“I’m fine, Mom,” Ryan said, abashedly rubbing the back of his head.

  “I haven’t seen you in so long! Why haven’t you called? I’ve been worried for you.”

  “Mom, can you give us a moment?” Ryan pried himself from his mother’s arms and made his way to me. “Scarlet, I wasn’t expecting this.” I could tell he was nervous. I’d never seen him like that before.

  I looked over Ryan’s shoulder. “Your mom, she’s… she’s something.” Riley had just entered the living room and was getting the same treatment Ryan did.

  “We need to talk to her first. Do you mind waiting for us in the bedroom?”

  My shoulders sagged down. I expected to get introduced to their mother, but I shouldn’t have jumped the gun so quickly and assumed our relationship had gotten so intimate. “Yeah. Yeah, sure, I’ll do that.” I avoided his gaze, shrinking like a beat-up loser as I strode past him. I hoped our relationship had become a little more important. I got too confident with myself.

  “Hey, don’t take it too hard.”

  Was my disappointment that obvious? “I’m not.”

  “She can be a little overbearing at times. We’re not ready to introduce you to her yet. That’s all.”

  He tried to make me feel better, but each word he said only cut deeper into my wound. At that point, I wanted to crawl into a hole and hug myself to sleep. “I’m okay with it. Really. Go have fun talking to your mother.” I strained a smile.

  Ryan gave me a playful slap on my behind, as he liked to do. “Wait for us. We’ll come to you after we’re done.” It hadn’t created a jolt of excitement as it used to do.

  “Yep.” I attempted to act happy and grin at him.

  He pressed his lips to my forehead then left to join his mother. I slipped past the trio quietly. They didn’t pay much attention to my presence, letting me go without even glancing my way.

  A sex partner didn’t require an introduction to their parents. That’s why their mother didn’t waste her time saying a word when she saw me. I was a fleeting past-time for the brothers—just a toy they’d get bored of and leave after they’re done.

  I’d usually get angry at my boyfriends if they tried something like that, but here, I had no right to complain about anything. I was using the twins just as they were using me. We were in it for the same reason—sexual gratification. I had broken up with my pathetic excuse of a partner, needed a sexual companion, and the twins offered amazing sex. I shouldn’t have been saddened by that fact, yet I couldn’t stop myself from becoming a little hurt.

  I let myself get too close to them. I shouldn’t have gotten emotionally attached.

  Was it time to cut our ties?

  I slipped out of the twins’ shirt and put on something more appropriate, in case I bumped into their mother again.

  I took in a deep breath. Their sweet scent surrounded this room. I had gotten used to it, even started to love it. I didn’t want to let go of them. Not yet.

  I lied down on the bed and crossed my legs. Thoughts ran through my mind. At first, I was distracting myself from thinking about the twins, redirecting my mind to different things, like what to make for breakfast tomorrow and the reports I needed for work. But the more I tried to stop thinking about them, the more they popped up.

  The notion of having to leave them eventually sent a pang of pain to my heart.

  Mad at myself for being so desperate, I rolled around onto my stomach and covered my head with the pillow. “Stupid, stupid, stupid,” I muttered. I was about to cry because of them. I refused to cry.

  Just as my inner turmoil reached its peak, I heard the sound of the door clicking open. I threw the pillow away and whipped my head around. They were back.

  “Your mother already left?” I asked. “That was pretty quick.”

  They looked downtrodden, unlike their usual playful selves. Something was up.

  “Are the two of you okay?”

  Ryan sighed. “Just a little pissed off.”

  “Your mom seemed to miss the both of you a lot.”

  “Sometimes she should learn how to stop butting into our affairs.”

  “Do you want to talk—?”

  Without letting me finish my sentence, Riley pressed his lips on mine. His tongue forced its way in, and I allowed his entrance without any hesitation. When he broke the kiss to speak, he said, “No, just shut up, and let us make love to you.”

  Love? Riley must have used the wrong word. He must have meant deep, passionate fucking, or something of that sort.

