Divine Solace (Nature of Desire 8)

"All right," Lyda said. "The two of them will go up in one."

"You promised," Gen said. It was irrational, since she understood what the operator was saying, but she truly was afraid of heights. What she'd been able to joke about on the walk to the cottage was no longer amusing as she looked up the steep reality of the mountain, the tiny size of the chairlift all the way at the top. The idea of getting in one of the chairs without Lyda's commanding presence was a deal-breaker.

She winced, braced for Lyda to give her that "suck it up and don't be a pussy" look. The woman had no phobias at all, though family meets were clearly a weak point.

Lyda didn't react as she feared. Which was a shame, because if her Mistress had been catty or cruel, Gen could have said piss off and escaped death-by-plummet.

"Yes, I did." Lyda took her hand. "I'm going to hold it until I put you on the lift, and then Noah's going to take over. I'll be right behind you. On the way back down, I'll switch and ride with you. Noah wants to ride with you first."

Noah would never assert his will over Lyda's, but apparently they'd worked it out while Gen had been pondering whether whining like a four-year-old would help. Stepping closer, he slid an arm around Gen's waist, giving her the look that made her happy butterflies start competing with the other more fearful kind.

"And when you ride with me, you'll hold my hand." She wasn't letting Lyda out of that. She didn't care how petulant she sounded.

"I said I would."

Gen's further protests were overridden as her two companions nudged her in line to catch the next seat of the continuously in motion ride. When the operator warned them it was time for Noah and Gen to step onto the platform, Lyda kissed Gen warmly, right there in front of an astounded operator and watching families. She ignored the fact that one set of parents turned their children away as if they'd done something obscene, her gaze staying on Gen's face. "Right behind you. The three of us together, we can handle anything. Right?"

When Gen nodded, Lyda turned her attention to Noah. "You take care of her."

"Always, Mistress. I'll always take care of both of you."

"I'm going to hold you to that." Lyda brushed his jaw with intimate fingers, increasing the vertical lift of the operator's brows.

"They're going to flip right over his head and get lost down the back collar of his shirt," Lyda whispered in Gen's ear. She let out a startled giggle as Lyda released her hand, pushing her forward. Noah tugged Gen onto the platform. She had the oh shit, I'm not doing this moment, then they were sitting down, the chair rocking as they started upward. Gen's head was on a swivel, pressing her chin into Noah's shoulder to see Lyda take the chair a few feet behind them.

She closed her eyes, trying to enjoy the sensation of Noah's throat against her cheek and temple, trying to pretend she wasn't getting further from the ground. Trying to ignore all the vibrations and jerks of the creaky chair. He tapped her cheek. "Hey. Look at me."

She cracked an eye. His hand was tangled with hers on her thigh. "Okay?" he said.

"Okay." Good God, her voice quavered. "She's right. I'm such a wimp."

"You work for Marguerite. Plus I've seen you stand up to Lyda. You're no such thing. Jesus, your fingers are like ice." He rubbed them. "You really don't get too high above the ground. You're going up the side of a mountain, you know. And there's a great view at the top. Will you say it again?"

She gasped, clamping his arm in a death grip as the chair jolted, passing beneath a pole. "Really normal," he promised her. "See up there? There's a piece of metal that holds the lines taut, so when the chair rolls over that metal, it makes things get a little more bumpy. That's all."

She forced herself to look at it, then rolled her eyes downward to focus on the view. It was pretty, Gatlinburg at twilight, the sunlight soft on the trees. "On the way down, if it's dark, all the lights are really gorgeous," he added.

"What did you ask me?"

He looked straight ahead. "Nothing."

"Noah." She summoned enough bravery to detach her fingers and touch the firm line of his mouth. "I'm in love with you. With each of you and both of you. And I'm so glad you wanted me to say it again." She paused when he said nothing, just kept looking straight ahead. "Is it okay that I'm in love with you?"

He gave a precise nod, a movement as careful as she'd be if she thought a single twitch would drop the bottom out of the chairlift. She jerked as they passed under another pole, the ride rocking. His gaze returned to her, both hands covering hers on his knee. "It's all right," he said. "Have you told Lyda? That you're in love with her too?"

"You're great at distracting conversation topics," she said, and earned a smile. "I'm too chicken," she admitted. "I'm not sure if it's something she wants or needs to hear."

"But you thought it was something I might want or need to hear?"

The neutral note made her draw back. "If you don't want me to say something like that..."

"Do you really feel that way?" His eyes were everywhere but on her face.

"Noah, I need you to look at me. Don't leave me alone up here."

His gaze snapped back to her in an instant. "You're not. I'm right here. It's okay."

It was amazing, how he could be so uncertain of one part of his head, and yet one hundred percent in tune with it when it came to caring for her. As Lyda had said, it was a heartrending dilemma for someone who loved him. Yet it made her answer to his question easy.