Chapter 1

CHAPTERONE

Sometimes the most uptight assholes

teach you the biggest lesson of all.

Thanks, Mrs. Fisk.

~ Chloé

“SO… ARE YOU nervous?”

Chloé’s hand hovered over the hangers in her closet as she glanced back at Shayla, who sat in the middle of her bedroom floor with packing boxes all around her.

Today was moving day. It’d been a little over a month since she’d gotten back from her whirlwind trip to Paris with Ethan and Zayne, and she still couldn’t believe this was happening. The disaster that was her room, however, told her it most definitely was.

There were piles of clothes on her bed, shoeboxes stacked high against the wall, storage bins with sample perfumes and dress jewelry, and books organized into a keep-and-donate box.

It was amazing how much a person could accumulate in nineteen years, and this was only her bedroom. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what a headache moving an entire house would be.

“Nervous? Why would I be nervous?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe ’cause you’re moving out of the only home you’ve ever known and into an apartment with your boyfriends. Not to mention, said apartment is above their sex club?”

Chloé flashed a shameless smile in her cousin’s direction. “And that’s supposed to make me nervous?”

“Riiight. I forgot about you and… Le Bureau.”

Chloé’s eyes darted in the direction of her bedroom door, which was completely ridiculous, since they were the only two in the house. But the idea that her fathers might accidentally overhear she’d visited The Office in Paris still gave her heart palpitations.

Shayla laughed. “Relax, would you? No one else is home.”

“As far as you know. Papa said he’d be back soon, and—”

“You don’t want him to know your two doms tied you up and—”

“Shay!”

“Okay, okay. But I have to admit, I’m a little jealous. You’re one lucky bitch.”

“I know.”

Shayla balled up the dress she was folding and threw it at her, and Chloé laughed and turned back to pull several blouses off their hangers.

Somewhere over the last few months, she’d not only managed to fall in love with one man, but two, and in a wonderful twist of fate, they’d fallen right back.

Ethan and Zayne were like a force of nature. They’d stormed into her life and swept her off her feet. But as she stood there now folding her clothes, a slight, niggling doubt entered her mind.

Maybe Shayla was right. What would happen after they moved in together?

Her grin fell, and her stomach knotted, as she turned back to her cousin.

“Do you think I should be nervous?”

Shayla looked up from what she was doing. “Where’d that come from?”

Seriously, where had that come from? But as Chloé moved over to the bed to sit, she realized her hands were now balled into the soft material she held.

“Chloé?” Shayla got to her feet and moved over to the mattress beside her. “Hey? I was just kidding…”

Chloé worried her lower lip.

“I know, I just—I…” She turned to look at her cousin. “What if they don’t like living with me? What if they decide it was better when I wasn’t there?”

“What?” Shayla shook her head and scooted in closer, reaching out to cover her hand. “They’re not going to decide that. Those two men are crazy about you. Trust me, I’ve seen the way they look at you.”

“But they’ve only ever lived with each other.”

“Which should tell you how much they want you.” Shayla shrugged. “Plus, who’s to say you won’t like living with them? And not just sleeping in their bed every night. I mean, really living with them. You’ll not only learn their good habits but also the bad. You’ll also have to share a bathroom with two men. Yikes.”

Chloé immediately went to refute Shayla’s points but stopped. She’d been so caught up in her excitement she hadn’t really thought about all of that. She’d grown up in a house full of men, so this seemed like a pretty easy adjustment. But Shayla was right—they were all about to undergo an extensive learning period.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Shayla patted her hands, and Chloé glared at her.

“Really? After all of that, you end with ‘I’m sure it’ll be fine’?”

“I’m sure it will be. You’re a lucky bitch. That’s not going to change because you’re mixing your dirty underwear together.”

Chloé’s eyes widened, and Shayla burst out laughing.

“I’m just messing with you.” She flopped back on the bed and gripped her stomach in a fit of hilarity. “You should see your face right now.”

Chloé shoved her in the leg. “Shut up.”

“I mean…” Shayla laughed some more. “You didn’t think it’d be all naked, sexy times, did you?”

Well, yeah, that was what she’d been imagining. Sure, it wasn’t logical or realistic, but—

“Oh, you did? That’s sweet.”