  Our clothes fell on the floor before I had time to react. They took me more intensely than ever—there were no spankings, no smart remarks, no role-plays or rules, only unadulterated emotions of need and lust.

  After that morning of hot and heavy sex, nothing much had changed. They were back to their teasing selves after leaving me bewildered, yet satisfied. We went down to eat breakfast after that. The breakfast had already turned cold, the bacon oily and stiff. They ate it anyway with smiling faces, probably to not hurt my feelings.

  They didn’t have to pretend. I knew the food tasted God-awful compared to the norm.

  They reminded me they needed to pack and leave for Paris. As their personal assistant, it was my job to help them out—or so they said. I didn’t think my job status applied during out-of-work hours.

  We spent the next two days acting like our intense night of passionate sex hadn’t happened. All that screwing around made me ache all over. I considered bringing it up, but Ryan and Riley were so caught up with work, we didn’t have time to discuss it. The Paris trip took a lot from their schedule. The meetings and paperwork doubled so we could keep on track.

  When they left, they offered to take me along.

  “You could just hop onto the plane right now, you know?” Ryan said. “Won’t you miss us?”

  I would, but having the house to myself sounded great, too. “You know I can’t.”

  Riley kissed my cheek and hovered his lips over my ear. We were at a private landing—only the bodyguards and drivers served as an audience. “Think about it. Sex right next to the Eiffel Tower.”

  My hands travelled to my face to cover how it had turned pink. “Somebody has to make sure the staff doesn’t slack off at work. And who’s going to answer your emails and sort out the paperwork on your behalf? I’d love to, guys, but you know I can’t.”

  They both released a huffy sigh.

  “We’ll let Helena do it,” Riley said.

  “Helena? She slacks so much, it’s worrying. I caught her on Facebook playing silly games when she had a report for me due in two hours the other day. I told her off, but she still handed it in late. You both should really be more thorough with your interviews.”

  Ryan snorted. “Since when did you become the boss of the company?”

  “I’m not. But I care for you guys, so I care for your company.” Did I really just admit that out loud? I pushed it to the back of my mind, and the twins didn’t seem to notice it much. “Focus on your conference in Paris. I’ll make sure everything here is okay.”

  “You’re starting to sound like a really naggy wife," Riley said.

  “I’m your secretary. I’m supposed to help you out with things.”

  “Don’t stress yourself out too much,” Ryan said, “and remember to think about us, or else.”

  “I’ll be spending too much time not thinking about you.”

  Ryan’s hand landed on my ass for the umpteenth time. I let out a soft yelp and glared at him. He responded with a blood-curdling smirk.

  They gave me one last final goodbye and entered the plane. I paced back to the car where Tyrone waited for me, thinking over Riley’s words.

  Wife? What the hell was that supposed to mean?

  ***

  “They are totally into you,” Kristie said, stirring her cup of coffee.

  I hadn’t met her since I moved in with the twins. Between personal time with Ryan and Riley, and work, I didn’t get the opportunity to meet up with her last week. Looking at my bubbly friend again was quite refreshing. We lounged in front of the twins’ gorgeous swimming pool. Riley had given me the go-ahead for inviting Kristie over.

  I shoved another piece of cheesecake into my mouth. Without properly swallowing before speaking, I replied, “They said only two words that very loosely imply they like me—‘love’ and ‘wife’. How is that supposed to indicate anything?” I swung my fork around in an unrefined manner as I spoke.

  She rolled her eyes and looked at me as if I were stupid. “They had a fight with their mom, who doesn’t like you. I'll bet they were fighting over you—"

  "I think you're being a little too optimistic."

  "—and then they said they loved you before giving you the best sex of your life. How could that mean anything else? You’re so bad at looking out for signs. It’s no wonder you always end up with the wrong guys.”

  “But I thought you mentioned I had to find another job, or I'd be in trouble.”

  “That’s different. You guys had only just met then, and the twins are notoriously infamous for sleeping around.”

