Arctic Spirit

  EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2018 Elena Kincaid

  ISBN: 978-1-77339-570-8

  Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

  Editor: Lisa Petrocelli

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  I would like to dedicate this book to two very special ladies: my Sinfully More Erotic sisters, Sarah Marsh and Maia Dylan. You both inspire me and I am lucky enough to call you my friends.

  ARCTIC SPIRIT

  Arctic Ice, 1

  Elena Kincaid

  Copyright © 2018

  Chapter One

  Charlotte sat by her computer anxiously biting her nails. She was so nervous. Until last week, it had been ten years since she had seen or spoken to Chris and Drew Malcom, so to say that she was shocked when they friend-requested her on Facebook was an understatement. She had held off from social media until very recently and as it turned out, so had they. The three of them did always have way too much in common, which was one of the reasons she had been best friends with the twins throughout high school.

  She got up from her desk to go check herself out in the bathroom mirror just in case she had any lipstick on her teeth or flyaway hairs. She was pretty sure that Chris and Drew had already looked through all of her posted pictures, but seeing each other almost in the flesh, so to speak, would be different. God, they were gorgeous, she had thought when she looked through each and every one of their photos. They had always been good-looking as teens, albeit a little too skinny and gawky, but they’d both sure filled out nicely with lean, muscular bodies that looked like they had been carved from stone.

  Their differences were subtle and perhaps even indiscernible to those who did not know them, but for Charlotte, it was and had always been easy to distinguish them. For one, Chris’s eyes were more hazel like hers, ever-changing with the environment, while Drew’s were a deep, dark forest green. Drew had a cleft in his chin—which was now mostly obscured by a closely cropped beard—and his smile was usually more of a smirk, while Chris often liked to flash his pearly whites. She could see the minute differences in their aquiline noses, could tell that Chris’s hair was a slightly darker shade of brown, and their voices and mannerisms had also been clearly distinguishable to her.

  After giving herself a final once-over, she went back to her computer. The little green dot now shone on their Skype profile, indicating they were online. Her heart fluttered. She may have pushed her feelings for Chris and Drew away, buried them deep down in a section of her heart that would always belong to them, but being mere seconds away from speaking to the brothers brought them right back up to the surface. Charlotte was still in love with them. Unsurprising, since she never once mistook her feelings for a simple, fading, schoolgirl crush, nor did she ever find herself having feelings for one more than the other. What made their relationship even more complex was the fact that she had suspected her feelings were never just one-sided.

  Her computer rang. “Breathe,” she said aloud. “Just breathe.” She employed the breathing technique she had learned in the Air Force to calm herself down, then with shaky fingers, she touched the camera button on her screen.

  And there they finally were after all these years, sitting side by side, one smirking, one smiling at her. Their recent photos hardly did them justice, she thought immediately. Drew had grown out his hair to just past his chin, complementing his beard and making him look wild and sexy. Chris kept his hair short, only now it looked messy on purpose. He had style and swagger, and damn, they were both so beautiful. She felt warmth blossom in her chest right before her heart muscle constricted with emotion. She hadn’t even realized just how much she missed the two best friends she had ever had. “Hi,” she said, finally breaking the silence, her voice coming out all breathy.

  “Charlotte,” Chris said, his voice a little breathy, too. She noticed his smile waver a bit.

  Drew kept silent for another moment, his face displaying an emotion she could not put words to, until he shook his head slightly and finally said, “Damn, baby! How is it that you got even prettier?”

  Chris chuckled at his brother’s bluntness, while Charlotte felt her cheeks flame as she stupidly shrugged her shoulders. For the first time ever around them, she felt like an awkward teenager. Despite falling in love sometime during their friendship, she had always been able to act normal. The emotion had crept up on her slowly, but because of how well she knew her best friends and how comfortable she had always been around them, her feelings had never gotten in the way of their friendship until the very end.

  She cleared her throat and forced composure on herself. “So, tell me what you guys have been up to?” They had gone back and forth with a few messages when they first reconnected, but now she wanted more detail.

  The guys told her that they still lived out on Taika, a small island in the southern part of Alaska. Her dad, whose footsteps she had followed in, had been stationed in the Air Force there for three years. Charlotte and her mother had stayed behind for a fourth so that she could finish high school. Nothing in their small hometown seemed to have changed much since she moved away. They also filled her in on their own long stretches of time away from home, attending college in Arizona as well as traveling abroad for both work and pleasure.

  “That must be so exciting,” she said in response when they told her about their current duties at sea. They not only owned a few boats as part of a small fishing business, but they moonlighted for the Coast Guard, protecting the ocean from poachers.

  “You always did love when we took you out on Dad’s sailboat,” Chris remarked.

