9. Lila
CHAPTER NINE
Lila
The cabin was bigger than I expected, with wide timber beams and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a snow-covered forest.
It looked exactly like the kind of place people came to for cozy getaways, complete with roaring fires and mugs of hot chocolate.
Exactly the kind of place I had no business being with them.
I adjusted Biscuit’s leash, the little guy happily wagging his tail like he owned the place, completely unaware of the chaos brewing in my chest.
“All right,” Nate said, dumping a bag of groceries on the kitchen counter. “Looks like this one’s all set for you guys. I’ll be next door if you need anything.”
“Wait… what?” I blurted, my voice sharper than I intended.
Nate looked at me, already halfway out the door. “Yeah, this one’s for you, Jaxon, Colt, and Ryan. The rest of us are in the bigger cabin. I gave you my space in here, because at least you know these guys.”
I stared at him, hoping he’d realize the absurdity of his words. “All four of us? In one cabin?”
“Yeah, why not?” He grinned like it was no big deal. “I know Jaxon, Colt, and Ryan don’t mind being with Biscuit.”
Biscuit let out an enthusiastic bark, and I glared down at him.
Traitor.
“Don’t worry, Lila,” Nate added, oblivious to the fact that my brain was short-circuiting. “You’ll be fine. They’ll look after you. See you at dinner!”
Before I could protest, he was gone, the door swinging shut behind him.
I turned slowly, my eyes landing on the three men in question.
Jaxon leaned against the counter, arms crossed, his dark eyes unreadable. Colt was sprawled on the couch, boots kicked up on the coffee table like he owned the place. And Ryan… Ryan was busy unpacking groceries, his shoulders tense like he was trying not to look at me.
Breathe, Lila. You’ve survived worse.
“This… uh…” I gestured vaguely around the room, my voice coming out high-pitched. “This isn’t going to work.”
“Why not?” Colt asked, his grin already teetering on smug. “We’re not that bad, are we?”
I opened my mouth, then closed it again, searching for a response that didn’t involve yelling, “Yes, you are!”
“It’s fine,” Jaxon said, his tone clipped. “You can take the biggest bedroom. We’ll figure out the rest.”
My stomach twisted. Of course, he’d offer the simplest solution. Logical. Reasonable. And completely miss the point that my brain was actively melting down.
“I don’t want to cause a fuss,” I said quickly, even though I very much wanted to cause a fuss. “I mean, Biscuit and I can just… I don’t know…”
“Stay?” Ryan suggested, his voice quiet but steady. He wasn’t looking at me, carefully arranging cans of soup in the cupboard like it was the most important job in the world. “It’s not a big deal, Lila.”
I laughed nervously, the sound brittle. “Not a big deal? Sure… I know…”
Colt snorted. “Relax, princess. We’re not monsters.”
I shot him a glare, but it didn’t seem to faze him. If anything, he looked amused, which only made me want to throttle him more.
“Look,” Jaxon said, his voice edging toward exasperation. “We’re not going to bite. If it’s that uncomfortable, Nate can switch things around tomorrow.”
Tomorrow .
As in, I’d have to survive an entire night of this madness first.
Biscuit, sensing my distress, let out a soft whine and nudged my leg. I looked down at him, his big brown eyes full of trust and excitement.
“Fine,” I muttered, mostly to myself. “Just one night.”
Colt grinned. “That’s the spirit.”
Jaxon ignored him, heading toward the hallway with his bag. “I’ll take the couch.”
“Don’t be a hero,” Colt called after him. “I’ve got dibs on the couch. You can have the other room.”
Jaxon didn’t respond, disappearing down the hall.
Ryan cleared his throat.
“I’ll help you with Biscuit’s stuff,” he offered, his tone soft.
I hesitated, unsure if I wanted the help or if I just wanted to disappear entirely. But Biscuit wagged his tail at Ryan, clearly a fan, so I nodded.
“Thanks,” I said quietly.
As we unpacked Biscuit’s bed and food bowls, the pressure of the situation pressed down on me.
Ryan was a sweetheart. I really liked him.
But something about being this close to him made me nervous.
Then of course, I had Jaxon and Colt to deal with.
This was going to be a disaster.
* * *
After dinner, the tension in the cabin remained thick enough to cut with a knife, and I wasn’t sure if the heat in my cheeks was from the roaring fire or the awkwardness of the situation.
But it seemed like I was the only one struggling.
“Hey, Lila,” Ryan called softly from the kitchen. “You like peppermint in your hot chocolate, right?”
I blinked at him, surprised he even knew that detail. “Um, yeah, I do.”
Colt appeared next to him, stirring a pot on the stove. “And marshmallows. Lots of marshmallows.”
My brow furrowed. “How do you?—”
“Nate,” Ryan interrupted with a small, almost shy smile. “He told us.”
Jaxon appeared next, dragging a blanket from the hall closet. He tossed it onto the armchair by the fire.
“This place gets cold at night,” he muttered. “Figured you’d want it, you know, while drinking your cocoa.”
I stared at them, my confusion mounting.
