Entangled Interaction (5 page)

"Oh, well…" What could I say that wouldn't be taken at an insult?
I'm sorry, but that's not cushy enough for me? Maybe you guys can rig me up a hammock? Is your bed big enough for three?

"It's just me. I don't need much room. Just a sponge bath standing in the center of the room, in front of the fire. Go outside to pee. Cook when I'm hungry. Simple."

I gasped and focused on the images spinning through my mind. Standing bare naked in front of the fire with a sponge and pan of soapy water might work for him. But, good grief. Visitors, namely me, needed some privacy. No ogling Shy parts during hygiene practices. I swear.

Cannibal nudged me along as I unwittingly slowed my pace. "We can always return to the monastery." I had offended the poor monks and probably wouldn't be welcome in their cozy monastery in the next millennium. After my brief visit, they were probably re-writing their policy on giving lost travelers shelter for the night and carving a "go away" sign to stick on their door.

Arriving at the front door, Bear clicked the lock and shoved it open. "Welcome to my humble abode."

Cannibal snorted but strode confidently inside. I followed, bracing for what lay ahead, consoling myself that anything, no matter how sparse, had to be better than a tent on the side of a cliff.

It took a second for my eyes to adjust from the blinding snow to the darkened room, but when they did, boy howdy. Let it be said that bears, at least this one, made for an excellent home decorator.

Deep, rich wooden furniture gave the cabin a feel of home and warmth, while modern fixtures tossed in a little classiness. A leather couch sat at the front of the living area, surrounded by end tables complete with lamps. Thick blankets lay over each piece of furniture softening the look. The hardwood floors squeaked slightly with each step, a sound one could easily become accustomed to. Just past the living area, a fully stocked kitchen waited for hungry houseguests. All appliances appeared to be new, the stainless steel shining in the dim light. A hallway led from the kitchen to other rooms, presumably bedrooms.

My mouth fell open at the sheer luxuriousness of this home in the middle of nowhere. The land might be forsaken and frigid outside, but this home offered any and all comforts a person could wish for.

"Wow."

Cannibal snorted, one corner of his mouth tilting up. "I think she's relieved."

Bear followed us in, paused to take his coat off and hang on a nearby hook. "She can still sleep on top of this bear's skin." He glanced in my direction.

His eerie light blue eyes could easily peek straight into my soul. I blinked and sputtered.
The Neanderthal read minds? No way.

"Way." He answered with a grin.

"Absolutely no fair," I complained and looked over at Cannibal, who was busily removing a few layers himself. "He can read your mind too?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

With a resigned sigh, I took a moment to mutter about the unfairness of life and warned myself to keep my thoughts clean and blank. No sense encouraging the guy if I could help it.

Bear pulled out a box from a nearby cabinet and carried it to an old wooden dining table surrounded by four chairs. The wood appeared dull, but more than stout enough to survive the harsh elements produced by living in such a difficult environment. Cannibal took one seat while Bear plopped down directly across.

"What's that?" I asked.

"The reason we're here," Cannibal answered.

Greatly curious, I edged closer. What did the box contain? Some sort of ancient book telling all the secrets of the universe? Maybe a magical device that could be used for the good of the people? Maybe even something about shape shifters that had to be kept out of the hands of the unknowing.

Coming abreast of the table, I peeked inside. My mouth fell open in shock. "I came all this way, about froze my butt off, nearly fell to my death, and all for you and Bear to play checkers?" I huffed, still not quite believing what I saw.

Cannibal shot me a haughty grin. "He challenged me."

Bear agreed. "Damn arrogant Enforcer here thought he could whoop my ass in checkers. No better way to prove him wrong than simply playing the game and watching him cry in his cookies afterward."

I grabbed the board and nearly whapped Cannibal over the head with it. "You… you… remnant of a dung beetle's lunch." Tossing the board to Bear, I stomped back to the fireplace, curled up in the soft blanket, and sulked. Who could believe those barbarians? Men and their boyish attitudes.

"How long is she going to pout?" Bear whispered, loud enough for me to overhear.

Cannibal glanced my direction, then returned his attention to putting pieces on the board. "Day or two. Unless someone gives her chocolate. Then she turns into a hyper and happy puppy."

