Chapter 24 Henrik
HENRIK
Ididn’t think I could want Darby more than I already do. But watching her interact with my friends stirs something in the pit of my gut. A hunger I never knew I had, until she’s sitting at my table with the family I created, blushing and laughing and talking like the absolute dream she is.
A dream I never even allowed myself to consider.
I never thought I would find anyone who could love me. I would see the guys be happy—but never me. I resigned myself to that a long time ago.
Now, she gives me a different dream in my house, at my table, with my family crowded around.
Darby sits beside me, her hand on my thigh, even while she’s trying very hard not to look Ren in the eyes again.
Like the charming devil he is, he’s damned near throwing himself at her feet and batting his eyes at her every chance he gets.
I’m not mad. Far from it.
I hope every time she stares at him, she’s thinking about the vision I gave her this morning. Or maybe the one from last night, where I fuck her on the table while they watch. Or she kisses Ren on the couch while I fuck her.
Not to be left out, Leland is quietly playing his game like a master.
Letting Ren take the hot shots, the dash and glory, as always, but he’s got Darby’s mind engaged.
She keeps asking him about his books, his process for writing, some of the cases that inspired his stories.
He’s eating it up too, damned near glowing as much as she is.
“It’s nice to have someone new to talk to,” he finally admits, giving me a sheepish grin.
“No offense, Zon, but we’ve already hashed out all our deep discussions.
You’ve helped me out of every plot hole I dug myself into.
I really hope you stick around, Darby. A woman’s perspective is going to take my work up another notch. ”
“I’d like that.” She laughs, though I detect an edge of yearning in her voice. “Although I’ve barely made it twenty-four hours in Mooseville.”
“Funny how so much can change in such a short amount of time.” I push my bowl away and casually drop my arm across the back of her chair. “Tell us more about your life back in Denver, babe.”
“My friend Kirstin got me a job at a financial company after the divorce. I do a lot with spreadsheets and shuffle papers around. There was an incident at work a few days ago, so they let me take a leave of absence. I planned to take a few days off and then catch up on email and anything urgent next week.”
Leland’s cop senses are engaged. He leans forward, his eyes focused and intent. “What kind of incident?”
“They didn’t tell me to keep it quiet, so I guess I can talk about it.
” She picks at the crispy topping of a half-eaten chunk of cornbread.
“When I got to work Tuesday morning, I saw my boss burning files in a dumpster behind the building. He wasn’t acting right, so I got security.
I thought he was having some kind of mental breakdown, but cops showed up shortly to arrest him.
I guess he was doing some shady shit behind the scenes and was trying to cover his tracks. ”
Her tone is light, and she shrugs like it was no big deal, but I don’t have to be a cop to know things could have gone south in a hurry.
This guy could’ve taken her hostage to escape.
He could have shot up the building and then taken himself out.
It’s all I can do not to crush her against me and demand she quit this job and move in with me.
I settle for lightly stroking my fingertips on her upper arm. “I’m glad you were unharmed. That sounds pretty scary.”
She tips her head over to rest against my shoulder. “Honestly, I was selfishly worried they were going to fire me. I hadn’t done anything wrong, but that’s where my mind went automatically. Now…”
She tips her face upward but keeps her head against my shoulder. “Now I’m starting to think the universe was flashing an exit sign. A chance to do something I’d been too scared to even think about. You just never expect a crazy wake-up call on a random Tuesday in December.”
My heart thuds so hard and heavy I’m sure she can hear it. I’m fighting the urge to read too much into her words, but hope burns deep in my gut. It doesn’t sound like she’s married to this job. In fact, she might be ready to make a change.
Whether it’ll be living on the mountain with me or not is yet to be decided.
“Is that why you were headed to Vegas?” Leland asks.
I shoot a savage scowl at him that sends his eyebrows arching with surprise. Don’t give her any damned ideas. Vegas is too far away for my liking.
“I wouldn’t move there permanently, not with Skadi.
I hadn’t really decided on anything definite.
I just needed to get away. I guess I hadn’t realized how stuck and unhappy I’ve been.
I was in the trenches, going through the motions, just existing.
I had a job and a roof over my head, but Skadi and Kirstin were the only bright spots in my life.
Combined with the snow and the cold, I just wanted to get somewhere warm and sunny.
Right about then, I hit that Mooseville sign. ”
“Thank the snow gods for Big Bertha,” I say. And Ren, of course, but I don’t have to say that part out loud. What if he’d taken her on to his place? What even gave him the idea to drop her off at my cabin and then come looking for me?
The cocky asshole grins. “You can make your offerings tonight on the Ice. Speaking of which, it’s about that time.”
Lots of hands make quick work of clearing the table. Even Skadi’s picking up on the rising tension, yipping and practically dancing in place like she knows we’ll be going on one hell of a ride.
It’s a gamble, for sure. Darby’s already attracted to Ren. Once she finds out the rest…
I could lose her to him. It’s happened countless times before—long before I even had a chance to get a shot, let alone bring her home.
But it’s my waist she wraps her arms around, coming up behind me while I stand at the sink scrubbing the pot enough to toss it on the bottom rack of the dishwasher.
“Are you sure about this?”
Ah. She’s picking up on my moment of indecision.
Which only confirms I’m doing the right thing.
I want it all. The new dream. My family complete.
Not just me but Ren, Leland, and Doyle, as happy as me.
They’ve all tried the separate relationship formula in the past. They had individual lives and families outside of Mooseville.
Yet they all came here to live with me. I suppose that makes me the glue that holds us all together.
But if I’m the glue…
Darby’s going to be the cherry on top that makes this perfect.
I bend down enough to get the dishwasher started, and then I turn around, scoop her up, and set her butt on the edge of the counter in front of me. “I’ve never wanted anything more.”
Her eyes sparkle and she laughs, casting a quick look over my shoulder, probably checking to see if the other men are watching.
Of fucking course they are.
Which is why I’m between her thighs. I plant my hands on the counter on either side of her and lean in, watching the way her breath catches. Her pupils flare, dark and wide. Her gaze snaps back to my face, and she bites her lower lip slightly, making my dick throb.
“I’m a little nervous,” she admits. “I don’t know what to expect.”
“Leave it all to us, babe.”
She huffs out a breath and rolls her eyes. “Leave what to you? What’s going to happen? What should I wear? How long will we be gone?”
“We’re going to put on a show for you. That’s it. We’ll be back in a couple of hours. You can wear what you’ve got on, plus your new gear to make sure you stay warm and toasty. We’ll have a fire, so you shouldn’t be too cold once we get to the Ice.”
Bemused, she shakes her head. “There’s going to be fire and ice? Sounds like Iceland to me.”
“I’ve got her skates,” Ren calls from the front door. “See you there.”
“But I can’t ice skate,” she protests. “I’ve never even been on the ice before.”
I seal my mouth over hers, kissing her as deeply as I want to be inside her. Right here. Right now. When I lift my head, she stares at me, breathless.
“I know we’re being a little cryptic but it’s going to be a good surprise.” My voice is husky and low with want. My body insists we’ve got time to indulge in a quickie before the show…
But it’s not a quickie I want. Once I get started, I want to stay in her as long as possible. All night. Every night.
“Trust me, okay? I’ve got you.”
Her breath sighs out softly against my lips as she kisses me again. “Okay.”