TIED: A Steamy Small Town Romance (Reckless Falls Book 3)

by Vivian Lux

  I stayed on the freezing cold shoreline, ignoring the sharp shale pebbles as they dug into my back, and stared into the slate gray sky as if it held some sort of explanation for what the hell had just happened.

  Gray was going to kiss me. He was about to kiss me, and then suddenly he ran away like I'd frightened him and went splashing back into a freezing cold lake. Was I high instead of drunk? Had I just imagined that connection? Had he just gotten too frustrated about what a pussy I was being, by just lying there and waiting for him to kiss me? I should've closed the distance myself. But then Cal would have seen, and for some reason thinking about Cal seeing me kiss Gray was worse than my brother seeing me kiss Gray. Because if I kissed Gray in front of Cal, then I wouldn't get a chance to kiss Cal either because they were best friends and they would never stand in each other's way. The last thing I wanted to do was get rid of my chance to kiss Cal too.

  I wanted to kiss them both, somehow, at the same time so that one would never have to be jealous of the other.

  But who was I kidding?

  I wanted to kiss them both, somehow, at the same time, for me.

  The steel gray sky had an answer for me all right. I was in love with two men at the same exact time. What the hell is wrong with me? Who the hell does that?"

  I pushed myself up onto my elbows, feeling the cold wet of the muddy shoreline seep into my jacket. "Hey," I heard a voice say. "Up and at 'em."

  I blinked, confused, to see that Gray had reappeared, teeth chattering and shivering, but standing over me with his hand outstretched like nothing had just happened. "Come on, I got you," he urged.

  I extended my hand, and he jerked me upright like I weighed nothing more then a ragdoll. "Thanks," I muttered, still confused as anything.

  He pressed up against my side. "You can repay me by putting your arm around me. I'm fucking freezing."

  "That's because you went running back into the lake." I pointed out."

  He nodded. "I did, didn't I," he said, but didn't elaborate further.

  I swear he was walking deliberately slowly back to Cal's pick-up. Cal and my brother were watching from the back, when suddenly Cal shook his head and jumped down to meet us. "Are you trying to do impressions of ice sculptures out here?" he asked. "Come on, we can go warm-up at my dad's bar," he said as he casually slung his arm over my other shoulder.

  My heart, which had been hovering somewhere down around my knees, suddenly leapt back up again. I was between them again, just like I had been last night. And even though my brother was standing right there, watching us like this was all some sort of innocent horseplay, I was distinctly aware of the throbbing ache between my legs. Being between them. Between them, the thought set my whole body on fire. The chill that had set in as I lay looking at the sky fled instantly once I was stuck between Cal and Gray. I was dizzy, my head spinning, so I didn't even notice the blonde blur until it came rushing up beside me.

  "You're an asshole!" Brynn shouted, socking her brother in the shoulder.

  Cal staggered backwards, which made me stumble, which made Gray shake free and lurch forward to grab the towel again.

  Cal stood rubbing his shoulder. "What the hell was that for?" he asked his sister.

  Brynn pointed. "Making Grayson do that. What the hell are you doing?"

  Cal shrugged. "He's a big boy, he can make his own decisions."

  "Hey Brynn!" Rett called, nonsensically.

  Brynn flicked her eyes over to my brother, and then rushed up and socked him in the shoulder too. But instead of rubbing his shoulder, he just grinned. "You're supposed to take care of the slow and simple-minded," she chastised Rett.

  "Hey! I'm standing right here!" Gray protested.

  "I see that. Put a damn shirt on, It's twenty-nine degrees out here." Brynn sighed.

  I watched Grey reach over and grab his sweatshirt and put it on. As his sculpted torso disappeared, I felt a pang of something that could only be regret. My brother was saying something to Brynn that seemed to calm her down, and together they walked towards her car. I watched them, wondering what the hell they were talking about, but Gray moved into my line of sight. "What are you doing the rest of today, Harper?"

  "I have a job to do," Cal piped up.

  "I wasn't asking you," Gray said jovially. "Is your name Harper?"

