Chapter 16 Carina
Carina
The soft knock on William's door barely registers through my sleep-foggy brain. I'm wrapped in expensive sheets that smell like his cologne, my body still humming from what we did yesterday. William's arm is heavy across my waist, his breath warm against my neck.
"Yes?" William mumbles, clearly still mostly asleep.
The door opens immediately, and a cheerful voice calls out, "Good morning, Mr. Montclair. What a splendid day it is supposed to be!!"
My eyes fly open just as Frau Müller, the Swiss housekeeper, bustles in with her cleaning supplies. She takes three steps into the room before freezing, her eyes widening as she takes in the scene—me, very naked under William’s sheets.
"Oh! Goodness! I did not realize—" She's already backing toward the door, her face turning the color of the Alpine roses outside.
"Frau Müller," William says, now fully awake and mortified. "I thought you were just announcing—"
"Yes, uh, my mistake!" She's practically running now. "I come back later!"
The door slams shut, leaving us in horrible, awkward silence.
"Oh my god," I groan, pulling the sheet over my head. "Oh my god, that did not just happen."
"She knocked," William says weakly. "I said yes because I thought she was just letting me know she was here."
"She saw me!" I peek out from under the sheet. "Your housekeeper saw me naked in your bed!"
"You weren't naked. You had a sheet."
"William!"
"I know." He runs a hand through his hair. "I'll talk to her. She's very discreet."
"Discreet?" I sit up, clutching the sheet to my body. "She just got a full view of your new sleeping arrangements!"
"Not full," he corrects, because even mortified, William is precise. "Partial at best."
I hit him with a pillow, which starts a brief wrestling match that would probably lead somewhere interesting if I wasn't so embarrassed. "I need to get out of here."
"Stay." He catches my wrist as I try to leave the bed. "Please. It's still early."
"William, I can't hide in here all day."
"Why not?" He pulls me back against him, nuzzling into my neck. "I have everything we need. Food, water, Egyptian cotton high thread count sheets..."
"Your brother and Travis are going to wonder where you are."
"Let them wonder." But even as he says it, I feel him tense. Reality slowly creeping back in.
"We have to face them eventually," I say softly. "What happened yesterday... Knox and Travis need to know."
He's quiet for a long moment. "I know. I just... I want this moment a little longer. Before everything gets complicated."
"Everything's already complicated," I remind him, but I settle back into his arms anyway. Five more minutes won't change anything.
Except five minutes turns into twenty, and by the time I finally extract myself and throw on yesterday's clothes, it's fully morning. I try to finger-comb my hair into something presentable, but there's no hiding what I've been up to.
"I look like I've been thoroughly debauched," I complain, checking my reflection in his bathroom mirror.
"You have been thoroughly debauched," William says from the doorway, looking far too pleased with himself. "Several times, if memory serves correct."
"Smugness doesn't suit you."
"Everything suits me." He pulls me in for one more kiss. "I'll follow in a few minutes. Make it less obvious."
"William, subtlety went out the window when Frau Müller got an eyeful."
But I leave anyway, trying to walk casually down the hallway like I haven't just spent the night being worshipped by William Montclair. I almost make it to my room.
Almost.
Knox is heading down the hall in my direction. The moment he sees me—yesterday's clothes, messed up hair, beard burn on my neck—his face goes through about seventeen emotions.
"So," he says. "William finally pulled his head out of his ass."
"Knox—"
"No, it's great. Really." His voice is light but his eyes are hurt. "My brother, who's been making everyone miserable for weeks, finally makes a move. And of course he doesn't think to mention it to anyone. Classic William."
Travis appears from his room, takes one look at me, and sighs. "Well. This is going to be an interesting breakfast."
"I was just going to shower," I say weakly.
"Sure." Knox pushes off from my door. "Shower. Change. Pretend we didn't hear you two going at it last night."
My face burns. "You heard?"
"These are old walls," Travis says diplomatically. "And William's not as quiet as he thinks he is."
I want to die. I want the floor to open up and swallow me whole. "I'm so sorry, I didn't think—"
"Hey." Knox's voice softens. "I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at him. For shutting us out. For making this into some big secret instead of just talking to us."
"It wasn't planned," I say. "I went to talk to him after breakfast yesterday and..."
