Just when she thought he wasn’t going to answer, she heard him pick up. It was noisy in the background. Music, people laughing. Flip! She was bugging him. He was probably out on a date. She was calling him at the complete wrong time. Who was she kidding? It was evening already. Definitely long after office hours.

“Hello.” It was that same deep, beautiful ‒ stupid thing to think ‒ baritone.

It made her want to put the phone down. Or mumble wrong number. Cadon had told her to call if she was in trouble. Well, sitting in the reception at the police station, afraid to go back to her sister’s house. Throbbing lip. Her neck already sporting reddish, purple bruises… she’d call that being in trouble.

“Hello,” he repeated, a hint of uncertainty in his voice this time. There was a thudding sound and the noise drowned out. He must have gone outside to take the call.

“Hi.” Her voice came out a touch croaky. She tried clearing her throat but it only hurt. Just like it hurt to swallow. “Am I calling at a bad time? It’s Kerry,” she quickly added. “The lady who—”

“I remember who you are. Are you okay? Do you need me to fetch you?”

“Um, is that job opening still available?”

“Yes,” he answered. Too quickly for her liking. “Are you okay?” he added, sounding concerned.

“Um …” She licked her lips, making a noise of pain when her tongue hit her busted lip.

“What’s going on? Are you in trouble?” Concern was etched into every word.

She didn’t want this stranger’s help but what choice did she have right now? If she stayed at Susan and Barry’s place she would put them in danger. “Yes.” She felt tears well. “I am,” she whispered the last.

“What the hell!” he yelled, making her jump.

“What’s wrong?” she squeaked, almost dropping the call.

“I have a situation,” he spoke quickly. “One that needs my urgent attention. Where are you?” He sounded panicked. That and gruff.

A shiver ran through her. This might be a big mistake. It probably was. One she had no choice but to make. “I’m at the police station. It’s on Third Avenue. I’m inside in the reception area.”

Silence for a few long seconds, followed by, “Sit tight.” He growled, sounding angry.

“O-okay.” She could hear the definite hesitancy in her own voice.

He must have heard it too because he added, “I’m glad you called me. I won’t be long.” He used softer tones. Then the line went dead.

Okay, well, this gave her a chance to change her mind. To devise another plan, one that didn’t involve strange men or the loaning of money. She went through all of her options for the hundredth time. Trying hard to think up some new ones.

Crickets.

She’d contacted Chris and her ex-boss had been very understanding and nothing but kind. At the same time, he’d sounded hesitant about giving Kerry another shot at work. She didn’t blame him, he had a business to run. That left her jobless.

She hadn’t spoken to any of her friends in the longest time. How had that even happened? How had Jeff managed to alienate her so successfully from everyone? It wouldn’t be right to call someone out of the blue and ask to crash at their house. That left her homeless because she wasn’t about to put her family at risk. Maybe once Jeff was arrested and in jail. That might not even happen. It was her word against his and like he had said, he was the one with the money.

Kerry sat down on a nearby bench. She watched the receptionist answer yet another call. There was one other woman waiting with her.

What was she going to do? She already considered herself to be a mother. Kerry pulled her coat more firmly around herself and placed a hand on her stomach. Oh baby, I’m already failing you. I don’t know what to do. She felt her eyes well and a lump form in her throat. Do I trust this stranger? This Cadon? Or do I—

What?

Wait.

There it was again. Like a little bubble bursting inside her. And again. Kerry couldn’t help but smile. It was her baby, her son. She was feeling his movements for the first time. Excitement rushed through her. That and a flood of love. More than she had ever felt before. In that moment she realized she wasn’t alone. Not anymore. Not ever again.

In a way, it almost felt like a sign. She sure needed a break right now. Maybe the job was legit. Maybe Cadon was a good guy.

She looked up and the receptionist was looking at her. A look of kindness on her face. “Having a rough time of it, hun?” It was more of a statement than a question.

“Yes, but I’ve turned a corner.” It was all true. She was going to fight to see Jeff thrown in jail where he belonged. Fight to keep her child and to be the best mother she could be.

