“Her current husband is almost forty years her junior,” Oliver imparted in a low voice. “She’s worse than some of the men I’ve worked with, and that’s saying something.”
“That’s disgusting.” Sabrina shook her head, ashamed to know another woman would behave in such a manner. “She has no right to put her hands on anyone unwanted.”
“Well, she’s good for business and offers a lot of insight. We can’t afford to lose her.”
Still, Sabrina didn’t like it, which showed in her scowl of disapproval. Man or woman, everyone deserved respect. She had a mind to find out who this woman was and put her on notice. Clearly, it had to be someone in their circle, someone related to her father’s business. Then again, it could be someone outside of their scope with ties to the Hargreaves’ personal affairs and had nothing to do with her. She wanted to know, but she also didn’t want to overstep by prying into business that they weren’t even attempting to volunteer.
“Be that as it may…” Conner shrugged and came around the table to drop a brief kiss on the crown of her head. “I have to go. I’ll see you at the office later?”
Sabrina nodded, mute in her dissatisfaction and disbelief over what she’d just learned.
Once he was gone, leaving just the three of them at the table, silence ensued. But it wasn’t uncomfortable. Everyone still had their own things to do, and they performed their duties methodically and efficiently, all while sharing a nice breakfast together.
Only, Sabrina couldn’t shake that client that Conner had gone off to meet. In an act of pure desperation, she forced the thought of him and the older woman away, determined to focus on her work and her own business. After all, they were not a couple, and she had no vested interest in his personal or professional life…outside of how he spent it with her, of course.
How would they spend their first true day or night together? Would they jump right into the sack together, have a big orgy and then go on their separate ways? Or would they date first, the proper way, with dinner and maybe a movie or a nice walk under the stars before they hit the action button?
She didn’t have any answers or any ideas, but the longer she gave it thought, the more Sabrina’s eagerness grew. She wanted these men, all three of them, and she didn’t truly care how she reached that outcome. She just knew that she was going to get a piece of each of them, come hell or high water. They had a binding agreement, after all, even if it would never reach a court of law or another pair of eyes should any of them deviate from the plan.
It was more of a safeguard, a gentleman’s agreement, if you will. Sabrina had no illusions that, if they wanted to, the Hargreaves could royally screw her seven ways from Sunday and there wasn’t a thing she could do about it. But after their breakfast this morning and seeing how gentlemanly and thoughtful they could be, she had reached the supposition that they weren’t that kind of people. The Hargreaves brothers seemed genuine and caring, and they’d set their sights on her for some reason, making her the lucky beneficiary of their affections. It only stood to reason that the same considerations would extend to the bedroom, and where a man aimed to please in the boardroom, he surely aimed to please outside of it, right?
Only time would tell, but Sabrina was banking on it.
“I should get going myself,” she announced as she gathered her trash and stood from the table. William and Oliver followed suit, apparently having been waiting for her.
“Are you headed back to the office?”
Sabrina consulted with her phone, seeing that it was nearly noon. Almost lunchtime, and here she’d just finished brunch. She wasn’t hungry, so she might as well get on with her workday.
“Yeah, I’d better. Shawna is probably having a coronary, since I didn’t check in with her yet today to ensure I’m still alive.” She shot them a cocky look, complete with raised eyebrow. The reference to their earlier freak-out resulting in all three brothers showing up at her door, demanding an explanation, wasn’t lost on either of them.
“It’s good to have people who care about you,” Oliver placated her. Sliding up alongside her, he lifted his arm as if to sling it over her shoulder and then thought better of it, dropping the appendage back to his side as they made their collective way to the door.
An electronic bell chimed their departure as they stepped out into the subtle heat of the approaching summer air.
“Yes, and it’s also good to just take a day off and rest without being harassed.”
“Is that what you call us checking up on you?” William asked, sounding offended. “Because I see it as a compliment that we would think enough of you to take time out of our busy schedules to come make sure you hadn’t been kidnapped or murdered.”
Sabrina felt her hackles rise. “A compliment? I sure hope you don’t think I owe you something for taking time out of your precious schedule, whichI didn’t ask you to do, by the way.”
Oliver moved to smooth things over in that quiet, gentle way of his. “Hey now, you two, let’s not fight.”
“Why not?” Despite the tension Sabrina felt, William was clearly enjoying himself. “This is our first real fight. We’ve only just started dating and already we’re acting like a real couple. I call this a win!”
Was he serious? Sabrina was flabbergasted. Couldn’t believe what she was seeing and hearing. He was actually…happy they were arguing? Was William out of his mind? Of the three of them, clearly he was the unstable one.
“You need medication,” she said earnestly, then quickened her pace toward a waiting cab in the distance. In the city, they were a dime a dozen, but they were also in high demand, and if she didn’t claim it now, it would be gone in the snap of a finger.
As it turned out, she didn’t have to worry about that. With a lift of his arm and a shrill whistle issued through his teeth, William caught the attention of a passing cab driver, and within seconds, the car was pulling to a stop at the curb beside them.
She looked at William in astonishment. “How’d you do that?”
He appeared truly puzzled by the question. “What do you mean?
Oliver was already opening the rear passenger door and sliding into the back seat. As she’d noticed before, the men enjoyed sandwiching her between them, and she didn’t know if that was a dominance thing or if it was a protection thing, but she kind of liked it.
They walked and talked. “I mean, I’ve never been able to get a cab like that. I always have to chase them down. Sometimes I have to get into a wrestling match with other people just to keep it. It’s a war zone out here.”