I turned and could just see his outline using the backlight from thefire.
The sounds of a drawer being rifled through reached my ears, and Ellion switched on a flashlight. He handed one to Griffin and me. I shined mine in Griffin'seyes.
“I'll wait here on you, Ellion,” Isaid.
Griffin blinked several times but didn't reply. He followed Ellion out of thekitchen.
The kitchen chair scraping the floor was deafening in the quiet of the powerlesshouse.
“Jesus,” Imuttered.
“Could you make a little more noise?” Chandler said from the livingroom.
I'd assumed he'd gone with the others to look at the generator and nearly came unglued. “What’s wrong with you three? Do you delight in scaring me at everyturn?”
He laughed and joined me in the kitchen. “For my part, I haven't tried once to scare you.” He switched on a flashlight and shined it up under his chin to make his face look spooky. “Do you have a guilty conscience?” he asked before laughingmaniacally.
“No, but I think Griffin does.” I wasn't quite over my pout at how he’d treatedme.
Chandler pointed his flashlight at the floor. “Let's go sit by the fire andtalk.”
I didn't know if I wanted to get into the drama of it all, but I followed him anyway. He threw a bunch of couch cushions on the floor beside the warm fire and motioned for me to join himthere.
“When’s this snow going to let up?” Iasked.
“Probably another day or so,” hesaid.
“It's going to be a long day.” I settled back on an overstuffed cushion. “But look at how eventful the last two havebeen.”
He laughed. “Yeah, you wrecked, collapsed in the snow, met the handsomest man alive, tried to run away, were sort of kidnapped, boinked the grouchiest man alive, and now here weare.”
“You forgot to mention I met you, too. You mentioned Ellion and Griffin, but not you,” I said with a face full of innocence. My wit earned me a smack over the head with apillow.
“Aren't you the comedienne?” Chandlerasked.
I grabbed the pillow and tried to jerk it away from him but only succeeded in allowing him to pull me toward him until he toppled me over onto hischest.
“Well, hello there,” hesaid.
“You jealous that you weren't the one boinked?” Iasked.
He rubbed his hands sensually over my back. “What if Iwas?”
“I don't know how much jealousy I'm willing to put up with.” I turned and tucked my shoulder under his to watch the fire. “Did you know Griffin suggested we all enter into a polyrelationship?”
“Yeah, he told me. He said he kind of lost his mind there for a fewminutes.”
“I don't think his mind was in charge,” I said, trying to keep any venom out of my words. I didn't know where Griffin's head was at. If he was simply having a fit of guilt about sleeping with someone besides his wife, I could forgive that. If he used me to get off, then left me because he wanted to make me feel like a whore, that I might murder himfor.
“What did he say?” I didn't want to sound like a teenager asking about her crush but I needed to know what his motives were for running scared from the room once he wassated.
Chandler's hands paused. “He wasn't ready forsex.”
Damn. I was afraid of that, though that was preferable to him being a heartless jerk who treated me like a prostitute. “Did he saythat?”
“He didn’t have to.” He resumed his slow movements on my back. I was getting goosebumps. “I could’ve told youthat.”
I made a noise of consternation, sort of like a goose honk. “You told me to go afterhim!”
