“Oh?”
Mischief shone in Fiona. “Use lots of lube.”
13 Polar Bears On The Tundra
Sax and his brothers were waiting for her when she finished work the next day.
“Hi.” Kendall waved, shyness bursting through her.
“What? No hello kiss,” Ran demanded.
Kendall scanned the area and since she saw no one, she laughed and jumped at Ran. He took half a step back before his feet planted and his arms wrapped around her shoulders. His lips brushed hers before he settled in to kiss her senseless. She moaned against his mouth and curled her fingers around his biceps. A second set of hands spanned her hips and pressed against her back. Lips caressed the base of her neck, and a shiver of delight ran through her.
Ran ended the kiss and her eyes popped open, longing still simmering inside her. Streaks of pleasure fired her breasts and when she squeezed her thighs together, the sensation intensified. Sax smiled at her, approached and stole a kiss while both Ran and Tate crowded her from behind. They tasted her. Tormented her with sweet agony.
It seemed as if the kiss continued for a lifetime, yet it was only seconds. Tate kissed her next, and she wondered if her knees would hold her upright when they released her. It also made her realize how things could be between them. They made her feel worthy. Attractive. Wanted.
She didn’t require her mother and the rest of the family to organize her life.
She could do it by herself and with much more success.
“We wondered if you and Fiona would like to drive out to the tundra with us for a few hours. If we’re lucky, we might see polar bears or foxes. Maybe a moose or an owl. How does that sound? Or was there something else you’d prefer to do this afternoon before you have dinner with Sax?” Tate asked.
“I’d love to see a polar bear,” Kendall said.
Ran and Tate grinned.
Ran winked at her. “I’m sure we can find one somewhere.”
“Is it likely to snow again?” Kendall asked.
“Not today.” Ran studied the sky. “The sun has melted most of the snow left from the storm.”
“So are we going to the tundra?” Tate demanded.
“Yes,” she said. “I’d like to change first. Should I ring Fiona?”
“We’ll call her on the way there,” Sax promised.
“I get to sit in the back seat with Kendall.” Ran darted in front of his brother.
Kendall laughed as Tate sprinted after Ran. The pair scuffled, pushing and shoving at each other before Ran jerked open the rear door.
“Come, sugar. Your vehicle awaits,” Ran said.
“If I can’t cuddle with Kendall, then I’m driving,” Tate declared.
Sax shook his head at his younger brothers’ shenanigans and headed to the front passenger seat.
Kendall slid into the rear seat and Ran tugged her against his side.
“I’ll call Fiona.” Kendall rang her friend. “She’d love to come with us. She has finished her cover and wants to clear her head.”
Ran’s presence stopped further pondering about her camera battery and its level of charge. He tugged her scrunchie and loosened her hair. “That’s better.” His nostrils flared. “Did you make chocolate chip cookies today?”
“How do you know?”
“I get a whiff of chocolate and you have a touch of flour on your cheek.”
Kendall wiped her cheeks on instinct.
“You’re beautiful,” he whispered and stopped her next words with a kiss. The slow slide of his tongue danced frissons of excitement through her. They kissed with increasingly urgent hunger. Kendall wriggled closer until her breasts brushed his chest. It wasn’t close enough.
“Shush,” Ran whispered. “We have plenty of time.” His voice held a smoky quality that made her wish for a flat surface, for privacy.
Her phone rang, and she groaned when Ran straightened, parting their bodies. Kendall glanced at her phone. Her brother, and it wasn’t difficult to guess what he wanted to discuss. Kendall hesitated and in a fit of bravado, she switched off her phone.
“Are you not going to answer that?” Ran asked.
“It’s my brother. I’ll call him later.” Or not.
They made a quick stop for Kendall to change and grab her camera and a spare battery, then she and Fiona piled into the rear seat with Ran.
“What are the chances of us seeing a polar bear?” Kendall asked.
“Pretty good,” Tate said as he drove away from the town. “I’d say at least ninety percent.”
