Rugged Fire [Rugged Savage Valley, Colorado 4] (7 page)

Their mother continued extolling the merits of hard-boiled eggs as they finished their breakfast. After they got her settled in her favorite chair beside the window with a book and her knitting needles, they headed out to the back. Their fathers had built a large work shed many years back, and they kept a few canoes, various tools, and yard-work machinery in it. They hauled one of the canoes down from its hanging pegs and placed it over their shoulders. Seb was in front, Will in back, and they began walking toward Brown Trout Lake.

The lake was a good ways out of town, and they had to walk down Main Street to get there, but the walk through town didn’t bother him. In fact, hardly anyone was out and about, and Seb liked the feeling of being the first ones to greet the roads and familiar buildings of Savage Valley. Despite its faults and shortcomings, it was his town and his home. Whether he wanted it or not, his footsteps would always belong on these roads.

As they neared the center of town, he looked over at the bundle of shops—the thrift store, the diner, the newspaper—and was surprised to find Lianne standing in front of The Ninth Time, bundled up and bouncing from foot to foot.

“Seb?” she asked. “Is that you? Will?”

“Hold up,” he said to his brother. He lifted the canoe, and Will did the same. They rolled it off their shoulders in a fluid motion, popped it over their heads, and then set it on the ground in front of the resale shop. He could hear frost crunching under its hull as it settled onto the ground.

“Whoa,” Lianne said. “What—oh my—why are you two dressed like that? What are you doing?”

“The canoe didn’t give us away?” Seb asked, walking toward her. He noted her small step back as her eyes swept up and down his body a couple times in quick succession. He’d left the top of his wetsuit unzipped, and the sleeves were hanging around his waist. The only thing he wore on top was a white T-shirt, and he’d broken a small sweat carrying the canoe. The thin cotton clung to his chest, and the wetsuit clung to everything below his waist, and he could tell the sight was having an effect on Lianne. It had been a couple days since their steamy kisses on the porch, and the feel of Lianne’s plump lips on his, the way her body pressed into him with desperate wanting, her breath mingling with his—these things kept pounding and pounding through his mind. He couldn’t get them out, had thought of little else since that night, and finding her here that morning felt serendipitous. He’d planned on seeing her again that day, one way or another, and circumstances had brought them together as if the fates approved of his decision to pursue her. He had to wonder, though, what it was exactly that had her out in the close-to-freezing temperatures.

“What are you doing here? It’s barely seven in the morning.”

“I forgot that I’m hosting a book club with a couple friends in two days, and I haven’t even bought the book or begun to read it. I’m just freaking out. I have to read that and get a fresh batch of lotion samples whipped up today because I thought I had enough, but I don’t, and anyways, I’m just trying to see if the Abbotts had one here before having to make an emergency trip to Denver.”

“First of all, breathe.” He sucked in a breath in illustration and then another. Lianne caught on and began to breathe with him, rolling her eyes and grinning at him. “Second of all, what book is it? We might have a copy.”

Her regulated breathing came to a halt. “Oh no, I highly doubt that.”

Seb noticed she looked more uncomfortable than usual. “Give us a try,” he said. “We’re pretty well read. You might be surprised.”

She laughed nervously. “No, really. I don’t think you’ll have the book I’m looking for.”

“What is it?” Will asked, leaning against the railing outside of The Ninth Time.

Biting her bottom lip, she looked back and forth between them. “I don’t think you’ll have it. In fact, I’m certain you won’t.” She definitely sounded nervous, and Seb felt his curiosity growing.

“Lianne, spit it out. You never know unless you try.”

She shot them a hopeless look and then shrugged. “It’s called
Bound
.”

“
Bound
? Hmm, that does sound kind of familiar. Who’s the author?”

“Her name’s Sophie Oak.”

“Sophie Oak…Sophie Oak…I think we might have it. It sounds so familiar.”

Lianne’s eyebrows shot up. “Really? It sounds familiar?”

“What’s it about?”

Shooting him a smirk, she crossed her arms over her chest and said, “It’s fantasy.”

“We read fantasy. Right, Will? You like fantasy.”

