“What?” She chuckled, his features seeming of deep concentration. She lifted her hand and ran her finger between his eyes, smoothing out a crease. He closed his eyes, and his hand came up and cupped her palm against his cheek.

  “Can I hold you?”

  “Oh, Riley.” Sympathy welled up inside of her, knowing he must be so torn inside. She set her wine down, moved closer to him, and snuggled into his hard, muscular chest as she wrapped her arms around him. “Everything will be okay.”

  “I know.” He exhaled and started rubbing her back lightly with his hand. Against her hair, he whispered, “Everything will be okay now that you’re here.”

  She didn’t comment, knowing that she knew she would never be able to go back to Denver. They watched the fire before she knitted her brows and sat up. “Where’s Tallinn?”

  “Shower.”

  “Oh.” She laid her head back down on his chest, smiling when he covered them up with the throw that hung over the couch.

  “It’s snowing pretty heavily out there. Why don’t you just stay the night? The roads are most likely horrible. I would feel better knowing you’re here and safe.”

  “I have no intention of leaving tonight.” She didn’t, not because of the snow, although that was a big unavoidable factor, but because she just wanted to be with her boys.

  * * * *

  Four days had passed, and Lilly was finding it a little bit easier each day to cope. The storm had been immense and hadn’t stopped for those four days. Several feet of the white, crystalline powder covered the ground, the scene breathtaking in its beauty. She hadn’t been able to leave because the roads were closed. Plow trucks hadn’t been able to clear the streets because the snow had just kept coming. Being snowed in wasn’t so bad, especially since she was with Riley and Tallinn. Luckily, she had forgotten to take a bag of clothes out of her trunk when she arrived in Burkett. The clothing wasn’t anything to swoon about, mainly just her lounge clothes, but when one is snowed in, those were the best kind.

  It was like old times, like one giant adult slumber party, although they were missing one person. Lilly would wake up in the middle of the night, crying so forcibly that it had been hard to catch her breath. As the days progressed, she was crying a little less until she was feeling the strength grow inside of her. The anguish was still there, but she realized the more time she spent with Tallinn and Riley, the more the pain was tolerable.

  She knew that if she went back to Denver, she would crumble and the grief and pain would be too much for her to cope with. She was just so thankful that she had two incredible men in her life. The three of them working together, drawing strength from one another and making sure they each got through it.

  She padded barefoot into the bathroom connected to the guest room she was staying in. It housed a Jacuzzi in the corner and lots of shiny tile and marble. The tub was her favorite amenity at Riley’s place.

  She looked at herself in the mirror and ran her finger under her eyes. Although she rarely wore makeup, she wished she had some cover-up to hide the dark circles under them at least. She ran a brush over her hair, the straight, dark strands lying lifeless on her shoulders. She grabbed an elastic tie, put her hair in a ponytail, then smoothed her hands down the thin cotton tee and fleece pants she was wearing. She turned off the light, walked over to the dresser that sat off to the side, pulled the top drawer open, and grabbed a pair of socks. Riley kept the house extremely warm, so the thin material of her clothing, even though it was ten degrees outside, kept her comfortable.

  It was barley eight in the morning, but she knew they would be up. Tallinn usually woke before the sun rose, and Lilly assumed it was because of all of his years in the military. She could smell bacon when she reached the top of the stairs and, despite not having much of an appetite lately, found her mouth watering and her stomach grumbling.

  She descended the stairs and walked into the kitchen, seeing Riley behind the stove and Tallinn sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in his hand.

  “Something smells good.”

  They both regarded her and smiled. She walked to Riley and gave him a hug, then did the same to Tallinn. She sat across from him and poured herself a glass of orange juice from the carafe sitting on the table. It was fresh squeezed, but then again, Riley never did anything half ass.

  “Are you hungry, sweetheart?”

