Four For Christmas (Ménage and More 2)

He reached for a glass of water on the bedside table beside him and handed it to her. She must have looked confused. He lowered his voice. “It’s a long, boring story.”

“I like stories.”

The doctor studied her a moment longer, then nodded. “Short version? We were in the same foster home when we were teenagers. Sort of made our own family after.”

Georgia’s heart felt like his hand had wrapped around it, squeezing gently. Foster brothers. “And you’re spending Christmas together?” Alone? Where were the adoring, super model wives and the beautiful mountain children they each looked capable of creating?

“It’s an old tradition we’ve recently started up again. This cabin has a lot of good memories. I built it when I was nineteen, the summer before I went to college. We added to it a little bit more over the years, when we could. It always feels like home. You know?” His smile held a trace of sadness that didn’t fit his words.

She instantly felt pathetically sorry for herself. Home. She vaguely remembered what that felt like. Before her father died. Before she’d lost Grandpa Bale. Her flesh and blood sister hadn’t invited her to a holiday in years, her mother barely knew Christmas existed, but these men were spending theirs together. It was a tradition. She took a sip of water. Then another. “I’m sorry, then. For messing up your plans.”

He covered her hand as she handed the glass back to him and she felt it like a jolt of electricity through her body. “You saved Flynn’s life. You don’t have anything to be sorry for.”

For once, Georgia was at a loss for words. Words were her trade, her armor, but not a one was coming to mind. Nothing to break the suddenly charged silence. Or to acknowledge the fact that neither of them was releasing the glass. That he was still touching her.

All she could think about was how blue his eyes were. How kind.

“How fares our patient? I see she’s finally awake. That has to be a good sign.”

Officer Jimmy. Georgia hand dropped from the glass and she glanced up, inwardly drooling. He looked even better out of uniform. His hair was cut short in an almost military fashion, and his white thermal shirt clung to his muscles in a way that almost seemed obscene. Sexual.

Was excessive arousal to every man she saw a side affect of mild hypothermia?

Her handsome doctor sighed and looked over his shoulder. “She’s good, James. No frostbite and no permanent damage. You got to her right on time. How’s Flynn doing?”

Officer Jimmy smirked. “Definitely going stir crazy already. Said he wanted to see his angel. He’s refusing to stay in bed unless he can.”

“She’s going to be here until the weather improves. He’s got plenty of time.”

The other man held out his hands helplessly. “Don’t tell me, Chris, tell him. He’s acting strange, even by Flynn standards. He hasn’t even asked about the snowmobile. You know, the speed machine he saved up his pennies for all year? I’m not sure what’s gotten into him.”

Both men looked directly at her. Oh dear, Georgia pushed her hair behind her ears self-consciously. It didn’t take a genius to catch their not-so-subtle hint. They thought Flynn was acting strangely because of her.

Ridiculous. He’d seen her for all of five seconds before slipping back into an unconscious stupor. He did have a head wound. Maybe that explained it.

Georgia caught the mischievous sparkle in the officer’s eyes and realized he was enjoying her discomfort. “He won’t relax until he sees his angel?” She made a clicking sound with her tongue and Roux instantly sat up, her tongue lolling out expectantly. “Roux, go check on snowmobile guy.”

She noticed the men watch as Roux tilted her head, digesting the information, then lope obediently off the bed, past Jimmy and out of the room in search of the man she’d rescued.

Georgia crossed her arms and felt a genuine smile lift her lips for the first time since her flat tire. “She is the angel he’s been talking about after all. All I saved was one little tree.”

Their doubtful expressions were priceless.

Chapter Three

Two days. The wind had been whining for nearly two days before the storm had passed. And now, instead of making her way to her friend’s house, Georgia was outside the cabin of the three sexy hunks, playing in the snow that she’d vowed to hate for all eternity.

It was a much-needed outlet. They’d been driving her crazy during their confinement. For more reasons than she could count, and only one that really mattered.

Sex. More precisely, her growing desire for it.

Where was the reclusive grump who penned witty prose but turned up her nose at flagrant flirting? She’d been replaced by a woman she was sure Grandpa Bale would call a trollop. Harlot. Hussy. If only in her dirty little mind.

With every hour her envy for that Charli woman grew. Three gorgeous men hanging on her every word, laughing at her jokes and taking care of her as if she were something precious? It was addictive.

They weren’t perfect by any means, these “sort of” brothers. They loved to argue with each other, one-up each other just like any other family she supposed. Though Georgia sensed something just beneath the surface. Something sharper. More painful. All was not brotherly love and sunshine in Doc Williams’ cabin. In fact, she’d discovered they’d only renewed this holiday tradition a few years ago. Before that they’d lost touch with each other. Why, she didn’t know.

But when things got too tense, Georgia realized she could always distract them. Make them look at her. Flynn watched her as if she were an angel. Jimmy, as if she were a game he really wanted to play. Or a puzzle he was trying to figure out. Chris studied her as if he saw her in a way no one else ever had. And he liked what he saw. They all did.