Chapter 14
14
AIDEN
T he last pack slammed into the bed of Miles’s truck. I leaned against the faded blue paint, wiping the dribble of sweat that slid down the side of my jaw as I watched Miles and Jubie lumbering my way. Jubie trotted beside Miles, trying to keep up with his long strides and occasionally jumping to snag the stick my best friend taunted his dog with, just high enough to where she couldn’t get it.
A small smile pulled at his lips, and I knew I wore a similar one. We were both excited for the next twenty-four hours. Yes, there was that potential of taking things further with Aspen, but it was also about the time we would get to spend with her in the great outdoors, where all three of us loved to be. It was special when we could take true outdoor lovers out on hikes, knowing they would appreciate all that Alaska offered. Seeing the awe on someone’s face, some even shedding grateful tears, was fucking special as hell.
What were the odds that Aspen would be open to hiking naked?
“What are you smirking at?” Miles muttered as he leaned against the truck beside me. “Whatever it is, that look always spells trouble for both of us.”
I shook my head and ran a few fingers through my hair. “Just excited, I guess. It’s been a while since I’ve felt this.” I tapped at my chest where the excitement felt almost physical, bubbling inside me. “This buzzing anticipation of a hike I’ve done hundreds of times.”
Miles nodded while throwing the slobber-coated stick as far as he could. We both watched Jubie prance off. “I know what you mean. We’ve done this trail so many times it’s lost its shine, but this time with Aspen…” He trailed off, allowing me to fill in the words he clearly couldn’t voice.
“It feels fucking sparkly?”
Miles barked a laugh and shoved at my shoulder. That sound rumbled in my ears and went straight to my heart, making it feel even fuller. Fuck, I loved seeing this side of him again. If this was what Aspen did for him, eased that burden he carried around, then I’d do anything to make her stay.
“What are your thoughts about kidnapping?” I mused as I rubbed at my clean-shaven jaw, a basic, sketchy-as-hell plan forming.
“That it’s a felony? What the fuck kind of question is that?”
Both shoulders rose and lowered in an exaggerated shrug. “Just thinking out loud here. Don’t get all high-and-mighty over something like legalities on me. Come on, let’s go.” As I reached for the door handle, I paused. “Oh, I might have let the creepy shit going on around here slip last night to Aspen, and I also might have promised her we’d explain everything.” I shot him my best puppy dog eyes, hoping it would keep him from punching me. “For her safety, you know.”
“Fucking hell, Aiden. You know what Hudson and Oliver?—”
I jumped into the truck and slammed the door shut, cutting off his boisterous response. Not that it did any good, considering he was driving the truck I just sealed myself into. Not my brightest moment.
The whole frame shifted as Miles slid behind the wheel after loading Jubie into the bed, face tight with frustration.
“You looked better with that smile from earlier. Let’s go back to happy Miles, eh?”
“Then don’t go pissing me off.” He slammed the key into the ignition and started the engine. “You know the sheriff doesn’t want us talking about it with anyone outside the community.”
“That’s a load of bullshit, and you know it. How many people have gone out on that trail alone or unprepared for what could happen because they’ve kept quiet about it all or refused to listen to our theories?”
Really just a theory, as in a single very strong one.
The one that revolved around some sick bastard snagging unsuspecting women off the challenging trail that went from Anchor Bay to Kenai Fjords National Park, sometimes killing the male partner who traveled with them. We couldn’t figure out why or even what he was doing with them. My gut churned, and the light breakfast I ate rose in my throat just thinking about what he could be doing with them if the missing women were still alive.
“It’s the best way to keep her safe,” I added, knowing that would woo him over to my side. “She deserves to know.”
With a heavy, resigned sigh, he finally nodded in agreement. Behind us, Jubie barked from the truck bed, head hanging over the side, allowing her fur and tongue to flap in the wind as we drove toward The Nest to pick up Aspen.
