Chapter 6
6
MILES
H ere I thought because of my size and training that I was strong. That my normally ironclad willpower allowed me to resist any temptation that went against a resolution I’d made to myself. Hell, most people thought I was a stubborn asshole because I never swayed from my choices, even if sometimes it was me digging my heels in when I was wrong.
Never said I was fucking perfect.
I was the furthest from that, inside and out.
Earlier, I was adamant that I wouldn’t allow Aiden’s excitement to sway my decision to keep his new infatuation at arm’s length. I couldn’t get attached to her, considering I already harbored a crush on the woman based on her talent.
But then entered Aspen Carter, and my backbone of steel and rock-solid stubbornness vaporized to fucking dust. The moment she walked through the door, I knew I was in trouble, and fuck if I wasn’t right. The woman radiated genuineness, even with the sadness that lingered behind her dark eyes. While I expected her to be attractive after Aiden’s description earlier, he failed to tell me all the little things about her that made her stunning.
A scattering of freckles dotted her button nose and across her cheeks, which moved when she smiled. Big brown eyes stared into your soul as if excavating every dark thought and memory to heal with her brightness and joy. There wasn’t a speck of makeup on her face, which she obviously didn’t need with her smooth, fair skin that stood out against mahogany hair that fell around her shoulders in loose waves.
But what drew me in most was her smile.
It sucked me in, altered my perspective, and shifted something inside me every time it spread across her beautiful face. I wanted to see that happy, carefree expression every damn day and be the reason it was there.
Fingers tightly wrapped around my cocktail glass, I tipped the vodka soda back, downing the remaining contents in one go.
“How long are you here for?” I asked around the ice cube I rolled around with my tongue.
She didn’t look up to answer from where she was making funny faces at Jubie. “A week.”
My dog, who normally didn’t like strangers, was currently soaking up every kiss and pet Aspen gave her.
“That’s a good amount of time. Any big plans?”
Peeking around Jubie’s massive head, her big brown eyes met mine from beneath dark lashes. “Not exactly. This was a spur-of-the-moment, I-need-to-get-the-hell-out-of-Seattle trip. I’d love to pick your and Aiden’s brains about some trails with gorgeous views where I could stay overnight to capture the landscape in all different lights.”
“Not alone,” I ordered, tone harsher than I wanted. Thankfully, she didn’t shy away, just simply arched a single dark brow in question to my abrupt response. “I know you have all kinds of experience and can do it on your own, but this is Alaska.” I racked my brain, mentally scanning the week’s schedule, then nodded to myself when I found an opening. “Aiden and I would be glad to take you out for an overnight in-and-out hike the day after tomorrow. I know of a spot that could be perfect for the type of pictures you take.”
The sounds of the bar filled the silence between us as she thought over my offer while gently stroking a hand over Jubie’s head. “If you’re sure it wouldn’t be too much trouble, yeah, I’d like that. A lot, actually.” I caught the pink staining her cheeks before she tucked her head.
While we waited for Aiden to come back, I watched the slow strokes of her fingers through Jubie’s fur, growing more and more jealous of my damn dog. I didn’t like being touched and preferred to watch Aiden have all the fun and live vicariously through him, knowing the texture of my burned skin made most women uncomfortable, but I was unexpectedly craving hers. To have that soft touch brushing along my bare chest, slipping lower with every stroke?—
A glass bottle slammed against the table, shattering my erotic daydream.
“I got you a fresh one too.”
Giving my head a shake, I berated myself for not noticing Aiden until he was right beside me. Under normal circumstances, I was aware of everything around me, a natural habit after my time as a SEAL. Seemed the unique woman with us was even more captivating than I realized.
Folding into his seat, Aiden shot me a confused glance, no doubt noticing he’d snuck up on me, and placed the two unopened beers in front of Aspen.
“Choose the one that looks good to you, and I’ll take the other,” he offered, gesturing between the bottles.
She studied the labels, reading each carefully before choosing one and twisting off the top with her bare hand. With an impressed grunt, Aiden grabbed the other bottle, slid it close, and did the same.
“Just so you know, while you were getting our drinks, Miles offered for you two to take me on an overnight hike.”
