Page 35 of Single Mom’s Secret Diary (The Forbidden Reverse Harem Collection)

Ezra

I slump back in my chair behind my desk, wiping a hand down my face from the mere exhaustion of the day. After the late-night phone calls and early morning research, I knew today wasn’t going to end any better than it started.

If only the bright spot of the morning—seeing Avery—had gone better. If only it had gone to plan. But I didn’t get out what I wanted to say to her, to let her know that we were searching in other places for the corporate spy in our midst.

I didn’t handle the situation well. Maybe I waited too long to tell her what was going on. Once again, I thought I was doing the right thing by keeping her out of it, by letting her sleep through the night and share with her in the morning.

To allow the board to keep a barrier between me and my biases. I failed there.

And I don’t give two shits that I’m biased about Avery.

There’s no way she would sabotage me and my company. No way she would give up on a project. No way she would hurt me, or Ryder, or Wyatt.

Except when she stormed out of here, it tore into us all a little deeper than we thought possible.

In order to deal—to divert my thoughts—I dove into the mystery.

It took all damn day, but our IT team, as small as it is, is made up of people I trust from college. People who got caught doing things they shouldn’t be doing and struggled to find jobs from it. They uncovered our perpetrator—Laurel Ricci.

She tried to cover her tracks, but Jeremey is better. He caught her trail and documented every transaction and indiscretion to hand over to the police. They’re on their way to arrest her as we speak. I’ll get a phone call when it’s all said and done.

I wish I felt triumphant.

Not only did we catch her, but she didn’t get the entire formula out. It’s an older version. One from right when Avery started with us.

The recipe is relatively safe.

Now, if only my heart were. Because the formula leak isn’t the only leak we had.

A puff piece came out roaring late this morning about Avery’s relationship with Wyatt, Ryder, and me, including suggestive pictures of the four of us.

Laurel’s been busy since we fired her. Been busy for a while, given some of the pictures are from before Avery was poisoned.

IT plans to look into my suspicions that Laurel is at fault for that, too. In the morning. I let them go home early for all of their hard work.

Now, I’m in a full-blown sulk. This feels worse than when I woke up to find her gone.

I won’t let it take as long to find her again. Not over this.

But I hate how she left. I hate how I can’t find her. I drove to her townhouse, but it was empty. Her car wasn’t parked in her spot.

Fuck, she’s never going to come back. Being here without her doesn’t feel right.

My phone dings, and I flip it over in the vain hope that Avery’s texted me back.

It’s my mom.

I break her open. You come now.

My heart kicks up, pulsing blood through me at a roar.

A small kernel of hope blooms in my chest. Leave it to my mother to cut through that Teflon armor Avery hides behind.

Dominick Caruso’s address pops up in our chat.

I stare at my screen for a long minute before I’m on my feet, grabbing my coat and charging to Ryder’s office. He peers up from his desk, looking as haggard as I feel.

“ M? found her. Come on.”

He’s shoving his arms through his coat before I finish my sentence, and we take the stairs to grab Wyatt. I can’t imagine how hard it’s going to be, driving across town at this time of the day.

Just remember to breathe, dumbass .

The moment Wyatt sees us, he’s heading our way. “You found her.”

I laugh. “You really home in on those facial cues when it comes to Avery.”

Wyatt glares at me. “Wishful thinking, but yes, your body language is triumphant. I’ve seen it before.”

Ryder’s grinning, too. Wyatt’s cheeks redden, but he offers a small smile at the corner of his mouth.

Everything’s locked up, and we’re in my car before the nerves trickle sweat across the back of my neck.

Please don’t shut us out.

The thought runs laps in my head, and every stop light has my foot shaking the car.

Her dad’s house is a one-story Colonial with pretty blue shutters and a carefully landscaped lawn. But when I pull into his driveway, I see that some of the greenery is edible—berry bushes and herb clusters. It makes me laugh, hard, dissipating some of the tension in my shoulders and back.

On the porch, I pick a leftover blackberry and hold it up to the guys, ready to lose it again. I pop it in my mouth before the front door opens to reveal Avery.

