by Shayla Black
“I have zero interest in replacing you. But I’m shocked we’re not making you happy. I thought we were.” They took care of her in every way she’d let them. They made sure she got home safely at night. Under the guise of Tate’s curiosity about combustion engines, they’d gotten a mechanic to fix everything on her old clunker because they couldn’t figure out a way to con her into accepting a new car from them.
“It’s not you,” she assured softly. “This just isn’t what I wanted to do with my life. For a lot of reasons, I just…I don’t think I can ever be truly fulfilled in this situation.”
Anger began to rattle through his system. They treated her like a freaking queen. She ruled the office. When Belle wanted to replace the coffee maker with a cappuccino machine because she liked an afternoon latte, they’d bought a machine that Starbucks would envy. She hadn’t liked the carpet. Yep, two days later it was gone and they were out thousands of dollars on something she’d called Brazilian cherry. They’d even let her pick the floors.
“You think you’ll find better bosses elsewhere? You want to take the chance that you’ll be hired by another asshole who will chase you around his desk?” He suddenly itched for a fight.
Belle shook her head. “Honey, I wasn’t talking about the work situation. I wasn’t. You three are wonderful bosses. I couldn’t ask for better.” She reached out, cupping her fingers around his cheek. “You’ve got that eye twitch thing going. Take a deep breath and calm down.”
When he got really angry, an annoying tic spasmed over his left eye. The fact she could see it only pissed him off more.
Belle soothed the pads of her fingers over it, her voice slowing and calming. “See, everyone thinks Kell is the angry one, but you hold so much inside. You’re going to explode one day, Eric. I wish you would just let it out.”
Just like that, his anger turned on a dime, morphing into something tender. She understood him. He needed that from her. Hell, he needed her. She calmed him. She fucking got him.
He reached up and caught her hand in his. “I don’t want you to leave, Belle. I’ll do pretty much anything to make you happy so you’ll stay with us.”
With her this close, he could feel the silky smoothness of her caramel skin, the warmth of her body, and he couldn’t hold back.
“It’s not just about the job, Eric. Yes, I want to be creative and use my degree, but I also want what you guys have,” she admitted, her voice vulnerable. “A little family.”
He took her by the shoulders and brought her as close as he dared. “You’re a very important part of our family, Belle. We won’t function without you.”
God, he had spent the last year plotting how to make her the center of their lives, but now he could see how easily she’d already found her way there. If Belle left, they would be gutted.
She shook her head. “I can’t be just the secretary, Eric. It hurts too much.”
As soon as the words were out, she clasped her hand over her mouth with a gasp.
“What does that mean?” he demanded.
Belle stumbled back, just out of his reach. “Nothing. I’ve had too much to drink and I should shut up. It’s time I go to bed and put this idiocy behind me. We have a meeting in the morning. I’ll see you then.”
She turned and headed toward the edge of the dance floor. Tate watched with a frown and pushed his way through the crowd.
“What the hell did you do?” Tate demanded, his voice rising. “You’re supposed to be the smooth talker, but she was crying.”
Kellan, thankfully, hadn’t lumbered across the floor like an overgrown bear. Instead, he’d followed Belle.
Eric watched as she race-walked in her stilettos toward the ballroom doors, her hips moving in that assertive sway he knew so well. Fuck, even when she fled from him, she made him hard.
“Let’s go.” He urged Tate to follow Kellan.
They needed to move this confrontation somewhere private because his dance with Belle had proven it was past time to show her where she belonged. She thought she wasn’t a member of this little family? By god, when he was done, Eric vowed she’d understand that she was the center of it. By morning, he’d make damn sure she had no more questions about quitting her job or starting some new family apart from them. If she wanted to go into design, she could damn well do it in their building. They would set up an office for her where she could be close to them all the time. But there was no fucking way he would let her go.
“Explain what just happened.” Tate gestured to the hallway down which she’d just disappeared, Kellan following like a wolf stalking a particularly juicy bit of prey.
But they were a pack and they needed to take her down together.
“Come on. I’ll fill you in on the way.” Eric started toward the doors.
He felt Tate fall in beside him, just like he’d been doing since they were teenagers.
“It’s time, isn’t it?” A goofy-ass smile spread across his best friend’s face.
To start their future with Belle? “Oh, yeah. It’s time.”
Chapter Three
Belle had to force herself to breathe. God, she’d just made a complete and utter fool of herself. What had she been thinking? She’d blamed the alcohol, but that was a lie. She’d had exactly two glasses of wine all night long. The liquor hadn’t muddled her brain or turned her into an emotional mess. No, the wedding had done that. Not the canine vows, but watching Kinley with her men, the Lennox brothers with their shared wife, not to mention the close-knit James gang and the royals doting on their pretty bride. Seeing all the love in the room and realizing that none of it was for her had driven pain into her heart.
