Chapter 8
Stretching out in bed to the sound of Zahn stomping around the house like he owns it, hard dick in my hand, and a bit of a hangover making my head hurt, I blink at the dark room. Sun isn’t even up yet and my cock’s already hard thinking about last night.
Yeah, Riley was hot, and it was a fun time. I got off. Sure. But it wasn’t anything special. Or maybe it just wasn’t what I’d been expecting after talking to Zahn at the restaurant. I felt a little pathetic about it, but like usual, Zahn didn’t even blink at it. So what, right? I don’t like going to stranger’s places on my own. What’s so weird about that?
“Rem!” Zahn yells from the living room; he stayed in the spare room last night. “We gotta be at the airfield in forty minutes, and it takes at least forty to drive there. Let’s go!”
He’s not usually a slave driver, but damn, something got into him this morning.
I sling my sock feet over the side of the bed and feel the chill come through the floor. My house is always cold. The main heating source is a wood stove, and when I work long hours, it burns down to embers during the day and overnight, so the bedrooms get especially cold. That’s why no one ever shuts a door when they stay here.
“Remy!”
“I’m up, you dick,” I groan at him.
Zahn walks right up to my door with an impatient look on his face. “You want the fire going before we leave or you letting it burn out?”
“Keep it going. Make me coffee, too.”
He walks away without answering, so I hop in the shower and think about how much easier life would be if I had someone else living here with me. If I had a girlfriend, she’d appreciate keeping the fire going while I was gone, and it’d be nice to come home to warmth rather than dark cold sometimes. Is that a terrible reason to get a girlfriend? My profile would say, “seeking fire tender”, and that’s about it. Probably a shitty reason to get a girlfriend, yeah.
Dressed in layers and carrying more, I head into the kitchen. Zahn’s throwing wood into the fire like a good little house boy. “You make coffee?”
“Yeah, you bitch.” He nods at the cup on the counter. “Get your ass up earlier next time. We’re late.”
He’s always been the early riser between the two of us, but come on. It’s not even 5 am. Even in high school, he was up at the ass crack of dawn, even if we didn’t get in from a party until 4 am. I’ve just come to learn he’s incapable of sleeping past the sun, and most of the time, even before the sun gets up.
I pour him a travel mug, make sure the damper on the fire is closed, and rush him out the door like he’s the one who made us late.
Zahn drives us to the airfield as we both drink coffee and try to get over our hangovers. The winter is relentless this year, but it’s made for a lot of fresh powder conditions. Which just reminds me how long it’s been since I’ve been boarding.
“We gotta get backcountry, man,” I tell him, staring up at the mountains with longing. “Now that we’ve got a little more free time.”
“What? You don’t want to spend all our free time fucking up our new arrangement?”
“Well, most of it.” I laugh. “But we haven’t done a heli-trip in a while. We gotta get Lakes back up there.” Shit, Laken on a board isn’t helping my boner situation.
Zahn notices. “Ulterior motives?” He grins.
Jed and Kade would never let that happen, not that I’m interested. I’m fine to admire her body on a snowboard and leave it at that. I can admire Gar on a snowboard just as much. Gar on pretty much anything. Gar just standing there. God.
“What’s up for tonight? We’re both on day runs, right?”
I nod and sip. “Yeah, what’re you thinking? Sick of me yet?” I’m not used to having time to make plans. Typically, I leave early in the morning and get back late in the evening, too tired to do much else.
“Always fucking sick of you,” Zahn says. “But that chick from last night invited us back. If you want.” He looks over at me.
I make a sound that sort of comes out like a groan, but it’s actually just dread. “She wasn’t…”
“Not that one. The one I was with. Taylor. Just her.”
“Oh, well yeah, go for it, man. Have fun.” I wave him off.
Zahn laughs again. “She wants both of us. Together.” He raises a brow at me from the driver’s seat.
“Both?”
He smirks, nodding.