  “We met, like, one week ago. It hasn't been too long.”

  “It’s long enough to fall in love, or at least raise some interest.”

  Her cell phone rang, interrupting our conversation. She picked it up. “Hello? Oh, Keith, hi! How is it?”

  I silently munched on my cheesecake, suddenly feeling like an outsider.

  “Yeah. No problem. I miss you, too. Nine-fifteen? I’ll see you there. Love you, too!” She made kissy sounds into the mouthpiece and hung up the phone.

  “Who was that?” I asked. She didn’t have a boyfriend when I got fired last week.

  “My new significant other.” She sighed contentedly and looked up at the sky. “He has awesome biceps.”

  “When did you meet him?”

  “Two days after you left. And I think I’m in love.”

  I pointed my fork at her. “You’re in lust.”

  She squinted. “Can’t you be a little more dreamy? It’s love. I know it’s the real thing this time.” She clasped her hands together and stared off into space, acting like a Disney princess.

  “That’s what you said about the last one.”

  “And I was right. I loved him, but life got in the way. Jim got transferred, so I couldn’t be with him anymore. That doesn’t mean we didn’t love each other. You’ve got to have more faith in your twins. You have to be the luckiest woman in the world right now. Two super-hot, rich twins like you. Give it a shot. Even if it doesn’t work out, it’s worth the risk.” She took a swipe at my cheesecake. “Wow. You really can bake.”

  “I don’t know…”

  “Shut up and enjoy what you have, Scarlet. Or I’ll need to smack some sense into you.”

  I still couldn’t wrap my head around what Kristie was saying. The prospect sounded too good to be true, like a dream. I had to constantly remind myself I was a stand-in plaything whenever I hung out with Riley and Ryan, I couldn’t simply do a three-sixty with my mindset and imagine them loving me right away.

  “You should try asking them how they feel about you.”

  I waved my hands. “No, no, that’ll be a complete disaster. They’ll think I’m one of the clingy types.”

  “Well, you seem really confused now. It sounds like the best option. If they reject you, you’ll be ending it before falling in too deep, and if they don’t, you can kiss and have some great sex.”

  What she proposed made sense, but the notion of going up to them and asking, “do you love me?” scared my wits out. “I might give it a shot.”

  “That’s the spirit.” She grinned. “And while you’re mulling over things you shouldn’t be mulling over…” She took off her coat. What in Heaven's name was she doing? “How about a skinny dip in this pool?”

  Kristie was in her undies before I had enough time to stop her.

  “Carpe diem!” she shouted, before cannon-balling in.

  ***

  We skinny-dipped a couple times during college. Back then, I would’ve joined in willingly, but I’ve packed on more than a few pounds after leaving the track team; I wasn’t that comfortable with my body anymore.

  Kristie, on the other hand, looked just as slim as before. She didn’t have an inch of belly fat. Naturally-skinny people were so lucky.

  “What are you waiting for?” Kristie said, swimming to the side of the pool. “Why don’t you join in?” Her blonde curls clumped together, and the water made her makeup run. How she still managed to look effortlessly-beautiful after that, I couldn’t figure out.

  I had built a bit of a pooch, and I didn’t foresee I would get naked in front of another person while the twins were away, so I was wearing ugly, mismatched undergarments. “No, thanks, Kristie, I’m not in the mood.”

  “You need to loosen up a little sometimes, you know? You’re always so uptight about things. This pool is amazing; it’s deeper than it looks.” She pushed herself from the edge of the pool and waded around before dipping her head in and doing an underwater somersault.

  It looked incredibly fun, and I wanted an excuse to go wild again like the old days. I’d be more willing if my panties weren’t green and my bra an awful color of beige.

  “I’ll go change out into a bikini,” I said, smiling.

  She pouted. “Really? And here I am in my underwear. That’s not fair.”

  I laughed. “Whatever.”

  As I turned to make my way to the bedroom, I met my worst nightmare.

