Chapter 19: Naughty & Nice: Chapter 19

“Whoa,” I whisper when the lights flicker around us.

We’ve spent the afternoon chilling out in the cabin; I’ve been reading, and, embarrassingly, both Hendrix and Wilder have been listening.

They offered to do it as a group, but I point-blank refused. It was bad enough knowing that they were listening to the same group sex scenes that I was reading. Doing it together…

My emotions war over how I feel about it.

I want to say that I would be totally mortified.

But…

I also fear that it would be incredibly hot.

Wilder has made no secret of his ideas about us getting down and dirty together. Sure, his comments may appear to be in jest, but he’s being serious. Or at least as serious as Wilder can be.

He’s always chasing the thrill, so it’s no real surprise as to where his head has gone while we’re all stuck here.

“It said it’s going to get worse before it gets better,” Hendrix says.

All afternoon we’ve been listening to the wind howl around the small cabin.

There’s something so comforting being in here all snug and warm with the fire raging while chaos reigns outside.

I may not have planned for the snow to be this bad, but this is the exact thing I wanted. To be away from reality for a few days with absolutely nothing to do.

The lights flicker again, and we all look at each other.

If Hendrix is right and this is the beginning of things getting worse, then we could be in for a fun Christmas Eve.

“Do we have candles?” I ask, trying to think if I’ve seen any emergency supplies should the worst happen.

“Uh…” Hendrix starts. “I’m not sure, but we should probably look.”

“Stop panicking,” Wilder scoffs, taking life about as seriously as he usually does. “Even if we have a blackout, it won’t last long.”

I glance at him before looking back at Hendrix. He nods, and we both climb to our feet.

“Just in case.”

“See, this is why it’s taken you guys this long to bump uglies. You always worry about the future.”

“At least we plan. If a disaster happened, we’d be somewhat prepared. You’d be⁠—”

“Less boring?” Wilder asks with a smirk.

“Call us boring all you like, at least if the power goes, we’ll have located the candles and— Fuck,” Hendrix barks as we’re suddenly plunged into darkness.

“You were saying?” Wilder teases.

It’s dark.

Really fucking dark.

We’re in the middle of nowhere. There’s no light pollution, and with the thick cloud covering and heavy snowfall, there isn’t even any moonlight to help.

“This is your fault,” Hendrix snaps, making me roll my eyes. I’ve lived through years of their sibling bickering; I really should be used to it by now.

“How could this possibly be my fault? I didn’t go and blow the board out.”

“If you weren’t banging on about us being boring, then we might have had a chance to find the fucking candles already.”

“Well, you are boring. Listen to you.”

“Okay, as fun as this is…” I say, hesitantly putting my book down. When the lights come back on, I’m going to be pissed if I’ve lost my page. “How about we actually go and look for those candles? Put your flashlights on,” I demand.

“Oh, I do love a girl who knows what she wants,” Wilder mocks.

“If I could see you, I’d punch you,” Hendrix mutters a second before Wilder’s cell lights up the room.

“Come on then,” he taunts.

“Focus,” I say, snatching Wilder’s cell and using it to illuminate my way to the kitchen. “Do something useful and help,” I shoot over my shoulder.

Hendrix follows me and begins rooting through the cupboards in search of something that will help.

“Anything?” I ask after a few minutes.

“Nope. Wilder, get your ass in here.”

“You’ve taken my cell; I can’t see fuck all.”

“Stop being a pussy,” Hendrix snaps.

“Pussy? I’m right there,” he says, footsteps moving our way.

“Give me strength,” Hendrix mutters.

I remain quiet, trying to keep focused on my search, but I’m coming up empty.

We can’t spend the next… however long with only cell phone flashlights to guide us.

There has to be something.

Wilder’s cell buzzes in my hand, and I glance down to see a message from someone called blonde with no panties.

Fucking Wilder.

“What was that groan?” Hendrix asks, making me aware that I didn’t keep my reaction internal.

“Wilder’s in the middle of a booty call,” I explain. “Classy one, because he doesn’t know her name.”

“What’s new there?”

“Hey,” Wilder complains, stealing his cell back. “Oh fuck,” he gasps. I glance back to see his eyes wide. “Name doesn’t matter. She’s still not wearing any panties.”

“Jesus, you’re a whore,” Rix snaps.

“Look,” Wilder says, flashing the image on the screen at Hendrix.

“I don’t want to fucking see that.”

“Why? Is Noelle’s better?”

“Of fucking course it is. That has nothing on hers. Fucking perfect.”

I’m grateful I’m shrouded in darkness, although I can’t help but wonder if my cheeks burn so bright I turn into my own light source.

“Oh yeah?” Wilder muses.

“Can you both just stop?” I hiss.

“Sorry,” Hendrix mutters while Wilder states, “What? You’ve compared our dicks.”

“Yeah, and you probably don’t want to know the outcome of that,” I deadpan before demanding that Hendrix follow me toward the closet in the hallway.

If the emergency supplies aren’t in the kitchen, then that’s where they’ll be.

They have to be.

I refuse to believe that we’re now stuck here in the dark with nothing more than three shitty flashlights—assuming we can locate my cell, that is.