  She remembered those times fondly, sneaking out in the middle of the night with the two of them. One would stand guard, while the other would nimbly climb up the tree by her house, which had a thick branch reaching almost to her bedroom window, and help her down. The guys would surprise her with snacks, and then they’d hit the water for several hours. It was so peaceful out on the ocean, with nothing but the three of them, the sounds of the gentle waves, and the night sky with its twinkling stars. They’d both hold her close if it got too cold, though she had always observed that the temperature never seemed to affect Chris or Drew. “Our bodies just run hotter than most,” Drew had once told her. She, however, knew that their touches made her warm for other reasons than just their normal body temperature.

  It was her turn to fill them in on her past ten years. She had joined the Air Force after graduating from college, and now she remained in the Reserves and worked as a software consultant and developer. “It’s not rocket science,” she joked, “but I enjoy it.” She smiled at the memory of Chris often telling her that rocket science should be her profession. He hadn’t been far off due to her fondness for all things NASA, but she had settled for an aircraft instead of a rocket and worked on flight simulation programs. The job allowed her to work mostly from home, and therefore gave her the freedom to live anywhere. She chose Cocoa Beach, Florida, when her parents had retired there, but her heart had longed for Alaska. Having never lived in any place for very long, Taika, perhaps because of two specific inhabitants, had been the only place that ever truly felt like home to her. She missed it. She missed them.

  She finally got the nerve to tell them that.

  “I’ve missed you, too, Charlotte
,” Chris said. “We both have.”

  “Very much,” Drew added.

  Chris looked thoughtful for a moment. “You could always come out for a visit,” he finally said.

  Drew looked at Chris and muttered what sounded like, “You always were a glutton for punishment.” He then added, “So am I, apparently.” Finally, he turned back to Charlotte, gazing at her with longing. “We’d love to see you again, sweets. It’s been too long.”

  To say she was tempted was an understatement. However, she knew being in the same space as them would only complicate things. Longing for two people she could never have was punishment indeed. It was obvious they both still had feelings for her as well, and choosing between them was still not an option, not to mention the fact that one brother would never hurt the other that way even if she did pick only one of them. She also didn’t think she had it in her to repeat their last parting.

  Charlotte used the best excuse she could think of, and one that was mostly true. “I have a big project I’m working on right now, so I really can’t get away anytime soon.”

  “Didn’t you just tell us you worked from home?” Drew asked.

  She bit her lip.

  “You’d have the entire top floor to yourself,” Chris began. “It has a master bedroom with a seating area and a large desk.” He looked hopeful as he went on. “You’d even have your own private bathroom with a shower and a separate Jacuzzi tub.”

  “Wow! That sounds amazing.” It really did. She had a nice sized one-bedroom condo, located just minutes from the beach, but there definitely was nothing bubbling in her bathtub, nor were there two sexy occupants sharing a space with her. They were undoubtedly the most tantalizing part of the deal. However… “I couldn’t ask one of you to give up your room for me.”

  “We wouldn’t be,” Drew said. “Our bedrooms and office are on the first floor.”

  Now she was confused. They had what sounded like an amazing space upstairs, but neither of them used it. Perhaps they didn’t want to fight over who got the master bedroom and they chose to use it as a guest room instead.

  “We were saving it for someone special.” It was Chris who answered. Her expressions always gave her thoughts away to them, making her an open book. He must have taken notice of her confusion, but he did not elaborate further. He actually turned away from her for a moment, seemingly uncomfortable with the response he had just given her.

  He didn’t really need to elaborate anyway. It was the “someone special” part that rang loud and clear and stung. She definitely did not want to hear more. She also didn’t want to speculate which one of them would end up getting to use that room one day with a significant other.

  “Are you all right?” Drew asked.

  Damn it! She quickly schooled her features and avoided thinking about what they must have seen written on her face. “Yes. I’m fine.” Charlotte waved a dismissive hand in the air.

  “Say yes, Charlotte,” Chris pleaded.

  She wanted to say no, to protect her heart. Seeing them now only reminded her of every reason she had convinced herself that parting from them was for the best. Then she thought about them settling down one day, and maybe even finding someone herself, and knew that this may be the only chance to see her two best friends again. She’d take the old and new memories, along with the pain that would come with them, and tuck them all away later like she had done before. At least for the most part. Still, she’d have no regrets then.

  “I’ll come,” she finally said.

  Chapter Two

  Nervous anticipation built in the pit of Charlotte’s stomach as the plane made its final descent. The guys insisted on picking her up from the airport even though she tried to reassure them that she could find her own way. She knew the place like the back of her hand.

  She tried to calm herself again, for the umpteenth time, to no avail. As hard as she tried to block a certain memory, she couldn’t stop herself from thinking back on it—to the day she had said good-bye to Chris and Drew ten years ago.

  ****

  A few days after her high school graduation, Charlotte had her bags as well as her house packed up, ready for the next big move to Hawaii. She’d spend the summer there with her parents before going off to college.