“But not all the details. We can’t jeopardize their investigation like that, not when there are families who deserve answers and victims who need justice.”
He had a point.
I didn’t have to like it, though.
Restless energy buzzed beneath my skin, the anticipation of seeing Aspen again making me vibrate from the inside out. I couldn’t sit still, much to Miles’s frustration. The entire drive, I fidgeted in the seat, unable to get comfortable for long, played with the radio dial a few hundred times, and rapped my fingers on both knees to where I was even annoying myself. But I couldn’t settle down. There was a lot of pressure around this hike, yet not really. I knew without a doubt she’d have a good time, would get some amazing shots, and have that peace only nature could offer to settle her swirling thoughts. All that was a guarantee, but I wanted her to fucking love it.
Love our time together.
Love us three together.
Love us.
Groaning, I tapped the back of my head against the headrest. “I hate feelings. They fucking suck trying to unweave it all.”
“You’re too far gone on her, aren’t you?”
I scoffed and pointed an accusing finger at him. “And you’re not, Mr. Smiley Pants?” He smirked as if to prove my point. “See, there it is again. You can’t say you don’t feel it. She’s different in all the ways that matter.”
He ran a hand over his short hair before wrapping it around the back of his neck. “There is something between us, but I’m not sure it’s what you’re feeling. You think with your dick more times than not.”
“It’s more than that this time,” I protested, crossing both arms over my chest. “And don’t do that. Not to this.”
“Do what?”
“Deflect. You’re just saying that to make me doubt what I’m feeling, what you’re feeling, too, because you’re scared.”
He shot me an I’ll murder you right here while driving if you say that shit again look that had me sealing my spine to the door. I swallowed so hard it made an audible sound.
“I’m not fucking scared. But you’re forgetting a bunch of shit, overlooking things I know will push her away. You have that ability to forget how women react to me. I fucking don’t. So don’t say I’m scared when you know—when you pull your head out of your ass—why I’m guarded.”
The guilt that had seemed to abate for the last twenty-four hours roared back to life, putting so much fucking pressure on my chest that I couldn’t breathe. I stared at Miles, desperately sucking down slivers of air.
When he glanced my way at a stop sign, his eyes widened. In a flash, he leaned over, unclipped my seat belt, and shoved my head between my knees.
“Fuck, I’m sorry, brother. I didn’t mean for it to sound like an accusation.” More guilt swirled, knowing he was beating himself up for stirring the guilt I constantly drowned in. “I’m just trying to be levelheaded and not let myself get too close for a shit ton of reasons. I shouldn’t use my scars as an excuse, but I do because I’d rather think it has something to do with my body than her finding out about the other broken parts of me and walking away. I don’t want that for you.”
“And I’m tired of seeing you just existing,” I said, finally able to breathe. Slumping against the window, I sealed both eyes shut, relishing the coolness seeping from the glass to my forehead. “There is so much more out there than what you’re allowing yourself.”
“Yeah, well, not all of us rebound as easily as you. Just give me time. Let me go at my pace. Things have been getting better, even before Aspen arrived.”
Even if I didn’t sleep with a single wall dividing our rooms, able to hear him crying out in his sleep or thrashing around in his bed, I would’ve known the lie in his words.
“Keep an open mind, okay? She’s special, even if you won’t admit it to yourself yet.” Pulling up to her cabin, I reached for the door handle but didn’t shove the door open. “And I know you know that. I see it in the way you actually talk to her instead of communicating via caveman grunts and scowls.” The corner of his lips twitched upward. “Come on, let’s go get our girl and get this hike started. I, for one, can’t wait to see where the next twenty-four hours take us.”
Outside the truck, Miles rounded the hood and fell into step beside me. “Which head is thinking that?”
My laugh rumbled through the trees. I opened my mouth to respond when Miles went completely still. I paused, too, staring at my friend, wondering if he was having some kind of medical emergency or just needed to fart.
It could go either way.
