Kell held her stare, his eyes narrowing. “That’s lie number one. I’ll keep track, Belle, and you should expect punishment if you continue.”

Punishment? As she sniffled past her surprise, she studied them. They stood around her in a semicircle, Kell in the middle, while Eric and Tate moved closer to flank her. All three men wore stern expressions, and she had a little flash of instinctive fear. Suddenly, she was struck by how alone she was with them and how big they loomed. She wasn’t some petite pixie, but at the moment, these men made her feel like a rabbit surrounded by hungry lions.

What the hell was that stare about? She didn’t know, but they damn sure weren’t looking at her like she was some sort of wayward employee anymore.

She took a step back. “I just had too much to drink. You know how whiny girls can get when they’re drunk.”

Kellan shook his head. “That’s lie number two. I watched you all night. You had exactly two glasses of Chardonnay and you ate all of your dinner. You also had several glasses of water. You’re digging yourself a hole, love.”

Belle tried to take a step back from the displeased Dom. Suddenly, Tate hovered behind her, cutting off her escape route. The heat of his body blanketed her, sending shivers up her spine. How had he sneaked around her without her noticing?

“That’s more than enough in a two-hour period to counter the effects of alcohol,” Tate added. “Given your body weight and normal intake of eight ounces a day, you shouldn’t be feeling even a light buzz. I’m sure you’re below the legal limit, so you’re perfectly capable of speaking rationally and making decisions.”

She had a glass of wine every night when she got home from work. Just one glass, but that was probably enough to ensure that two in one evening wouldn’t have much of an effect on her. “How do you know what my normal intake is?”

He shrugged. “I think you mentioned it once or twice.”

Tate never thought—he knew. Her earlier fear that they were indifferent faded, now morphing into confusion. How did Tate know her habits at home?

She turned back to Kellan. “You were too busy to keep tabs on me all night, so you don’t really know what I drank.”

“Wrong. I’m never too busy to watch you. I also tipped one of the waiters to keep an eye on you,” Kellan explained without a bit of shame. “You had one glass with Kinley before the wedding and one during the reception. Everything else has been water.”

They could have knocked her over with a feather. “You really did watch me.”

“I do it all the time. You just don’t notice. But I make sure you stay safe and out of trouble. I’ll keep doing it. And you will not be allowed to quit,” Kellan insisted.

Not allowed? She glared at Kell, then sent a sharp, questioning glance Eric’s way. He alone hadn’t given any indication that he spied on her. “And what about you? You been keeping track of who I talk to and dance with, maybe?”

The sexiest smile curled his lips up. “No, honey, that’s Tate’s thing. I’ve just been watching your ass. Have I ever told you how much I fucking love your ass? It looks amazing in that dress.”

Belle dropped her jaw and couldn’t seem to pick it up, even as heat spiked through her. Had Eric really just said that? What the hell? Maybe she’d had way more to drink than she thought and this was some sort of alcoholic haze. She shook her head, too confused and emotional for this bizarre conversation.

“Every man in the damn room has been watching her ass,” Tate complained.

“No, they weren’t,” she insisted. “None of you are making sense right now. Maybe you’re the ones who had too much to drink. Let’s just call it a night. I’ll see you in the morning.”

She turned and ran straight into Tate’s massive body. He was right at six foot five, every inch of him pure muscle. She had to strain to look up at him.

“You think we’re going to sit down over breakfast and have a company meeting on appropriate protocol when the secretary threatens to run away?” Tate challenged with a biting smile. “Maybe draft a flow chart?”

He looked younger than the other two, though she knew he’d been born just a few months after Eric. Somehow he managed to look both boyishly handsome and sexy as hell in his suit. For the longest time, she’d wondered what he looked like out of those tailored suits.

“Tate…” She sighed. “Can you let me pass?”

As an answer, he grabbed her shoulders to hold her captive. “Or I could write a manual. You know how much I like documentation. One of the first things I would do is prohibit that dress in public. Your breasts look gorgeous, by the way. All the men were looking at those, too. And the chick from the bar who plays for the other team. I know that should piss me off, too, but I find it oddly hot.”

Belle rolled her eyes. She wasn’t even sure what he was trying to say. “I’m not in the mood to fulfill your girl-on-girl fantasies, Tate. Good night.”

She tried to walk past him and head for the elevators. Eric stepped in front of her, blocking her path. “Not quite yet. The girl-on-girl thing isn’t his biggest fantasy. That’s taking you to bed, which I totally support if I can join in. But don’t let him write a process manual on how to deal with you unless you want him to tell you what to wear. He’s insanely possessive. Now me personally, I don’t care how many men look at you as long as they don’t fucking touch. That should be rule number one in the manual.”

“And right under that, I’ll make sure there’s a section on proper discipline just for you.” Kellan brushed against her, murmuring in her ear.

She shivered, totally surrounded by them, trapped. If she moved an inch in any direction, she would be pressing her body against one of them. Damn if that wasn’t igniting her libido. “What game are you guys playing?”

She wished the question hadn’t come out so breathy and sultry. She’d meant to convey disinterest or at least take the reins on this runaway conversation, but no. Inside, she was melting, her female parts threatening to take over and encouraging her to let her bosses do their worst. Belle tried to remind herself that she wanted a relationship with them, and if she let them simply take her to bed, it would likely only be for one night.

True, but at least then she’d know what it felt like to be in the middle of all that masculine beauty. She would experience for a short time what it meant to be theirs.

