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“This will be your room during your stay,” Zander says as the other two walk inside and set my bags down. “If you need anything, our rooms are right down the hall.”

Since he owns the house, I assume he’s in charge of the practical logistics.

“We’ll leave you to get settled and see you for coffee in the kitchen in the morning.”

“Wait, that’s it?” I ask as Zander turns to leave.

The other two step out and stand beside him just outside the doorframe. For a moment, my mind plays tricks on me, and their three sets of eyes staring intensely back resemble a small wolf pack—not in a threatening way, but a dominant one.

“Yes,” he says with a restrained smile. “You’ve had a long drive, and the three of us have some things to tend to since we’ve just arrived ourselves. Feel free to explore the house at your leisure. I think you’ll find everything you need within reach. The kitchen is downstairs to the right of the staircase if you’re hungry. There’s a study with a mini bar on the other side of the house, and your bathroom is already stocked. I would ask that you not leave the grounds without notifying one of us first. Other than that, you have free rein to do your job for the month, Nina.”

“Thank you,” I say, impressed by the forethought he must have put into all of this. “I’ll look forward to going through the details with the three of you over coffee.”

With that, all three men leave. I listen to their footsteps fade down the hallway and peek out just in time to see Jarek toss me a smile over his shoulder.

For the rest of the evening, I unpack and get comfortable in my temporary surroundings. My bedroom rivals the fanciest of hotels, and the window looks straight at the mountain range. It’s all quite beautiful.

After a few hours at the corner desk, planning how to keep the guys’ stay efficient but enjoyable, I start to get hungry.

The house is quiet when I walk downstairs toward the kitchen, except for an undercurrent of voices coming from the study. It sounds like the three of them are talking about their vacation plans, though I can’t quite make out what they’re saying. I suppose I’ll be briefed in the morning.

By the time I reach the kitchen, my stomach is audibly growling. The first thing I notice, aside from the fact that this place could serve as the backdrop for a five-star restaurant, is a note on the front of the fridge.

You’re welcome to help yourself to anything here, Nina. We want you to enjoy working for us this month. After all—’tis the season, right?

—Zander, Pascal, and Jarek

The glare when I open the fridge in the dimly lit kitchen almost blinds me. But I can still see clearly enough to appreciate shelves laden with every kind of food and drink I could imagine.

I reach for a panini and feel my mouth start to water. Hopefully it’s watering in response to the delicious-smelling sandwich in my hand, not the guys who put it there.

CHAPTER 3

ZANDER

“She’s good.”

I nod at Pascal as I sip my coffee. He’s not wrong. Nina Adler is good at her job, and it’s only her fourth day. Already, she’s fit into our lives like a missing puzzle piece with smooth, soft edges. It’s unexpected—how comfortable she feels to me.

“Yes, she is.” I set down my cup. “Which is why I had my lawyers do some digging into her recent scandal.”

“Ugh,” Jarek groans. “Please tell me you’re not already trying to find a problem with this girl. For fuck’s sake, Zander, she’s our concierge, not your new girlfriend. No need to start sabotaging things yet.”

I give him a sharp look. Jarek’s teasing always hits a little too close. Nina isn’t my girlfriend, but I wanted her the second she arrived.

And I’ve caught both Jarek and Pascal watching her, too. None of us have been subtle since she walked through the door.

Jarek isn’t wrong about my aptitude for sabotaging any meaningful relationship before I get too attached.

“My lawyers aren’t digging into her,” I clarify. “You’re a decent actor, Jarek, but your critical thinking skills need some work.”

Pascal lets out a single laugh and leans back in his chair.

“It’s my good looks that carry me,” Jarek says with a wink. “So, who are your lawyers going after, if not her?”

“Nina’s ex-boyfriend, Reid Smythe. I heard he’s a piece of shit, and I’d like to find out if I’m right.”

“Even if every word of that scandal was true, a man doesn’t air that publicly,” Pascal says, calm as ever, but there’s an edge in his eyes. “Not about a woman like her. She doesn’t strike me as a gold digger. Besides, men would line up to give that woman anything she wanted.”