Page 114 of Royally Tempted

“And then some.”

“So, first day was ‘just good’ but now you’re asking questions about office relationships with bosses?”

“I told you not to look into it like that,” I mumbled.

“Ari, honestly, it works because it isn’t just a work thing. They made sure of that when we first got together. It’dneverhave worked if I was just their underling who happened to be their girlfriend. We had to be equals, and find that equal footing.”

I nodded, looking away and drinking my wine.

“You’re not going to tell me what happened today are you?”

I shook my head, doing my best to hide my grin.

“Fine, be a brat like that. But that’s my advice, for the issue you aren’t having. Find equal ground.”

Chapter 9

Iwasat workpromptlythe next morning. Actually, I was there twenty minutes ahead of time, and when Hunter, Damien, and Sean walked in, I was already sitting there in my desk at the side of their office. The three of them definitely stopped mid-step and exchanged glances before turning my way.

“Before you say anything.” I stood abruptly, facing them. I’d practiced this in the mirror a hundred times the night before, but my voice still faltered and my heart still fluttered when I saw the three of them looking at me like that.

I cleared my throat and started again. “Before you say anything,yes, I know you told me to take the day off. And I don’t know what yesterdaymeantto all of you, and I hate to come off asthat girl, but I’m not exactly schooled on— on…” I stammered, dropping my gaze for a moment.

“Onsleepingwith three men at once. So, if yesterday was just—”

“Yesterday meant more to us than you can possibly believe, Arianna,” Hunter said softly, taking a step forward. I glanced up into his sharp blue eyes, momentarily losing myself again as I found myself smiling.

Damn, how did he do that?

“Yesterday.” Damien shook his head, throwing his briefcase on a chair and moving towards my desk. “Yesterday wasn’t something we ever really do. And I meanever. And yesterday was fuckingincredible,” he murmured, stepping closer to me.

“Certainly not in this office, and certainly not with an employee,” Sean added, rubbing his chiseled jaw as he stepped forward as well.

“Well.” I blushed, looking away before back up to them. “That’s just it. I agree, yesterday was, um,mind-blowing.”

The men grinned as I bit my lip bashfully, the raw energy from the day before rushing through me.

“But, it’s the office thing and the employee thing that bothers me.”

“You’re fired.”

Hunter reached out and punched Damienhardin the arm as the blonde man laughed at his own joke.

“He’s fucking kidding,” he said quickly to me before turning to the other man. “Tell heryou’re kidding, asshole.”

Damien grinned at me, shrugging. “I’m obviously kidding.”

“I think I understand what you mean,” Sean’s gruff voice cut through the other two. “It makes things…differentwith us being ‘in charge’ of you.”

“Yeah, that,” I said quietly, nodding.

“Well,” Hunter said, scratching his square chin thoughtfully. “So let’s take it outside the office. Let’s all go do something, show you this isn’t just three assholes taking advantage of the new secretary.”

I grinned, wagging a finger at him. “Hey, I didnotsay that.”

He grinned back. “So you don’t think we’re taking advantage of you?”

“No,” I said quietly, holding that gaze of his and shaking my head.

---