“Yeah, maybe.” Why not? Could be fun, and if I’m going to bang a chick with another dude, I’d rather it be with Zahn than anyone else. “Sure.”
Zahn shoves me. “Fuck, Rem. You went from being an awkward shy boy who doesn’t like going to mystery mansions to a kinky fuck within a few days. Love it.”
He isn’t wrong, but ever since we had that sort of fight in my kitchen, things have been better. I feel bad for how I reacted, but shit! It hurt my feelings that he wasn’t comfortable enough to tell me about that part of him. To be fair, I guess I kind of hid the part of me that was awkward and backing out of hookups, too. So, whatever. At least it’s all out there now and we can go at this new arrangement together.
We go our separate ways once we get to the airfield. He’s going up north and I’m going down south, but we’ll both be back by early evening as long as everything goes to plan. Which only happens about half the time, but we’re both used to rolling with those punches as they come. Just a part of this life.
I’ve never really minded it.
I get back before Zahn does, so I pack up and sit in the truck to wait for him to land. He texted me before he took off and said he”d be back a little after me. Part of me wants to just get home, check the fire, eat something, and go to bed early, but we drove here in one vehicle, so I can’t bail on him. He probably planned it that way.
When my phone rings, I assume it’s him, but it’s a video call.
“Hey.” I smile at the screen and see Cara and Cody smiling back. “What’s this? We haven’t seen each other for years and now you’re hooked on me?”
They both laugh. “Something like that,” Cara says. “Been thinking about you guys.” She adds a flirty smirk. Goddamn.
“What’s up? I’m just waiting for Zahn to land.” I try to hurry this along for no real reason. I do enjoy this rekindled friendship, and that night was fun, but something feels weird about looking at Cody knowing Zahn’s cock was in his mouth. For that matter, it feels weird to know Cara’s mouth was on him, too. What the hell? I don’t get weird about shit like that.
“Are you guys both free next weekend?” Cody asks.
“Oh, haven’t you heard? We get a few evenings and the odd weekend off now.” I smile.
“Well, why don’t you two come to Anchorage? We’re having one of those kinky sex toy parties and thought it’d be fun for you guys. They’re always funny.”
Sex toys? “What the fuck is a sex toy party?”
Cody laughs this time. “This rep comes in and showcases all the sex toys. You can buy them if you want, but it’s also just fun.”
“Come on, Remy! It’ll be funny at the very least, and we’ll feed you all the drinks you can handle.”
Sounds kind of lame, if I’m being honest. “I’ll talk to Zahn.” Because there isn’t a chance in hell I’m going without him.
Zahn opens the door in the middle of Cara trying to sell me on this party. “Hey, asshole. Surprised you waited for me.” He climbs in and slams the door, seeing my phone. “Oh, hey, assholes.” He smirks that same Dare one that’s always plastered on his cocky face. “Can’t get enough of me, eh?”
“He’s so modest,” I tell them.
“You said the same thing,” Cara calls me out.
Touché.
“Okay, we gotta go! Let us know about next weekend.”
They wave and we say goodbye, and Zahn’s first question is, “Group fuck?”
“Sex toy party.” I put the truck in gear and pull out of the airfield.
“We should go,” Zahn says. “Just get drunk as fuck and laugh about sex toys we both secretly want to try. Maybe I’ll buy you a birthday present. Whatever one really lights your eyes up.”
I light a smoke and shrug, unsure why I’m being hesitant about going. Is it the sex toys? Not really. I’m not shy about that shit. Is it Cara and Cody? I don’t know. I really like them both, so I can’t really pinpoint why I’m being weird.
“Everything go okay today?” A change in subject seems like the best option.
“Yeah, all good. Works over, Rem. Let”s forget about it until tomorrow.”
I take a drag. “We still doing this shit tonight?”
“If you want, yeah. Come over for dinner and then we’ll head over there together. My family is bitching about not seeing you enough.”
Guess I’m letting the fire dwindle down to nothing, which means the furnace will be forced to come on, and who wants to pay for heat when they aren’t even home? Why am I bitching about this?
