Chapter 18 #2
Over my racing pulse, I make out the horses’ puffs and snorts.
Their pace slows, and we come to a halt at a clearing overlooking the ranch below.
The other sleighs pull up side by side to form a line of magnificent horses, their long necks bobbing, and bells attached to their harnesses jangling in the quietness of morning.
The snow out here is perfect, undisturbed, and it truly looks like stepping into a fairytale winter wonderland.
As we’ve taken the short ride out here, a flawless sunrise throws a brilliant orange and gold glow over everything, winking through the scattered trees.
Up ahead, the terrain drops away to reveal a stunning lookout.
A part of me is almost a little jealous of the guests who get to enjoy this trip at nighttime, lit by lanterns and a vast carpet of stars. I can only imagine how romantic that would be.
“Time for the cutesy touristy stuff.” Henri’s voice cuts across my haze of pleasure as I stare open-mouthed at a scene lifted straight off the page of every book I read, where winter elves and forest fairies abounded.
To one side of us, the lady I met at ax-throwing waves and gives me a wink, before talking animatedly with the driver of their sleigh. Of course, it’s impossible not to be hyper-aware that, immediately on the other side, is my ex.
Right now, that detail feels more insignificant than ever before. I’m flushed with orgasms, lax with pleasure, my legs are nothing but festive jello, and my pussy is busy doodling Henri and Reid surrounded by a big pink heart inside a notebook.
Henri’s boots crunch in the snow before he turns to offer a hand to help me out of the carriage.
Which has me stumbling straight into his arms. Right there, in front of everyone, he wipes his thumb over my bottom lip, ensuring I can taste myself.
With a sly wink, he then sucks down on the pad of his thumb himself, before putting his glove back on.
“Mmm. I love the taste of Christmas morning,” he says loud enough to make sure my ex can both see and hear everything. “So incredibly sweet.”
He’s too good at this.
I’m toast.
From behind me, Reid loops an arm around my waist, drawing me into him, and dips his head to capture my lips.
“Damn, you owe me another turn with that pussy later, sugar,” he rumbles the words, sounding proud of me, which makes no sense.
I just turned into a wild, insatiable creature, and yet he seems to be satisfied with the result of my wanton performance.
“Put her down, we didn’t come all this way to miss the most spectacular part. The sun hits just right at this time of the morning; it’s the best time of day to come here.”
Henri steals my hand, tugging me behind him impatiently. I can’t help but laugh as we race past my ex and his fiancée. God, it feels so good to genuinely be having fun and living life in the moment.
What Henri is so insistent on showing me becomes immediately apparent. We scramble up a slight incline of packed snow to take in a sight that leaves me audibly gasping.
“Holy hell. It’s beautiful.”
Before us, those golden rays of sun hit a frozen waterfall tumbling down a rock face into the creek below. Everything sings with the reflection of scattered rays through the ice crystals everywhere I look.
Henri drapes a heavy arm around my shoulder and sucks in a deep intake of the crisp air before blowing out a breath, as if he’s taking a moment just to drink down the immensely gorgeous sight.
“This is where Reid brought me for our first proper date. On a winter morning just like this.” He grins down at me.
“Well, look at you… Mr. Romance.” I turn and pass on my own smile to the cowboy at my other side.
“He needed to be shown around.” Reid lifts his hat, musses his hair, then shoves it back down. “Don’t know if I’d call it a date.” He proceeds to dig the toe of his boot into the snow, focusing hard on the white coated ground.
“And what a tour it was. Convinced me of many things.” Henri smirks at the sight of his man’s reaction.
“Did you two get a little naughty out here?” I tease, raising my eyebrows.
“Much like right now, it was far too cold for that, but it was our first kiss, right there, sitting on that fallen pine tree. You carved a pair of horseshoes into the bark.”
“You remember that?” Reid says quietly.
“How could I forget? Here I was staring at a pretty waterfall, a wonder of nature, thinking how good a kisser this sexy cowboy is… the next minute you whipped out this gargantuan knife from your saddle, and I wasn’t sure if I was about to be gutted like a fish.”
I tip my head back, laughing at the image.
Henri joins me, chuckling in a rich velvety tone.
“I mean, I’ve been tackled by damn near three-hundred-pound forwards on the rugby pitch, but the sight of this huge man flourishing a blade was a little terrifying, when really, all I wanted was to take him home and politely ask if I could put his cock in my mouth. ”
“Peak romance,” Reid says dryly, but I don’t miss the glint in his amber eyes.
“Let’s go see if it’s still there.” Henri once again pulls me by the hand, sending my heartbeat skyrocketing.
This feels… like I’m intruding on their lives, their relationship, a part of their love story that should be only for them?
We reach the huge pine, coated in heavily laden snow.
Henri crouches down and uses both hands to brush away the powder until the sun-bleached bark is revealed.
And there, right at the place where the tree trunk faces such a beautiful frozen cascade of water, sure enough, there are two small U-shaped carvings, interlinked.
Two horseshoes.
“This looks almost like new, baby.” Henri tips his chin to meet Reid’s steady gaze.
He clears his throat. “I give it a little freshening up at the end of fall every year, before the snow comes.”
Warmth glows inside my chest, and heat pricks the backs of my eyes. These two men are so wonderful, so gentle and kind. They share the exact kind of love a person like me can only ever hope to discover in a lifetime.
No matter what happens after I leave here tomorrow, I feel lucky to have witnessed such tenderness and care up close.
Henri brushes his thumb over the carving, then looks back at the two of us. “I think we need to seal this stupidly cheesy tourist moment with a photo for our girl.” His strong throat dips, words a little raspier than before.
As he stands up and pulls me against his chest, I’m blinking rapidly.
Sunlight dances and sparkles on the ice and snow all around us, like we’re surrounded by a cascade of golden crystals.
Reid wraps a strong arm across my front, dragging me against his warmth, too.
With one long arm, Henri holds out his phone to capture the moment. Three of us entwined.
Just as he takes the photo, he turns his head to kiss Reid’s stubbled cheek.
Have I ever felt this lightweight? This free? The sight of their love seeps through me, just as easily as the heat from their bodies. And I don’t know how to thank the two of them enough for actually making this bearable.
Something tells me that I might just survive this after all. I only have one more night in this tiny mountain town. Only a meagre few hours left of potential run-ins with my ex.
Except that’s also the worst thing about it all. Because, come tomorrow, my time with the two men who have stolen my heart will be over, too.