Chapter 6
6
Anya
T hey never leave me alone for too long.
Not that I mind it. In the absence of memories, all I have is the present, as strange and as snowy as it may be. But ever since that night with Booker and Chance, there’s been a noticeable shift in our dynamic.
They take such good care of me, the three of them, yet the twins are always closer. Warmer to me. Sometimes, we slip back under the covers and consume one another, the chemistry downright impossible to deny.
It’s different with Nico.
And today, I’m Nico’s charge.
“Should I handle the dusting part?” I ask, holding up a feathered Swiffer, while Nico changes the pillowcases and blankets, tossing them into the laundry basket before taking the clean and freshly ironed replacements out.
“Sure. The bookshelves are always a pain,” he replies with a gentle smile.
Of the three brothers, he’s the biggest, but I like that about him, especially when he’s wearing casual sweatpants and a t-shirt so soft the fabric practically pours over his muscular, massive torso. He keeps his dark hair caught in a loose man bun; his beard always so carefully trimmed. It gives hot mountain man with a sophisticated edge, and it makes my heart beat a little faster.
“Where are the twins?” I ask, getting to work on the bookshelves.
“Still clearing the snow,” Nico replies, dressing one of the pillows. “It’ll be a couple more days before we’re able to reach the road leading into town. But we’re getting there.” He pauses, and I wipe down a jade elephant, remembering the story about their brief offshore leave in Thailand. It was one of the most beautiful beaches Booker ever saw, apparently, along with a souvenir shop from which this elephant came. “You miss them?” Nico asks.
I give him a puzzled look. “Who?”
“My brothers.”
My cheeks burn, and suddenly I feel like I’m on the wrong side of the law. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“That was my sad attempt at a joke,” Nico says, a smile testing his lips. “My apologies. Chance was the class clown. I was always the—”
“Protector.” I say, turning to face him, though I’m not sure where this courage is stemming from. “You kept them safe.”
Nico gives me a surprised look. “Did you perhaps remember something?”
“Not you, no. I still don’t remember you or your brothers,” I reply with a heavy sigh. “It’s just obvious from the way you talk about each other, the way you are around each other. You’ve always been the big brother.”
“Someone’s gotta be the big brother.”
“And it’s your best quality,” I say.
He stills, then moves closer. “You just said you don’t remember me.”
“I know what I’ve seen so far. I know you pulled me out of that wreck. You saved my life, Nico. I felt safe in your arms.” Rolling my eyes, I jump back to my usual frustration. “I wish I could remember you. Really. I bet I’ve got a fair share of stories to tell about you.”
“And you’ll get your chance. Is stuff coming back to you?”
I nod slowly. “Not quickly enough.”
“Look out there. Time is standing still,” he says, pointing to one of the windows. “There’s a frost coming tonight. The inevitable frozen hell that follows every blizzard in these parts of Montana. It’ll be some time yet before we can reach civilization, so there’s nothing much for us to do other than shovel snow, eat, drink, sleep, and remember.”
“You make it sound so easy,” I scoff. “If you could tell me something about me, something more, maybe it would trigger another memory.”
“You’ve remembered something?” Nico asks.
“Chance mentioned something from your Naval Academy days, and it made me remember a gift my brother sent me for my birthday when I was little.”
“He shouldn’t have led you like that.” He’s mad. The muscle ticking in his jaw, visible even under the beard, tells me that much.
“It helped,” I insist. “And it was effortless for me to remember, I promise. It was organic, almost.”
“Everything between you and my brothers seems organic.”
His tone shifted. Something else bothers him. It’s not that Chance helped me with a memory. I didn’t even notice it until now. The way he presses his lips tightly together when I mention his brothers. When he has to go out, leaving me with one or both of his brothers. It’s subtle, but I don’t think I’m imagining it.
“What are you trying to tell me, Nico?” I ask, my heart skipping another beat.
It’s been on my mind since I first woke up in this lodge, to be honest. I’ve been as drawn to him as I’ve been to his brothers, though I’ve yet to find the courage to act on it. Nico is good at keeping a respectable distance.
“I don’t think it’s healthy for you to get so close,” he says, sitting on the sofa’s armrest for a bit, “given how little you remember, how little you actually know about us at this point. To you, we’re practically strangers.”
