“That’s awesome. I’m sure there’s a reason . . . but what does this have to do with what happened with us?”
Aubrey is slow in responding, and I can tell whatever he’s going to say next isn’t something he likes to talk about. He looks tired, drained from telling just that much of the story.
I place my hand over his heart, patting his chest softly. “Please? I want to understand, Aubrey. I want . . . this is hard, but I want to understand you. Us. This. And to do that, I have to know what you were going through, what happened.”
I’m shocked at my words. Us? Do I mean the ‘us’ of the past or now? I’m honestly not sure. Can there an ‘us’ again? Aubrey notices my words too and smiles softly.
“Do you remember that winter? The formal? God, you were so gorgeous. That was the happiest night of my life, baby.”
He might be stalling a little bit, but a chill goes down my spine at the word. Baby. I was Sweet Ana from the beginning, but Baby only after we said our I Love Yous. We share a smile, both in on the secret code of the nickname, the memories flooding back in a wash of warm fuzzies.
“Well, I remember thinking you looked so handsome in your tux. And that your jaw dropped open when you saw that my dress was strapless because I’d kept that a surprise. I loved the way your arm felt wrapped around my bare shoulders all night. The school gym actually looked nice, all sparkly twinkle lights and tulle draped from the rafters.”
I ramble on about that night as if it happened yesterday, the past fresh once again. “Oh, and hey, remember . . .”
I hear a soft snore above me.
“Aubrey?” I ask, looking up to see his eyes closed and his head cocked back.
He looks so pale and exhausted, and I realize I’m not going to get the rest of the story out of him. At least not tonight. That’s okay. I’ve waited this long. I can wait a bit longer, and we have time . . . but I know it’s not too much time before I have to leave.
The thought of going home, back to work and the city, hits me awkwardly. I would usually be excited about that prospect, but something about leaving Aubrey up here in the woods alone feels wrong.
Bright light pierces the veil of sleep I’m happily hiding behind, rousing me from a rather erotic dream. I grin, stretching long with a groan before peeking through hooded eyes at the still-snoring behemoth beneath me. His chest rumbles with every breath, rattling my cheek where it’s pressed to his muscles. I sigh happily, snuggling in for a moment before realizing that nature is calling. Urgently.
Trying to be quiet, I gently get out of bed and tiptoe to the bathroom to take care of business before sneaking back into the tempting warmth of the big bed with Aubrey. The movement rouses him and one brown eye pops open to glare at me. “What are you doing, woman? Get over here,” he says, grabbing at me.
I squawk, feigning to get away, but let him pull me back to his side. “Mmm, that’s better,” he says, tracing his fingertips along my arm and leaving a smattering of goosebumps in his wake. I return the favor, running my hand along his chest, down to his abs, exposed as the sheet has worked its way down and is barely covering his hips. Beneath the fine dusting of hair, I can feel the ridges of muscles, but also the occasional scar, just a few little lines here and there. But rather than mar the perfect sculpture of his abdomen, they add interest, and I want to hear the story that accompanies each one.
“I like this, waking up with you,” Aubrey says, his voice soft and sleepy. “You should just move your gear over here, stay with me every night, fall asleep after I fuck you senseless, cuddle all night, and wake up in my arms.”
I’ll admit I like the sound of that, but I goad him anyway. “Did you know you snore?” I ask quietly, a smile in my voice.
His chuckle vibrates as he confesses, “Yeah, not too bad though, hopefully. You sleep okay? Have sweet dreams about me, Sweet Ana?”
“Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t,” I tease back.
“Well, I definitely had some sweet dreams about you.” He shifts, and I can feel the hard line of his cock against my thigh.
The soft pillow talk feels good, comfortable. I think I’ll always be up for sex with Aubrey, but we should get back to where we were last night before sleep overtook us.
“Wanna hear about my dreams? I think you’ll like them.” Aubrey is already moving against me, warming me up and letting me think that maybe we can delay the conversation for a few minutes, considering we’ve got all day.
I open my mouth to answer, but a loud slam on the window causes us both to jump with surprise, and my heart pounds in my chest as I look out the window and see Brad’s face, smirking in an obvious ‘gotcha’ expression.
