Page 52 of Snow Balled

I tried to sit up, but Tristan didn’t move off of me. Instead, he pulled his head back and smiled down at me. “It’s okay,” he said. “Trust me.”

Trust.

Why was that so damn hard?

My legs released his hips as I lay there trying to catch my breath. I didn’t want Carter to know what we’d just done, or that I’d now had intimate moments with two different men. He’d tease or judge me, or worse. Tristan wasn’t worried, but he was Carter’s best friend. And it was different for men. They were admired for the same things that women were shamed for.

Footsteps sounded in the hall, and Tristan climbed off me. “Take all the time you need,” he said, before moving away, presumably to head Carter off. They went into the kitchen, and I took a few moments to gather myself.

If that were even possible.

My body still tingled with arousal and excitement, but my mind was full of conflict. Had Tristan proven me wrong? He’d certainly shown me how good a kiss could feel, but was that because of the kiss itself or because I liked and cared for him? Or did it matter?

It didn’t make any sense.

But then the back door opened, and moments later, I heard Drew speaking to the others. Then Zeus had his cold front paws up on the cushion next to me. “No more kissing today,” I whispered when he licked my cheek.

Then I pushed myself up. Time to get cleaned up before lunch.

I’d figure the rest out later.

18

CARTER

“We need to talk,” I said to Tristan and Drew after breakfast. Sierra had volunteered to take Zeus out, so it was just the three of us.

“Is this about the solar panel company?” Tristan asked as Drew looked up from the sink where he rinsed the plates. “You were right to walk away from that offer. They’ll come back with another offer. They need us as much as we need them.”

“It’s a win-win,” Drew added.

I rolled my eyes. “Not about that. Meet me out by the wood pile after lunch.”

Tristan opened his mouth to ask a question, but I cut him off. “Your work wife isn’t invited.”

Then I strode out of the kitchen, ignoring the glances I knew they’d exchanged behind my back.

“What’s this about?” Tristan asked.

“Our houseguest.” I’d brought the axe, but I didn’t begin splitting logs.

“I’m not sure I’d call her a guest anymore,” Drew said. “She’s here to work, just like we are.”

“Nevertheless, she’s causing friction in the group.”

Drew rounded on me. “So, what are we going to do, throw her out in the snow?”

Tristan held up a hand. “Just hear him out.”

“Thank you. It’s not her fault, but it’s thrown us off stride. Since it doesn’t look like she’ll be leaving any time soon, we need to figure out how to deal with it so we can get our work done—and so she can, too.”

“What’s the problem?” Drew asked. “We work during the day, and so does she. We drink and watch movies at night, and so does she. What’s the issue?”

“Well, first off, she’s pigeon-holed each of us. She’s fit us into certain slots.”

“What do you mean?” Drew sounded skeptical.

“For starters, she thinks of you like a little brother.”

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