“What would we need in the kitchen?” Tate asked, drawing her into the discussion after they’d demolished the pudding. “If you were to work in a lodge kitchen, what would you serve for meals and what things are necessities?”
“You’d use a generator for power?” she asked.
“Yes, we’d have a separate one for the kitchen. In a remote place like this, we’d need to have a backup,” Sax confirmed.
“You’d need a decent oven. A dishwasher and room enough to plate meals for twenty-five people. You’d need lots of storage for dry foods, canned foods and a decent sized freezer for frozen food. Probably a walk-in freezer since there are no handy shops.”
Sax jotted down her requirements, and drowsy contentment flooded Kendall. She yawned. “We should do the dishes.”
“Ran and I will do them,” Sax offered. “Kendall, do you need the outhouse? Tate will escort you.”
“Yes please.” She didn’t care if he listened to her taking care of business. She’d rather that than going out in the dark alone.
“Dress in warm clothes,” Tate suggested. “It will be cold out there.”
He wasn’t wrong. A shiver whipped down her spine as chilly fingers of cold slapped her bare face and fingers as they exited the cabin.
“Wait.” Tate grasped her upper arm to halt her. “Let me go first. We don’t want any creatures to surprise us.”
Kendall nodded, another tremor speeding through her. An owl hooted somewhere in the distance.
“We’re good,” Tate said cheerfully. “But go fast. It’s cold out here.” He rubbed his hands together.
“No kidding.” Kendall opened the door of the outhouse. “It’s dark in here.”
“There’s a light to the right. Wait, let me get it for you.” Tate flicked the switch and a dim light highlighted the spider webs in the corner.
“Thanks.” Kendall used the facility and bundled back into her clothes. “You’d better hope I don’t need the loo during the middle of the night because I’ll wake you.”
“Deal,” he said.
Kendall had wondered if the sleeping arrangements might be awkward, but Sax and Ran took the top bunks, and she and Tate took a bottom bunk each. She lay in the darkness, listening to one of the men breathing so deep, the sound came close to a snore. Her excess curves should keep her warm, but no. Now that she was in bed, she lay awake, shivering instead of succumbing to the fatigue that pulled at her.
“What’s wrong?” Tate whispered.
“I’m so cold, I can’t sleep,” she murmured, trying not to wake Sax and Ran.
“I’m warm. Come and cuddle with me.”
“Are you sure?”
“I can’t go to sleep with you wriggling like a worm in a tizzy.”
She didn’t hesitate and jumped out of the bottom bunk to join Tate. He shifted over, making a spot for her. She crawled onto the bunk and a wash of body heat spread across her chilled skin.
“How are you so warm?”
“Genetics,” he said.
She’d stripped down to her T-shirt, which was long enough to cover her butt, and for comfort, she’d removed her bra. Right now, her nipples signaled her chilly state, but she didn’t care. She pressed against Tate’s chest, and he drew the covers over them before wrapping her in a tight embrace.
“Do I get a kiss of thanks,” he whispered against her ear.
She turned her head and aimed a kiss at his jaw.
“No, I want a sexy one like the kiss you gave Sax.”
Kendall tensed.
“Hey.” Warm air tickled her ear. “You’re safe with me.”
“I’m more worried for your wellbeing,” she blurted, aware of his hard chest and muscular thighs entwined with hers.
“Why? What are you intending to do with me?”
Kendall hesitated. “I haven’t been this close to a man for months. Well, over a year, actually.”
“And sex?”
“No.”
Tate’s hands tightened on her shoulders. “I could fix that for you.”
Kendall sucked in a rapid breath and eased it out. Good grief. She was considering taking him up on his offer. “No, Sax and Ran are above us. They’ll hear.”
A snore came from the bunk overhead.
“No, we’re safe,” Tate whispered. “Just let me touch you. I’ve imagined your luscious breasts. How they’d feel against my tongue, how they’ll taste.”
“Oh.”