“I’m glad to hear it.” The woman smiled. “The amount of times I see them go back. It’s frightening. Leaving can be more difficult sometimes than taking the punches.” Then she got this strange look in her eyes. “Ask me, I know. Took me almost ten years of abuse to finally pack my bags.”

“Good for you for doing it,” Kerry said, meaning it.

“I have something for you.” The woman walked around and exited the reception desk. “Here.” She handed Kerry a canister. “You shouldn’t use it in confined spaces. Aim for the face.”

Kerry looked at the object in her hand. The words ‘Pepper Spray’ were printed on one side in bold, silver handwriting. “Oh. Thank you.”

“If he comes after you again, you’ll be ready.” The other woman winked.

Kerry nodded. She put the canister into her purse. “I sure will.” Hopefully it never came to that.

The receptionist headed back to her post. A few more minutes went by. They each felt like a lifetime. Should she wait outside? Stay in here? Was he even coming? She started when her phone rang.

One look at the screen told her it was him. This was it. She sucked in a deep breath and answered. “Hello.”

“Hi, I’m here. We’re out front.”

“We’re?” Who was he with? Maybe his girlfriend, or his date. It was a Thursday night, so it made sense.

“I’ll explain face-to-face. We’re in the white BMW.”

“Okay,” she pulled in another deep breath, “I’m on my way.”

“And Kerry?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t get a fright when you see us, please. I can explain everything. I decided to come to you first, instead of going home,” he pushed out a breath, “it sounded like you were in trouble so …” He let the sentence die.

“Am I interrupting something?” she had to ask. “If you were busy—”

“You weren’t interrupting. I swear. We’re parked out front.”

On a whim, Kerry quickly typed her sister a text message explaining that she didn’t know Cadon well. She sent Susan his number and promised to send more details as soon as she had them. Kerry hadn’t wanted to freak her sister out, but, in the end, it was better to be safe than sorry. It was better if someone had information on where she was heading.

She watched as two ticks appeared to say the message had been delivered and then waited a minute.

Nothing. Then again, Susan would be putting the baby down round about then. Kerry felt a pang of longing. What she wouldn’t give for that threadbare sofa and to hear her niece and nephew argue while the television blared some or other football game.

It was time to man up. Or lady up in her case. She slung her overnight bag over her shoulder. She’d have to go and pack a proper bag as soon as Jeff was behind bars. The officers had been kind enough to allow her five minutes before bringing her there.

“Good luck.” The receptionist smiled.

“Thank you.” She swallowed thickly as she headed out into the cold, pulling her coat tightly around her.

The BMW was parked at the curb, just as he had said. Cadon climbed out of the vehicle as she approached. He wore a button-down shirt and jeans. No jacket. Her step faltered. Was that…?

Yes. Yes, it was.

This was a bad idea. Kerry shook her head and backtracked. If she moved quickly, she could be back in the safety of the police station in a matter of seconds.

“Wait.” Cadon held up his hand. Like his shirt, his hand was splattered with blood.

“I made a mistake calling you.” Kerry turned, taking a couple of quick steps.

“Let me explain.” He shut the car door, but it didn’t sound like he made a move to approach her.

Kerry turned. Yep, he was still right there by the vehicle. There was some space between them.

“We got into a fight. At least, my friends did, while I was talking with you on the phone.” He pointed back towards the car. “I pulled them apart. That’s how I got bloodied up.”

“A fight?”

“Yes.” He nodded. “It was over a…woman.” He gave this half-smile.

Men! Of course it was. For whatever reason, his honest reply calmed her some.

“My friend was a little overzealous trying to pick someone up, turns out her protective brother worked at the club. It got ugly. I broke it up before they got too badly hurt.” He shrugged. “I’m sorry. Like I said, it sounded like you were in trouble, your voice…” He cocked his head, looking at her more closely. “I can see I made the right call coming to get you instead of changing and dropping off these idiots.” His gaze zeroed in on her busted lip. “I see you had another run in with that prick.”

