Chapter 17
LAUREL
The chalet was done.
The contractors were packing their tools and loading boxes into the huge-ass truck bed.
The younger guy kept his head down and climbed into the passenger seat as soon as they were done.
He pulled out his phone, red in the face, probably terrified of me.
But the one who looked like Santa on steroids stretched out his hand toward me.
“Thank you for trusting us, Mr. Riley. Hope you’re happy with the result.”
“It looks great, thank you. We should have hired you from the start.”
His smirk looked smug. “Next time you’ll know.” Then he winked. “I hope you had a nice stay at the B&B, though. My boy’s been taking good care of you?”
I blinked. “Huh?”
“Montgomery, my oldest. He’s got a big mouth but an even bigger heart.”
I was so stunned it took me a while to find my words. Was this man Monty’s father? Now, when he said it… They had the same build, and when I imagined the white beard gone, the resemblance was definitely there.
“I’m sorry. I had no idea you and Monty were related. The B&B’s really nice. I had a…great time.” Understatement of the year. But I didn’t think Monty’s father would have appreciated me elaborating on just how thorough Monty’s services had been.
“Glad to hear it. Well, we’ll leave you to it, Mr. Riley. Have a good day.”
He hopped into the monster of a truck, gave me a salute, and started the engine. The gravel crunched under the tires, and they were gone.
Sam walked out of the chalet, a laptop bag in his hand. “So, it’s all yours. Finally, huh?”
I gave him a nod. My mind was still reeling.
“I’ve stocked the fridge and taken care of all the necessities. You can move in right away.” He grinned at me, and I forced a smile back.
“Thanks. Great.”
“Is everything okay, Laurel?”
“Yeah, sure. Um, Sam?”
“Yes?”
I glanced down the empty road where it turned into the dark forest. “What was the contractor’s name?” I asked. “The older, bearded guy.”
“Barrett Wolf. The Wolfs are like the Beauville staple, several generations back. Mr. Wolf’s husband runs the grocery store, and you know their son, Montgomery Wolf, who owns the B&B and the pub.
He took over the lumber mill when his grandfather retired.
The younger brother used to be involved as well, but he relocated to Green Peaks with his husband.
I think the diner and the bakery are also in the Wolf family, owned by Barrett’s brother and his children, Montgomery’s cousins. ”
“How do you know all of this?”
“From Oliver Kondike and Barrett himself.”
“Oh.”
I was still staring at where the truck had disappeared. Barrett Wolf seemed like a good man, rough around the edges but stable and kind. I could see how a father like that could raise a Monty.
“So, you ready?”
I whipped my head around. “For what?”
Sam studied me, looking confused. “Moving in? You’ve been looking forward to this, haven’t you?”
“Oh. Yeah. Sure. Let’s do it.”
Sam drove me back to the B&B. I half dreaded, half hoped to find Monty there, but the breakfast room was empty.
Sam waited downstairs as I went to collect my stuff.
It took barely five minutes to repack my clothes and scoop up the toiletries.
I threw the backpack over my shoulder and schlepped my suitcase down to the breakfast room. I set it by the stairs.
Parched, I filled a glass of water. Where was Monty? I should at least call him.
Sam closed his laptop and stood. “Done?”
It seemed I couldn’t prolong it anymore. “Sure.”
The door opened, and Monty walked in. I saw the moment his gaze landed on my packed suitcase on the floor. Then he glanced at me, his eyes wide and mouth parted.
He looked stunned.
“Hello, Mr. Wolf,” Sam said cheerfully, oblivious.
Monty jerked, as if only then realizing Sam was there. “Oh. Hi.”
“Thank you so much, Mr. Wolf. The bathroom at Laurel’s chalet is fully functional, and the tile work is stunning.
Your father has been a godsend. Anyway, Laurel has already vacated the upstairs suite.
The accommodation is paid until the end of the week, and we won’t ask for a refund.
Laurel tells me he was most satisfied with your services. ”
A little pale, Monty gazed at me unblinking as if he didn’t believe what was happening. “Uh-huh. I’m glad to hear that,” he mumbled.
Meanwhile, Sam grabbed the handle and began rolling my suitcase to the exit.
“Don’t hesitate to send any additional costs my way.”
“The minibar was included,” Monty said. “There are no extra charges.”
“That’s generous of you.” This time, Sam noticed something was off. He paused by the thin wall separating the breakfast room from the short hallway, frowning at Monty. He was about to say something else, but I jumped in.
“Sam, can you wait in the car? I think I forgot something upstairs.”
“Oh? I can run up…”
“No. I’ll do it. Please, wait for me.”
Eyeing me in confusion, Sam shrugged into his coat and grabbed my suitcase again. He walked out and closed the door.
Monty’s chest expanded, and he blew out a long sigh.
“This is it, huh?” he said, sounding strangled.
I shifted from foot to foot. Suddenly, my empty chalet seemed a little less enticing. “We’re going to see each other all the time, right? Beauville is not exactly huge.”
His smile looked so forced it broke my heart. “When are you going back to the city?”
“Not in the next three weeks.”
I told myself it would be a long time. It felt like a long time now. Twenty days, give or take. Maybe I could stay longer? I wouldn’t enjoy Ulrich’s reaction to that idea.
Monty nodded. “Then we’ll see you.”
Fuck. Jordy wasn’t even here.
I went in for a hug. Monty wrapped his huge arms around me, and I breathed in the concentrated scent from between his bulging pecs. A lump in my throat and a stone in my stomach, I tore myself away.
My chalet waited for me. My vacation and quality alone time. Finally.
Monty and Jordy had been an amazing distraction, but I hadn’t exactly solved anything, had I? Now I had to do what I came here to do—get my shit together.
