Page 17 of The Brat Tamers

6

EPIPHANY

“Going back to my question earlier about your living situation and dating—” I wait until I have both of their attention on me “—do you three like to share your women?”

I see the flash of surprise on both of their faces, but it’s when Porter saysYesat the same time that Case saysWhat?that I have my actual answer.

Case glares at Porter. “Dude.”

Porter shrugs and turns back to the bowl of ingredients. “She’s not stupid.”

I smile, a satisfied smirk spreading my lips. “Not only is she not stupid, she’s actually quite bright. You guys forget, I have traveled the world many times over. I’ve been exposed to all kinds of lifestyles, and while I may not have partaken in everything myself, there is very little I haven’t been introduced to in one way or another.”

“It doesn’t freak you out?”

I flash them a reassuring smile. “Quite the contrary. I find alternate lifestyles fascinating and have lots of questions. Like, how does it work in reality? How does daily life happen? Do you guys get jealous of each other? What are the logistics of—” I rotate my hands in the air, my fingers curling and flexing to represent different motions and body parts.

Porter laughs but directs his eyes to the pan filled with our dinner.

Case mutters under his breath, “Lee is going to fucking kill us.”

“Is he the boss? Like, in all things? Are the three of youtogethertogether?”

Porter puts the casserole in the oven and spins around, wiping his hands dry on a towel. “Wow, you are getting very personal. Are you prepared to answer as many questions as you are asking?”

I shrug, “Off the record?”

Case leans back in his chair, slinging his arm over the top. “Everything between us is confidential, sweetheart.”

Sweetheart?I kind of like being called that.

“Sure.”

“Asking and answering personal questions could make things uncomfortable, and we don’t know how long we are going to be stuck together.”

I get what they’re saying, but I learned a long time ago to live and let live. What people do, as long as they’re not trying to harm me or mine, is none of my business. And yet, I totally want to know everything because I find it fascinating.

And I find these three men fascinating. All my fantasies from the car ride earlier come roaring to life, and a tingle scatters through the lower half of my body.

I figured the best way to put them at ease is to tell them my own stories. “One time, I went to a fashion show in Milan and met this Bollywood producer who invited me to a party on a yacht off the coast of Abu Dhabi. The entire inside cabin was nothing but a giant orgy. There were naked people everywhere, having sex on couches and against the walls. There was even one woman spread out as a buffet on a giant dining room table, and everyone—men and women alike—took a nibble.”

“Jesus,” Porter mutters.

“How old were you?” Case asks.

“Seventeen, maybe sixteen.”

“Did you participate?”

I can hear the genuine concern in Case’s voice. The story isn’t turning him on. It’s pissing him off.

I shake my head. “Oh no. As soon as my chaperone and I saw what was going on, she took me to the upper deck, and we hung out until the next shuttle boat came by to take me back to my hotel. You see, I’ve been exposed to a lot, but I was fortunate to be protected just enough that I only took part when I wanted to.”

“And your father allowed this?” Porter all but growls.

I bite my lip, involuntarily casting my eyes to the ground. I don’t like talking about my parents because I inevitably give away a fraction of my insecurities or vulnerabilities when I do. “The only thing my father cared about was that I was safe. As long as he didn’t have to deal with me—meaning my chaperones kept me out of trouble—he didn’t care what we did or where we were. It was an unspoken rule in our family. Don’t let anything happen to Epiphany that gives her father no choice but to deal with her. Me landing in the hospital or jail would’ve required my father to deal with me. For everything else, I had a passport and a credit card.”

“And your chaperones? Were they good to you?” The hardness around Case’s eyes eases, and maybe I’m imagining it, but it’s the concern etched in his features that makes me want to open up to him. To both of them. Once again, they are paid to take care of me, but they actually seem like they like me.

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