Her plan to snare their attention tonight had utterly failed. She’d chosen her clothes so carefully, selecting a dress she hoped played well against her cool skin tone and a cut that hugged her curves. Hoping they’d finally see her as a woman—their woman—she had bought a pair of black-and-white Pradas that set her budget back by months. She’d nearly succumbed to the urge to take Kinley’s advice and tell them what she wanted, especially when she had been on the dance floor with Eric…but she’d lost her nerve. If they knew what she wanted, would they simply pity her or laugh outright?
As the evening had dragged on and several single beauties eyed her bosses, Belle hadn’t been able to watch. She couldn’t stand the thought of seeing them hook up for the night. No, she didn’t think they’d noticed any other woman, much less tried to get anyone’s attention, but men that hot didn’t have to. Before the end of the party, some thin thing would wink their way, and the three of them would probably disappear with her. And Belle knew her heart would break.
She strode down the hall toward her room. She was stuck being something between a little sister and an employee to them. They’d never pretended to want more. They hadn’t promised her a thing. She was going to owe Eric an apology in the morning. They were the best bosses anyone would have, but she’d complained. Not surprising that he’d misunderstood. He must think the worst of her, and she couldn’t blame him. The thought only made her tears come harder.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Kellan. Even without turning around, she knew it. His voice stopped her in her tracks.
Belle couldn’t look at him while she had tears in her eyes. Thank god for waterproof mascara, but he would still be able to tell she was crying. Without a doubt, that would raise questions. He’d bark them, and she didn’t have the heart or the energy to answer.
“I’m tired, Kell,” she said without facing him. “It’s been a long day. I’m going to my room. I’ll be ready for the meeting in the morning.”
Please let him go away. Please. Please.
No such luck. He moved silently, but she felt the moment he entered her space. “Look at me.”
It took everything she had not to obey him and turn around. When he used that voice on her, she wanted to so badly. In fact, when he spoke to her like that, she’d do just about anything to please him. Belle close
“What did Eric say to you? Turn around, look at me, and tell me what happened so I can fix it.”
Crap, he wouldn’t go away. She should have known it. If she started down the hall, he would just follow her. He was a dog with a bone, especially when he got his inner Dom rolling. She should be happy she was dealing with him alone and not the whole trio. They were all lawyers and damn good at interrogation.
She took a long breath and prayed she didn’t look as bad as she feared. Letting out a breath and trying to hide her defeated expression, she turned. Her heart fell when she saw Eric and Tate storming out of the ballroom in her direction. The doors shut behind them, muffling the music. The hallway fell something too close to silent.
“Tell me now what he said to you.” Kellan scowled fiercely. His expression probably should have sent her running for cover, but she knew he would never hurt her physically. Emotionally, he was napalm.
“Nothing. Eric didn’t do anything wrong. I’m just tired and cranky.” She sighed and hoped she could escape this without fighting the three of them. Or them fighting each other. The guys were so close, but when they threw down, their arguments were legendary. “I’m the one who said something. Can we just let it lie?”
“She’s going to quit.” Eric took his place on one side of Kellan. Tate stood like a sentry at the other.
Kellan’s gloriously blue eyes flared. “Quit?”
Tate shook his head and stepped forward. “Why would you do that? What did we do?”
Annabelle wished she’d never opened her big mouth. “It’s nothing any of you did. I want to be an interior designer. It’s what I studied in college, but I spoke too soon. I’m not quitting tomorrow. It’s something I plan to do down the road. I just thought you all should know.”
There. She could try to play it off as something eventual, not pressing. But now that it seemed obvious they were more concerned about her professionally than romantically, she’d have to leave soon.
“If that’s the case, why are you crying?” Kellan thrust an arm out, stopping Tate from coming forward.
She wished she was one of those women who could turn her emotions on and off, but she’d never been good at hiding what she was feeling. Right now, that was a profound sadness that they would never be hers. “I just got emotional about the wedding.”
“About the dog wedding?” Kellan asked, his voice flat.
“Yes, it was beautiful in its own way,” she insisted, hoping he’d leave it be.
Kell held her stare, his eyes narrowing. “That’s lie number one. I’ll keep track, Belle, and you should expect punishment if you continue.”
Punishment? As she sniffled past her surprise, she studied them. They stood around her in a semicircle, Kell in the middle, while Eric and Tate moved closer to flank her. All three men wore stern expressions, and she had a little flash of instinctive fear. Suddenly, she was struck by how alone she was with them and how big they loomed. She wasn’t some petite pixie, but at the moment, these men made her feel like a rabbit surrounded by hungry lions.
What the hell was that stare about? She didn’t know, but they damn sure weren’t looking at her like she was some sort of wayward employee anymore.
She took a step back. “I just had too much to drink. You know how whiny girls can get when they’re drunk.”
