Page 21 of Snowed In with her Mountain Men

CAMRYN

The dry-erase calendar fit perfectly on the kitchen wall, centered between the fridge and the stove. It was one of those peel-and-stick kits, that came with a whole array of colorful markers.

“And what fresh hell is this?” chuckled Ryder. “A chore chart?”

I pointed back at the table, sternly. “Set your cute little ass in that chair and I’ll tell you.”

He did what he was told, but not without a cunning smile. Maybe he liked being told what to do. Or maybe he knew he had a cute ass. Either way, all three of them eventually settled into their seats, beers in hand. I took a bag from the counter and pushed it their way.

“Sliders,” I nodded, and they tore into the bag like lions. “Some dickwad ordered a dozen of them right before we closed, and never picked them up.”

I let them eat and drink for a minute, noting their general disposition.

It was already fairly late. Jaxon and Oakley had just come in from outside, and were covered in mud.

I could hear the roar of the machine they’d been running when I pulled up.

Their square-jawed, rugged look was right up my alley, and I stared shamelessly as they shed their jackets, peeled off their flannel shirts, and stretched their tired muscles.

Ryder, on the other hand, had been home for a while.

Freshly showered and shaved, I’d helped him load the boiler and restock the wood pile near the fireplace.

He smelled better and better every time we passed each other, and neither of us had been shy when it came to stealing glances.

Not being shy was part of my plan, though.

After what the four of us had done, the last thing I wanted to do was go backwards.

“Alright, so you guys have been gracious enough to let me stay here,” I began, “and you’ve even given me a space of my own. I’ve offered to kick in for rent, and none of you will have it. But that doesn’t mean I can’t earn my keep in other ways.”

I turned around, and tapped my chart.

“I’m putting this up to show all the ways I plan to pitch in,” I said smoothly.

“I can cook, I can clean, I can shop for the house, mostly on the days I’m not working.

I can also run errands, if you need me to.

Of course I can’t do everything all the time, but I can fill in the gaps and help out.

It’s just one of the ways I can show the three of you how grateful I am to be here. ”

Ryder raised his hand, like we were back in school.

“What are the other ways?”

His smirk said everything — maybe even what the others were thinking. Of course I was thinking it too, so I couldn’t really blame them.

“You need something?” I ignored him and went on. “You put it on the list. You want something done, or picked up, or dropped off? Write it down, and if it’s within my power, I’ll do it.”

Jaxon crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. Oakley, however, looked even more thoughtful.

“Just like that, huh?”

I nodded and snapped the dry-erase marker into its convenient plastic holder. “Just like that.”

“Anything within your power,” he repeated.

I paused for a moment and shrugged. “Sure.”

With that he got up, popped the marker from its mooring, and removed the cap. Neatly, under the day of the week that just so happened to be today, he wrote: Sleep in Oakley’s bed.

He put the marker back and sat down, looking pleased with himself. When he finally glanced up again, his eyes were full of challenge.

“That okay?”

The others remained uncharacteristically silent. They stared at me so expectantly, I could feel the weight of their collective gaze.

“Sure,” I said, after a while. “It’s within my power, so, yes.”

Oakley smiled in satisfaction, even as my body tingled with all new, forbidden thrills.

This wasn’t exactly what I’d intended when I brought the calendar home, but I wasn’t opposed to it.

Besides, I could tell he’d been jealous since catching me sneaking from Jaxon’s room at the crack of dawn.

Maybe not even so much that we’d slept together, but that we’d actually slept together.

“Alright then,” declared Ryder. “If that’s how we’re playing it.”

He got up, grabbed the marker, and put himself down for tomorrow night. The heat of rising excitement swept over me, especially when he asked Jaxon if he wanted to reserve me for the day after that.

“So do I ever get to sleep in Sarge’s bedroom?” I asked, my pulse pounding. “I mean, you boys went through all the trouble of making it up for me.”

“You can if you like,” quipped Oakley. He pointed at the board. “Just make sure you pencil yourself in.”

“Or maybe we’ll just take turns sleeping there, if that’s what you want,” said Ryder.

Jaxon got up. I thought he was going to the board, and who knew what he’d write. Instead he opened the fridge and pulled out another round of beers. This time he passed me one.

“You sure you’re good with this?” he asked, not letting go of the bottle right away.

My fingers brushed his as I took it from him. The jolt of electricity that existed only between lovers and ex-lovers passed between us. “What girl wouldn’t be?” I replied. “Three warm beds — not to mention the men inside them — to cuddle into each night? Isn’t that every girl’s wish?”

Jaxon’s eyes never left mine. They were still staring, as he tipped back half his beer.

“Be careful what you wish for.”

I smirked back at him as I cleared the mess, silently marveling over the full scope of my current situation. I was already in deep with all three of them. It didn’t get much deeper, did it?

Nonetheless, this was the perfect time to pose my own burning question. I did it while rubbing the neck of my beer bottle between my tits. You know, for effect.

“Soo… what are you guys trying to dig up out there, anyway?”

All three of them froze, just staring at each other. The silence in the room was so complete, you could drive a bulldozer through it.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” I eventually shrugged. “I was only curious.”

Ryder was the first one to look uncomfortable. “It’s… it’s not that.”

“No?” I smiled. “What is it then?”

More silence. More discomfort. As curious as I was — and I was pretty damn curious — it was still fun watching them squirm.

“It’s none of my business, obviously,” I said, brushing the bottle flirtatiously against my lips. “Don’t worry about it. I won’t ask again.”

With that I spun away, in the direction of the staircase. Halfway across the kitchen, I glanced back at Oakley.

“I was hoping to get another hour of writing in before it gets too late. And you need a shower,” I looked him up and down. “A long one, by the looks of it.”

“Yeah,” he smiled sheepishly. “I do.”

“Alright, then. Goodnight boys.”

I directed my goodnight specifically at Ryder and Jaxon. They looked instantly forlorn, like I’d taken their puppy away. Which I guess I had.

Finally, I turned to Oakley again.

“And you… I’ll meet up with you afterward,” I winked. “You know where.”