Entangled Interaction Read online

  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 fl
oor. 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."

  I opened one eye enough to spy Bear holding his groin while hopping on one foot, cradling his squished toes.

  The chuckles across the room turned into gales of laughter. Bear remained bent over, an occasional groan sounding from his throat.

  "Uh oh. I think I broke the abom… abom… the Yeti."

  I looked from the bear to the Enforcer, trying to determine if I needed to start running or go for an emergency poof instead. Although, with the pounding in my head, I wasn't sure I could even teleport to the nearest old man's bathroom. My luck, I would end up somewhere worse. And I certainly didn't want to even consider what those options could be.

  "Told you to get some clothes on. Maybe next time you'll actually listen." Cannibal stepped closer, a wide smirk on his face, while his laughter faded to snickers.

  A couple of slow deep breaths followed as the Yeti managed to collect himself enough to stand almost straight. One foot remained off the floor, but he released it in order to rub his injured chin absently.

  He leveled a pained and slightly annoyed look in my direction. "What horrible thing did you say you did to be stuck with her?"

  Cannibal ignored the question.

  I looked down at Bear's groin, which he guarded with one arm. The other hand reached to the kitchen counter as if to gain a bit of leverage. Quietly, I picked up the skillet and tentatively placed it back on the countertop before backing up a couple steps. I had no idea what a bear that just got panned in the naked groin would do to me. Not to mention, his toes and chin. Come to think of it, he had the same expression on his face that I had seen in an amateur wrestling bout. It was a combination of 'What the hell?' and 'Why me?' Neither bode well for my continued stay at the clothing-optional Yeti resort.

  "Maybe I should poof?" The words blurted out as I glanced over at Cannibal.

  He shook his head, while his eyes twinkled with mirth. "I think a better idea would be to offer to kiss his boo-boo and make it all better."

  "But I don't know where his toes have been." I had never sucked toes in my life and didn't intend to start now. Besides, his looked hairy. Toe hair might get stuck between my teeth. I didn't bring dental floss. I wasn't sure my toothbrush was up to the task.

  Then his meaning sunk in.

  My face flamed as Bear's expression turned to one of definite interest, mixed with a healthy dose of wary hesitation.

  Oh, good grief. The Yeti Orgy Round One. I could already see the picture on the front of the porn flick cover.

  "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…" I stammered, nervously shifting in place, considering what to do in order to help. "Here. Let me get you some ice to put on it."

  "No."

  His glare froze me in place. Okay, no ice. What else did one do with an injured penis? And chin? And toes?

  "You kiss it. And lick it. And suck it." Bear's eyes narrowed as his voice lowered to a sultry tone.

  Well, crap. I forgot all about him being able to read minds. I am in so much doo-doo.

  "Yes, you are." The corner of his mouth kicked up as mischief sparkled in his eyes.

  I clamped my mouth shut, lowered my eyes, and stood there like a bump on a pickle, not sure what to do or say. Naked men made me nervous. No topic came to mind to ramble about. I had to pee, felt on the verge of serious embarrassment, and the frozen tundra outside looked fairly inviting. Although I made a mental note to stay away from the cliff. Bear might be too tempted to give me a shove.

  Bear appeared to forgive me for the moment. Although, I had a feeling that he wasn't finished planning out the Yeti and the Shy
porn movie. "You can poof?"

  I nodded.

  Cannibal stepped into the conversation easily. "You should go with her sometime. It will be an eye-opening experience. Guaranteed." His lips twitched.

  I grumbled under my breath, while shooting the Enforcer a look of warning.

  He grinned evilly and continued. "In fact, go ahead. I can watch over the food."

  Bear looked from Cannibal to me, then back to Cannibal again. "You want me to go with her way too much. There has to be some catch."

  Cannibal shrugged.

  "You can poof, we've established that," Bear reiterated. "The next question is can you actually hit your target?"

  With a sigh, I nodded before clarifying. "I… well… yes… sometimes. Mostly. Maybe."

  Bear glanced over at Cannibal. "She's a walking disaster all around, isn't she?"

  "Hey!" I straightened my back and placed my hands on my hips. My brow furrowed as I tapped my toe on the floor.

  Cannibal shrugged. "Yeah, and I'm stuck with her."

  Bear tsked and shook his head. "Talk about a torturous hell on earth."

  "Hello. The 'walking disaster' is standing right here!" I glared at them both, ignoring Bear's total nudity and Cannibal's partial. Who cared about dangly parts when I really wanted to take that skillet and whap them both upside the head?

  Snorting derisively, I stomped toward the refrigerator, intent on earning my keep by helping with dinner.

  "Now what are you doing?" Bear asked, taking a wary step backward.

  "I'm going to see what vegetables you have. Then I'll chop them up and cook…"

  Long arms bracketed my sides, pinning me against the kitchen counter. My nose rested about an inch from his chest, giving me a nice close up of the light blond curly hairs there.

  The low rumble in his throat garnered my attention. Looking up, I found ice blue eyes boring into mine. I squirmed.

  "There is one thing that I want to make very clear to you." He spoke slowly, in a loud whisper, sounding all the more ominous. "You have done enough damage to me already. Under no circumstances will you wield a knife in this kitchen." Leaning downward and in, he flashed his fangs. "Do you understand?"