38. Blake

CHAPTER 38

Blake

“Oh, my God!” Elise says emphatically, nearly jerking my arm out of the socket.

I wish it was mid-orgasm from pure ecstasy, but for once, it’s because she’s terrified.

We’re flying in a single-engine plane chartered by Simon over the frozen lake to the landing strip on the south end of the island, en route to a cozy and intimate Valentine’s Day weekend and my lake house—yes, mine.

Or rather, ours.

My wife and I both have our names on the title thanks to my grandmother—who, by the way, claimed she knew our engagement was fake the entire time when I finally confessed. In my mind, Aidan and Simon have a stake in it too, so I plan to add both of their names to the title, just in case.

This is the first time any of them are seeing the cabin and I’m excited as hell.

Elise is excited about the house and the time away from work for the four of us.

Not so excited about the flying part.

“Don’t worry, in the summer, we just take the boat over,” I assure her, wrapping my arm around her shoulder and pulling her in tightly against my chest.

“Are we almost there?” Aidan asks.

To my surprise, he doesn’t look entirely thrilled with this flight, either. He’s gripping the armrests with white knuckles.

Simon, on the other hand, is used to a lifetime of private jets and aviation hobbies. He’s sitting back, totally relaxed, sipping a bourbon.

“There’s the landing strip right there,” I point out, gesturing out the window.

“Thank you, Jesus,” Elise breathes.

We flew from O’Hare to Duluth, then hopped on this charter plane to head out to the island the house is on. I’ve arranged for everything we need for the weekend to be dropped off at the house ahead of time, and a surprise for Elise is packed in my duffle bag. Well, one of her surprises.

I kiss Elise’s temple and squeeze her reassuringly. “We’ll be on the ground in five minutes.”

“Not soon enough,” Aidan mutters.

Simon puts his hand on Aidan’s knee and squeezes. “I’m sorry this is making you nervous, yet at the same time I’m delighting in finding one way I’m actually tougher than you.”

Aidan shoots his boyfriend a look of disbelief. “Seriously? I just have a sensitive stomach.”

“I’ve watched you eat a twelve ounce steak and drink a six-pack of beer. You do not have a sensitive stomach.” Simon gives him a smile. “But I find you very endearing right now.”

“You’re just lucky I love you,” Aidan grumbles.

“You’re going to love me even more later on tonight.”

Aidan’s eyes darken, but he doesn’t respond. He just glances back out the window to check our flight status.

I assume Simon’s comment was a sexual innuendo but Elise giggles and covers her mouth immediately to stop herself. Simon shoots her a sharp look.

Huh.

Why do I feel like those two are cooking something up for Aidan?

Maybe I’m not the only one planning a surprise this weekend.

It’s been fun getting to know these guys better and figuring out how the four of us all work together, and separately. I never in a million years would have imagined I’d be willing to share my wife with two other men, but it’s working damn well. When I’m on the road, I know Elise has one or both of them looking out for her, and I don’t have to worry when she inevitably loses her phone for an entire day.

She gets all the love she needs and I get the camaraderie of best friends that I know I would have missed after retirement. As much as I wanted to live alone, it never really occurred to me that I’ve spent my entire life in the sport of hockey, surrounded by teammates. It would have left a void in my life.

Now I don’t have to miss anything.

I’ve got everything I want, right here.

Plus, I have every intention of winning the championship this season and retiring in style.

“We’re lucky the weather cooperated,” I say.

The trees are covered in snow, but the skies are crisp and clear right now. No snow predicted for the entire weekend.

“I’m prepared to rusticate either way,” Simon says, lifting up his foot and pointing to his brand-new expensive snow boots.

He looks like he’s going skiing in Vail.

That makes me snort. “What, for the twenty foot walk from the truck to the house?”

“Precisely.”

“Landing,” Aidan says with relief as we descend over the trees.

A minute later, we’re on the ground and Elise releases her death grip on my arm.

There are only ten houses on this island and the airstrip is owned by distant relatives of my grandmother’s, and they always give anyone arriving a ride to their house. We pile into two different trucks and after another five minutes, we’re pulling up to the cabin.

From the back, which faces the woods, it’s not that impressive architecturally. The lakeside is the front of the house.

“Oh, this is so cute,” Elise says. “Look at how peaceful.”

“So peaceful,” Simon says skeptically. Then he jumps. “What the fuck was that? I think I saw a bear.”

He is pointing off to the right.

I turn and then burst out laughing as I see a familiar animal running back into the woods. “That is the neighbor’s dog, Henley. She likes to come over and say hi.”

