Page 40 of Craving Their Omega

He hesitates briefly, like he might say something else, but then echoes my nod and continues on his way.

Sienna snorts as soon as he’s out of earshot. “‘Mr. Blackwell’?” she asks.

“What are you talking about now?” I retort, exasperated with this already.

“Just that it didn’t seem like there was a lot of warmth there between you and one of your husbands.” She says the word like she really means something else. “He treated you the same way he would have treated any of the other assistants. I wonder what that could mean.”

My stomach flips over a bit when she says that, and it’s a strange, unexpected feeling.

“Just drop it, Sienna,” I snap, finally losing my patience with this and with her.

“Oh, Sienna,” Xavier says, walking up to join us. “Just the person I was looking for.”

She smiles, and there’s just an edge of smugness to it. Enough for me to see, but Xavier probably wouldn’t notice if he wasn’t looking for it.

“You found me,” she says. “What can I do for you, Mr. Sterling?”

“We have a meeting with a potential client in half an hour. I need ten copies of all the relevant intro materials ready to go by then.”

“Oh,” she says, faltering a little. “I don’t usually?—”

“You can handle it, right?” he says, cutting her off. “I need to talk to my wife.”

“Of course,” Sienna says. Her tone is fake nice, but I know she’s so cool about this that butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. “I’d be happy to, Mr. Sterling.”

“Great. Thank you.” Xavier turns away from her, giving me his full attention, so he misses the way Sienna gives me one hell of a stink eye before she goes off to do what he asked.

Once we’re alone, I smile hesitantly at Xavier. “You know you can’t spoil me like this right? You’re supposed to be treating me like any other assistant. Otherwise people will start to talk.” I think about what Sienna implied and decide not to mention that they’re already talking. I don’t want to give her more ammo to use against me.

“I know, I know.” Xavier gives me a grin. “I’ll treat you just like all the others, promise.” A thoughtful look crosses his face. “You know, most of our assistants are general purpose, but some of them like to specialize in one thing or another. Is there anything you’d like to focus on while you’re working here?”

I give that a bit of thought, chewing on my bottom lip. “Well… I think it would be nice to learn more about the logistics of owning and running a business. Clearly you guys all had experience with that before the merger, so you’re probably the best people to learn from. And when I reopen my bakery, it would be nice to know a lot more than I did the first time around.”

“That’s a great idea,” Xavier replies. “I think you’re going to have a head for this, shortcake. You’re quick to pick things up, and you follow instructions well. I can help you learn what you need to know.”

He smiles at me, and I can’t help but smile back, caught up in his good humor.

Chapter 15

Penelope

Over the next several days, the four of us settle into something of a routine. Which is a weird thing to think, that I could have a routine with Xavier, Dominic, and Tristan, but here we are.

Our mornings start at home, with coffee and breakfast in the kitchen. Xavier is a morning person, surprising no one, and even Dominic manages to be in something of a good mood at least sixty percent of the time. Tristan is still quiet, almost sullen as he watches the proceedings over the rim of his coffee cup, but it’s mostly amicable.

We all head to work together, and I chat with Jonas and Xavier on the way, getting to know more about their driver. He’s always so nice to me, always friendly, and it’s nice to have someone who seems happy to see me every morning and eager to hear what I have to say.

That’s definitely not the case when we all arrive at the office, because if Sienna is there and sees it, all I get is dirty looks from her for the rest of the day.

At the end of the day, we all head home together and have dinner at the expansive dining room table in the house. Sometimes Xavier cooks, and I usually help him prep on those nights, cutting things to his specifications or stirring when heneeds an extra pair of hands. Sometimes we order out, and I learn more about the kinds of foods my husbands like, taking notes for the future.

It’s a business arrangement of a marriage, but that doesn’t mean I can’t do well at it.

Xavier has been true to his word, and he’s been helping me learn more about business logistics. There’s a lot that goes into it, and when he forwards me a bunch of articles and information to read, I spend lunch breaks poring over it so I can ask him questions later.

Dominic is still Dominic. Demanding and brusque on a good day, no matter that I’m his wife. But I can tell he’s softened toward me a bit, and I feel less intimidated by him when we cross paths. He’ll actually stop and say hello instead of just bowling me over the way he used to. So that’s something.

And then of course, there’s Tristan. I rarely speak to him directly in the office, but I always seem to be crossing paths with him, adding to the weird tension between us. I’ll see him in the copy room, or when I go to scan in documents. When I take a break to get coffee, he’ll be there, even though I’m pretty sure he has his own private coffee maker in his massive office that he could use.

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