Chloé whirled on her cousin. “Seriously, if you don’t stop talking, I will kill you.”

“Sorry. Sorry.” Shayla sat up and held her palms up in surrender. “I’m sure it will all be fine.”

“Yeah, so you said.” Chloé shoved the blouse in Shayla’s hand and marched back over to the closet. “But suddenly I’m not finding you all that reassuring. Maybe we should just stick to packing.”

“Packing aaaand…” A flirty, upbeat song filled the air, and Shayla cranked it high. “Singing badly.”

Now she was talking.

Chloé began to sway her hips to the beat and sing along with her favorite new song, as she picked out the clothes to keep and the ones not to. She hoped Ethan and Zayne had enough room in their closet because, well, she had a lot of clothes. In fact, that was the majority of what she was bringing with her.

But what did they expect? She was a girly girl, and with a dad whose nickname was Princesse, could anyone blame her?

Chloé finished with the closet and moved onto the bureau, and two drawers in… “Oh my God.”

“What?” Shayla lowered the volume of the music as Chloé pulled out her t-shirts and tossed them in a pile on the bed. “Uh, you’re not going through those?”

Chloé smoothed her fingers over the bottom of the drawer and to the corner, where she hooked her finger in, and pop.

The base of the drawer came up. “Oh my God.”

“Yeah, okay, you said that part. What is it?” Shayla got to her feet and moved over to where Chloé was pulling the base of the drawer free, and between it and the actual bottom of the frame was a ratty pink journal.

“It’s my diary.” Chloé grabbed it out and lovingly ran her fingers over the lock. “I hid this here years ago.”

“As in how many years?”

“Umm…” Chloé clutched it to her chest, thinking back. “Maybe four or five?”

“Wow.” Shayla plucked it from her hands and turned away from her.

“Hey, give that back.”

“Uh uh…” Shayla moved back to the bed and plopped down on it. “You got the key for this thing?”

“Considering I just remembered where it was, I’m thinking no?”

“Huh.” Shayla brought the book up and inspected the gold locking mechanism, then raised her eyes to Chloé’s. “I need a butter knife.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Chloé rolled her eyes but then headed out of her room with Shayla hot on her heels.

“So what were you writing about four years ago that had you stashing your most private thoughts in a secret hiding space?”

“I can’t even remember. Nothing that exciting, I’m sure.”

“Well, definitely not as exciting as the secrets you’ve been keeping lately, but still.”

Chloé eyed Shayla across the kitchen counter and pulled open the drawer.

“I don’t have any secrets anymore, thank you very much.”

“Yeah, I still can’t believe Ethan blurted out that they own a sex club at the dinner table. I would’ve loved to have been there for that one.”

“Trust me.” Chloé handed over the knife. “Be happy you weren’t.”

Shayla grinned then went to work on the little lock, and a couple seconds later it snapped open.

“Ta-da!”

Chloé frowned. “That wasn’t very secure.”

“It’s for a child, not state secrets. Now, let’s see what you wrote in here.” Shayla flipped open the diary, but before she could start to read, Chloé snatched it out of her hands.

She flicked through the pages, spotting her cursive handwriting and doodles in the column, and when the book stopped on one well-worn entry that had an ugly cross through it, Chloé remembered exactly why she’d hidden her book.

She slammed the diary shut and held it to her chest, and Shayla walked around the counter and reached for her arm.

“Hey. You okay?”

Chloé blinked and looked her cousin in the eye, all of the feelings her fifteen-year-old self had felt writing that journal entry flooding in. Then she plastered on her best smile and tried to deflect. “Yeah, I’m good.”

Shayla gently reached for the diary. “I don’t think so.”

Chloé didn’t bother trying to take it from her this time as she opened the diary to the page Chloé had just been looking at.

Shayla’s eyes moved over the entry that had been written in an angry, frantic scrawl, and as a frown pulled at her brow, Chloé turned away.

God, it had been so long since she’d hidden that book and those feelings away that she’d all but forgotten about it. But to find it here and now? Today of all days…

“Chloé?” Shayla’s voice was soft, and when she touched Chloé’s shoulder, she pulled her back from her thoughts. “You know none of this is true, right?”

She turned to face Shayla, who reached out to push a stray curl behind her ear.

