“Maybe.”
“Golden showers are not my thing, personally,” Margot replies, “but if you haven’t already, definitely have him pin you against the wall. It will blow your mind.”
I groan, Margot grins, and Iris glares. Margot holds the stare for just a few more seconds than is comfortable before looking back at me.
“I think it’s time for me to go,” Margot says. “If I hear anything else, I’ll let you know.”
“Thanks.”
Margot heads out the door before Iris can make any further remarks. I shut the door and then lean heavily against it until I can get my head back on straight.
“Was that really necessary?” I ask Iris once I hear the snowmobile start again.
“Yes.” Iris crosses her arms over her chest. “She needs to understand that you’re mine now.”
“Isn’t it more important that I understand it?” I ask. “And really, when did we put a label on this?”
Iris saunters up to me, grabs me by the collar, and leans in close.
“‘Mine’ is the label.” She stares into my eyes. “Is that clear enough?”
“I suppose it will have to do.”
“Good.” She releases me and walks back to the Christmas tree and kneels down in front of it.
I watch as she just kneels there quietly for a minute. Then she reaches over for one of the cigarette packs and begins to fold the cardboard into a little red star. I shake my head and lean my elbows back on the counter. Iris’s unfinished glass of whiskey is still sitting there, so I grab it and drain it.
“Oh! Did Margot leave?” Seri turns her head to look over her shoulder. “I got all wrapped up in decorating and didn’t even say goodbye! She must think I’m horrible!”
I just shake my head, completely unable to cope with any of this right now. I grab a cigarette and sit by the fire to cook up some fish and hash browns. Solo patters over and tries to poke his paw into the plate of fish filets.
“Get out of that!” I push his nose away, and he meows at me. He tries a couple more times before stalking away in a huff.
“He just wants his share.” Seri rubs the cat’s back, but he doesn’t want attention at the moment.
Solo jumps into the bucket full of kindling, knocking sticks all over the place, and then onto the woodpile. He sits there for a moment, surveying his surroundings, then wiggles his butt and jumps onto the mantle over the fireplace. Before I can stand up to bring him back down, he knocks one of the candles over into the dry tinderbox, and the whole thing goes up in flames.
“Bishop!” Seri yells.
“I see it.” I rush into the bathroom closet and grab a fire extinguisher. The fire is out quickly, but the whole situation has me worried.
“He’s just curious,” Seri says as she holds a very smug cat in her lap.
“I realize that, but I can’t have him burning us up, either.”
“What can we do about it? That one lantern doesn’t give enough light for the whole room.”
I’m as tense as I could possibly be. First there was Margot’s visit, and now Solo is trying to burn my house down. Seri’s cheeriness honestly doesn’t help either. Now I realize I’m going to have to go into town before Solo manages to do more damage.
“I’m going to have to get more kerosene lanterns,” I tell Seri. “The candles are just too damn dangerous with him around.”
“I’m afraid he’s going to set himself on fire,” Seri says. She holds Solo up to her face and rubs his nose.
“I’m going to have to run to Broken Toy’s and get lanterns and more kerosene. I hope Kirk still has some left.”
“What should I do?”
“You aren’t staying here alone,” I tell her. “I guess you’re coming with me.”
Chapter 28
“I’m glad you are taking me with you,” Seri says as we climb into the Jeep. “I don’t think I’m cut out for complete isolation the way you are.”
“You get used to it,” I say. “It’s really quite serene, but it also doesn’t last forever. When the snow melts, there will be tourists looking for guides.”
“Do you end up working a lot of hours?” Seri asks. “I have to admit, I don’t know how such things work.”
“Depends on the trip,” I tell her. “Sometimes, they will last for days. I make a decent amount of money on those, at least. Usually, people just want day trips.”
Seri goes quiet, and I wonder if she’s thinking of the future. If I’m out hunting for days, what would she do in the cabin by herself? Would I take her with me? If I did, who would take care of Solo? I rather doubt Iris would be okay with Margot coming over to feed him.