“Yes, unfortunately. That’s why I’m here, I’m pressing charges. Jeff won’t get away with hurting me this time.” She looked down at her feet for a moment before looking back up at him.

Cadon nodded. “Good.” His demeanor turned serious. “The position I told you about is still open. Cooking and laundry. Room and board. We can discuss payment tomorrow.” He probably picked something up in her face because he quickly added. “Or I could drop you off some place. I can call you an Uber if you don’t feel comfortable getting into ours.” Using his thumb, he pointed to the vehicle behind him.

She glanced at the Beemer. So, it was an Uber. Made sense since they had probably been drinking.

She felt herself relax somewhat. “It’s not that I’m ungrateful, because I am. I guess I’m a little nervous about this. I don’t have any information on you.” He was even bigger than she remembered. His shoulders broader than any man she had ever met. It wasn’t just that, he was solid too, packing muscle that pulled the sleeves of his shirt tight. Even the denim encasing his thighs strained. No wonder he didn’t seem to feel the cold. There was a hardness to him that went beyond his muscle. A dangerous air as well. It might be her imagination though. Her gut told her she could trust him, but unfortunately she didn’t trust her gut. Not for a second.

It was as if he read her mind. “I know I’m big, right now I’m bloody too and…you don’t know me but you’re going to just have to trust me.” He gave a one-shouldered shrug.

Kerry felt frozen to the spot. In more ways than one. It was really cold and indecision warred. Big plumes of white drifted from her mouth with every breath. Her hands were stuffed in her pockets. They felt like blocks of ice. One thing was for sure, they couldn’t stay there.

Her phone buzzed.

Susan: I don’t like it!! Come home. Who is this guy? You could be murdered or worse. Come home!!

Of course, Susan was right. She needed to do something to protect herself. “Please can I have some form of identification? Your driver’s license or something?” she added when he looked at her strangely. “I need to send a copy to my family. My sister is very protective of me.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t have one. I’m not from America.”

Would explain why he was a bit different. “You have an American accent.” She frowned. Not sure whether to believe him. “Do you have your passport on you then?”

He shook his head. “It’s in the safe at the house.”

“Wait, let me take your picture. I’ll send it to my sister, that way, if anything happens to me, there’ll be evidence. What’s your last name?”

He looked like he was thinking something over.

“I’m sorry, I…”

“I understand.” Cadon put his hand up. “It’s just that…” He huffed out a breath, seeming to change his mind about whatever he was going to say. “Andrews,” he blurted. “Cadon Andrews and yes, you can take my picture.”

She moved a little closer, phone in her hand. Zooming in on his face, she took the picture, quickly sending it to Susan with his name. “You mentioned a house. What is the address?”

He rattled it off. Kerry sent the rest of the information to her sister who responded to the photograph.

Susan: You didn’t tell me he was hot. Sheesh Louise!! Hubba hubba. Go already. Maybe the rest of them look just as good.

Kerry: You have got to be kidding me! Just because he’s decent looking doesn’t make him not a mass murderer. How biased of you!

Susan: You’re right. Moment of madness. Come home right this minute.

Kerry: I can’t. Don’t want to put you guys in danger. Here…

She snapped a picture of the Uber registration and sent it to Susan.

Kerry: He will have used his credit card to pay. Give it to the cops if I come up dead.

Susan: Not funny! Come home! Now!

Kerry: I’m doing this. I don’t think he’s a mass murderer. I think I’m safe.

She had to try to get Susan off her back. As scared as she was, she didn’t want her family in trouble with Jeff.

Susan: Just because he’s gorgeous does not mean he’s not a mass murderer. I thought we discussed this.

Kerry: I will message you when I get there.

Susan: …

Cadon cleared his throat. Oops! She looked up and straight into his eyes. They glinted with humor. She had to admit, there wasn’t anything remotely mass murder-rish about them. Then again, she had trusted Jeff. That had turned out to be a mistake.

“Am I calling you an Uber or are you coming with us?” He leaned back against the car and folded his arms.

Swallowing thickly, she nodded. Here went nothing. “I’ll come with you.”

