space

Packing my few personal items from the living room and kitchen took practically no time at all, and my handful of toiletries from the bathroom took even less. Once we were done, I had four boxes, taped and labelled and nestled in the back seat of Jake's Range Rover.

I hugged Sadie goodbye and promised to text her with pictures of the new place. I had invited her to come along and see it, but she shook her head with a sly grin and declined, saying she didn't want to be a cock-block.

I rolled my eyes at her but couldn't hide my grateful grin. I was looking forward to more alone time with Jake. Once we were on the way, I attempted to get Jake to tell me where the new place was, but he was adamantly silent, refusing to give up even the minutest details of my new pad. After a few minutes I gave up, huffing my frustrations at the window.

Jake's low chuckle from the other side of the car sent a pleasant tingle down my spine, and when he reached over to put a hand on my thigh I relaxed into the fun of the secret location. I even stopped paying attention to road signs and landmarks so that he could enjoy the surprise.

After a forty minute drive into the heart of the city, Jake turned the car into an underground parking garage. I could tell we were deep in the middle of the city center, but I couldn't tell just where. He rolled the window down and punched in a six-digit code, which prompted a metal grate to open for us to roll through.

The private garage was filled with shiny, luxurious vehicles lining the walls, looking regal and important in their designated spaces. I was trying to imagine my old Hyundai parked next to these sleek, impressive cars when one caught my attention: a little black sports car that looked suspiciously familiar.

"Is Derek here?" I asked, attempting, and failing, to keep the breathiness out of my voice.

If Jake noticed he didn't show it, but nodded an affirmation before delivering some unexpected news.

"He lives here."

"Excuse me?" I gasped.

Jake chuckled again.

"It's a big building, Ginny. We all have apartments here for when we need to be in the city." He pulled effortlessly into a parking space and put the car in park before adding, "Separate apartments."

"Oh." was all I could mutter.

Jake hopped out of the car and I let myself out before reaching for the back door handle to get my boxes. Jake stopped me before I could open the door and grabbed my hand.

"I'll have Tate and Axel bring up the boxes," he explained, nodding towards a severe looking pair of men in black suits and dark sunglasses, wires barely visible leading from their left ears to their crisp shirt collars.

I raised an eyebrow but didn't question it. I wasn't surprised to see security detail in a place like this.

As Jake led the way to the elevator doors at the other end of the garage, I took inventory of all the other vehicles here, noticing several luxury brands I knew, plus a few I had never seen or heard of before. Every one of them was black, impossibly clean, with custom wheels and body work.

Inside the elevator, Jake produced a slim black key card from his pocket and handed it to me. I

"Just swipe it here--" he indicated a slot in the elevator panel "--and the elevator will take you straight to your floor."

I did as he instructed, and heard a soft "ding" as the elevator began to move upwards. Nervous butterflies danced along my stomach as the elevator rose higher and higher, until finally coming to a smooth stop with another "ding."

Whatever I had been expecting when I stepped out of those doors, the sight that greeted me was not it. The elevator did not just deposit me on my floor. It opened directly into the foyer of, what I had to assume was, my new apartment.

Floor to ceiling windows lined the wall to my right, showcasing the city and the mountains beyond in the most breathtaking view I had ever seen. A silky, gray shag rug and low, black leather sectional sofa gave softness to the space without taking away from the view, and a flat screen TV was mounted discretely in the corner.

It was open to the enormous, state of the art kitchen which featured sleek black cabinets and glittering counter tops, with stainless steel appliances that would look more at home in a five star restaurant kitchen. Lucite bar stools trimmed in brushed gold added an unexpected feminine touch. Suddenly my box of Pampered Chef kitchen gadgets and utensils seemed ridiculous in this space.

Unable to stop myself, my feet propelled me further into the room where I could see a modern glass dining table and high-backed chairs that matched the bar stools, and beyond that a hallway that ended in another floor to ceiling window.

My heels clicked softly, their sound echoing off the walls of the hallway as I made my way towards the end of the hall. Instead of ending abruptly, it opened up at the end, revealing identical spaces to either side. Both had double french doors and built in bookshelves, but were otherwise empty.

Turning back, I opened the first door, finding the largest bathroom I had ever set foot in, complete with a huge walk in shower, a corner tub with Jacuzzi jets, and even a sauna. Studying a small panel on the wall by the light switch, I noticed controls for the lights, heated floor, and a Bluetooth speaker system.

Across the hall was the only door left, which I assumed would be my bedroom. I took a deep breath and grabbed the door handle. It turned with a soft "click," and I stepped inside.

