Our Chance – Kennedy L. Mitchell #4
I swallowed hard. My mind worked in overdrive, trying to put actual words together when something up ahead caught my attention. I narrowed my eyes and held a gloved hand above my brow to block the thick flakes from coating my lashes.
“You see that?” I pointed at the darkish swirl.
Carl paused next to me. “Yeah. That smoke?”
“I sure fucking hope so. Let’s go. Pick up the pace.” With a burst of renewed energy, I set off toward the smoke, hope chasing away the earlier pulsing lust.
“We’re not all fucking SEALs, asshole,” Carl grumbled, even though he wasn’t out of breath and keeping pace with my long strides despite the thick layer of snow crunching beneath our snow shoes. “If that is a fire, that means she found the shelter and is safe-ish.”
“Yes, but I was trained that every second counts when on a mission. A slight delay could be the difference between life and death. I’m exhausted, too, my legs fucking hurt, and after your punishment description, I’m making the trek with a fucking hard dick, but I won’t relax until I see her with my own eyes. ”
Touch her, feel her strong heartbeat beneath my palm, ensure her toes aren’t black and seconds from falling off her adorable feet.
“I was wondering what you thought about my punishment idea since you didn’t offer any feedback,” he said, tongue in cheek.
“But a hard-on despite the freezing temps is a good sign that you liked all or at least part of what I described.” He paused for a few steps, just the crunch of the snow and whipping wind filling the silence.
“So, curious minds want to know, which part made that big cock?—”
“It’s creepy that you know it’s big,” I grumbled. “You know there’s a no-look code when sharing a bathroom and living space.”
“What can I say? My eyes are drawn to things that look like they would destroy me in the best possible way.”
“Fucking hell.” The outline of the shelter came into view as we crested a steep incline. “There.”
“Which is why Amy drew my attention. She’s the type of woman who would leave you destroyed, but you’d still do it all over again just for another moment with her.”
My brows pulled in tight as we approached the shelter, his words running on a loop.
If that was the way he felt about her, and was attracted to me, too, where did that leave us?
And how did we take that first step into an untraditional relationship?
AMY
Deep voices and the steady crunch of the snow outside roused me awake.
I blinked, clearing the sleep from my vision and brain fog.
For a few seconds, confusion muddled my thoughts, leaving me wondering why the hell I was so cold and lying next to a wood-burning stove, before I remembered the last twelve-plus hours.
Lost dog.
Broken-down snowmobile.
Emergency shelter.
Right. Well, that made my painfully cold toes make sense, though the fact I had feeling in the digits was a good sign.
Flopping to my back, my head rolled along the hard ground to stare at the door, where the familiar voices were growing louder.
Beside me, Casper stirred with a faint whimper, letting me know he, too, was in better shape now that we were out of the elements and in a warming space.
The creak of the door followed by a gust of icy wind and a blanket of snow had me lifting the edge of the blanket over my face to hold on to the bit of warmth I had managed.
Two sets of boots clomped onto the hard foundation as they entered the shelter.
My hot breath brushed against the blanket as I waited, face covered.
Ever so slowly, not under my control, the blanket inched down my face, uncovering my forehead and then my eyes.
I blinked up at the partially covered face looming over mine.
A slow-coated black balaclava covered the man’s lower face, and a thick beanie and hood covered his head, but I wasn’t scared or worried.
Excitement bloomed in my chest. I knew the man those dark, assessing eyes belonged to, and I just might be in love with him.
Movement out of the corner of my eye drew my attention to the man standing in the corner of the small shelter who had already removed his face covering.
I knew that mischievous smile. I just might love the man who always wore that infectious grin.
My stomach flipped as I glanced from one man to the other.
How was it possible to love and want two men at once, and why did it feel like we three together would be more perfect than a typical monogamous relationship?
That was crazy talk, right? I already got so much pushback and disgusting comments thrown my way because I slept with both men, so wouldn’t I be asking for worse if people knew that we three were together?
Society put so much emphasis on monogamy, even though that wasn’t the right fit for everyone.
Maybe this was the right fit for me. A man who made me laugh and spoke to my heart and a man who protected me at all costs, and I knew made me his priority.
