The Christmas Wonder, page 3
Fin glanced up and found Ward behind her. She was sandwiched in between them and fit quite nicely, if he did say so. Ward inclined his head and that was all that needed to be said. They both wanted her and they would both have her. It wouldn’t be the first time they had shared.
“Oh, my—um,” Skye stuttered. She blinked and looked between Fin and Ward. He reached up and stroked the side of her face. He could tell that she was teetering on the edge of a dead panic. It was quite obvious by the way she kept looking at them.
“It’s okay, Skye,” Fin murmured.
“You don’t have to choose,” Ward said. Ward reached over and pushed her hair away from her eyes.
“I don’t?” Her eyes widened. Fin shook his head and took her hand in his.
The music bumping through the speakers cut off suddenly. Fin stiffened and glanced over at the bar. He hadn’t realized that the crowd had thinned out.
“Y’all still here may want to start heading out. The snow is getting mighty thick out there. They're already shutting down roads,” Mike the bartender yelled out. Fin glanced over at Ward.
Well, fuck.
His friend might have had a good reason to be concerned about the weather.
Ward cocked an eyebrow at him as if to say, ‘I told you so.’
“We should probably get out of here,” Fin said.
“I’ll go settle the bill. Grab your coats.” Ward snagged their cues and hung them up on the wall before he headed over to the bar. The music came back on but this time the volume was cut way down. More of the patrons were leaving.
The weather must be getting bad out there if they actually listened to Mike.
“I don’t know what came over me,” Skye said as they walked over to the booth where they had left their jackets. He grabbed her coat and helped her slide it on. She threw her winter hat on top of her head. “I don’t want to seem like a—
“Skye,” he cut her off. He spun her around and helped her zip up her coat. He brought her close to him and tipped her chin up. Those brown eyes of hers were mesmerizing. “You don’t have to choose. We’ll figure it out.”
“Seriously? You’re both okay with what just happened?”
“She’s not going to be able to drive her car. There’s a shit ton of snow out there,” Ward announced as he returned to the booth. He raked his fingers through his thick blond hair and shook his head. “We’d better leave. It really is coming down hard.”
“What?” Skye spun around and glanced toward the door. “How am I going to get home?”
“Don’t worry. We’ll take you.” Fin said. His truck could easily get through the deepest snow. They would leave her car in the bar’s parking lot and he’d bring her back to get it once the storm blew over and the streets were cleared. He didn’t even have to look outside to know her small sedan wouldn’t make it.
“Okay,” she said.
“Well, we had better leave now.” Ward snagged his coat and threw it on. Fin shrugged into his coat and took Skye’s hand in his.
“Let’s go.”
4
“Holy hell,” Skye muttered.
She stood in the doorway of the Little Pint and stared at the mountains of snow that filled the parking lot. She’d worried for only a minute about going to a bar with her co-workers… but once she’d arrived, she’d had entirely too much fun. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed so hard. Skye didn’t know what had come over her. Maybe it was the vodka in her system, or maybe she just wanted to live life a little, but she would definitely admit she had flirted with both Fin and Ward throughout the night.
She held their attention, and it felt damn good.
She felt wanted.
Sexy.
For the first time in a long time, she felt like a woman.
The alcohol did help loosen her up a bit. The guys had shared stories with her about their first time meeting in college, and all the trips they’d gone on together. It gave Skye a definite sense that they were truly the best of friends.
And she wanted both of them.
How could she choose?
As the night went on, she had just gone with the flow. Her favorite drink, cranberry and vodka, had hit the spot and given her a bit of courage.
But now staring at what the heavens had dumped on them, she was completely sober.
Everyone leaving the bar was trying to dig out their cars and trucks so they could leave. The way the snow was coming down, they were fighting an uphill battle. She tried to find her car in the mess and thanks to a snow drift, her car was barely visible.
“I’m parked over there,” Fin pointed in the direction of a dark pickup. Steam rose from the exhaust and Skye guessed that he must have started it remotely.
“I’m right behind you,” Ward announced.
“Let’s get you in the truck.” Fin said. He took one of her gloved hands in his while Ward grabbed the other. Her heart skipped a beat as she thought about what had happened inside the bar. Had she really been so brazen as to kiss both of them? Had that been the alcohol? Or was it a deep dark desire to be claimed by two sexy men?
The kisses were not just a peck on the lips, but full open mouth and tongue dueling with both of them. In public. Skye didn’t think she would ever recover from such a moment. To be in between both of them had almost set her damn body ablaze.
When Ward had stalked toward her, the heat in his gaze had her frozen in place like a deer caught in headlights. The second his lips touched hers, she folded. Fin’s solid body behind her helped keep her up.
She was thankful they had taken hold of her hands. Not only was the snow deep, but there was a layer of ice underneath it. She would have certainly gone down if it hadn’t been for them holding on to her.
As they slowly made their way to Fin’s truck, a deep chill settled into her bones in the short time it took them to walk to the vehicle. This was a time where she wished she would have splurged and purchased an SUV. Her little sedan would definitely not make it in snow like this.