The lights must have been on motion sensors, because as I took a step into the room, soft lighting illuminated the space in a sultry glow, and I glanced around at my Pier 1 platform bed and Ikea furniture. It seemed horridly out of place in such a decadent place, but I had to admit, I felt more at home with it here, and I was grateful Derek had insisted on it being delivered here.

A flower arrangement dominated the top of my dresser, and a tiny card sticking out of the top caught my eye.

Derek must have sent them, I mused, wandering over to pluck the card from between the luscious, fragrant petals. Unfolding the tiny piece of card stock, I was shocked to see, not Derek's quick scrawl I had come to know at the office, but a thin, graceful handwriting. I recognized it immediately before I read the name.

Enjoy your new space, Virginia. I'm sorry I couldn't be there to welcome you home. -Luc

I couldn't control the flutter that went through my stomach at the thought of Luc welcoming me home.

Voices from the living room piqued my curiosity and I tucked the card into my bra before leaving the bedroom and closing the door behind me softly.

Back out in the main room of the house, Jake, Derek, and Austin were standing or sitting around the kitchen island, passing a bottle of expensive champagne between the three of them as they filled flutes with the golden liquid. As I approached, Derek held one out to me.

"Virginia," he said as greeting.

I accepted the glass with a slightly shaky hand as I answered, "Derek."

"Hey Austin," I added, smiling at the tall, sandy haired cowboy. He nodded back at me with a wink.

When no one said anything, I cleared my throat and threw on my best flirty smile.

"Would one of you mind explaining what you're all doing in my house?" I asked, cocking a hip out and leveling them with my gaze one at a time.

All three men chuckled, but it was Derek who spoke up.

"We just wanted to welcome you to your new home, Virginia. You have the entire floor, as well as access to the pool and fitness rooms downstairs. I had the entire apartment refurbished after the previous tenant moved out, but aside from the basics, I left the decorating up to you."

Sliding a folder across the bar to me, he continued.

"This folder contains all of the contact information you could possibly need for maintenance, security, and management of the building, as well as contacts for interior design, painters, etc. Your company credit card arrived today, no limit, so please, put it to good use in here."

I flipped through the stack of papers as he spoke. The idea of a limit-free credit card was not something I was used to, and the idea made me pale. The next page in the folder distracted me from the thought, though.

"What are these?" I asked, thumbing through several pages of what looked like restaurant menus.

"Ah, those are menus for several of our favorite restaurants in the area. They all deliver, but they also keep a table reserved for Galloway, Inc. at all times. Anything you order from that list will be put on the company tab."

"And these?" I asked, flipping to the next packet.

"Same thing, but retail. Clothing and accessories, shoes, home decor, jewelry, anything you might desire."

I quirked an eyebrow at the lavishness of all this.

Derek took the silence as an opportunity to keep going.

"The fridge and pantry are stocked, but grocery delivery services are listed there as well. Anything you want, Virginia, we will make sure that you have it."

"Seriously," Jake added, "none of us has had a woman in our lives for a long time. We want to treat you right so you'll stick around. Take advantage of it." He grinned and winked, easing the overwhelming feeling that had settled in my chest.

Austin spoke up next. "I think I speak for all of us as well when I say that we'll be spoiling you ourselves at every possible moment as well. We like to reward our employees for hard work."

I smiled at the three of them, all anxiously awaiting my response.

I closed the folder and set my glass down next to it before placing my hands flat on the counter top. Everything he said sounded great, but there was one big question he still hadn't answered.

I looked at each of the men in the kitchen--my kitchen-- one at a time, searching their eyes for anything at all that should give me pause in these circumstances. Seeing nothing but sincere interest, protective concern, and hope in all three of them, I asked the only question I still needed answered.

"Do the three of you--" I caught myself, remembering the card that was folded delicately inside my lace bra, "I mean, do the four of you, have 24/7 access to this apartment?" I asked uncertainly, not sure what I wanted the answer to be.

Derek held my gaze with his as he answered me steadily.

"We each have a key card to this apartment," he began, still making steady eye contact. "But you have, and will always have, lock-out ability on all four of us."

I cocked my head to the side, wordlessly prompting Derek to continue, which he did with a sly grin.

"When you aren't in the apartment, when your key card is not activated, the four of us are locked out automatically. Also, the panel next to the elevator doors has a control to lock out any, or all, of us at the touch of a button. Just in case you need some space." Derek winked as he finished, and I was reminded again of Luc's handwritten card that was pressed against my breast.

Enjoy your space.