his lips to me with soft kisses before teasing me with his teeth, nibbling against my skin. He slips my bra strap down over my arm even as he reaches back to unhook it with impressive ease.
“It’s a good thing you two are resourceful,” I whisper against Chase’s lips before I moan quietly. Hugh’s lips are around one of my nipples, his hand guiding my breast to his mouth.
Chase helps me lay back, the thin blanket protecting me from the harsh wood of the floor. Then his mouth and hands are on my other breast and I close my eyes, reveling in their attention as they worship my body.
I scratch my nails against their backs, and run my hands up to their heads, tugging gently on their hair, encouraging them to keep going.
More. I just want more of them.
All of them.
This time is different than when we first let our desires pull us together in the fire tower. Tonight, our movements aren’t driven by adrenaline fueled lust, or at least not only that.
There’s a tenderness in every kiss, a weight behind each stroke of their tongue, a deeper intimacy in their hands.
Chase cups my mound, his fingers teasing me through the thin fabric of my panties. Panties that are definitely soaked already. Thank goodness I packed more pairs than I thought I would need, because this is what they do to me.
I try to sit up to reach them better, and Hugh bites me just hard enough to reprimand me.
“Ah, ah, ah,” Chase chastises me as he taps his fingers against the heat of my pussy. “Your job is to stay still. We’ll do all the work.”
I want to argue, but Chase grinds his palm against my clit, and I fall back against the floor. “Okay, I can agree to that,” I exhale.
They take their time, Hugh’s mouth traveling over my breasts and along my neck while Chase’s mouth kisses and bites at my hips and along my inner thighs, making me squirm. But anytime I move too much, one of them nips me a bit harder, reminding me to stay still.
Their firm orders, and the sexy punishment they dole out when I disobey, just turn me on even more.
By the time Chase slips his fingers into me, I’m dripping wet and completely unashamed about it. He pulls away too soon, though, and I open my eyes, raising up on my elbows to glare at him. He just shakes his head with a quiet laugh and waves a condom packet in the air.
Ah, okay. I guess I’ll forgive him if he’s going to replace those talented fingers with something thicker.
I drape my good leg over Hugh’s, making room for Chase as he shifts to kneel in front of me. Then Chase is over me, carefully easing between my legs, making sure to not disturb my ankle.
Hugh pulls back and I lace my fingers through his, turning my face toward him to beg for his kisses. He kisses me with a tender, sensually slow pace, drawing out each stroke of his lips.
Chase’s hands are back on me, tugging my panties to the side and dragging the head of his cock against me, coating him with my wetness. Then he presses forward, filling me in one slow, steady motion, making me arch my back and moan at the sensation.
God, yes.
I can’t believe I thought I could wait until we’re back in civilization and just do without having their passionate kisses on my lips and their hard cocks inside me. I clearly wasn’t thinking right, because holy fuck, being with them, the heat and connection between us—it’s everything.
As Chase thrusts his hips, driving into me hard and slow, I’m thinking we should have just stayed in the fire tower and had sex until we died
It would have been a hell of a way to go. I’d be totally fine with my official cause of death being listed as ‘Too many orgasms.’
I break away from Hugh’s kisses, panting for breath and nearly vibrating with the pleasure coursing through me. The pace Chase sets is another form of torture—his hips rock, firm and slow, his pelvis rubbing against my clit with each stroke.
My panties being shifted to the side are putting pressure on everything in just the right way, heightening every movement he makes. The fact that I’m still wearing them even as he thrusts deep inside me is adding a layer of sensual naughtiness, too.
I need Hugh again, and it’s like he knows before I do, his mouth finding mine just as my craving for his touch reaches a crescendo. His hard cock presses against my thigh, and he grinds into me as we lose ourselves in kisses.
My orgasm hits me like a rogue wave, surprising me with its speed and strength. I gasp as my body locks down and rides the crest, my breasts heaving and my thighs shaking.
Hugh captures my low keen of ecstasy with his mouth, and Chase’s groans echo mine as he follows me into bliss
with his own orgasm.
Once again, the two of them work together as if they share the same mind. Hugh’s mouth leaves mine, but Chase is right there a second later, kissing me even as he slides out of me.
It’s only a matter of moments before Hugh is between my legs, his cock nudging aside my panties once more, burying himself inside me even as my climax still throbs through me.
