“Just for the record,” I murmur. “Have you two done this kind of thing before? It doesn’t seem like this is new to you.”
Gray grins.
“You’re full of questions aren’t you, sweetheart? But it’s fine because we want you to be totally comfortable. The answer is yes, we’ve engaged in threesomes before, but only occasionally. After all, our careers keep us busy, and we’re always traveling for work. But we have shared a few women over the last few years, and it’s worked out. She has to be open to the idea, and to have the type of lush body and filthy mind necessary for this kind of arrangement.”
“I see,” I whisper. “But why didn’t it work out with the other ladies?”
Here, Gray and Joseph share another look.
“As you know, we’re politicians honey. Our careers depend on appearing ‘normal’ and ‘right’ in whichever way our constituents prefer, and unfortunately, neither the 27th nor 28th Districts are ready to embrace polyamory. At least not out in the open, from their elected politicians. As a result, when the ladies wanted to get more serious about our menage, we were at a difficult juncture.”
I stare at them.
“You mean, they wanted to go public with your relationship, but you didn’t.”
Both men nod uncomfortably.
“Unfortunately, yes,” Gray admits. “We made the difficult decision to break things off then.”
I stare at them, the wheels in my mind turning.
“But wait a minute,” I say. “That means that we’ll never go public with this relationship either.”
Joseph shoots me sharp look, but then he nods.
“Probably not, Emma,” the older man acknowledges in a quiet voice. “And we understand if you’d rather not proceed because what woman wants to live under a cloak of secrecy forever? It’s no way to live your life, especially for someone as young and vibrant as you. So Gray and I want you to understand that while this arrangement will be delicious, inviting, and absolutely fulfilling, it has parameters too, and we can’t promise the world, as much as we’d like to.”
“I see,” I say, bowing my head to look at my hands.
“You don’t have to answer us now,” Gray says gently. He puts a big finger under my chin to tip it up so that I look at him. “Take your time, honey. Our internship can start anytime, and we recognize your hesitation. But we want to be upfront too, and not lie about what may or may not happen. Again, we’re older, established men with high-flying political careers, and unfortunately, there’s no room in that life for an open polyamorous relationship. I hope you understand.”
“Sort of,” I manage to choke out. “Although I guess it’ll be weird if I see you on the street and have to pretend not to know you.”
Joseph lets out a harsh bark of a laugh.
“We don’t have to go that far,” he growls. “After all, everyone’s going to know that you’re our intern, so we can be seen together. But we won’t publicly proclaim our relationship. And although this sounds paternalistic, it’s not just because of our careers, but also because the media can be vicious, and sadly, it’s usually the woman that they attack in situations like this. We want to protect you, Emma, and this is one strategy that will work.”
I nod as I take a deep, shuddering breath.
“So if our relationship doesn’t officially exist, does that mean you’ll be dating other women?” I ask, my voice cracking a bit.
Gray shakes his head, his expression somber. “In the past we have, yes. They were our beards. Just decoys to keep the public off our backs, and to project the right image.”
My heart sinks as his words register. Looking down, I twist my hands together in front of me.
“So is that going happen to us too?”
I almost can’t bear to hear the answer as my heart squeezes painfully and a lump forms in my throat.
The men can sense my distress because immediately, Joseph scoots closer and lifts my head with a finger under my chin. “Look at me, Emma,” he commands. I meet his blue gaze. “Our priority is you. We want you to be comfortable and happy in this relationship, so there’s definitely going to be some learning and adjustments as our relationship develops. But I think it’s safe to say that we aren’t planning on seeing anyone else, not even as a decoy to fool the public. It’s just not worth it, seeing the distress it’s causing you.”
I hear a chair scraping along the floor as Gray moves closer too, his huge form a solid wall. He covers my hands on the table and nods.
“Joe’s right. There will be no other women. There will be no other distractions. It’s just you, sweetheart, and please believe me that I’d give anything to walk hand in hand with you while also keeping my job. But that’s not to figure out now because at the moment, I just want you to know that we’re all yours.”