I glance over, and Seri is biting her lip and staring out the window. I reach over and place my hand on her thigh.
“We’ll figure it out,” I say softly.
Seri nods and gives me a tight-lipped smile.
We make our way slowly over the ice and snow until we hit the road. The Jeep bumps along, and Seri examines the scenery.
“It really is beautiful here,” she says softly. “It’s peaceful.”
“Yeah, it is. It’s one of the reasons I decided to stay here.”
I pull into the small parking lot of Broken Toy’s Gas and Goods and park the Jeep next to a gas pump. As I get out, I look around for the SUV Kyle had been in when I last saw him, but there is no sign of it. I start filling up the tank and then walk over to the passenger’s side.
“Do you want to come in?” I ask Seri.
Though there has been no sign of Kyle, I’m anxious about leaving Seri alone, even for a minute.
“Honestly, I’m still a little embarrassed about the whole thing with the donuts. I’ll be all right sitting here.”
“I won’t be long,” I tell her. “If anyone comes up to you, lay on the horn. I’m not that far away. Lock the doors though.”
“I will.”
I replace the gas nozzle, give Seri a nod, and head into the store. Kirk gives me a wave as I walk in.
“Do you have any more kerosene lanterns?” I ask. “I need more kerosene as well.”
“I have two,” Kirk says. “One of them is kinda small. I can order more, but Marty just did a run to Yellowknife. We won’t do another for a while.”
“I’ll take what you have.” I hope two more lanterns will be enough to provide decent light.
As Kirk gets the lanterns and kerosene together, I check out some similar items. There are two battery-powered lamps, which might work if they don’t get too cold. I grab those along with two glass covers designed to go over candles.
“Hey, you remember that girl who tried to steal donuts a while back?” Kirk asks as I place the additional items on the counter.
“Yeah.” My mouth goes a little dry.
“Well, these two guys came in here a couple of times looking for her. I guess she’s the wife of one of them. He thinks she has amnesia or something. Really worried about her.”
“What did you tell them?”
“Didn’t have anything to tell at first,” he says. “But last week Marty was coming back from his supply run to Yellowknife. It had warmed up enough to melt a little snow, and he spots this backpack by the side of the road. I thought it was the one she had on, and that guy confirmed it.”
My heart goes cold.
“He…he confirmed it?”
“Yeah. Stopped in here a couple days later. I gave it to him. Maybe it will help him find her. He’s got flyers all over Whatì.”
“Fuck!” I can’t help my outburst. This is not the sort of news I want to hear.
“Is that a problem?” Kirk asks.
“Yeah,” I say. “Maybe.”
I rub my face with my hands and try to think of how I should deal with this. Now I understand why Kyle is staying in the area. Finding her backpack is clear evidence that Iris is here.
“Bishop?” Kyle leans across the counter. “You okay?”
“Not really.” My heart is pounding loud enough that I??
?m afraid Kirk will hear it. I take a couple of deep breaths. “Do you have any two-way radios?”
“Yeah, sure.” Kirk eyes me as he reaches behind the counter and comes up with a pack of two small radios. “I sell them to hunters so they can keep track of each other.”
“How far is the range? Could one reach from here to my cabin?”
“Possibly. If the weather is clear, anyway.”
“I need them, then, and I need you to keep a hold of one. If you see that guy again, you have to contact me right away.”
“I can do that.” Kirk opens up the package and hands me one of the radios.” “Bishop, how about you tell me what the fuck you’ve gotten yourself into?”
“That girl,” I tell him, “is outside in my Jeep. And that guy is trying to kill her.”
“Dude.” Kirk’s eyes go wide. “You serious?”
“Yeah.”
“Shit!” He shakes his head rapidly. “I had no idea; I swear.”
“I know,” I tell him. “Not blaming you, but you have to tell me if he comes back again.”
“No problem.”
“And tell Marty to keep his mouth shut, too.”
