Page 24 of Twins for the Mountain Daddies

Holt shifts closer, his shoulder bumping mine. "We're good company, at least." His grin is infectious, but there's an edge to it, like he knows exactly what kind of game we're playing here.

And why the hell not?

I’ve spent years playing the perfect part, letting cameras dictate my every move, smiling when I wanted to scream. My family called it an opportunity. I called it a prison. And Caleb?He was supposed to be the one real thing in my life, the one person who sawmeinstead of the brand.

How stupid am I?

I had really believed he was going to propose at midnight on New Year’s Eve. It would have been so romantic, just the way I always dreamed it would be. The party, the music, the confetti in the air, and the promise of a new year with him by my side—every year with him by my side. I thought it was going to be my moment. Our moment.

But the clock was ticking down, and Caleb was nowhere to be found. So, I went looking. I thought maybe he was just taking longer than planned, caught up in the crowd. But the longer I searched, the more I felt the knot in my stomach tighten.

I finally found him, all right.

With his pants down and his dick buried in one of the production interns. The camera crew was right there, ready as usual to capture every moment.

I wasn’t just heartbroken; I was humiliated. And the world wasn’t about to let me forget it.

I couldn’t take it anymore. I couldn’t breathe under the weight of everyone’s judgment, couldn’t stand the fake sympathy from people who didn’t know the first thing about me. So, I did the only thing I could think of—I ran.

I didn't run to the mountains looking for salvation. I ran because I had nowhere else to go.

Now, nestled between two men who make me feel something real for the first time in years, I realize I'm tired of being careful. I've done the faithful thing. The loyal thing. Now it's time for something a little reckless.

"Guess we're all feeling the cold tonight," I say, forcing a lightness into my tone that contrasts with the quickening beat of my heart.

"Body heat's underrated," Wyatt counters, his eyes locked on mine. There's a challenge there, a silent question lingering in the air between us.

I lean back, considering the two men flanking me. Holt's energy is like a live wire, buzzing with anticipation. Wyatt's presence is a steady thrum, promising something deeper, more intense.

"Never been much of a sharer," I admit, testing the waters, watching their reactions closely.

"First time for everything," Holt murmurs, his hand finding a spot on the small of my back.

"Besides," Wyatt adds, his fingers tracing a line up my forearm, "some things are better when they're...appreciated by more people."

"Appreciated," I repeat, the word rolling off my tongue with more ease than I expected.

"Adored," Holt corrects with a wink.

"Revered," Wyatt offers, a lopsided smirk on his face.

"Sounds like worship to me," I tease, the weight of past hurts lifting in the warmth of their playful banter. At least for tonight.

I grab the bottle of whiskey from the coffee table, feeling the weight of it in my hand. "How about a game to warm us up?" I suggest, tilting my head toward Holt and Wyatt, who are already too close for comfort—or maybe not close enough.

"Truth or dare?" Holt asks, his eyebrows dancing with mischief.

"Let's skip the truth part," I say, thinking about Caleb and all the truths he never cared to share. I like these guys, but I don’t know them well enough to share any of my truths with them. "Dare only."

"Adventurous," Wyatt comments, his voice a low rumble that makes me shiver despite the cold.

"Let's lay down some rules, though." I unscrew the cap, the smell of alcohol sharp and promising. "Nothing illegal, obviously."

"Damn, there goes my plan to start an underground moonshine empire," Holt quips, lounging back against the cushions.

"And no guy-on-guy action," Wyatt adds firmly. He fixes Holt with a glare that could cut steel.

"Hey, I'm all for pushing boundaries, but I know when to keep it to myself," Holt says, winking so brazenly it should be illegal all by itself.

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