Kellan shook his head. “That’s lie number two. I watched you all night. You had exactly two glasses of Chardonnay and you ate all of your dinner. You also had several glasses of water. You’re digging yourself a hole, love.”
Belle tried to take a step back from the displeased Dom. Suddenly, Tate hovered behind her, cutting off her escape route. The heat of his body blanketed her, sending shivers up her spine. How had he sneaked around her without her noticing?
“That’s more than enough in a two-hour period to counter the effects of alcohol,” Tate added. “Given your body weight and normal intake of eight ounces a day, you shouldn’t be feeling even a light buzz. I’m sure you’re below the legal limit, so you’re perfectly capable of speaking rationally and making decisions.”
She had a glass of wine every night when she got home from work. Just one glass, but that was probably enough to ensure that two in one evening wouldn’t have much of an effect on her. “How do you know what my normal intake is?”
He shrugged. “I think you mentioned it once or twice.”
Tate never thought—he knew. Her earlier fear that they were indifferent faded, now morphing into confusion. How did Tate know her habits at home?
She turned back to Kellan. “You were too busy to keep tabs on me all night, so you don’t really know what I drank.”
“Wrong. I’m never too busy to watch you. I also tipped one of the waiters to keep an eye on you,” Kellan explained without a bit of shame. “You had one glass with Kinley before the wedding and one during the reception. Everything else has been water.”
They could have knocked her over with a feather. “You really did watch me.”
“I do it all the time. You just don’t notice. But I make sure you stay safe and out of trouble. I’ll keep doing it. And you will not be allowed to quit,” Kellan insisted.
Not allowed? She glared at Kell, then sent a sharp, questioning glance Eric’s way. He alone hadn’t given any indication that he spied on her. “And what about you? You been keeping track of who I talk to and dance with, maybe?”
The sexiest smile curled his lips up. “No, honey, that’s Tate’s thing. I’ve just been watching your ass. Have I ever told you how much I fucking love your ass? It looks amazing in that dress.”
Belle dropped her jaw and couldn’t seem to pick it up, even as heat spiked through her. Had Eric really just said that? What the hell? Maybe she’d had way more to drink than she thought and this was some sort of alcoholic haze. She shook her head, too confused and emotional for this bizarre conversation.
“Every man in the damn room has been watching her ass,” Tate complained.
“No, they weren’t,” she insisted. “None of you are making sense right now. Maybe you’re the ones who had too much to drink. Let’s just call it a night. I’ll see you in the morning.”
She turned and ran straight into Tate’s massive body. He was right at six foot five, every inch of him pure muscle. She had to strain to look up at him.
“You think we’re going to sit down over breakfast and have a company meeting on appropriate protocol when the secretary threatens to run away?” Tate challenged with a biting smile. “Maybe draft a flow chart?”
He looked younger than the other two, though she knew he’d been born just a few months after Eric. Somehow he managed to look both boyishly handsome and sexy as hell in his suit. For the longest time, she’d wondered what he looked like out of those tailored suits.
“Tate…” She sighed. “Can you let me pass?”
As an answer, he grabbed her shoulders to hold her captive. “Or I could write a manual. You know how much I like documentation. One of the first things I would do is prohibit that dress in public. Your breasts look gorgeous, by the way. All the men were looking at those, too. And the chick from the bar who plays for the other team. I know that should piss me off, too, but I find it oddly hot.”
Belle rolled her eyes. She wasn’t even sure what he was trying to say. “I’m not in the mood to fulfill your girl-on-girl fantasies, Tate. Good night.”
She tried to walk past him and head for the elevators. Eric stepped in front of her, blocking her path. “Not quite yet. The girl-on-girl thing isn’t his biggest fantasy. That’s taking you to bed, which I totally support if I can join in. But don’t let him write a process manual on how to deal with you unless you want him to tell you what to wear. He’s insanely possessive. Now me personally, I don’t care how many men look at you as long as they don’t fucking touch. That should be rule number one in the manual.”
“And right under that, I’ll make sure there’s a section on proper discipline just for you.” Kellan brushed against her, murmuring in her ear.
She shivered, totally surrounded by them, trapped. If she moved an inch in any direction, she would be pressing her body against one of them. Damn if that wasn’t igniting her libido. “What game are you guys playing?”
She wished the question hadn’t come out so breathy and sultry. She’d meant to convey disinterest or at least take the reins on this runaway conversation, but no. Inside, she was melting, her female parts threatening to take over and encouraging her to let her bosses do their worst. Belle tried to remind herself that she wanted a relationship with them, and if she let them simply take her to bed, it would likely only be for one night.
True, but at least then she’d know what it felt like to be in the middle of all that masculine beauty. She would experience for a short time what it meant to be theirs.
“We’re done playing games, Belle,” Tate vowed solemnly.
“Speak for yourself.” Kellan’s words rumbled low, his breath -->