  She looked around at all the boxes and suitcases. Preparing for the move was one thing—she could live in denial—but seeing the house that had just recently felt like a real home practically empty, made her heart ache. She had fallen on her knees, grateful that her mother was visiting one of her friends. She always hated the guilt she would see on her parents’ faces whenever it was time to move again. They constantly worried about how being part of a military family affected her.

  She felt wetness on her cheeks just as her doorbell rang. She wiped them off, but knew that Chris and Drew would instantly be able to tell she had been crying, not so much because they knew her well, but more so because her nose would look like Rudolph’s. It reddened every time she cried.

  She opened the door to let them inside. “Let me just go grab my purse.”

  Charlotte did not miss how their eyes had widened when they saw her, but neither of them remarked on her nose. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why she had been crying.

  She sat shotgun, holding Chris’s hand as he drove. Drew sat directly behind her, and with one arm, he hugged her and the seat from behind. They said nothing during the twenty-minute drive to the Taika Diner. Chris hadn’t even put on any music.

  Naturally, Jill Larkin, the wicked bitch of the Northwest, had to be at the diner with her posse on Charlotte’s last day in town. She didn’t blame Jill for not liking her from day one. For reason no more than a gut feeling at first, Charlotte had taken an immediate dislike to the girl as well. And when she had actually seen the mean-spirited teen in all of her bullying glory, Charlotte had commended her gut. She also suspected that there was jealousy on Jill’s part for her relationship with the Malcom brothers. Whether it was because she had genuine feelings for one or both brothers, or she was simply bothered by the fact that they did not fawn all over her, Charlotte neither knew nor cared. She, on the other hand, felt no jealousy at all. Chris and Drew had very much disliked Jill and her gang of thugs. They even intervened whenever they could, and sometimes even bullied the bullies into submission. Charlotte loved that about them. She had no tolerance for bullies either.

  Still, there was something that she could not quite put her finger on. Something in her gut had also told her that despite their disdain, Chris and Drew shared some sort of secret with Jill and her gang, not to mention some other people in the town. She also noted that during some of her history lessons at school, whenever the history of their town would come up, especially folk legend, a hush would fall on the room. Even the class clowns, the “Chatty Cathys,” and the ones who often fell asleep in class would sit up straight and give the teacher their undivided attention.

  She already knew the folklore by heart. The gist of it was that for thousands of years, ancient spirits had presided over the little island in peace until malevolent forces had threatened to take their land away from them. They received aid from passing Polynesian spirit forces, who helped them win back their land and imprisoned the ancient evil spirits far beneath the icy waters surrounding the land. Taika was later named in honor of their Pacific allies.

  Charlotte herself very much enjoyed the stories, but she took them for what they were—just stories. The town, by these accounts of ancient spirits still roaming around everywhere, should have felt haunted. Yet, to her, it seemed quite the opposite. The town felt as though it was brimming with life and vitality and her leaving was like saying good-bye to another friend.

  The three of them sat on the opposite end of the diner from Jill. Charlotte took the high road and never once looked in Jill’s direction. She’d rather not have the girl’s face in the last memory she would share with Chris and Drew. The guys had apparently felt the same, since when Jill tried to approach them, a
ll it took was one scornful look from Drew and an apathetic one from Chris, for Jill to pretend she was going to the bathroom instead of saying whatever she had come near them to say.

  “At least you’ll be warm and toasty in Hawaii,” Drew joked to lighten the mood.

  “I’ve kinda gotten used to the cold,” she said petulantly, crossing her arms over her chest. When she noticed their crestfallen looks, she quickly added, and in a more lighthearted tone, “Maybe I’ll learn how to surf. Maybe I’ll even find a sun-kissed hottie to teach me.” At that, she could have sworn she heard dual growls coming from the guys. She had no idea what had even possessed her to say it. Perhaps she’d just wanted to get a reaction. Having them confirm what she suspected—that they were both in love with her—might give her something to hold onto, but she felt mean for saying it nonetheless. Stabs of jealousy pierced her own heart, picturing them meeting someone after she left.

  She cleared her throat and took a sip of water. An awkward silence filled the air until a waitress came over to take their orders.

  Chris stared at his menu as he ordered. “Bacon cheeseburger with the works, Bonnie. And a chocolate milkshake.”

  Drew ordered his favorite, a roast beef sandwich. Charlotte doubted she’d be able to eat much but ordered a burger with fries anyway.

  “You forgot the cheese and gravy,” Drew said.

  “What? Oh, right.” She always added cheese and gravy to her fries, and the diner made the best gravy she had ever tasted. It was yet another thing she would have to say good-bye to. Drew added it on to her order.

  “Charlotte.” She didn’t look up at Chris as he spoke, afraid of the threatening tears she was trying so hard to hold back. “It’s going to be okay,” he said, though his voice broke on the last word.