"And he finally admitted he's human?" Travis supplies. "About time."
"Are you upset?" I have to ask. "About William and me?"
They exchange a look—one of those wordless conversations that comes from years of dealing with William together.
"Upset? No," Travis says finally. "Concerned about how this changes things? Yes."
"William doesn't share," Knox adds. "He's not built that way. So where does that leave us?"
"I don't know," I admit. "We haven't figured that out yet."
"Of course you haven't." Knox says. "Because that would require William to have an actual conversation about feelings."
"Knox—"
"I need coffee." He walks away, shoulders tense. "And maybe a lobotomy."
Travis watches him go, then turns back to me. "He'll be okay. He's just processing. We all knew this was coming eventually."
"Did we?"
"William's been obsessed with you since day one. It was just a matter of when he'd crack." He touches my shoulder gently. "Go shower. I'll handle the damage control."
I escape to my room, grateful for Travis's steady presence even as my stomach churns with anxiety. This is exactly what I was afraid of—hurting people, creating jealousy, destroying the fragile balance we'd built.
I shower quickly, trying to wash away the guilt along with the remnants of last night. But when I close my eyes, I can still feel William's hands on me, hear his voice breaking as the emotions spilled out of him.
My phone buzzes as I'm getting dressed. A text from a number I don't recognize, but the area code is familiar. New York.
Hi! This is Lila. Got your number from your old restaurant. Heard you're in Switzerland??? Call me!
Lila. My friend from culinary school. Without thinking, I hit call.
"Carina Stevens, you magnificent bitch!" Her voice is exactly what I need. "Switzerland? Really?"
"Lila." Just saying her name makes me tear up. "God, I've missed you."
"Missed you too, babe. Now spill. Last I heard you were looking for work. Now I hear you're cooking for billionaires in the Alps?"
"It's... complicated."
"Complicated how? Complicated like the job's hard, or complicated like you're sleeping with your boss?"
I laugh despite myself. "The second one. Times three."
"Times... wait. What?"
"I'm kind of... involved. With three men. At the same time. Who all know about each other."
The silence stretches so long I check to make sure the call didn't drop.
"Lila?"
"Sorry, I was just picking my jaw up off the floor. Three men? At the same time? Who are you and what have you done with my repressed friend who wouldn't even let Dylan see her naked with the lights on?"
"That was different—"
"Hell yes it was different! This is amazing! Tell me everything. Are they hot? Please tell me they're hot."
"They're..." I think about Knox's easy smile, Travis's steady warmth, William's intense focus. "They're incredible. Each in completely different ways."
"And they're all okay with sharing? What kind of magical dick unicorns did you find?"
"It's not... we're still figuring it out. Actually, I just slept with the third one last night and the other two found out this morning and it's a mess."
"Okay, back up. Start from the beginning."
So I do. I tell her about the interview, the trip, Klaus being gross, the snowstorm. About Knox and his art, Travis and his steadiness, William and his control issues. About how I've somehow fallen for all three of them in completely different ways.
"Holy shit," Lila breathes when I finish. "You're living in a romance novel."
"A complicated one."
"The best ones always are." I can hear her grin. "Carina, do you know how amazing this is? After what Dylan put you through, making you feel like you were too much, too needy? And now you have three men who all want you?"
"But what if I'm being selfish? What if I'm just repeating patterns—"
"Stop." Her voice is firm. "Dylan was selfish. He took and took and gave nothing back. These men—are they giving you things? Making you happy?"
"Yes, but—"
"Are you giving back? Making them happy?"
"I'm trying—"
"Then it's not selfish. It's spectacular." She pauses. "Look, conventional relationships don't work for everyone. You tried that. You ended up with an asshole who made you feel like shit. Maybe unconventional is exactly what you need."
"You really think so?"
"I think you sound happier than I've heard you in years. Even with the complications." Her voice softens. "You deserve to be loved, Carina. By one man or three or a whole fucking harem. Whatever makes you happy."
"I love you," I tell her, meaning it. "Thank you for not judging."
"Please. I'm living vicariously through you now. I expect detailed updates. Especially about the sex. I need to know if billionaires are as good in bed as all the smut books suggest."
"Lila!"
"What? It's important information to know!"
I'm laughing when we hang up, feeling lighter than I have all morning. Maybe she's right—she and Lissa both. They both say that this is exactly what I need.