  The twins’ mother watched us from the window of the living room, crossing her hands and wearing a distasteful look. A tall man in a suit stood next to her, a silver briefcase grasped in his hand.

  Shocked, and a tad bit frightened, I shouted, “Kristie!”

  “Yeah?” she responded, her head popping from the water’s surface.

  “Put on some clothes.”

  “Why?”

  “Their mom is here."

  "What?"

  "Their mom. The wife of the CEO of Crawford. She's watching us from the window."

  “Oh, my God.” The sound of water splashing followed by the tap of footsteps echoed from behind.

  “I'll have to greet her first.”

  The doors to the living room were see-through and automatic, similar to the kind they installed in malls. I walked through them to confront the middle-aged, ice-queen bitch from hell.

  Mrs. Crawford narrowed her eyes at me. Without giving me a chance to say hello, she said, “I don’t appreciate having a half-naked female swimming in my sons’ pool.”

  My palms got clammy. She looked like the devil, ready to eat me alive. “I’m sorry, um, ma’am.” She stared silently, as if trying to evaluate my personality. I pulled down the corner of my lower lip, feeling nervous and awkward. “So, what brings you here? It’s quite late.” I’d normally go up to people who didn’t like me and tell them to fuck off, but this woman was the twins’ mother. I wanted her to like me; if not, at least show a hint of acceptance.

  But all she showed was plain disgust.

  Tipping her chin up, she turned around and gestured to the man to follow her with a finger. “I have a proposal for you.” The man placed the briefcase onto the coffee table. She sat on one of the couches, but I remained standing, not having gotten permission to sit down. “Stay away from my sons, and you'll be duly rewarded.” Her servant opened the briefcase and presented a giant heap of money to me. How much was in there? Thick stacks of hundred dollar notes filled the briefcase.

  I’d never come across so much cash in my life.

  “There’s a hundred thousand dollars in here,” she said. “I can have another few hundred thousand wired to your account by tomorrow. I promise to pay you as much as you want, as long as you stay away from my sons. Name your price. Of course, it has to be within reasonable limits.”

  Her words took a while to sink into me.

  “What?” I asked, raising my head and tearing my eyes from the money.

  “Five hundred thousand? A million? You will have to move, of course. I don’t want you staying near them. I’m sure two million will have you comfortably settled for the rest of your life.” She crossed her legs and pressed her lips into a thin line.

  She was joking, wasn’t she? “No,” I said, pushing the briefcase away.

  She curled up her lip in disbelief. “Two million isn’t enough for you? You are one greedy little minx. How about three? Is three enough? I’m even willing to go for four.”

  I shook my head. “It’s not about the money. I’m not going to leave the twins, regardless of what you give me.”

  She sneered. “You want the whole pie, don’t you? The whole fortune.”

  “Why are you trying to split us apart? Is it about something they said when you came over?”

  She gritted her teeth. I supposed I struck a nerve. “Let me tell you something, whore. My sons will be bored of you before you know it. They’ll leave you in the dust, and you won’t be getting a single cent from me.”

  I had to remind myself they’d break up with me eventually time and time again. But something didn’t make sense. “Then why are you giving me money to leave them now?” Was it because they didn’t want me to leave? Hope gripped at my heart.

  She ignored my question by puffing out a breath of frustration. “You’re not suited for my sons. You’re of a lower breed. Imagine going to functions with that crass attitude of yours. You’ll end up mocking my whole family. What will you bring to the Crawford family? Nothing but shame.”

  A lower breed? Just because this woman had money, it didn’t mean she could go around insulting everyone. “That’s not very nice to say. My parents raised me well enough.” I definitely wasn’t going to accept her offer after her slew of insults, as enticing as it seemed.

  “I only want the best for Ryan and Riley. They deserve only the best, and unfortunately, you’re not it. Take the money and leave. You’ll be doing the both of them a favor. You don’t belong in the world my sons live in. You’ll stick out and be mocked for the rest of your life.”

 

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