“That high,” Fiona chirped.
The road changed, becoming more pitted and full of potholes. During the helicopter ride, she’d noticed the barrenness, but the land held beauty not noticeable from the air. Yellow flowers dotted the grasslands to their left. Seabirds wheeled overhead, and Kendall glimpsed the sea for a few seconds.
“That’s the Hudson Bay.” Fiona pointed out the curving, rocky bay. “During the winter, the waters freeze over, allowing the polar bears to go out on the sea ice to hunt seals.”
“A red fox,” Sax said.
Tate stopped the vehicle when the fox halted in the middle of the road. “You can get out and take photos.”
Kendall needed no urging. She zoomed in on the fox and snapped several photos. During the afternoon, they saw an owl in its summer plumage, some birds Tate and Ran called ptarmigan and several hares, but not one polar bear.
“The trees out on the tundra look weird.” Kendall stared at the crooked trees that were more puny branches than leaves. If a person came upon one of these grotesque trees on a dark night, who knew what terror the shape might inspire.
“It’s the northwesterly prevailing wind. The trees lean and only grow on one side,” Sax said.
Kendall took two photos of the trees before they continued on, driving across the tundra. Shallow lakes dotted the landscape, fuller than usual because of the snowmelt, Ran informed her.
“Where are the polar bears?” Kendall asked, disappointed, although she had months to see a polar bear before her visitor visa expired.
“In places we’re not,” Fiona teased.
“I’m not complaining,” Kendall said. “Not really. We’ve seen a lot today, and we saw bears from the helicopter.”
“I need to water a bush,” Tate announced. “Too much coffee this morning.”
“We can stop at that rise. The bushes are thicker there,” Sax suggested.
“We’ll look in the other direction,” Kendall promised, grinning. Most guys turned their backs and did their business.
“I’ll go too,” Ran declared.
“Well, don’t get eaten by a polar bear,” Kendall said.
“Aw, are you worried about us, babe?” Ran asked.
“I’m looking forward to a meal I haven’t cooked myself.” She attempted to restrain a smile. “You promised me dinner before sex.”
Ran whooped. “Did you hear that? I’m getting sex tomorrow night.”
“Kendall might change her mind,” Sax said drily while Fiona laughed and laughed until tears ran down her cheeks.
Kendall’s face heated, but she found herself laughing with Fiona because Ran wasn’t trying to be smarmy. Instead, delight pulsed off him along with excitement and flirtation.
Ran and Tate spoke loudly as they disappeared from sight. “Are you there, Mr. Polar Bear?” one of them demanded in a singsong voice.
Sax glanced back at her and Fiona. “I have to apologize for my younger brothers. They are adults, truly.”
“It’s okay,” Kendall replied. “Fiona, I’ve seen them in adult mode. It’s true.”
Fiona’s mouth widened, and she cried in delight before pointing out the window. “Look. Polar bears. Two of them.”
Sax muttered about rambunctious brothers before staring in the direction Fiona was pointing. Kendall looked too, and a shriek escaped her. She clapped her hand over her mouth.
“It should be safe enough to get out of the vehicle,” Sax sa
id. “You can take photos while standing in front of the SUV.”
Fiona jumped out, and Kendall followed suit at a slower pace. She supposed Sax knew what to do since he’d lived in Churchill. Sax joined her and Fiona.
The two polar bears weren’t white as she’d pictured but were more of a vanilla color, and they were massive. They charged each other and reared on their hind legs. Kendall raised her camera and took a video along with dozens of photos.
“They’re playing,” Sax said. “Not truly fighting. They look like young male polar bears, and like all youngsters, they can be stupid.” He raised his voice for this last part while Fiona giggled.
“Where are Tate and Ran?” Kendall asked. “They’re missing the show.”
Fiona sent Sax a laughing look. “I’m sure they’re watching from wherever they went.”
“Undoubtedly,” Sax replied, his tone dry.