  Cal narrowed his eyes. "I'm leading backcountry tours now," he said, grinning at me.

  I nodded. "I saw your storefront on Main Street. That was a smart idea."

  "Yeah, it's picking up a few cold calls here and there. Today some tourists up from Philadelphia. I leading them on a backcountry excursion up the Falls."

  "Excuse me, I believe I was asking the lady if she had plans," Gray said. He turned to me. "I don't have a job," he shrugged. "But the good news about that is that it means I can goof off.”

  As I watched, a heavy moment passed between Cal and Gray, where they both looked at each other, and then looked away and I had no idea what the hell was going on until Gray suddenly broke the silence. "I hear the Falls are completely frozen-over because it's been so damn ass cold."

  I clapped my hands together. "Oh I love when that happens! But it's kind of early in the season isn't it?"

  "Global warming or climate change or whatever, getting more extreme around here."

  "Oh great, you mean winters are gonna suck even harder here?" I wondered.

  "Probably," he shrugged. "But may as well take advantage of it. You want to go see?"

  I nodded. "I'd love to," I said. But when I saw the expression on Cal's face, I wondered if I'd just made a big mistake.

  Chapter Eleven

  Callum

  The woman stopped and pushed up her pink headband. "And what kind of tree is this?" she asked, stabbing at the trunk with her pink ski pole.

  I stopped and looked behind me. "I have no idea," I sighed. "There are no leaves on it."

  She blinked and looked upward. "Can't you tell by like, the bark pattern or something."

  "I told you," I said, gritting my teeth to keep the smile on my face. "I'm not that kind of tour guide." I pointed with my pole up the steep grade. "We still have quite a bit of a ways to go, so..."

  But her husband had caught up with us by now and was peering upward as well. "It's probably an oak tree, Marie," he said. "You can tell by the spread of the crown."

  "Do you really think so? I'm not sure, can you reach for my guidebook? It's in the front pocket of my pack."

  "There's nothing here," he said, tugging at the zipper.

  "You're not even looking," she complained

  "Yes I am, and there's no book here."

  "Of course there is, I remember packing it with my very own two hands, Tim."

  "Well there's no guidebook here, Marie, and I'm telling you this is an oak. I wish you would just listen and take my word for it sometime."

  "I would, except you've been wrong too many times..."

  "Excuse me," I broke in. The two of them whirled to stare at me like they had forgotten I was there. "You asked me to get you to the top of the falls in time to get some good photographs. We're going to lose daylight if we stay here like this."

  The two of them grumbled, but repositioned their cross-country skis, and made to follow me.

  Cross-country skiers were the worst. Of all the tours I'd run, I'd found them to be the most finicky. It seemed to be a matter of equipment. Hikers, with just their boots and packs were less of a pain in my ass then skiers with their myriad of straps and poles and boots and goggles.

  Of course, they were also the ones that paid the best. And backcountry cross-country tours were my bread and butter during the winter months, so I had to suck it up and deal with them, even though I looked like an idiot on skis.

  I pushed ahead, putting up a punishing pace, forcing some distance between me and their squabbling. All day long, throughout this entire tour I’d been in a state of high piss-off, even before they started asking me questions about the flora and fauna of the region t
hat I had no possible answer to. In fact, that rage had been boiling in my chest since yesterday.

  Ever since the McCabe's Christmas party.

  The forced exertion was working, and soon Marie and her fat husband fell silent, too short of breath to ask any more stupid questions about the local wildlife. I was pushing them to get to the top of the southern ridge, the roundabout back way to get to the top of Reckless Falls. These two, of course were not the type to go the easy route, which was to park at the base of the Falls and walk up. No, I had to take them down the winding trail that followed Reckless Creek, periodically crossing over in the places where the ice was strong enough to hold. It was a stupidly long and roundabout way, but the end result was always worth it. The gully widened, and I heard Marie catch her breath. And even though I'd been a simmering cauldron of anger all day long, I couldn't help but smile with pride. Yeah, bitch, they don't have views like this where you're from, do they? This is my home, this is my hometown and from this angle it's pretty much perfect.