Tate’s hand—his warm hand—crept beneath the hem of her T-shirt. He ran it over her hip while she struggled with her need for his touch. She was a good girl, but right now, she wanted to be so bad.
“You’ve tensed up,” Tate murmured.
“What will you and your brothers say about me tomorrow?”
Tate’s hand halted. Don’t fuck this up. His brothers were counting on him. Don’t fuck this up.
He needed to reassure her, let her know all three of them liked her. A lot. That was the easy part because the next steps were even more difficult, considering she was a human. They needed to talk her in to accompanying them around the world on their various jobs and inform her they were polar bear shifters. Well, Sax was half polar bear, which gave him the advantage of better hearing, decent vision and his body dealt with the cold better than a human. His oldest brother had never shifted.
“Come out to the lounge and we can talk without waking my brothers.”
“It’s cold.”
“I’ll stoke the fire, and we’ll make a bed out there,” Tate said. “Please.” With his exceptional sight, he saw her staring at him, try to read his expression. “Do you trust me?”
“Yes.” She didn’t hesitate, and his confidence grew.
He could do this.
“Then let’s talk,” he whispered, aware his brothers were listening, in spite of the fake snore. Ran was probably bursting himself while trying to remain silent.
He rolled Kendall away from him and cupped the top of her head as she stood, silently reminding her they were in a bottom bunk. Rapidly, he climbed off the bunk, heedless of his nakedness. He figured since Kendall must’ve already noticed his lack of clothing when they cuddled, he’d stay that way.
“Come on.” Tate claimed her hand and after pulling a blanket free, he tugged her from the bedroom.
The embers in the fireplace still glowed, and Tate stoked the fire. While Kendall pulled the blanket around herself, he tugged the cushion pads off the couch. It didn’t worry him sleeping on the floor but the unforgiving surface might bother Kendall.
Tate gestured at the makeshift bed and waited while Kendall settled.
“Sax, Ran and I work in some isolated places. We’ve told you this already. Because of the remoteness, we don’t meet a lot of women. That doesn’t worry us because we love what we do, and in between jobs, we have plenty of time to make up for the lack. In all this time, none of us have met a woman we’ve liked enough to keep.
“Marie’s house was bothering Sax, so we came straight from Costa Rica to Churchill, and we met you on the plane. We were—are—all attracted to you. You’re pretty. Curvy. You’re intelligent. And, you don’t have dollar signs in your eyes. We weren’t sure how to proceed because each of us liked you at first sight. Then, we met Fiona and learned about her and the Swenson brothers. It changed things. Gave us new possibilities.”
“You want to share me?”
Tate paused, worried he’d messed up. Her tone told him nothing, and he had to shove down his frustration while searching for the right words. “Only if you agree. We don’t intend to force ourselves on you. Man, I’m talking you to death. Can we get back to the kissing?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you, God,” Tate said with passion.
A snigger drifted from the bedroom but Tate ignored it. He was the winner in this scenario even if he was offering comedy entertainment for his brothers.
Tate reclined next to Kendall and drew her close. A sweet armful of woman. She had taken on a polar be
ar fragrance. Of family. Her soap and shampoo held a citrus scent that suggested the outdoors. Thankfully, she didn’t wear other perfume.
“Should I take off my clothes too?”
“I’d like that very much. Does that mean we’re doing more than kissing?” Tate asked, holding his breath.
“I’d like that very much,” she repeated back to him, a thread of humor in the words.
He smiled and wondered if he might get to use that condom in his billfold. While polar bear shifters—most shifters, from what he’d heard—didn’t have disease worries, he wouldn’t want Kendall to get pregnant at this early date.
Tate paused. Children. He was considering children, and that made him realize how serious he was about a relationship with Kendall. What if she chose one of them? One happy brother and two unhappy…
No! That couldn’t happen.
“Let’s get you naked then.”
“I’m nervous. I’m not slim.”
“My brothers and I aren’t interested in slim. Your curves attracted us straightaway. We’re big men, and we don’t want to crush you. We want a healthy woman. You shouldn’t listen to whoever is filling your head with skinny thoughts. Fiona has curves. You’ve seen the way the Swenson brothers adore her.”
