Page 22 of Timeless Pages

Chapter nineteen

Isa

S etting up camp should have been simple for four intelligent adults.

Tell me why we had such a hard time getting everything together?

That damn tent monstrosity Dom had ordered boasted that a single adult could easily set it up.

Easy Peasy. It took all four of us and damn near an hour to do it.

We were now drenched in sweat because we chose one of the hottest days of the year to go camping.

Looking at the tent now, I didn't have the urge to sleep in it; I wanted to burn it down.

We still had the damn canopy tent to set up and needed to figure out the fancy camp stove.

"Does anyone else have the urge to set it on fire?" Evan asked.

I looked at him in surprise. "Get out of my head," I laughed. "I was just thinking that."

"For the record, I did say this was a bad idea," Nate grumbled.

"Would you cut it out already?" Dom bit back. "We know. You don't want to be here. Let. It. Go. Now come on, guys. Now that we know what we're doing, the canopy is bound to be quick!" Dom was trying to be cheery for his own sake as much as mine, but I could see the edges had started to fray.

Nate looked at Dom with genuine surprise. "I didn't say I didn't want to be here."

"Then come help me," Dom replied as he stomped toward the bag containing the canopy.

"While you guys do that, I'm going to set up our beds," I announced as I headed for the car to grab our bags.

"Want help?" Evan offered.

I shook my head and nodded toward Nate and Dom, who already looked a bit lost. "I think your assistance would be better suited over there."

Evan groaned good naturedly as he lumbered over to help them.

I grabbed what I needed, kicked my flip-flops off at the door, and stepped inside the tent.

It hadn't been up long, but already it was noticeably warmer inside the tent than outside.

The first order of business was to get the windows open to let in the breeze.

Once I had plugged the air mattress into the portable power bank and started inflating it, I went back to the car to retrieve our bedding and bags.

As I was organizing everything, I found the bag from the store containing the bathing suit Dom had picked out, or rather, bathing suits.

He picked out a sunset orange bikini that was scandalously lacking in fabric.

I wasn't sure where I was meant to wear this, but he couldn't expect me to wear it in public, could he?

Thankfully, the other suit was a simple black one-piece, and it was well within my comfort level.

I appreciated that he'd listened when I asked for something more modest.

I glanced out the window to see the three men debating what the ambiguous instructions meant, and I couldn't help but smile. The only reason we were out here was because I had somehow stumbled upon three of the sweetest and most considerate men on the planet. And they loved me.

I still wasn't sure why.

But my life has been filled with so much pain and cruelty that I could recognize a good thing when it fell into my lap. I giggled as I watched them force the canopy into position and then step back to admire their work, and then look around for me.

"Isa, come check it out!" Nate called, possibly the proudest looking of them all.

I stepped out of the tent and bit my cheek when I saw that one side was lower than the other.

I didn't know who would tell them, but I knew it wouldn't be me.

I'm not sure how they didn't notice. It could be a case of sheer delusion on their part, but if they thought it was perfect, who was I to argue?

"It looks great, guys!"

"Next up, the portable bathroom!" Dom cheered. He was really getting into the spirit of it all.

"While you guys do that, I'm going to finish with the air mattress and then change into my bathing suit. We deserve a reward after all the hard work we've done. Plus, if I don't cool off, I might spontaneously combust."

"I'll help her," Evan said, his eyes glittering with mischief. No doubt in my mind, a lot more would happen in that tent than just changing.

"Nice try," Nate said, grabbing Evan's arm to hold him in place. "You're staying with us. If you go in that tent, we'll all end up in there, and it is entirely too fucking hot to be in that tent right now."

I blew Evan a kiss and went inside just as the air mattress pump kicked off.

I could have left it on, and it would have maintained the fullness until the power ran out, but that seemed like a waste of power when we weren't ready to use it yet, so I switched it off and then looked at my bathing suit options.

"Seriously, Dom?" I heard Nate complain. "There had to have been one that didn't come with eighteen million tube pieces!"

"I just picked the one that looked the nicest in the pictures. I didn't look at how it was made," Dom defended.

