Snowbound with the Santas (Forbidden Fantasies)

8. Rayne

8

RAYNE

N ight falls almost instantly.

One moment, I’m washing up my plate while admiring how crisp and clean everything looks outside. The next, there’s nothing but a blanket of darkness sweeping across everything. It’s a smothering darkness, where the tree line vanishes and the only hints of the mountains are the dark shadows carved out against the twinkling night sky,

There are more stars here than I’ve ever seen in my life, and it’s beautiful. This entire place keeps taking my breath away. It’s like I fell into an entirely different world.

I like it.

Huddled into the thick clothes they gave me, I tuck up onto the windowsill and gaze up at the stars. The guys had a lot to discuss regarding resuming communication with the outside world, and Nick helped me back to my room to rest and give me privacy.

He’s insane. They’re insane.

In fact, this entire situation is insane.

I’m in a beautiful wooden cabin literally in the middle of nowhere with three gorgeous, hunky men. They know nothing about me, and after Ashton’s threat, that’s kind of refreshing. They look at me and they see me, or the me I’m presenting to them.

And it’s the same for me. I know nothing about them, but so far, they’ve treated me with more kindness than any other man in my life, and it’s oddly jarring. Despite the peaceful atmosphere, I’m on edge waiting for the other boot to drop. For some dark secret to reveal itself.

I wonder if I’m the most dangerous person here.

A soft knock on the door pulls me from my thoughts. “Come in.”

Frankie pops his head around the door and holds up the medical kit. “Hey. Mind if I take a look at your bandages?”

His lopsided smile is so adorable that it’s impossible not to smile back. “Sure.” Easing down from the window sill, I hobble back to the bed and slide on.

By the time Frankie approaches, I’ve wiggled the cargo pants down far enough to expose the bandage on my thigh, and that’s when I spot that Frankie has brought in a tray with him too.

It’s filled with fruit and water, a few pieces of the leftover fish, and bread. There are more painkillers, too, which I tell myself I don’t need.

“I thought you might be hungry. It’s easier to eat when you’re alone sometimes,” he says, setting the tray down on the bedside table. “There are painkillers, too. Nick says you’re about due your next dose.”

“He’s tracking that?” I lift a brow, realizing that I have no idea what time it is so I have no way of knowing how long it’s been since my last pills.

“Yeah, of course.” Frankie perches on the edge of the bed.

This close, a warm scent of mingling spice and fruit fills my lungs, and I hum softly with appreciation. He smells good .

“Can I…?” Frankie indicates to my leg, and I nod.

With gentle fingers, he starts cutting away the bandage. After the first dab of antiseptic, I begin to rethink my refusal of the painkillers.

“Thank you,” I say, focusing on his golden skin and sparkling green eyes to distract from the pain. “For saving me.”

“I’d say any time, but I’m hoping you won’t find yourself in a situation like that ever again.” Frankie chuckles. He cleans, checks my stitches, and bandages me back up with skilled hands. “But you are, of course, very welcome.”

“That was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime accident. I hope.”

“You hope?” He glances up at me.

“I have a bad track record for repeating mistakes, so I can’t say that with complete confidence.”

“Ahh.” Frankie hums softly. His warm fingers brush lightly over my thigh, then he moves on the bed and checks the gauze on my head. “You must have been running from something pretty scary to end up way out here.”

There’s an indirect question in his tone, even if it’s not there in his words. I don’t know him well enough to tell him what happened, but I know they all must be thinking about it. Given my dress, and the reckless choice to drive during the storm, I don’t exactly look level-headed.

I also don’t want to talk about it.

“Is that what you all are doing? Running?” I ask softly while he works. My head wound doesn’t throb as much as my leg does. Thankfully, Frankie is still gentle.

“You think we were running?”

“Why else would you come to a place like this at Christmas? Surely, you’d all rather be with your family?”

Frankie scoffs a little. “You’d think, huh? Christmas. It's the time of the year you’re supposed to spend with loved ones. I suppose, in our own way, that’s what we’re doing.”

He leans back and digs out some fresh gauze from the medical kit.

“You see, Archer is ex-military. He served with my brother, and that’s how we met. And then, like most people who go to war, my brother didn’t come back. Archer needed some help, so we went to a wellness retreat one year and met Nick.”

“I’m sorry.” My eyes close as he tapes the new gauze into place. “About your brother. I can’t imagine…”

Frankie grunts and continues. “So each year, we come here because it’s peaceful. We like it for different reasons, but I like it because of the snow. I’m a forest ranger back in the States, so being here in winter lets me enjoy most of what I enjoy about nature without the pressure of work.”

“Different trees making it seem like a holiday?”

Frankie chuckles. “Exactly. And besides.” He leans back and sits half a foot away, giving me that adorable smile. “What’s more Christmassy than a wooden cabin surrounded by snow?”