These were the same men who bickered constantly and seemed to thrive on chaos, but here they were, acting like… like they cared.
“Also,” Colt added, bending down to reveal a bundle of fabric in his hands, “Biscuit deserves better than the floor. Even if it is in the nicest room of the house.”
He unfolded what looked like a makeshift dog bed… a thick quilted mat stuffed with pillows, clearly thrown together with whatever they’d found in the cabin.
Biscuit, sensing something exciting was happening, trotted over and sniffed it eagerly before giving an approving bark.
“And these,” Ryan added, holding out a small paper bag, “are for him. We grabbed them from the bakery.”
I couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled up. “You guys got him bakery treats?”
Jaxon shrugged. “I mean, sure. He’s one of us.”
“He is,” Colt said with mock seriousness, kneeling next to Biscuit and scratching behind his ears. “Best boy here, no contest.”
Biscuit, oblivious to the compliment, snatched a sock off the floor—probably Colt’s, given the neon green color—and bolted under the coffee table.
“Hey!” Colt shouted, lunging after him. “That’s mine!”
Biscuit darted away, his stubby legs working overtime as he zoomed around the room with Colt in hot pursuit.
He seemed to love causing distractions like this.
I just wasn’t sure if I was grateful or not.
“Get back here, you little thief!” Colt growled, though he was clearly more amused than angry.
Jaxon rolled his eyes but couldn’t hide the faint twitch of a smile. Ryan just stood by the kitchen counter, shaking his head as Biscuit looped around him.
The sight of Colt, all six-foot-something of him, crawling on the floor trying to grab a tiny corgi was too much. I doubled over laughing, the kind of laugh that made my stomach hurt and tears prick my eyes.
Realizing he had the upper hand, Biscuit leaped onto the couch, sock still dangling from his mouth, and barked triumphantly.
“Unbelievable,” Colt muttered, collapsing onto the rug in defeat.
Ryan finally stepped in, holding out a treat from the bakery bag. “Trade, Biscuit?”
Biscuit dropped the sock immediately, tail wagging as he accepted the treat like a king accepting tribute.
“I’m never getting that sock back,” Colt grumbled, but there was no real venom in his voice.
The laughter eventually settled, replaced by the quiet crackle of the fire. Biscuit curled up on his new makeshift bed, happily gnawing on his bakery treat.
Colt plopped into one of the armchairs, tugging at his other sock as if daring Biscuit to make a move.
Ryan handed me a steaming mug of hot chocolate, the scent of peppermint and cocoa curling in the air. I took it gratefully, my fingers brushing his. His hands were warm and rough, a reminder of how much he worked with them.
“Thanks,” I murmured, holding the mug close to my chest.
He gave me a small smile, one that reached his green eyes, before returning to the kitchen to grab his own cup.
Jaxon, meanwhile, had claimed the couch, stretching out with the confidence of someone who didn’t care about personal space. He propped his feet up on the coffee table and gestured toward the blanket he’d thrown earlier.
“You should use that before you freeze. No sense in suffering just to look polite.”
I hesitated, but the chill in the room won out. Wrapping the blanket around my shoulders, I sank into the other armchair, the warmth from the fire and the cocoa working to thaw more than just the cold. I listened as the guys bantered back and forth about past ski trips.
“Remember that time Nate wiped out and took half the fence with him?” Ryan asked, his face lit with amusement.
“Or when Colt tried to snowboard and ate it so hard he cracked the board in two?” Jaxon added with a laugh.
Colt tossed a pillow at him, which Jaxon dodged easily. “You’re just jealous I’m better at literally everything else.”
“Sure, if we’re counting arm wrestling and beer pong,” Jaxon shot back.
I found myself smiling despite my best efforts. The ease between them was contagious, and for a moment, I forgot how complicated everything felt.
Then Jaxon turned to me, his grin sharp and mischievous, almost as if he wanted me to be uneasy.
“You ever been on a plane, Lila?”
I blinked at the sudden change in topic. “Uh, yeah. A few times. Why?”
He leaned back against the couch, his eyes glinting in the firelight. “Ever heard of the Mile-High Club?”
My cheeks went up in flames. “I… what?”
What the hell was he doing?
Ryan groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. “Seriously, man?”
Jaxon ignored him, his smirk widening. “I’m just saying, it’s an experience. Highly recommend.”
Colt laughed, his deep voice rumbling. “You didn’t.”
“Oh, I did,” Jaxon said, his tone almost lazy, like he was recounting a mundane story. “And I’d do it again.”
My heart hammered in my chest, and I felt a hot wave of embarrassment rush up my neck. The teasing in Jaxon’s voice wasn’t helping, and I could feel my face turning into a furnace.
Why is he doing this?
I glanced around at the others. Ryan had his hand pressed to his forehead, clearly trying to block out the awkwardness, while Colt looked between us with a grin that bordered on devilish.
I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry. Jaxon was making it all too real. He knew exactly what he was doing, and part of me couldn’t help but wonder if he was trying to get us both caught.
