Chapter#04

Their eyes were stuck on me. Well, I did my best not to stare back at them… not yet. I tried to keep my eyes on Elena, but it was tough.

The first stood tall as a pine. He was lean and sun-kissed with blond hair catching fire in the lamplight. His eyes were the green of new leaves after rain.

Beside him was broad as an ancient oak. His auburn hair bound in a warrior’s tail, and his skin was pale as moonlight on marble. He had a hazel gaze. 

The third, he was shorter yet still at least six feet tall. He had black hair spilling like ink to his shoulders, and eyes burning cobalt above the shadow of a beard. Muscle corded his frame like a pirate forged for battle and seduction.

I forced my gaze to Elena, though every instinct screamed to drink them in. “Anything else I should know?” I kept my voice steady.

“Nyra,” Elena said, rising from her seat. She pointed to the blonde one, “This is Micah,” then she pointed toward the redhead, “Noah,” then at the black haired one, “and he’s Nate.”

At their names, each of them slightly bowed their heads and called me “Madame.” 

“It’s nice you meet you all.” I smiled, slightly bowing my head.

Micah, although the tallest, seemed to be in his twenties. Noah seemed to be a bit older, maybe in his mid-forties, and Nate looked like he was close to my age, in his early thirties.

“You have three extra bedrooms, right?” Elena asked.

“I do.”

“They’ll each take one. I’ll send over what they’ll need for the week.” 

I only nodded. I wasn’t in my right mind to say anything.

“Micah is a master chef, and Nate is mechanically inclined. And Noah…” A secretive curve touched her lips. “He will serve you well.”

The look he gave me suggested there would be great benefits to me, but I would be the one serving him. A small shiver ran through me at the forbidden thought, though I refused to show any sign.

“The rooms are upstairs,” I managed to say.

“Go and select your rooms, gentlemen.” Elena’s tone turned brisk. 

I watched them go towards the stairs and climb. I tracked every flex of muscle beneath denim, every shift of long hair against broad backs.

Elena’s voice dropped to a murmur. “Not every woman craves long-haired lovers.”

“Yet you gave me three.” My pulse thundered. “Convenient.”

Her expression hardened. “The trial, Nyra. I know I didn't tell you anything before the others, but this… this is important. You cannot ask them directly who they are or what they are. You can ask about their favorite food, music, but you may only ask them questions about their current life. You may not discuss the past, theirs or yours.”

“I’ve buried my own history,” I calmly replied. “I can honor theirs.”

“I hope you pass this one. It's going to be much harder than you think.” She turned around to leave.

“Before you leave, can I have your number or something? So that I can contact you?” 

“You already have my number in your phone.” And with that, she vanished into thin air.

I had three divine men in my house who are to be my lovers for a week. A sly smile curved my lips. “Living in the moment with three sex gods couldn’t be that difficult.”

The trial could not have looked so delicious.

The upper hallway smelled faintly of cedar and fresh paint. Micah had already claimed the larger guest room. Noah chose the one next to Micha’s, while Nate had chosen the smallest one.

I tapped Noah’s doorframe and stepped inside. “If you shift the desk, I can get proper beds, nightstands, dressers… whatever you need.”

He turned from the closet and met my eyes. “The frames here are too small for us. We’ll all probably need new ones.”

“If you can just clear the heavy pieces to the basement, I’ll handle the rest.”

His smile was slow and paternal. “We’ll do that, but first… we need to talk.”

My pulse fluttered and I nodded too quickly. “Sure. I’ll make tea, and we can talk.”

“Merci, madame,” he murmured as I turned. Gosh, it made my whole body shiver. 

As soon as I got out of his room, my eyes caught Nate. His wink flashed from his doorway. Blushing, I looked away and found Micah. His shy smile bloomed beneath a fall of loosened blond hair. Heat licked up my spine, and I fled to the kitchen before I did something reckless.

The cups I had looked too tiny for their giant hands. I set the kettle to boil again and used my magic little box to summon a tea set for four that wouldn't look ridiculous in the hands of brawny men.

I let Milo back inside, and he danced excitedly as I pulled out the things I'd need for sandwiches. I'd grown up with manly men, and tea cakes just wouldn't cut it. Roast beef, turkey, and ham sandwiches with cheese and vegetables would.

I made a platter with six sandwiches as the water boiled. I poured four cups, set them out with honey, sugar, and cream. The sandwich platter went to the middle of the table, and I added a bowl of baked potato chips.

I wasn't sure what had kept them so long, but almost as if planned, they arrived just as I finished setting everything out. 

Nate pulled out my chair with courtly grace; I sank into it, murmuring thanks. Milo circled, sniffed, then settled at my feet with a soft huff of awe.

Micah reached first, with long fingers wrapping a sandwich. “Merci.”

I cradled my tea, watching them fill their plates. Silence filled the room. I wondered if I should start the conversation. But I didn’t know what to say. All of a sudden, I felt like I was suddenly sixteen again, tongue-tied and terrified.

Maybe I was a bit rustier with sex than I'd thought. Or what if resisting the urge to kiss them all senseless was the test? Dear God, I'd fail.

Noah’s gaze flicked up. “What troubles you, chérie?”

The endearment nearly undid me. “I—what do we do this week?”

Noah leaned back. “For the most part, we live.” He smirked and then continued. “Well, we do what we normally would do. I organize things, keep the home running smoothly. Nate is the genius with anything technical or mechanical. Micah is magic as a chef.”

So my test was to have three of the most gorgeous men I'd ever seen serve me and then possibly blow my mind? Daunting, indeed, but a hell of a lot nicer than any calculus test I'd ever faced.

"So, um, do you three… evaluate me, or is it just Elena?" I managed to ask.

"We’ll weigh in on the final verdict," Nate replied in a pleasant tenor.

"But our main goal is to set in place the foundation of your future," Micah softly added.

“That sounds… lovely.” I awkwardly smiled. They could clearly see how hard I was blushing. “Anything else I should know?”

Noah’s eyes locked on mine. “We just want you to be honest with us. With all your thoughts, words, and actions. And we promise we’ll do the same. That is all we ask.”

I exhaled, nodding. “I can do that.” I put my cup on the table with a clink. “In that case, why don’t we clear the furniture to the basement so I can get the beds that’ll fit you?”

Elena had warned that this would be the hardest trial.

She was right.

And I had never craved a challenge more.