“Whoo! I knew I’d come up here and find you two up to some kinky shit. Well done, Ana. Well. Done,” he says loudly. “Hey, Trey! Come check this out!”
“Oh, my God!” I yell, blushing furiously with embarrassment. I hop up, grabbing the blanket and tossing it to cover Aubrey up, not wanting my brother or Brad to get a view of what Aubrey’s packing. I’m struck with a shot of possession . . . he’s mine, and I’m not sharing, not even a peek! The blanket lands somewhere over his head, turning the bed into a fuzzy mountain of knit cotton.
As I grab his shirt from the floor, pulling it over my head quickly, I look back at him, watching as he pulls the blanket from his head. He’s grinning like a loon. “Are you hiding me, Ana? Pretty sure that ship has sailed,” he laughs.
I cringe, but it’s with a smile. This is kind of ridiculous. Yeah, I’m totally busted, but I’m a grown woman. Trey has no right to give me shit about having a sex life. Of course, he will anyway. That’s what big brothers do. “Get some clothes on. I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?”
“To find that crossbow you showed me how to use. I’m not gonna kill him . . . just put an arrow in his ass. Maybe teach him a lesson about sneaking up on people and spying like a pervert.”
“Your voice may be full of vinegar, but I know you love Brad and won’t hurt him too badly . . . probably. Maybe. Hell, should I get dressed fast to save him?” He tries to get up, but it’s a slow process of staggered movements, pushing up from the bed and swinging his feet to the floor. Normally, I’d rush over to help him, but right now, I have bigger fish to fry.
I smirk evilly, telling Aubrey, “Just thank your lucky stars you’re not on the receiving end of my plotting right now. Maybe you should just stay there. You don’t want to see this.”
I stomp to the door, standing to my full height and my face hard. Using my no-nonsense tone, I demand, “What the hell are you guys doing here?”
Brad is standing with his hands on his hips, his delight at being correct surrounding him in an air of cockiness. “Bitch, you are sooooo busted.”
I look to Trey, who is eyeing me with raised brows. “Really, Ana?”
I sigh. “Well, guess you should come on in then.” I invite them into Aubrey’s cabin like it’s mine, like I have any right to do so. “Guess I’d better make some coffee.”
Brad laughs. “I think you already got your morning shot of wake-me-up, didn’t ya?”
Trey gives Brad a sharp look, but we can both see the tilt of Trey’s lips as he fights the grin. That’s one thing I can say for Brad. He makes my brother happy, makes him more chill and smiley. Right now, as much as I might smack Brad, I’m probably lucky he’s here to keep Trey from going too far into protective big brother mode.
“We came to check on you because you haven’t answered your phone. I was afraid you were dead in the woods somewhere, hoping for a rescue. Oh, I brought you another six-pack of that nasty soda you like, too,” Trey says.
“If you thought I was dead, why’d you bring me soda?” I say with a smile before telling him, “Thank you. For the soda.” I stick my tongue out at him like the brat he used to tease me about being when we were little, and he rolls his eyes.
From behind me, I hear the clunk-clunk-clunk of Aubrey coming into the room, dressed on his own, down to his b
oot. The nurse in me can’t help but feel a little guilty that I didn’t help him bandage his ankle, and I bite my lip, wondering if he did it properly. Or at all. Stubborn man.
He sits down at the table across from Trey, both of them eyeing each other up. “G’morning, guys. Good to see you.”
There’s a breath of anticipation in the air as Brad and I wonder what our guys are gonna do, but then Trey breaks the silence with a smile. “Just wanted to check in, make sure my baby sister was doing alright.” Okay, so maybe a bit of a veiled threat there, but Aubrey takes it mostly in stride.
Aubrey looks to me, his eyes working their way from my mess of hair, across my bare face, and down my chest before meeting mine with a big wink. “She’s looks just fine to me.” It’s bold and maybe even a bit confrontational, considering the compromising position we were just found in.