Should I be angry when I can see it in his eyes so clearly? Should I just go along and nod and pretend I didn’t notice the stolen glances, the tender way in which he touched me when he helped me out of bed or changed my bandages? Should I ignore it altogether, while he simmers like this, resisting out of misplaced righteousness?
I cannot.
My instincts won’t let me. And Chance did tell me to always follow my instincts, so I set the Swiffer down and calmly walk over to Nico. He notices and straightens his back, a glimmer of alarm sparkling in his green eyes. “What are you doing?” he asks.
“Just wanted to be closer, so I can better listen to what you’re actually trying to tell me.”
“I’m not sure I understand.”
“How am I the helpless amnesiac, yet you’re the one having trouble expressing how you really feel?” I reply.
He stares at me for what feels like forever. His expression is impossible to decipher, but the air between us thickens with each passing moment, the crackling electricity reaching the point where the hairs on the back of my neck prick up.
“Anya.”
“Say it. Or do it. Whatever comes easier for you.”
“Anya.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
Nico exhales sharply, shaking his head in amusement. “You’ve only grown fiercer since we last met. You’re truly a force to be reckoned with.”
“Tell me.”
“Tell you what?”
“The truth. Your truth.”
He curses under his breath. “It’s ridiculous.”
“I’m not judging. I’m listening.”
“Okay. I tell you one thing from your past,” he says, and my pulse quickens as my curiosity piques. “My brothers and I came to visit one day. We were on leave. You were just a few months shy of eighteen, and that night, after dinner with you and your family, you came to me. I was outside on the sidewalk getting some fresh air. There was a full moon in the sky. You stood next to me.
“And I asked you if you were happy,” he adds. “You said you’d be happy if I were the first man to kiss you. I said I couldn’t. It wasn’t appropriate. You were still so young. And you huffed and you puffed, and you promised you would wait until it was appropriate.”
The words echo in my head. They do sound familiar. They sound like something I’d say. My determination and stubbornness feel familiar to me. I hold back a laugh as I inch closer to Nico. “And what did you say?” I ask him.
“I said I’d look forward to it.”
“Did you lie?”
He shakes his head again. “No. But then life got in the way. Miles and miles of this world got in the way. I figured I’d never see you again, until I did, the night we pulled you out of that car. And I remembered your promise. Then you let Chance and Booker in, but not me.”
And now, I’m disappointed with myself. An aching pang cuts through my ribcage. Maybe it was just the promise of a girl made to a man who didn’t expect anything to happen, but the way everything unfolded since I woke up here… I can certainly taste the mild disappointment. I can see the way he’s trying to protect himself.
“Relax, Anya. All of this was so unexpected. The circumstances are different. We’re different,” Nico adds. “I don’t have any expectations whatsoever. I just want you to be safe. To have another chance at happiness.”
“Kiss me,” I tell him, my breath rushing away from me.
He gives me a befuddled look. “What?”
“Kiss me, now.”
He’s about to object, but I shake my head vehemently. The sexual tension between us has become unbearable. I need him to cave in. I think he finally understands. Slowly, like a panther on the prowl, Nico rises to his feet, towering over me with all his might. I tilt my head back so I can look into his eyes.
“There’s no turning back, Anya,” he warns.
“I don’t want to go back.”
“Fucking hell,” Nico snarls and pulls me into his strong arms. Nearly crushing my mouth with his, he kisses me. Furiously, deeply, desperately. I moan against his lips and let his tongue slip through. I taste the coffee, the desire, the burning flame of this insanity between us.
Despite my curves, I feel small and fragile in his embrace.
“Oh, Nico,” I manage as he shoves a hand in my hair and forces my head to dip on one side so he can kiss my neck. Wet, hot kisses trail along my skin as I let my hands wander.
He grabs my ass and pulls me closer, and I feel him, hard and ready, nestled against my belly. Liquid heat seeps into my panties. I’m turned on beyond control as we practically tear the clothes off each other.
“You’re going to be the end of me, Anya,” Nico says as he takes a step back to look at me.
I stand before him, naked and panting, my lips tender from the violence of our kiss. For a moment, I feel self-conscious again, but the way he smiles as his gaze drops downward makes my breasts tingle and my nipples perk up, flattered by his admiration.
