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C arson walked behind the two massive men, spying the glorious scenery around him.

The pines grew twenty, thirty feet into the air, the evergreen branches thick with needles.

In the distance, a beautiful lake shimmered as the sun indeed peeked out and turned the water into a glimmering show.

On the other, the mountains rose into the heavens.

Everything was just as picturesque as they’d shown online, if not better.

Yet his stare kept drifting to the men walking ahead of him instead.

Calling Royce a bear of a man was an understatement. He had to be at least six and a half feet of pure muscle. He had thick, curling dark hair and a thick beard to match—and both only made him appear all the more menacing.

Menacing might not be the right word for it.

Dangerous, but not in the way Carson typically defined danger.

He gazed down at his cock still tenting his pants, confused why he’d gotten hard seconds after the two had appeared in the lobby.

A scent of something had tickled his nose.

It had wrapped around him and captured him within seconds.

He was filled with a desire that felt both right and wrong.

Carson wasn’t gay. Wasn’t bi. He’d never felt attracted to another man in his life.

Yet… all he could think about was having the two men touch him.

All over.

The desire to kneel at their feet and surrender roared within.

That wasn’t him. He pulled the edge of his sweatshirt down to cover his erection.

He didn’t feel himself. Hadn’t since he’d laid eyes on them. The impulse to flee screamed within.

While the need to stay was even more powerful.

“You truly picked the perfect cabin,” Royce said, looking over his shoulder. His hazel gaze roved over Carson’s face a moment too long. “It’s my personal favorite.”

Royce was most definitely checking him out, as was Jared. Two big, hairy gay bears up on Bear Mountain. It was almost cliché. Too bad for them both. Carson was straight as an arrow.

No matter how much he wanted to explore those nig, muscled bodies.

Fuck. Stop it.

Stop looking at their asses.

They led Carson to a large ATV. Jared lowered Carson’s bags into the back and Royce climbed behind the wheel.

“Hop on in,” Royce said, staring across at him.

Jared slipped onto the backseat, his gaze locked on Carson.

“I thought this place was all about hiking and roughing it?” he asked.

“You’ll have plenty of time for hiking this weekend,” Royce murmured before flipping on the ATV’s engine. He patted the seat beside him.

Carson slid into the seat beside Royce. The man was too big. He took up more than his fair share of the bench seat. Carson tried to keep his thigh from touching Royce’s, but as they jostled up the steep dirt and gravel path, the bumps forced Carson against the thick wall of muscle.

Royce put off a ton of heat, too. Carson could feel it seeping into his side.

He noted Royce taking in a deep breath every so often, so he did so himself. The air was clean and fresh. It had been too long since he’d been out of the city, and he wasn’t used to no smog. The pine scent was a delight.

“So why did you come alone?”

Carson glanced at his side, thrown by the question. It was a bit personal. So why did he feel the need to answer it?

“My girlfriend and I… we just split up. She’d planned this trip so we could work on us, but it seems we were beyond fixing.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Jared said from the backseat.

Carson wasn’t so sure the man was. “I probably shouldn’t have come, but there was no point in wasting the trip. I think we both needed a little space, too.”

“Girlfriend, hmm? I assumed you might’ve had a boyfriend,” Royce asked.

“I don’t swing that way,” Carson said, pulling the bottom of his sweatshirt down again to cover the tent in his pants.

“Ahh,” Royce murmured.

“Diedre and I were together nearly five years. Drifted apart. It’s been over for a long while. We just finally admitted it.”

Royce glanced at him before looking back to the path. “Sounds like time for something new. Something different .”

Not your kind of different.

Even as he said the words in his head, he felt his body respond to the thought of something different.

Battling the sensation back, he looked away, trying to get a little control over himself.

“No, I think it’s time to just be alone.

Get my head on straight before I move on with a new woman in my life. ”

Royce glanced at him with a wry smile. “Yep. Perhaps that’s best.”

Indeed it is, buddy. I’m straight.

Super straight.

Straight with a capital S.

Suddenly, Carson wondered whom he was reassuring. The men or himself? He glanced over at Royce, hyperaware of the man’s presence beside him. Carefully, he peeked over his shoulder and felt Jared’s attention even stronger. That feeling of being drawn, it rubbed him raw. He wasn’t attracted to men.

He just wasn’t.

Luckily, the pair were quiet the rest of the way up the mountain, which seemed to be really far up.

The temperature dropped the farther they’d driven.

They’d left the early summer behind, and the crisp air held a chill to it.

Royce finally pulled in front of a large cabin after passing multiple offshoot paths.

The one they stopped before was surely too big for just him, or even a couple had Diedre come.

It had to be a cluster of cabins—which wouldn’t allow him to be as alone as he wanted to be.

Royce turned off the engine and climbed out as Carson watched him leave. Jared exited, lifting the bags. Carson hated to admit it, but he almost missed the heated bodies close to his.

No. You. Don’t.

He glanced at the large cabin, sure there had to be a mistake. “This isn’t all for me, is it?” Carson asked.

Royce eyed him. “This is yours . All of it.”