The last time it had snowed this hard, she had been stuck at home until the roads were plowed.
“Here we are,” Fin announced. He opened the door and Ward helped her to climb up into the warm truck. She shivered and settled back in the seat. They shut the door quickly and she basked in the warmth. Even the seat was heated. Her bottom was thankful for the heat that permeated through her jeans.
Skye folded her arms in front of her and tried to will her body to stop shaking. The front and driver’s side windows were covered in a thick layer of snow. She peeked out the passenger window that was surprisingly clear except for some fog on the glass. She wiped it away with her hand and saw Fin and Ward outside the truck. Skye watched the two of them having a conversation. She strained to make out what they were saying, but with the noise of the heater in the pickup, she couldn’t hear anything.
They were talking about her.
That was obvious.
They were friends, but she prayed that the kisses she’d shared with them wouldn’t cause a rift between them. Fin had said everything was okay, and she wouldn’t have to choose.
But what did that mean?
Did they want to share her?
Skye’s eyes widened at the thought. Her breath caught in her throat at the image that came to mind. It was so damn hot that her heart raced.
But could she if given the opportunity?
Those kisses surfaced again.
Oh, yeah she’d be down.
They both disappeared from her sight. Within a few minutes Fin began clearing snow off the truck. Her body finally began to thaw out. The shakes and shivers were slowly disappearing. She relaxed slightly, unsure of what was going to happen next.
If someone had told her a day ago that not only would she share a kiss with Ward, but Fin as well, she would have called them crazy.
She tugged off her gloves and tucked them inside of her jacket pockets. She reached up and touched her bottom lip. It felt slightly swollen from their kisses. Thinking of how Fin had entwined his fingers with hers while Ward practically devoured her with his kiss made her press her thighs together.
His warm body had pressed against her back while Ward was in front of her—it was something she thought she could only have dreamed of.
What she wouldn’t give to have that again, but next time she hoped they would be naked. A flush rippled through her at the thought.
“Shit,” she breathed. Skye closed her eyes briefly and tried to shake that thought. Right now she needed to worry about getting home in this storm. She should have known better. Ward had been right to be worried. But in true Langdale native fashion, she had blown off the potential of a major storm. The weatherman was always making predictions that didn’t come true.
She jumped at the sound of the driver’s door opening. Fin slid into his seat and slammed the door shut. He began brushing the snow from his hair and jacket.
“It’s a little frosty out there,” he chuckled.
“Why don’t you have a hat on?” She blurted out. Was he crazy? They lived in Illinois and it was wintertime. It was deathly cold out there. He should have had something to cover up his head. With this type of weather he’d likely catch a cold or pneumonia. He glanced over at her and grinned. His glasses were now fogged up, preventing her from seeing his eyes. He took them off and wiped them off with a small piece of cloth.
“I have one somewhere.” He shrugged. He slid his glasses back on then combed his fingers through his damp hair. She felt those same butterflies she always experienced around him start to flutter to life. His smile disappeared from his face as he glanced out the windshield. “A few others out there are saying a lot of roads are already shut down. We’re going to head to my house. It’s not far from here. Ward is going to follow us. One of us will bring you back to get your car when the storm breaks.”
Skye swallowed hard.
She thought about demanding to be taken home, but her house was across town, and there was no way that it would be possible if roads were being shut down. Going with Fin was the best option at the moment.
“Okay,” she said softly. The butterflies in her stomach flapped harder. What if she had to spend the night? She suddenly felt a wave of heat overcome her. She busied herself and put her seatbelt on. Her hands were visibly shaking with the thought of what it might mean to spend the night with Fin and Ward.
Fin threw the truck in gear and slowly eased it out of the parking lot. The snow was high and it was a wonder that he was able to just drive through the drift that was in front of the vehicle. They drove in a comfortable silence as he headed toward the road.
Skye squinted and leaned forward. How the hell was he seeing anything in this blizzard? Looking at the conditions of the road, she was glad she was with him and not trying to make it home in her car. She would probably have ended up in a ditch somewhere.
Fin took his time driving down the roads and Skye gripped the door handle tight as she glanced over at him and saw him concentrating on the road. Skye just wished that Ward was with them instead of in his own truck. She sent up a quick prayer and hoped he was staying safe behind them.
“So, the kiss. Where did that come from?” The question had been burning inside her, but it felt strange to say the words out loud. But she had to know and clear the air. Skye pushed her free hand under her thigh so she wouldn’t do something crazy like reach over and touch him. Fin glanced over at her for a moment before focusing back on the white-out conditions in front of them.
“I wanted to. I’ve been thinking about you,” he admitted.
Skye’s eyes widened. There had never been any signs that he was into her. He had just appeared to be friendly with everyone. She was the awkward one when it came to interacting with him or Ward. She didn’t know why she got so nervous. She’d never had this experience before she met Fin, and then Ward arrived and she was having the same reaction to him.
