Page 16 of Let it Snow Queen
My boots paused mid-snow crunch. “What?”
Koji moved closer, running a hand through his perfectly messy black hair. Tiny snowflakes floated down, getting caught in it. “We’re not going to survive being snowed in on this godforsaken mountain if we’re constantly at each other’s throat. And it’s going to make it miserable for the guys too. Let’s . . . hate fuck the tension out of our systems.”
An astonished laugh left me at his proposal. I should have slapped him. He deserved to be slapped. And ridden . . . and sucked . . . and . . .
“I guess that makes sense,” I agreed, crossing my arms. “This experience wasn’t totally unfortunate.”
He smirked as he strode over. With a rough jerk, he tugged me closer by the collar of my jacket. “Here’s to a few more not totally unfortunate encounters. Secretly, of course.” He pulled my zipper up to my chin, pinching it slightly.
“Enemies with benefits,” I muttered, though heat was raging in my core, wanting him. My pussy was a greedy, dumb bitch.
“Yes,” he uttered, though his breathy tone, his pine smell, and the look in his eyes suggested anything but enemies. I stepped backward out of his hold, breaking the trance.
My cheeks were red and my body warm when I quietly crawled back into bed with Gallow. He jolted and instinctually wrapped me in his comforting embrace. A contented sigh blew from my lips tingling with Koji, and my core was sore and sated from Gallow and Fox. For the first time in what felt like years, sleep found me the moment I closed my eyes.
Chapter 10
17 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS
Maybe it was the excitement and adrenaline crashing after such an eventful week. Or maybe the cold and snow and exertion made me exhausted. Or yeah, maybe it was my mental health. But I stayed in bed for the next few days. I’d expected as much. What I hadn’t anticipated, though, was Fox, who woke me up every morning with my meds and a hot French-press coffee. Even if I didn’t want to talk, he just sat on the corner of the bed and played his guitar. The gentle thrums and melodies were beautiful and pierced the silence. In the afternoon, I was shocked to find Koji walking in like he owned the place. He did own the place, but still. He brought me food. I had no idea where he found the ingredients to make rice and curry, but the spices and vegetables were delicious. We didn’t talk, but he did help himself to lounging next to me onthe bed and reading his romance novels. As much as I wanted to pretend not to, I didn’t mind his company.
Then at night, Gallow would take his turn bringing me dinner and talking, talking, talking. Even if I only managed a nod or small smile, his grin and laugh lit me up from the inside. He told me stories of growing up in Ireland, about his big family of uncles and cousins. He told me about all the trouble he, Fox, and Koji got into in college together.
On the third day, my storm cloud lifted into a dull haze, and my bones felt rested. I actually got out of bed and washed off, braiding my hair and doing my makeup. I wore fresh jeans and a red sweater and joined the guys in the living room. Koji didn’t sneer a sarcastic remark, Fox smiled warmly and patted the seat next to him, and Gallow kissed my cheek and smacked my ass as I walked by. Giggling softly, I curled up on the sofa next to Fox. He wrapped his arm around me and kissed my temple. Instead of removing his arm from around me, he pulled me in closer so he could sign. The butterflies in my ribs loved the feeling of him holding me closer. “We were talking about making it down the mountain into town for more supplies. The sky is clear, but there’s more snow coming. It might be our only chance to restock.”
I sighed, my expression mystified. “More snow?”
Fox cringed and shrugged. “It appears so, Snow Queen.”
Despite the dread of more snow looming, I smiled and signed while speaking to Gallow. “Shouldn’t we try to leave if we can make it down to town?”
Gallow huffed a laugh. “Darlin’, these roads are solid ice. I’ve never seen anything like it. We’ll be lucky to make it back up here in time to not be stuck in town. And trust me, these accommodations are better than camping out in the convenience store.”
Koji was lacing his boots and avoiding my eyes as he asked, “Why the big hurry to leave? Got another field of wildflowers to rescue from big, bad developers?”
