As Zach stepped around the enormous coffee table into the woman’s space, she tugged her ponytail tight and lifted her face.
Zach stopped in his tracks two feet from her.
Her smile lit up the room for about two seconds as she realized who he must be. And then her face fell flat at the same time the blood rushed from his body. His eyes met hers and held them.
Of course.
Why would he be shocked?
He grinned as he lowered himself onto the couch next to her, in part to get closer to her and in part because he didn’t think he could hold himself up any longer.
Before he spoke, he removed his goggles and hat from his head and set them with his gloves on the seat next to him. Still he held her gaze.
Her eyes were the most gorgeous shade of green, like the sea, almost clear. Her skin was fair with a smattering of freckles across her nose. Finally, he licked his lips and found his voice. “Please tell me you’re Laurie.”
She smiled broadly, and he loved the way her face lit up. A single dimple appeared on each cheek. “Does it matter?”
He chuckled. “No, but it’s going to be a long morning if there’s another woman in this room I’m supposed to give skiing lessons to.”
She giggled. The tinkle of her voice made his cock hard. Thank God for layers of ski clothing. “Good point.” She held out her hand, a dainty small hand with pink polish on her nails. “Laurie Hamilton.”
He enveloped it in his, surrounding it with his larger one and holding it tight. He had no desire to let her go, so he pulled her fingers up to his cheek and closed his eyes, inhaling her scent as everything about her surrounded him.
“It’s true, isn’t it,” she whispered.
He looked back at her, confused. “What’s true?”
“You and your brothers. You mate in threes.”
He nodded. “Yeah. But how can you tell?”
She shrugged and glanced around. “I can sense it. I feel the pull toward you, but there’s a piece missing.”
“Are you sensitive like your sister, Melinda?”
“Not sure yet. I’ve had a few weird vibes lately since arriving in this section of Montana—or more specifically on tribal land. I wouldn’t expect to feel anything so intense here in Cambridge.” She shuddered. Her gaze still searched the room.
Zach took a deep breath. “I can’t feel him. Can you?”
She shook her head and returned her gaze to him. “No. Is that weird? I mean, how are we supposed to…” Her voice trailed off. He couldn’t blame her. What was she supposed to say?
“Apparently it happens sometimes. We’ll figure out who he is soon. Otherwise our lives will be tortured.” He cringed, imagining days on end with this sweet woman at his side without claiming her. Or maybe he could… But no, it wouldn’t really be a claiming without the third mate taking her at the same time. Otherwise, it would just be sex. Could they have sex without their mysterious third partner?
She chewed her bottom lip. “This is surreal.”
“You’re not kidding.” That was an understatement.
She pulled her hand out of his grasp. “You were going to teach me to ski.” She was adorable with her head cocked to one side, fighting a grin.
“I still am. What else do we have to do? Besides, if we’re going to spend our lives together, you’re gonna need to learn to ski. And love it.”
She scrunched up her nose. “So much pressure. I only signed up for a morning on the bunny slopes, not a lifetime of black moguls.”
“Lucky you. Two for one.” He glanced down at her ski boots and then crouched to his knees at her feet. “I see you made great headway getting the buckles closed.”
“Yeah.” She straightened her legs in front of him, wiggling her feet back and forth so the buckles flopped all over the place. “I wasn’t sure what I was doing.”
Zach straddled one foot, set it flat on the floor, bent at the knee, and popped each lock into place. He did the same with the other boot. “There. I assume you already got the skis too? Are they outside?”
“Yep. Although I fail to see how anyone knows whose skis are whose in all that mess.” She waved her hand in the direction of the dozens of skis propped up on wooden racks against a breathtaking view of the slopes visible through the giant wall of windows.
He stood and took her hand to pull her up next to him. She was even smaller upright. Maybe five foot two at the most. Which shouldn’t be surprising since Melinda was also tiny. So was Joyce, their mother. And Mimi, their grandmother. That was where the similarities stopped, however. Laurie was nothing like her sister, her mother, or her grandmother in complexion and hair color. Even her eyes were a distinct green she didn’t share with her female family members.