“Maybe I’m just the beginning,” I reply, suddenly bolder than ever.
He comes close again, guiding me over to the sofa. His tongue tastes everything in his path, every inch of skin from my neck all the way down to my breasts. He squeezes the flesh, while his lips close around each nipple, taking his sweet time licking and sucking until the delicious sting sends wildfires blowing through my core.
I whimper and melt under his touch as he sits me down and spreads my legs, continuing his oral conquest until he disappears below. Our eyes meet as his tongue slides between my slick, simmering folds, and I cave in, shuddering in an instant, devastating climax.
“Oh, Nico!” I cry out, coming and gushing like a fountain as he laps at my pussy, licking every drop of my passion. His tongue swirls around my throbbing clit, and my insides clench in a trembling release.
All I can do is stare at him, pulsating like a supernova as I brace for that massive cock of his to fill me. He presses the tip against my clit first, his eyes never leaving mine. I’m hooked on the darkness that gathers in his gaze, my arousal reaching a new peak as he strokes my swollen nub with the bulging tip of his erection.
“I’ve wanted to do this since that night,” Nico confesses, his grip on my breast tightening.
“Take me, Nico,” I beckon him, ripping a growl from his throat as he slides in.
Nico splits me in half, and it is the greatest feeling in the world. I’m stretched beyond my wildest imagination, and it hurts so good, I can already feel a second orgasm building up with lightning speed.
We’re still for a moment.
“You are so fucking tight,” Nico whispers and comes down for a kiss.
I taste myself on his lips, while he thrusts his hips forward. “And you’re so big.”
“Am I hurting you?”
“No, no. Please, don’t stop,” I moan and beg and wrap my arms around his waist, my fingers digging into his buttocks. He obliges, ripping another whimper as my pussy clenches, taking every glorious inch of this giant man. “Oh, yes.”
“I can’t control myself, not like this, not while I’m buried balls deep inside you,” Nico says, nibbling on my lower lip. “Can you handle me?”
“All of you.”
He gives me a second to adjust, his gaze locked on mine, then guides my left hand between us, placing it over my clit. “Make yourself come for me,” he says. “Come all over me.”
It’s as if a switch has just been flipped.
Without tearing my eyes off his handsome, bearded face, I let my fingers do their work, stroking my clit as a rhythm builds between us. Nico goes deeper, harder, faster, pumping into me with everything he’s got.
“Come for me,” he grunts, pounding harder and harder.
I hold on for dear life, the pressure tightening in my core.
I hold my breath, lost in the wilderness of his eyes, as I listen to the sound of skin slapping skin, as I feel his stone-hard balls wedged between my buttocks, while he fucks the life out of me. I feel the thickness piercing my softness, the power of each thrust bringing me closer to the edge.
“I’m coming,” I cry out and let go of reality once more.
The orgasm explodes through me as Nico moans in sheer ecstasy. “Oh, I feel you, Anya. I feel you.”
He stiffens deep inside me.
Then one thrust. Another. I feel him filling me with his seed, the heat coursing through my body until we melt into one another. I’m locked around him. All of me, his. All of him, mine. Sweat drips from our bodies as he collapses on top of me, groaning in delight as I try to catch my breath.
The sound of the front door opening. I freeze on the sofa, my legs still tied around his waist. His cock still pulsating inside me as I squeeze him dry.
“Fuck,” Nico whispers and tries to move, but I won’t let him.
“Whatever this is… we’re all in it. Together.”
He gives me a surprised look just as Chance and Booker walk into the living room. All I can do is look up to observe their surprised faces as they freeze in the archway, fresh out of their winter gear.
For a moment, I wonder how this will go.
“Are you sure about this, Anya?” Booker asks, quick to pick up on the details.
Chance is already undressing.
“It just makes sense,” I tell them, eager to have each of them take turns with me.
Nico gives me a stunned smile as I clench myself tightly around his cock. “Anya, you fiery little devil.”
“Look who’s talking,” I moan, raising my hips to meet him.
He’s hard again. Hard and massive, and buried in my very core.
His brothers join us, naked and sweating from their outdoor labor, their cocks springing for release. They flank us and shower me with sizzling kisses as I take hold of them, as they take hold of me. Hands roam freely.
