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I just blink at him, still a bit in shock. “What?” I really need to learn another word, but nothing else seems to get across the absolute confusion I am feeling right now.
“Are you dating? It’s not a trick question, but we wouldn’t want to step on anyone’s toes if you have a partner already. Unless they would be into some kind of arrangement…”
I shake my head. “No. No, I’m single. There hasn’t been anyone since I broke up with Wesley, my ex.”
Xavier smiles that sunny smile and comes even closer to the couch. He kneels down so he’s right beside it, staring right into my eyes.
This close, the force of his bright gaze and his clean scent is enough to have me reeling, and I’m sure the surprise of this whole thing isn’t helping me feel any more stable. It’s like I’ve been spinning out of control since I woke up on this couch, and there’s no end to it in sight.
I’m still not convinced this isn’t some exhaustion fueled hallucination.
“So here’s the deal,” Xavier says. “It wouldn’t be a permanent arrangement. You don’t have to agree to marry us forever or anything like that. It can be for… say, one year? That would be enough time for us to stabilize this company and appease our board and investors. We won’t be so new, and they won’t be looking over our shoulders at every second. After a year, people will be convinced that Dom, Tristan, and I are a cohesive unit, and we can end the marriage then.”
He turns his head to look back at the other two. “That would be good enough, right?”
“It should be,” Dominic agrees. “If they need more than that, then I don’t know what we could give them.”
So that’s what they want the marriage for. I’ve heard the whispers around the office that the three Alphas in charge have issues getting along and that it doesn’t look good for the company for them to be fighting constantly.
Considering the fight between Dominic and Tristan that Xavier and I walked in on after my interview, I guess that makes sense.
But still, solving their issue with a marriage feels like an escalation that I can’t wrap my head around. And even if it wasn’t, shouldn’t they choose someone more acceptable? Someone more on their level? I’m not a powerful tech CEO or someone who could make the business look good. What do they have to gain from marryingme?
It’s insane that they’re asking this of me. Insane that they think I could ever agree. How could I say yes to something like this? Something that will change my life so drastically?
But at the same time, Dominic was right when he said that it would get the ORD off my back. I wouldn’t have to go down there and deal with any of it if I was already tied to three Alphas. Three Alphas with power and money and a good reputation. No one would challenge them because it would be a losing battle from the start.
I desperately want to avoid having to deal with the ORD, and… I guess at least I know these men. Sort of. It’s not like they’re strangers that I’ll have to be wary of the intentions of. Xavier has laid it all out for me why they want this. There’s no ulterior motives here. Just an arrangement that could help all of us get what we want.
“If I agree to this…” I begin, and Xavier perks up, smiling warmly at me. “If I agree to this, I have some conditions.” I can’t even believe I’m saying this, but here it is.
“That seems fair,” Xavier says. “You should get a say in how this goes if you’re going to be our wife.”
“What are they?” Dominic asks, and I’m grateful that he cuts in before I can start reeling over Xavier Sterling referring to me as theirwife.
Tristan just watches me, face as unreadable as ever.
“We have to stick to the one year agreement,” I say, trying to sound firm. “You can’t decide to extend the terms if this doesn’t work out. If it’s not enough for your board or investors, you’re going to have to come up with a different plan that doesn’t involve me.”
Xavier nods. “That’s fair. It wouldn’t be right for us to ask you to keep your life on hold like that. And hopefully after a year, we’ll all be more used to each other and there won’t be as many issues.” He shoots Dominic a look as he says it, and Dominic just gives him a hard look back.
“We’ll hopefully have made some progress in being able to see more eye to eye,” he replies.
I can understand why they butt heads so much. All three of them are headstrong and stubborn in their own ways, and there’s a tension that goes along with three powerful Alphas each trying to be the one who’s right.
I try not to drown in their scents and clear my throat to focus their attentions back on me. “The second thing is I want to keep my job here.”
Dominic frowns. “Why? You don’t have to keep working. We would take care of anything you needed as part of the deal.”
“I don’t want it to go like that though. I don’t want to just sit at home being your kept woman or something. I need to have some stability in my life, and once we end the marriage, it’ll behelpful for me to already be established with finances and a work history.”
“Smart,” Tristan agrees.
I’m surprised he thinks so, but it makes me feel better. Part of it is also me wanting to keep my independence. I don’t want to become dependent on these men. I don’t want to rely on them or need them too much. The less power they have over me, the better off I’ll be when the marriage is over and I need to be able to stand on my own. And it will also make me feel more secure in all this. Like I’m still my own person.
“Fine. You keep your job, and we’ll bump your salary up since you’re doing us such a big favor,” Dominic says. “What else?”
“I um…” My cheeks flush. I was so confident talking about the other parts of this, but this is different. It was never going to be easy to bring up physical stuff with men who are this attractive.