Aiden choked on his beer, slamming the bottle to the table as he coughed into a tight fist, wide eyes locked on me.
“You okay?” Aspen asked.
“Yeah, perfect. Just surprised is all. Can’t wait,” Aiden said, still coughing. “Are you thinking true hiking or hitting the trails on bikes or four-wheelers?”
She took a sip of her beer, brows flying up. “Wow, this is fantastic. You weren’t kidding about this place having good beer. And I’d prefer to take the hiking trails, if that’s okay. That way, if I see anything along the way that I want to capture, I can grab the shot, and hopefully, with less noise, it will mean more wildlife.” She swiveled to face me. “Does that work for the trail you were thinking of?”
“Yep, works great. You mentioned this being an impromptu trip. Do you have the gear for a long hike?” I leaned back in the chair to look under the table at her shoes and nodded in approval at her well-worn hiking boots.
“Yes. I packed knowing I’d be going out daily. I just have nothing for the overnight aspect, but I could purchase a sleeping bag and?—”
I waved her off. “Uplift has all that you can borrow. Let’s meet up after our morning clients tomorrow to sort through the gear and determine if we need to hit the general store in town for anything missing.”
She nodded while taking a drink. I couldn’t help the way my gaze slid to the bob of her throat. Without my approval, images of my hand wrapped around it flashed through my mind, making my cock twitch.
Clearing my throat, I redirected the conversation to distract my horny-ass thoughts. “Now that Aiden’s back, tell us the story you mentioned earlier. I’m hoping the SEAL, whoever he was, put the douche canoe in his place.”
With a wide smile stretched across her face, Aspen excitedly launched into the story, hands waving as she detailed the disastrous assignment that ended abruptly when the former SEAL called James Peoples out on something inaccurate and dumb, which resulted in the idiot storming off like an angry toddler at being told he was doing something wrong. To make it all worse, James then refused to finish filming the clips needed for the episode of his survivalist show or approve any details, pictures, or commentary taken for the multipage article the magazine had planned to publish.
The douche canoe really was pathetic if he couldn’t take being corrected. How Aspen dealt with his superiority complex as long as she did spoke to her abundance of patience and calm nature.
That story led into another, then another, with Aiden and me tossing in our own. Before we realized it, hours had passed, with the three of us drinking and laughing while swapping wild, disgusting, and awe-inspiring stories that revolved around our mutual obsession with nature and anything outdoors. With every story she told and every question she asked to gain more detail or insight into one of ours, the miles-thick wall I’d constructed around my heart through the years weakened.
Thankfully, the stories and her questions stayed lighthearted, never once asking about my years in the service, which felt intentional from both her and Aiden. The few times the conversation lulled or when Aiden got up to grab another round of drinks, it felt like she wanted to ask but somehow knew better. As much as I was drawn to the amazing and beautiful woman, there was no way in hell I’d open up about those years of my life, allowing her a glimpse at how truly broken I was. If she asked, I knew the walls around my heart that had weakened tonight would slam back in place, protecting me from the bombarding memories it would bring to the surface.
Surprising the shit out of me, I didn’t want to pull away or close myself back off when it came to Aspen Carter. For the last few hours, I felt no phantom pain, didn’t lose minutes in a memory, or worried about what nightmares would haunt my dreams the moment I crawled into bed later.
She was more than beautiful. Aspen was special in a way I’d never experienced. So, every time it felt like a personal question was on the tip of her tongue, I abruptly redirected the conversation right back to her. Which worked out, considering I craved to know every detail of her past, present, and future.
Toward the end of the night, when I couldn’t stop watching her, studying the way her perfect lips pulled into a smile, or imagining how they would feel against my own or wrapped around my cock, I realized how much I fucking wanted more of Aspen. More as in taking this beyond the easy conversations to a more physical path. It was obvious Aiden wanted to take it further, too, but we still had a major hurdle to jump before we could even hope for more with Aspen. Despite our hinting about our unique relationship style, we hadn’t broached the subject outright. Who the fuck knew if she would be open to the idea of both Aiden and me?
I scrubbed at my beard, not liking the thought of her walking away from us, the calluses along my palm catching on the coarse hair.
