Snowbound with the Santas (Forbidden Fantasies)

22. Rayne

22

RAYNE

“ W hat is this place?”

The warmth in the air is unexpected, and I step forward cautiously. Archer, ever the gentleman, it seems, brought me out of the cabin not long after lunch and led me up a winding path through the forest and past several tall rocks that led all the way up to the nearest mountain face. He’d left me at the entrance and told me to follow the path and meet Nick on the other side.

The mystery of it all was exciting, but apprehension sang in my veins as I followed the sounds of trickling water and low music.

The sight before me takes my breath away. The rock alley led to a large pool of water that flows from right to left. The water disappears over the edge of the rocky floor, melting into a stunning view of the snow-covered evergreen forest stretching as far as the eye can see.

Nick is in the water, wearing only his boxers, and the music plays from a small radio sitting up on one of the rocks. Alongside Nick in the water are several lit candles resting in flora glass casings. They drift along with the movement of the water but seem weighted enough not to get carried away by the soft current. Among the candles are red flower petals, and a small smile tugs at the corner of my mouth.

Nick holds the last candle in his hand and he lights it, then sets it down onto the last glass case and lets it float away from him in the water.

“Care to join me?” he asks, looking up at me.

I clutch at my coat. “In there?”

“It’s warm, I promise.”

A hard promise to believe because while the air in this half-cavern nook does feel warm, the cold isn’t far behind and each gust of wind brings the chill.

“What is this?”

“It’s a natural hot spring,” Nick explains. “There’s quite a few of them all over the mountain, but this is the only one that’s accessible. Mostly because I’ve been working at it for a few years to smooth out the rocks and make the place safe.”

“You… made this?”

“I aided it.” Nick chuckles as he moves through the water. His motion causes the candles and flower petals to move around him, and he holds that smile as he reaches toward me with one hand. “It’s perfectly safe.”

It’s such a surreal thought. A hot spring in the middle of frozen mountains? Not unheard of, but knowing this one is natural and not pumped by motors like the ones down at the ski lodge warms my heart. Can I really pass up a beautiful sight?

No. I really can’t.

I undress quickly and pile my jacket and boots next to Nick’s, then I sit down on the rocks and slowly dip my toes in.

“Oh, my God,” I gasp, withdrawing my toes immediately. The water is so hot that it’s almost shocking. Nick wades closer and places his warm hands on my calves.

“I’ve got you.”

With his encouragement—and another rush of cold air behind me—I slide off the rocks and into the hot water. A shudder moves through me as I find smooth stone beneath my feet and the scent of jasmine fills my nose. Above me, the rippling water creates a beautiful pattern across the ceiling as it reflects the candlelight.

“This place is beautiful,” I gasp, keeping one hand on Nick’s arm. “And you just… found this place?”

“We’ve explored a lot of the mountain,” he explains in a soft voice. “This was a treasure to find, though, and a good place to ease aching muscles after hiking and working. A godsend too, during the times our water pump has frozen up completely.”

“I bet.” I sink down until the hot water washes over my shoulders, and Nick guides me back to a shelf of rock that acts like a seat. “People would fork out thousands for this.”

“Just as well it’s our secret.” Nick smiles and settles next to me. “I wanted to treat you.”

“As if saving my life and giving me a place to shelter out two storms isn’t enough?” Resting my head back on some of the warm rocks, my eyes flutter closed.

“That’s true but… Rayne. We’ve spent a lot of time with each other, and I know that you’ve uhm…” He pauses, and I open my eyes. “I know you know we are all interested in you, but part of me was concerned that maybe we had come on too strong, and I didn’t want you to think we were just horny men interested in sex.”

I lift my head and watch as an array of emotions dances across Nick’s handsome face. He strokes one hand through his beard and smiles nervously.

“Which, don’t get me wrong, we are. But we care about you too. I care about you and… well, Frankie told me what you told him.”

There it is. I stiffen slightly, unable to help myself.

“So the last thing I want,” Nick continues, “is for you to feel like we’re taking advantage or that we don’t appreciate you for who you are because believe me… you’re like the first breath of air coming up from water, or the first touch of comfort under ten weighted blankets. I don’t know how you do it or if it’s just your natural aura, but you are a blessing, Rayne.”

As he talks, my heart swells fuller and fuller. This may be the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me, and I’m reeling from every detail. Warm tears spring into my eyes, and I reach up to cup his face.

“Nick,” I say, and my voice trembles. “You’re too good for me. You all are.”

“Nonsense,” Nick says softly. “I just want you to know you are insanely appreciated and adored—even by Archer.”

I huff out a soft laugh, gently rolling my eyes. “Are you sure about that?”

“Absolutely.”

As Nick smiles warmly, the love in my chest is almost overbearing, so I lean forward suddenly and catch his lips in a deep, needy kiss. His damp beard tickles my chin, and my fingers slide through the curls of hair on his chest as he leans in closer.

I have no words other than, “I adore the hell out of you guys, too.” I murmur them against his lips, Nick chuckles, and then the kiss deepens.

It wasn’t my intention at first, but the kiss is enough to spark a line of heat down my body. That mingles with the warmth of the hot spring, and I’m in heaven. When Nick pulls back, I chase him, and he chuckles once more.

“Let me take care of you,” he whispers against my lips, and who am I to argue with that?

Sweeping through the water, Nick moves on top of me and kisses me deeply. Just as his tongue slides against my own, he cheekily nips at my lower lip and then breaks the kiss. His lips continue kissing slowly down my jaw to my throat, then he follows the line of my neck all the way down to the hollow of my collarbone. His tongue glides over water droplets as he moves.