“Maybe you can come to dinner soon?” Monty sounded hopeful.
“Yeah. I’d love that.”
Hell, I wanted into his bed again. No way was I denying myself the pleasure Jordy and he were capable of giving me. And I didn’t want Monty to think that my leaving meant more than it did.
“Look, I need space, and I think I really need to be alone to deal with…you know…”
He nodded like a bobble head. “The creative block?”
“Sounds better than burnout. Let’s call it that.”
Monty’s lips curved into another despondent not-smile. “I understand.”
“But I want to see you again. You and Jordy.”
That made him grin genuinely for the first time since he’d seen my luggage at the bottom of the stairs.
“You have my number,” he said.
I rose on my tiptoes and kissed him.
Monty grabbed my nape, and our tongues touched briefly. I breathed in the scent of cocoa, missing the hints of whiskey and smoke to make the smell of comfort complete.
The car rumbled to life outside. I leaned back, and he let go of my head.
“Thank you, Monty, for everything.”
“Thank you.”
I wouldn’t look at his face anymore. I couldn’t. I just pivoted and strode out, my jaw clenched. I blinked, chasing away the pressure behind my eyes.
This was ridiculous. It wasn’t like we were saying goodbye for long. Hell, I could invite myself over tomorrow already and spend the night getting fucked and loved like the needy omega I was.
The question remained whether it would be a smart thing to do.
Probably not.
Sam had stocked the fridge and pantry for me, and the fire in the living room was crackling happily.
The first thing I did in my new chalet was take a bath. When I got too hot, I grabbed the strawberry-and-mascarpone-flavored ice cream from the freezer and climbed back into the warm water. I ate straight from the container.
Wearing a wonderfully fluffy bathrobe, I took a walk around my hideaway. The house smelled like freshly cut pine wood with the slightest hint of smoke from the fireplace, and I adored that. It made me think of the way Jordy smelled when he was just out of the shower.
I paused in the living room, where only hot coals were left of the large fire. I threw two thick birch logs onto it and closed the glass door. The flames flew up quickly, engulfing the white bark, and I watched them dance for a while.
Then I gazed through the glass wall at the black silhouettes of trees against the night sky. It must have been cloudy because I could only see small patches of stars in the inky darkness above.
My guitar case stood leaning against the wall by the fireplace. I moved it further away from the heat.
I stepped back and stared at it.
If I touched the guitar, would I freak out?
Maybe I could play something I liked, just for myself, to try the acoustics in this place. The ceiling was high.
Heart pounding, I sat on the sofa and opened the case.
Okay. Here we go.
I hadn’t held one in more than two weeks. That must have been the longest I’d gone without playing since I’d been a little kid.
I plucked on the strings, and the sound resonated in the vast space.
An old thing from my first studio album came to my mind, but I didn’t feel like playing the whole song.
I just stroked the strings, changing between two chords, and an image popped into my head.
Jordy and Monty, naked, standing before the bed, kissing.
They were larger than life, looming above me, two mountains of muscle with round shoulders and powerful thighs, their rigid cocks pressed together. Huge all over. A promise of great pleasure, spiced with danger.
They had been magnificent.
I wondered what kind of music Jordy would enjoy. I imagined something blue and edgy. But Monty was all about brighter tones and simple harmonies.
It started dark and deep, rumbling, with a bit of a disharmonious edge, but then it turned melodic, even happy, and I grinned as I tapped my fingers on the wood between strokes. It sounded a little messy.
Their kiss turned serious, passionate… I brushed over the strings and leaned into it, giving the sound more power.
Yeah, it was messy, but magnificent.
Smiling to myself, I replayed the melody, then returned to the intro. The chorus would be straightforward, only a little bit melancholy. The word magnificent matched the notes perfectly.
I hummed, then sang it quietly. The sound of my voice and the tones from the guitar rose around me, then fell back…and seemed to hug me. I sang the words again.
“Maybe it’s messy, but that must be my fault. Because what you’ve given me is magnificent.”
I changed the verse in my head and tried once more.
“It could get messy, but that would be my fault. Because you’ve been nothing but magnificent.
You told me to find joy…” That wasn’t right.
“You sent me to find joy, and I searched like a fool. You could have told me I’d find it right here.
With him and you…. Between him and you… I searched like a fool, only to find him and you… ”
Shaking my head, I struck the strings again. This wasn’t a love song. It was a sex song. A song about pleasure and the delicious taste of forbidden fruit.
“His warmth deep inside me, your warmth all around me, our skin’s slippery, and this joy should be forbidden. But it’s not. It’s magnificent…”
I sang and hummed, looking for extra syllables and shuffling words around.
God, was I really writing a song about Monty and Jordy fucking me?
But I was smiling, feeling giddy. For the first time in ages, I was happy playing and listening to myself, so yeah. Whatever. I’d write a song about my unforgettable threesome.
Find joy.
My career was about joy.
The joy one could find in music—writing it, playing it, and taking it in, dancing and jumping up and down in a crowd of strangers, suddenly feeling connected. Even the saddest songs brought colors to life. Joy.
I thought of the joy I felt sandwiched between my two bears. The lyrics seemed to write themselves, about desire and arousal, about longing to come back for more, but knowing I shouldn’t, and about a temptation bigger than me, larger than life.
The melody broke and scattered. The messy part—that was me, my doubts, fears, and the disappointment I’d inevitably bring them. But even without me, my alphas kept kissing, beautiful and passionate.
“Magnificent…”
I replayed the bits and pieces over and over until they began to come together. Then I put my phone on the coffee table, thumbed open the app I used for saving ideas, and pressed record.