The two bears wrestled and played for almost ten minutes before one of them shook himself and ran off, out of sight. The remaining bear turned and stared—almost like a rubbernecker at an accident—before ambling after the first bear.
“We should get back in the vehicle in case the bears wander in this direction,” Sax said.
Back in the rear seat with Fiona, Kendall scrolled through her photos. “Don’t polar bears have brown eyes? These have blue.”
“Some Churchill bears have blue,” Fiona explained.
Kendall frowned. “That’s weird. I didn’t read that in the guidebook.”
Ran and Tate arrived at a jog.
“Did you see the bears?” Ran asked, slightly breathless.
“We did.” Sax grinned. “They had blue eyes.”
“They what?” Tate settled in the driver’s seat. “I thought polar bears were meant to have brown. How peculiar.”
“That’s what I thought,” Kendall replied. “Fiona said some have blue, and it’s not unusual around Churchill.”
“It must be a recessive gene thing,” Ran decided. “Did you get photos? Can I see?”
“Oh, brother,” Sax muttered.
Fiona giggled. “I’m hungry. Are we heading back now?”
“Yes,” Sax said. “That okay with you, Kendall?”
“Sure.” She’d enjoyed their outing.
“We’ll drive past the old fort on the way back.” Tate backed up and turned toward Churchill.
Kendall watched the scenery, supremely aware of Ran at her side. He slung his arm around her shoulders and tugged her closer, his cheeky grin daring her to object. Kendall went one better and kissed his neck. With great daring, she ran her tongue around the shell of his ear, and he shuddered.
“Until tomorrow night,” she whispered before retreating a fraction.
Ran turned to her, and for an instant, she was sure she saw a flash of gold in his eyes. When she blinked and refocused, blue eyes stared at her with sensual promise.
“I can’t wait,” he murmured, and she turned hot all over.
Kendall considered her situation. She intended to sleep with three men. Three brothers. The idea should horrify her and send her running in the opposite direction. Yet it seemed she’d turned into a bad, bad girl the moment she’d left England. And for once, she intended to embrace her inner bad girl because it felt right and natural. She was an adult, and she didn’t have to follow her family’s edicts any longer.
* * * * *
Sax picked her up from Fiona’s place a tad after six. This time, she’d prepared for an overnight stay, and she had her work clothes for the following day, a change of underwear and a few toiletries. She’d brought her phone, but after calculating the time difference, hadn’t switched it back on yet. Ran and Tate knew she was with Sax as did Fiona. They’d ring Sax if they needed to contact her.
“Would you like to drive to the beach before we head to the hotel?” Sax asked.
“I didn’t bring my camera.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll take photos next time,” Sax promised.
“What are your brothers doing tonight?”
“They’re completing the finishing touches at the house, dragging the beds back into the bedrooms and assembling the new one we ordered. The kit set came in on a cargo plane this afternoon.”
The beach would never make the list of top ten tourist attractions since there was no sand. Stones covered the shore and crunched under their feet as they picked their way through larger rocks.
“Is this all ice during the winter?” Kendall asked, finding it hard to imagine.
“It is, and the ice is thick enough for vehicles to drive over. Specialized vehicles,” he added.
“How cold does it get in Churchill?”
“Very. Minus thirty at times. Your eyes can freeze shut in an instant.”
“I can’t imagine it being that cold.” Kendall shivered and rubbed her arms. “How do people live in those sorts of temperatures?”
“They breed them tough up here,” Sax explained.
They ambled to the edge of the waves and stopped. The wind tugged Kendall’s hair, making it swirl and dance around her head. Sax’s hand clasped hers, and happiness filled her. Contentment. The emotion slid over her like a comforting embrace. In Devon, she always felt on edge, especially since her grandfather had died.
Churchill and the Hallsten brothers had abraded the stressful edges she’d carried with her from home, letting her relax and enjoy life for a change.
She turned to Sax and smiled. “Thank you for bringing me here. Where I live in Devon isn’t far from the sea. A walk on the beach with fish and chips afterward is one of my favorite things to do on my day off.” She wrinkled her nose. “Not that I get many of those.”