Aidan is laughing too. “Tough guy, huh, babe?” He reaches for Simon’s hand. “Here, let me protect you.”

“Fuck you,” Simon grumbles.

“Promise?”

They exchange heated looks.

“Hey, hey, let’s at least get inside,” Elise says. “Before we all freeze to death. Blake, there is heat, right?”

“Oh, dear God, there had better be,” Simon exclaims in horror. “We’re practically in the tundra.”

I roll my eyes. “There is heat.” I turn the key in the door and shove it open. “Enter and tell me what you think.”

I hang back and let them crowd past me. There is a moment of stunned silence and then I hear lots of “wows” and “holy shit” and “now this is a cabin.”

It makes me grin as I toe off my boots in the mudroom by the back door.

The cabin isn’t really so much of a cabin as, well, a palatial lakefront estate with floor to ceiling glass, a massive modern kitchen with an island for seating ten and a twenty-five foot tall stone fireplace. It’s still rustic, but rustic in the sense that my Gran is fond of buffalo check print on upholstery. Not rustic as in we-have-to-rough-it.

Elise has kicked off her boots and is hopping up and down in the living room. “Blake, this is amazing! I love this house and this view, it’s gorgeous . I feel like I’m in a painting.”

“I thought your grandparents were farmers,” Aidan says, peeling off his winter coat and shaking his head in awe at the farmhouse table that seats thirty-two.

“There’s a lot of money in dairy.” I shrug. “Heidi Wilder likes nice shit.”

“No wonder you wanted to fake an engagement for this property,” Simon says, nodding in approval. “I would marry my Aunt Judith to secure this place, and trust me, Aunt Judith is a bulldog.”

That makes me laugh. “My fake engagement was no hardship, as you know.”

Speaking of…

I head over to Elise and I take her hand. “Come right here, Sugar. I want to show you something.” I pause to light the fire that was already built and ready to burn, flicking open the flue.

“What?” she asks. “Is there a hot tub? You said there was a hot tub.”

“There’s a hot tub.” I tug her into my chest and give her a soft kiss. “Look out the window. Can you see that deck next to the dock? It has the most brilliant sunsets there in the summer. The trees on the shore are thick with leaves and the water is still and serene. It feels like all of nature is putting on a show.”

I reach into my pocket and fish out the box that’s been burning a hole there. Dropping to one knee, I flick it open to reveal a wedding band that matches her engagement ring.

Her eyes widen and her free hand goes to her mouth.

“Elise, I love you with all my heart and soul. You’ve brought joy into my life with your laugh and your colorful spirit. I know we’re already married, and I love being able to call you my wife, but I want to marry you all over again, with the people we love…” I glance over at Aidan and Simon. “With especially those two as witnesses, and to celebrate with us. So will you do me the honor of saying “I do” all over again?”

She nods rapidly. “I would love to marry you all over again in front of our friends and family. Yes, a thousand times yes.”

When I stand up and kiss her, she reaches out and cups my cheeks. “Always yes,” she whispers. “My answer with you is always yes.”

I suddenly don’t trust myself to speak. I just kiss her fiercely and click the ring box shut again.

“Wait, don’t I get that?” Elise is trying to take it from me.

“No, not until the ceremony.”

“Make a note of that,” Simon tells Aidan. “Our girl likes shiny things.”

“I feel like that’s obvious. Don’t worry, babe, I don’t need shiny things.”

“Oh. Right, of course. The ceremony.” Elise looks disappointed.

I laugh. “I have something else for you though. Would you like that now?”

“Yes, please.” She gives me a sweet smile. Then she holds out her hands with a sassy wink and closes her eyes.

Retrieving my duffel bag, I dig inside and pull out a vibrator that has a clit stimulator on top. I place it in her hands. “Open.”

She does and her jaw drops. But then she immediately gets a look that goes straight to my dick. “I like,” she says, running her hands over it. “Who wants to use it on me first?”

“Blake’s gift, love,” Simon says. “He gets first go at you with it.”

“Agreed,” Aidan says.

Then they both shake my hand and give her a kiss on the lips.

“Congrats, you two. We can’t wait to be there for the wedding,” Aidan says.

“I should be able to clear my calendar since you told us this time,” Simon says with a grin.

Elise laughs, still holding the vibrator.

“Do you want champagne and the hot tub first or your new toy?” I ask her. “Or how about your new toy and a glass of champagne in the hot tub?”

“That one,” she says immediately. “Option two. Let me go put on my swimsuit.”

“You don’t need a swimsuit.”

“Even better,” Simon remarks.

