Dani woke up to find herself alone in Sergei’s bed. Fumbling for her phone, she realized she’d left it in her room so she had no idea what time it was. She sat up, listening for signs of life, and heard the faintest sounds of laughter coming from downstairs. The door of the bedroom was closed so she eased it open and tiptoed out, even though she wasn’t sure why, slipping into her own room.

Her phone told her it was after ten, which was late for her, but they’d had a long night. They’d made love again and then lay together talking for what must have been hours. They’d started relatively early since Niko had been in bed by eight, but it had to have been well after midnight before they’d fallen asleep. It had been wonderful, too, lying there together, talking and laughing. Her body was still humming from how thoroughly he’d loved her and she smiled as she cleaned up, dressing for the day. She hadn’t had much in the way of expectations, but Sergei had far surpassed them.

She padded down the stairs and found Sergei and Niko cleaning up the kitchen.

“Mama D, are you sick?” Niko turned to her, his blue eyes narrowed worriedly.

“No, silly, I just couldn’t sleep last night so I was tired this morning.”

“Did you get enough rest?” Sergei asked softly, one hand resting lightly on her waist.

“I did. Thank you for letting me sleep in.”

“It’s summer. You should be doing a lot of resting.”

“So should you.”

“I’m fine.” He turned to Niko. “So, Niko wants to go hiking today. You in?”

“Sure.” Since the boys had eaten, she pulled out the blender to make her protein shake, smiling to herself as Sergei sent Niko to go play and then pressed himself up against her back. He dropped a light kiss on her bare shoulder before resting his chin there.

“You sure you’re okay? Not too sore?”

She nudged him with her elbow. “I’m fine. My friend Wayne is very good at this bedroom stuff.”

His gruff laugh against her ear gave her goose bumps. “He told me he’s looking forward to more quality time with Maryanne.”

“She’s looking forward to it, too.” She turned on the blender and turned to face him, sliding her arms around his neck. “Sergei, what are we doing about Niko?”

“Putting him to bed?”

She laughed. “I mean, right now, during the day. Are we going to touch and kiss like this? It might confuse him.”

“Yeah, maybe. I don’t know. I guess we shouldn’t be overt about it, but at the same time, I’m not going to pretend you’re some kind of casual fuck. That’s not what this is, Dani. For as long as we’re together, we’re together. I’m not going to teach my son to be a prick.”

“He’s three. He has no idea that there’s a correlation between the way we touch in front of him and other things that go on.”

“No, but it becomes part of his subconscious and as he gets older, there will be a part of him that puts two and two together. I never want him to think I’ll touch a woman I don’t care about like that in front of him. And a woman like you, whom I’m intimate with, who’s also part of his life? Yes, he’s going to see the appropriate parts of it.”

“And when he asks…whatever a three-year-old might ask?”

“I tell him you’re part of my life. When you go to Colorado, it’s not like we won’t be friends anymore, and I’ll explain you’re playing hockey for the Olympics. Because we’re going to be your two biggest fans.”

“You will?” For some reason that almost made her tear up.

“Of course.” He kissed her lightly, reaching behind her to turn off the blender. “Every exhibition, every televised anything, and it will be all Olympic hockey, all the time, come February.”

“My only regret is that none of you will be there.” She sighed. “You, my brother, Sara… Although I think my parents are going. Zakk said he’s getting them flights and tickets to the hockey events, but he’s surprising them in October for their anniversary.”

“I’d be there if I could. I wish it lined up with the All-Star weekend.”

“I know.” She made a face. “But knowing Zakk and the other Sidewinders will be watching helps, even if it adds a little pressure.”

“What am I? Chopped liver?” he teased.

“I didn’t know you were interested until just recently.”

“I’m interested.” He slid his hands down to cup her backside. “But today, we’re going hiking, so get some nutrition into you while I get Niko ready.”

“Okay.” She nodded, turning to pour the protein shake into a glass, her butt still tingling from where he’d touched her. God, she hoped she didn’t react to him like this every time he touched her outside the bedroom—it was a little overwhelming. Of course, he was overwhelming. How the hell had she gotten so involved with Sergei Petrov? She desperately needed to talk to Sara.

---

They hiked in a place not far from Anchorage called Flattop Mountain. It was a bit touristy, but only about a fifteen-minute drive from the city and not terribly steep since they had Niko with them. After Sergei had told her where they were going, she’d done a little research online, finding that the Arapaho and Ute Indians had traveled the area to reach hunting grounds of the Great Plains. The peak was just over 12,000 feet and the round-trip hike was almost nine miles. Sergei had said he didn’t think they could do the whole thing with Niko, so they would go as far as they could and turn back.

