Chapter 19
RAINA
“Ican’t believe it’s already here,” Matty mutters.
We both stand back and watch as the waiters carry the last plates of dessert out of the kitchen and into the main salon, where the Haus of Sin guests and their hosts are about to indulge in a redesigned blueberry pie.
“And I can’t believe you actually went with my blueberry pie suggestion,” he adds.
I offer a resigned shrug and a cool smile in return. “It’s not my fault you make a mean pie. All I did was give it a new life and a new look on the plate. Plus, Matisse’s fancy bourbon vanilla added the extra panache. I hardly did anything.”
“Shut up; you’re awesome,” he shoots back.
Personally, I can’t believe tonight marks the end of Haus of Sin’s winter season. Tomorrow, I’ll be packing and returning to Portland, with no idea as to how my relationship with Alex, Max, and Vincent will evolve, if it can evolve past this point at all.
Our intimacy is wonderful, and I can’t get enough of them.
It’s a problem because my heart is pulling toward them, while my reason struggles to keep me grounded.
I love the firmness, the bondage, the sweet punishment, the absolute possession.
I love the safety and the sensuality I’ve found in their arms. We devour one another.
But the real world awaits, and I’ve yet to learn my new place in it.
“We should get started on the cleaning, I guess,” I tell Matty.
“You know...” He slowly turns to face me. “That spice crate isn’t the only thing Matisse left behind. I found a bottle of rare gin in the pantry the other day, stashed behind the flour bags. I opened it. It smells amazing. We could toast our own end to the season, if you want.”
My stomach churns. I’ve been queasy all morning, so I shake my head. “I’d love that, but the mere thought of alcohol makes me want to hurl.”
“You were quite partial to the Port we used for the steak sauce on Valentine’s Day,” he grumbles, almost displeased with my reply.
“Won’t argue with you there. But I’ll tell you what, you can toast with that fancy-shmancy gin, and I’ll toast with some orange juice.”
“Sounds reasonable,” he concedes.
We get back to the worktables and start wiping them down while the dishwasher handles the third-course plates. The first course wares are already dry and waiting to be put into their respective cabinets. Tomorrow, a cleaning crew will come in to disinfect and lock everything down until next winter.
“What are they going to do with the storage products?” I ask Matty at one point.
“Well, it depends. Last year, staff members got to pick whatever they wanted to take home from the fresh and frozen storage rooms, so it wouldn’t go to waste. Three items each. Everything that won’t last until next winter gets donated to a local homeless kitchen down in Portland,” he says.
“That’s so nice.”
Of course. Why expect anything less from my men? I dread leaving Haus of Sin tomorrow. Kaleb has been calling me, though, itching to reconnect. He even offered to bring his pickup truck to Battle Ground to help me move back to Portland.
“What’s wrong?” Matty asks, his eyes searching my face.
“To my surprise, I’m sorry it’s time to go, I guess. This winter didn’t turn out the way I’d expected, but honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way either. It’s been wonderful.”
“I’m pretty sure they want you at The Black Swan next,” he reminds me. “They haven’t made me an offer yet, though.”
“Not yet,” I reassure him.
He gives me a hopeful look. “Did they say something to you?”
“No, but they’d be fools not to consider you for The Black Swan. You had to put up with me for, what, three weeks? You’re a frickin’ hero, Matty.”
Ruby ,the Red Cardinal, one of Haus’s seductive hostesses, walks into the kitchen. Her lips are a luscious red as they stretch into a small but genuinely gentle smile. “Your presence has been requested in the main salon, you guys.”
“Oh,” I pause, my heart skipping a beat. “Why?”
She shrugs. “I have no idea. But the bosses were adamant that I bring you both in.”
“Might as well see what that’s about,” Matty stops cleaning and wipes his hands clean with a dry towel. “If anyone bitches about the blueberry pie, however, I’m blaming you, Raina.”
“Let them try. I’ll die on that blueberry hill,” I reply.
Ruby chuckles quietly. Matty walks out first, but Ruby pulls me aside for a moment, a worried look darkening her pretty oval face. “Listen, before we go in there, I just wanted to say thanks, Raina.”
“For what?”
“For not making a case about those Blu-Ray disks the bosses grilled us about. We all swore we had nothing to do with Deanna’s so-called gift, so thank you.”
“Ruby, it’s okay.”
“No, it’s not okay. What she did was not okay,” she insists. “I just wanted to reiterate that it was all her. I hope there won’t be any bad feelings between us.”
“Heavens, no, you’ve all been nice and accommodating,” I reply. “We’re cool, I promise.”
Inwardly, I’m pleased to hear that Deanna failed to build her alliance against me.
She might’ve had Delia and Asher on her side up to a point, but after that Valentine’s Day stunt with the workout and weight loss package, I know for a fact Alex, Max, and Vincent tore the hosts a new one over it.
The others realized they couldn’t hurt me without losing their future contracts with Haus of Sin.
