SARAH When he winks at me, I almost leap off my feet. Normally, I find winking an extremely cringey act. Somehow, Jason HawkThorne manages to make it sexy. Jaxon knows Kevin can’t find out I snuck out to be with them, and that’s what makes our little getaway weekend so hot. It’s only after they’ve left the room and I’ve taken a shower that I realize I didn’t pack clothes. I came here in my shirt and shorts only. Frustrated, I run my right fingers down the length of my wet hair. Fuck. What do I do now? It’s at that moment a silly little thought creeps into the crevices of my mind. Why not have a little fun before the actual fun starts? I tiptoe down the stairs to find Ronan and Jaxon sitting by the kitchen island. I peep further in the kitchen and spot someone at the stove wearing an apron while stirring something in the pot. It smells amazing. Must be Malachi. He’s the chef among the three of them. A teasing smile dances across my face. They’re in for the shock of their lives. I let myself step into view, then slowly take the towel off my body, letting it drop to the ground. “Hey, boys,” It’s a soft, seductive purr. Even though my heart is beating wildly against my chest, I have to stay confident and brave if I’m going to pull this off. Ronan and Jaxon both whip their heads toward me. The lust comes first in their eyes, before the sheer panic. I’m certain it’s the latter that makes Ronan’s jaw harden.

“What are you doing?” Ronan nearly yells, standing up so fast his stool screeches. I blink twice, shocked by his reaction. Did I do something wrong? The man at the stoves coughs, and I turn to him. Our eyes meet for a brief moment, and blood slowly drains from my face. The man at the stove is not Malachi. He’s at most thirty, with streaks of black hair on his bearded chin, and very, very wide eyes. My brain is screaming at me, telling me to pick up my towel and disappear forever, but I can’t even fucking move. It’s Ronan who picks the towel up from the ground and wraps it around my still body. Behind me, Malakai’s voice cuts through the chaos. “Sarah—what the fuck?” I turn, clutching the towel, mortified. “I—I thought he was you!” The chef politely averts his eyes and steps aside while murmuring an apology. I wait for the ground to open and swallow me. When it doesn’t, I decide to take matters into my own hands. I bolt upstairs and lock myself in the room they gave me. What the actual fuck? In less than ten seconds, the brothers storm in behind me. “Why would you do that?” I can’t tell if Ronan is amused, annoyed, or a mix of both. Those are the only two emotions on his face. However, I am drowning in embarrassment. “You didn’t tell me there was someone here!” I snap. Malachi shakes his head. His coy enjoyment is very evident in those mischievous grey eyes of his. “In our defense, we didn’t think you’d come down naked to put on a strip show.” I hiss at him. “I’m so embarrassed. I can’t go back down there. I don’t even have any clothes!” Malachi sighs and turns to Jaxon. “Tell the chef to leave. Now.” Jaxon heads out, and Ronan digs into the closet. He tosses me one of his oversized shirts. “Wear this with your shorts. We’ll go get you something new.”A small smile forms on my cheeks. Who doesn’t love shopping? I sit in the backseat as Timothy drives us out of the estate. I figure we’re heading to some mall or basic store. Maybe Zara. I have never been wrong. We pull up to a building with sleek and intimidating architecture, it’s hard to believe it was built by human hands. I find it funny how many places I haven’t been to even though I’ve lived in Durmont all my life. The letters on the glass spell out L’ÉTOILE ROUGE. My jaw drops as I turn to Ronan. He has a bored look on his face as he scrolls through his phone. “I’m sorry. What are we doing here?” L’ÉTOILE ROUGE is a designer I’ve only ever seen on celebrities. Now, I might be the CEO of Wellspring, but I don’t make this much yet. In Durmont, there is a difference between rich and wealthy. Designer stores like this one establish the difference. Ronan slides his phone into his pocket and smiles at me. He doesn’t need to say any words. His face has told me everything I need to know. “This can’t be right,” I whisper. “Oh, it’s right,” Ronan says, pulling me out of the car. Inside, the store is even worse. Or better. I can’t decide. Before I can adjust my jaw back into place, a manager in an all-black suit appears in front of us. I see it first; the recognition that flashes in his eyes. It’s followed by a reverence that makes my heart swell with pride. Yes. They’re my men. The world might fear them, adore them, even dream of them. But they’re all mine. I can feel every single pair of eyes in the store turn to us—me. They stay there. I’m not surprised. The HawkThornes command attention wherever they go. It’s only normal I command the same attention as well. I’m not certain how that makes me feel. Excited or anxious?“Mister HawkThornes, he calls out, visibly elated. “It’s a pleasure to have you,” Then he turns to me. “Miss.” He bows. He fucking bows. Without a word, Ronan, Jaxon, and Malachi each hand him gold cards. My eyes catch the stunning diamond stone embedded in the center of the card. The manager looks as stunned as I am. Ronan then wraps his arm around me and says: “Close immediately. Our baby needs her privacy to shop.” My legs nearly give out.