Fucking hell, why was I even thinking about any of this? Aspen was only in Anchor Bay for a week. It was dumb to get attached, knowing she would leave at the end of her temporary stay and head back to her life in Seattle, even if she seemed unsure that the big-city life was what she wanted in the future. I sure as hell wouldn’t use that uncertainty and sudden life shift to sway her into something with Aiden and me because I had a crush on the woman.
Too lost in the dirty and vivid visions of Aspen and us, for the second time tonight, I failed to notice when someone approached our table. Catching Aiden stiffening in his chair plus a waft of a familiar, expensive perfume snapped me back to the present and put me on high alert. Both hands curled into fists beneath the table as I glared at the unwanted woman while Jubie sat up from where she lay at our feet, a soft growl vibrating from her chest while a corner of her muzzle curled into a snarl.
Glancing at Jubie, Aspen’s words trailed off mid-sentence. Her big brown eyes skipped between me and Aiden, sensing our almost palpable tension that only grew worse the closer Jessica came to our table.
“Are you two okay?” Aspen asked, reaching over to run a hand over Jubie’s head.
“Well, hello there, boys. Who would’ve guessed you’d be here tonight?”
Nostrils flaring in annoyance, back molars clenched tight, I fought the urge to tell Jessica to fuck off.
Pausing behind the chair Jubie had vacated earlier, she wrapped both hands around the back, her long nails clicking on the wood. “Is this seat taken?”
Lips pulled into a snarl, I didn’t get the opportunity to tell her “Hell yes” because Jubie took care of it for me. Front paws on the seat, she pushed off the floor and sat her wide backside down in the spot Jessica wanted.
Smirking at Jubie, Aiden shook his head. “Guess that answers that question.”
With a scoff, she stepped back and scanned the bar. “I’ll just grab another one from?—”
“What are you doing here, Jessica?” Aiden pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’re aware that we have the restraining order paperwork all filled out and ready to file with the sheriff.”
Instead of watching Jessica’s reaction to Aiden’s words, I studied Aspen, whose eyes grew to the size of saucers. Fuck. Of course the good thing we had going with her would end before it even got started. All because of one of our past mistakes that seemed to be harder to eradicate than bedbugs.
“Oh, no need to bring that up. I’m not here for you two, just here for a date.” She paused, watching both of our faces, no doubt hoping to find jealousy. Licking her red-painted lips, she huffed. “Running into you guys was an unexpected coincidence.”
A humorless snort escaped into my water glass as I took a sip. Jessica’s calculating gaze slid to me before moving toward Aspen, and a malicious smile pulled at her lips, making her look as crazy as we knew she was. Heart slamming in my chest, I shifted in my seat, ready to react to whatever Jessica tried. “And who do we have here? Your next conquest, I’m guessing? Little plain for your tastes, don’t you think?”
“Watch it, Jessica,” Aiden practically growled, clenching his beer bottle so tight that every knuckle was void of color. Fuck, he better not shatter that bottle. The last thing I wanted to do tonight was haul him up to Doc at The Nest for stitches again. “If you’re really not here for us, then move on.” He leaned back, folded both arms over his chest, and leveled her with a blank stare.
Jessica simply smiled, as if enjoying his annoyance, and gestured to Aspen. “Oh, I will, but first, it’s girl code for me to warn your new little friend here about what exactly she’s getting into with you two assholes.”
“Leave. Now.” I stroked a hand down Jubie’s back in repetitive soft strokes to calm my racing pulse and ease my building anger. I’d never hit a woman, but I sure as hell would pick Jessica up and set her outside the bar if she continued with her little warning.
Fuck, this was bad.
“Did you know?” Jessica leaned in closer to Aspen, who inched back until she was on the verge of falling out of her seat. Aiden tipped forward, ready to catch her if she did. “They only share. A two-for-one special, if you will, but”—Jessica’s hateful gaze cut my way—“Miles is too damaged in the head to?—”
The harsh scrape of chair legs along the beaten and sticky floor cut off whatever she was about to expose. Aiden took a single, menacing step toward Jessica. Anger and violence vibrated off him.
In a blink, the fake confidence was gone. Jessica’s eyes went wide with fear as she stumbled back a step, knocking into a table of locals who yelled at her to back the fuck off.