"Good thing you told me ahead of time. I picked up a couple of bags of Hershey's kisses last week."

I perked up.
The Yeti/Bear person had chocolate
? I pasted on my best sorrowful expression and leveled it at him.

Ten minutes later, I finished my tenth candy and licked my lips in satisfaction. I could now survive the frozen tundra, the mountain of doom, and the feared Yeti of the back woods. In fact, I planted a kiss to the cheek of said snow monster and skipped happily back to my cozy corner, happy and refreshed. Chocolate fixes everything, after all.

I even felt energized enough to explore Bear's kitchen, tossing together barbeque chicken, potatoes, peas, dinner rolls, and an upside down pineapple cake for dessert. The guys shoveled down the hot food, tossing out a compliment to the chef now and again. Feeling right at home, I happily ate my meal and accepted the rare praise.

Dinner complete, I placed the dirty dishes into the dishwasher, thrilled to find one. Afterward, I asked permission and directions to the nearest shower.

Getting warm and clean certainly does a body good. Sore muscles soothed while the last of the cold chill faded under the hot water spray, allowing me to feel human once more. Minty breath followed after I finally brushed my teeth, thrilled to get the remnants of those silly gas producing energy bars from between my teeth.

I dried off, dressed in my Hello Kitty flannel pajamas, and finished with hand-knitted socks, a gift from a talented friend. Then I headed back into the living area.

Cannibal and Bear sat at the dining table pondering yet another game of checkers. I shook my head at them, still not understanding why we tromped through such terrain for a board game. Enforcers and shifters weren't known to be sensible, rational, or let a temper tantrum from Mother Nature deter them when a challenge had been issued.

They glanced my direction as I crossed the room, heading back to the recliner in the corner near the fire. Cannibal rolled his eyes, while Bear's face showed puzzled surprise.

"Don't ask," Cannibal advised.

"Wasn't going to."

I looked down at my clothing, making sure everything important was covered. "What? You don't like Hello Kitty? Everyone likes Hello Kitty."

Bear threw up his hands in surrender. "I didn't say a word."

"Uh huh." I flopped down in the leather oversized chair, pulled the thick yet soft blanket over me, sighed, and promptly fell asleep.

Chapter 5

I shivered, cuddled myself into a tighter ball beneath the blanket, and vaguely considered the possible reasons why my front resembled an iceberg while my hiney radiated warmth like a space heater. Maybe the fire burned out while the recliner held my body heat in? I could have sworn an icicle hung from my nose, but my whole back felt like a brilliantly warm spring day. Not quite hot, but certainly appreciated and comfortable after a long winter.

No matter. My weary mind shut down the train of thought as I snuggled my rear closer to the warmth. With a sigh, I headed back toward sleepyland.

"Shyanne. If you wiggle your ass against my crotch once more, you'll find yourself flat on your back, naked, with your legs up in the air in about three seconds."

The deep frustrated voice tugged at my groggy brain. One word caught my attention. "Naked?" The word croaked out as a loud whisper.

Reaching past my rear with one hand, I found solid flesh. Solid, warm flesh. Twisting my head, I took in the situation in a heartbeat. "You're naked!" Sure enough from chest up, I could see bare skin. My fingers affirmed that the rest of Cannibal was just as nude as his top half.

He returned my gaze, not bothering to move. Those deep eyes sparked with emotion.

"You… you don't have clothes on." I felt something poking my bottom.
That better not be what I think it is.

His lips curled up at the corners. "I know what naked means."

My eyes widened as I followed his gaze. Frantically, I checked out my bedtime attire. I fell asleep in the chair with my Hello Kitty jammies on. With a relieved sigh, I found them still in place, although the top had pulled up in my wiggling, enough to glimpse what lay underneath.

A long leg slowly insinuated itself between mine, trapping me on my side facing away from him, while one arm wrapped itself around my middle, tugging me flush against his body. Teeth gently nibbled my earlobe.

"What…?" I bit my tongue, steeling myself to ignore his ministrations.

"I promised to kiss your rope burn boo-boo all better." Those words sent chills down my neck as he blew softly against my ear.

