Chapter 23

TAYLA

Stepping back into the house, I was wearing Walker’s leather jacket. It seemed to have two distinct effects on the people inside.

Jess was clapping her hands, telling me it looked good on me. Logan, on the other hand, just stood there with a frown on his face.

“How was your first day there?” Jess asked.

I figured Logan must have told her about me cleaning for the Raffiel brothers. I smiled at her.

“Yeah. I did some dusting, vacuuming, and other normal stuff. They gave me lunch and dinner and were really nice to me,” I shared.

Jess gave me a knowing smile and nodded.

“Can I head to bed now? I’m pretty tired,” I said.

“You’re cleaning there again in the morning?” Logan asked.

I nodded.

“Seems a bit much if you did so much today, don’t you think?”

“I’m doing their laundry,” I explained.

Logan crossed his arms over his chest, looking like a child who didn’t get his way.

I headed up to my room and kicked off my shoes. I flopped back on my bed and let out a sigh.

As I replayed the day’s events, I couldn’t believe that just a few hours ago, I was having sex with Hayden and Walker.

It was intense.

Being with two men at once was something I never dreamed I would do, but I didn’t regret it.

I wanted to be with both of them.

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. I sat up as Jess came in, grinning from ear to ear.

She closed my door and sat on the edge of my bed.

“Now tell me what really happened?” she asked.

“What makes you think something did?” I teased.

“I know a post-sex glow when I see one. Now spill. I promise I won’t tell Logan.”

“Well? I didn’t actually do any cleaning and Walker took me for a ride on his bike. We had lunch and then...”

“Go on. Say it,” Jess urged.

“All three of us had sex,” I confessed, grinning.

“Both of them?” she asked, her eyes wide.

“Yeah. I’m their girlfriend now,” I admitted, blushing.

Jess gasped, but her face was bright and excited.

“You lucky, greedy girl,” she laughed.

“You won’t judge me, right?” I asked, a bit nervous.

“Never. It’s a very modern thing and not to mention, your boyfriends are seriously hot!”

“Don’t tell Logan. He seems to really hate them,” I said.

A text alert sounded from my bag and Jess handed it to me.

Pulling out my new phone, I saw a text from Hayden asking me to stay over tomorrow night.

“They want me to stay over tomorrow night,” I told Jess.

“Do it,” Jess encouraged.

“Logan would flip and then he would know I’m seeing them,” I said.

“He’s not your dad,” she pointed out.

“Yeah, but it still makes things difficult with me living here,” I said.

“I’ll cover for you,” Jess offered.

I frowned.

“How?”

“I’ll say you got cramps. Logan doesn’t understand female problems and it makes him uncomfortable talking about it. I’ll say you are in bed when he gets home from work and I’ll pretend to check on you a couple of times?”

That could work.

“You would do that for me?”

“Yeah, but I want to hear all the juicy details after. Agreed?”

I nodded.

I texted Hayden back the good news.

He texted back that it was great and they would leave a key at the gate for me in the morning because they were going out.

“Wear some sexy underwear,” Jess suggested.

She squeezed my leg and got up from the bed, winking at me as she left the room.

I changed into a long t-shirt and climbed into bed.

I was exhausted and fell asleep almost immediately.

The next morning, I woke up at nine. The house was empty, so I took a hot shower and dressed in jeans and a t-shirt.

I put my hair up in a high ponytail and slipped on my sneakers.

I planned to walk over to the Raffiel house and packed an overnight bag as well.

After locking up the house with my key, I put my backpack on and started walking to my destination.

At the gate, I was handed a key and made my way up to the house, letting myself in the front door.

In the kitchen, I found a note on the island.

Morning beautiful. Help yourself to whatever you need and see you soon. W&H.

I smiled and put my backpack on the island.

I grabbed a duster and polish from the cleaning cupboard.

Hayden had mentioned the pool room needed dusting, so I decided to start there.

It didn’t take me long. I found a jukebox and turned it on, cranking up the volume so I could hear the music throughout the house.

I moved to the sitting room and polished all the surfaces there, dancing to the music.

After finishing with the dusting, I headed to the laundry room.

By lunchtime, I was making good progress with the laundry. They had a decent tumble dryer, which helped. I was getting hungry, so I headed to the kitchen.

I made myself some toast and tea and cleaned up afterward.

Sitting at the island, I noticed a door that looked like it led to a basement.

I tried the handle, but it was locked.

Probably where they stored things they didn’t want people to see?

I shrugged and opened the door to the deck, stepping out into the sunshine.

I noticed a few beer bottles scattered around and cleaned them up before standing near the rail, looking out to sea.

The house was perfectly situated here.

I wish I could live here, I thought.

Even with Walker and Hayden?

Now there was a thought?

“Hello again?”

I turned around and saw the man I had met at the bar the other night.

Hayden had called him Townsie?

“Hi,” I said, watching him sit in a chair.

“I never did get your name,” he said, gently.

“Tayla and you?”

“Tayla? Sweet. I’m Dominic.”

“Not to be rude, but does Walker know you’re here?”

“He does. I’m here to work on a project with Hayden. They’re expecting me,” he clarified.

I gave him a quick once-over.

He was dressed in black jeans and a gray tee, his hair slicked back, his brown eyes locked on mine.

“So, are you Walker’s girlfriend?”

“I’m with both Walker and Hayden.”

His eyebrows shot up and a grin spread across his face.

“That’s pretty hot. So, you like being shared between them?”

I could feel my cheeks burning. Maybe I’d shared too much.

Dominic watched my reaction, leaning in closer.

“We used to be close, the three of us. Did everything together,” he reminisced, a smile playing on his lips.

“What changed?” I asked.

His smile faded.

“I messed up.”

“How so?” I pushed.

“I stole some stuff to make extra cash for my mom,” he confessed.

I hoisted myself up, perching on the edge of the rail.

“She had cancer. I needed the money for her treatment.”

“Couldn’t you have borrowed it?”

“From a bank? No way.”

“You got caught, didn’t you?” I asked.

“Yeah. But I got lucky. Walker’s dad just kicked me out of town. My mom passed away in the hospital a few weeks later.”

That’s terrible.

“Could you get down from there?” he asked.

I crossed my arms over my chest, defiant.

Another guy trying to boss me around?

“No.”

“You’re making me nervous. Please get down,” he pleaded.

I spread my arms wide, about to point out the soft sand below, when I lost my balance.

Oh, shit!

I was actually going to fall.

“Shit! Help!” I yelled, teetering backward.

“Very funny,” he said, frowning.

“No, I’m serious!” I yelled.

I was leaning so far back I couldn’t reach the rail, my legs the only thing keeping me from falling.

I screamed as my grip started to slip.

“Dominic, help!” I shouted.

Dominic sprang into action, rushing toward me.

Just as I was about to fall, I felt Dominic’s arm wrap around my waist, pulling me back up.

I clung to his t-shirt as he steadied me on the rail.

“Thank you,” I gasped.

Suddenly, Hayden came barreling in, knocking Dominic to the deck floor.

“Hayden!” I yelled, jumping down from the rail.

The sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed as Hayden landed a punch on Dominic’s face.

“Stop it!” I screamed.