5. Erin

Chapter five

Erin

If I were going to pick anywhere in the world to go off on my forced vacation to, I wouldn’t have even dreamed a place like this exists. It would not have been on my list, but it’s the absolute perfect place for me.

Not that strange little town, but this place.

I push open the glass door and step out onto the balcony. It only sits a few feet above the river, and as I lean over the rail, I can look down and see the stones below. The water is the clearest water I've ever seen, and the rushing roar of the river is hypnotising. The dark forest on the other bank offers the perfect feeling of isolation and privacy.

“It’s stunning here,” I whisper. I feel outside of what I’ve always known. Like I’m discovering a whole new side of myself. I’m not sure I like it, but I’m not going to run from it.

Locke murmurs his agreement.

I glance over my shoulder at him and smile. “Regretting your choice?”

“Not even a little bit,” Locke purrs and comes to lean on the rail beside me. “This is the nicest place I’ve ever been.”

“Helps that it comes with eye candy,” I tease.

Locke chuckles. “They are very nice-looking alphas, and that beta is very pretty.”

I exhale. “Maybe if I had a place like this, I wouldn’t work so hard.”

“I would. It’s in my nature to work.”

I glance at Locke and find him staring at the water with a resigned expression.

“Don’t you enjoy making music?”

“Oh, I love music. It’s in my heart, soul, and fingers. I hate everything else that comes with it.”

“Paycheck to paycheck? Dingy pubs?” I ask.

He glances up, surprised. I think he’s going to ignore me, fop me off, maybe lie, but he just smiles.

“You got me. It sucks. All of it.”

I cover his hand with mine. “We’re on a holiday now, let's just escape for a little while. We can just pretend.”

He grins and spins away, grabbing his leather jacket and shrugging it on.

“All right, we’ve investigated every inch of this very cozy cabin. It’s time for dinner. Do you want to walk up with me?”

I nod, allowing him to change the subject, but I make a mental note of it. “I’m just going to have a shower and get changed. You should, too.”

Locke stays on the balcony as I quickly go and get ready. In twenty minutes, I’m dressed in a sundress and feeling much more myself, without all the travel dust on me. As I come out, Locke passes me, slipping inside and leaving the door ajar. This close, he almost touches me, and it leaves me feeling edgy and aroused.

I collect my purse and sit at the round table with four chairs and wait. The inside is beautiful. It’s just one open lounge, dining, and kitchen area with two doors leading to the toilet and the bedroom. It’s very modern, with clean, simple lines.

Around the fireplace is the same stone as the main house. Locke comes out and smiles at me. I put my phone away. No missed calls. No messages.

I don’t have friends. I have colleagues. No one messages or calls me asking if I want to go out, but it never bothered me before.

Even he didn’t message. I should be relieved. Instead, I’m furious. I want to know he’s suffering. I want to hear him beg.

I haven’t seen Locke’s phone. I wonder if he ditched it. It’s possible.

I’m so lost in thoughts, staring at him, that I haven’t really taken him in. But as he swaggers towards me, I lift my eyes and suck in air. He’s wearing a simple t-shirt with a white design across the front. It’s long sleeved and clings to his chest. His blue jeans hug his ass but aren’t tight, and he’s only wearing his rings. He pulls that leather jacket back on, and my brain just short circuits.

He looks like I want to invite him into the bed and stay there for the next week.

“Shall we go?” His voice is tinged with amusement.

I tear my gaze from his and nod shortly. “Yup, let’s go get food. Let’s go eat.”

Locke laughs at my flustered words, but I just walk out of the cabin, needing air and distance. Fuck.

Why is this guy so damn attractive? But despite the attraction, there is something warning me off, and I almost never ignore my instincts, so I hold back, refusing to outright proposition him.

He walks behind me, and I can almost feel his stare. Everything between us is supercharged with sexual tension. We get back to the big house and find it alight: candles, music, lights, people. It’s a hive of activity. Several more cars are parked in the carpark now. And there’s music in the air.

I push open the door, glancing back at Locke, and step inside. Finn looks up from a conversation he’s having with a little old woman with white hair and grins.

“You came. I wasn’t sure you’d be up for it,” he shouts with a wave.

“We did. We’re here. Ready to be fed,” Locke purrs and waves his fingers at the old lady, who blushes bright red and smiles widely.

Finn excuses himself from the lady with a kiss on her cheek and comes to us. Locke steps to the side, but Finn ignores him and grabs my elbow.

