“You never take this long. Chase and I agreed I’d wait since he hasn’t had a one-on-one date with Valerie in a while.”
I nod. Hunter helps me get through a shower, makes sure that I’m as cleaned up as can be and don’t need the hospital, then he takes me to my room to lie down. “You seriously need to rest.”
“My turn to be left out of the fun,” I say simply.
Hunter pauses at the door. “You didn’t botch this on purpose did you? To get out of the game?”
“No. Valerie would never let me hear the end of it.”
“Neither would I,” Hunter warns me. “You get a week to rest, then we’re heading to Colorado. You still want to do this?”
“Absolutely. We’re not getting any younger.” I nod.
Hunter glances at his phone. “Speaking of ... Happy birthday.”
“Not until tomorrow.”
“It is tomorrow. Maybe that will stop Valerie from yelling.”
It doesn’t. She’s furious I’m hurt, and demands to know who would bruise my handsome face and why. But she and Hunter order a cake and they sing to me. Over the next week, she keeps to her mess of promises and stays with me, makes sure that I’m comfortable, tells me that she loves me when she thinks it, and proves it the rest of the time.
Before I know it, we’re in Colorado. I stretch out my legs as we enter the cozy cabin we’ve rented. It’s right on a river that has enough of a current that it’s fighting the ice. It’s beautiful ... from inside the warmth of the cabin.
Valerie giggles then joins me at the window. She stands on her toes to kiss my jaw. “How do you like the snow, Viking?”
“It’s wonderful.” I stroke her cheek, then tap the little fuzz ball on her hat. “Not quite as wonderful as you.”
“I don’t know what you three are planning. I mean, all three of you have been sweeter than normal and being all secretive about something. Now that I don’t have a paper to write, I’m noticing a whole lot.”
I cup her cheek and realize how cold she is. Slipping out of my coat, I wrap it around her shoulders and kiss her red nose. “Get used to us spoiling you.”
“Lief.”
“You have been devoting all your time to us, Dr. Sexy,” Hunter says from behind her. “I think thatyouare up to something. I’ve seen you making phone calls, hiding your computer. You suddenly have a password.”
“Hey!” She argues.
“Do you have another three men pining for you?” He nips her neck. “Are you trying to make our role play hotter?”
“No.” She nibbles her bottom lip. “Maybe you’ll find out what I’ve been plotting.”
Her eyes flick back to me. “I’m keeping this coat.”
I smile as I see her sniff it. She’s trying so hard to be all prickly and failing in every way. It makes me love her more. But she gave up a little too much information. Hunter catches her. “I don’t think so. We’re going to torture the information out of you.”
Chase grins. “Let’s take a tour of the house.”
Valerie squeals as our tour starts and stops at the bedroom.
VALERIE
Igroan in the morning. My men certainly know how to ‘torture’. If torture means orgasm denial and then sex so intense and overwhelming that I want to spill my entire soul. And they loved me so differently. Soft and gentle, slow and intense, rough and wild. But I managed to keep my secret.
I glance at the arms around me. Fuck. Lief is so hard to escape. Hunter’s snuggled against my front and Chase has his hand on my leg from where he sleeps at the foot of the bed. Taking a deep breath, I try to escape Lief’s arms. He’s the hardest to avoid, so if I wake him up, it’s all over anyway.
He grunts and adjusts, but I manage to slip free. Escaping from Chase is a little harder. The worlds hardest game of twister. I stand up, make sure that Lief isn’t faking, then go to the bathroom downstairs, shower, change, and take a walk while wearing Lief’s jacket.
I pace back and forth while looking at the river and look at my phone. Josefine and Vanya – since they insisted on setting up a group text – have both sent me thumbs up. They know I’m proposing to the guys. It was a promise I made myself when Lief got hurt.