“We’re done playing games, Belle,” Tate vowed solemnly.

“Speak for yourself.” Kellan’s words rumbled low, his breath hot against her neck. How close was he? “I’ve got some games to play with her.”

Dirty games. Sexy games. She knew what he meant—to dominate her. Again, not for more than a night, but at least she would know how the flat of Master Kellan’s hand on her ass stung, the way that dark voice commanded her to do things she’d only ever fantasized about.

“I don’t understand.” Her mind raced. Her blood hummed. She wanted this so badly, but she knew exactly what a one-night stand with them would mean. She would be devastated if she woke up in their bed tomorrow morning and they again treated her like a kid sister. After that, she wouldn’t be able to work with them. “This has gotten out of hand and gone too far.”

“It’s going where it should have in the first place.” Eric touched her first, just a brush of his hand on her shoulder. Nothing overwhelming, but she shivered at the heat flashing through her. “Straight to you with the three of us. We’ll take it slow if you need, Belle. But we want you.”

Really? They wanted her? After a year of almost no hint of any desire on their part, this revelation blew her mind. Unless seeing wedding guests group off to get it on had an effect on them too… She shook her head again. The alcohol might not have affected her judgment, but the arousal they coaxed from her damn sure had.

“We always have,” Kellan said. “But you should know that I’ll be a lousy boyfriend. I shudder at the word. I’m not built for the whole commitment thing, but I want you right now. I’ll be good to you in bed.”

Because some woman had damaged him. She was pretty sure it was his ex-wife, but she hadn’t pried.

“Boyfriend?” Didn’t they just want to sleep with her tonight?

“I’ll be a good boyfriend, but I’ll want a lot of sex,” Tate said. “The average person has it one hundred three times a year, which is one point nine eight times per week. That’s not enough.”

“But we don’t have to work that out tonight,” Eric insisted, glaring at Tate. “Let us take you to bed and show you all the affection and pleasure we can offer you. We’ll satisfy you so completely that you won’t want to walk away tomorrow.”

Belle heard the speech, but it didn’t make any sense. “I don’t think the question is whether I’ll walk away. Isn’t that what you usually do the morning after?”

Eric looked stunned. “You think this is just a fuck for us?”

Wasn’t it? “I don’t know. You tell me.”

“We want a relationship.” Tate’s expression was so earnest, it stunned Annabelle. “The average male is age—”

“No numbers,” Kell cut in. “You agreed.”

Tate clapped his mouth shut for a moment, then apparently decided he had something else to say. “This is more than sex for me. Way more.”

“Exactly,” Eric added.

Amazing. She looked at Kell expectantly. If he didn’t think he’d be much of a boyfriend, where did he stand on this relationship business?

“You’re a remarkable woman,” he murmured. “There’s no way I could use and discard you.”

“I don’t understand.” They’d kept their distance for over a year. “What changed?”

“In some ways, everything,” Eric said. “But in other ways, nothing at all. We don’t want to let you go, Belle. We’ve always wanted you, but what would you have done if we’d asked you out your first day at the office? Or the second? Or even a month after you’d come to work for us?”

She winced. Okay, so she’d been a bit scared of them in the beginning. After the way her last boss had treated her, who could blame her? The thought of working for three big, gorgeous men had terrified her. After they’d offered her the job, she’d thought of turning them down, but she’d desperately needed the income. She had been living paycheck to paycheck. Her mom didn’t have extra funds to help her get back on her feet, and Belle refused to be a burden.

“I might have been a little…intimidated at first.”

“A little? You wore turtlenecks in August.” Tate’s face softened. “We all knew you were scared of us, so we did our best to make you feel comfortable. We fell into a pattern of keeping our distance. You should know I wanted to offer you my penis the minute I saw you.”

“Tate!” Eric barked at him.

She heard Kellan sigh, but Tate’s ridiculous honesty broke the tension. Belle laughed at the mental image those words painted and relaxed into him, leaning on his big body for strength. She imagined Tate wrapping a red bow on his penis and gifting it to her like most men would a dozen roses. She giggled even more.

He bent and curled his thick arms around her tentatively, like he was terrified she would balk. He wasn’t lying. The rapid beat of his heart gave his feelings away. This big, gorgeous, unbelievably gifted man wanted her. As he urged her against his body, he nestled close to her in a sweet hug, and she felt every inch of what he planned on offering her brush against her stomach.

Whoa. That was not some small penis. Tate was built on big lines—everywhere.

“I would miss you so much if you left, Belle. I understand you want a career that makes you happier, but please don’t leave altogether.” He sighed as if a profound worry had just settled on his shoulders.

Belle clutched him both to give him comfort and for her own strength. Despite his facts and percentages and sometimes slightly abrasive nature, he had a big heart. “I don’t want to leave you guys. And you’re right that I would have run. I was more afraid of my previous boss than I let on. I joke about it now, but he was aggressive.”

“We sat down that week you first came to work for us and talked about your skittishness,” Eric admitted. “We were all interested in you, but suspected that something or someone had you spooked. On top of that, we worried our lifestyle would be difficult to explain. You wouldn’t be the first woman who didn’t get it.”

She couldn’t imagine anyone turning them down. “You can’t possibly have a problem finding dates.”

Tate shook his head. “Dates, no. Relationships, absolutely. Most women don’t want to deal with three men. You would think it’s the demanding sex that would give them pause. But no. It’s often the laundry. Accordingly, I began doing my own.”