  She turned her attention to Riley as he brought over two plates and set them on the table. Bacon and eggs filled one plate and pancakes and waffles, the other. She wasn’t surprised to see the spread. During the week, Riley had made every meal like this. That she hadn’t had an appetite and hadn’t been able to fully enjoy it was just a shame.

  Tallinn grabbed a plate, added a little bit of everything on it, and then handed it over to her. She raised her eyebrows as she took it. “I’m a big girl, Tallinn. I could have gotten my own plate.”

  “You’ve lost weight. I can tell. You need to eat more protein.”

  She looked down at herself, knowing her clothes were a little bit looser but embarrassed that he had actually noticed. “Thanks,” she mumbled as she reached across the table. Tallinn’s hand landed on hers as she grabbed the bottle of maple syrup. She lifted her eyes to his and raised an eyebrow.

  “I didn’t mean any offense. It’s just that you’re going to get sick. I’m just worried about you.”

  She breathed out and nodded. “I know. It’s just that with everything that has been going on, my appetite has been pretty nonexistent. I’m starting to feel better though, and I’m actually hungry this morning.”

  His nod was tight and quick, but he still examined her eyes and kept his hand on hers. She stared into his deep green eyes, and her heartbeat accelerated with an emotion she wasn’t too comfortable with and a feeling that she didn’t want to explore too much more. Her cheeks became hot from his intense gaze, and she quickly glanced down, thankful when his hand didn’t give her any resistance. What’s wrong with you, Lilly? She poured the warm syrup on her pancakes and started eating.

  “I’m going to go get some more wood. I’ll be back a little later.”

  Lilly glanced out the window as she chewed her food. “How do you plan on getting wood when there’s like six feet of snow out there?” She said around a mouth full of food. She raised a brow at him, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly with amusement.

  “Snowmobiles, love. Besides, we went through a lot of wood the past week and are running low.”

  Riley had electricity and heat, but on several occasions, the lights had flickered and everyone worried about the power going out. If it came down to that, the house would become cold quickly due to its size.

  Tallinn got up and brought his dishes to the sink. He walked back over, kissed her on the head, and left out the side door. She watched as the door shut and then, turning back around, noticed that Riley had taken Tallinn’s seat. He pushed a bowl of fruit in front of her as he started eating. She picked up a strawberry, brought it to her mouth, gently bit the tip, and let the sweet juice fill her mouth. She stared out the window again and saw Tallinn get on the snowmobile and speed away. The machine was loud and fast as he disappeared in the bordering forest. She took another bit of the strawberry, again leaving it in her mouth so the sweet juice coated her taste buds.

  The back of her neck prickled, the sense of being watched filling her. With her lips still around the strawberry, she turned to look at Riley, her eyes widening at the expression that covered his face. His head was slightly downcast, his eyes at half-mast as he gazed at her mouth. She realized that she still had half the strawberry in her mouth and the juice was spilling out of it while her lips were suctioned around the red flesh. His fork was midair, the syrup covering the pancake square slowly dripping onto his plate.

  She put the strawberry on her plate and finished eating, very aware of the tingle traveling through her. She knew she shouldn’t be feeling the emotions currently bombarding her. These were her best friends, and here she was, experiencing unfamiliar emotions that she had no right to feel. It was wrong to feel arousal when they had done nothing but comfort and protect her.

  The fact that the sight of them alone had her feeling lust made her feel shame and guilt. She remembered how Tallinn had stared at her, his smoky emerald eyes seeming to see right into her soul, and Riley’s heated amber gaze that spoke of hidden desire.

  She shook her head, knowing that there was no way they could possibly feel arousal for her. For God’s sake, they had been friends since they were toddlers. They had never showed sexual interest in her before. Both of them had had plenty of dates in high school, even serious girlfriends during college. No, she cursed internally. It was all in her imagination. Her brain was fried, and she was imagining things that could and would never be.

  “When do you have to go back to work?” She glanced up at him, needing to change the subject.

