"We want to try an unconventional arrangement," Noah explains. "Where you can be with all of us without guilt or secrecy. No choosing. No competition."
I stare at them, certain I've misheard. "You're serious."
"Completely," Blake confirms.
"That's not how relationships work," I say weakly. "You pick one person. You commit. You don't just ... date three men at once."
"Says who?" Noah asks. "Who made that rule? Throughout history, there have been countless examples of non-monogamous relationships. Polyamory isn't new. It's just not widely accepted in modern Western culture."
I take another gulp of wine. "This is insane. What about the professional implications?" I set down my wine glass before I drop it. "You're my boss, Jack. Blake and Noah are my colleagues. If anyone finds out about this, we're all finished."
"We maintain professional boundaries at work," Jack says. "Same as we're supposed to be doing now. The difference is we're not competing or lying to each other."
"And what people don't know won't hurt them," Blake adds. "We're all adults. What we do in private is our business."
I look at each of them in turn. Jack with his commanding presence and those eyes that see right through me. Blake with his athletic confidence and easy charm. Noah with his quiet intensity and intellectual depth.
Three completely different men. Three different ways they make me feel.
"I care about all of you," I admit, my voice breaking. "In different ways." I press my hands against my face. "But this is crazy. People don't do this."
"Some people do," Noah says gently. "And it works for them."
"What if it doesn't work for us?" I drop my hands. "What if we try this and it blows up in our faces?"
"Then at least we tried," Blake says.
Jack stands and moves to kneel in front of my chair. He takes my hands in his, his touch warm and steady. "Mia, I've spent ten years regretting that I let you slip away. I'm not going to make that mistake again. If sharing you with Blake and Noah means I get to keep you in my life, then I'll do it."
"You really mean that?" I search his face for doubt.
"I really mean that." He squeezes my hands. "I care about you more than my ego."
Blake stands and crosses to us. "I'm falling for you, Mia. Hard. And I'd rather have part of you than none of you."
Noah joins us, completing the circle. "You make me feel things I haven't felt in years. Things I thought I'd lost when my sister died. I'm not ready to give that up."
Tears blur my vision. "This is the most insane thing I've ever considered."
"Is that a yes?" Blake asks, a hint of his usual humor breaking through.
I laugh through my tears. "I don't know. Maybe? God, I can't believe I'm even thinking about this."
"We don't have to decide everything tonight," Jack says. "We can start slow. See how it feels."
"How slow?" I ask.
Blake's grin turns wicked. "Well, since the twins are on their overnight trip ..."
Heat floods my cheeks. "You want to ... all of us?Tonight?"
"Only if you want to," Noah says quickly. "No pressure. We can just talk if you prefer."
I look at the three of them surrounding me. Jack's hazel eyes dark with desire. Blake's brown ones warm and inviting. Noah's green ones intense behind his glasses.
My body makes the decision before my brain catches up. "I want to."
The words hang in the air for a heartbeat. Then Jack stands, pulling me up with him. "Bedroom."