Will nodded.

“My
favorite book of all time is
War of the Worlds
,” Seb continued. “Admittedly, that’s more on the sci-fi side of the spectrum, but still, it’s pretty close. What kind of fantasy is it?”

“It’s very visceral, you know, really graphic stuff.” There was an odd note to her voice that Seb couldn’t quite place. “And it has Celtic mythology and goblins and stuff.”

“Yeah? That sounds like something we might read.”

The front door to The Ninth Time creaked open, and Jack Abbot glared out at all three of them. “No soliciting,” he grumbled.

“Are you open?” Lianne asked, perking up.

“I’ve unlocked the door, haven’t I?”

“Perfect.” Lianne shoved her way in, and Seb followed her, shooting Jack a wide grin. The lion-shifter muttered something under his breath. As Seb walked by him, though, he caught a whiff of his lion scent, and the sharp, over-heady aroma all but singed his nostrils.

“Whoa,” he said, choking on the thickness of the smell.

“What?” Jack asked in a gruff voice.

Seb felt his eyes watering and shared a look with his brother. “Nothing,” he said, rushing past and away from the lion-shifter. The lions were very sensitive about their musk, and Seb didn’t want to stir up trouble by mentioning its unpleasant potency. He soon realized, though, that the whole shop had an underlying aroma of lion musk, so he went over to Lianne with the intention of hurrying her up.

“Did you find what you were looking for?”

“Oh, yeah,” she said, delighted. “This is a treasure trove! Jack, where did you get all these?” she called out, still rummaging like a gleeful child.

“What do you—” He cut himself off when he noticed the books she was happily pawing through. She’d found a large cardboard box tucked away in a corner in the back of the store chock-full of used romance novels. And from some of the covers he saw tumbling around as she dug her arms deeper into the books, these weren’t the fireside romances he’d seen his mom reading on occasion.

These were
erotica
.

“
This
is what your book club is reading?”

“Where on earth did the Abbots get all of these?”

“Agnes Bird donated them.” Jack spoke from behind them, and when Seb turned to look, he had to refrain from jumping back. The lion-shifter was less than a foot away. “Are you finished?” Jack focused his menacing look on Seb, which wasn’t all that menacing in fact, but Seb grabbed Lianne under her arms and yanked her up. Lion-shifters were always uptight around the bears, but the Abbotts took it to the next level. Jack was practically breathing down his neck.

“Come on. It’s time to check out.”

“But hang on a sec. I haven’t picked everything out. There are still dozens of—”

“No. You’re checking out now.” Will had already laid more than enough money on the counter at the back of the store for the three books Lianne had clutched to her chest, and Seb dragged her struggling form out the front door.

“What the hell is wrong with you two?” Lianne twisted out of Seb’s grip as he sucked in huge gulps of fresh air. “You can’t just go tearing a girl away from her romance novels.”

“Sorry for that, truly, but I couldn’t stay in there another second.”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“You couldn’t smell that?” Will asked, coming out the front door and practically running away from it.

“Smell what?”

“That place reeked of lion stench.”

“It smelled fine to me. Maybe a little musty, but that’s all.”

Seb studied Lianne. The openness of her features suggested she was telling the truth, but the noxious aroma was still fresh in his mind, and he didn’t understand how she
couldn’t
smell it. The Abbots must have freshly mated with someone. Normally their odor was mildly revolting, but today it was physically sickening. He wanted to get out on the lake with a fresh breeze flying in his face and slapping him around as soon as possible. He wanted that disturbing scent out of his mind.

“You really like reading that stuff?”

“Oh yeah,” she answered, already thumbing through one of her new books.

Looking at the canoe and getting an idea, a naughty, exciting idea, he said, “Would you like to join us on the lake this morning?”

“Oh, I shouldn’t. I have so much to do.”

Despite her words to the contrary, Seb could hear the longing in her voice. She wanted to go with him and his brother but would feel guilty if she did because of all the chores she had waiting for her. “It would give you plenty of time to put a good dent in your book.”

“Plus, you know what they say about all work and no play,” Will added.

“So you’re saying I’m dull?”