“But you were in a relationship with that woman,” she sighed. Even if he had been thinking of her while he’d been with his ex, she would have shot him down. No way was she a homewrecker. There are plenty of men out there. She just hadn’t found the right one yet, but she knew someone was out there for her.
“I was. That didn’t mean I didn’t like you or felt an attraction to you. Me and Lexi were complicated,” he sighed. He shifted in his seat, but didn’t take his eyes off the road. He slowed the truck down even further. Skye looked out her window and didn’t see anything but white and shadows. This was getting worse than she expected. Were they even going in the right direction?
“I may have been with Lexi, but I still recognize a beautiful woman when I see one. Lexi and I broke up a couple months ago.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No need to be. It was a long time coming,” Fin snorted. He glanced over at her again with a crooked grin on his lips. His gaze slid over her like a warm caress. She fought the urge to squirm in her chair. “I kept to myself. I wasn’t ready to just dive right into a new relationship right away. I just needed to breathe. We’d been together for a while… but I think I’m finally ready to move on.”
“Move on to what?” she asked automatically. Fin released a curse. The truck jerked and slid. Her grip on the door handle tightened. He regained control of the truck with a few expert moves.
Maybe now wasn’t the best time to have this conversation.
Fin needed to stay focused to keep them on the road and fight the elements. The snow wasn’t letting up at all. They were basically driving through a white out.
“You.”
“Oh.” Skye was stunned into silence. She hadn’t really expected that as an answer. But at least she now knew Fin’s intention when it came to her.
Skye stood before the window and stared out into the bleak winter landscape. She couldn’t see much of it, but she was watching for the headlights of Ward’s truck. She couldn’t believe they’d made it.
The ride from the bar to Fin’s house had taken them a little over an hour and her hand had started to ache from how tightly she had held onto the door handle. But Fin had gotten them to his house safely.
They’d entered the house and, surprisingly, he still had power. It was nice and warm. She was waiting for Ward. He’d been following them, but he hadn’t arrived yet. She was worried. What if he was stuck out there and needed help?
“Here you go,” Fin murmured. He came to stand next to her and handed her a cup of hot cocoa. She took it and smiled. He had even put a big dollop of whip cream on top of it.
“Thank you.” She took a sip and sighed. It was delicious, warm, and comforting. Just what she needed. She sighed again and turned her focus back to the window.
“Ward is fine.” Fin said. He slid his arms around her and pulled her back against him. His body felt good against hers and she automatically leaned into him. She liked how it just felt so natural to be in his arms.
“How do you know? Have you spoken with him?” She took another sip of the hot chocolate. The whip cream offered a nice creamy addition to the drink. It was one of her favorites to drink on days like this.
“Yeah. I called him when I was in the kitchen. He’d spun out and gotten stuck, but he was able to get out.” He must have felt her body stiffen because he tightened his hold on her and kissed her cheek. “He’s okay. He’ll be here soon.”
“Good.” She wanted both of them with her so that she could make sure they were safe and sound. She may not know what was happening between the three of them, but all she knew was that she needed Ward here with her and Fin.
“If you want to change out of those wet jeans, I think my sister-in-law and brother left some clothes from the last time they came to visit.”
Skye glanced down at her jeans and grimaced. Her pant legs were soaked from the deep snow she’d had to walk through and her socks had gotten wet too.
“It would feel better to get out of these,” she said. She wiggled her toes, she was pretty sure they were still frozen. Fin reached around and took the mug out of her hands.
“If you head up the stairs, the first door is the spare bedroom. There should be some clothes in the dresser you can pick from.”
She nodded and turned to go, but she paused. She glanced back at him. Fin’s hazel eyes were on her. With his glasses they were slightly magnified. She moved back toward him, stood on her tiptoes, and pressed her lips to his. He leaned down slightly to meet her. She stepped back and offered a small smile.
“Thanks.” She spun on her heel and headed toward the staircase. She jogged up them and arrived at the second floor. She found the door to the spare room and went inside. It was a plain room with a full sized bed, and a dresser with a television resting on it.
Skye opened the dresser and looked through the neatly folded clothes. The drawers held men and women’s items. She found a few pairs of thick leggings along with clean socks.
“Thank you, sis,” she murmured. She didn’t know Fin’s sister-in-law’s name but she was thankful the woman had left a few items behind. She quickly slid her wet jeans off along with her socks and replaced them with a pair of black leggings and fluffy house socks. “That feels so good.”
She wiggled her toes which immediately appreciated the warmth of the material. The sounds of a door opening and shut reached her.
Ward.
Skye scooped up her clothes and figured she’d see if she could toss them in the washing machine and wash them so they would be ready for when she was able to go home.
She paused at the door and felt a weird sensation flutter through her. She thought of her lonely little house and, honestly, did she want to go back there alone? She shook her head. The thoughts running through her head were crazy.
One day.
She hadn’t even spent one day with Fin and Ward and she was already thinking about how much she didn’t want to go home alone. She laughed shortly at her own foolishness and exited the room to head back downstairs to the men who were waiting for her.