I slide both my hands into his hair, caressing as gently as I can through the damp strands until Nick looks up at me with a smirk. I tilt my head, trying to decipher the look, but before I can, he takes a deep breath and dips down under the water line.

His hands part my thighs and his mouth presses against my clothed pussy a moment later, sending a jolt of arousal straight through me. A whine crawls out of my throat, and I move my hands from his head to the rocks on either side of me. The last thing I want is to accidentally push down on him when he’s underwater.

The sensation of his tongue licking against my panties is surreal, and my eyes roll back in my head. I curl my toes and push my hips up, rocking into the pressure from his mouth. His hands stroke up my thighs to my panties and then he removes them in one swift move. Water sloshes up my chest as Nick resurfaces, and I open my eyes in time to see him toss my panties onto the piles of clothes. Then he kisses between my breasts and disappears back underneath the water.

It’s insanely erotic in a way I can’t even decipher. Knowing he’s choosing to kiss my pussy over taking a breath, that he’s so desperate to taste me over all else, sends my heart rate skyrocketing, and my core clenches repeatedly. His lips press against my pussy and his tongue laps repeatedly over me from clit to entrance and back. I try to track him in my mind’s eye as the flow of water adds an extra layer of pressure to the entire sensation.

Then his tongue dips inside me, sliding repeatedly in and out. When he breathes out, the rush of bubbles past my clit makes me squeal as pleasure pulses through me, and I rock upward, scrabbling at the rocks. Nick resurfaces again with a gasp, and he claims my mouth in a deep, wet kiss. Then he’s back under the water with his mouth against my pussy and his tongue dancing through my folds.

Each stroke, kiss, and suck floods my body with pleasure, and I struggle to remain still. Luckily, Nick’s hands around my thighs keep my hips in place and I’m free to writhe about above the water line as he pulls me closer and closer to orgasm.

“Fuck!” I cry out, and the word bounces back at me from the rocks surrounding me. Nick doesn’t resurface, not until he pulls my orgasm out of me, leaving me screaming and trembling. It’s the most intense sensation of my life, and my heart pounds wildly as every nerve in my body twitches and shakes. By the time Nick does come back up for air, I’m utterly spent and I sag willingly into his arms.

“If that’s how you show your appreciation,” I pant, cupping his face and stroking his cheek with my thumb, “I’m all for it.”

Nick laughs and kisses me slowly, taking his time to explore my mouth with his tongue. Then he pulls away and pecks my nose.

“Glad you enjoyed it.”

We stay like that until my heart rate is back to normal, and then he pulls a wicker basket from somewhere. It’s filled with sparkling cider and some fruit and cream. The first bite of a strawberry feels like the freshest berry I’ve ever tasted, but I hesitate at the cider.

“It’s non-alcoholic,” Nick reassures me. “I was an alcoholic, so there’s no alcohol in the cabin. Except the medical kind.”

“Of course.” I nod slowly, thinking back to our truth and dare game. “I understand more than you know.” My own battles with alcohol and addiction led to that one terrible night that chained my life, and it’s a pain I think Nick might be able to understand.

He offers me another strawberry. “You can’t even taste that they were frozen.”

“Not even a little,” I agree. We settle on the rocks with my legs in his lap, soaking up the warmth of the water, and candles and petals lazily drift around us. “So when we were decorating, I noticed in the cupboard that there were some really old presents with the name Freida on the tag.”

Nick nods slowly. “My daughter. When I first stopped drinking, my ex-wife, Amanda, promised that I could slowly get back into my daughter’s life. So each year, I bought presents and decorations and waited for when it would finally be my year to see her. To spend Christmas with her. But Amanda… she just never followed through.”

“Oh, Nick. I’m so sorry.” Taking his hand, I squeeze gently.

“I still buy her presents, but I haven’t asked Amanda to bring her in a few years because Freida got in touch herself. She’s a smart kid, that’s for sure, because I don’t know how she did it, but I’m so grateful she did.”

His voice thickens with emotion and he flashes me a tight smile.

“You’ve been getting to know her?”

He nods. “Slowly. She did a family tree project for school and found out my details from that. Somehow. And then she called me about eighteen months ago, and ever since, I’ve been doing everything I can to learn about her. I’ve been honest, though. I told her I was an alcoholic and she understood. Apparently, Amanda brings that up often.”

“I’m sorry. That’s a painful cross to bear.”

“My deepest regret,” he replies thickly. “I was an addict and I wasn’t in control. I’m still responsible for my actions and those I hurt, but… I love her. She’s my kid, and I will spend every day I have left on this earth making it up to her.”

“I understand,” I reply gently. “More than you know, actually. I was, uh… I was an alcoholic too. Or, I am. Recovering.”

Nick’s brow shoots up. “Oh, Rayne…”

“It was my way of coping with the pressure of my family, I think. And then my ex. But then… there’s always a moment, isn’t there? Of clarity, when things are so fucked that you realize you’re drowning.”

“That happened to you?”

I nod. “I’ve been sober five years, maybe a little longer. Well, Five years, seven months, to be exact.” I huff out a soft laugh. “So I understand. We do what we can to fix things.”

Nick nods slowly, then he leans in and kisses me sweetly. “I’m proud of you. Five years is immense.”

I smile into the kiss, and yet the strawberry sours on my tongue. It is an immense time.

But would he still be proud of me if he knew my life-altering moment was taking a life?