Best night of his damn life, and he didn’t even get laid.

The sun hadn’t risen when Dalton trudged across the lake toward Bowie and Cannon with a pound of bacon and a dozen eggs tucked under his arm. He figured since he chose babe over brothers, he owed them something. Maybe a hot breakfast would reduce the variety of ways they would call him “whipped”.

A layer of frost crackled beneath his boots while his breath turned to fog. What were they thinking when they planned to stay on the lake for two nights? Idiots.

Another decision made after too many beers. Definitely a chest-pounding Neanderthal moment of increased testosterone.

Holding Samantha in his arms all night would be worth the razzing he’d get all day. Hell, it was hard to leave her. Double hell because he was hard all night, but something told him that Samantha gave more than she received, and he wanted to let her know how it felt to be cherished.

He’d walked longer than expected and stopped to look around. He backtracked across the ice, certain he hadn’t passed camp among the tents dotting the lake. They had been the only group camped at the edge of the cove.

Something melted into the ice caught his attention. It was the piece of hot dog Cannon had tossed at Bowie last night. “I’ll be damned.”

He spun in a circle. “I’m not the only one whipped,” he said out loud.

He turned back and crunched across the ice, hoping he could make it back to Samantha’s before she got up. He’d kissed her goodbye and told her he’d be back. His plan was to warm her bed again tonight. Still the plan.

He considered their conversation. The one they had in the throes of arousal where they both agreed to keep their secrets. Although Dalton believed relationships should be built on honesty, he was a realist. Samantha made it clear she was leaving. At best, he could see her when she vacationed in Aspen Cove. Given she owned the house for over two years and this was her first visit, he imagined those times would be few.

He made his way back to her cabin, only to realize he was too late. Dressed in sweatpants, sneakers, and a Hollywood T-shirt, she jogged in place, warming up her muscles.

“Going somewhere?” he called from the edge of the lake. He hopped from the thinning ice to the shore. His walk turned into a jog straight toward her. Once there, he set the breakfast fixings on the stairs.

“Yes, Katie wanted to go for a jog around town. Sage and Lydia are joining us.”

“I thought you’d still be in bed.” He looked at her with disappointment. “Thought I could make you breakfast. You must be hungry after last night.” The way her body shook had to have burned off a thousand calories.

She blushed. “All my motivation to stay in the bed got up early and left.” She put a hand on his chest, using him for balance, and pulled her right leg up behind her. Grabbing her toes, she gave it a good stretch before switching to the other side. “Besides, my muscles are sore and could use loosening up.”

“I could have helped with that.”

She pushed against him, making him stumble back a step. “You caused that.” She peeked around his body, looking for her group, but they hadn’t arrived. “I’ve never felt anything so intense. It was like the worst muscle spasm in the best way.” She lowered her head to hide the new bloom of pink flooding her cheeks.

“And you’ll feel it again.”

“Not sure I can handle it.” She used his body as exercise equipment, gripping his hips and leaning into him for a deep lunge.

Up and down she moved, and it nearly killed him. Her head bobbing near his zipper made the motion appear almost pornographic.

He stroked her cheek, stopping her movements. “You want to try that while we’re naked?”

She hopped up. “Oh. My. God. I get near you, and I lose my mind.”

“You’re not alone.” He heard a commotion behind him and knew he had mere minutes before she disappeared into a group of X chromosomes.

“Dinner tonight?”

She hopped on the step so they were face-to-face. “Can’t, I hear it’s karaoke night at the bar.”

Dalton was confused. “Bowie closed the bar while we were fishing.”

“And you’re not fishing anymore, so it’s back open.” She pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “Come to the bar tonight. It should be fun. I’d love to hear you sing.”

He gripped her hips to keep her there a moment longer.

“Why would I punish you like that when all I want to do is pleasure you?” Not caring that the three women approached like a storm, he pulled Samantha against him and claimed her mouth. If she was leaving him for the day, the least she could do was leave him with a kiss.

