Chapter Thirty-Seven
Monty
His bear was persistent. “Come on, get a shake on.”
“Where are we going?” Monty had less than four hours' sleep after Kendrick’s return home from his bar shift.
The week, with the added pressure of entertaining Lane and staying on top of his work, left Monty with plans of lounging in bed until Kendrick had to go in for his lunchtime shift.
How was Kendrick so bright and breezy this early on a Sunday?
“It’s a surprise,” Kendrick advised, giving Monty no clue at the bland expression he was looking at.
He huffed noisily while encouraged out of the house so Kendrick could lock up.
Monty caught Rue’s jaw cracking yawn, but he wasn’t complaining. “Do you know where we’re going?”
His eyes narrowed at the nonchalant shrug before Rue climbed in the front passenger side of the truck when Kendrick hit the fob to open the doors, shaking his head. “Nope.”
Eyeing the large bag Kendrick placed in the trunk, Monty’s forehead wrinkled. “I like surprises, I do, but I’m tired. Can't you tell us what we’re gonna be doing?” He nodded to the trunk as Kendrick shut it. “That bag looks pretty full and heavy.”
Kendrick traced a cool fingertip down the side of Monty’s face, then slid his hand around to cup the back of his neck, squeezing gently.
“I have it on good authority that you love surprises.” Cool lips pressed against Monty’s.
The presence of the orange juice Kendrick had drunk made his lips taste sweet.
Monty slipped his hands into the short, gray silky strands of Kendrick’s hair and clung on, sinking into the kiss.
“Hey, if we’re gonna do the kissy thing, can’t we do it in the house?”
Monty moaned in complaint as Kendrick released him to glance at Rue, who had opened the passenger door and was peering out.
“Sorry, you know how tempting Monty is.”
Rue’s returning smile was all agreement. “Does this mean we’re going back inside?” Now he seemed hopeful.
Kendrick immediately shook his head. “No, I’ve worked hard to sort this out.”
Rue shut his door, and Monty grumbled under his breath but got into the back of the truck.
“Will this be better than sex?” he questioned suspiciously as Kendrick started the engine.
“We’ll find out soon enough.”
Did he sound confident?
He watched closely, looking for clues as Kendrick drove through town.
The sun crept slowly up the side of the enormous mountain towering in front of them, which held the valley where Vaughn Winery sat.
“Are we heading back to the winery?” He couldn’t see what was up there besides wine, and it was way too early to be drinking wine.
“Yep.”
Rue looked sideways at Kendrick, but Monty couldn’t make out his expression from his seat. “I didn’t think there was much up there to be visiting, unless we’re doing a wine tour?”
“Nope.”
“You’re good at these non replies,” groused Monty, resting his head back on the seat, seeing as Kendrick wasn’t going to give in and tell them what they were doing.
Monty was too tired for guessing games and closed his eyes.
He figured he could catch a twenty-minute nap before they reached their destination.
The lack of movement roused Monty, and he blinked sleepily, seeing they were back outside the hotel, only at the main entrance. The towering, dark-haired figure standing in the open doorway caused Monty to whistle in appreciation. “Who is that?”
“Your boyfriends are right here,” muttered Rue in a pissed off tone.
Monty released his seatbelt and came forward to poke his head between the seats, first kissing Rue’s cheek and then Kendrick’s. “I’m spoken for, not dead.”
He hopped out of the truck, grinning at the man whose gaze swept over him. Monty got the impression he missed nothing. The guy's eyes glowed… red. Holy shit. He glanced at Rue, looking to see if he’d noticed, but he was busy shutting the trunk.
“Thank you for this, Dacian.” Kendrick strode with the bag held in one hand, the other outstretched to Dacian.
When he looked at Dacian, the red was gone. Had he imagined it? He was tired; it was making him see things.
Monty followed Kendrick’s lead, walking to Dacian, smiling.
He had met none of the Vaughn brothers. He’d heard quite a bit about them and Ledger, mate to the oldest brother Thorn, who had recently given birth to twins.
Dacian and Calvert, he was told, were twins.
Two that looked like Dacian, the gods had surely been shining a light that day!
Dacian focused sea-green eyes on him, and something about his expression set off a bout of nerves at the intensity that made him feel Dacian was… looking directly inside him. Weird.
“And who is this?”
The velvet smooth voice compelled Monty to answer. “I’m Monty.”
He sensed Rue moving before an arm slipped around his waist, tugging him almost off his feet and into Rue’s side.
“Hey,” he muttered as he staggered.
A sudden tension crackled in the air as Kendrick flanked the other side of him, the pleasant smile replaced by hostility. “Monty and Rue are my boyfriends.”
All my days! Where had that come from?
Dacian didn’t seem at all phased by that as he stepped closer to Monty. He caught his aftershave and not much else as he tried to determine what kind of shifter Dacian was.
Dacian leaned in and sniffed deliberately at Monty’s jacket.
Rue and Kendrick nearly squashed him in between them, and Monty had only one place to go to escape the squishing, backwards. Except looking at Dacian, he felt the compulsion to stay exactly as he was.
Most definitely weird!
He isn’t a threat to us. His otter was adamant.