While the beginning of the path wasn’t bad, it got steeper, but the spectacular views made it worthwhile. Sergei carried Niko in the beginning, putting him down when it got more difficult, he and Dani taking turns holding his hand. Dani stopped often to take pictures, which allowed Niko to rest, and she found herself so caught up in the beauty surrounding them she didn’t think much about the climb itself.

“Selfie time!” she called out, lifting Niko into her arms and turning her back on the gorgeous background so it would be in the picture.

Sergei stepped in, sliding an arm around her waist and smiling.

Looking down at the picture, Dani felt a surge of emotion; they looked like a family, like they belonged together. She hated feeling like a romantic ninny, but being with Sergei and Niko was so natural.

“I think we can make it,” Sergei said as they continued to climb. “According to the information I have, it starts to level out here so the last third of a mile shouldn’t be too bad. If you want, we can take turns going up while the other stays here with Niko.”

“How do you feel, buddy?” Dani asked him, kneeling in front of him. “You think you can hike a little more?”

Niko seemed amenable since they’d been sitting for a while and he’d had a good snack, so he nodded.

“We’ll take it slow,” Sergei said. “If anyone gets too tired, we’ll turn around. We’ve already seen some beautiful stuff.”

“At this point, we’re too close not to go all the way,” Dani said. “I want to do it.”

“Okay. I can carry Niko if I need to; this is pretty flat.”

“I’m hiking, Daddy,” Niko protested mildly, grinning up from under his Alaska Blizzard baseball cap.

“You just tell us if you’re too tired, okay?”

When they got to the top, Dani took a deep breath, looking around in fascination. “Wow. Just wow. This is gorgeous.”

There was rocky terrain, snow-covered peaks and the Tyndall Glacier in the distance. They’d decided not to actually approach the glacier since they’d been warned it was dangerous, but it was still beautiful.

They sat on the ground enjoying the beauty around them and Dani wondered for the first time if she would be happy living here. She wasn’t sure what made her think about that, but it undoubtedly had to do with the gorgeous man and sweet little boy on either side of her. She didn’t want to articulate anything in particular, but there was no universe where leaving them would be easy.

“Ready to start heading back?” Sergei asked. “People I talked to said we shouldn’t be up here much past noon and it’s getting there.”

“Yeah, let’s go. We definitely don’t want to get caught in those thunderstorms they talked about.”

With a few final pictures and one last look at the view, they started back down.

---

It was three days before Dani had any time alone. Sergei went to meet up with Jake and Aaron for a beer and she was home with Niko. She’d just gotten him to bed and sank onto the couch, ready for some girl talk. It had been too long since she and Sara had talked. Though they texted regularly and kept in touch, they hadn’t had a real conversation in weeks. The truth was, she and Sergei were together constantly. Even tonight, he’d acted almost guilty as he’d told her he was going out with the guys. She’d laughed, telling him it was fine and reminding him he needed to bond with his new teammates. He’d kissed her before he left, whispering that she should be naked and waiting for him in bed when he got home. Something she was totally on board for. Their sex life was out of control but more fun than she wanted to admit.

“Hey!” Sara answered immediately.

“Hi. What’s goin’ on?”

“Same shit, different day. You?”

Dani chuckled. “Definitely not the same shit as the last time we talked.”

“You did it,” Sara squealed. “Oh my god, you lost your virginity.”

“And then some.”

“And then some? Tell me everything.”

Sara’s excitement was contagious and Dani gave her an abridged version of the sexcapades that had been going on for the last five days or so.

“I’m so jealous.” Sara sighed. “I haven’t gotten any in ages.”

“You were getting more than your share all through college while I got none,” Dani pointed out. “It’s my turn.”

“Okay,” she conceded. “You get your share now.”

“I think there are quite a few single guys on the team,” Dani mused. “Maybe Sergei can introduce you when you get here?”

“I hope so.” Sara paused. “So…how’s the rest of it?”

“The rest of what?”

“Your relationship.”

“Um, fine?”

“Come on, Dani, this is me and I know you. If you were a casual-lay kind of girl, you’d have given up your cherry to that football player in our freshman biology class.”

Dani hesitated. “Honestly, I don’t know. Since I’ve never been in a sexual relationship before, I don’t know how it works when you’re this intimate with someone. I’ve spent the last four nights sleeping with him. For all intents and purposes, we live together since I’m now sharing his bed. I take care of his house to a degree, we do things as a family and for the last four nights, the minute we put Niko to bed we were naked and all over each other. Is that normal?”

Sara let out a long, put-upon sigh. “Oh, honey.”

