The distant sounds of the living room filtered through the walls. Laughter, conversation, the rhythmic clatter of Mateo cooking.
"They're waiting.”
"I know."
She took his hand, about to walk into a room full of seven men in borrowed clothes and damp hair, carrying the knowledge that she'd tied up a CEO and made him beg.
TWENTY FOUR
The Flowers
April
Mateo had plates of food set out. Jax had dimmed the lights slightly. Someone had put on music, low ambient sound filling the space without demanding attention.
April and Killian stepped into the room.
No one looked up with questions. They just shifted: Jiro scooting over on the sectional, Mateo gesturing to the plates with a quiet "help yourself," Caleb mid-sentence about something that made Liam shake his head.
They settled April between Killian and Jiro, the others claiming chairs and couch arms and floor space with the easy comfort of people who'd stopped questioning whether they belonged. Jiro's fingers found hers, playing with them softly, tracing her knuckles, the spaces between her fingers.
No one was performing. Caleb had kicked his shoes off. Liam's tie was gone, collar open. Even Dante looked less like a don and more like a man who'd found a room worth staying in.
???
Caleb was the one who broke the comfortable silence. "So," he said, standing up with a grin. "We need to talk about the virgins in the room."
"The what?"
"Mateo and Liam," Caleb continued, gesturing to each in turn. "Haven't had sex with you yet. That's a problem." He looked at April like she'd missed a required checkbox.
"You're the one who collected us," Jax pointed out. "You don't get to leave the set incomplete."
"I didn't collect—"
"You did," Jiro said, watching her with that quiet, knowing smile.
They made her sound like the villain in a rom-com Pokémon parody.None of them looked particularly upset about it.
Dante's mouth curved. "And now you deal with the consequences."
Consequences. Right. Except she hadn't even thrown a Pokéball. They'd just shown up. Fully evolved, and looked at her with sad eyes that said "take me home".
Caleb clapped his hands. "Here's how this works. Each virgin gets a turn. Goal: make her come. We're judging."
"I'll be timing," Arthur said from across the room.
"Wait," April said. "I already know they can make me come."
Mateo and Liam both smirked, wide, knowing grins that made her stomach flip.
Caleb's smile turned absolutely wicked. "Then this is a real fucking competition. Full penetration. Show us what you've got."
Mateo and Liam exchanged looks, then grinned.
"Rock paper scissors for order?" Mateo suggested.
They played. Liam won, but he didn't move right away.