“Our chef is talented, amazing! You’re going to love the food.”

I peer up at him. Finn is model sexy. His blue shirt is clean and suits his eyes, and he wears a simple pair of blue jeans with it. His face isn’t beautiful but striking. The calm he exudes is strange. I find myself wanting to lean into him. But I really am not liking the way he’s ignoring Locke.

“Join us,” Locke says with a challenging lift of his chin.

Finn hesitates and looks between us. “If that’s okay with you, I can join you this evening.”

“Of course, it’s okay. Join us,” I say in amusement, letting this display of manhood play out. I’m not sure who is winning, but I think Locke won that round.

He leads us inside and up to a private booth that has a pretense of privacy as it’s a little out of sight. I discreetly gesture to Locke, and he takes the seat at the end. I sit beside him, and Finn takes the one opposite me.

“What do you like?”

He hands me a menu. I look over it and hum in appreciation.

“It all looks good.”

“Ah, let me order for you?” Finn purrs. “Please?”

I glance up at him. That confident smile tells me to trust him. Locke shrugs.

“I’m allergic to bananas, but that’s it.”

“I’ve got no allergies.” Locke pipes up and looks between us with a grin. My feral companion is getting mad. I can feel it in the air. He doesn’t like being ignored.

I widen my eyes in warning at him, but he simply laughs, and then puts a hand on my thigh, just above the knee.

“Locke?” I say in a hushed demand.

He grins, blinks innocently at the jug of water, and gestures to it. “That’s an interesting jug.”

“It’s a jug,” I growl.

He drags his hand up my thigh and squeezes.

I close my eyes for a second, and then refocus on Finn, pretending nothing is happening at all. A young man in a black shirt approaches and smiles at the table. All around us, people are talking softly. The clink of their knives and forks fades away. All I can focus on is the feel of Locke’s hand as he massages my flesh.

“Hey, Marcus, can you get me a Taster Option X for the table? Make sure nothing touches any bananas.”

“Sure, Finn.”

Marcus walks away, and I turn back to Finn, ignoring the way Locke’s fingers keep spreading warmth across my thighs.

My arousal is a dull throb inside me. But I refuse to let any sign of it cross my face. Even if my nipples are now aching and begging to be touched.

I will outmaneuver him.

“So, you’re a lawyer? What kind?” Finn asks and signals to another black-shirted waiter.

“I’m a contract lawyer.”

“Ahh.”

“You have no idea what that is, do you?” I ask him with a chuckle. Locke lifts his hand, and I think I’ve won, right up until my dress starts pulling up, bunching at my upper thigh.

“Can’t say that I do.”

“I-”

“Hey, baby, I’ve been thinking about you all day.”

I turn my head and lose the ability to talk. Bray’s taste of mint has haunted me all damn day. That kiss was easily one of the hottest things to happen to me in a long, very long, drought of mediocrity.

“You met me three hours ago. Your ability to tell time is obviously broken,” I say blandly and try to ignore Locke and this new menace.

He leans in close and then winks at Locke, whose hand tightens on my thigh. My bare skin. Because my long sundress is now bunched up, and his fingers are strumming my skin.

“Well, well, well. We’re having dinner, then?” He leans back and puts an arm over the back of my chair.

“You’re welcome if you behave,” Finn says with no inflection.

“Sure, Finny, I can behave.”

“Doubtful, but let’s see how we go,” Finn snaps. “And do not call me Finny.”

The man is yummy. And it has been far too long since I scratched this itch.

I’m about to open my mouth when a third man sits down right next to Finn. He turns towards the alpha beside me and lets out a growl that makes me squeeze my thighs together.

“Shane, do you have something you need to say to me?” Finn asks with no interest whatsoever.

Finn doesn’t even look up from where he’s buttering a roll. I don’t know how he’s remaining calm with the furious alpha basically breathing at the side of his face.

“Why?” Shane growls.

Finn smiles. It’s a barely there smile, completely unintimidated by the huge alpha. “Because you shouldn’t be so alone all the time.”

Shane growls, and this time, I can’t hold back my gasp. This alpha is having a visceral reaction on me, along with Bray’s fingers stroking my shoulder, and Locke’s all but under my underwear.

He glances at me and freezes, then he spots Bray’s hand on my shoulder and follows it back to the alpha.

His lip curls and another feral growl escapes.

Brayson just laughs. “Jealous?”

Shane deliberately turns back to Finn. “Put it back to how it was. I want the cabin empty.”

“Join us for dinner,” Finn says back.