“I can do that.”
Kirk places everything except for the one radio into a cardboard box and pushes it across the counter at me.
“I got this one set to channel four,” Kirk says as he holds up the radio. “Give it a try when you get home.”
“Sounds good.” I pay for everything and head back out to the Jeep, debating whether or not I should tell Seri what I know.
As I approach the vehicle, I see no one in the passenger seat. My heart pounds in my chest and a tight feeling of dread nearly consumes me. I rush to the car and find Seri crouched down below the view of the window.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I ask when she opens the door.
“A car drove by,” Seri says. “I…I didn’t want anyone to see me.”
I take a deep breath and try to calm down as I toss the box into the back of the Jeep and jump back into the driver’s seat.
“I didn’t mean to scare you,” Seri says.
“It’s okay.” I sigh heavily. “My heart will recover.”
“I’m sorry.” A tear runs down her cheek.
“You were right to be cautious.” I reach over and squeeze her hand. “It’s all right. Let’s just get back home.”
When we get back to the cabin, I decide I’m definitely not going to tell Seri what I learned. She’s all smiles as she locks herself in the bathroom to prepare Christmas presents. I have no idea what she might come up with as a gift, and it has me racking my brain trying to come up with something I can give her. I look around the cabin, but I really don’t have much of anything that isn’t absolutely necessary for survival.
That gives me an idea.
“I’ll be right back!” I call through the bathroom door. “Just running to the barn!”
“Okay!”
I quickly run out to the barn to get together what I need. It doesn’t take long to find everything, and I spend more time trying to carefully wrap the gift in fur and tie it with twine to keep it together.
Before I return, I turn on the two-way radio and give it a try.
“Kirk? Can you hear me?” A few seconds pass before I get his reply.
“Yeah,” Kirk says, “loud and clear. I’m kinda surprised.”
“Any sign of those guys?”
“Not yet.”
“Okay, let me know if that changes. I think the radios will work well as long as the weather is clear.”
“I’ll keep an eye and ear open.”
“Thanks. Out.”
I head back to the cabin and get the present under the tree before Seri comes out of the bathroom, feeling pretty pleased with myself. I’m all smiles as I sit down in the chair, and Solo jumps up in my lap.
“I hope she likes it,” I whisper to him as I stroke his ears and neck.
Seri is positively giddy when she returns, holding her gifts to her chest so I can’t see them. She quickly shoves them under the tree and then races over to kiss me.
“You have a thing for Christmas, don’t you?”
“How can you tell?” She laughs and hugs me. “Now, we have to go to bed early so we can be all rested up for Christmas morning.”
“I like the going to bed early part.”
“Oh really?”
I grin as I toss a couple of extra logs on the fire, hoping to warm the room up just a bit more. The flames rise, and I stalk over to Seri and take her face in my hands.
“Are you wanting something?” she asks innocently.
“Uh huh.” I lean in and cover her mouth with mine.
Seri reaches up and runs her hands through my hair as she opens her mouth to me. I press against her body for a moment, then run my hands down to her backside.
“I love the way your ass feels when you’re wearing my sweatpants,” I whisper against her lips.
“I won’t feel so bad about stealing them, then.”
“I don’t know. I think I want them back. Like…now.”
Seri giggles as I grab the hem and start pushing the sweats off of her. In return, she pulls my shirt over my head and runs her hands over my chest. Once I get her clothes out of the way, I steer her toward the edge of the bed and press against her shoulder until she’s lying on her back. Then I slowly stroke her from her knees to her thighs. I lean over, kiss her stomach, and then look up at her as I start to move lower.
Seri’s eyes go wide, and I pause until she nods at me. I run my tongue around her navel, then slowly work my way downward until I’m kneeling at the edge of the bed, spreading her legs apart. I lick my lips, then move in to kiss the inside of her thighs, making a line of kisses until I reach her clit.