But the second I noted the way his features pinched in concentration, gaze flicking from side to side, taking in every detail, stance wide and ready for an attack—oh, and the gun in his hand—I, too, went on high alert.
“What is it?” I asked, my hand sliding back toward my belt holster. The moment my palm touched the rough grip of my Glock, a fraction of my nerves eased.
“I don’t know,” he murmured. “It just feels off.”
“If you’re saying it’s off, something is fucking off.” I trusted his gut instinct implicitly. If there was a threat close, he knew about it. Part of it was trained into him as a SEAL; the other part was all him. He’d always had that gut instinct. Which was why he initially told me to stay away from my ex-wife and Jessica.
At some point, I’d listen to him.
Maybe.
Probably not.
“Go to the cabin. Protect Aspen.”
I widened my eyes at him. “And what the fuck are you going to do?”
The motherfucker rolled his eyes at my concern. “Snuff out the threat.”
“And then what?”
An intense look overtook his face. “Whatever needs to be done to protect what’s mine.”
I started toward the cabin but paused. “You just referred to me and Aspen as yours. You realize that, right? No take backs.”
“Shut the fuck up,” he grumbled and stalked out into trees.
“Just know I won’t let you forget that subconscious slip,” I shouted over my shoulder.
Jogging along the path, I leapt up the few steps, fist already raised to pound on the door. Only it swung open before I could make contact. Which really sucked because my momentum kept me moving forward, stumbling inside.
“What the hell?” she shouted as I skidded to a stop.
Whirling around like nothing happened, like I didn’t just trip and barge into her cabin, I pointed to the door. “Shut it.” Eyes wide, she slammed it shut. “Lock it.” Without looking away, she reached out and flipped the deadbolt.
Once that little safety measure was in place, I stomped to the back door to ensure those were locked up tight.
“What the hell?” she repeated, hands going to her hips.
“Sorry, we were on our way to collect you?—”
“I’m not a garbage can on the curb.”
I snorted a half laugh. “Fine, we were on our way to get you.” I arched a brow to make sure that wording suited her. With a smirk, she nodded and gestured for me to continue. “When Miles sensed something off around your cabin.”
She stilled and quickly jerked her gaze away. “Oh, really?” she mused while playing with the ends of her hair. “That’s strange.”
Her tone, posture, fucking everything was off. Stalking toward her, I moved into her line of vision. “What aren’t you telling me?”
She waved me off but chewed on her lower lip, an anxious tic. “It’s probably nothing,” she said with a forced laugh that wouldn’t fool anyone.
With a low growl, I crowded her back until her spine flattened against the wall, forearms pressed on either side of her head, caging her in with no escape. Holding her unbelieving gaze, I leaned in close. “Tell me.”
“And here I thought Miles was the bossy one,” she snarked, chewing on her lip again.
“Aspen,” I demanded, my tone sharp.
She blew out a raspberry and rolled her eyes. “It’s really nothing.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
Eyes narrowed, she huffed. “Fine. Last night, I was headed to the main building?—”
“Aspen.” I pressed my forehead to hers. For a moment, I stood there savoring the simple contact. “Why did you leave the cabin after I dropped you off?”
Pushing me back, she crossed both arms in front of her chest, and a stubborn glint flickered in her eyes. “Why shouldn’t I have walked around the area when it was still fucking light outside, Aiden? Remember, I am an adult, fully capable of taking care of myself.”
“You are, but still, what was so important that you left the safety of your cabin to walk around alone?”
With her lips pursed and a death glare leveled right at me, I almost retreated a step at the steam practically coming out of her ears. “I needed something personal, okay? And had a wonderful glass of wine at the bar while I was there. It was fine. I was fine, but…”
“But what?”
Both hands tossed in the air, she finally relented. “But when I was walking along the path toward the main building, at one point or another, it felt like I was being followed or watched, maybe. It was probably my imagination, though.”