Carson glanced at the large log cabin. “This doesn’t look like the cabin I signed up for. It definitely looked smaller on your website. Whoever took your pictures did you a disservice.”

Royce headed to the door and opened it. Unnerved, Carson followed him, Jared following up at the rear. “I don’t need all this,” he said, his voice low as he walked into the foyer.

The place was a friggen log-mansion, not plain, rustic cabin.

The inside was beautiful and big enough for a handful of people.

A full chef’s kitchen with marble counters and a humungous island hugged one side of the cabin.

Between that and a well-appointed living room stood a table that could seat ten.

The entire back wall of the living space was windows, facing out beyond the trees.

He walked closer and saw a view of the entire valley below. The lake shimmered below, just as blue as the sky above. Mist hung around the tops of the trees, giving the place a mysterious feel. It was stunning. The escape he’d needed.

Yet there was something that didn’t feel right.

“There’s some mistake. I absolutely didn’t book this cabin.”

Jared dropped the bags as Royce moved closer to Carson. He pulled out a slip of paper and handed it over. “This is the room you agreed to when you made the reservation. Is that not accurate?”

Carson took the slip and scratched his head. “Royce, you’re definitely undercharging for your cabins.” He smiled and looked around. Why look a gift horse in the mouth? “But you can fix that after I leave.”

Jared chuckled.

“I’ll look into that,” Royce said with a grin. “I’m sure you’ll find yourself at home in no time.”

Carson looked up into the man’s eyes, ensnared.

“The sun’s going down, so I suggest you stay indoors,” Royce murmured.

“Th bears…”

Royce nodded, grinning. “The bears.”

A moment of silent desire yawned between them.

Royce closed his eyes for a second before lifting to pin Carson in his gaze.

“All of our cabins have satellite television with plenty of channels. The fridge is stocked, as is the wine cellar downstairs. There’s a game room on the second-floor landing with a pool table and a few video games.

There’s also a restaurant down below next to the main office.

Amazing food. They can send dinner up. Their number’s on the telephones in the kitchen and bedrooms.”

At the word bedroom, Carson’s cock twitched.

Royce drew in a long inhale, his eyes going half-lidded.

Carson trembled. He wrapped his arms around himself. “I wasn’t prepared for it to be so cool here.”

“The elevation,” Jared said before stalking across the living room. He pressed a button, and flames erupted in the fireplace.

When he spun, the only heat Carson noticed was in his eyes.

An electricity hung in the air.

Carson’s mouth opened to ask them to stay, but the request lodged against the knot in his throat.

“This is… unreal,” he finally said.

He wanted them to go so he could clear his mind, but…

He wanted them to stay.

“We’ll let you get settled in,” Royce said, backing toward the door. He paused with his hand on the knob. “If you need anything, we’re just a call away. All you have to do is dial seven.”

“Definitely call if you have any problems with the Jacuzzi,” Jared said.

“Jacuzzi?” Carson asked, wide-eyed. That definitely hadn’t been on the website.

“Out on the screened porch out back,” Jared added. “It overlooks the whole valley. Spectacular view.”

Wine cellar? Game room? Screened porch with a Jacuzzi? The place was massive. And he had it all to himself for the long weekend.

All to himself.

Alone.

“Thanks,” he answered.

“Oh, one more thing,” Royce said, stalking closer.

He stopped inches away, his big body invading Carson’s space. Carson looked up into the man’s face, waiting to be swept up and kissed. His lips ached from the need to feel theirs on his.

Royce’s stare captured his.

Confusion swamped him as he felt a massive wave of lust crashing through him.

Damn it, kiss me.

Fuck!

What am I thinking?

“The key,” Royce finally said, lifting his hand and letting the key dangle from two fingers.

With a little hesitation, Carson reached out to take it. His fingertips grazed against Royce’s, and he felt a surge of electricity zip through his body.

“I hope you can find what’s yours while here,” Royce said cryptically before doing an about face and walking out the front door.

Jared sauntered by, staring. “Call if you need anything. Anything at all.”

When the door clicked closed, he nearly jumped.

He was brought back to that feeling of closure when the door had shut behind him, ending one relationship.

Now, it felt as if he was letting an opportunity slip through his fingers. An opportunity for a new beginning.

A new beginning? With two men?

Carson shook his head, his troubling reaction making him feel even more out of sorts.

He palmed his cock, willing it to go down.

The crushing loneliness settled in again soon after, gnawing at him.

Only this time, it was a true physical ache he’d never sensed before.

He rushed to the door and swung it open.

When he’d been in their presence, he hadn’t felt it.

The ATV was already gone. He turned and looked over his shoulder at the phone on the kitchen counter. All he had to do was dial seven. But they needed time to get back down to the office. It had taken a while to get to the top of the mountain.

You came here to be alone. Plus, there’s the fact that you’re not gay. Get your head on straight, man.

Straight with a capital S.

He closed the door and pressed his back against it, taking in the view of the luxury cabin once more. He’d lucked out like a bandit. So— he was alone. Who cared? There was plenty of house to explore to keep him busy.

With a grin, he set out to do just that.