“I think I’m… gonna head to bed,” I muttered, breaking the tension as quickly as I could.
I pushed myself out of the chair, clutching my cocoa like it was some kind of shield.
“Yeah? Already?” Colt raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by my hasty exit.
“Yeah.” I managed a smile that I hoped didn’t look as strained as it felt. “It’s been a long day. I’ll just… sleep it off.”
I moved toward the stairs, trying to keep my composure, but the heat in my cheeks was practically unbearable. Jaxon’s voice called after me, his tone oddly soft.
“Night, Lila.”
It almost sounded… sincere? I wasn’t sure.
I didn’t turn around. I just kept walking, though my mind was anything but clear.
I needed to get out of there, away from them, away from Jaxon.
I could hear the guys talking behind me, their voices muted as I reached the top of the stairs.
I pushed open the door to my room and closed it quietly behind me, leaning against the wood for a moment to catch my breath.
The silence in here was a sharp contrast to the chaos downstairs. I sat on the edge of the bed, setting my mug down on the nightstand.
The fire from the living room was barely a whisper up here, but I could still feel its warmth creeping through the walls.
I ran a hand through my hair, shaking my head.
What the hell was he thinking?
My mind kept flashing back to his smirk, the way his eyes had locked onto mine with that mischievous gleam. He was playing a game, and I wasn’t sure if I was even supposed to be part of it.
I sighed, rubbing my temples. Why would he bring that up? Why now?
Was it to test me?
To see if I’d crack under the weight of what had happened between us?
And if that wasn’t enough to leave me questioning everything, there was the strange feeling that maybe he wasn’t trying to get us caught. Maybe it was just me making it worse. Maybe I was reading too much into things.
But in the pit of my stomach, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Jaxon Reed wasn’t the type to do anything without a good reason.
I grabbed a pillow and hugged it to my chest, sinking back into the bed.
“I need sleep,” I muttered to the empty room, though my mind was too tangled to give me peace.
For a moment, it felt like the whole world had shifted, and I was left spinning, unsure if I was falling or floating…
The dream came on fast and vivid, like falling into another world.
I was back in the living room of the cabin, the fire casting flickering shadows on the walls. But this time, the tension wasn’t just awkward… it was electric.
I could hardly breathe.
Jaxon leaned against the fireplace, his smirk as sharp as ever.
“You thinking about it now?” he asked, his voice low and teasing. “About how we met? How we joined the Mile-High Club…”
Before I could respond, Colt was there, his broad frame blocking out everything else as he stepped closer, his eyes dark and intent.
“Forget him,” he murmured, his voice a rough whisper. “What about this?”
I couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, as his hand slid to my waist, pulling me flush against him.
And then Ryan appeared, his quiet intensity drawing me in. He didn’t say a word, just cupped my face with a tenderness that made my knees weak, his lips brushing mine in a way that stole my breath.
The air was thick with heat, their touches blending together in a whirlwind that left me dizzy.
Jaxon’s hands were on my hips, Colt’s mouth trailing fire along my neck, and Ryan’s steady presence grounding me even as the world spun.
The way their bodies moved together—how each one seemed to claim a piece of me, yet never let the others go—was overwhelming.
I couldn’t focus on anything except the heat, the pressure, the sensation of being wanted, claimed, cherished by each of them.
Every touch, every kiss, was a puzzle piece falling into place, and I was the center of it all.
I gasped as Jaxon’s hands slid lower, his touch sending a shockwave of desire through me.
Colt’s lips moved to my collarbone, his teeth scraping lightly, making my body tremble with need.
Ryan’s hand cupped my face again, his thumb brushing across my cheek.
When his hands slid down my back to my waist, I allowed the desire to control me, to take me, to do what I was too scared to even think about normally.
Impatient Jaxon couldn’t wait his turn. He wanted me again, needed me. So he whipped me away from Ryan and claimed my mouth with his.
His hungry fingers explored my body, touching me all over, exploring the wet, hot desire tingling between my thighs. A vice-like grip took my heart, took my lungs, leaving me breathless and swimming in desire.
Fuck, it felt phenomenal to be touched by him. Jaxon seemed to know my body even better than I knew it myself. He was something else.
All of a sudden, Colt’s hands wrapped around me, cupping my breasts, tugging and teasing my nipples as he pulled me toward him.
I ran my hands over his body as the kiss intensified and my head exploded.
Fuck, I needed these men, right now, I needed everything that they could give me…
“Hey, you,” Ryan whispered teasingly as his tongue dragged along my hypersensitive thighs, toward where I was throbbing with need. “You have no idea how good you’re looking right now.”
Hot streams of air blew along my core, causing a guttural scream to vibrate in my chest.
I gripped on to whatever I could get ahold of underneath me as his tongue finally connected with me, tracing along the most sensitive area of my body.
I wasn’t even connected to the planet anymore. I was floating into space, fireworks exploding within me.
Hands seemed to come from everywhere, tongues too, and fingers and lips all over me, consuming me, tasting me, touching me.
This dream was about to swallow me whole, and there was nothing I could do about it.