“Yay!” I clap then throw my arms around him. “Let’s go drag Brayden and Drew along.”
We go in search of the boys. We don’t find them on the first floor, but when we get to the second floor, we come across a closed door, whereas all the other doors are open.
Ashton, like his typical self, barges in without knocking. “Let’s go, lover boys. MiMi wants to have hot chocolate by the fireplace at the resort, and she wants you to go.”
I peek around him and find Brayden and Drew lying on the queen-sized bed, both with their clothes still on, wrapped up in each other. They look up at the same time and their lips are red and puffy from kissing.
“We’re a little busy.” Brayden pouts like a little baby.
I almost feel bad for disrupting them, but they’ll have plenty of alone time. I want to have some fun while we’re here, and if I don’t drag them out, they’ll stay holed up in this house. Drew mentioned the other night when we were hanging out that it’s been hard for them not being able to go in public together, but here, hours away from Hawk’s Landing, they can go out and be together without having to hide.
“Get busy later,” Ashton volleys. “If I have to be cockblocked, so do you. Let’s go.”
“Please,” I say. “It’ll be fun.”
“Don’t give us that look.” Drew points his finger at me. “You know we can’t say no to that look.”
I bat my lashes playfully and they both groan but roll off the bed. “Thank you!” I give them each a hug, ignoring the hard bulge they’re each sporting.
Since the cabin is a few miles from the main resort and it’s snowing outside, we hop back into the SUV and drive over. The resort is even cuter than in the pictures on the website. Twinkling white lights are intricately strewn across the outside beams, and several wreaths are hanging in the center of each of the windows.
We step inside, shaking off the flutters of snow that landed on us during our walk from the vehicle to the resort, and I take a look around. It’s like a Hallmark Christmas movie. At the entrance is a massive Christmas tree, decorated with colorful lights and large ornaments. I stop and take the place in. Families are sitting together, talking and laughing, enjoying the holiday. Couples are cuddled up by the fireplaces, drinking hot chocolate.
Tears of contentment prick my eyes at the beautiful sight in front of me. When I was younger I would watch all those Christmas movies and pretend it was my family in those movies, laughing and drinking hot chocolate. And when I got older and knew it would never happen, I would then hope that one day I’d have a family of my own so I could make those movies my reality.
“Mia, what’s wrong?” Brayden asks, noticing that my eyes are glassy.
“Nothing,” I tell him truthfully, because for once everything is perfect. “It’s just… it looks like what a home is supposed to look like. What I always imagined…” I let my words trail off, but Brayden gets what I mean without me having to finish my thought. He saw the home I grew up in.
He pulls me into his side and kisses my temple. “You don’t need them.”
“That’s right,” Drew adds. “You have us.”
“Damn right, she has us,” Ashton says, taking my hand in his. He lowers his mouth to my ear. “You’ll always have me, MiMi.”
Their words plug each of the holes in my heart that my parents have made over the years. I never realized how much I was craving love and affection. Earlier today, when we spent Thanksgiving with Brayden’s parents, was the first holiday I actually felt like I was part of a real family. Molly and I cooked and baked all day while the guys watched football. Then we sat together and ate, going around the table and telling everyone what we were thankful for. I’d seen scenes like that in movies, but never in real life, and it made me despise my mom that much more. Holidays for our family were spent on a movie set with catered food brought in, or if we were home, she’d have the chef make us some healthy meal. We would spend maybe ten minutes together at most before she and my dad would retreat back to their rooms. But today… today it felt like I was part of a real family.
After Ashton orders all of us Irish Bailey’s hot chocolates, we find a cozy little corner with two couches in front of a fireplace and sit. Ashton hands me my drink and plops down next to me, while Bray and Drew take the couch diagonal from us. The cup is warm to the touch and feels good against my cold hands, and even better as it slides down my throat, instantly warming my insides.
“This is delicious.” I take another sip. “So, what’s on the agenda for tomorrow?” I curl my legs over Ashton’s and he rubs his hand up and down my jean-clad thigh.
“Skiing for sure,” Drew says.
“Hell yeah,” Brayden agrees. “We need to hit the slopes first thing in the morning.”
“Can you ski?” I ask Ashton when he doesn’t say anything.
He scoffs. “I can do everything.”
“Will you teach me how to?”
He side-eyes me. “I’d rather teach you something else… in bed, where it’s warm and there isn’t a chance of avalanches.”
Brayden barks out a laugh. “In other words, you suck at skiing.”
Drew snorts. “Finally, something Ashton isn’t good at.”
“Oh, I’m good,” Ashton retorts. “Mom and Dad practically used that bunny camp as a babysitter every winter. I’ll whip both your asses tomorrow morning, but then I’m spending the rest of the day with Mia warming me up.”
“But I want to learn,” I tell Ashton, who groans, already knowing he’s going to give in.
“Fine, but you owe me,” he murmurs, nipping at the corner of my jaw. “And I’m going to collect tonight.”
“You’re making me pay before you teach me?” I giggle as he nuzzles his face into my neck. “That hardly seems fair.”
“I already told you I’m a spoiled brat, woman. Nothing is fair when it comes to me.”
After we finish our drinks, we head back to the cabin, but not before I make the guys take pictures with me in front of the pretty Christmas tree. Since Ashton turned the heat on before we left, it’s toasty warm when we get back. I kick off my boots and shrug out of my jacket, unraveling my scarf from around my neck.
“Can you give us a tour?” I ask Ashton, glancing around. So far, I’ve only seen the master bedroom.
“Are you punishing me for something?” he deadpans.
“What?” I say with a laugh.
“My mom always punished my dad by refusing him sex when he fucked up. All I want is to get between your legs and you’re not letting me.” He nips at my lips, grinning. “I mean, I’m into punishment, but I prefer the kinky kind, not the psychologically torturous ones.”
“Oh my God. You’re so dramatic.” I encircle my arms around his neck. “It’s just a little tour. I promise as soon as we’re done, you can fuck me.”
With Drew, Brayden, and me following him, he shows us all the different rooms: a huge state of the art gym, an indoor theater that rivals the actual ones, an indoor sauna, a massive kitchen, and several others.
“And this is the backyard,” he says, opening a door that leads outside. I step out and my feet are instantly warmed.