Page 41 of Wrapped Up with the Three Scrooges
“Don’t you dare,” I practically barked, making her freeze. I moved closer, crouching down beside her and softening my voice. “If you’re about to spiral into some kind of panic aboutcrossing lines or making things weird, don’t. Am I a little hurt you did this without me? Sure, but now you can tell me a nice bedtime story.”
Her eyes went wide. “You... what?”
“What? You thought I was pushing you toward these two idiots just to be nice?” I reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I mean, I was being nice, but I was also hoping…”
“Hoping for what?” Her breath caught as I let my fingers linger near her ear.
“I was hoping we could all figure this out together. The four of us.”
“But...” Emery glanced between us, still clutching Ronan’s shirt like a shield. “Isn’t that... complicated?”
“Sweetheart, you’ve been complicating things since you walked into our lives.” I grinned, remembering how she’d started a sing-along. “Besides, there’s no going back now. I mean, look at our living room.”
“He’s got a point.” Max was now wearing his jeans but was still shirtless. The bastard knew exactly how good his abs looked in the twinkling Christmas lights and flickering flames of the fire. “We’re not the Christmas type and yet... here we are.”
I stood up, offering Emery my hand. “Come on, let’s get you dressed and fed. Then we can talk about how this is going to work.”
She took my hand hesitantly, and I pulled her to her feet, keeping Ronan’s shirt in place. “I’m going to go get cleaned up.”
Ronan handed her what I assumed were her clothes. “We’ll be waiting.”
As soon as Emery disappeared down the hall, I grabbed a plate and a few slices of pizza and sprawled out on the couch. “So, should we address the naked elves in the room, or are we going to pretend this is a normal Friday night?”
“Fuck.” Ronan ran a hand through his hair, pacing in front of the fireplace. “This could seriously affect the business. What if-”
“What? She posts about it on LinkedIn?” I took a bite of pizza. “Somehow I don’t think ‘had mind-blowing sex with my three bosses’ is going to make her professional highlights reel.”
Max, who’d finally put on a shirt, shot me a look. “You seem awfully calm about walking in on... this.”
“Because I’ve been hoping something like this would happen.” I shrugged. “Though I have to admit, I thought I’d be there for the first time. But hey, at least I got my turn on Monday.”
“After shopping?” Ronan stopped pacing, giving me a knowing look.
“Technically it was during shopping.” I had decided not to share about what Emery and I had done in the dressing room out of respect for her privacy.
“You got home and had that stupid grin you get after getting laid.” Max grabbed his own slice of pizza. “It wasn’t that hard to figure out.”
“Speaking of hard...” I wiggled my eyebrows.
“Can you be serious for five minutes?” Ronan snapped. “This isn’t just about sex. This is about our friendship, our business, our…”
“Our hearts?” I finished softly. That made both of them stop and look at me. “Come on, we all know this is different. When’s the last time any of us had a real relationship? One where we let this happen?” I gestured to the Christmas decor.
“You know damn well I don’t do relationships.” Ronan’s shoulders tensed in the way they did whenever someone brought up anything remotely emotional. I’d seen that defensive posture a thousand times over the years we’d been friends, and it never failed to make me want to shake some sense into him.
“My point is, maybe there’s a reason none of us have found someone yet.” I set down my pizza, getting serious. “We share everything else. Is it really that crazy to think we might share this too?”
Max sank into the armchair, looking thoughtful. “What about jealousy? What if she prefers one of us over the others?”
“She clearly doesn’t.” I gestured to the rug where I’d found them. “And honestly? I think that’s what makes her perfect for us. She sees something different in each of us. With me, she’s playful and adventurous. With you, Max, she’s soft and vulnerable. And with Ronan...”
“She challenges me.” Ronan sat down. “Pushes back when I get too intense.”
“Exactly.” I leaned forward. “Look, I’m not saying it won’t be complicated. But when has anything worth having ever been simple?”
“Says the guy who thought starting a gift-wrapping business was a simple side hustle.” Max’s lips twitched.
“And now look at us! Successful business owners who happen to all want to date the same woman.” I grinned, spreading my arms wide to encompass our ridiculous success.