“Whoever this teacher was—”

“Mrs. Fisk.”

“Mrs. Fisk. She was an uptight, horrible human, okay? To say that to a fifteen-year-old? That’s despicable.”

“I know.”

“Do you?” Shayla slung an arm around her shoulder and pulled her in tight. “Do you know anyone who loves each other as much as your fathers love one another?”

“No.” The word was out of her mouth in an instant, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t gone through a difficult time in school trying to explain to teachers and other classmates their complex relationship. Most just nodded and weren’t brave enough to say anything to her face about it. But on that particular day, four years ago, Mrs. Fisk had told her in no uncertain times how disgusting her fathers were and how their situation would leave her alone in heaven when the time came.

That night, she’d raced home and angrily written her thoughts about the whole situation in her diary before hiding it away so her fathers would never know. Then she’d cried herself to sleep.

That was the moment Chloé’s eyes had really been opened to the kind of hate that existed in the world. But where some might decide to let that shape them, or change their opinion on love and life, she had decided to let it free her. That had been the day she rejected anything and everything that was expected of her, and instead followed her heart.

She found her voice that day, and got suspended for it. But when asked why she talked back to her teacher, she’d made up some ridiculous answer, not wanting to hurt her fathers in any way. It had been worth it, and she’d never looked back since.

“You know, I actually wish I could see her again to thank her.”

Shayla eyed her as though she’d lost her mind. “To thank her?”

“Yep.” Chloé winked and plucked the diary out of Shayla’s hands. “That was the day I decided I wouldn’t let anyone tell me how to think, and thank God for that. Because without her, I wouldn’t be moving in with my two doms above their sex club today, would I?”

* * *

ZAYNE WIPED THE sweat from his brow as he waited inside the small office of the truck rental store. He’d been standing there for a good twenty minutes now while waiting for the desk attendant to return from helping the guy who’d managed to get in the door two minutes before him.

It was just his luck, too. It was hotenough to fry an egg on the pavement outside, and now here he was standing in a tiny-ass office with no air conditioning on literally the hottest day they’d had so far this summer.

But it was Chloé’s moving day, and for that reason alone, he was more than willing to stand in the portal of hell to get the truck he needed to help her move her things.

Plus, it wasn’t like he was alone. He had—

“What on earth is taking so long in here?”

—Priest with him.

Zayne looked over to the door where Chloé’s papa was scowling at him. He’d decided that was a look of affection from the oh-so-serious lawyer since Priest had specifically picked him to come on this little adventure today.

Then again, considering his only other option was Ethan, it really wasn’t a surprise that Zayne had been his first choice. Julien and Robbie were at the restaurant today, and over the last month or so it had become increasingly clear which fathers gravitated to whom—and lucky him, he’d ended up with the difficult, possessive alpha one.

“Guy before me must be havin’ issues. They went out back as soon as I got here, and I haven’t seen them since.”

Priest made a disgruntled sound and marched up to the front desk. He peered around the side and out the back door, and when he saw the same thing as Zayne—absolutely nothing—he shook his head.

“This is ridiculous. How long does it take to hand someone a set of keys?”

Zayne leaned up against the desk and crossed his arms. “At least twenty minutes.”

Priest tugged at the collar of his shirt, and Zayne thought he might jump the desk to go and find the missing worker. But before he could, the back door opened and the worker walked in.

As the guy came to a standstill behind the computer, he looked between the two of them and sighed. “You got a reservation?”

Priest’s jaw bunched, and as he opened his mouth to no doubt ream the guy a new one, Zayne quickly jumped in, not wanting to be stuck there any longer than necessary.

“Yeah, it’s under Copeland.”

The guy started tapping away at the computer and then nodded. “A truck?”

“No, a Maserati,” Priest deadpanned, and the guy stopped and looked at the two of them.

“It’s a truck, yeah.” Zayne chuckled. “We have it till tomorrow.”

“Right.” The guy frowned at Priest, then looked back at his computer. “Got it. Let me grab the keys.”

Priest rolled his eyes as the guy walked off, and Zayne shook his head.

“What?” Priest said. “Don’t act like you aren’t thinking the same thing I am.”

“Oh, I’m not denying that.”

“Then what?”

“I was just wondering if there’s anyone you’ve liked as soon as you met them?”