Her skin is paler, eyes red, and her frown twists that joy from a moment ago back in itself, forming a sharp knife between my ribs. Avery wraps her arms around herself as she looks us over.

“It was Laurel,” I say, cutting through the awkward silence. “She tried to scrub her computer, but IT caught her. She didn’t get the full formula, either.”

Avery nods. “Good.”

I want to reach out and touch her, gather her in my arms, and it hurts to stand here not doing it. Apparently, I’m not the only one to think so. Wyatt nabs her pinky, pulling an arm free from her defensive posture and holding onto it.

He clears his throat, but his voice remains husky. “I’m not sure what we did wrong, and I need you to tell me so that I don’t do it again.”

Her eyes round and grow glossy.

“I don’t ever want you to walk away from me like that again.” He works her palm between his hands, rubbing it as if not touching her will be the end of him.

God, I know that feeling.

“When did you learn about the leak?” Her voice is soft, not accusatory.

“This morning. Around one.”

“Why didn’t anyone tell me?” She squeezes his hand. “It was my project, too.”

I swallow back the guilt of her words, confirming what I’d already guessed. We left her out. Dismissed her contribution. Made her feel like she wasn’t integral to this entire thing.

That she wasn’t important to us beyond our personal feelings for her.

“But we did tell you…” Wyatt starts, but Ryder pats him on the shoulder.

“No. We ambushed her at the office.”

Avery nods, eyes bright again.

“There’s something else,” I say, earning a renewed glare. I’ll take it, as long as I’m nearby enough to see it. “Our relationship broke on the news. With pictures—nothing scandalous, but enough to support the story.”

“Let me guess, one that spins me as a woman climbing the corporate ladder with my vagina?”

Ryder snorts and dissolves into laughter, waving his hand. “Yes. That’s pretty much it exactly. But we’re no better, mindless men who can only think with our dicks.”

Finally, a small crack in Avery’s face. She’s actively frowning to keep the smile off her face. Oh, how many times I’ve seen that exact look on her. “If you’re smart, you’ll use that to spin marketing on the new formula. Good for your heart and an aphrodisiac to boot.”

We all let out a little laugh, relief unspooling slowly through us.

“We didn’t mean to ambush you. It was my fault. I thought I’d let you sleep in while we figured it out. I was wrong.” It had been entirely my idea. Besides, she’s very used to being upset with me.

Her shoulders slump, and she shakes her head. “Stop trying to play the hero and just tell me things.”

I nod and step forward, taking her by the shoulders and dragging her into my embrace. She doesn’t fight me, and I close my eyes as she hugs me back.

“Forgive me. Us.” I pull her outside with me.

Ryder and Wyatt are right there, surrounding her, too.

“You three are utter idiots, but yes, you’re forgiven.”

Thank God. I can’t keep it in anymore. I whisper in her ear, “Good, because I’m in love with you. Don’t ever run away from me again.”

Her grip tightens around my waist, and I kiss the side of her head, just happy to drink in the feel of her, the scent of her.

“If we’re going to profess things, I’m in love with you, too.” Ryder draws his hand through Avery’s hair.

She retreats from my chest to look up at me, then Ryder. He plants a kiss on her forehead.

I catch movement inside the house—my mom grabbing Dominick’s hand to quit spying on us. Although wherever they retreat, I’m sure M? will still be able to hear us.

Those two will make the kind of team that scares me a little.

Avery turns to Wyatt. “Nothing from you?”

My friend looks so intense and uncomfortable. “I just say it? It seems too simple for how big the feeling is.”

Her laughter lights me up, and I’m not the only one.

“God, this isn’t at all what I imagined.”

“Imagined for what?”

“For how the day was going to turn out. For my life?” She sucks in a hard breath, and her hand drops to her stomach.

I watch the move with a sprinkling of alarm, and a whole lot more excitement if that means what I think that means.

“I love you all, too. But…” The pause kills me. “What does this all mean?”

“It means we want to be a family.” Ryder traces the curve of her elbow as she presses her hand lower.

Well, it’s now or never. Will she take all three of us? Totally?

Her eyes flutter closed, and she gives another small shake of her head. “Good. Because I’m pregnant.”