“Not at all.” Seb put his hand on her rear and gave her a squeeze, causing her to emit a high-pitched squeak of surprise.

“But it’s a distinct possibility if you keep burying yourself in work,” Will said, brushing a strand of blonde hair away from her face and then cupping her chin.

“You’re one to talk.”

“Come on. Say you’ll come with us,” Seb insisted, running his hand from her ass up her back and into the hair hanging down her back.

She eyed the book in her hand and then set her shoulders.

“Okay.”

* * * *

Lianne sucked in a deep breath.

There was certainly something to be said for the sense-invigorating power of bright morning air sliding across her face, of lake water lapping against the hollowness of the canoe, and of the gentle dip and sway of the boat as it glided over the lake’s surface.

There was also something to be said for the sight of two muscular and sweaty males to the front and back of her, rowing together to some internal rhythm. It was all too easy for Lianne to imagine them scooting closer and turning that rhythm on her, sandwiching her body between the two of theirs and using those muscular arms and legs to hold her in place while making use of other appendages to stroke her insides, her pussy, her clit, and bring her to a screaming…

“Lianne?” Seb twisted around from his position at the front of the canoe to look at her. “I asked if you are enjoying yourself.”

“Huh? Oh.” She blinked a couple times and stared at the page in front of her. Realizing that the word “cock” was printed across it several times, she snapped the book closed. “Umm…yeah. I like it out here.” Apparently, the novel was leading her thoughts in a naughty direction. She sucked in a few more breaths, hoping the fresh air would clear her mind.

“We usually take a ten-minute break right about now to enjoy the scenery,” Seb said. “If you’re cold, feel free to join me up here. I’d be glad to keep you warm.”

“Okay!” It came out more eagerly than she intended, but at the moment she didn’t care. She’d been imagining how nice it would be to snuggle up with them, and then, like he could read her mind, Seb offered her a snuggle.

Carefully maneuvering her way over to him, she sat on the floor of the canoe between his legs, feeling his warmth envelop her at once. “Mmm,” she said, burrowing deeper between his legs, “that feels nice.”

His hands settled on her shoulders and began to work her muscles.

“But you’re the one that needs a massage,” she admonished, her eyes drifting closed.

“No, no. You’ve been working your ass off to get the attic ready, and you’re so tiny that—”

“You’re probably exhausted but too proud to admit it.” Will’s voice was closer than she thought it would be, so she cracked one eye open. He’d moved to her spot in the middle, and she wondered how she hadn’t felt the boat rock as he’d moved. It was probably a shifter thing, she thought, letting her eyes drift closed again.

“Well…maybe I am a
little
tired. But not enough to stop working.”

Seb’s hands moved a little further down her back, pushing and kneading and loosening. His fingers brushed against the sides of her breasts, and she sucked in a breath. She wanted his fingers to move further, to touch her nipples, to pinch and squeeze and flick.

They did.

With a sigh, Lianne leaned her head back into Seb’s stomach, affording him easier access to her breasts. He slowly unzipped her large fleece jacket and slipped his hands inside. She thrust her chest up as he cupped her.

“So beautiful,” Will whispered.

Her eyes snapped open, and she shot away from Seb, causing the canoe to tip back and forth precariously.

“What the hell?” Seb asked, gripping the sides. “What’s the matter?”

As she leaned against the side of the canoe, her fumbling fingers attempted to zip up her jacket, but she was suddenly too nervous for her muscles to remember how to do it. She could also feel the heat blossoming on her cheeks as embarrassment and shame swam through her blood.

“Lianne?” Will asked.

She shook her head. “I’m sorry. I just remembered that I have to go back. We have to go back right now.” She could never admit to them what had really upset her, what made her cheeks flame at the thought of Seb’s hands traveling so brazenly across her body. He must have felt how small her breasts were. No doubt he was appalled by what she lacked.

Will’s eyes had a smirking quality though his lips remained pressed tightly together. “And how do you plan on getting back to land?”

“You…well, you’ll row me over.” Will’s eyebrows shot up. “Won’t you?”

“Not until you tell us what the hell is going on here.”

“Nothing’s going on.”