I reached for the bikini. While I'd be more comfortable in the one-piece, these men deserved to be rewarded for what had quickly turned into a sacrifice.

I changed quickly, tugging the fabric one way and then another until I managed to get it covering all the essential bits and not much else.

I pulled a shirt and shorts on over the suit and then grabbed a towel and some sunscreen.

They had the bathroom halfway built when I left the tent.

"You know, if you let me help you, it will take less time and we'll all be in the water that much sooner. I'll need someone to help me with the sunscreen."

All three men paused in their tasks to look at me. "Is that an orange string I see peeking out of your shirt?" Dom asked excitedly.

"It could be," I teased.

He tossed the tubes he was holding to the ground as he stalked toward me. "Who the hell needs a bathroom anyway?" Dom asked as he dragged my body against his, one hand sneaking under my shirt to slide across my bare stomach.

"I do," I laughed, pushing him away. "Come on, we'll do it together."

I picked up the tubing he had discarded and assessed their progress.

It was a simple frame that a canvas sheet fit over.

It wouldn't take us long to finish it at all, especially if they stopped bickering.

I took control of the situation and started putting the tubes together.

In no time, we had the frame built and with a little extra force, managed to get the liner in place.

"There!" I said triumphantly. "Now let's go for a swim.

The first person to change and meet me by the lake gets to lotion my back.

" The men took off for the tent like overgrown children, making me chuckle as I strolled down to the lake.

The sparkling blue water looked incredibly inviting, and I couldn't wait to dive in.

After setting my towel and sunscreen down on the bench by the water's edge, I removed my clothes and began to lotion up the parts of my body I could reach.

This was normal. Wearing next to nothing in public was completely normal.

I consoled myself with the knowledge that while I was technically in public, there wasn't anyone else around but us, and my guys had already seen, touched, and tasted every inch of me.

"Holy Hell," Evan said behind me, making me jump. "I owe Dom a steak dinner for this. Several steak dinners."

"Or maybe the honor of helping me with the sunscreen?" I suggested.

"Let's not get carried away," Evan replied as he plucked the bottle from my hands and twirled his finger to get me to turn around.

I turned my back to him and moaned lightly as his hands began to spread the lotion over my skin.

His statement, though funny, stuck in my head, and I felt I needed to correct it.

No, I deserved to take ownership of the decision I made.

"Dom actually picked out two bathing suits for me: this one and a one-piece.

You guys have worked so hard to make this happen for me.

I wanted to do something for you, so I picked this one. "

Evan's hands paused on my back before lightly gripping my shoulders and turning me slightly to look at him.

"Now I appreciate the suit that much more.

That was a big step for you, Isa. I hadn't considered it until you said something.

I'm proud of you. Thank you for trusting us enough to do something outside of your comfort zone. "

I blushed slightly at his praise and nodded before turning away so he could finish my back. Being embarrassed by your appearance was a bitch, and while I still struggled with my scars, every day that I spent with these men helped me see myself through their eyes a little more.

"Ok," Evan said, his fingers sliding beneath the strings to cup my breasts, "I think you're all set unless you'd like me to add another layer just to be sure."

"I think we're good," I replied, slipping from his grasp. I looked back toward the tent to see that Nate and Dom were finally on their way down. "What took so long?"

"Not all of us planned ahead and wore our bathing suits under our clothes," Nate replied, shooting an annoyed look at Evan.

Evan shrugged. "Scout's motto: Always be prepared."

"You weren't in the Scouts, genius," Dom laughed.

"Still, good words to live by," Evan replied. "Now, are we swimming or what?"

"Yes!" I cheered. I ran for the water but got captured by Nate as I passed him.

His arm wrapped around my waist and held me against his hard body.

"You look good, Little Bell," he growled softly.

"If I catch you in that water, you're mine.

" Nate released me, and I backed away from him slowly, his hungry eyes never leaving mine.

When he lunged for me again, I shrieked and ran for the water.

I stomped through the water as fast as I could, knowing that if Nate wanted to, he could have easily caught me long before my toes touched the water.