“I’ve wanted us like this,” Chance admits before he kisses my left breast.
Booker teases the other, while Nico lets his thumb slip between us to torment my clit yet again. I welcome it all. I welcome the slow and deliberate strokes. I welcome the heat and length and girth of each of these men. I welcome the kisses, the licks, the bites.
“Oh, this is incredible,” I moan as Nico fucks me once more.
My breasts bounce as I stroke Booker and Chance’s cocks, beckoning them to join us high up in the most decadent of heavens. My pussy clenches as I come over and over.
* * *
The next day, and despite the almost constant lovemaking, my anxiety gets the better of me. I wake up to a cup of hot coffee on the nightstand in my room, along with a sandwich and a hastily written note.
We’re all out clearing the snow, trying to get to town faster. XO, Nico.
I allow myself a smile as I drink my coffee, eat my sandwich, then slip into the shower. Twenty minutes later, I’m dressed and rummaging through the closet for a winter jacket. Their cousin left plenty of stuff in here. Luckily, I do find a jacket that fits, albeit a tad loosely around the shoulders.
The boots I had on when they pulled me out of the car wreck wait by the door, so I put them on and grab another shovel from the porch before I rush down the cleared snow path until I find them, all three, tall as oaks and shoveling away, half a mile down from the lodge.
“What are you doing out here?” Nico asks, stunned to see me coming.
I offer a shrug as I cautiously take each step down the path, my right side still giving me some trouble if I’m not careful with my movements. “I was getting bored,” I tell them.
“She’s been cooped up in there for more than a week now,” Chance concedes, looking at his brothers, then points a warning finger at me. “I don’t like that shovel you’re holding, though.”
“Why? It’s pretty stylish. Very mountain chic,” I quip.
He laughs as he sets his aside for a moment, then closes the distance between us to briefly kiss me on the lips. “You shouldn’t be doing any sort of labor at this point. You’re still recovering, Anya.”
“I can try.”
“Or you can just sit right here,” Booker points to a fallen tree on the edge of the path. Their bags are huddled together right next to it, and a thermos rests on the top. “Help yourself to some coffee. There’s about half of that thing left.”
“But I want to help.”
Nico shakes his head, and while Chance goes back to shoveling the snow, he comes in for a kiss of his own. Something has definitely changed between us. I dare say it’s for the better, but their continued reluctance to tell me my whole story still bothers me. I understand the reasoning. I just don’t have to like it.
There’s a sense of worry and frustration building up inside me, through no fault of theirs. It’s just that the situation is testing my resolve. My mind isn’t helping either. I’m not remembering as much as I would like.
“We’ll get to the town road soon; I promise,” Nico reassures me. “You’ve already moved more by coming here than you did in days past, Anya. Sit down and rest.”
“I could disagree on the amount of movement I’ve had lately,” I shoot back.
He gives me the sauciest look. It sends playful shivers down my spine. “And you’ll get more of that later, I assure you.”
My core tingles with anticipation as I take my seat on the fallen tree and help myself to a sip of still-warm coffee from their Thermos, feasting my eyes on the three gorgeous mountain men, former Navy SEALs, and exquisitely hot lovers as they shovel the hell out of seemingly unending snow.
“Do you get stuck up here often during the winter?” I ask.
“Once or twice every year,” Booker says with a half-smile. “It’s why we always pack the pantry and the basement with reserves of everything for at least three weeks. It’s a lot of canned food, mostly, and gasoline for the backup generators, should the main grid fail.”
“Has it failed before?”
Nico nods as he goes back to shoveling as well. “Once. It was horrible. We were working with a third of the usual power input just to keep the lodge and the running water warm.”
“And yet you still live up here,” I mutter, looking around in genuine fascination.
“It’s far removed from the world,” Chance explains. “It’s quiet. The air is clean. The townspeople are decent folks who mind their own business. We go into the city quite often, too, though. The winter usually keeps us up here, for the most part. But we like it.”
“We like the peace and quiet,” Booker adds. “After you deal with what we had to deal with, you tend to appreciate the peace and the quiet a lot more.”
I give him a curious look. “You’re talking about your Navy SEALs service, right?”
