Page 37 of Once Upon a Dream
Scarlett’s head swivels to look at the other girl, and I can tell by Scarlett’s face that this must be extraordinarily out of character for Snow.
I go still, keeping my eyes on the two young women in front of me. “Pardon?”
“I mean, you should if you have a person already,” Snow continues on, closing her eyes as she rushes through the rest in a single breath. “You should cover up if you’re dating someone or whatever, and also you should cover up if you want to—but don’t cover up because of us.”
Clearly through all her reserves of bravery, she takes a breath and opens her eyes again as she finishes. “Don’t cover up because you think we want you to.”
Scarlett’s smiling the wickedest smile I’ve ever seen on a woman, with her tongue set temptingly against her teeth. “Snow!” she exclaims with delight. “You naughty girl!”
I straighten back up—without the blanket—and Scarlett and Snow look back to me. For a long moment, no one says anything, and the only sounds are the blizzard screaming outside and the fire crackling around the big logs in the fireplace. I can’t say when the moment finally blooms into heady, erotic promise, but only that it does, as sure as a flower pushing its stubborn way through the snow to get to the sun. We go from looking to wanting, the kind of want that makes you breathe hard and hunger beyond all reason.
It no longer matters that we’re strangers to each other—them saving my life feels more intimate than anything I’ve shared with anyone in recent memory—and it certainly doesn’t matter that this isn’t exactly a standard configuration where I come from. The only thing that matters is all the inches and inches of warm skin going untouched right now.
“So if I don’t cover up,” I say, taking a step forward. “What then?”
“Well,” Scarlett says as she taps one black-painted finger against her lips. “I suppose you could always thank us. Isn’t that right, Snow?”
Snow’s mouth twitches in a smile. “I think that’s an excellent idea, Scarlett.”
I take another step forward. “And how do such wonderful angels want to be thanked?”
“Mmm, well,” Scarlett says, her finger now stroking along the plump bow of her lower lip. “I guess that depends on how adventurous you are.”
“And you two? How adventurous are you?”
I don’t miss that Snow squeezes Scarlett’s hand, and I get the sense that they’re silently communicating about something they’ve already talked about, which is something of a relief. I mean, at this point I’d give up my ranch and my truck to crawl into bed with these two, but it’s clear they have something between them, and I don’t want to mess that up. No single night is worth that.
But if it’s something they’ve already discussed and come to terms with…
“We’re very, very adventurous,” Scarlett asserts.
“In that case…” I move forward, and with a couple quick movements and a lot of giggling from the angels, I have them easily tucked into each arm. “Tell me there’s a bed here.”
“Just down the hall,” Scarlett says. “It’s a very big bed.” And then they both break into giggles again.
Their merriment is infectious; I can’t remember the last time I’ve heard so much laughter. Sometimes the ranch hands will gather up at dusk for grub and a shared bottle of whiskey, but even then, silence reigns. I suppose it’s my own fault—I’ve been informed by enough women that I’m too gruff and harsh to be an inside pet of any kind. I’m good for a couple hours in the room above the local tavern, but not much else.
Strange, though, I don’t mind so much being gruff here. These young women aren’t put off by me and my growls in the least. In fact, every time I do something rough or bearlike, I’m merely patted or cooed at, as if they’ve taken for granted that I won’t hurt them and that they’ve already tamed me.
It’s shockingly gratifying.
Stunningly pleasant.
The bedroom looms close, and I feel like some kind of king from legend as I carry the two gorgeous women inside and toss them onto the bed. Their laughter floats up to the ceiling as I find a low light to flick on and then wrap my hands around Snow’s lean thighs and tug her ass to the edge of the bed.
“What are you doing?” she asks as I curl my fingers around the waistband of her silky bedtime shorts.
“I want to thank you for saving my life. On my knees. With my mouth. That okay?”
“Oh,” she says, pupils blowing wide. “Oh yes. Very okay.”
“Scarlett?”
Scarlett’s already wriggling out of her shorts and parting her curvy legs. “Whatever you want. I’m guessing you like doing whatever you want.”
“Yeah,” I grunt, tugging off Snow’s shorts and getting my first glimpse of her sleek, wet pussy. “I do.”
And then I drop to my knees and kiss my way from Snow’s knee all the way down to her core.