When he released her, there was a sigh from behind. He turned to see Sage, Kate, and Lydia standing there. Katie and Sage had big smiles. Lydia looked like she’d eaten something bad. Then again, with the way she reacted to affectionate couples, Dalton didn’t imagine things were good in the love department.

“Tonight. Okay?” Samantha said as she rushed past him.

“Yep, I’ll pick you up at six.”

She hopped into the air like she’d won something special.

He watched her perfect ass jog out of sight. When he glanced at the front of his jeans, he groaned. She left him with more than a kiss. He adjusted his discomfort and picked up the bacon and eggs.

Someone was going to eat his damn breakfast, so he marched next door to Bowie’s house and walked inside. Though he knew a compromising situation wouldn’t present itself with Katie gone and Bowie left home alone with the baby, he didn’t expect to find his friend reduced to goo. On the floor, bench-pressing his daughter was the big man himself.

“Who’s Daddy’s little girl?” he crooned. “My baby. Little miracle. My treasure. Yes,” he grinned at the baby, “that’s you.”

Dalton leaned against the wall and took it all in. Over the last year, he watched a bitter and angry man turn into marshmallow.

Katie brought peace and purpose to Bowie’s life. She kept him on his toes. Who wouldn’t want to be a better man when you had a woman worth fighting for?

Bowie had fought for both of them. It was funny because people say love heals everything. He didn’t believe that until a little girl was born and her daddy’s life changed. There wasn’t a day Bowie didn’t smile. Not a day he didn’t have a positive thing to say to someone.

Dalton even noticed that Bowie’s once pronounced limp had disappeared. He figured it was because he walked with purpose, determination and pride. Bowie was surrounded by love.

“You forgot to add ‘perfect’ and ‘princess.’” Dalton walked into the room. “You better get started on that one now. I hear girls like that.”

“Katie hated it, so I called her ‘Duchess.’”

“And now you call her ‘Queen’. Tell me again who’s whipped?” He lifted the food he brought. “You hungry?”

Bowie sat up and cradled Sahara in his arms. “I could eat.”

Dalton walked to the kitchen where he spent a lot of his youth. He knew it almost as well as his own.

“Call your brother. He might be hungry too.”

Ten minutes later, Cannon walked in. “Is that bacon I smell?”

They sat at the small table by the window looking over the lake. “You two gave up last night too?”

Cannon picked up a piece of bacon and laughed. “You were gone less than thirty minutes before we packed up. We left two beautiful women sleeping alone. How stupid was that?” He pressed the entire piece of bacon into his mouth.

Bowie added to Cannon’s response. “Yeah, you were walking toward a hot body, and we were looking to freeze our sacks off. Not the smartest move. You get the smart brother prize for the night.” He forked a bite of the egg, the yolk dripping to the plate as he held it in front of his mouth. “You get lucky?” He lifted his brows with ridiculous exaggeration.

“Any time I spend with Samantha feels lucky.”

Cannon picked up his coffee and took a swig. “No, man, he wants to know if you got laid?”

Something fierce and protective roiled inside him. “Don’t talk about her like she’s some common girl. She’s not. She’s more than a lay.”

Bowie and Cannon looked at each other and then back to Dalton.

“You got it bad, bro,” Bowie said.

“Start saving now,” Cannon added, “the ring will set you back big time. If someone hadn’t bought that headboard, I’d be in debt for a long time to come.”

“You can thank Samantha for that. Your headboard is firmly affixed to her bed.”

“No shit? Firmly affixed you say? You give it a rocking?” He held his hand up for a high five. “Congrats man.”

That didn’t sit well with Dalton. He didn’t want Bowie and Cannon thinking Samantha was easy.

“We slept.”

“Yeah, after you rocked the bed, right?” Bowie wiped up the remaining yolk with the last piece of bacon.

Dalton shook his head. “Nope, we slept. Best damn night of my life. I’ve never done so little and been so satisfied.”

He looked at his new brothers who sat there silent with heads shaking. “He’s got it really bad,” they said in unison.