“Yes,” he replies. “Up here, everything is simpler.”
“What about the townies? Isn’t there an administration or a local council in charge of these roads?” I ask.
Nico takes a moment to inhale deeply. I can tell it’s quite the effort to process this much snow with three shovels and not enough daylight during these winter days. “They’re severely under-funded, but even if they had all the staff and the equipment they needed, we would still need to wait out a blizzard like this before anybody can do anything. There’s simply too much snowfall in a short time.”
“You don’t mess with Mother Nature,” Booker quips.
“It’s the law of the land. We knew that when we decided to move out here,” Chance adds.
“How did you end up moving out here?” I ask.
Booker gives me a soft smile. “Our grandmother on our father’s side came from these parts, Helena, Montana, to be specific. She met our grandfather while on a trip to the area. They fell in love, she followed him to New York, and the rest is history.”
“More like she saved his ass during a blizzard,” Nico chuckles. “Our grandfather damn near died on this mountain. His buddies, too. Grandma managed to get them out of the snow before they all froze to death. She knew the land like the back of her hand, while the fellas were just winging it. Big men from the big city, thinking they were cool and unstoppable.”
“Sounds like quite the lady, your grandmother,” I reply, genuinely impressed.
Chance’s gaze warms me up on the inside. “You would’ve loved her. And I know she would’ve loved you. She passed away long before we met you and Aleks.”
The sound of snow crunching and twigs breaking causes the four of us to instantly turn to find its source. From between the trees, a nimble figure clad in a pale pink ski suit comes out, her long red hair; frizzy from the inherent humidity, jutting out from under a white woolen hat. Her grey eyes light up when she sees us.
“I cannot believe my eyes!” the woman exclaims, rushing to greet us.
She struggles with the high snow and ultimately slips and falls, but Chance is the closest and manages to catch her. “Breonna,” he says, though he doesn’t sound anywhere as excited as she is to see us. “What are you doing all the way out here in this snow?”
“I’m pretty close by, actually. My cabin is just down there,” she says, pointing somewhere behind her. I can’t see much because of the trees and copious amounts of snow, though, but I believe her. “Fancy running into you, gentlemen.”
“We had no idea you were out here,” Nico mutters, then gives me a quick, nervous glance. “Anya, this is Breonna Jackson, one of our few neighbors up on this mountain.”
“Nice to meet you, Miss Jackson,” I say to the woman, who wears too much makeup on top of an exaggerated spray tan.
I’ll bet she’d look a lot more beautiful with a more natural complexion. The vibrant red hair, the grey eyes, the lips and high cheekbones create quite the picture. She’s skinny underneath that ski suit, but her breasts struggle against the zipper. Pretty sure those are implants, but hey, to each their own.
“And who are you?” Breonna asks me. “Please, call me Breonna.”
“Breonna, sure,” I reply with a smile. “I’m Anya”
“Anya is staying with us for a while,” Nico says.
Chance and Booker keep stealing glances at each other. They seem uncomfortable. Nico is trying to be amenable and polite, but I sense the tension oozing from him, too. There’s history here, I can tell. And now I want to know more.
“How nice,” Breonna says, shifting her focus back to Nico. The twinkle in her gaze unnerves me. She would tear the clothes off him if she could. “You look great, Nico. I can’t even tell you’ve been stuck up here in the snow for more than a week.”
“I thought you’d have gone into town once the blizzard warning hit,” he replies.
She laughs lightly. “Oh, I had every intention. But I took a hot, steaming bath, and by the time I got out, it was already snowing heavily. Serves me right for leaving the important things for the last minute.”
“How did you fare,” Booker asks, “I mean, without your avocado salads and basil tomato crostini?”
Breonna laughs again, but this time, it doesn’t feel as natural. She felt the jab. Hell, I felt it, too. There’s definitely some animosity there, hidden discretely beneath the surface.
“Hey, this figure doesn’t maintain itself. If you want to look like this, you’ve got to mind what you eat,” she says, then gives me a hard stare.
I shouldn’t take it personally, but I know it’s meant to sting. I’m the curvy one of the two of us.
“Nevertheless, I survived. Remember, I have those freezer boxes in the basement,” she tells Booker. “I’m usually stocked for up to three weeks, maybe more if I hit the pantry as well.”