  His jaw was tense as he stared at his food. “I took some personal time.” His words were gruff, and he cleared his throat. “What about you? When do you have to go back?”

  She had had this conversation with Tallinn and had told him she didn’t know if she was going back. As the days passed though, she really had no desire to go back to Denver. Her mind was pretty much made up. She would be losing a really great job, but there was work in Burkett, and just being around the people she loved was worth the financial loss she would take.

  “To be honest, I don’t think I am going back to Denver. It doesn’t hold the appeal it used to. I’d rather stay in Burkett where I can be close to you guys.” It was the honest truth. Tallinn and Riley were her rocks, and she knew that without them, this situation would have broken her.

  “Really?”

  There was surprise in his voice, and she glanced up. She beamed at the happiness that shone on his face. “Yeah, but will you take me to grab some clothes from the cabin so I’m not just living in lounge attire?”

  “Of course.” His smile was broad. “We love having you here with us.”

  “I’m glad my decision makes you happy. My feelings might have been hurt if you had suggested I go back.”

  His face had gone serious, all hints of the previous happiness gone. “Why would I do that?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. During Christian’s wake, a lot of people were telling me I should go back to Denver. They told me staying in Burkett might be too hard. I know they meant well and didn’t want to see me in pain, but the more I thought about it, the more the idea of leaving hurt.” She heard his chair scrape across the floor a second before she was being pulled out of hers and wrapped in his warm embrace. He just held her, neither one of them speaking as he led her into the living room, their dishes forgotten.

  Chapter Five

  The fire crackled and popped, and she felt the cushion beside her dip as he sat next to her. Shoulder to shoulder, they just watched the fire, which seemed to be something they had been doing a lot of.

  “It makes me immensely pleased that you are deciding to stay in Burkett.”

  She drew her gaze away from the flames and looked into his eyes. “I like staying here and being with you guys.”

  They sat for several moments in silence before he spoke again.

  “I don’t want to lie to you. It was hell while you were away. I hated it.”

  “We talked on the phone all the time.”

  He was shaking his head before she even finished. “No, you know it isn’t the same. I missed giving you hugs, having lunch with you. Just being with you.”

  Tears started to well in her eyes as he spoke such soft and loving words. She reached her hand out and cupped his cheek. He leaned into her embrace, his eyes closing momentarily before opening again as he looked down at her. She let her hand fall, swallowing as their gazes continued to stay locked. He lifted his hand and trailed his finger along her jaw. This isn’t right. Stop thinking about Riley like that. He’s your best friend.

  “Do you know how much I care about you, Lilly?”

  She nodded.

  “No. Do you really know how much I love you?”

  She swallowed from the intensity of his voice. “I love you, too, Riley.” She was surprised to hear his humorless laugh. He shook his head and ran his hand over his hair. The short strands stuck up haphazardly, but it looked good on him.

  “It’s hard, Lilly.”

  Her brows knitted as she stared his profile. “What’s hard?” She had a feeling he wasn’t talking about Christian’s death.

  He glanced at her again with an emotion she couldn’t quite place. “Loving you—wanting you when I know I can’t have you.”

  Her mouth opened slightly at his admission because she knew the love he was talking about had nothing to do with the love two friends shared. “What?”

  Oh, she had heard him, but her mind was reeling with what he had just revealed. She blinked a few times as both of them stared at each other. Her heart started to pound frantically when he slowly moved forward. Oh God, he’s going to kiss me.

  “Stop me, Lilly. If you truly don’t feel the same way, then stop me.”

  He sounded strangled, haggard. His mouth was an inch away from hers, his sweet breath brushing along her lips in a sensuous way. Even though she knew she shouldn’t do it, she couldn’t help the rush of emotions that filled her by Riley’s admission. She did love him, so much so that her heart hurt with the pent-up emotions. Even though what they were about to do may not be right, she was helpless to stop it.

