Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Levi

“ H oney, I’m home!” I called as I walked in, carrying two pizzas for a late-night snack. “And I brought—oh.”

I stopped dead in my tracks, taking in the scene before me. Our usually minimalist living room had apparently transformed into some kind of Christmas wonderland while I was gone. Twinkling lights wrapped around every available surface, and a massive tree stood proudly in the corner, decorated within an inch of its life.

But that wasn’t what made me nearly drop the pizzas.

No, that honor went to the three very naked people sprawled on our ridiculously expensive area rug. The same rug that, judging by their flushed faces and the clothes scattered everywhere, had witnessed quite a show.

“Well,” I drawled, trying to hide how my pulse had kicked into overdrive, “I see you started the party without me.”

Emery’s face went scarlet as she scrambled to cover herself with what looked like Ronan’s shirt. Max and Ronan, shameless bastards that they were, didn’t even try to hide their state of undress.

“I thought you had bowling until eleven.” Max casually reached for his pants.

“League ended early. Thompson threw his back out trying to show off.” I set the pizzas on the kitchen island, my eyes drawn to the way Emery was biting her lip. “But clearly I should have called ahead. Though I have to say, this is a much better surprise than the time I caught Ronan trying to learn TikTok dances at two in the morning.”

“That never happened.” Ronan crossed his arms over his chest, positioning himself protectively near Emery.

“I have video evidence that says otherwise.” I shrugged out of my jacket, trying not to feel left out. I’d been the one pushing them all together, after all. Still, seeing the aftermath made something twist in my chest. “So, who’s responsible for turning our house into Santa’s workshop?”

Emery raised her hand slightly, then immediately dropped it, clutching Ronan’s shirt tighter. “I might have gone a bit overboard.”

“A bit?” I gestured to the giant tree in the corner. “That is a huge tree.”

“She said it wasn’t that big.” Max gave Emery a fleeting look. “Her perception of size is a little off.”

I glanced down at Ronan’s and Max’s dicks. “Obviously.”

“It was on sale, the tree, not their cocks,” she rambled, then started gathering more clothes. “I should go. This is... I mean, I shouldn’t have...”

“Don’t you dare,” I practically barked, making her freeze. I moved closer, crouching down beside her and softening my voice. “If you’re about to spiral into some kind of panic about crossing lines or making things weird, don’t. Am I a little hurt you did this without me? Sure, but now you can tell me a nice bedtime story.”

Her eyes went wide. “You... what?”

“What? You thought I was pushing you toward these two idiots just to be nice?” I reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I mean, I was being nice, but I was also hoping…”

“Hoping for what?” Her breath caught as I let my fingers linger near her ear.

“I was hoping we could all figure this out together. The four of us.”

“But...” Emery glanced between us, still clutching Ronan’s shirt like a shield. “Isn’t that... complicated?”

“Sweetheart, you’ve been complicating things since you walked into our lives.” I grinned, remembering how she’d started a sing-along. “Besides, there’s no going back now. I mean, look at our living room.”

“He’s got a point.” Max was now wearing his jeans but was still shirtless. The bastard knew exactly how good his abs looked in the twinkling Christmas lights and flickering flames of the fire. “We’re not the Christmas type and yet... here we are.”

I stood up, offering Emery my hand. “Come on, let’s get you dressed and fed. Then we can talk about how this is going to work.”

She took my hand hesitantly, and I pulled her to her feet, keeping Ronan’s shirt in place. “I’m going to go get cleaned up.”

Ronan handed her what I assumed were her clothes. “We’ll be waiting.”

As soon as Emery disappeared down the hall, I grabbed a plate and a few slices of pizza and sprawled out on the couch. “So, should we address the naked elves in the room, or are we going to pretend this is a normal Friday night?”

“Fuck.” Ronan ran a hand through his hair, pacing in front of the fireplace. “This could seriously affect the business. What if-”

“What? She posts about it on LinkedIn?” I took a bite of pizza. “Somehow I don’t think ‘had mind-blowing sex with my three bosses’ is going to make her professional highlights reel.”

Max, who’d finally put on a shirt, shot me a look. “You seem awfully calm about walking in on... this.”

“Because I’ve been hoping something like this would happen.” I shrugged. “Though I have to admit, I thought I’d be there for the first time. But hey, at least I got my turn on Monday.”

“After shopping?” Ronan stopped pacing, giving me a knowing look.

“Technically it was during shopping.” I had decided not to share about what Emery and I had done in the dressing room out of respect for her privacy.

“You got home and had that stupid grin you get after getting laid.” Max grabbed his own slice of pizza. “It wasn’t that hard to figure out.”

“Speaking of hard...” I wiggled my eyebrows.

“Can you be serious for five minutes?” Ronan snapped. “This isn’t just about sex. This is about our friendship, our business, our…”

“Our hearts?” I finished softly. That made both of them stop and look at me. “Come on, we all know this is different. When’s the last time any of us had a real relationship? One where we let this happen?” I gestured to the Christmas decor.