Fox shook his head, and Gallow rubbed his temples, but the anger I usually held for Koji’s smart-ass remarks had waned. Maybe hate-fucking really was a good idea. “You’re sorely mistaken if you think I’ve given up on saving this land. But no, I need to make it home for Christmas for my son, Declan. He’ll be crushed if I’m not there to set up his train tracks under the Christmas tree.”
The guys looked at me seriously, with different expressions gracing each of their faces—concern, compassion, resolution, and . . . some sadness. Fox answered, “We’ll do our best to get you home to Declan. For now, we should use the sunlight and above-freezing temperature to try to get some more food and things we need.”
I nodded. “You’re right.”
Going to town would also allow me to charge my phone and call my family. I could feel their worry all the way from Georgia. My dads would know the forecast, too, and possibly a way to get me out of there, if they weren’t already moving mountains to get to me as it was. I was sure the moment they saw this blizzard barreling toward Hope Falls, they began their trek north to rescue me. The thought was comforting.
We stood at the top of the steep slope after we’d stumbled down half the mountain. Gallow was right; thick ice was beneath the new layers of fluffy snow. No vehicles were getting up or down until it melted. And with the looming, old evergreen and fir trees and the shade they provided . . . we could have been stuck forever. I held out hope that if I could walk down the mountain, maybe my dads could meet me in town. They were supposed to be in Germany for a while, but I assumed whenthey learned of my predicament here, they’d have stayed in the States.
The mountain sloped down at a sharp angle, but I could see the town below. The sun made the snow sparkle as it coated the shops in white. Koji tossed a plastic lid at me, which I caught just in time, thanks to my baseball skills. “What is this for? And do I even want to know why you guys have been carrying trashcan lids this whole time?”
Fox smirked and raised an eyebrow. “We’re sledding, baby.”
“It’s too steep. We’ll go too fast,” I worried out loud. This was my first time experiencing snow. My thoughts drifted to my baby boy. “I’d never let Dec sled down this hill.”
“Are you scared?” Koji sneered, brushing my shoulder as he walked past me. The contact made my heart race, even though it was probably an accident. His dick was in my mouth a few days ago, and we’d only read next to each other in silence in bed since then. I wondered when or if we’d have another enemies-with-benefits moment. As I positioned my makeshift sled on a slippery patch of road, I realized that I wanted more time with each of them. If my dads were in town waiting for me, I would miss out on that. Christmas wasn’t for another week. I could stay a little longer . . . .
The thought of not feeling Fox’s knowing touch, the way he sensed my every need and movement . . . or Gallow’s dominating presence and the way he made love to me tenderly saddened me. And yes, the thought of what sex with Koji would be like hadn’t escaped my imagination. Maybe I needed to take more risks. This trip was meant to clear my head. Now, I had three sexy men on my doorstep, and each wanted me in some way. Even if they were the reason, I failed at my job. I wasn’t going to save the forest by pouting about it. But maybe there were other ways to save it. In the meantime, if I stayed, I resolved to have as much sex as possible. Who knew when my next chance would be,living in a house of eight people? This was my opportunity to be reckless for once in my life.
“Okay.” Gallow’s massive body stood behind me, and he held onto my shoulders as I positioned myself on the lid. “You want to be careful and avoid any rocks—”
Giggling, I dug my heels into the snow and launched myself forward, sailing out of his grip. “Christ!” I heard him swear as I sped forward. The sun had melted a thin sheet of ice over the snow piles. I laughed like a maniac as the wind whipped through my hair. I was indeed going way too fast, but fuck it; I wanted to experience some danger. “Lean into the curve!” I heard Gallow shout from behind me. The sounds of scuffing snow and slush trailed behind me as the guys caught up. The curve took me by surprise. I leaned in but not hard enough. The sight of the rock evaded me until the last moment . . . when I crashed.