  Ahead of us was the top of the Falls, and spread out below that was the view the town was famous for. Two humped mountains curve down into a scooped out bowl filled with the narrow ribbon of the lake. Reckless Creek dove down to meet it in three exuberant leaps, the falls from which the town took its name. But right now, they were completely iced over, a shimmering chandelier. With the sun diving low behind Whaleback Mountain, the angle was just perfect to set the whole thing glittering like some kind of fairyland.

  "Oh," Marie said breathlessly. "This is very nice."

  I pushed off to the side so as not to ruin their pictures, and kicked off my skis. Then walked closer to the edge.

  Below me, two figures were moving along the lower trail. My heart didn't know whether to sink or rise upon spotting Harper's bright green jacket.

  Gray and Harper picked their way carefully along the trail, pausing every so often to point at the frozen-over falls. They didn't seem to be doing anything more than talking, a fact that made me inordinately glad. But when Gray reached behind him to help Harper over a slippery patch, holding her hand for far longer than was necessary, I couldn't suppress the low growl in my throat. I had the sudden urge to reach down and pack a snowball and chuck it at him from way up here.

  Gray was still holding her hand as they emerged breathlessly at the top. He was my best friend. He'd been in love with her forever. He deserved to be happy with her, to have something good happen in his otherwise shitty life.

  I shoved my hands in my pockets. That's it, I told myself. I'm done. I'm not going to try this anymore. I've made up my mind. Gray and Harper should be happy together, and I shouldn't stand in the fucking way. I'm not going to stand in the fucking way.

  But when she got close enough to see me, and her green eyes lit up like emerald fire, I realized there was no way I was ready to let her go.

  Chapter Twelve

  Grayson

  I knew it. I absolutely knew that Cal was bringing his tour up here. It'd been in the back of my head the whole time.

  But after a truly spectacular hike with Harper, I could barely suppress the irritation I felt when I saw him waiting for us at the top of the falls.

  This was the third or fourth time in the past twenty-four hours that Cal had cock-blocked me, and I was starting to feel like it was deliberate.

  "Oh wow!" I cried, feigning delight. "Callum! It's so good to see you!"

  Cal shifted in his boots as I came charging towards him. There's nothing that gets under Cal's skin more quickly than when you invade his personal space, so of course I went right in for the back slapping hug, fawning all over him like we'd been separated for months rather than hours.

  "All right, what the hell are you doing?" Cal grumbled.

  "I'm saying hello to my friend!"

  "You're being a douche."

  I grinned. "Just because you don't know how to handle social interaction..."

  "I'm working," Cal sighed.

  "And I don't have a job!" I said throwing up my hands. "So I don't have to answer to anybody." I gestured at his outfit. "What's your excuse?"

  "Don't be a dick."

  "Since you taught me almost everything I know about social interaction, if I'm a dick, it's your fault."

  Cal grinned like I'd screwed up big time. "I said, I have a big dick. Not be a big dick."

  "Really Cal?" I said, looking over to make sure Harper was watching us. "Cause usually guys who are secure in their manhood don't have to declare that."

  Cal look flustered and I went in for the kill. "But then again, you must be pretty secure in your manhood to wear boots like that."

  Cal shifted and then stepped back from me looking down at his lumpy moon boots. "I'm working!" he hissed.

  "Skiing, right? Isn't that just the manliest of pursuits?"

  I grinned for Harper's benefit, but she was staring open-mouthed.

  It was just then that I realized that Cal's tour had come skiing up to us. The woman, an icy blonde dressed head to toe in pink, was staring at us slack-jawed. Her husband, a man with a face as pink as her jacket just looked like he wanted to kill me.

  I straightened up. "Merry Christmas!” I boomed. "Welcome to Reckless Falls! Don't forget to try one of our fantastic local restaurants for the real down-home experience!"

