Emerging Temptation: A BWWM Romance Limited Edition Collection

by Peyton Banks

  “I swear I don’t like you sometimes.” Jasmine squawks with a laugh. “Well, you’re here now, and it’s going to be fun. Tomorrow we’re going to hit the slopes—”

  “No, we’re not,” I yell from the first room on the left. I drop the hiking bag on the bed and peel my coat from my body.

  “And when the boys get here, we’ll start a fire and enjoy food and conversation,” Jasmine continues as if my rejection doesn’t faze her.

  “That’s great. Y’all have fun.”

  “Ariya,” Karen squeals. “Seriously, don’t be a sourpuss.”

  I return to the hall. “Karen, I’m not trying to be kumbaya-ing it up with you and your men—” I add, before ducking back inside.

  “Oh my god!” Jas chuckles. “She makes my ass itch, I swear.”

  “Seriously, though. I’m here and I’ll make the best of the trip, but I really am bothered you lied to get me up here. You guys planned a couples’ trip, and I’m just tagging along. Noah and Ian are awesome, but it’s not like we’re a group of friends just hanging out.” I exit the room and navigate the corner for the stairs.

  “But we are a group of friends. Just loosen up, leave work out of the equation, and have fun. I promise you’ll have a good time and will not feel like the fifth wheel,” Karen requests while moving aside for me to pass by her.

  Jasmine’s in the living room with her legs propped up on the arms of the sofa. I enter the kitchen in search of something to drink when a car pulls up outside. Peering through the window over the sink, I recognize Ian in the driver’s seat.

  “It’s the boys,” I announce while searching the cupboards for a glass, only to decide on the plastic ones we brought with us.

  Both girls jump up and race out to the porch. From my place inside, I watch their interaction. Noah’s at the back of Ian’s Jeep, retrieving whatever items they have with them.

  “Hey, babe,” Ian calls to Karen as he exits and joins Noah in the back. His voice is slightly muffled with the distance and barrier between us, but I’m still able to make out what was said.

  Karen and Jasmine both offer greetings to their men. Though I’m unable to see their expressions from here, I imagine they’re both perked and giddy with happiness. The thought warms me up, and I smile at the idea of an enjoyable weekend. I don’t necessarily like tagging along on what was obviously meant to be a romantic getaway, but Noah and Ian are great guys. We’ve hung out before, and it was always a decent time, so I guess I don’t see why this will be any different. If I feel pathetic and left out, I can respectfully excuse myself and get some work done.

  The trunk closes, sending a sound wave through the air, and the birds in a nearby tree fly away. I take a sip of water and make my way toward the door to greet them. The porch creaks under their weight before the sound of them patting their feet against the welcome mat fills the space.

  “Hey, bae,” Noah’s voice rings out as he plants a noisy kiss on Jasmine’s lips. “So, what did she say?” he continues but is shushed.

  I frown and slow my strides, trying to determine if he was really silenced or if I’m hearing things.

  “Yeah. Did you tell her about him?” Ian joins in.

  “Shut up,” Jasmine says in a hushed tone.

  “Shh,” Karen adds softly. “We haven’t told her yet.”

  I clench my jaw and tighten my grip on the cup. “Told me what?” I blurt out.

  The four of them dart their heads in my direction, clearly surprised to see me standing there. Both men give me oh shit expressions while glancing away, and the girls stare at me with pleading eyes.

  “Hey, Ariya,” both Noah and Ian say sheepishly.

  “Uh-uh. Tell me what?” I straighten my shoulders, daring them to answer my question.

  Ian squeezes pass with Noah just inches behind. It takes everything in me not to be petty and block the entrance until they all spill the beans. I look to them and back to my friends who are mumbling something to each other. Jasmine bites the corner of her lips, refusing to be the one to speak up, so I direct my attention to Karen. She can’t hold water, so she’ll cave soon enough.

  “So, you know how we said you wouldn’t feel like a fifth wheel?” Karen drags out her question, twisting and turning to avoid eye contact.