I nod. “No one can see you out there but the birds. Let me show everyone the bedroom.”

We’ve fallen into a pattern already back in Chicago, where we make a point to spend at least one night a week, all four of us together, either at my place or Simon’s hotel suite, and we share a bed. The other nights when Aidan is at work and I’m playing hockey, Simon stays with Elise at her place. If there are any nights remaining, Elise and I are at my place, and Simon and Aidan are together.

It works for right now, but we’ve already talked about how to be together more moving forward, because Elise and Aidan do want time together as well, and I want to build on my friendships with both of the guys.

This house has five bedrooms, but one has a king size bed and the plan is to all share it this weekend.

After we haul our bags upstairs, I tell them, “Strip down to your underwear, then there are robes and towels in the bathroom downstairs.”

Elise and Aidan are peeking in the primary bathroom and their heads are together. Elise is giggling again. It doesn’t seem like their usual flirting, but something else. It has me curious and intrigued.

“What’s with those two?” I ask Simon, who has already shed all of his clothes except for his black silk boxers.

“I have no idea. Maybe they’re plotting to get me drunk and take advantage of me.”

That makes me snort.

“Last one in has to stand back and watch during sex,” Elise says suddenly, dashing past me in her bra and panties.

We end up all jogging down the stairs, jostling each other and laughing like a bunch of college kids. Elise is first out the door, shrieking as her bare feet hit the snow. She’s jumping up and down and howling with cold and laughter as she realizes the lid to the hot tub is still on.

I strip off my boxer briefs at the door and pop open the lid and jump in. I reach out my hand for her and help her up the stairs. She is still in her bra and panties, but sinks immediately below the bubbling hot water with a sigh. I unhook her bra as Aidan just about cannonballs into the hot tub, still in his underwear.

Simon isn’t even trying to win. He’s still in the doorway, eyeing us with a superior smirk. He is somehow already wearing one of the thick robes and has one singular towel in his hand.

“I like to watch anyway,” he says, stacking his towel on the edge of the hot tub.

“You didn’t get towels for the rest of us?” Aidan complains, sinking to his knees in the water.

“I will if you ask very, very nicely.”

“We forgot the champagne,” Elise says.

“And the vibrator,” I add.

“ Simon ,” Elise says, sounding very sexy and pleading. “Will you go get them for us?”

He gives a long-suffering sigh. “Of course, love.”

When he turns, she reaches out and smacks Aidan. “Now!” she hisses. “It will be just like the day you met. In the cold.”

Aidan grins. “Good idea, because this ring box is cutting into my balls.”

“And here I thought you were just happy to see me.” Elise smiles at him, then shoos him toward the steps as Simon disappears into the house.

I finally understand what’s going on. “You’re proposing?” I ask in a low voice.

Aidan nods happily. “I know it’s soon, but I don’t want to wait.”

I’m thrilled for him and for Simon. They’re seriously amazing together, the perfect fit of opposites attract, and yet both genuinely good men. “Go get him,” I say with a grin.

He leaps out of the water right as Simon reappears.

Then suddenly they are both on one knee in the dusting of snow on the deck.

Elise gasps. “Oh my God!”

My jaw drops.

They stare at each other in astonishment, each holding out a ring.

Then Simon grins. “You go first.”

“I…” Aidan looks totally thrown off his game. But then he manages to choke out, “Will you marry me?”

“Yes. Will you marry me?”

“Absolutely.”

“Good. Now let’s finish this in the water because it’s freezing out here.”

Once they’re both in the hot tub, kissing and slipping rings on each other, I pull Elise onto my lap so we can all enjoy the moment.

“I am so in love with you,” Simon tells Aidan. “I thought you might think I was being impulsive, but I can’t imagine a life without you.” He turns to us. “Without you, love, and without you, Wilder.”

He kisses Aidan again, passionately.

“I can’t imagine a life without you either,” Aidan says gruffly, pulling Simon up hard against his chest. “I can’t wait until I can call you my husband.” He reaches his hand out to Elise. “Come here, El, give us a kiss. If that’s okay with your husband.”

“Go for it.”

I give her a little push toward her boyfriends and settle back, arms on the edges of the hot tub, to watch them take turns kissing her and each other. When it starts getting steamier and my dick starts to harden in response like it always does when I watch my wife being loved and cherished, I realize something.

“Damn it, Simon, you still didn’t bring the champagne or the vibrator.”

“We have all night,” he says, kissing the back of Elise’s neck.

“We have all weekend,” Aidan adds, squeezing Elise’s breasts.

“We have forever,” Elise corrects, stretching her hand out to me.

Yes. We do.