Page 127 of Tangled up in You

“Guys, stop,” Chris said. “We can still survive a couple of weeks if we run out of food.”

“Weeks?” She snorted. “I disagree with your premise that we’ll survive that long without food in this climate, but I’ll humor you.”

“He’s not wrong,” Mark said“It won’t be comfortable, but it’s doable, as long as we conserve energy.”

“If I die first you can eat me,” Jesse darkly joked. “Donner, party of two, your corpse is ready.”

Chris laughed, the sound bouncing off the tent walls while Mark looked shocked. “I’d rather eat you while you’re alive, sweetie,” Chris teased back.

From the playful arch of his eyebrows, she suspected what he meant. “Oh, reeeeally?”

Mark finally found his voice. “Chris?—”

“Really.” Chris stared into her eyes. “Mark and I have shared women a few times in the past.”

Mark groaned but Jesse focused on Chris. This wasn’t the most professional of conversations but she loved the distraction.

“When the circumstances were right…how?” she asked.

“When we both found her attractive. And intelligent. She has to be able to make me laugh. And, obviously, only if she was into both of us. We’re a matched set, you know.”

“Is that what you meant by that comment at the bar?” she asked.

“It’s what I was angling for.” He glanced at Mark. “UntilRangerPowell got the wrong idea about you and borked it. Had he not jumped the gun, I would have happily jumpedyou. If you were into us, of course.”

Mark flopped back, his hand over his face, muttering what she suspected was, “Fucking kill me now.”

She ignored him. “I thought you guys are gay?”

Chris shrugged. “It’s…complicated. Long story about how we settled down with each other. He’s been with more women than I have. I prefer to have fun with a woman when it’s with Mark.”

“Would I have made the grade?”

“You absolutely do,” Chris said. “It’s been well over a year since the last time. I mean, I can count the number of times total on both hands with fingers to spare.”

She poked Mark in the side. “What about you?”

He didn’t move his hand. “What about me?”

“Do I make the grade with you, too?”

He finally looked at her. “Yeah, you do.”

She was attracted to them, even more now that she’d gotten to know them. “Well, while I still have all ten fingers and toes, a nose, two ears, and both nipples, do you want to give it a shot before I lose them to frostbite?”

“Give what a shot?” Mark asked while Chris laughed.

Chris nudged Mark’s leg. “Idiot. She’s propositioning us. How come I’m the clueless one and even I get it?”

Mark sat up. “What?”

“You got anything better planned for tonight?” she asked. Then her face uncomfortably flushed as a tsunami of doubt washed in and her RSD tried to take the wheel.

She quickly backpedaled. “I mean, won’t hurt my feelings if you say no?—”

Chris grabbed her and kissed her, effectively silencing her.

He was a damned good kisser, too.

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