“What?”

“No, okay? No, that’s not normal. Most people go out on dates and, whether it’s the first date or later, have sex but then go home to their own beds. They certainly don’t live together, take care of a child together, and spend 24/7 together. This has every element of a serious relationship except one thing.”

“What?” Dani asked warily.

“Commitment?”

“Um, well, that’s not entirely accurate. We agreed that we would only be with each other for as long as we’re together. At least until I leave for Colorado.”

“It’s exclusive?” Sara sounded startled.

“Is that bad?”

“Not for him, but it could be very bad for you.”

“Why?”

“Don’t even try to tell me you’re not having feelings.”

Dani didn’t say anything.

“Dani?”

“Well, yeah, some, I guess. But we’re friends—I have feelings for you, too. That doesn’t mean I’m in love with you.”

“No, but if I were to tell you I didn’t want to be friends anymore, wouldn’t it hurt?”

Once again, Dani fell silent for a while. “So you’re saying I’m going to get hurt, because once it’s time to go he won’t be my exclusive live-in lover anymore.”

“Pretty much. What does he say?”

“We haven’t talked about it beyond the no-fucking-anyone-else conversation. But he says he’s not capable of falling in love again, that he’s broken.”

“And you don’t believe it.”

“It’s not possible. He’s amazing. Maybe he’s not capable of loving me, but he’s definitely capable of loving. I feel it every time he touches me. I may not have a lot of sex experience, but I have life experience, and there was a lot more than sex going on when he did everything he could to make the first time better. When he dragged me to sit in the bathtub with him afterwards. When he got up with Niko the other morning to let me sleep in. When he got all up in arms about not showing affection around Niko, how he’s not going to teach his son to take advantage of women. Even though said child is a toddler who probably doesn’t even notice. Oh, no, that’s not a man incapable of love. Maybe it’s just me.”

“Would you stop that?” Sara hissed, the annoyance in her voice vibrating through the phone. “Did you ever think it’s because you’re leaving, so he knows there’s no future? You’re going to the Olympics, which isn’t optional, and then to your dream job working for an NHL team. None of that includes him or Alaska, so why would he open himself up to that?”

“I guess you’re right,” Dani mumbled.

“Dani, maybe you need to think twice about this friends-with-benefits arrangement. Your whole voice lights up when you talk about him. And those pictures you posted online the other day while the three of you were hiking? Honey, do you have any idea how much you look like a family? You could be Niko’s mom, and while it maybe wasn’t obvious to others, anyone who knows you could see the intimacy in those selfies of you and Sergei.”

“You think my brother saw them?”

“Your brother definitely saw them.”

“How do you know?” Dani asked in alarm.

“Because I was over there helping Tiff with the boys and she and Zakk were arguing.”

“About me?”

“Well, Zakk wanted to call Sergei and ask him flat out if he’s sleeping with his sister. Tiff forbade him.”

Despite the seriousness of the conversation, Dani chuckled. Her brother was physically formidable, but his fiancée was a force to be reckoned with. “So what happened?” she asked after a moment.

“Tiff told him he wasn’t getting any for a year if he did anything and he backed off, but then she got in the shower and he called Toli.”

“Oh, fuck me loud!” Dani hissed. “Seriously?”

“Oh yeah. Obviously I couldn’t hear Toli’s end of the conversation, but he seemed to talk him off the ledge. Your brother was saying stuff like, ‘If he hurts her…’ and, ‘You think they’re getting married?’ but by the end, he mumbled something about minding his own business for now and bringing it up when you come home for your birthday.”

“Great.” Dani scowled. “Way to ruin my trip for me.”

“Sorry. But the point is, everyone sees there’s something between you just from some innocent pictures with Niko. I can’t imagine what it’s like being you.”

“We’ve only been sleeping together a week or so.”

“The sex is an intense bonus, but if that’s all it was, there wouldn’t be the electricity you can see in pictures. I think you’re falling hard and don’t even know it.”

“Well, even if that’s true, it’s too late to stop it. So why not enjoy it while it lasts and deal with the aftermath later? Besides, when I get to Colorado, I’m going to be way too busy with hockey to worry about a broken heart. Everyone has them, right? I’m probably way past due.”

Sara groaned. “Dani, I don’t think—”

“Come on, don’t. I just want to giggle about how big his dick is and have you tell me about some cool thing I can do in bed to surprise him. Let me enjoy this, Sara. Please?”

Sara was quiet for a bit before saying, “Ice cubes.”

“What?”

“Put an ice cube in your mouth before you blow him.”

“Oh my god! For real?” Dani tucked her legs under her as Sara explained what to do.