“Glad to see you made it then,” Booker replies, moving closer to my side. “We expected boredom during our snow siege, but Anya has been wonderful company.”
He smiles and rests a hand on my shoulder, making me feel like I’m the prettiest girl in the world. Breonna doesn’t seem too happy about it, but she musters a grin, nonetheless.
“You’ve been keeping my handsome boys entertained, then?” she giggles.
“Actually, they saved me,” I tell her. “I crashed my car not far from here. I’d be dead if it weren’t for Nico, Chance, and Booker.”
“Oh, wow!” she gasps, her brow furrowed with concern, while her eyes worriedly search my face. “I guess that explains the little thing there…” She points to her temple.
I nod slowly and touch the bandage on mine. “Yes, they nursed me back to health.”
“Heroes!” Breonna exclaims. “Heroes in the service, heroes back home, too, it seems.”
“So, you live up here as well?” I ask her.
“Oh, just during the winter. It’s my holiday home,” she says. “With all the modern amenities, of course. Thank God I listened to Nico and paid to tap into their electrical mainline that runs underground all the way into town, otherwise I’d have been in big trouble.”
Okay, so they go way back. They’re neighbors. But there’s something more. She keeps looking at him. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she clings to the hope that he might look at her the same way. But Nico doesn’t. He averts his gaze and focuses on me.
“How soon before you clear what’s left of this road?” Breonna asks the Hayes brothers.
“We’re going steady, pacing ourselves,” Nico replies. “We should make it into town tomorrow or the day after tomorrow at the latest.”
“You guys are efficient.”
Chance gives her a curious look. “How’d you make it all the way out here? You must’ve been snowed in as well.”
“I have a shovel, like everybody else.”
“You shoveled?” Chance sounds incredulous. “With those nails?”
Breonna scoffs and takes off her gloves to reveal a delicate pale pink manicure. “Oh, please, I didn’t go for tips this month. I learned my lesson last year. By the way, I’m still sorry about the scratches—”
“Forget about it,” Booker cuts her off.
“Are you okay?” Nico asks, noticing my distress.
“Yes, just a mild headache. I’m used to it by now, but they’re getting lighter,” I say with a weak smile.
Booker kneels to look at me. “Are you sure?”
“Look at you, doting on your friend. I swear; any woman would be lucky to have you,” Breonna says, lips curled into a supposedly sympathetic smile. She’s having a hard time here, that much is obvious. “Gosh, I just realized you’ve been stuck in that lodge for a long time,” Breonna says. “Why don’t you come over to my place for a hot cocoa while the boys keep shoveling?”
“It’s okay. I wouldn’t want to impose,” I reply.
But my legs do feel weak. I may have overexerted myself trekking down here through the snow. Clearly, my body is still recovering. The lovemaking alone knocked me out for eight hours straight, after all.
“Nonsense, it would be my pleasure. I’ve been isolated as well. I would love the company,” Breonna says, then looks at Nico. “If it’s okay with you guys.”
“Anya is a grown woman. She can decide for herself,” Nico replies, giving me a wary look. “Though she would be better off staying here with us.”
A mischievous, rebellious side rears its head. Noticing the guys’ discomfort puts me in a contrarian kind of mood. “You said it right; I’m a grown woman.”
Maybe I’m mad that there were other women before me. It’s an irrational thought to have, I know. But it is actually a welcome distraction from the usual secrecy surrounding my own identity. I guess I’m picking one trouble over another today.
“I have killer hot chocolate,” Breonna says to further entice me, “with the tiny marshmallows on top. You’re going to love it.”
“Thank you for the invitation, Breonna. I think I’ll join you,” I say and gently pull myself away from Booker’s tightening hold. He doesn’t want me to go, but they’re all careful about how they speak to Breonna when I’m around, which makes me want to get to know her a little better.
“Awesome,” she replies and gives Nico a warm smile. “I’ll keep your girl safe, and you can pop by my chalet and pick her up when you’re ready to head back to yours. Don’t worry.”
“That’s very kind of you, Breonna,” Nico mutters. But only his lips smile. His eyes don’t.
Let’s see where this leads.
It’s the most excitement I’ve had after over a week spent convalescing from a nightmare I can’t even remember.