Priest’s eyes narrowed. “Yes. She’s moving in with you today. So watch it.”

“Got it.”

“Uh huh.” Priest shoved open the door. “I’ll meet you outside.”

Not long after, the guy returned with the keys, and they headed outside to find Priest standing in the shade with sunglasses on and his usual scowl back in place.

“It’s over one aisle in row B—spot 204.” The attendant indicated the direction they needed to go, then handed over the keys.

They located the truck with no issue, and as they both walked around the back toward the driver’s side, Priest stopped abruptly, causing Zayne to all but run into him.

“I’ll take the keys.”

Zayne twirled them around his finger. “It’s all good. I can drive.”

“I’m sure you can, but I’ll drive.”

Not about to get on Priest’s bad side, Zayne tossed him the keys then made his way down to the passenger side. There was a reason he’d been sent today, and that was to keep the peace. So if giving up the driver’s seat for now was what it took, that was what he’d do.

He climbed in and buckled his seatbelt as Priest turned on the engine, then Zayne got busy adjusting the air.

“It’s hot as hell out here today.” Priest lowered the windows halfway to let out the hot air, but with the truck having been parked in the midday sun, the heat was stifling.

“Gotta love Chicago’s summers.” Zayne directed all the air vents where they’d feel it best. “And its winters, come to think of it.”

Priest grunted then looked to his side mirror and began to back out. “It definitely has its extremes, for sure.”

“You ever lived anywhere else?” Zayne turned toward his driver as Priest pulled out onto the main road.

“I did. Yes. L.A. for a while and New Orleans as a boy.”

“Oh, well why are you complaining about the heat?”

Priest side-eyed him. “Because I’m natural redhead, which means I’m not compatible.”

Ah, okay…So maybe Zayne and Ethan’s theory was correct when it came to Chloé’s biological father. The resemblance to Priest was definitely the strongest with her eye color, but his thick hair was a such a striking silver that they hadn’t been one hundred percent positive. This, however, cleared it up, and Zayne couldn’t help but wonder how the three men had decided—not that he’d ever ask. No way. He loved his life a little too much to risk that.

“You sound just like Chloé. She almost made us move the sun when we were over in Paris.”

“That sounds like her.”

“We now know that when looking for a picnic spot, shade is a must.”

Priest said nothing to that, but when Zayne snuck a look in his direction, he noticed the ever-serious lawyer grinning.

Proud of himself, Zayne settled back in his seat. They’d come a long way since that first awkward dinner at the estate. Largely because all of the men in Chloé’s life loved her and wanted to make an effort to at least try to get along.

Some of them were better at it than others. But hey, at least they were all willing, and as they drove across town toward Wicker Park, a comfortable silence settled between them.

“So,” Priest said as they came to a stop several minutes later. “Have you and Ethan discussed how a move like this is going to impact your lives on a day-to-day basis?”

Okay, so much for comfortable. “Uh, yeah. I mean, we know things are going to change, but I’m sure it’ll all be fine.”

Priest tapped his finger on the steering wheel. “You think so, do you?”

Well, he had until now.

“Yeah. Chloé’s great, and we’re pretty easygoing—for the most part. I’m sure we’ll find our groove.”

“Uh huh.” Priest glanced over at him. “You have met my daughter, right?”

“Yeah…”

“I don’t think ‘easygoing’ is quite the adjective I’d use to describe Chloé. After all, she grew up with a princesse and truly believes—”

“That she’s one too?”

Priest’s lips twitched. “As she should. Are you two sure you can handle that?”

“I think so?”

“Mhmm.” The light turned green, and Priest started down the main road. “Well, it’s sure going to be fun watching you try.”

Feeling a little less comfortable now, Zayne kept his smile to himself and contemplated Priest’s words. The man always had to get the last one in, and damn if it wasn’t usually something that made you check yourself.

They made several more turns and finally headed down the street the Thornton-Priestleys lived on. Priest pulled up, backed into the drive, and honked the horn several times. Then he turned to Zayne.

“Well, what are you waiting for? If you don’t hurry up, your princess’s carriage will turn back into a pumpkin.”

Zayne opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, Priest shoved open the door and headed up the front steps, his deep chuckle mocking him.