Trey looks at me with narrowed eyes, and between the two of them, I’ve had it. “That’s enough. I am fine, not that either of you actually seems to care while you’re busy puffing up at each other. Why don’t you both just whip ‘em out and see who’s bigger?” I say exasperatedly. I hear Brad’s intake of breath and stop him with a finger before he can say a word. “Nope, rewind. I take that back. Everyone with a penis, keep it in your pants.”
“Spoilsport!” Brad pouts.
Chapter 19
Aubrey
Once the verbal well is tapped, Ana and Trey start chattering back and forth, somewhere between bickering and catching up. It’s oddly sweet, the way they give each other shit, but you can tell that if either of them were threatened, they’d team up against the world.
I’m watching their verbal sparring when my phone rings. Ana looks surprised when I grab it from the nearby counter. It virtually never rings. That’s how I know without even looking that it’s Carlotta. She’s the only one who ever calls me nowadays.
I give a nod to Ana while she, Trey, and Brad catch up over an edited version of our last several days, heaving myself up. “Gotta take this call.” I limp outside to the back porch, dropping into the chair as I slide my thumb across the phone screen.
“Well finally,” Carlotta growls when I answer. “I was about ready come up there to check in since you weren’t answering. Wasn’t sure if you’d scared the poor girl off and were pouting or if she’d killed you for being a grumpy asshole. At least give me a few grunts and let me know what’s going on.”
I can’t help but smile . . . Carlotta’s reaction. If she’d walked in on Ana and me over the past few days, it would have left her shocked. “Well, hello to you too. I’m fine. I’m alive, and so is my guest.” I intentionally don’t give her the details she’s sniffing around for, knowing it’ll drive her nuts.
I can almost hear Car roll her eyes, and I definitely hear her sigh. “Great, so you’re alive and she’s still there. What’s the status?”
“What do you mean what’s the status?”
“With the girl, Aubrey!” Carlotta growls in exasperation. “Please tell me you’ve figured out your complicated shit with her. I don’t care if it’s with words or actions. Please say you’ve actually connected with a human being other than me.”
“Aww, I thought you liked being my person. My feelings are hurt,” I tease her, thinking that I’ve definitely connected with Ana through actions . . . several times over.
“Holy shit. Was that a joke? Mountain man recluse Aubrey just made a joke . . . about feelings. What is she, a fucking miracle worker?” Carlotta sounds incredulous as she teases me back.
I laugh a little. The banter with Car feels easy, unlike the usual way she begs me to lighten up and I shut her down with grunts. She’s right, Ana is changing me, quickly and for the better. But I can already feel that the rebound back from this time with her is gonna be a bitch when she goes home and I’m alone again. It never bothered me before, but now, it does sound lonely. “You’ve got an unhealthy interest in my private life. Worry about your own.” The dark thoughts have crept back into my voice a little and Car notices.
“Argh, you’re so infuriating!” Carlotta yells. “Get my hopes up that you might be an actual human being, just to shut that back down. But I’m guessing you’re making progress because you at least sound a little happier.”
“Just fine weather and good livin’. Does wonders for the spirit,” I say dismissively, hoping she’ll drop it. She has no idea just how right she is . . . but shit, I thought I was still in full-on asshole mode. Am I really sounding less grumpy?
“Whatever, asshole. It’s fine if you don’t want to share. But just listen.” I’m quiet for a moment, so she takes that as agreement and continues, “You said the two of you have history. The fact that you told me shows you care, that she was important to you back whenever that that was. So don’t let this opportunity pass you up. You owe it to yourself to reach out to her, see if she can bring you back to life a bit.”
Owe it to myself? I don’t know about that, and Ana might breathe new life into me, but at what cost to herself? I can’t selfishly use her to soothe my damage, and she’s such a kind person, she’d do whatever she could to help me, even if it’s a useless endeavor. And if she won’t forgive me, it’ll be another mark in the ‘Aubrey’s Fuck-Ups’ column, and that tally is pretty damn high already. It doesn’t need another boost.
But she’s right about not letting this opportunity go. The last few days have definitely proven that there’s still something between Ana and me. If only she can forgive me after hearing the whole story.