“I’m glad. Um, my colleagues are…they’re…just ignore them please. They can be a bit rough. They’re bodyguards. We’re here on a security assignment. We’re from a small town and—” He must have caught her look of concern ‒ make that terror ‒ because he quickly added. “They wouldn’t hurt a fly though.”

“That’s why they were just in some club fighting.” She raised her brows. “That’s why you have blood on your hands.” She looked down at his massive hands.

“I told you, it was a misunderstanding. They would never hurt anyone who didn’t deserve it. Definitely not a woman. Not ever!” He shook his head. Cadon opened the door and gestured for her to get inside. “Unless you want to sit by the window.”

She peered into the vehicle and into the eyes of a guy almost as big as Cadon. There was another one sitting next to the driver who kept his eyes on the road ahead. “I think I’d like the window.” Shit! Was this a bad idea? It probably was. These two were huge as well. Did they sprinkle steroids on their oats in the morning, or something?

Cadon climbed into the Beemer, shoving up against the other guy. There wasn’t too much space left on the back seat. Kerry climbed in, her thigh brushing against his.

The guy in the front passenger seat turned around, a big grin on his face. Dried blood crusted around his nose and chin. “Hello, I’m Zaire.”

“Kerry.” She tried to smile. It hurt her lip, so she stopped.

“That’s Locke.” Cadon gestured to the guy beside him who grunted something that sounded like hello.

“Kerry. That is a very nice name,” Zaire said. “Lovely weather we are having, don’t you think?”

“Don’t start,” Cadon said the words under his breath but they packed a punch nonetheless.

Zaire turned back to face the front. “How come you get to take a female home? You wouldn’t let us even talk to one.”

Cadon groaned, sounding pained. “We’ve been through this. Look what happened back there.” He pushed out a breath through his nose. “Kerry is going to…”

“Cook and clean for us,” Locke said, sounding bored.

“Help us out, yes,” Cadon said. “You all still have your duties you need to perform though.”

“Making our beds and putting our loin…clothing in the laundry basket,” Zaire began to recite.

“That’s right.”

“I don’t like packing the dishwasher,” Locke grumbled.

“Too bad,” Cadon said. “Can we have this conversation tomorrow?”

“So, who hit you?” Zaire swung back in his chair, so that he could look at her. Interest flared in his eyes.

“That’s a rude thing to ask.” Cadon sounded pissed, she felt him tense.

“Why?” Zaire frowned. “It’s clear that someone hit Kerry in the face. Did another fe— woman hit you over a…a…man?”

She shook her head. “No, nothing like that. It was my boyfriend, he—”

“A male hit you?” Locke growled, causing Cadon to elbow him in the ribs. He made a grunting noise from the jab. “What?” Locke continued, his voice a little strained. “I can’t believe a male would do such a thing. I’m shocked, that’s all.” He rubbed the spot on his chest where Cadon had jabbed him.

“I’m sorry! These two are Neanderthals.”

Neanderthals…yes, she couldn’t disagree with that.

Bad though? That still remained to be seen. However, it was looking like they might just be an okay bunch after all.

The female was nervous. “It’s fine. I must look terrible. I can’t blame them for asking…I guess.” She toyed with the zipper on her bag. His gut churned with anger. That male had laid his hands on her again. Her lip was swollen with fresh blood on the part that was split open before.

“You do not look terrible.” He tried to give her some more room, glancing in her direction. Her eyes were a very light blue. The color of the sky. They were big and bright and fanned by the most delicate lashes the same light color as her hair. Everything about her was small and delicate. He couldn’t imagine how a male could put his hands on her with the intention of doing harm. He grit his teeth, trying to keep himself from grinding them.

Her eyes flashed from one male to the other and then straight ahead. The fiddling on the zipper worsened.

“You should have let me finish that prick off,” Locke mumbled. “He deserved a good night’s rest for continually calling me a pig.”

“You were rude,” Cadon said.