She mentioned the feeling of being in possible danger so nonchalantly that frustration boiled in my veins. Gazes locked in an unspoken standoff, neither of us looked away until the front door vibrated—fuck, the entire cabin shook at the pounding on the other side. Knowing full well who it was, I sidestepped around Aspen to release the deadbolt. The edge clipped my forearm before I could yank my arm back when the door burst open with enough force that it dented the opposite wall.
Miles’s large frame filled the doorway, sweeping an assessing look around the cabin. Aspen’s gaze turned glassy, her breathing picking up as she gave him a slow perusal from the tip of his boots to the beard he trimmed earlier just for the trip while I studied her reaction. Seemed someone liked intense Miles a whole lot.
A quick glance at me, then her, taking in our stiff posture and tension between us, and he arched a single dark brow in silent question.
“Find anything?” I asked, shifting out of his way for when he marched to where Aspen stood, which would certainly happen after I dropped the information bomb she shared with me before he arrived. Miles shook his head, his only movement as he waited for me to explain what he just walked into. “Oh, and interestingly enough, after I dropped Aspen off last night, she went out on a little adventure to the main building. She said she felt like she was being watched or followed at one point. Not sure if I mentioned this or not… she went alone.”
Aspen tossed up both hands and grumbled under her breath. Miles’s eyes narrowed to thin slits and locked on her, which had Aspen’s widening to the size of dinner plates. He cleared the distance between them in two quick strides and crowded her against the wall like I had seconds earlier.
With a pleased smile, I settled on the couch and stretched out both arms wide along the back to watch the show, wishing I had some popcorn to go with the inevitable entertainment.
Things were about to get spicy.
“You. Did. What?” Miles clipped, voice deceptively soft.
“You’re both acting like I tried to pet a mama moose, cuddle a damn bear, or accepted candy from a guy in a white panel van. It was a short walk to the main building to get what I needed. Nothing scary or dangerous happened.” Though the way her voice dropped with each word signaled that wasn’t exactly true. “I’m here, unharmed, after walking there and back?—”
“Did you feel eyes on you on the way back too?” Miles cut in.
“Just on the walk there,” she whispered, chin tipped up so she could meet his hard stare. “And I don’t appreciate you two making me feel like I did something wrong when I didn’t.”
Miles blinked in utter astonishment at her single finger pressed to the center of his chest.
“It wasn’t safe to go out alone at night like that,” he borderline growled. “I don’t want you taking your safety so lightly. What if there was a bear?—”
“Obviously, I’d do what you should do in that situation. Offer it honey and make it my best friend,” she sassed with an eye roll, hands going to her hips.
“Oh shit,” I snickered. “You’ve done it now, sweetheart. Hope you like hiking with a sore bottom, because that’s his favorite way to punish naughty girls like you.”
“What?” she squeaked, frantic gaze bouncing between me and Miles. “You cannot be serious right now. I did nothing wrong.”
“But you put yourself in danger, so…” I gestured to the fuming Miles. “You made the decision, and now you have to reap the consequences.”
My friend leaned in until his lips pressed to her ear, whispering something I couldn’t hear despite leaning forward and angling my good ear in their direction to catch his words. Whatever was said had her cheeks flaring bright red and lips parting on a soft gasp.
A hand flew up to cover her open mouth. “You wouldn’t dare.”
Miles’s responding smirk was sharp. “Fucking watch me. Now turn that ass around and place both palms on the wall for me.” His deep tone rumbled around the room, leaving no room for argument.
A needy groan rattled up my throat. I shifted along the stiff couch, gripping my throbbing cock to adjust where it pressed against the fly of my pants. How in the fuck was I hard as stone and everyone’s clothes were still on?
“You’re p-playing with me,” Aspen stuttered in utter shock—and maybe a healthy surge of arousal based on the way she clenched her thighs together.
“Nope. Do as I said, baby girl, or you’ll earn additional licks to that perfect backside.”
