It’s been a long week and I’m nervous about the guys coming over. Before I get ready, I need to check on Zoe. We’ve hardly seen each other over the last week. I, of course, find her in the greenhouse. When I walk through the door, she is hunched over a table studying something I can’t see.

Zoe looks up at me and gives me a funny look. “What’s wrong, Al?’

I shrug. “How do you know something is wrong?”

“I’m your best friend, I can tell when something is bothering you.”

I roll my eyes at her. “The guys are coming over tonight and I need to have the talk with them.”

She laughs. “You mean the ‘how do I date you all’ and ‘I don’t have that many holes’ talk?”

“Ugh, do you have to say it like that? By the way, how’s it coming in here?”

“Nice subject change.” Zoe chuckles. “I’ll need your help tomorrow. The plants are cured, and we need to manicure the buds.”

I clap with excitement. “I can’t believe it. Your baby is about to hit the streets.”

Zoe points at me. “Our baby, and yes, I’m excited, too. I’ve got a date with Ben tonight and I’ll probably stay at his house, so you’ll have privacy with your guys. We should both go get ready.”

We walk out of the greenhouse securing the door behind us. “They aren’t my guys, yet.”

Zoe just shakes her head and I follow her into the main house. We both part ways to head to our rooms. After a shower, I’m standing in my closet trying to find something to wear. At first I think I should dress to impress, but I decide to go for sexy comfortable instead. I definitely don’t want to look like I’m trying too hard. I put on a pair of tight yoga shorts and a pink off the shoulder t-shirt that says Will Run For Donuts across the chest. I’m going barefoot because I just had a pedicure, and my pink toes are adorable. The girl even painted a marijuana leaf on the big toenails. I pull my long dark hair up into a messy bun, and call in Italian for delivery. No reason to have a serious conversation on an empty stomach.

The doorbell rings as I’m coming down the stairs. Dobey runs past me barking like crazy. When I open the door all four of the Michaelson brothers are standing there. They look so good it takes my breath away. I step back to let them enter.

“Hi, guys,” I say and give them a nervous smile.

Cash pulls me in for a hug. “You look good, Pretty Girl.”

Ridge grabs me from behind, pulling me away from Cash. He squeezes me and whispers in my ear, “I’ve missed you, Hot Lips.”

Just as the doorbell rings again, Oren and North both mumble, “Hi.”

I excuse myself and open the door again. The takeout guy hands me the four full bags, takes his money, and leaves.

I walk past the guys, stopping to watch North petting Dobey, before heading to the kitchen. “I ordered Italian,” I holler.

They follow me into the kitchen and Cash gets out plates and silverware while North grabs bottles of beer out of the fridge.

“What are we having?” Oren asks.

I give him a sheepish smile. “I really wasn’t sure what to order so there is lots to choose from. We have salad, bread, lasagna, cheese manicotti, chicken alfredo, baked ziti, and chicken parmesan.”

“I’ll have one of everything, ” Ridge says as he begins to pile on a little bit of everything onto his plate.

North rolls his eyes. “All you care about is your stomach.”

Ridge pouts. “Not true. I care about Hot Lips.”

We each fill up our plates and sit around the bar.

Oren clears his throat. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you invited us over, but why have you been avoiding us?”

I put down my fork, no longer hungry. “To be honest, I overheard your conversation the other night. The one about sharing me like I’m some new toy.”

I’m surprised when North is the one to speak first. “Alice, we didn’t mean it like that. We all like you and are willing to try sharing in order to keep you. We’ve never dated the same girl before so it would be new to us. Do you really think you could choose just one of us?”

“Say we try this. How would it work? Won’t you all get jealous? What will people say?” I begin to ramble on.

Cash holds up his hand. “Take a breath, Pretty Girl. We can take it one step at a time. I’m sure there will be some jealousy, but as long as we have equal time with you, and we agree not to talk to each other about private matters, we think we can make this work. As for what people will say, we should probably keep it quiet till we’re sure it will work.”

The guys are looking at me with hopeful faces. I stand up and start pacing the floor. “I’m willing to give it a go, but y’all can’t date anyone else. I know it’s not fair that you’ll be sharing me, but there is no way I could share any of you with another girl.”

Ridge starts laughing at me. “Hot Lips, we don’t want to date other girls. We want you, and we hope you want us, too.”

Oren grabs my wrist to stop my pacing. “Open communication will be the key to making this work. Also kissing, lots of kissing.”

Open communication? I stop and think about FLAG and the progress Zoe has made. How am I going to tell them about not only FLAG, but the real reason I have a warehouse full of ex-prostitutes?

I sit back down and watch the brothers start eating again. My stomach is too tied in knots to attempt food, instead I pass pieces of bread to Dobey.

“Penny for your thoughts, Alley Cat?”

I smile at Oren. “I was just thinking about work. How about after dinner, we try to watch another movie?”

“I’m done, so I’ll help you start cleaning up,” North says as he stands and comes around toward the sink.

The rest of the guys bring us their plates and I direct them to the family room and tell them to find a movie. Once everyone but North has left, I give myself a pep talk and turn to look North in the eyes.

“Just ask me whatever it is you want. I can hear you thinking all the way over here.”

I look down, shaking my head. “You never once gave me a reason to believe you liked me. Why now? Why would you, of all people, agree to share someone, especially me?”

He takes his time drying his hands off before he turns to face me. North reaches over, grabbing my hips and pulls me close to him. “Alice, I have wanted you since the moment you kicked my ass in that mock trial. You were so beautiful, so confident, but the timing, it just wasn’t right. When I decided to stop stalling and making excuses, we found out your father had passed away. Once my brothers met you and took to you so quickly, I knew it would never be just me and you.” He takes a deep. “This isn’t going to be easy, especially if we pursue a career in law. But for you, all four of us would do anything to try and make this work.”

I rest my forehead against his hard chest and breath in his scent. “This can work, can’t it?”

I feel his lips against my head as he says, “This can definitely work.”

Can I really do this? Be in a relationship with not one, but four brothers? Yes, yes I can. I’m Alice freaking Du-Kane. I can do anything, or anybody I want, and right now, I want the Michaelson brothers.

I lift my head and North lowers his. We stop a breath away from each other. “What about Vivian?”

“She’s gone. I never touched her while she was here, Alice. That’s why she was so rude to you. She could see what I was trying to hide from everyone.”

“You want me?”

“Most definitely.”

I close my eyes and press my lips to his. North kisses me back with a hunger and passion only he could give. After a minute, or an hour, I’ve completely lost time, he pulls away. Smiling at me, he removes one hand from my hip and uses it to smack me on the butt. “Come on, sweetheart, let’s go see what movie those three picked out. Knowing them, it’s Vin Diesel or Frozen.”

I’m about to ask why in the world they would choose a Disney movie when North bends down and kisses my question away.

Oh yeah, I can definitely do this.