The person I message the most is here in this cabin with me; I’ve barely touched it since we arrived.

It takes a bit of searching, but eventually, Hendrix and I manage to locate a box that is full of candles, matches, and a couple of flashlights.

Together we set them up around the living room and flop back on the couch.

“Now what?” Wilder asks, dropping into the chair opposite.

“Uh…” Hendrix starts.

The room glows with the flickering candlelight, and the scent of vanilla floods the air.

“Not much really,” I mutter.

We might have some light, but I’m not sure it’s enough to read.

This was not part of my plans.

“I know,” Wilder suddenly says, leaping to his feet and rushing out of the room with his cell leading the way.

“That didn’t sound good.”

“At least we know he won’t be cooking,” I quip, vividly remembering our little lesson earlier.

“True.”

A bottle clinks, and my stomach knots.

This isn’t going to end well.

My eyes lock with Hendrix’s and I see the same hesitation dancing in his.

“Vodka,” Wilder says, holding up a bottle and three glasses as he emerges.

The candlelight glints on the glass, and my dread grows.

Bad idea.

Really bad idea.

But…

“Bottoms up, kids,” Wilder says the second he’s poured us all a shot and passed them out.

“What?” he asks when we both just stare at him. “What else are we going to do? This is the best we’ve got.” To prove his point, he lifts the small glass to his lips and swallows it down.

He pulls a face and groans as it burns before turning his gaze on us.

“Come on, I hate partying alone.”

“We’re not partying,” Hendrix mutters.

“Fuck that, Rix. Take off those boring panties and put on your party ones instead. It’s Christmas. We’re fucking stuck here. And we can’t even warm up a pizza. It’s time to get drunk, baby.”

Wilder pours himself a second shot, and by the time he lifts it to his mouth, I’ve decided that I’m with him.

He’s right. It’s Christmas. We’ve got to embrace the situation we’ve found ourselves in.

“Let’s do this,” I say happily before drinking the shot. “Oh my god,” I gasp, instantly regretting it.

“Your turn, Rix. You can’t have your girl going wild without you.”

I’ve no idea if it’s meant to be an innuendo, but I do know that the twins’ eyes collide, Rix’s narrowing in warning and Wilder’s lighting up with excitement.

A swarm of butterflies erupts in my stomach. I have first-hand knowledge that partying with Wilder leads to trouble.

But is it the kind of trouble I’m willing to get involved in tonight?

Like he said… there isn’t anything else to do.

“Refill,” I demand, thrusting my glass out.

Wilder’s face lights up with excitement.

“Good girl,” he praises, making something warm flood through my system.

Only Hendrix has said those words to me before. My parents never gave me any kind of praise, no matter how hard I tried or how well I did.

“What are you waiting for then? Put some music on,” I demand, getting to my feet. “I thought we were having a party.”

I begin dancing long before Wilder finds a suitable playlist. My skin tingles with awareness, but it doesn’t stop me.

Looking back over my shoulder, I find Rix watching me with intrigue.

We’ve done a lot together over the years, but we’ve never really partied. Unlike Wilder, it hasn’t been a part of our lives.

Sure, there have been plenty of times when we’ve drunk too much, but there was never dancing and joy. It was more about drowning our sorrows.

By the time Wilder started hitting the party scene, I was too focused on Nick, and Hendrix was right here with me.

Partying and enjoying ourselves, no matter how fake it might have been, felt wrong.

But now… for once, it feels right.

I came here to relax, to let go, and now more than ever, I’ve got the opportunity. I’m going to grab it with both hands and see where it leads me. Even if it is directly into trouble.

Finally, music floats through the air, a deep bass thumping through my body and making me move in time.

The soft candlelight makes it so much more sensual and I let go, forgetting about everything that usually keeps my muscles pulled tight and embracing the moment.

“Oh hell, yeah,” Wilder announces happily before I sense him join me on my makeshift dancefloor.

There isn’t much space inside the cabin, and it only feels smaller now we’re in total darkness. But it’s also comforting.

I’m safe here. Possibly safer than I’ve ever been with two guys I trust with my life.

Wilder might be a loose cannon, but he’d do anything to protect me.

Hendrix too.

Just like I’d do for both of them.

The warmth of his hard, strong body spreads down my back a beat before his hands land on my hips.

I’m hit with a strong wave of déjà vu.

Now I know the identity of the man I was dancing with that night, it’s obvious. I kick myself for not figuring it out sooner.

If I were in a better state of mind, maybe I would have realized the touch was too familiar, that I knew his scent.

Hell, let’s be honest, if I were in a better place I wouldn’t have found myself off my face and at a college party in the first place.

I let out a sigh as I lean back against him, my body moving with his effortlessly.

A deep growl from the other side of the room brings me back to Earth. I attempt to jump away from Wilder, but his grip on me is too much.

He spins me around, forcing me to face Hendrix.

His eyes are dark, but it’s not anger. It’s something much more dangerous than that.

It’s desire.

My stomach knots and everything south of my waist pulls tight.

I want to blame the vodka, but that would be unfair.

This has been building since the moment Wilder invited himself on this little trip.

Some may even say it’s been inevitable.

And who would I be to stop the inevitable?