Snowbound with the Santas (Forbidden Fantasies)

19. Rayne

19

RAYNE

“ O kay, I want to play a game.” I walk into the lounge, hot cocoa in hand, and eye each of the guys in turn.

“A game?” Frankie glances up from his book and squints at me. “By candlelight?”

“Well…” I weave past the chairs and lower down onto the nest I created by the fireplace. I’ve spent the entire day resting after the excitement of last night, and with the storm howling outside, we’ve mostly been engaged in solo activities like reading or painting. Or wood carving, in Archer’s case. “I thought we could get to know each other better.”

“I think I know you pretty intimately,” Archer replies. His head is still bowed as he works his knife against a small chunk of wood, but after completing a shaving, he glances up.

“Maybe so,” I remark, “but since I’ve slept with all of you, I think it might be fun to get to know each other beyond the basics.”

“Doesn’t that usually come before the sex?” Nick asks from the couch. He has a newspaper in one hand but it’s quickly discarded, and he leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

“Sure, but this is hardly a normal situation, so we’ll do things a little differently,” I say.

“What game?” asks Frankie, shoving a bookmark into his book.

“Truth or Dare.”

That gets everyone’s attention and I can’t control my smile when three pairs of eyes lock onto me.

“Amazing.” Frankie grins, and he slides off his chair to join me on the floor. Nick does the same—after he hurries into the kitchen to whip up some more hot cocoa for everyone else. By the time he returns, Archer has joined us and the fire is stoked enough to keep us all warm.

“Alright!” Frankie rubs his hands together. “Who goes first?”

“Well, I was thinking it could be me versus all of you since you three already know each other.” I glance between them. “Does that make sense?”

They all nod.

“What do we get if we win?” Archer asks quietly, and his eyes linger on my body.

“There’s no winning, only punishment if someone doesn’t make good on their choice,” I reply.

“So we need a punishment for forfeit,” Nick says, blowing softly on the top of his drink. “Alright. Whoever loses has to dig the generator out of the snow once the storm passes.”

“Boring,” Frankie mutters, then he nods his head slowly in agreement.

“Alright. You can go first.”

Archer, Nick, and Frankie all exchange a look, then Frankie speaks up first. “I noticed you have a scar on your arm. How did you get it?”

My brow lifts and I glance down to my left elbow. I have a long, thin scar that runs from an inch along my upper arm, past my elbow, and along my forearm. It’s faded with time, but in the flickering light of the fireplace, it appears silver.

“I was in a car accident,” I answer honestly. “This was my injury. It was a few years ago now.” And the worst night of my life. I swallow hard. I hadn’t expected the first question to be so close to home. “When I was a teenager, I had a problem with alcohol. So I made some bad decisions.”

There’s a flash of sympathy in Frankie’s eyes, and Nick reaches out to pat my knee.

“Well!” I sip my drink. “That was more personal than I expected so suddenly. I was thinking about my favorite colors, but this is good. Okay… what was your last relationship like?”

Frankie snorts. “Mine was a two-month fling with a woman who hated nature. You can imagine why that didn’t work out.”

“Too long ago to think about,” Archer says gruffly.

I glance at Nick and he puffs out his cheeks. “My last was with my ex-wife.”

“You were married?”

“Briefly. I… ah, fuck it. I was young and stupid, thought I had the world at my feet, and I struggled with depression so alcohol was my answer. My girlfriend at the time, Amanda, fell pregnant, so I proposed because it felt like the right thing to do. But a baby wasn’t enough to shock me sensible.”

My gut twists and I suddenly feel bad for asking, but with that comes the surprise that Nick has a child. A child that he isn’t spending Christmas with?

“I lost custody of my daughter, Freida, when she was two. Amanda hated me, and I was struggling. I had no defense, but it shocked me enough to get my act together. I do everything I can to create a stable life. I pour my heart and soul into my work at the wellness retreat and I help people get their life back on track.”

Nick flashes me a smile.

“And I’m working to repair things with my daughter. We’re in contact by her choice. Amanda doesn’t know, and I’m not going to break Freida’s trust by telling her.”

“Wow,” I breathe out softly. “That’s why you’re here at Christmas? And not with her?”

Nick nods. “Amanda doesn’t share the belief that I’ve turned my life around. But Freida is thirteen now, and I’ve already missed so much of her life. I can’t pass this up.”

My heart squeezes. Hearing how determined he is to care for his daughter through any avenue available to him hurts, strangely. I don’t know my own father, and my mother never wanted to get to know the real me. Knowing Nick is pouring his entire soul into staying connected with his daughter is amazing.

“That’s so sweet,” I say after gathering myself. “I don’t judge. Mistakes I’ve made… well, all we can do is try and fix things, right?”

Nick’s smile widens. “Exactly.”

“Alright, next question.”