“I was straight forward and…”

“Can we drop it already?” Cadon worked hard at keeping a growl from his voice. The female still tensed beside him. Blast! This was one conversation he didn’t want them to have now. Since arriving on human soil, these males had become hard of hearing. It might be time to instill some manners, only…the female. How did he knock some sense into them and keep her from running away in a panic at the same time? How did he keep her from finding out about who they were? That was the biggest question of them all. Especially since she would be living under the same roof as them.

“I hadn’t planned on hitting him too hard. Only enough to give him sweet dreams.”

“I took a punch for you,” Zaire said, grinning at Locke. “You owe me one.” He turned to Cadon. “And I agree, you should have allowed Locke to punch that…what is the right term? Ahhh yes, asshole…in the face. Just one tiny—”

“Enough,” Cadon forced out through clenched teeth, keeping his tone as soft as possible.

He felt the female shiver.

This wasn’t going well at all. “Another word out of either of you and there will be serious consequences.”

Locke huffed out a breath and Zaire turned to face forwards.

The female relaxed back into her seat. “So where are you from?” she asked. Her voice just as soft and sweet as she was.

Cadon shifted slightly so that he could look at her. They would stick to their plan. “Switzerland.” He wanted to tell her the truth. It would be much easier if their secret was out in the open. He needed to speak with Leukos in the morning. Once Kerry was settled and calm, he would come clean about being shifters. Humans knew about shifters. Hopefully in the light of day, she wouldn’t be scared off. His males were essentially good. Thy had honor. He was sure she would see that. He hoped, at least.

“Oh. Interesting. I don’t know anything about that side of the world.”

Thank fuck because neither did he. Only what he had read.

“What about the two of you?” She looked first at Locke and then at Zaire, who kept his eyes on the road ahead.

“Belize,” Cadon quickly answered. “Locke and Zaire are brothers.”

“That’s a small country on the Mexican border, right?” She frowned. “I think.”

Good. She didn’t know much about Belize either.

“That’s the place,” Locke pitched in, throwing her a casual smile before shutting up. Well done! So they did listen to a few things he said.

“And what about you—” Cadon began but the driver pulled over and stopped.

“This is it, right?” the male asked. Cadon had been so worried about someone slipping up, he hadn’t paid any attention to where they were.

“Yep, this is it,” Zaire said.

“Thank you.” Cadon nodded once. “Can I help you with that?” He looked down at her bag.

“No.” She shook her head. “I’m fine.” She clutched the bag like a lifeline.

They climbed out of the vehicle and headed for the entrance. Zaire and Locke had already headed inside. He held the door open for her. “Um, the guys are…”

“I wouldn’t call them Neanderthals.” She smiled, trying not to move her bottom lip. “They’re just a bunch of guys living together in a bachelor pad. I know exactly what to expect.”

“You do?” He highly doubted it.

“My best friend in high school had three older brothers. I know exactly. I—”

One of the males gave a cat-call. Sounded like Zaire. This was followed by laughter. What were they up to? “Maybe I should check first before…”

“I can handle it, and if I can’t, then I have no place working in this house, right?”

“You sure?” His eyes drifted to the bruises on her neck. He wanted to flip her collar out of the way so that he could get a better look. “Do you need me to take you to the Emergen—”

“I’m fine.” She cleared her throat. “It looks worse than it is. Thankfully my brother-in-law intervened or—”

“I think you should give me this person’s details.” He heard the gruff edge to his voice. Felt his jaw tighten and his eyes narrow. Why? It wasn’t his business. None of it was, and yet, here she was. His rage was real too. The need to hurt the male who had inflicted this harm rode him hard.

“No.” She shook her head. “I’m pressing charges this time. Hopefully Jeff ends up behind bars. That would be for the best.”

An animal like that deserved to be caged. “Good, I…”

There was more cat-calling. This time it sounded like more than one of the males. What the…? Both of them turned in the direction of the noise.

“So, I take it you’re the person I’m going to be reporting to?” she asked, ignoring the shouts.

He nodded. “Yes. If any of the men give you a hard time, you need to talk to me.”

She licked her lips, looking fidgety and unsure.

“Not that any of them would try to hurt you. I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Of course.” She nodded once.

