Page 45 of Forever Theirs

And I knew without a doubt that the more I got to know her, feel her, have her, the deeper I’d fall.

Somehow, my soul was at peace with this strange and crazy turn of events.

I just needed my brain to catch up and jump on board too.

Then form a plan with Aiden to keep her here in Anchor Bay.

With us.

For good.

16

ASPEN

My wide, full-face smile didn’t drop even as I huffed along the steep trail. At this point, my cheeks ached, considering the dopey grin started after the unexpected activities in the cabin. It wasn’t because of the very fun time we had—well, that put the grin there, but the breathtaking scenery all around me had locked it firmly in place.

Then there was Jubie happily trotting beside us as we moved along the trail, rotating between who she would walk with. There was no contest that she was the best dog I’d ever been around. I would for sure miss her companionship when I left in less than a week.

Well, fuck, that thought dulled my radiating joy. Remembering that all this was temporary and would end sooner than I’d like had the wide smile fading as a melancholy feeling settled over me for the rest of the hike. Even as I snapped photos that I knew would turn out great, capturing the surrounding beauty, I couldn’t bring myself to appreciate it the way I had earlier.

With a resigned exhale, I took a sip from my water bottle and leaned against a nearby tree, the thick bark digging into my skin despite the long-sleeved shirt. It hurt as a dull ache filled my chest just thinking about leaving the beautiful state and all its magnificent views behind for a pollution-riddled, lonely big city. I glanced over my shoulder at the two men who had started to set up our camp for the night.

Indeed, too beautiful and perfect to leave behind.

I turned back to view the valley below us, the wide, roaring river snaking through it. Unfocused stare locked on the moving water, my thoughts wandered to all my options, good and bad, for when my trip was over. It was too crazy to even consider staying, right? Wasn’t that exactly what happened with that Jessica woman who became too obsessed with them and didn’t leave?

I swallowed hard and took another drink to clear the lump in my throat. Just the thought of Aiden and Miles moving on, doing what we’ve done, sharing in the same heartfelt conversations, and laughing with someone other than me had my chest tightening with an unsettled feeling. It wasn’t jealousy but worry that maybe I was putting too much of myself into all this, feeling more than what they were.

Thatwould really suck hairy bear balls. To feel this deeply about them and share what we’d shared, just for it to mean little to them. It had only been three days, but it felt like we were all on the same page, or maybe I misread the whole situation and this was what they did all the time, no matter the woman. There was the chance that, in their minds, I was simply a convenient hole to fill. A willing woman who enjoyed the same things they did and was open to being shared.

“Gorgeous, isn’t it?”

I startled, too lost in thought to notice Aiden’s approach. “What?” I refused to look his away. “Oh, the view, yeah. Gorgeous,” I mumbled.

He studied me out of the corner of his eye. “Did you get some good photos today?”

I just nodded, still too lost in the idea of me being in way deeper than them to really voice a response.

“All right,” he said, stepping in front of me to block my view—not that I was actually seeing any of it, too wrapped up in my awful thoughts. Though, with his handsome face hovering over mine and those honey-brown eyes gazing down at me, my focus had shifted to him. “Out with it, Aspen. What’s going round and round in that mind of yours?” He tapped my temple before tucking a loose lock of hair behind my ear.

“What makes you say there’s something on my mind that I need to get out?” He wasn’t wrong, but it was a shock that he noticed.

“Because all day today, you’ve been on cloud nine?—”

“Life-altering orgasms by two hot guys will do that to a girl,” I muttered under my breath, making him chuckle.

“Well, yes, there was that, but it was more too. You couldn’t stop smiling during the hike. I swear, a few times I caught tears in your eyes as we passed some of the more breathtaking views of the mountains.” He wasn’t wrong, and I wouldn’t apologize for getting emotional about nature’s beauty. “But now there’s this”—he slid a finger along my cheek and jaw—“pensive look. So, tell me what’s wrong.”

I chewed on my lower lip until he tugged it free with his thumb.

“Aiden,” I rasped, my nerves making my throat thick and mouth dry. I didn’t want to ask, not when it could ruin what we had going on. I was having fun and wanted that to continue, but I also needed to know where they stood in all this before I sank any more into their orbit. “Am I just another hookup, a fun time, to you and Miles?” He scanned my face, brows pulled in tight. “If I am, that’s okay. I just need to know, you know?” I cringed, knowing I sounded like a whiny idiot who had gotten addicted to them. From their touch to their company, everything about them drew me in deeper.

“You think with all the stories we’ve shared, the time we’ve spent with you, and what happened this morning between the three of us that this is a normal hookup for us?”

I shot him an incredulous look and rolled my eyes. “Well, yeah. You and Miles do this kind of thing all the time. I just need to know so I can protect myself and?—”

A shocked gasp escaped my parted lips when Aiden stepped closer, crowding me toward the tree until my spine pressed against the rough bark.

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