  Cal gave me the glare of death, and then pulled his cap down over his ears. The pink woman's mouth was pulled into a pretty impressive snit. She was about to say something, but her words were drowned out by the sound of Harper's hand smacking me in the shoulder. "What the hell are you doing?" she hissed. "You screwed things up for Cal!"

  I looked over to where he was skiing away with his tourists. But I heard some raised voices, and the pink woman was gesturing wildly with her arms, her ski poles dangling ridiculously off her wrists. In any other instance, I would be doubled over laughing, but I suddenly felt pretty shitty about embarrassing Cal while he was trying to work. "What the hell were you doing?" Harper asked, green eyes widening.

  I shrugged. Even if I could explain it, there is no way I could explain it to her. When it came to her, there just didn't seem to be a way for me to get my head on straight.

  After a few moments of me not answering, Harper threw up her hands. "Let's just go home," she sighed.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Harper

  I lay back on my parents’ guest bed and pulled the pillow over my eyes and just laid there, inhaling and exhaling for a second.

  On the first inhale, all I could smell was the scent of winter forest and my own exertion.

  But on the second inhale...there it was. Gray's smell. I wasn't sure what it was...it couldn't be cologne, or deodorant because he always smelled like it. It was unchanging. That warm, earthy undertone with just a hit of spice. It was faint, but it clung to my clothes, just from having been with him today.

  I closed my eyes, the better to concentrate on it, inhaling great lungfuls before it dissipated. But when I closed my eyes, I saw Cal's face there, behind my eyelids, his light eyebrows raised in greeting, his blue eyes crinkling just at the corners. It had been hours, but I could still feel the heavy weight of his arm as it slung over my shoulder, resting there easily, but possessively. I'd loved how he'd so calmly laid claim to me, and I couldn't help but notice the way Gray had reacted.

  I let out a sharp exhale and raised my hand to my shoulder, running my fingers along the line that I swore was still burned into my skin from Cal's touch. But when I inhaled again, Gray's scent filled my lungs, somehow even stronger than before, like he was laying silent claim to me and a moan of frustration escaped my lips when I realized once more that both of them laying claim to me was exactly what I wanted.

  Rolling over to the side, I squeezed my thighs together against the sudden ache between them. I wanted both of them touching me, the way they had both touched me last night, my body sandwiched between them, but I wanted so much more than last night.

  My eyes flew open. How much more? How far was I t
hinking of taking this, really? A crush on two guys at once was one thing, but actually wanting them both at the same time?

  But the second I allowed myself to think that thought, the downward rush washed over me, settling into a heavy ache at the base of my spine. I could hear the blood pumping through my veins now, a mad rush of desire that drowned out everything except the sound of my quickened breathing as my hand slipped between my legs.

  Both of them at the same time, what would that feel like? Hands all over my body, touching, squeezing, kneading. Two sets of lips kissing trails down my body, two mouths on my breasts, two of...everything. Would they be soft and gentle, taking slow deliberate care? Or would they tear my clothes off in a frenzy of desire? I knew what I wanted, as I let my finger slide inside of me. I wanted what I'd seen up at the top of the Falls. The two of them, unhinged, but instead of fighting over me, they were fucking me...

  Sharing me...

  The sudden wrench of my orgasm sent me gasping, my whole body arching upwards off the mattress like I'd been lifted by a string. My head thrashed from side to side and I buried my face into the pillow and screamed, and in my head I saw them, both of them, and I gripped the comforter in frustration.

  Fuck.

  Fucking...fuck.

  I was wrong. I was greedy, I was selfish but more than anything I was a fucking idiot. I lay there on my side, gasping until my breathing slowed, and then gasping for a different reason as I felt my chest squeezing tighter.

  How could I want this?

  What the hell was wrong with me?

  And worse, how could I want this from them? They were best friends. They were my friends.

  It wasn't right.

  It was so very, very wrong.

  This should have been one of the best days my life. Spending the day enjoying the fun of my town with the people I grew up with. The Polar Bear Plunge, the hike up the Falls, those were the kinds of things I'd treasure when I left here.

  But all day long had been suffused with this weirdness between Callum and Grayson.