“A little cliché,” I tease, pressing my fingertips against my gauze.

“A cliché for a reason,” he replies. “So you see, we’re not running. Not really. We’re just… seeking peace. And the mountain is peaceful. You’ll see that the longer you’re here.”

He speaks openly, which I presume is his way of trying to show me they’re not scary. Learning that Archer is ex-military, though, definitely explains his rather stoic, grumpy attitude.

“Do you think I’ll be here long?” I ask as Frankie cleans up the medical kit and I redress.

“We won’t know until we can take a look at the tower. It’s gone down in the past, and maintenance this high up is a personal job. If we’re lucky, it’s something we can fix, and we’ll have you calling your family in no time.”

“And if not?”

Frankie’s mouth presses into a sloped line down. “Well… I hope you like the mountains.”

For some strange reason, his answer gives me hope. I shouldn’t like it here, and yet there’s a strange sense of freedom in my heart. I can be myself here. There’s no ex waiting in the corner and no chance of my walking in on my mother ready to give me another lecture.

Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to be stuck here.

“Get some rest,” Frankie says as he leaves. “And try not to put too much weight on your leg.”

He’s gone with a flash of a smile that leaves excitement fizzing beneath my ribs.

He’s attractive. They’re all so damn attractive.

I spend the rest of the evening mulling over what information I’ve been given while eating the food Frankie brought and taking the painkillers. Eventually, the warmth of the multiple blankets and the satisfying weight of food inside me send me into a deep sleep.

I wake slowly, unable to get my bearings for quite a few minutes. Even with the light still on, the strange surroundings shock me until I remember where I am and how I got here.

Then, sensation wakes up through my body and I’m alerted to the stiff ache in my leg and the burning urge to pee.

“Fuck,” I murmur softly.

Climbing from the bed, I brace myself on the bedside table and pull myself upward. The muscle of my thigh pulls tenderly each time I try to put weight on my leg, so I have to brace myself on the furniture around the room to reach the door.

Opening it, the rest of the cabin is completely dark and silent. Everyone else must be in bed, too. Guilt swarms through my gut as I realize I slept with the light on and I have no idea how these guys generate power.

With that in mind, I keep the hall light off as I slowly limp through the darkness toward the bathroom. The journey is never-ending, and by the time I reach the bathroom, my bladder is ready to burst.

Luckily, I’m well practiced at navigating a bathroom in the dark—or while drunk—so there’s no hassle in finding all I need to relieve myself and briefly wash my hands. Unfortunately, that wakes me right up because the water that comes out of the tap is biting cold and I gasp loudly.

“Fucking hell…” There’s so much about this place that strikes me as obvious only after something is pointed out to me.

My teeth chatter and my leg pulses hot in time to my heartbeat as I dry my hands, then I open the door.

Only, I can’t return to my room.

The hallway light is on now, and a deeply muscular, broad chest blocks my path. A dusting of dark brown hair crosses two swelling pecs, and the warm scents of wood smoke and caramel tease my nose.

I look up and lock eyes with Archer.

Holy shit .

He’s built like a truck, with arms that could surely circle me twice. His brown eyes are nearly hidden, and his brow is pulled down low. Heat flushes through my body as he looks me over.

“What are you doing?” he asks, and the gravel of his voice is much deeper. He’s not been awake long.

“I needed the bathroom,” I say. My voice trembles faintly, and I have to fight the urge to reach out and touch the gorgeous muscle before me.

“You shouldn’t be putting weight on that leg.”

I narrow my eyes. “What, was I supposed to piss in my room?”

Archer’s eyes snap back up to mine and lock on with such force that it takes my breath away.

Then, without a single word, he suddenly leans down and scoops me right up into his thick arms.

I’d be indignant if he wasn’t so incredibly warm and I wasn’t speechless at being pressed against his broad chest.

They really have a thing for picking me up and doing it themselves, huh?

Archer carries me back to my bedroom in silence, but I don’t mind it. The weight off my leg is nice, and his warmth soaks in through my clothes, chasing away the lingering chill from the tap water.

Once in my room, he sets me down on the bed and then moves to the window, drawing the curtains closed with one swift pull.

“Keeps the heat in,” he states gruffly.

“Thanks.” My heart beats nervously. There’s something so intimidating about him. He doesn’t carry a gentle aura like Nick and Frankie do, and carrying me here almost seems like a hassle even though it was his choice. Maybe he has a problem with me as a person?

My lips part to ask just that, but Archer turns and as he’s striding out the room, a painful sight takes my voice away.

His entire broad back is covered in a twisted, old burn scar from his shoulders all the way down to the small of his back.

He leaves without a word and firmly closes my door.

What the hell happened to him?