  I interlock my fingers in front of me. Pressure builds in the pit of my stomach, so I force a breath to help contain my composure. The sad and apologetic look in her blue eyes only pisses me off more, and the fact she’s stalling tells me I’m not going to like what she says next. The thing is, I already know where this is going. The two of them were hell-bent on bringing me up here, knowing I would say no. So they’d saved the bit about their men joining us, so I couldn’t back out, being fully aware of how I would react.

  “Spit it out, Karen.” My left leg shakes feverishly.

  She sighs. “We might have invited one of the guys’ friends here to meet you.” She bunches her nose while pulling her shoulders up to her ears.

  I open my mouth only to close it again as the words lodge themselves in my throat. I don’t know why I’m surprised by any of this, it’s just like them to continuously put their noses in places they don’t belong. Turning on my heels, I push out a deep breath and storm past both Noah and Ian who are standing in the middle of the room looking stupid. They pretend they aren’t listening by quickly shifting and facing in the opposite direction.

  “Ariya, wait,” Jasmine calls out, her heavy footsteps sounding off behind me.

  Jogging up the stairs, I ignore her calls and slam the door to my bedroom. I pull my fingers into a fist and flop down on the bed, the mattress squeaking under me. A moment later, there’s a knock at the door before it’s pushed open. I curse myself from not locking it behind me. Jasmine sticks her head in and lets her shoulders slouch.

  “Don’t be mad.” She steps inside and closes the door. “We’re going to have a good time.” She keeps her distance by standing against the wall.

  I look up at her, my face twisted into a frown. “How could you possibly think this would be a good time? Maybe for the four of you, but not so much for me. I’m already the odd woman out, and now I have to force myself to get along with some strange dude while the rest of you are all cozied up.”

  She huffs. “We weren’t trying to make things awkward. We just wanted you to have some fun. Noah told me the three of them had plans to come out here, and I thought it would be fun to join. I asked Karen, and she was down. Then Ian mentioned not wanting the guy to be here by himself.”

  “And you thought I would be fitting for this?” I snarl.

  “Why can’t you just go into this with an open mind? You might actually have fun and might like the guy.”

  I close my eyes, rolling them under my lids, while leaning back and staring at her as if she’s crazy. She pushes off the wall and strolls over to take the seat beside me, her natural curls bouncing around her shoulders.

  “Ariya, there’s no harm in enjoying yourself and getting to know the guy. We want you to be happy.”

  “Jas, a man is not going to do that. And I am happy. I don’t get why you two feel like you have to constantly try to hook me up with someone. I’m content with things just the way they are. I’m focused on my career and dating just doesn’t fit into the plan.”

  “But it can. You just won’t let it.”

  “Why do y’all care so much about my dating life? You wanna go on triple dates and trips like this together?” I tease.

  Her brows rises. “Yeah. We do actually. We’ve done everything together for so long, we just don’t want you to be left out.” When I don’t offer a response, Jasmine blows out a breath and stands. “Well, can you at least be present during this trip? You don’t have to like him, but try not to make it awkward by staying cooped up in this room.”

  “I make no promises, but I’ll try.” I lean back on my palms, waiting for some form of rejection.

  She passes me a tight smile and exits. Falling back on to the bed, I stare
at the ceiling, mulling everything over in my head. We’ve been a part of each other’s lives for a long time. They know everything about me, including the fact that I'm not interested in dating.

  A while later, I hear one of the guys greet someone. The deep vibrations of our visitor’s voice sparks my curiosity. I push my laptop aside and crawl out of my space to make my way into the hall. I may not be happy about this arrangement, but this is what we’ve got. I approach the stairwell, fixing my shirt before descending the steps.

  The first thing I notice is a pair of green khakis and rather large brown boots. He’s surrounded by my friends, telling them something I can’t quite make out from here. His tone is low, yet powerful enough to be heard upstairs. I continue my decline as he removes his hat and crosses his arms in front of him. He’s standing wide-legged with his shoulders back, and I can’t help but recognize the inner confidence. I reach the bottom, stopping to take him all in.