“There you are. Are you okay?” I dipped my chin in acknowledgment at Brandon’s question. “Amy, I need actual words. I’ve been freaking the fuck out since I found out you went on this dumb dog rescue mission on your own.”
“It wasn’t dumb!” I exclaimed, pushing off the floor with both palms, almost hitting our foreheads together. “He’s an innocent, tiny little Goldendoodle. He wouldn’t have survived out here on his own. I had to go find him.”
“Did you not consider that you were putting your life in danger or what Carl and I would go through with you being out here alone?”
I bit my tongue and swallowed hard. No, their reaction hadn’t been a part of my decision.
But that shouldn’t shock them. That was me.
I always jumped in with both feet, especially when someone vulnerable was in danger.
As if Brandon could talk. He was a fucking Navy SEAL.
His job was to actually throw himself into danger for the greater good.
Saving Casper wasn’t at that level, but come on.
He had to know I couldn’t just sit on the sidelines when someone needed me.
But I guess I did somewhat understand why he would be upset.
I didn’t consider him or Carl or even myself when I agreed to the one-off rescue mission.
“It really wasn’t smart, Amy.” I turned my attention to Carl and nodded reluctantly. “You could’ve died. Why didn’t you at least ask Brad to come with you?”
I sealed my lips shut, which was the absolutely wrong move because now both men knew I was hiding something.
Which I one hundred percent was. If they knew the disgusting and insinuating comments Brad came back with after I asked him to come with me, they’d march back down the mountain and do something that could end up with both Brandon and Carl in orange jumpsuits.
“What aren’t you telling us?” Brandon demanded, hands now roaming over my body. I wish I could say sexually, but he was more exploring to make sure that I, indeed, was fully intact. He even went as far as counting all my toes. Twice.
“It’s not a big deal, guys. What matters is that you’re both here now, saving the day.
” I forced a beaming smile. “And look, we’re all okay, including Casper!
” Both men’s assessing gazes slid to the dog, and the corners of their lips pulled down in matching frowns.
I leaned over Casper to protect him from their obvious disdain.
“Don’t look at him like that. It wasn’t his fault. ”
“Fairly certain if anyone was at fault in this shelter, it was him. It’s not like his owners just dumped him out here, then sent someone to find him.”
I put my hands over the dog’s fluffy ears. “Don’t listen to Carl, Casper. They don’t understand the unbreakable bond that we share.”
“You just met the dog!” the two men shouted in unison before exchanging a look I couldn’t read.
Finger out, I pointed accusingly at one and then the other before going back. “What was that? What’s going on between you two that you’re not telling me?”
“Nothing,” Brandon said, while Carl exclaimed, “So much.”
Brandon shot Carl an annoyed expression before turning back to me. “Amy, we were fucking worried about you. Thank fuck, you are safe and unharmed. I really didn’t want to go to prison for murdering both our boss and that rich fucker if something had happened to you.”
I reached out and cupped his cheek, running my thumb along his cheekbone.
“I’m safe. All good, promise.” He nodded and stood, beginning the process of stripping out of his snow-covered clothes.
I shook myself out of the trance his undressing put me in and cleared my throat.
Confusion muddled with the relief of them being in the shelter as the reality of them being here set in.
“Wait. How did you guys even know where to find me? My cell and satellite phone died.”
Carl’s lips pulled into a wide smile at the same time Brandon’s features went neutral, and he refused to look me in the eye.
Hmm. That seemed cagey as shit.
Carl inclined his head in Brandon’s direction as he stripped out of his coat. “I’ll let him answer that. I like being on your good side.”
A snort escaped. “Sounds like a conversation we should have after we’ve made it out of this mess.” As if to emphasize my point, the wind howled outside, and the sound of sleet tinkered against the metal roof. “What’s the plan?”
Brandon stood from where he knelt, sorting through the stack of dry logs.
“We brought enough food for the three of us, assuming we wouldn’t be able to make it back down the mountain tonight.
Looks like we have enough firewood to keep this small space warm for a day.
With three of us in here, the body heat will help, too. ”
“Yes, body heat. I’m down with that,” Carl offered. “Though I believe it transfers better naked.”
Reaching down, I grabbed my discarded glove and flung it at his face.