“You’re right,” Kendall said. “I’ll try not to mention diets again. Instead, I’ll focus on exercise and eating a balanced diet. Mostly healthy with the odd chocolate bar or pizza.”
“And the sexy lady gets a prize.” Tate whipped her T-shirt over her head. “Panties too.”
She hesitated before nodding. Seconds later, she was naked.
“Look at you,” he breathed. “Beautiful breasts that overflow my hands. Soft. So soft.” He pushed her flat with a gentle hand and ran his forefinger around her areola. “Pink nipples. I bet if I sucked on them, they’d turn a pretty raspberry red.” Unable to resist, he dipped his head to take a taste. A groan slipped free as he nibbled the globe of one weighty breast. When her hand tangled in his hair, some of his tension seeped from his shoulders. Instead of heading straight for her nipple, he kissed the side of her breast. He licked the hollow at her throat, tormenting himself.
“Tate,” she protested. “You’re teasing me.”
“I’m paying homage.” The truth. “Nothing but the truth. The men where you live must be blind and stupid.”
“I work long hours too,” Kendall said. “There’s not much time for relationships. Ooh, I like that.”
He sucked on her neck again and used the rougher play of his teeth to tease a reaction from her. She shuddered as he repeated the move, and he soothed the sting with the slow slide of his tongue.
Kendall’s eager response pushed arousal through him, his cock becoming painfully hard. Tate crawled over Kendall, no longer hiding his erection.
He rubbed the head of his dick over her leg. “See what you do to me?”
“Good,” she said, surprising him. “We’re both with the program.”
Yep. That was laughter coming from the bedroom. In the past, his brothers listening and maybe critiquing his performance would’ve had him nervous. But now, they’d found Kendall, and she made all the difference. She made Tate imagine the future and how it might be. He liked that vision.
Children. A true family, and one of his—their—choosing.
Tate put all those thoughts into a kiss. The passion that simmered inside him. The desire for a future, stability, and happiness.
Kendall gripped his shoulders and clung, participating fully in their kiss. Their tongues tangled and her breasts flattened against his chest. Their legs brushed.
Full body contact.
His heart thundered as they parted their mouths and stared at each other.
Her brow wrinkled. “Why are we stopping?”
“Do you want to?”
“No.”
“Why don’t I let you take the lead?” he suggested.
She gave a wide smile. “You’d let me touch you, explore your body?”
“Have at it. I’m not shy.” Tate grinned as another snort emerged from the bedroom. The truth—he had no shame. Sax often said in a dry voice that confidence should’ve been Tate’s middle name.
Kendall pushed at his chest and he levered upward, allowing her to wriggle free.
“Lie there,” she ordered. “I like your muscles. Your chest.” She traced her fingers over his pectoral muscles, her touch light and innocent. But it was as if she’d prodded him with a live wire. Sensations tore through his body, and he had to fight not to tumble her beneath him and take over this seduction.
“I have other interesting places to explore.” His bear rumbled, and he hoped he didn’t scare Kendall. He closed his eyes, confident they glowed more amber than blue. His bear coming to the surface.
Another snort came from the bedroom, and for a moment, Tate wished he was here alone with Kendall. No, that was selfish of him. Sax and Ran had stood aside to allow him this time with their woman.
A chuff escaped him, his bear agreeing with his assessment. Kendall belonged to them, and all they had to do was persuade her to think of them as a unit. He’d been honest and pitched the idea, and so far, she hadn’t fled.
Kendall ducked her head and licked his chest. Her tongue worried one of his nipples while her hands wandered lower.
“At least a six-pack.” Her finger bumped over his rib cage and belly.
“Could you explore lower?” he asked in a harsh voice.
“Yes,” she whispered, but she didn’t follow his suggestion. Instead, her breasts caressed his stomach while her mouth tested his muscles. Gradually, she kissed and nibbled her way south. Her mouth was hot, the weight of her breasts against his skin teasing and thrilling. Agony of the sweetest kind. “You’re beautiful. Men aren’t supposed to be beautiful.”