“Only fair, right?” Nick continues. “Hmm…”

The way he eyes me sends my heart fluttering, and I press my lips together, forcing a calming breath.

“Okay, I want to ask what your life is like back home, away from all of this.”

“Boring,” Archer teases.

I send him a sharp glance. “Well, I teach second grade. Have done for a couple of years. I had to work my ass off to get enough time off for this dumb family holiday. My best friend, Nina, is the sweetest person in the world and constantly mocks me for having no time for a life, but I really like working with the kids. I guess it’s my way of giving back.”

“Giving back?” Frankie looks me up and down. “You’re what, twenty-five, your license said? You haven’t done enough to earn giving back.”

“Twenty-six,” I correct him. “And… y’know. My family is rich. I come from money and they constantly brag about it. It’s a cliché, I suppose, but I like being able to help people, and the kids I teach are amazing.”

It hits me then, with a rush of acid in my gut, that if they knew the truth about me, then they likely wouldn’t accept my attempts to make amends in the world.

Some things are unforgivable.

“A satisfactory answer,” Nick decides.

“Excellent. Alright… you.” I fix Archer with a stare, and there’s a daring look in his eye.

“Me.”

“Truth or Dare?”

“Truth.”

“How did you get the scar on your back?”

There’s a moment of silence, and I fear I may have asked the wrong question, but to my surprise, Archer answers easily.

“An explosion in Afghanistan. I was under orders with my team to clear a set of empty buildings so the forward line could advance safely. The intel was bullshit and the building was not empty.”

My heart starts to race.

“The building went up in flames then came down on my team. I was pulled out. My team wasn’t.” Archer looks over to Frankie. “We lost good men that day.”

“Your brother?” I ask Frankie softly.

He nods and flashes me a smile. “The suit who led them into that got away with a slap on the wrist because those with the money can survive shit like that. But, the silver lining is I gained a friend in Archer.”

“Sap,” Archer grumbles.

The story was somehow as bad as I expected and yet also worse, and there’s a sad air between us as I process. They all have pain in their pasts. That much is clear. The only difference is that they appear to have suffered and worked hard to correct it.

Me? I caused the suffering. The more I mull it over, the more I fear that the wrong question could reveal the wrong thing about myself. The moment they get an inkling that I’m a terrible person is the moment my happy bubble here will burst. I wanted to know more about them, but there’s only so much I’m willing to share in turn.

“Okay,” Archer says, locking eyes with me. “Truth or Dare?”

“Dare,” I say, forcing a smile. What better way to avoid the truth than to use an aspect of my own game?

“Dare, huh?” Archer licks his lower lip.

“Coward,” Frankie teases.

Nick leans back, glancing between me and Archer until Archer finally talks.

“Fine. I dare you to masturbate right here, in front of us. We’ve all had a chance to please you. Now, let’s see how you please yourself.”

“Are you serious?” Frankie’s eyes widen, then he looks right at me. I can see the question in their eyes, the hope of me saying yes while mingling with understanding if I say no.

“Alright.” I shrug one shoulder, happy for the distraction and rather excited to put on a show. It’s hypocritical, I know, to ask more about them without being willing to share in turn, but as I settle back on the pillows, I decide I don’t care.

I feel safe here, and while the storm rages outside and keeps us locked in this cozy cabin, then I’ll happily let this dream continue.

They watch me closely as I rest against the pillows and slide my hand down my pants. They didn’t ask to see, so I keep my clothes on as part of the game, but as soon as I slide my fingers through myself, I arch upward with a soft moan.

Nick shifts in his seat, and Frankie bites his lip. Archer is the only one who doesn’t react. Instead, he watches me closely, following the rise of my hips as I stroke where their tongues and cocks teased the night before. My pussy throbs, and I’m so sensitive that pleasure quickly warms my lower belly.

Being watched like this brings the same unexpected excitement that burst through me last night when Archer and Frankie walked in on me and Nick. My skin overheats within seconds and the back of my neck flushes hot. I shift once more, rocking my hips up into the palm of my hand to apply pressure to my clit as I slide my fingers deep inside.

It’s not enough. I realize that now, after experiencing their cocks. My fingers just aren’t enough and my core clenches with want. I want them. Again. Constantly. I want to fuck them until their names are the only thought I have. Using this as my fuel, I close my eyes and moan softly. I don’t need to see them feel the intensity of the gazes traveling over my body. Pillows and blankets shift around me as I fuck myself with my fingers, imagining all three of them caressing me like last night.

Nick’s lips on my breasts, Frankie’s tongue delving deep into me, and Archer’s sweet words of praise in my ear.

My orgasm sweeps up quickly, and I barely have time to open my eyes before it ripples through me and I jolt up on the pillows. My men cheer, clapping as I ride my orgasm and bring the show to an end with soft pants.

“Well…” I smirk, removing my hands from my pants and very slowly sucking on my own wet fingers. “I think I win the game. Happy snow shoveling!”