Corrupting Chastity - Krista Wolf Page 0,56

gliding onto the highway. It sped off into the darkness, leaving me at a complete loss.

“So there’s this thing we do once a year,” said Senan, “sometime after the holiday bullshit is over. The three of us pick something we’ve never done together before, and we go out and do it.”

I nodded, beginning to understand. “So this year… ice fishing.”

“Last year was snowmobiling,” Brett confirmed. “The year before that, ice climbing.”

Ander winced. “Ice climbing sucked by the way,” he chimed in. “You should feel lucky you dodged that bullet.”

“Oh I already feel lucky,” I smiled charmingly, settling into my seat. “So, are we staying somewhere overnight, or—”

“We have a cabin,” said Senan. “Two days, two nights. We come home Sunday evening, if that’s alright by you.”

Quickly I did the mental calculations to determine whether I had enough clothes, enough outdoor outfits to make it through an entire weekend getaway. I did of course, but I still double-checked my math.

“What’s the cabin like?” I asked.

“Not all that sure,” said Senan. “We’ve only seen a photo or two.”

A thought suddenly occurred to me, and my eyes went wide. “It’s not one of those little fishing huts, is it?” I cried in dismay. “The ones you slide out over the lake and cut your own hole in the ice?”

Nervously, Senan shrugged a shoulder. “Could be.”

“Because if it is—”

They burst out laughing together, and I realized I was the butt end of their joke. I was relieved instead of angry, though.

“Look, ice fishing is probably not for everyone,” said Senan. “So if it’s really not your thing, just say the word and I’ll turn around. No hard feelings.”

“Does the place have heat? Beds? Blankets?”

“Yes, yes, and yes.”

“Then I’m in,” I said, smiling cheerily. “Make me warm and you’ll make me happy.”

The car rolled on, with the guys looking at each other pointedly. I had the brief, fleeting sensation of being a doe, surrounded by wolves.

“I’ve got another proposition for you,” Senan offered.

“Oh yeah? And what’s that?’

“We’ll make you warm…” he said, looking back at me in the rear-view mirror.

“… and you make us happy,” Brett finished for him.

Forty-Four

CHASTITY

The place was spacious and scenic — a single-room lodge built on the lake, made entirely with logs and stone. The back wall was a sprawling fireplace. Nearby, two sets of bunks were built into the walls, just opposite the island leading into the kitchen. The ceilings were vaulted. The windows, three-quarters of the way covered with snow.

Oh yeah, and the place was totally and utterly freezing.

“H—Holy s—shit…”

Ander flipped a switch, and the lights came on. They belonged to a single wrought iron chandelier, dropped from the log cabin’s massive central beam. The rest of the place was in shadow.

“Turn on the heat?” Brett asked hopefully.

Senan laughed. He unzipped a duffel bag and tossed a lighter Brett’s way. “Go ahead,” he said, pointing toward the fireplace. “Let us know if you need any help.”

Senan’s extreme grin of satisfaction told me he wasn’t bluffing. And by the look Brett gave Ander, I could tell the two of them weren’t in on it either.

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. The fireplace is the heat.”

I set Ares down and wrinkled my nose. “Don’t tell me there’s no hot water.”

“Hot water heater runs off the system too,” he said. “It should be plenty hot as long as we keep it stoked.”

Thankfully an entire wall of the cabin was cubbied out and filled with firewood of all different sizes. Brett grabbed an armful and headed to the fireplace, while the rest of us unpacked the car.

Ice fishing.

I had to laugh. It was just my luck.

With three guys.

It wasn’t exactly the getaway I’d hoped for, now was it? Then again, did it matter? The three of them had talked about it, according to Senan at least, and in the end they’d invited me along. They could’ve just as easily gone alone. If there was ever a ‘guys only’ trip, this would be it.

“We’ll stock the fridge tomorrow,” said Ander, dropping a large plastic bin on the kitchen table. “Until then, we have this.”

He popped open the container, which was filled with snacks. I saw a few bottles mixed in. Vodka. Rum. Wine.

“You guys come prepared, huh?”

“The essentials,” Ander chuckled. “Yeah.”

“Speaking of essentials…”

I walked to the only other door in the entire cabin, crossing my fingers the whole time. It opened into a decent-sized bathroom. There was a toilet, thank God, and a shower. For any of them it would be a tight squeeze, but for me it was