“It’s just, they might try to pick you up ‒ flirt with you ‒ and they’re not very good at it.” He shook his head.

She frowned heavily. “I’m pregnant. There’s not much attractive about me at the moment.”

“Oh, but there’s plenty that’s attractive,” he blurted. What was he saying? “I mean, I doubt it would stop them. Back to the part about them being Neanderthals.”

She widened her eyes. “Okay. I’m not normally this timid. I’m sure I can handle them.”

“Talk to me otherwise.”

“I will. Thanks, by the way.” She licked her lips again. “I know this isn’t a real job. I know you’re only helping me out.”

“It wasn’t initially a real job, I’ll admit that, but the idea has grown on me.” True, even though he wouldn’t have hired anyone else.

“So, you really are doing this to help me?”

“Yes, you need the help. I could do with some help as well. We’ll be helping each other.”

She nodded once. “Fair enough.”

“I might live to regret this, but after you.” He gestured for her to go inside.

As they walked down the long hallway, it became apparent what the males were up to. He doubted Kerry would be able to hear it yet. Her human hearing not being as good as his. “Let me go ahead of you…”

She ignored the request and kept on walking, right into the living room. “Such big mammary glands,” Zaire moaned. “They look amazing,” he added with another loud groan.

The large, flat-screen television took up much of the back wall. The sound was set to low. That was something at least, because the female on her back was shrieking every time the male thrust his prick into her. Her head was flung back. Her snatch was glistening. Her mouth was open wide. Her very large breasts were flopping backwards and forwards.

“I’m so sorry,” Cadon said. Kerry gaped. She clutched the bag tightly to her chest. Her skin looked pale. “What are you watching?” he yelled, turning back towards the males who hadn’t so much as glanced their way.

“It’s called porn,” Andy said, grinning, not taking his eyes off the screen. Not for one second. “Isn’t it wonderful? You missed the part where she rides him. And the part where he has her on her knees.” His eyes were still glued to the television. “The best part was when another female actually licked her until she climaxed. I didn’t think watching two females would turn me on, but it—”

“Stop!” He held up a hand. Cadon scanned the room, trying to find the remote. “Turn this off.”

Everyone ignored him. The female’s shrieks were becoming louder, her eyes rolling back in her head. Then she was being flipped over onto her knees, her large breasts swaying as the male thrust into her. He gave up on the remote and pulled the plug out at the wall.

The males began moaning and shouting. “I was enjoying that!” Andy yelled. “She was about to climax again. That or the male was going to spill his seed on her.” He sounded let down.

Cadon turned the main light on and almost wished he hadn’t. There were shoes and socks littered all over the floor, along with shirts. The table was covered with soda cans and pizza boxes.

“Who’s she?” Andy jumped to his feet, looking Kerry up and down. “What happened to your face?”

“You have the same eyes.” She pointed at Andy. “You do too.” She pointed at Worth as well. “It’s a strange color, odd you would all have it.”

Blast and damn! He’d forgotten all about that. None of the males he left at home were wearing their contacts. Good thing he had researched an answer for that. “We’re related. Our eye color is a genetic anomaly.”

“Oh, I see.” She didn’t quite look like she bought it.

“Where is Orrick?” he asked, noticing that the male was not in the living room.

“He went to masturbate,” Andy said. “I think I am going to go and do the same.”

Cadon squeezed his eyes shut. That was it. It had to be. The ‘final straw’, as the human saying went. Kerry was going to grab her bag and run a mile. He couldn’t say he—

Kerry giggled. She actually giggled.

What?

He cracked open an eye and peeked at her. Kerry’s eyes were glinting with humor. She had a finger pressed to her lip to stop it from splitting open all over again. “You were right, I think you need my help. You really do.”

“Who is this? Why have you brought a female home? Is she yours?” Andy asked.

His.

His?

He felt a pang. He missed having someone in his life. Missed it more than he realized. “No. This is Kerry.”

“She’s ours then?” Andy took a step closer.

“No!” he yelled. “She is here to help out around the house. Cooking, cleaning and the like. We’ll discuss it tomorrow in our meeting.”