Zayne quickly followed, making his way inside and up the stairs. When he reached the main floor, he noticed Priest had vanished as Chloé came out of the kitchen with a bottle of water and a grin on her beautiful face.

She was wearing a pair of cute denim shorts that were cut so short it should be illegal, and across her purple shirt read High maintenance. But I’m worth it.

Yeah, Priest knew his daughter well. But still, Zayne wasn’t worried. He and Ethan had this…right?

“Hey you.” Chloé sidled up to him and wound her arms around his neck.

“Hey yourself.” Zayne tugged her in nice and tight. “Get your packing done?”

“Just about. It’s much easier to pack one room as opposed to a whole house.”

“I imagine so.” Zayne lowered his head and took her sweet lips in a quick kiss, more than aware they were standing in her fathers’ living room. “Are you ready for us to start taking it downstairs?”

“Yep.” She took his hand, guiding him up the hall into her childhood bedroom.

This wasn’t the first time he’d been to her fathers’ home. He and Ethan had been invited to family pasta night a couple of times now. Apparently, it was a tradition that happened every week. But so far, there’d been one person suspiciously missing each time—Justin, Chloé’s brother.

She told them not to take it personally, but they’d noticed the hurt in her eyes every time he was a no-show, and they couldn’t help but wonder if Chloé’s brother was going to be the biggest hurdle of all.

“The muscle has returned,” Chloé singsonged as she all but skipped into her room, and when Zayne stepped in behind her, his eyes widened.

The place looked like a bomb had hit it. There were clothes everywhere, shoes thrown all over the place, and in amongst all of that, Chloé’s cousin Shayla sat cross-legged on the ground, her eyes running up his denim-clad legs and black t-shirt.

“And what a lot of muscle there is.”

Zayne knew Shayla from the club. She was flirty, gorgeous, and a whole lot of trouble. A trait that apparently ran strong in this family.

“Hey.” He greeted her with a wave, and Shayla grinned.

“Hi. Don’t look so worried over there. There’s a method to her madness… I think.”

“There is.” Chloé tossed a couple more shirts over her shoulder, then spun around and started pointing. “Keep. Keep. Donate. Toss. Unsure.”

“And these are all just…clothes?”

“Yeah.” Chloé aimed a wide smile his way. “Why?”

“There’s just a lot of them.”

Shayla started to laugh. “Oh, this is just her closet. There’s also another one down the hall we haven’t even started on yet.”

Zayne’s eyes bugged. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.” Shayla cleared a spot next to her and winked. “You can come sit next to me, handsome.”

“Hey!” Chloé whirled around and pinned her cousin with a fierce stare. “He’s taken—twice over. Keep your invitations to yourself.”

Damn. Okay.That’s fucking hot. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had staked such a claim. But Ethan would’ve been proud.

Shayla held her palms up. “I was just offering a seat.”

“Uh huh.” Chloé arched a brow. “Make sure that’s all you’re offering.”

Chloé glanced back at Zayne and ran her eyes down over him. “And you, can you try to be a little less sexy? I have too many people in this house that could find you appealing. I don’t want to have to fight them all off.”

Zayne smirked as he stepped over several piles of clothes. “I’ll do my very best.”

“Good. Then let’s get this packed so we can put all those muscles to work.”

* * *

ETHAN LOOKED AT the clock on his office wall and shut down his computer for the afternoon. Zayne had texted a little earlier to let him know they’d be on their way soon, and he wanted to get upstairs in time to greet them.

He still couldn’t believe that Chloé was finally moving in with them. If he hadn’t been there when she’d told her fathers, he might not have believed it had happened. But sure enough, the first time they were all together—pasta night—their brave little wildcat had announced they were in love and wanted to move in together.

Luckily, there’d been a lot of wine on hand that night, and considering every other shock they’d been dealt, the three men handled this one fairly well. If he didn’t count the disapproving frown on Priest’s face. But then again, that seemed standard whenever he looked in Ethan’s direction.

Zayne, however, had somehow managed to win Priest over. Ethan shouldn’t be all that surprised, he supposed—Zayne had a way about him. He knew how to handle the difficult ones. Hell, he handled Ethan like a pro.