Hugh’s pace is faster, his hands pinning my hips to the ground to keep me still. It’s the best sort of pain, his strength holding me to him while he drives into me. His strong, hard rhythm takes my breath, and I can’t keep my mouth focused on kissing Chase.
Instead, I wrap my hands around Chase’s back as he leans over me, clinging to him while whimpering moans and gasps tumble from my lips. He presses kisses to my jaw, my lips, my neck—anywhere he can reach as Hugh continues to take me apart.
I can feel another orgasm building deep within, my thighs aching from the need to wrap around Hugh. I’m so close, arching my back off the floor, straining for the orgasmic bliss that’s just out of reach.
My eyes slide shut, and I give myself over to them, lost in the pleasure they’re giving me.
One of them pinches my nipples, then rolls the stiff points between his fingers, teasing me mercilessly as the other rubs my clit through my panties. I snap like an elastic band, my second climax shooting over me, my entire body quivering as I throw my head back and a soundless cry escapes me.
Half a dozen hard, deep thrusts and Hugh’s right there, too. With perfect timing, Chase pulls away from my lips just as Hugh collapses against me, his face buried against my neck as he groans out his release.
Languidly, I rub circles over Hugh’s back, reveling in the feel of his strong muscles and the light sheen of sweat he’s worked up.
Chase’s hand smooths across my forehead, brushing wild strands of hair back from my face. He gazes at me with the sweetest expression, his eyes soft and full of adoration. I wrap my hand around his neck and pull him down to me, cheek to cheek.
We lay there like that for the longest time, Hugh pressed on top of me, Chase nestled against my side, just caressing each other.
I close my eyes once again, savoring every rise and fall of their chests, the warmth of their breath against my skin, the strong rhythm of their hearts beating in unison with mine.
A spell of sleepiness comes over me as the heat from their bodies and the safety I feel being in their arms nudges me into a deep comfort. Hugh slips out of me and rolls onto his side while Chase reaches for my t-shirt and helps me slip it back on, but none of us talk.
The hut is quiet, just the rustles of our movements and the sounds of the river flowing nearby filling the room, as if there’s no room for words because the intimacy we’re all feeling takes up all the extra space.
Carefully, they spoon around me, making sure not to bump my ankle as they tug the side of the blanket over us. Chase slips his arm under my head to serve as a pillow while Hugh drapes his arm over my stomach, pressing a long, sweet kiss against my shoulder.
Another wave hits me unexpectedly, this time a swell of emotions rather than physical pleasure.
A humbling reverence fills me, because I know this wasn’t just sex, not for me and not for them. We made love.
There may not have been a bed, soft sheets, or a dozen candles setting the mood, but there’s a rawness between us tonight, a new vulnerability in our touches and kisses.
In the morning, we’ll start our journey down the river, heading back to civilization, where our regular lives are waiting for us.
It should be cause for joy—we’re so close to making it out of here.
But as the thought weaves its way to my heart, trepidation and a strange sense of grief wash over me, and I have to fight the sudden urge to cry. I pull them both closer, tears burning against my eyes.
They shift until I’m tightly sandwiched between them, not an ounce of space to spare, and yet I still feel like they’re too far away.
A part of me never wants to leave the wild because if I lose either of them—I don’t know if I could survive it.
17
HUGH
Early morning light fills the small hut as I blink awake.
Chase is curled against Megan’s side and she’s half sprawled over me. Her foot is still propped up on one of our packs, but that hasn’t stopped her from pillowing her head on my chest.
I’m not complaining, although my back is.
Sleeping on shitty wooden floors of an abandoned fire tower and a derelict fishing hut is not exactly the stuff five-star hotels are made of and my bones are starting to feel it.
One more night until we can get into a bed.
Hell, a shitty roadside motel will be welcome at this point. We can order in food—pizza, Chinese takeout, whatever. At this point I’m not picky. So long as it’s not dehydrated and doesn’t need to be cooked in boiling water when it reaches us, then it’ll do just fine.
Later we can take Megan out for a proper dinner and enjoy the best the city has to offer.
Slowly easing out from underneath her, I take care to gently shift her head onto Chase’s outstretched arm, then I slip on my boots and step outside.