“No. Put it back!”

Finn simply sighs. “This is Locke. Locke, Shane is an author. Among other things.”

Locke’s hand pauses in his movements. “You are? What’s that like?”

Shane growls but reluctantly turns to Locke. “It’s fine. Everything is fine.”

“That’s good. I like fine, too,” Locke says nonchalantly and presses the edge of his hand up against my pussy.

I jolt. I can feel Bray’s curious look change to one of amusement. He turns towards me and, a second later, another hand joins the first one.

I reach down and grip his hand, but he turns it over and threads our fingers together.

“This is so nice,” Bray drawls. “I haven’t had dinner with friends in a long time.”

Finn casts Bray a look that can only be of deep warning. “That’s because you skip the dinner part and go straight to bed.”

“What?” Bray asks innocently. “Something wrong with that?”

“Behave!”

“I am.” His hand pushes mine against Locke’s and presses it more firmly against me. Almost unconsciously, I inch my thighs wider.

Bray smiles at me. “Good girl.”

Oh, fuck no. I find a point on his hand that’s put weaker men on their asses and squeeze it. It does exactly nothing. No, that’s not true. It gets a chuckle out of him.

“First warning,” I say, giving up on bringing the giant to the floor.

“Oh, what are you going to do, spank me?”

“Would you like that?” I ask him softly. Because I might. A lot.

“Fuck yes. You can spank me while I fuck your sexy friend. We can make a weekend of it.”

I turn away in disgust, or at least I try to convince myself it's disgust and not an intense throbbing in my clit.

Shane lunges across the table and grips Bray’s throat. “Take your hands off her.”

Bray laughs, but the sound gurgles into silence while the other alpha stares with the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen. They aren’t the light colour like Finn’s. No, these are sapphires. His eyes slide over my face, and then he returns his glare to Bray.

“Not everyone wants to sleep with you.”

“Yeah, I know,” Bray hisses and releases my hand to shove the other alpha off him. “Loud and clear.”

Locke too withdraws his hand, but Finn cautiously crowds him, glaring protectively at the other two men.

“Excuse me, gentlemen? Or heathens, whatever works,” I say dryly.

They both turn to blink at me.

“I got off a bus that traveled all night. All I’ve eaten is a crappy chicken and lettuce sandwich. I’d love to eat my food in peace, unmolested, because the fact is if anyone is getting in my pants, it’s Locke, and then possibly him.” I point a finger at Finn. “I don’t appreciate your caveman behaviour while I’m hungry. Any other time, it might be amusing, but right now, no.”

Shane slowly sits back and takes his seat. He stares at me.

Bray sits back, too, and chuckles.

I shake my head and turn to Locke.

“You’re going to fuck me?” He flutters his lashes. “Just tell me where and when. I’m there.”

“Is that all you got out of that?” I ask.

Locke shrugs those sexy shoulders. He’s dwarfed by the men sitting with us, and yet, he shines with a certain something that makes me want to crawl up to him and kiss him until everyone in here knows he’s mine.

“I mean, there was more, but the important parts were food and fucking.”

Finn laughs. I tear my eyes from Locke to study Finn as the sound of his laughter reaches into me and tugs at the low key arousal that won’t quite go away.

Our food arrives on enormous platters, interrupting the moment. There are samples of lots of different foods that smell incredible. I move my glass and promptly forget about the others at the table.

Oh, man, the food, wow. I dish up a plate and choose my victim. The chicken is so juicy when I cut through the bacon that’s wrapped around it that juices ooze onto the plate. I moan as the flavours of garlic, cheese, and tomato mix with the bacon and chicken.

I keep eating, but my skin crawls in warning. I look up, finding four pairs of feral eyes locked on me.

“Do you, um, sound like that when you’re having sex, babe?” Bray teases.

“Fuck no, but this is food.” I pick up a little mini quiche and bite into it. Oh, the flakey pastry heaven.

“I feel like I’ve got a new kink,” Locke says low under his breath.

I smirk at him and lick the juices off my hand.

“Fuck!” Finn growls and puts food on a plate and dumps it in front of Locke.

“Eat.”

“Yeah, food is suddenly not what I want,” Locke moans.

“I don’t care,” Finn growls. He dishes up a plate for Shane and him and shoves a plate to Bray.

“Eat,” Finn commands the table.

I ignore him and bite into another little wrap. It’s delicious. I let out another moan and maybe, maybe, I put an extra oomph into it just to see the reaction.

It’s totally worth it.