“Get the fuck out of here now, you fucking cunt.” Fuck, he was pissed. Crimson highlighted his cheeks, and his chest heaved with every labored breath. I knew it was her remarking on my damage that sent him straight into a rage. She could’ve said anything about him, and he wouldn’t have reacted, but come after me, and you got the side of Aiden hardly anyone knew existed.
Rounding the table, he put himself between the two women. With the threat to Aspen minimized, I turned my attention to her, expecting to find… fuck, I had no clue how she’d react to the shit Jessica just exposed about our type of relationship and my issues. Brows raised in surprise, I nodded in approval at the evident frustration on Aspen’s face.
Huh.
Was she mad at us because of Jessica’s revelation? Or was it because the obsessed woman interrupted our fun night?
Sliding my phone from my pocket, I shot off a quick text to Oliver and his dad, the sheriff, letting them know Jessica was here and causing a scene. Though I knew the others around us, who were clearly annoyed with the drama, had already contacted them too.
Careful not to touch her, Aiden herded Jessica away from our table and toward the door. Once they were a safe distance away, I slid the last potato skin from our earlier order closer to Aspen.
“You should eat that.” As if lost in her own thoughts, she startled at my words. Her head swung around, cutting off her view of Aiden escorting Jessica outside. “You have to be starving. I know I am.”
“I already ate my two. Eat it,” she said distractedly and chanced another look over her shoulder.
I stiffened when the door swung open, afraid it was Jessica coming back for round two, but it was Oliver. He hitched his chin my way, letting me know he was there, and stepped back outside to hopefully help Aiden.
“So, are we going to talk about that or act like some random woman didn’t just interrupt our night and drop some massive information bombs?”
I rubbed at my jaw, not releasing her questioning gaze. “Do you want to talk about all that?” With a single knuckle, I inched the plate to the very edge of the table in front of her.
She shot me a grin and rolled her eyes at my insistence.
“Do you want to talk about all that?” she countered before taking a bite of the fully loaded potato skin. Her lids closed as she chewed, a soft, happy moan escaping. Watching her lips, combined with the sound, created visions of her doing that around my cock. I cleared my throat and adjusted my stiffening dick to keep it from painfully pressing against the zipper of my jeans. “You were right. I am starving, despite these delicious potato skins.” With a single finger, she slid the laminated menu between us. “How about we order some of those elk nachos next? You both mentioned they were good here.”
My lips twitched before the smile I failed to contain broke free. “Yeah, we can, though we’ll need three orders. Aiden and I can take down a plate each all on our own.”
Leaning back in the chair, I folded both arms over my chest, loving the way her dark eyes zeroed in on where the long sleeves were pushed up. I gave my forearms a quick flex, though showing off backfired when she licked her lips like she wanted to taste my inked skin, sending every drop of blood in my body rushing to my cock.
Looking at the ceiling instead of her tempting mouth, I counted to ten, giving myself time to calm down before I lunged across the table and kissed the life out of her. “And no, I don’t particularly want to talk about the shit show that just went down, but I feel you have questions and, frankly, deserve an explanation.”
Aspen held up a hand. “You don’t owe me anything if you’re not ready to explain or share.” She shoved the last bite of potato skin into her mouth and chewed while studying me, a slew of questions in her eyes. “But…”
“But you have questions about that little relationship statement Jessica dropped.”
“Well, yeah. Who wouldn’t?” I nodded in agreement and gestured for her to ask whatever she wanted to know. “First, let’s start with the obvious and most glaring question. Is that true about you and Aiden sharing?”
I held her stare and nodded, keeping a composed facade, even though I was anything but calm.
She swallowed hard, jerking her attention to Jubie before taking a sip of her beer. “That’s… interesting.”
I huffed a laugh. “ Interesting? That’s all you have to say when you just found out the two guys you’re having drinks with like to share the same woman?” I leaned in close and made sure her attention was fully on me. “In every way, Aspen. There is no choosing between us. It’s both of us or nothing.”
Her lips parted, and with the tip of her thumb, she swiped at the corners as if checking for drool. “Okay, that revelation is a bit more than interesting, but I will say I’m not really shocked.” Both my brows flew up my forehead in surprise. “Aiden mentioned the man who started Uplift had two partners, a man and a woman. It made me think the rumors and whispers about there being an open-minded poly-type community in Anchor Bay were about your community.”