I don’t think he really needs to be sniffing at me like that. I had a shower!
Then Dacian stepped back, and the feeling disappeared. His expression revealed zilch of what the heck that was all about. Then he smiled and back was the ‘wow factor’. The man was drop dead gorgeous, for sure. Monty could appreciate it, but no one could match his men.
“It’s lovely to meet you, Monty.” Dacian glanced at Kendrick. “I’ve had the staff set everything up to your specifications. No one will bother you, so it’s your choice whether or not you wish to lock the doors.”
Derailed by what Dacian said, Rue wore a perplexed look, one Monty suspected he wore as well, as Dacian raised a hand as he turned. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you to the pool area.”
Pool?
Swimming.
They were going swimming.
We’re going swimming, his otter replied gleefully, attempting to shift before they’d gone more than a few steps.
Behave, I’ll let you out once I’ve seen the pool.
Then hurry up.
Monty did, his sneakers moving silently as they walked through the hotel lobby that was all elegance.
The corridor Dacian led them down was empty.
The walls had painted murals depicting the different seasons of growth of the vines.
Dacian came to a large set of decorative double doors and opened them.
They led into a small, opulent area with an ornate table with a red velvet seat behind it.
There was one other door, leading to the pool, he supposed.
Yet, the scent of oils and herbs made it obvious the area housed a spa, somewhere beyond the door, as well as a pool.
“Through the door, to your left, you’ll find the changing rooms. Enjoy.” Dacian offered what could only be described as a tight-lipped smile before he went out the door they’d just come through, shutting it quietly.
“What was that about?” whispered Monty, still no clue what Dacian was beneath all the polish and dashing suit.
“No fucking clue,” Kendrick growled. “He was sniffing you like he was about to cock his leg and pee on you.”
“Yeah, I picked that up too.”
Monty’s otter wasn’t interested in silly talking, and his shift was upon him before he could reply. Hey!
Swimming. He wriggled out of the pile of clothes and lifted his tiny paws to Kendrick, wiggling his bottom. Swimming, come on take me swimming.
“Why aren’t you just the cutest!” Kendrick scooped him out of the clothes one handed and brought Monty to within reach of his whiskered jaw.
His otter tapped impatiently on Kendrick’s cheeks.
“He’s as impatient as Monty. I think he’s ready to get in the pool,” chuckled Rue.
“Then let’s give him what he wants.” Kendrick glanced at the clothes. “Can you grab his things?”
Wiggling impatiently, he squeaked to get Kendrick moving.
His laughter had Monty shaking in his hand as they walked through the door into another area, this one with several doors.
Kendrick strode to the one marked with blue waves on it.
The scent of salt water got his otter giddy with excitement.
He squeaked and vocalized his pleasure and impatience.
Kendrick walked to the loungers at the side of the pool and placed Monty down. He scampered down the leg of the lounger and across the pale green iridescent tiles surrounding the pool, and dived into the water.
It was warm and heavenly as he flipped over onto his back, floating, watching his mates strip off.
His teeth gnawed at a paw. We aren’t biting anyone.
Mine.
I agree. It’s polite and the right thing to ask first.
Then ask.
I will.
When?
I can’t now. Can I?
His otter considered this, and Monty chuckled at how he was reluctant to shift to get him to do what he wanted. When we get home.
Monty didn’t answer when his otter side had other things on his mind. A nude Kendrick, stretching out his arms, tilting his neck from side to side, right before his bear emerged. His otter flipped over onto its front and swam to the shallowest part of the pool, the same direction Rue headed in.
Excitement got his otter vocalizing loudly at Rue coming into the shallows, rolling his shoulders, then there was his rhino.
The water reached the middle of his vast body.
The rhino lowered its head when Monty’s otter lifted its paws as far as it could to keep afloat.
Its large horn right there for Monty’s otter to grab hold of, he scampered up to sit on top of Rue’s head, clapping his paws in delight.
The sound of Rue’s trumpet bounced off tiles and glass.
Monty’s otter squealed and clapped harder, looking at Kendrick with begging eyes.
The bear rumbled and lumbered to the edge of the pool, slowly coming down the first three wide steps before sitting on the second to top step.
Half in and half out of the water, he was wearing what Monty’s otter considered a beautiful grin. All sharp teeth and sass.
Rue’s rhino lowered his head and Monty’s otter moved to cling on to his horn, seeing it was a game when Rue’s rhino ducked his massive head under the water and came up fast enough to splash the bear.
Water dripped off the gleaming brown and honey colored fur. The bear’s eyes narrowed and an enormous paw hit the water, causing a tidal wave to swamp Monty’s otter and hit Rue’s rhino directly in the face.
Monty howled with laughter while his otter squealed its delight. His otter let go of the horn and scampered down the back of the rhino’s head, along his back and swung off his tail, flying into the water barely splashing anything, but he didn’t notice.
The rhino trumpeted, and the bear roared. They were music to the otter, who surfaced and climbed up the back of the rhino’s tail, running back the way he’d come, to cling to the horn, encouraging his rhino to splash their bear.
This is the best surprise.
Monty couldn’t disagree; it was.