  He runs a hand through his dark, shoulder-length hair. Damn, I think while letting my gaze roam his face. He’s surprisingly tanned with the deepest green eyes I’ve ever seen on a man. And even with his heavy coat I can tell he’s nicely built. I lean against the guardrail, watching from afar as he converses with the group. Now, I’ve been set up on dates before and every single time I’ve hated it. But this one might not be such a bad idea.

  His gaze finds mine, lingering for a beat. He straightens his posture and offer me a subtle smile. “Hello.”

  My body shudders, and I have to swallow to compose myself. The gang turns to me then back to him.

  Ian unfolds his arms and gestures in my direction. “Zander, this is Ariya.”

  Zander nods. “Nice to meet you, Ariya.”

  Shit! I think as his voice sends a tingle to my center and every qualm I had about this setup dissipates.

  2

  Zander

  God, she’s beautiful, is the only thought I have when I see her standing at the bottom of the stairs, silently watching us. Her white, off-the-shoulder sweater looks amazing against her medium-brown skin.

  I swallow hard and after a beat force words to form. “Hello.”

  She doesn’t offer me a response, but I recognize the change in her breathing. Partly because it matches mine, labored and quick. The group glances back, introducing us.

  Ariya!

  I lock her name in my memory and redirect my attention.

  “Zander’s going to make sure we have what we need,” the fair-skinned blonde announces to her friend.

  I blink, internally thanking her for reminding me what I’d come here for. “There’s a storm sweeping in our direction. Seems like it’s going to be pretty bad, several inches of snowfall with high winds. It should pass in a few hours, but I need to make sure everything is good here before I have to head back on patrol. There’s a few more cabins I need to hit.”

  I scan the room in search of the fuse box, but my gaze lands on her again. I quickly turn away to avoid any awkward moments.

  “Bitch,” she blurts and peers down at her feet.

  We all look up, witnessing her stumble when her foot snags the oversize area rug. She catches our glances and pull her lips into an embarrassed grin. It takes a second for her outburst to register, and I have to stop myself from laughing outwardly. I’d never met anyone who curses themselves out.

  “I brought extra firewood just in case and will bring it inside in a second. The stove is propane and should have enough to hold you over until this blizzard passes,” I say to redirect everyone’s attention while walking over to check the burners. “Are you guys good on food?

  “Blizzard,” Ariya belts out.

  I turn to see her peering at her friends, and they both stare back at her with wide eyes.

  “Sorry. Ariya’s not a fan of snow,” the one introduced as Jasmine offers then loops her arm in Noah’s.

  “Or woods, cabins, and mountaintops,” Ariya corrects, her tone laced with sarcasm.

  I snicker and continue on with my inspection. “If, for whatever reason, the stove isn’t enough, there’s a fireplace grill that you can use. You will need to make sure the wood is dry, which shouldn’t be an issue if you purchased yours on-site. Either way, what I’m going to bring in is ready to go for cooking and heating.”

  “We can grab it. You finish giving the girls the rundown.” Noah pats Ian on the shoulder, using his head to point him in the direction of the door. “Is there a certain amount of stacks we need to take?”

  “They’re labeled in piles with the cabin number.”

  They exit, leaving me alone with three women, all staring at me nervously. I lean down, opening the cabinet and pointing inside.

  “This here is the grill I mentioned. It’s pretty simple to figure out. Just set the fire. You don’t want it to be too high, so use less wood. But you can put food directly on it if you want, line it with foil or use a cast-iron pan.”

  I exit the kitchen and walk across the open space to the fireplace as Noah and Ian return. The wood crackles when they drop the piles next to me. I scan the mantel for matches, satisfied when I find them. My boys are great, and we’ve camped out here many times over the years, but they couldn’t start a fire the natural way to save their lives.

  “It looks like you have enough matches, but in case of an emergency, does anyone know how to spark a flame?” I bend down and with the tiny shovel, I clean the ash pit.

  “I do.”