“You know damn well I don’t do relationships.” Ronan’s shoulders tensed in the way they did whenever someone brought up anything remotely emotional. I’d seen that defensive posture a thousand times over the years we’d been friends, and it never failed to make me want to shake some sense into him.

“My point is, maybe there’s a reason none of us have found someone yet.” I set down my pizza, getting serious. “We share everything else. Is it really that crazy to think we might share this too?”

Max sank into the armchair, looking thoughtful. “What about jealousy? What if she prefers one of us over the others?”

“She clearly doesn’t.” I gestured to the rug where I’d found them. “And honestly? I think that’s what makes her perfect for us. She sees something different in each of us. With me, she’s playful and adventurous. With you, Max, she’s soft and vulnerable. And with Ronan...”

“She challenges me.” Ronan sat down. “Pushes back when I get too intense.”

“Exactly.” I leaned forward. “Look, I’m not saying it won’t be complicated. But when has anything worth having ever been simple?”

“Says the guy who thought starting a gift-wrapping business was a simple side hustle.” Max’s lips twitched.

“And now look at us! Successful business owners who happen to all want to date the same woman.” I grinned, spreading my arms wide to encompass our ridiculous success.

Ronan was quiet for a moment, staring at the Christmas tree. “She makes everything brighter somehow. Even this ridiculous holiday stuff doesn’t seem so bad with her around.”

“That’s because she is Christmas. All that hope and joy and magic wrapped up in one perfectly chaotic package.” There was a reason I called her Christmas Spirit.

“We’re doing this?” Max looked at me then at Ronan. “All of us?”

I held up my pizza slice like a toast. “All for one...”

“And one for all?” Emery’s voice came from the hallway, making us all turn. She stood there in yoga pants and an oversized sweater, looking uncertain. She looked smaller somehow, like she was trying to disappear into the fabric.

“How are you feeling about all of this?” Ronan gestured vaguely between us.

She wrapped her arms around herself, a gesture I was starting to recognize as her defensive position. “Honestly? I don’t know. Everything’s such a mess right now and I’ve complicated everything by sleeping with my bosses.” She let out a shaky laugh. “I’m basically a walking HR violation.”

“Hey now.” I stood up and crossed to her, unable to resist rubbing her arm. “You’re not a violation of anything. Well, maybe some outdated social norms, but those needed violating anyway.”

That got a small smile out of her, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I don’t want you guys to feel obligated to help me because we’ve been intimate. And I definitely don’t want to pressure anyone into something more serious just because I’m temporarily staying here.”

I wanted to tell her she could stay forever, that we’d figure out a permanent position for her at the company, that everything would work out perfectly. But I knew I couldn’t make those promises without discussing it with Ronan and Max first. We might agree about wanting her, but the business and living situation decisions would need careful consideration.

“No one feels obligated.” Max’s voice was gentle as he moved to join us. “And no one’s expecting you to make any big decisions right now.”

I was relieved that Max had found the right words. “Exactly. We can take this one day at a time and figure out what works for all of us.”

Ronan cleared his throat. “The job and living situation are separate issues from whatever this is becoming between us. We don’t want you feeling trapped or pressured.”

“What Mr. Warmth over there is trying to say is that you’re in the driver’s seat here. We’re just along for the ride,” I added.

“The driver’s seat?” She glanced at us skeptically. “You guys run a multi-million-dollar company, live in this amazing house, and basically have your lives completely together. And I’m sleeping in your guest room because I can’t afford an apartment. That doesn’t feel very much like being in control.”

“Hey, I once tried to start a business selling personalized rubber ducks,” I shared with a self-deprecating grin as I remembered that entrepreneurial disaster. “Complete with tiny bow ties and custom paint jobs. Lost my entire savings and ended up with three hundred squeaky rejects in my bedroom. Trust me, none of us has it completely together. We just hide our chaos better these days.”

Max chuckled. “Remember when we all had too much to drink after finals and decided a voice-activated toaster was our ticket?”

“We agreed never to speak of that again,” Ronan warned, but I could see the tension leaving his shoulders.

“We can keep things casual, get to know each other better, and deal with the practical stuff separately. No pressure, no expectations.”

“Just four consenting adults enjoying each other’s company.” Max smiled and looked at the tree. “And apparently, a lot of Christmas decorations.”

That finally got a genuine laugh out of Emery. “Admit it. The tree looks pretty good, even without the pinecones.”

“It’s certainly... present,” Ronan deadpanned, making her laugh harder.

“So, what do you say?” I reached for her hand. “Want to see where this sleigh ride takes us?”

She looked at our joined hands, then at each of us. “Casual? And you’re all okay with sharing?”

“More than okay,” I assured her, while Max and Ronan nodded their agreement.

“Then yes.” She squeezed my hand. “Let’s see where this goes.”