Whatever else I was about to say never came out. I was too startled — and absolutely elated — by what I saw.
“Holy shit!”
A wall of steam rose up from a large, cedar-slatted hot tub. All three guy were inside, submerged up to their necks, smiling like idiots. Clutching beers, just above the water line.
“There’s a hot tub?”
Nathan cackled. Burke brought his bottle to his smiling lips and drank deeply.
“Uh… yes?” Chase grinned.
“Nobody told me there was a hot tub!”
“You didn’t ask,” Burke shrugged.
I was stunned. Thrilled. Freezing cold, all at the same time.
“But I didn’t bring a bathing suit,” I protested.
They guys looked me up and down, like wolves eying wounded prey.
“Really think you need one?”
I shivered, recognizing the silliness of my last statement. Their own clothes were laid out on a bench nearby, next to a whole stack of towels.
“C’mon, get in here,” Chase urged. “Three naked guys drinking beers in a hot tub is a lot less weird with a girl in the mix.”
The others toasted his statement. I hesitated only another second or two before shrugging out of my clothes.
“Better hurry,” Nathan teased. I realized he was staring directly at my tits. “Looks like the ladies are cold.”
Two hands reached for me, helping me from either side as I ascended the little three-step cedar staircase. Then I was stepping into the frothy, super-hot water. Letting it slip over my knees, my thighs, my stomach… sinking all the way down, allowing the soothing warmth to flow all the way up to my neck.
“This is almost better than sex!” I screamed, as the heat took every ounce of chill from my body. Almost fully submerged, I noticed the wind was gone too. The cabin itself, plus two lattice walls, shielded us from three sides.
“Good thing you said almost,” Nathan joked. “Or we might have something to prove later.”
I smirked at him knowingly. “Like it’s gonna stop you anyway.”
He laughed again. “You’re probably right.”
I settled in between Chase and Burke, relishing in the skin-on-skin feel of their naked legs against mine. Two hands settled high on my thighs, each moving independently beneath the swirling, waters.
Nathan reached back and pulled another beer from the snow. He twisted the cap free and held it out to me smoothly. I laughed as I reached for it.
“Trying to get me drunk and sloppy?”
“Drunk, who knows? Sloppy for sure, though.”
“Sloppy definitely,” winked Chase.
I sighed with happiness this time, tilting my head back to drink my beer and look up at the sky. Big flakes of snow still fell lazily from above. It was the perfect end to a very long day.
“Now this…” I said firmly, “is awesome.”
“Damn straight,” Nathan said.
“Better that awesome,” Burke added.