Andy smiled at Kerry. “Okay. I have a big bed, you are welcome—”

“Kerry will have her own room. She is with child.”

“Oh, so you are mated?”

“Mated?” Kerry frowned. “That’s a strange way of putting it. Are you from Switzerland?”

“Yes,” Andy nodded.

“Okay, that would explain it…I think.”

“So, where is the child’s father?” Andy frowned.

“He’s not in the picture. He doesn’t want anything to do with the baby.”

“What a horse’s ass!” Worth growled, making Kerry jump. She seemed to quickly recover, pressing a finger to her lip, her eyes glinting with more humor.

“He had better not show his face here,” Zaire grumbled.

“He is definitely not very intelligent if he let you go.” Andy looked at Kerry with open interest. “That means you can share my be—”

“Stop!” Cadon interrupted the male before he could try his luck again. “There will be no flirting with my employee. Kerry will be living with us and working here.”

Zaire shrugged. “She will work during the day. That leaves night free to…”

“There are plenty of rooms, no need to share anyone’s bed.” Cadon needed to beat some sense into each of these males. They had definitely forgotten their place. That, or he was becoming soft.

“No, but it’s warmer and much more fun that way.” Andy bobbed his eyebrows at Kerry, who giggled some more.

“You guys are really funny.”

“See,” Andy grinned. “Kerry is warming to us, to me in particular.”

“I’m not interested in sleeping with any of you, but thanks for the offer,” she said.

“Any time,” Andy said. “And I mean that.” He winked at Kerry. “You let me know if you change your mind.”

“Same goes for me,” Zaire said. “I am the better looking of the two. I have a bigger—”

“Stop right there.” Cadon sucked in a deep breath. “Kerry has a room with a perfectly good bed.”

“You just want her for yourself,” Andy said making his blood ignite.

“Bullshit! No more stupid talk and no more pornos. Clean up this mess.” He turned to her. “Let me show you your room,” he said, ignoring the grumbles and mumbles of the males. Ignoring how her cheeks had turned pink.

Kerry nodded.

“This way.” He pointed to the stairs.

“This place is huge,” she gushed, eyes darting around. “I can’t believe how long we drove after entering at the main gates.”

“It’s fifteen acres, that’s why. Belongs to the company. I’ll give you a tour in the morning. I’m sure you’re tired after the day you’ve had.”

She nodded. “You’re right. I’m pooped. A hot shower followed by a warm bed sounds amazing.”

My bed.

Where in feather’s name had that come from? All that nonsense the males had been on about, no doubt. It was nice to have a female’s companionship. This was the right move. The males could learn so much from Kerry.

They walked down the hallway. “Here it is.” He pointed to a door that was slightly ajar. “You have your own bathroom. I’m across the hall if you need anything.” He pointed to his own room.

“I’m sure I’ll be just fine.”

“We’ll go over everything in the morning.”

“Okay! I’m sure you’ll want me to sign some sort of employment paperwork.”

He nodded. “Definitely.” Blast, he would need to find out about that. “Just one thing that warrants mentioning…”

“Yes.” Her eyes were locked on his.

Leave it alone. Just leave it. In the end he couldn’t. “No sex with any of my men.” His voice was gruff. Why did it even matter? They were all adults. Yet, the thought irritated him. It might cause fights amongst the males as well. No, he couldn’t have a female under this roof if she was having sex with any of the males. It wouldn’t work.

She looked affronted. Her whole stance turned rigid. “I’m here to work. If I gave you any impression that I was interested in anything other than doing my job, I apologize. Sex is the very last thing on my mind, I assure you.”

“Of course. I apologize as well. It needed to be said though. You are an attractive woman in a house full of bachelors.” He shrugged.

“You have nothing to worry about.” Her eyes still glinted with a hint of anger. “Nothing at all.”

“Then we’ll get along just fine.” They said their goodnights. Cadon stared at her closed door. What was he doing?

Helping her and helping them too in the process. It made perfect sense. He needed permission from Leukos to come clean about everything though. This female needed this position and she would therefore be trustworthy. He could feel it.