Nothing, and I mean nothing, compares to a family dinner at the Dare house. Never a dull moment, and if something appropriate comes out of someone’s mouth, it’s more shocking than if something purely filthy does.
Rayne and Corbin pretty much raised me when my parents didn’t always do the best job. I can’t complain because having the Dares as a second family is probably the best gift I could have ever gotten in life. I have them to thank for most of my success, my dirty mind, and most of the love I’ve ever received. These boys are more my brothers than my actual brother is, and I’ll always be thankful for them.
I can’t believe how much of a badass Kade is. He always has been, but only he could half steal a girl from his own brother and somehow make it all work out between the three of them. I never expected Jed to be the type to share, but after watching him and Kade grow up thick as thieves, I guess I’m not too surprised they ended up this way.
Laken walks by, aiming for her own chair, but Kade grabs her wrist and pulls her onto his lap. He doesn’t even smirk at her or anything. He just whispers something in her ear that has her biting her lip and suppressing a grin. Jealous. I want what they have.
“No sex at the table, Lakes. I need to finish eating before things get rowdy,” Rydan warns her.
“Don’t listen to him, Lake.” Bass shoves Rydan. “Please, by all means, fuck at the table.”
Ah, this is the shit that makes the Dare dinner table one of a kind.
Kade looks at Genevieve, her eyes wide and her lips parted. “What do ya think, Genny? Up for a show?”
Gen blushes, but she doesn’t back down. Zahn said she’s into the three of them, so maybe she really would like a show. “Behave, Kade.”
“Ignore him, Gen. He’s all talk.” Laken smiles at Gen.
Never challenge a Dare. Kade starts to act, but Laken smacks his hands away and shoves a piece of bread in her mouth.
“Well, one of you needs to get on it. This kitchen has been lacking bad decisions lately. Need me to step in?” Zahn asks Jed and Kade.
“He is beautiful,” Laken goads, smiling at Zahn across the table.
Zahn launches over the table to steal a kiss from Laken, laughing in their faces like he won something when we all know his only prize will be a fist in the face.
Kade throws a spoon at Zahn, and Jed gets up to mock fight him. Which turns to a real fight, and Zahn falls out of his chair with Jed on top of him.
“Fuck you, Zahn.” Jed pins him down. “Not gonna happen.” Jed laughs when Zahn tries to flip him off unsuccessfully.
“I’ll keep trying, you twat!” Zahn punches Jed in the gut.
I wonder how many dinner tables have this sort of entertainment?
“More pie, Remy?” Rayne asks, stepping over her fighting sons like having a brawl beside the table is part of a normal night.
“Hell no. I’m so full.” I haven’t had a real meal in months, and this one was perfect. “Thank you, though.”
“Laken will eat it,” Kade says, sliding a piece in front of her. She steals a fork from Rydan and digs right in.
“Don’t eat too much, love,” Jed tells her from his position atop Zahn. “You need a spanking for kissing my brother.”
“I always kiss your brother.” She shrugs.
“Don’t mouth him off, bossy.”
“Wrong brother.” Jed gets up and lifts her right off Kade’s lap. Pie and everything. They disappear down the hall, but Kade doesn’t follow.
How the hell do they make it work? They’re so different from Cara and Cody, but they have an unconventional relationship that works just as well. All three of them seem happy, and it gives me some weird feeling that not everything has to go to society’s standard plan. We’re allowed to want different things.
“You ready, Rem?” Zahn asks, getting off the floor like he didn’t just get his ass handed to him.
“Where you idiots going?” Bo asks, sitting down with Nina. Poor girl has been stressed because her family doesn’t want to travel up here for their wedding.
“None of your fucking business,” Zahn says, putting our plates in the dishwasher.
“Orgy, then,” Kolt guesses, sounding pretty conclusive about it.
Not quite an orgy, but… we’ll see how it goes.
Wait… am I nervous?