Page 89 of Undone By The Mountain Daddies

I never saw myself as someone who got attached through sex. Then again, I had only slept with Holden until recently. I haven’t exactly put that theory to the test.

I’m constantly burning with desire, but I also feel a warmth in my chest when I’m with the guys, a different kind of passion. Something bigger than just a physical nature, like a deep yearning for something I’ve rarely experienced.

Love.

Which is strange. Holden was my first love. I loved that son of a bitch way too fucking much, more than he deserved.

But what I’m feeling here is different. More profound. Emotions stir low in my belly when one of them is inside me. I can’t name the emotion; I’ve never felt it before. But it feels amazing. Like taking a fresh breath of air after being locked in a cave your entire life.

“Time for s’mores!” declares Knox, prompting Henry to leap out of his seat. “I think I’ll go first.”

“No! Me!”

“Henry—you’re on fire duty,” says Eli. “You wanna throw that kindling on for me, bud?”

Henry’s eyes come alive in the fire. I look at him and feel a pull in my chest. He’s such a little cutie-pie.

I’ve wanted a baby for years, but you can’t have fame and a family.

Those around me who did have ended up paying the price. It was upsetting to see. The media likes to stick their noses into everything. You can’t keep anything private, not even your kids. Those poor babies couldn’t go anywhere without people surrounding them, taking pictures.

I knew I didn’t want that for my own child.

A shiver runs through me, making me pull the loose flannel I’m wearing closer. I wrap it around my chest and peer anxiously over my shoulder.

People have all kinds of technology these days, crossing ethical lines to capture the perfect photo. X-Ray vision, night vision. The list goes on. And that’s never bothered me until now, with Henry out here

“Are you scared of the dark, See-see?” says Henry, grabbing my shoulder.

“Oh,” I chuckle. “Um… maybe a little.”

All three guys turn to me. They know why I’m afraid.

But Knox gives me a subtle nod across the fire, telling me with his eyes to relax. I’m sure he’ll handle the press. But if he handles them the way he’d like to, they may end up spreading rumors about my guys being axe murderers. That could be worse than my ass on the front cover of The Los Angeles Times.

Eli smashes the fire with a metal rod, breaking up the kindling Henry has just thrown in. The flames shoot up again, but quickly reduce in size when he adds a log.

Yeah, the axe collection makes sense now. They’re used to chop up firewood—not to decapitate strangers.

Though I wouldn’t put it past Knox. He’s standing behind Henry and me now, looking out into the valley, which is completely dark.

“Ever made s’mores before, Sienna?” asks Cash, rifling through some bags

Things between Cash and me have felt more chilled ever since I made him cave on the couch. He could have accepted weakness straight away, and I wouldn’t have thought anything of it. But he waited. Strained until the very last second. That tells me he wanted to be right. He wanted to win so badly.

Which begs the question—how many times has the guy lost?

“Sienna?” asks Eli. “S’mores? You have had those before, right?”

“Nope. Never.”

“What?!” Henry’s adorable face scrunches in surprise. “But s’mores are the most spectacular thing in the whole world!”

I raise my eyebrow. Such an impressive vocabulary for a three-year-old.

“Word of the day,” adds Eli, reading my thoughts. He turns to his nephew and fist bumps him. “Great job, bud. Hey, since you used that so well in a sentence, I say you get the first s’more.”

Henry sucks in an excited breath, his eyes glowing in the fire as he looks over at Cash who’s pulling out the graham crackers.