Condensation slicked my fingertips. The slippery glass spun along the table as I twisted it back and forth. “Now that is interesting. I didn’t know there were rumors about us floating around. Where did you hear that?”
Both her shoulders rose in a shrug. “Social media.”
“Ah.” Inhaling deeply through my nose, I worked through how to explain it to her. “Our community, which I now consider family, is unique in a lot of ways—our multi-partner relationship views being just one of them.” I finished my water and pushed the glass away. “We prefer that relationship style for various reasons.”
I eyed the empty glass, wishing it would magically fill back up. My throat felt like sandpaper from talking so damn much. Fuck, that was a lot of words at one time. I had always been reserved, the observer between me and Aiden. He held up the conversations, made women laugh, and was usually the one to explain our unique lifestyle. Not me. I was the silent protector who faded into the background, which I normally preferred. Where Aiden couldn’t stand silence, I savored it and was more than okay with him being the center of the women’s attention when we shared.
Unless it came to Aspen.
Suddenly, I liked her eyes on me and wanted her to ask me questions and tell me all about her wants and dreams. I didn’t want to fade into the background with her. I wanted her to see me. Well, the parts of me I was comfortable with, not the ugly, scarred, trauma-suffering parts that needed to stay hidden to not scare her off.
“Sorry about that,” Aiden announced as he fell into his chair with a grunt. Angrily swiping his half-full beer off the table, he tipped the bottle back and downed a long drink. “Oliver said for us to stop by tomorrow to officially file the restraining order paperwork. There’s no way in hell she was here by chance.”
“Do you think she followed you here?” Aspen questioned, peeling the label on her bottle.
“I wouldn’t put it past her,” Aiden grumbled, studying her working fingers.
She nodded and blew a raspberry. “Okay, so what exactly happened with her? What made her so… that?” She waved her hand in the direction where Jessica had stood.
Aiden and I exchanged a knowing look, and I nodded, giving him the go-ahead to tell her.
“She was a guest at The Nest, a frequent one. We saw her around town a few times, took her out on a couple of day ATV treks when she hired Uplift.” Aiden ran a hand through his long hair, tugging at the ends. “One thing led to another. The attraction was there, and she understood our unique… needs.”
“Needs as in how you and Miles share women,” Aspen added with a smirk.
Aiden spit out the sip of beer he’d just taken, shocked at her comment and no doubt at the teasing quality of her tone. He wiped the mess from his lips and gaped at her.
“I had my suspicions after a few things you said, and Miles confirmed them just now when I asked him about it.” She shrugged like her accepting this part of us wasn’t a big deal. I eyed her suspiciously. No one accepted our relationship style that easily. “Listen, you’re both big boys?—”
“Oh, Aspen, you have no idea how right you are.” Aiden shot her a cocky smirk.
She attempted to hide her smile as she rolled her eyes. “If your partner is into it, then you do you. Though I do have questions.” She glanced at Aiden before giving my upper body a deliberate once-over. “A lot of questions,” she mumbled around a yawn.
I checked my watch, noting the time. “It’s getting late, and I’m sure you’re exhausted from traveling. I heard you had to put up with Langston during the trip. Let’s order the nachos?—”
“Fuck yes,” Aiden said, punching his fist in the air. “Love their nachos.”
Aspen smirked and shook her head at his antics. “Well, now we have to get them with that kind of response.”
“I’ll go to the bar and order.” Palms to the edge of the table, I shoved my chair back and stood. Her eyes traveled down my body in a slow, sensual sweep. Desire slammed into my gut, making me suck in a tight breath. “We need to get you home before it gets too late.” Her dark eyes widened, making me realize my wording. “Home as in you to your cottage at The Nest and us to our place.”
For tonight, at least.
Forcing myself to walk away from her, I headed toward the bar to place our food order and use the time to get this surge of need under fucking control.
This woman was dangerous in all the ways that mattered, and that scared me.
I thought being a SEAL prepared me for anything and everything.
And I was.
Until Aspen walked through that bar door and I knew…
I was in so much fucking trouble.