I circle it with my tongue, moving slowly but keeping up the pressure. Seri clenches, trying to move her legs together, but I hold them apart as I slide my tongue lower and taste her.
“Oh…oh!” Seri tosses her head back and raises her hips.
I enter her with my tongue, using my nose to keep the pressure on her clit as she starts to writhe around me. She’s practically bucking with every move I make, and I move one hand to her pubic bone to hold her in place while rubbing her clit with my thumb.
Her body stiffens and then shudders around me as she moans loudly. I can’t help but smile as I kiss my way up her body, my legs between hers. I’m so hard at this point, I don’t hesitate to bury myself in her soft, warm flesh.
I only get a handful of strokes in before she grips the back of my head and tells me to stop. I glance at her, and I no longer see Seri’s eyes.
“Pick me up,” Iris says.
“What?”
“I said, fucking pick me up!” She wraps her arms around my neck and pulls herself up off the bed.
I stand, grabbing her ass with my hands so I won’t drop her. I slip out, and the cold air on my cock is almost enough to kill my erection.
Almost.
Thankfully.
“Do it, Bishop. Do it right now.” She’s staring at me intently, and the lustful look in her eyes is enough to bring any loss of hardness right back again.
“What?” Hard or not, I still have no idea what she wants me to do.
“Just what your ex said—up against the wall. Now.”
“Oh!” I have to bite down on my lip to keep from laughing as I turn around and walk us both to the wall at the end of the bed.
I have to squat slightly to get the right angle. I shift one hand between us and grab my cock. Once it’s in the right place, I put my palm against the wall and thrust hard.
“Oh, fuck!” Iris screams.
“Like that?”
“Fuck yeah, like that!”
I move my hand down from the wall, slowly stroking over her shoulder and down to her breasts. With my arm wrapped around her backside, I slam into her again. Iris grips my hips with her thighs and slips her hands under my arms to grasp the back of my shoulders.
br /> “Yes! Oh, fuck yes! Harder, Bishop! Harder!”
I comply, thrusting in and out of her as fast as I can. I feel her fingernails digging into my back as she tightens her legs around me, presses the back of her head against the wall, and screams up at the ceiling.
“Oh…shit…fuck!” My knees threaten to buckle, but I hold on as her muscles tighten around me and the cascade of pleasure builds in my abdomen, plummets into my balls, and rockets forward through my cock.
Sweat trickles off my forehead and over my nose. I stroke in and out a couple more times before I press my body up against hers, holding her to the rough, wooden wall as I try to catch my breath.
“Oh, wow, Bishop! That was incredible!”
I hear Seri’s joyful laugh as I slowly lower us both to the floor—me on my ass, and Seri in my lap. I blink a few times before tilting my head and looking into her eyes. She’s smiling with her eyes half closed as she leans in and covers her mouth with mine.
Seri, then Iris, and then Seri again.
Did I just have a threesome?
Chapter 29
“Bishop! Bishop!”
The bed is bouncing up and down. For a brief moment, whatever dream I had been having turns pornographic, but as I open my eyes, I realize it’s Seri bouncing up and down on the edge of the bed, not on my cock.
“Wake up!” She shakes my shoulder.
“Why?” I groan and turn my face into the pillow.
“Come on!” Seri bounces again to make her point. “It’s Christmas!”
I open one eye to look up at her face. I couldn’t care less about Christmas, but Seri is all smiles. Solo jumps up on the bed as well, walking the length of my body until he’s standing on my shoulder, meowing repeatedly.
“See? Even Solo is ready to open presents!”
“Can I at least pee first?” I mumble. “Maybe get some coffee?”
“Already made!” She jumps up and pulls on my hand until I’m sitting.
I shuffle to the toilet as she rushes off to the kitchen and returns with a steaming cup of coffee. As soon as I’m out of the bathroom, she grabs me by the hand again—nearly spilling the coffee—and hauls me to the front of the tree to settle down in front of the presents. I get about three sips of coffee before she’s shoving a package at me.