But seeing the easy way Zayne slipped into conversation with the gruff lawyer made Ethan wonder what it would be like to finally make it past that tough exterior. For now, though, he was happy to navigate his way through each meeting by charming the gorgeous Julien and sassy Robbie, who seemed to share the same affinity for difficult men that Zayne did.

Ethan headed out of his office and made his way up through the club, and just as he was stepping into the foyer, the front door opened and Chloé stepped inside.

Her eyes brightened the second they landed on him, and as she hurried across the room, her ponytail swished from side to side, making him smile.

“Well, hello. I was wondering when you would show up.”

Chloé grinned as she threw her arms around his neck and Ethan pressed a hard kiss across her lips.

“I told you by the afternoon.” She ran her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. “I hardly had anything at all.”

Zayne stepped inside then, a massive box in his arms as he looked at the two of them. “Other than clothes, that is.”

She turned to look at Zayne, one arm still hooked around Ethan’s neck. “Well, I can’t walk around naked all the time.”

“Says who?” Ethan nuzzled in under her ear then swatted her denim-covered ass. Just as they parted, Shayla stepped inside.

“Huh.” She looked around the empty foyer before her eyes came to land on Chloé. “This place looks different during the light of day, almost…homey.”

Her eyes then shifted to the sensual artwork hanging behind the front desk.

“Almost.”

Zayne moved over to the artwork that hid the doorway to their apartment and pressed the button. It slid open, and Shayla’s jaw hit the ground.

“Wow…”

Chloé laughed and laced her fingers through his, and Ethan gestured to the hallway. “Please, let us show you around. I imagine you’ll be by to visit Chloé more often than not.”

“Um…” With eyes wide as saucers, Shayla nodded and followed them inside. “Sure.”

They made their way down the hall and stopped at the elevator. Shayla looked around and then stared at the three of them.

“I didn’t even know this place was back here.”

“Uh, you better not know it’s back here,” Chloé joked. “Or that would be a very awkward conversation at this point.”

Shayla shook her head. “What I mean is, I didn’t realize there was an apartment upstairs.”

“No one does,” Zayne said as the elevator dinged. They all stepped inside, and when he put the box on the floor and hit the button, he winked at Chloé. “Unless they’re personally invited.”

Shayla sighed. “I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: lucky bitch.”

Chloé laughed as the elevator ascended. When they reached their floor and walked into the main living space, Shayla’s disbelief continued.

Chloé led her cousin over to the windows that overlooked downtown, and Zayne put the box off to one side and moved in to steal a kiss from him.

“Hmm,” he said as he nipped at Ethan’s lower lip. “How was your day?”

Ethan smoothed his hand into the back pocket of Zayne’s jeans and pulled him in. “Productive. I got the books done. But I have to admit, I missed you two while you were gone.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Mhmm.” His eyes lowered to Zayne’s mouth. “It seemed like days, not hours.”

“Aww. Well, we’re back now.”

“So you are, and I assume everything went well with packing and Priest?”

“Yeah.” Zayne nodded and looked over to where Chloé was pointing at something out the window. “Like she said, there wasn’t too much—a set of drawers I think will go well in the closet for her, and a whole lotta boxes Priest helped us load up. But he figured this part was something we might want to do on our own, and honestly, I don’t think he really wanted to move his daughter into an apartment above a sex club.”

Ethan smirked. “I figured. I’m surprised he let her move here at all.”

“I don’t think there’s much letting when it comes to Red.”

“I think you might be right. Plus, she’s just across town. It’s not like she’s moved across an ocean.”

Zayne nodded. “Agreed, and he did make me promise pasta night next week.”

“That I think we can do. Well, we better go get the rest of her things. I cleared out half of the walk-in for her. Do you think that’ll be enough?”

Zayne winced and looked to the box on the ground. “Um…well, that’s one of twelve.”

“Twelve?”

“Uh huh, and that doesn’t include shoes.”

Ethan was about to say something when he heard, “Okay, this coffee table is gorgeous.”

He and Zayne looked over to where Shayla was admiring the centerpiece of the living room. Chloé mischievously grinned and winked at them. “It’s my favorite piece in the whole house.”

Oh yes, life was about to change for the three of them. And as Zayne’s chuckle joined his own, Ethan knew he couldn’t wait to see where it took them next.