My eyes opened wide as I scrambled to the edge of the bed, kicking the tangled linens out of my way. In my desperation to put space between me and the hunky nude Enforcer, my feet tangled in the blanket, sending me toppling hard to the floor. Quickly sitting up, I found myself eye level with a part of Cannibal I didn't really want to see, definitely not a bird's eye view.
Where was a ruler when you needed it?

Shaking the thought out of my head, I scrambled to my feet, backing toward the bedroom door. "No… thank you. My… well… it's fine. It will be fine. I don't need… that…" I rambled nervously, unable to tear my gaze from what separated Cannibal from most men in the endowment category. Whatever held responsibility for penis size, Cannibal ended up with a triple dose.

"Maybe you should do more than just look…" His sultry voice carried over to me.

I scurried through the door, heading anywhere else, to safety. His laughter followed.

Neanderthal. Make that horny Neanderthal.

Not sure what to do, I trotted toward the kitchen, deciding I could make use of the time to cook something for breakfast. One glance at the front window revealed a sinking sun. Make that a late lunch.

Stepping into the kitchen, I blinked and froze.

The Yeti stood in front of the stove, stirring a pan. The fact he cooked didn't steal my ability to speak, but the sight of him doing so completely nude stunned me into muteness.

Yetis are born, right? Hatched? Made? No matter, he stood there in all his glory. And boy, did he have glory.

"Enjoying the view?" A wicked grin appeared on his face.

Leave it to me to be staying at a clothing-optional Yeti resort.

I quickly slapped a hand over my eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize…"

He chuckled.

Spreading my fingers, I peeked through to find him staring at me with an amused smile on his face. His blue eyes sparkled. Muscles rippled and other parts began to take notice.

"Oh, good grief."

His mouth turned down while his head cocked to the side. A puzzled expression covered his face. "You don't like naked men?"

I took a breath and debated what to say that wouldn't insult him and land me out in the frozen tundra once more.
No, I don't like naked men. That will make him think I was gay. Jeez. I just don't know what to do with a naked man? Oh, yeah. That would work
. He'll be all bouncy and happy to teach me exactly what to do with him.
Penises make me nervous
? Well, that's true, but sounded goofy
. Yeti penis isn't on my menu? I prefer my Yeti men in thongs
?

I worried my lip and remained quiet.

"I think she's worried she'll lose her reputation of innocence." Cannibal's voice came from behind me. I didn't bother to turn and see, too afraid of another therapy-inducing image being burned in my mind.

Stuck in the middle of isolated mountains, blizzard outside, miles from another person, and I'm in a cabin with two yummy hot and naked men. It was a scene right out of a dozen romance novels. Heck, probably the plot of a few porn flicks too.

Bear grinned wickedly. "A few hours with me and she'll be thankful she left that behind."

My head dropped.
There was no way anyone would consider me innocent again. Dang it.

"Damn. Put some clothes on already, Bear. I'm going blind. And the light shining off your lily white ass isn't helping, either."

I agreed heartily. "Clothes are good."

The tall blond rolled his eyes but stood his ground. "My house."

Cannibal growled but ceased his protest. At least he had the practical sense to slip on his leather pants. Bare chest I could handle much better than bare lower Cannibal parts.

I moseyed into the kitchen, determined to simply ignore any and all male parts bouncing with each step. If he dribbled on the floor, he was cleaning it up. That's all there was to it. "What are you cooking?"

"Beans."

I reached out for the countertop. "I can toss together some cornbread…"

Spying a skillet, I grabbed it and spun around toward the stove. The pan plowed into something solid. A loud curse whooshed out on a breath. Bear doubled over in obvious pain.

I bent down, trying to see his face. "Are you okay?"

Cannibal's laughter cracked across the room.

How dare Cannibal find poor Bear's condition humorous. I jerked up to chastise him about his dark sense of humor.

The crown of my head clipped Bear's chin, earning a grunt from him while stars floated in front of my eyes. My hand automatically released the skillet, going to the top of my head, making sure it wasn't cracked wide open.

A yelp sounded as the skillet clanged on the kitchen floor. "Ow. Shit. Damn. Fuck."