  He gently cupped her cheek as he tilted his head and pressed his mouth against hers. The kiss was soft and tentative, his lips so smooth and warm that they instantly had her body lighting up. He started to move his lips along hers, his tongue tentatively stroking along the seam of her mouth until she opened and let him inside. He tasted like syrup, sweet and addicting and making her erogenous zones tingle with awareness.

  She brought her hands up and gripped his biceps, the muscles beneath her hands flexing as he moved closer to her. His other hand cupped her waist, his mouth still working slowly against her own.

  Soon that soft and tentative kiss became more heated, more demanding. His tongue stroked along hers. His hand clenched and unclenched against her hip. She opened her mouth wider, softly moaning as she forgot about everything except the feel of his mouth on hers. Her pussy became wet, her clit swelled, and her nipples beaded. He suddenly broke the kiss, pulling her so close that one of her legs draped across his thigh.

  “God, I love you. You feel so good, so right in my arms.”

  She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and let her body hum with a warmth that had nothing to do with the fire. He moved back and cupped her face, his lips mere inches from her own.

  “I’m so in love with you, Lilly. Did you know that? Since the moment I realized what love was, I knew that was how I felt for you.”

  She smiled, her eyes becoming moist again as Riley pored his heart out to her. “I love you, too, Riley, so much. I feel like I shouldn’t have those kind of emotions toward you. It almost seems wrong.” She dropped her head. He guided her head back up with his finger until she was facing him again.

  “Why do you say that?”

  “I don’t know. It just seems…selfish of me to want you like I do.”

  “Selfish?”

  He was laughing at her, she could tell by his voice. “You guys have always been there for me. Protecting me, being my shoulder to cry on, and intimidating the guys that bugged me.” She chuckled softly, remembering when Christian, Tallinn, and Riley had cornered Jacob Phinson—a guy who wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. The poor kid had wet himself right there, but he never did bother her again.

  “How can we not be all those things to you? We love you, Lilly. There isn’t anything selfish about your feelings. It’s only natural for us to feel this way for you, to love you so much that it takes up our entire beings.”

  She sat back slightly, wondering why he had spoken in the plural. She didn’t question him, just let what he said absorb into her. What he didn’t know, and what she could never tell him, was that he wasn’t the only one she had those feelings for.

  As if he had heard her thoughts, Tallinn came in and slammed the side door. There was some rustling of clothes a minute before he walked into the living room with an armful of freshly chopped wood. He looked between them, his brows drawn down.

  “What?” Tallinn’s voice was gruff, and his cheeks and nose were red from the blistering cold.

  Lilly’s cheeks became hot as she thought about what she and Riley had just shared. She knew Tallinn hadn’t missed the blush. It was obvious when his eyes went back to Riley’s for a suspended second.

  “Need some help carrying in the wood?” Tallinn stared at Riley for another moment before bringing his eyes to her and shaking his head.

  “Nah, Riley can help. I don’t want you to get a splinter.”

  She had to laugh because Tallinn was so serious. “A splinter? Really?”

  “Those things can be a real bitch. Remember when you stubbed your toe? That didn’t hurt as much as a big-ass splinter shoved into your hand would. Trust me.”

  She was smiling as she watched Tallinn stack the wood by the fireplace. Riley got up a moment later, and she heard the door shut. A moment later, he came back in with a pile of wood in his arms. She leaned back on the couch, staring at them as her own personal questions and concerns swept through her.

  Chapter Six

  The next few days passed fairly quickly, and the snow was finally starting to let up. The weather was still frigid, and because of that, the snow was turning into ice. The roads had been cleared for the most part, and even though Lilly knew she should go back to her own cabin, she couldn’t stomach the idea of leaving Riley and Tallinn. She had stayed up during the night, her thoughts bombarding her as she tried to make sense of her feelings. The more she thought about it, the more her embarrassment and shame decreased. She hadn’t done anything more with Riley, although she didn’t miss the way he stared at her, the way his whiskey-colored eyes watched her with a hunger that made her heart skip a beat.