“Good genes,” he mumbled. “You’re proceeding too slowly. Are you trying to drive me crazy?”
“Oh, good. It’s working.”
A fine sheen of sweat broke out on his brow. His muscles flexed and rippled as her hand grazed his dick. His hips strained upward in a silent plea, and finally, finally, her fingers curled around his shaft. Tate’s eyes opened a fraction, just enough for him to get a visual. She increased the friction, and the up and down motion of her hand had him cursing under his breath.
“I have a condom in my billfold.”
Her hand stilled, which wasn’t the outcome he’d envisaged at all.
“Kendall?”
She eyed him, a secret smile stretching across her lips. “Not yet.”
“Soon?” His tone was a hairsbreadth from begging, and he’d bet his two brothers were squirming and aroused as much as he. They doubtlessly laughed too.
Kendall dipped her head and surrounded the head of his cock with her mouth. Tate moaned, the heat rampaging through him, destroying his frayed control. It had been a while, and this was Kendall. One innocent touch from her was worth ten of a more experienced woman. Each soft, tormenting stroke drove him closer to orgasm.
Her mouth released him with a popping sound. “Where is your wallet? I mean billfold.”
“Funny, I thought you’d be shy,” he said.
“No, I like sex. I like you. I did even before you told me what you and your brothers want of me.”
“Back to the liking sex bit. Why don’t you have a boyfriend? I mean, look at you. You’re gorgeous with your blonde hair and blue eyes.”
“Some of it is my fault. I work long hours and that doesn’t leave time for romance. I’m fussy about who I sleep with.” She hesitated, gnawing her bottom lip. “My family has land and there is the title thing. That sometimes attracts the wrong man. I’ve been burned before by a man who preferred money to me. It was a lucky escape.”
“What happened?”
“I was working late, but there was a power cut and we closed the restaurant early. I caught him in bed with one of my friends. She was skinny and beautiful and the woman my boyfriend preferred. She didn’t have supposed mo
ney in her background.”
“I’m sorry,” Tate said. “We’re not after your money.”
“It’s family money, not mine,” she corrected. “And we’re cash poor since everything is tied up in the land and the business. The only money I have is what I’ve earned myself. Wallet,” she reminded him with an impish grin.
“It’s in the bedroom. I’ll get it for you.”
Kendall backed off, allowing Tate to rise.
“Lie there and part your legs,” he instructed. “I want you to stroke yourself while I get the condom, but don’t let yourself come.”
“Yes, Tate,” she said in a prim voice.
“This side of you is appealing. I like it.”
“You genuinely enjoy my body. You’re not spinning me a line just to get into my panties. I can tell, and that is so hot. It makes me more confident.”
“Good. I’ll be right back.” Tate strode toward the bedroom but stopped to glance over his shoulder. Kendall had her hand between her legs. Her other hand was tweaking and tugging on one nipple. Tate let out a low groan. He needed that condom now.
Tate slipped into the bedroom and Ran handed him a condom.
“Good job.” Sax patted him on the back. “She’s not that shy.”
“No, she’s perfect,” Ran said.
“I’m sorry you’re missing out.”
“No, don’t apologize,” Ran contradicted his twin. “I wouldn’t, and you shouldn’t either. We agreed to this plan. Enjoy your time with Kendall, bro. We’ll have our turn soon.”
“What Ran said,” Sax agreed. “But I’m bloody glad you took Kendall out to the other room. You’d better go before she comes looking for you and finds us awake.”
“Thanks,” Tate whispered and exited the bedroom.
Kendall lay where he’d left her, the flames dappling her naked body with shadows and light. Tate’s footsteps slowed as he took a moment to appreciate the view. A low moan escaped her, and Tate smiled. He’d learned Kendall knew what she wanted. Her reserved manner was more a need to protect herself rather than inhibition.
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