“We’ll see,” I tell her noncommittally before wrapping up the conversation. “Great talking to you, Car. I’ll talk to you again soon.”
Carlotta, of course, isn’t pleased. “That’s it? Maybe I was wrong, you stubborn sack of—”
Her words are cut off as I hang up and make my way back inside. At least everyone’s still alive and sitting down, so the fallout can’t have been too bad. But I’m not sure if I trust Brad’s look. He totally looks like the kid who got into the cookie jar.
Ana gets up, helping me over to the sofa. It’s a fairly obvious ploy to delay whatever conversation I interrupted when I came back in because we both know that I can amble around the house pretty well now. We both ignore the pointed looks from Trey and Brad, and I’ll admit, I lean against her more than I need to, giving her shoulder a squeeze of support. I’m solidly in Ana’s corner, no matter what . . . us against them, if need be.
“Sorry about that. Had to take a call. My cousin, just business stuff. Everyone cool here?”
Ana nods and sits next to me almost automatically. “Yeah, everything’s fine.” The words seem directed to Trey more than to me. He dips his chin in acquiescence, and Ana takes the win of whatever their argument had been. I’ll admit to being curious, but since it’s obviously centered around me, I’m not sure I need to hear the details just yet, so I keep my mouth shut and follow Ana’s lead. “Would you believe these two have come up with an idea?” she says laughingly.
“We want to go kayaking and think it would be cool if you guys came with us,” Brad says. “I packed my favorite Speedo!”
Ana shakes her head, crossing her arms. “Absolutely not. His ankle is still on the mend and—”
Maybe they didn’t just come up here to check on her. That, or they just came prepared with an excuse. Either way, we’re going. The other option is to sit here while Trey stares me down. “I think it’d be a ton of fun,” I counter. “I know some good spots where the feed rivers are a decent whitewater, not too rough this time of year. Although, I’d definitely skip the Speedo in favor of some warmer gear,” I say, my mouth tilted up as I joke with Brad. Huh, maybe Carlotta’s right. I am less . . . grumpy.
Ana scowls murder at me. “What? Let’s not even talk about the cold, but what about the, I don’t know, raging river currents and rocks?”
“We don’t have to raft with them. We can just watch from the shore and have a picnic,” I reply, the compromise taking shape in my mind. “We’ll make a day o
f it. Me, you, and Rex.”
Ana goes quiet. “A picnic?”
Brad claps his hands together, sensing he’s going to get his way and obviously pleased. “Perfect! Trey and I can raft while Ana gets herself a nice relaxing picnic buffet! Bring the hot dogs . . . oh, guess that’s you,” he sasses, pointing at me.
A bark of laughter erupts, surprising us all, me most of all. But it seems to be the seal of approval on the whole plan.
It takes us about twenty minutes to drive to the drop-off point up the mountain. As we unload the rented kayaks, I quiz Trey. “You’ve done whitewater before?”
“Yeah, a dozen or so times,” Trey confirms. “Don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine.”
“Alright then, you two be careful. There will probably be other rafters along the river too, so you won’t be alone out there. And remember, when you come out onto the main lake, turn right to get to the shore near the parking area.”
Ana helps the boys launch, both of us waving. Trey looks back, giving me a warning glare, but when Brad peeks over his shoulder, he flashes a huge wink at us before turning around quickly before Trey can catch him. Ana laughs, and we jump into the guys’ SUV to drive down to the lake.
It’s close, only ten minutes down the winding road, much faster than the hour-plus it’ll take the guys to navigate along the offshoots of the river to get to the main body of the lake. Ana looks over at me as I drive. “You know, Trey approved of you . . . before.”
“Hope he will again,” I reply simply as we reach the shore.
“He’s just protective of me because he saw the aftermath when you left. He doesn’t want me to get hurt again,” she says softly. She’s framing it as what Trey is worried about, but I can recognize that she’s the one pleading for me to be careful with her heart.
“I don’t want either of us to get hurt, so I understand his protectiveness.”
Untamed (Irresistible Bachelors Book 9) Page 14