“We could order room service tonight, so we can kick back and relax. I know they have fish on the menu. It’s a local fish.”
“That sounds lovely. Maybe we could watch a movie too.”
Sax tugged on her hand, and they walked back to the vehicle. “I’m sure I can arrange a movie. I have a few phone calls to make to our team. Is that okay with you?”
“I can amuse myself for a while.”
“Actually, you could do us a favor. If you were the chef at the lodge, what sort of menu would you suggest for week-long visits? We’ll pay you for your input.”
Sax opened the passenger door for her. Once she was inside the vehicle, he closed the door and rounded the hood.
“You don’t need to pay me. You, Ran, and Tate have run me to and from Fiona’s home, you’ve taken me sightseeing and bought me meals. I’d like to do this for you. It’s fun to be asked. I like a challenge.”
“Thank you.” Sax kissed her cheek.
“I thought you needed to organize building permits and that sort of thing.”
“When I checked, I discovered that Gunnar had already done that. All we need to do is submit our plan and start building.”
“Why didn’t your father tell you this?”
Sax shrugged. “Gunnar does his own thing, but he did put some other details in a letter he left for us. He’s never been around much and disappears for months at a time. Ran, Tate and I haven’t seen him for years.”
“Sometimes I could do without seeing my family,” Kendall blurted.
Sax started the SUV and headed back to town. “Oh?”
“They—my mother and grandmother—seem to forget I’m a functioning adult.”
“You don’t get on with your mother?”
“Short visits work best for me.”
“Is that the reason you keep turning off your phone?”
“You noticed that, huh?”
“Yes.” Sax parked at the rear of the inn. “Let’s order dinner then kick back with a drink while I make my phone calls.”
“Do you have pen and paper for me to start my lists?”
Sax leaned over and kissed her—a brief touch of lips—before he pulled back and smiled. “I’m sure I can arrange that. I’ll grab your bag.”
Sax’s room held the requisite queen bed, a round table with
two chairs—the perfect size for an intimate dinner—one red armchair with a slate-gray cushion and a television attached to the wall. A door, currently closed, indicated the en suite beyond. Not bad for a hotel at the end of the world. Her mother’s words, not Kendall’s insulting description of Churchill.
Sax retrieved a notepad and a pack of pens from his suitcase. “Would you like the chair or the bed? And some music?”
“Sure, as long as it won’t interfere with your phone calls.” Kendall propped up the pillows and settled in comfort on the bed. Soon, the sensual tones of a saxophone filled the room. Kendall chose a purple pen and started scribbling menu and equipment notes.
A knock on the door announced the arrival of a bottle of red wine and a beer for Sax. He tipped the waiter and sent him on his way. Sax poured her a glass of wine and set it on the bedside cabinet for her, within easy reach.
Kendall sipped her Merlot and continued with her lists. She considered the possible menu and decided fresh produce might be in short demand. She jotted a note about a small hothouse to produce lettuce and radishes and perhaps herbs such as basil. Maybe even tomatoes, although canned tomatoes were as good. It would be autumn. Salads weren’t a cold weather thing, but they would add to the presentation if used as a garnish. Her list building continued, and it surprised her when another knock on the door heralded dinner. The time had flown.
Sax stretched before answering the door and waited while the waiter fussed and set out their meals.
“Are you ready to eat?”
Her stomach growled, and she laughed. “I guess I am.”
Sax poured more wine for her and a glass for himself. “Your fish and fries look good, but I’ve been craving meat.” He nodded at his steak. “I’ve eaten more steak in the last week than I’ve eaten in months.”
That started a conversation about the food Sax and his brothers ate while they were on a job. Guinea pigs in South America and once, while they were in Turkey, they’d tried the local hangover food of a roasted sheep’s head.
“The locals eat everything from the brains and eyes to the tongue,” Sax said. “It’s all chopped up and sprinkled with herbs, which makes it difficult to know what you’re eating.”
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