There’s a distinct clarity in the air, the sky is a bright cerulean blue, and the sun is peeking out over the hills to the east. The thick, yellow and grey smoke-filled clouds have cleared away, replaced by white wisps dotting the heavens.
If it wasn’t for the devastated forest etching the mountains, it would be a picturesque morning. It bodes well for the beginning of our journey down the river.
Turning to the canoe, I pull it away from the hut and down to the shoreline to give it another thorough examination now that it’s daylight.
It’s a flat-bottom style, made for fishing—wide enough but very shallow. The paint has been stripped away from the harsh elements of nature, with the aluminum underneath faded to a dull color.
I trust Chase’s ability to assess the river-worthiness of the boat, but I run my fingers over the exposed aluminum, anyway. It only confirms what he said, that it’s worn but sturdy. It’s not a beautiful canoe, and it’s not made to be agile or quick, but it should do just fine getting us down river.
The biggest concern is the plastic paddles hanging on the side of the hut—not an ideal place to store them long-term. The sun might have made the plastic brittle over the years, but we’ll have to take the chance that they’ll hold together.
Hesitant footsteps over the rocks grab my attention, and I turn to see a fully dressed Megan limping out of the hut on her own accord.
Chase is following right behind her, his expression drawn up in concern and his eyes fixed on her ankle as she carefully does a hop-walk over to me. She takes my outstretched hand as she makes the last few steps to the boat, a triumphant smile on her face.
“I take it your ankle is feeling better?” I ask as I help her sit down at the water’s edge while Chase disappears back inside the hut.
Megan rolls up her pant leg and I see that her fair skin is still marbled with bruises, but the swelling is down considerably from yesterday. She sets her foot in the cold water, with only a small wince as the icy chill hits her skin.
She flashes me a smartass grin. “Well, if by better you mean I no longer want to just cut it off, then yes it is feeling better.”
I let out a bemused huff. I know her injury is no small thing, but she’s damned determined not to let on how much it really hurts.
Slapping her hand against the canoe, she says, “So, Chase tells me she’s seaworthy and I have nothing to worry about, but…” she pauses, squinting at the small boat.
“What?” I prompt, rubbing a hand over my chin, wishing I had a razor. I haven’t had this much of a beard in years. Not that Megan seems to mind it.
“Well, I’m no stranger to backpacking, but I can count all the times I’ve been in a boat on one hand and still have fingers left over,” she admits. “The closest to rowing I’ve ever done is on that
dreaded torture machine at the gym.”
I give her a smile. “With the way your ankle is, you won’t want to be rowing, anyway. Chase and I will manage just fine between the two of us. This river is popular with fishermen, and with the sun shining today, it’s going to be a lot more relaxing than hiking through the woods with a bum leg.”
Chase has emerged from the hut and he drops our packs next to the canoe before ruffling Megan’s hair playfully. “Yeah,” he teases. “If you want to just kick back and sunbathe topless, you won’t hear any protests from me.”
She swats a hand at his calves, and he jumps away with a laugh.
The mood is lighter between all of us today, be it from the unspoken acknowledgment of our feelings, or the sunshine and the promise of getting out of here, or both.
A smile tugs at my lips, and I don’t fight it.
“Why stop at topless?” I pick up Chase’s teasing and run with it. “You don’t want any nasty tan lines, so you may as well just totally go nude.”
Her gorgeous lips turn into a salacious smirk, and she languidly bites her lower lip as if she’s considering how mischievous she wants to be today. Now it’s my turn to run my hands over her hair, and I bend down, pulling her face to mine.
“I see that cute little smirk and those wheels turning in your head.” My voice is rough, and I can feel my blood rushing south. “But I’ve got plans for you. And they involve a bed.”
“Promises, promises,” she sing-songs, batting her eyelashes innocently.
“Smartass.” I tweak her nose. She playfully nips at my finger, so I steal a kiss.
My brother clears his throat as our kiss lingers and becomes heated.
“To even have a chance of filling those promises,” he says in a reprimanding tone, “we’ve got to get the hell out of Dodge. So, let’s get this show on the road.”
Megan and I pull apart reluctantly.
We both know he’s right—and hopefully we’ll have plenty of time for unhurried kisses and everything else I want to do to her once we’re settled in at a hotel, or better yet, once we have her sandwiched between us at our house.