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“Sort of,” said Chase at the same time.
I sucked in a long breath and let it out as a hiss. “The other night was fantastic,” I admitted. “I enjoyed every second of it. But I loved all parts of it equally. I’m obviously attracted to all of you, and if you think I’m picking or choosing someone as a favori—”
“Why are you so angry about this?”
The interruption came from Julian, who up until now had been silent. He was still leaning back in his chair. Still just as casual as the moment he’d finished his dinner.
“What?”
“You sound angry,” he repeated. “Pissed off. And for no reason, too. All we were trying to do was move over a little, and make room for what you might want.” He shrugged. “It?
?s already clear what we want.”
I stopped, letting the words sink in. As much as I hated to admit it, he was probably right.
“I don’t honestly know,” I conceded, my shoulders slumping. “I… I guess I just feel so guilty about this.”
“Guilty?” Noah blinked. “What do you have to feel guilty abou—”
“Everything,” I said in exasperation. “I’m out of money. In a couple of weeks, I’ll be out of time. I failed my uncle, and I failed this place.” I shook my head. “Worst of all I failed the three of you.”
“But you haven’t failed us,” Chase argued. “In fact—”
“I can’t have you here every day, breaking your backs. Working for free, when I can’t even pay you.” I shook my head. “No way. It’s too much. If there were a light at the end of the tunnel, maybe. But now…”
I fought hard to choke back the first tear. If I let that one go, the rest would inevitably follow.
“You still have supplies coming in,” said Julian. “Right?”
I nodded numbly. “Yes. I pre-paid everything on that end, or my uncle Travis did. The last few deliveries are just waiting on my call.”
“And the courtyard… I can do that with the existing pavers. They just need to be pulled up. Reset and re-mortared.”
“I— I guess so.”
“Stop feeling guilty then,” said Julian. “The three of us are here to see this to the end. Don’t let it fail. Don’t send us away and have this all have been for nothing.”
I looked to Noah and Chase, who were both nodding their agreement. Once again, my heart felt a glimmer of hope.
“As for paying us,” said Julian, “I have a counter offer.”
He uncrossed his ankles, setting his chair back down on the floor with a loud clack. I watched as the gorgeous stonemason stood up and rose to his full, towering height.
“We’re going to finish this job for you,” said Julian evenly. “And you’re going to cook us dinner. Not just tonight, but every night.”
“Dinner with dessert,” Chase added, jumping in.
Julian went on as if he hadn’t been interrupted. “We’ll work till’ sundown, and then we’ll eat,” he said. “In that respect, you’re paying us something.”
I nodded numbly. “Okay.”
“The rest…” said Julian, crossing the room. He closed the distance, his body drawing ever nearer to mine. “Well, the rest is unorthodox. Unconventional.”
I could smell him now. His musk. His strength.
“Try me,” I said.
Julian brought one arm down, sliding it behind me. He grabbed me possessively, squeezing one of my ass cheeks in his giant palm.