Wide dark eyes shifted my way, drifting to my lap, where my hand was wrapped around my cock still tucked away inside my jeans. I studied her reaction to ensure there wasn’t a hint of hesitation or fear lingering there. Yesterday, she gave carte blanche consent and promised to let us know when we took it too far, so we had to trust her to know her own limits and say something if she wasn’t on board.
Having waited long enough for her to comply of her own free will, Miles wrapped both hands around her waist and whirled her around with ease. Both of her palms slapped to the wall, preventing her from falling over when he jerked her hips back. A hand tangled in her long hair, he forced her chin to tip up and back into an arch, shoving her perfect peach-shaped ass higher in the air.
“You say stop, and we stop. Understood?” Miles grated out through clenched teeth. At her whispered yes, he hitched his chin my way. “Want to help me serve out her punishment for taking unnecessary risks?”
“It was necessary—” The loud smack to her right cheek cut off her words, followed by a high-pitched squeal. “I needed a razor, you assholes.”
Miles smacked her other cheek with just as much force as the first. “All you had to do was call us, and we would’ve gone to fucking Seattle to get you one. When you committed to giving this a try, you signed up for us taking care of you—in every way.”
Not needing to be asked twice, I leapt off the couch, pausing next to Miles to wait for directions. This side of Miles was a fucking blast, and I couldn’t wait to find out what he had planned for both me and Aspen. What Aspen probably didn’t realize was that she scared Miles, and this was how he responded. He needed to remind her that she was important and regain some semblance of control over the whole situation.
Maybe this was his version of therapy.
“Since you weren’t aware that you should call or text us, that we’d do anything for you if you asked, today’s punishment will lean more toward the pleasure side than pain.” Aspen whispered a curse and dropped her head as far forward as Miles’s grip on her hair would allow. “But don’t get me wrong, baby girl. You’re still getting this ass spanked. We’ll just have Aiden sweeten the deal.”
“I like the sound of that,” I said, stroking a single finger along Aspen’s cheek. “What do you have in mind?”
His free hand moved around her waist, slipped under her long-sleeved shirt, and pressed to her bare skin. Aspen’s gasp turned into a needy whine as his fingers danced along her stomach, playing with the waistband of her pants.
A wide grin spread across Miles’s face. “How about you eat her tasty cunt while I spank her ass until she remembers that we’re always here for her and her safety should always take priority, no matter the situation?”
“Yes,” Aspen rasped between heavy breaths. “Solid plan. Ten out of ten, five stars, and a stamp of approval on this plan.”
With an arched brow directed my way, Miles landed a third hard open-palm smack to her ass. The sound echoed around the room, almost covering Aspen’s string of muttered curses. Almost.
“I don’t need your sass.” He leaned in close until his hard dick tenting his jeans rubbed against her sore backside. “And it’s ‘Yes, sir’ during punishments or when I’m inside you. Understood?”
Hand shoved down the front of my pants, I squeezed my dick hard at the familiar sensation of an oncoming orgasm. “Fucking hell, man, watch your words. You’re going to make me come in my damn pants.”
Miles’s hazel eyes rolled to the ceiling at my dramatics. “You took care of yourself fine with nothing but your hand yesterday after she rode your lap, and for the last thirty damn years. I’m sure you can do the same thing again while you kneel to eat her pussy.”
I could only blink at him.
Holy fuck.
Did I just die and end up in threesome heaven?
“If you’re done whining, get on your knees and help me bare her to us so we can get started.”
Dipping beneath her arm, I stood so Aspen was between us and pressed my lips to hers in a searing kiss. “You ready for this?”
Pupils blown wide, lips parted and swollen, she nodded.
“Good, because I dreamed of how you would taste all night. Let’s find out if I was right.”
I dropped to the hardwood floor in front of her, never looking away from those dark eyes of hers. Cupping the back of her thighs, I slowly slid both hands up until they reached her waistband, fingers toying with the top button.
Time to find out if my dream was right.