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“Is this kind of thing normal for them?” I asked, after I watched the other guys disappear out of my view.
“Yep.” Sam looked up from his phone as he replied, his tone cheery. “I think it’s kind of sweet, though. I know they’re not actually brothers but, you know, they might as well be. Moments like this are just a reminder of how close they are. Their chosen family and all.”
I smiled to myself, thinking about Sam’s response. “True. Do you think we’ll actually get to go snowmobiling, though?”
“Eventually. Jacob tends to win this sort of thing. Although, if Parker wins, the other two will probably demand a rematch?—”
Sam paused for a moment before he got back on his snowmobile. “Actually, you want to go find a place for hot chocolate? Maybe spiked hot chocolate, if we’re super lucky?”
“Yes, please.” I chuckled, settling in on my snowmobile, too.
“Cool. We’ll just let them know we’ll be back on the slopes whenever they’re ready.”
I’d had a fun morning with Sam at a local coffee shop, gossiping about celebrities I didn’t know much about, getting a chance to explain what I did in detail for work. It was a great feeling, connecting with another member of the Wild Woods clan, the bonding moment making me feel like I was fitting right in with Parker’s people. Sam had been right about the snowball fight, too, with Jacob eventually being declared the winner and the guys letting us know they were ready to actually go snowmobiling around an hour later.
Currently, I was sitting in front of the fireplace at our rented cabin, enjoying the view of the flames. Parker was right beside me, his feet crossed in front of him as he stared down at a book.
“Good book?” I lightly pressed, as I peeked over at its pages.
“So far? Just an okay book,” he answered, with a shake of his head. “Damon saw it at a gas station on the way here and picked it up for me. He thought I might like it.”
Parker closed the book and looked over at me. “Did you have a good time today? Snowmobiling?”
“I did.” I smiled. “It was a lot of fun hanging out with everyone.”
“Phew.” Parker let out a relieved sigh. “I was worried about the whole snowball fight thing. I know we can get a little intense when we’re all in one place?—”
“Don’t worry about it. Sam kept me company while everyone was running around.”
“I always liked Sam.” Parker smiled back at me. “He and Damon are pretty much perfect together.”
“I’d say we’re a good contender for being perfect together, too.”
“I didn’t say we weren’t.” Parker chuckled.
“Still. I wanted to make sure that we were at least on the ballot.”
Parker playfully rolled his eyes as he moved away from the fireplace. “Come here. I want to show you something.”
He held out his hand for me to take, and I obliged, following behind him as we headed down the hallway. A few seconds later and we were standing in the bedroom, right at the end of the bed.
“You said you wanted to show me something?” I pressed.
Parker shot me a suggestive look, something heated behind the expression. “Yes, and I’m showing it to you right now.”
“You wanted to show me the bed?” I quirked an eyebrow. “If you wanted me, Parker, all you needed to do was ask. You never need to be shy about it?—”
“It’s not being shy. It’s being subtle,” he interrupted, just as he pressed me down toward the bed, not stopping until my back was resting against it.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“Taking control and hoping you don’t really notice?”
“Not today, sweetheart.” I pulled Parker down on top of me, his body splayed out over my own. I then shifted until I was on top of him, my hands wrapped around either one of his wrists, pressing the back of his hands against the bed.
“Sorry, sir,” he apologized, as he looked up at me. “I should’ve known better.”
“Yes. You should have,” I murmured. “Which makes me think you probably wanted me to punish you.”