She practically ran to the old fridge around the corner in the kitchen when the truth hit her. Her former bosses and almost lovers were here. All three of them. She wasn't sure what to do about it. On the one hand, she'd severed ties with them. None of the reasons why had changed. Except … despite the house being locked up, Belle had still felt something brush past her. Surely the house wasn't really haunted.
She found a freezer bag in the dusty pantry and dumped some of the cubes from the trays to make a quick ice pack as she contemplated what to do. Let them stay … or make them go.
Tate stood in the doorway of the pantry, his face a weary mask. "Don't throw us out, baby."
Well, she'd never said they were stupid. They'd been smart enough to send in the one she couldn't turn away. Tate had always held a soft spot in her heart. He was awkward and a little weird and she adored that part of him. He was unlike anyone else.
"Here, put this on your shoulder."
He took the baggie out of her hand. "I won't sleep tonight unless I know you're safe. Please let us stay."
His dark, soulful eyes searched her face hopefully. Damn, the man was hot and there was something so earnest and sexy about the way he asked. It wasn't Tate's instinct to be polite. He was more likely to give a PowerPoint presentation about why he was right. He was thinking their interaction through, being careful with her. She found something about that so sweet.
Did she really want to stay here alone tonight? Sir bounced into the tight space, skidding to a stop at Tate's feet. If they left, she would be alone with an overly hyper puppy. "You can stay the night. I need someone to fix the door."
He nodded, looking so relieved. "I'll get it done in the morning. Kellan said he'd secure it for the night, and Eric is going to walk through the house once more. We'll make sure you're safe."
From everything but them. "Thanks."
"And we'll talk in the morning. Belle, you can't just run away from us. Leaving without a word wasn't fair."
She could still feel how vulnerable she'd been standing there naked while they debated the merits of her virginity. "Humiliating me wasn't fair."
Tate started to pace, a familiar habit but one that spoke of his frustration. "I didn't humiliate you. I was happy about your … news. A little surprised, but happy. I would have been gentler if I'd known. I've never slept with a virgin before, Belle. I should have studied how to do it properly. I'm sure I could find a book or two that explains how to make it as pleasant as possible. I don't want to hurt you. I'm … well, I have a large penis."
He was going to kill her. She so would rather deal with Eric's logic or Kellan's authority than Tate's brutal honesty.
She held up a hand. "Stop. I understand your reluctance, but you know damn well that wasn't Kellan's problem. Let's just get some sleep and we can deal with this tomorrow."
"All right." He leaned his good shoulder against the doorway, way too close to her for her peace of mind.
At their feet, her puppy hiked a leg.
"Sir, don't you pee on the floor."
Tate's eyes widened. "I wasn't even thinking about it."
Then comprehension seemed to set in. He snorted as she held her puppy. "Ah, hello, Sir. That is absolutely the meanest thing I've seen in a long time, Belle. You can't name the dog Sir."
He couldn't tell her what to name her puppy. She wasn't about to let him take away her little revenge. "I already did. And I need to start house training him. Can you walk outside with me while he does his thing?"
Tate grinned, and Belle's heart did an unwanted flip. "Sure, baby. And I'll let Kellan wonder a little longer about the mystery Dom Kinley said you left Dallas with. He deserves to stew for a while, but he's going to spank you for naming that little thing Sir. Is it really a dog? Have you checked to make sure it's not a rat with a bit of extra fur?"
He wasn't that ugly. "Be nice to my dog, Tate."
Tate opened the back door for her. "Yes, ma'am. That's a beautiful animal you've got."
At least one of them was listening.
She let Sir down, and he ran around the courtyard, looking for a good place to handle his business. She stood by Tate, feeling safer than she had in hours.
She was in so much trouble.
Chapter Nine
Belle woke to soft light filtering through the filmy curtains covering the windows. She glanced at her phone. One of the pluses of having her bosses show up was Eric's knowledge of fuse boxes. All the plugs worked again, so she'd been able to charge her phone while it sat on her nightstand.
Nine a.m. Wow, she rarely slept that late. She stretched and nudged Sir, who had managed to hop up on the bed with her. She'd tucked him into his little dog bed on the floor, but he'd chosen to cuddle up with her instead.