  I haven’t been around long enough to recognize the voice, but it’s great to know at least one person here has an idea of how to maneuver around a fire. I return to my feet, noticing everyone but Ariya has retreated to some other activity. She holds a hand out to me, and I follow the curve of her forearm to find her carrying a cold brew. Water trails the bottle, dripping onto the old dusty rug underneath us.

  “Thirsty?” she asks.

  I accept her offer, twisting the cap without breaking my gaze. There’s a sudden dryness in my mouth, and I wonder if it’s some natural reaction to the beer in my hand or something else. I swallow before lifting the drink to my lips and taking a pull. She looks everywhere but at me, and her breaths are hitched. I take another drag of my beverage, letting my eyes wash over her, and following the tail of her long braids to where it meets her hips. My sights linger there, tracing the small patch of skin peeping out between her top and jeans.

  She clears her throat, breaking my thoughts. “So, this storm? Exactly how bad are we talking?” Her posture is rigid, and she fiddles with her hair.

  Sitting my empty bottle on the mantel, I wipe my wet fingers against my pants and walk toward the fuse box. “It shouldn’t last too long, a few hours at most. But we’re recommending everyone stays inside until it passes. We don’t want to take the risk of people getting caught out there.” I reach my destination and open it to check each outlet.

  I turn, and immediately lean backward to keep from running face-first into Ariya. My hands find their way to her shoulders, to create a gap between us.

  “Everything’s going to be fine. You don’t have to be so uptight.” I pat her arm to reassure her.

  She squeezes her lids together. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be. It’s okay.”

  I return my attention to the task at hand. There’s one thing left to check, then I’ll need to be on my way to the other cabins. In the distance, the rest of the gang is huddled in the kitchen, chatting and seemingly unbothered by what’s going on. Ariya flails her arms, letting them fall to her sides, her fingers rapidly tapping at her thigh. I dart my gaze to her leg then back to the box, choosing not to make an awkward situation more awkward. I know what it’s like to be out of your element and forced to experience something you aren’t used to. So I try not to let her invasion of my personal space bother me. It is my job, after all.

  “So. You…you’re a ranger?” she asks, her voice pitched high.

  I widen my eyes and slowly turn to face her before glancing down at my uniform. “Uh… Yeah.”

&
nbsp; With her lips pressed into a line, she nods rapidly, still fidgeting with her braids. “Cool. They didn’t tell me that. Actually, they haven’t told me anything. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I guess this is nice, right?” Ariya leans to one side with her shoulder up around her ears. “How did they convince you to show up? Does Noah and Ian do this to you as often as the girls do it to me?”

  I stand upright with my brows pinched together, trying to make sense of what she’s saying. After years of patrolling this mountain, I’ve seen the weird behaviors one exudes out of fear. But this is different, it’s odd, and I’m not quite sure how to respond.

  I open my mouth only to close it as I struggle to find the right words. There’s a lot I need to get done to prepare for this storm if I’d want to make it back to the ranger’s station in time. While I need to focus and finish what I’ve come here for, I don’t want to come off as rude or insensitive.

  “I’m sorry. I really need to check the fuses so I can get back on patrol,” I finally add, pointing at the now exposed wiring.

  Her chin drops to her chest and she shoves her hands into her pockets. “Sure… Yeah, sorry. Go ahead.” Ariya blinks in rapid succession while slowly backing away.

  I sigh, slouching my shoulders, feeling guilty for hurting her feelings. Leaning my head back, I tell myself it’s fine and I need to stay focused to get my work done. The winds have already begun to pick up, blowing heavy flakes of snow against the window. I finish up and stroll past the couch where Ian and Karen sit in front of the fireplace. Noah and Jasmine join us from the kitchen while Ariya drinks a cold Bud Light near the stairwell.

  “So, how are we looking, Z?” Noah asks, draping his arm over his girl’s shoulder.

  “Everything’s working fine. You have all you’ll need to hold you over until it passes. If the power was to go out, the generator should kick on. But if for whatever reason it doesn’t, you’ve got plenty of wood to keep warm. There should be extra blankets in one of the closets, but I’d suggest staying bundled up for safe measures.”