Upon reaching the dinner salon, however, Matty and I are greeted with a standing ovation and a raucous round of applause—from the guys, from the hosts and hostesses, and most importantly, from our ten, highly esteemed guests.
“What’s going on?” I manage.
Overwhelmed by the reaction, I can’t move, but tears spring to my eyes as I take in the applause and the wave of praise. Matty is just as surprised, staying close to my side with a huge smile dancing across his face.
“Holy cow,” he says.
“Congratulations to our exceptional chefs!” Alex calls, his voice booming throughout the salon. “Well done, Matty, and Raina Redford, you really outdid yourselves with tonight’s dinner. Our guests insisted we have you join us so we could all congratulate and celebrate you as you deserve.”
“Oh, wow,” I say with a quiet laugh, tears of joy pricking my eyes. “We weren’t expecting that. I certainly wasn’t expecting it. Thank you.”
“No, thank you,” Alex replies.
He steps closer, joined by Max and Vincent.
They look so dashing in their black leather dinner jackets and crisp white shirts.
I can’t wait to get them out of these clothes later tonight, but until then, I’m fine with just getting drunk on their admiration, their smiles, and their exquisite choice of cologne.
“You were extraordinary,” Alex says, “given how little time you had to prepare for our incoming guests. You had big shoes to fill, too, and I’m proud and pleased to say that you did that and so much more.”
Max takes me in his arms and hugs me tightly. “You were incredible, Raina.”
“You’re too kind,” I reply.
Mr. Bancroft shakes his head as the applause simmers down. “Not at all. It’s well deserved, Miss Redford. You’ve taken us on an epic journey of taste through every single meal. Every dish has been a joy to discover.”
“And the way y’all brought the old and the new recipes together, why, my grandmama would tip her hat to you, if she were still with us,” Mr. Quincy adds.
Beside him, Deanna stands in sullen silence, her arms crossed and her lips twisted with contempt.
She was clapping with the rest of them, but only for the sake of appearances and not much else.
Judging by the look on her face alone, she hates seeing Matty and me happy and praised for our work, once again proving what a miserable creature she really is.
Vincent leans in and plants a kiss on my temple. I’m stunned. Heat bursts in my cheeks as I give him a worried glare.
“Are you crazy?” I hiss under a tense smile.
Alex laughs and kisses me on the lips directly—no shame, no fear.
Matty takes a couple of steps to the side, wide-eyed and surprised, but he keeps his mouth shut despite the grin struggling to erupt on his face.
The other guests cheer; the hosts giggle and clap.
And it’s weird and completely unexpected.
“What’s wrong?” Alex asks me.
“I thought we’re supposed to keep the four of us a secret,” I say.
“You wanted to keep it a secret from your brother,” he replies. “We want to show you off and take pride in what a fabulous woman has chosen to grace us with her body and her heart.”
Max whispers in my ear. “Look at them, Raina. Every man in this room wishes they had what we do.”
My gaze wanders across the salon. I see the looks, the curiosity, the yearning.
Come tomorrow, the hosts will go somewhere else to entertain other rich patrons, while the guests will go back to their regular lives, their offices, their families, their picture-perfect lives.
And I’ll be with Alex, Max, and Vincent; their gesture tells me that much. What’s between us is far from over.
“Another round of applause,” Alex declares, “ladies and gentlemen, for our head chef, our fine collaborator, and our beautiful, insanely talented and kind-hearted woman, Raina Redford. I think she’s earned it and so much more.”
Again, they clap and cheer, this time only for me. Matty doesn’t seem to mind. I steal a glance at him and notice his smile. I’m guessing he knew something was going on between our bosses and me, but he never addressed it.
“Well done, Miss Redford!” another guest shouts.
“You three are the luckiest SOBs I’ve ever met,” Mr. Quincy replies and walks over to shake Alex’s, Max’s, and Vincent’s hands.
We laugh and joke about the complexities of our relationship, and I go along with the whole thing.
My brain is completely shut down. I’ll worry about the consequences and the logistics of it all tomorrow.
Tonight, I’m too happy to care. My heart leaps as I find myself wrapped in my men’s arms and enveloped in their praise and adoration.
I’ve never felt this way before.
“Did you really think we’d want to keep you hidden from the world?” Alex whispers in my ear.
I nod, a slight movement. “I figured it would be complicated, at best.”
“The world can bugger off as far as we’re concerned. We build our own lives. We build our own happiness, and we protect it fiercely. You are our happiness,” he says and kisses me again.
This time, it’s deep; it’s intentional, a statement that makes my blood sizzle and my head spin as I wrap my arms around his strong neck. Max and Vincent kiss my cheeks at the same time, prompting a few endearing laughs and faint claps from the guests.
“You’re ours, Raina,” Vincent says, “and we’ll gladly show you off.”
“And we’re yours,” Max adds. “When you’re ready, you can show us off, too.”