Lissa has been texting me daily to get an update on what’s going on. Reading her reactions to my texts have been one of the highlights of my day.
A knock on my door interrupts my thoughts. "Come in."
Knox peeks his head in, looking sheepish. "Hey. Sorry about earlier. I was being a dick."
"You were hurt, not a dick," I pat the bed beside me. "Come here."
He sits carefully, like he's not sure of his welcome. "I'm happy for you. Really. Will needs someone who can handle his intensity, and you... you're good for him."
"Knox—"
"I just wish he'd told us. Instead of making it this big secret. We could have talked about it, figured out how to make it work—"
"Is this too much?" I interrupt. "Three of us? Are you having second thoughts?"
He looks at me then, really looks, and something in his expression shifts. "No. Never. I just... I don't want to lose you to him. He has a way of consuming everything he touches."
"You won't lose me." I take his hand. "Any of you. I know it's complicated, but I need all of you. In different ways."
"Yeah?" His thumb strokes over my knuckles. "Even now that Will's finally made his move?"
"Especially now." I lean into him. "You make me brave, Knox. You make me want to paint sunsets and burn cookies and laugh until my stomach hurts. I need that. Need you."
He kisses me, soft and sweet with an edge of desperation. When he pulls back, we're both breathing harder.
"We should stop," he says, but his hands are in my hair. "You just came from Will's bed."
"I showered."
"That's not what I meant." But he's kissing my neck now, finding that spot that makes me shiver. "God, you drive me crazy."
"Knox..." I pull back before we go too far. "Tonight. Come to my room tonight."
"Yeah?" His eyes are bright with hope and desire.
"Yeah. We need to... reconnect."
He grins, pressing one more kiss to my lips. "It's a date."
The rest of the day passes in a strange but comfortable rhythm.
William emerges from his office around lunch, and while there's tension, it's manageable.
We all pretend Frau Müller didn't get a view of me this morning.
We work—William on his laptop, Knox on a painting, Travis reviewing contracts, me prepping for dinner.
It feels normal. Domestic. Like maybe we can make this work after all.
Dinner is chicken cordon bleu with gruyere and prosciutto, rich and warming, paired with one of the best bottles of wine I’ve ever tasted. Conversation flows easier than expected, though I catch the looks between the brothers—assessing, calculating, adjusting to this new reality.
"So," Knox says as I'm serving dessert, "I was listening to this podcast about ethical porn."
William chokes on his wine. "Excuse me?"
"Ethical porn. You know, where everyone's paid fairly, no exploitation, real pleasure instead of performance." Knox grins at his brother's expression. "What? We're all adults here. Adults who are sleeping with the same woman. Might as well talk about it."
"Knox," Travis warns, but he's fighting a smile.
"I'm just saying, if we're doing this whole unconventional relationship thing, maybe we should talk about boundaries and preferences and—"
"I am not discussing pornography at the dinner table," William says firmly.
"Why not?" I ask, surprising everyone including myself. "Knox has a point. If we're going to make this work, we need to be able to talk about sex."
"Carina's right," Travis adds. "Communication is important. Especially given our... unique situation."
William looks like he's been asked to perform calculus while tap dancing. "Fine. What exactly did this podcast say?"
And somehow, we end up in a genuinely thoughtful discussion about consent and pleasure and the ethics of desire. Knox talks about the importance of enthusiasm. Travis brings up boundaries. Even William, once he gets past his initial discomfort, has thoughtful points about trust and communication.
"So how do we feel about sex together. All of us. As a unit," Knox asks looking me directly in the eye.
The silence that follows is charged. The possibility hangs in the air—all four of us, together.
"That's..." Travis starts, then stops.
"Complicated," I finish. "But maybe worth exploring?"
"Everything about this is complicated," Knox points out. "Doesn't mean it's not worth it."
William's hand finds mine under the table. Knox's foot nudges mine. Travis watches us all with that careful way of his, calculating odds and possibilities.
"One day at a time?" I suggest.
"Yeah, one day at a time," they agree.
And as we clear the table together, moving around each other naturally, I think maybe Lila was right. Maybe unconventional is exactly what we all need.
Maybe broken people can build something beautiful together, even if it doesn't look like what the world expects.
Maybe especially then.