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but you can’t have contact with your ex. You’ll have to listen to us and do what we say in regard to handling that situation. You must give us total honesty, because that’s a firm, unbreakable rule in our home.

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    Absolutely no lying allowed.”
    She waited for him to continue. When he didn’t, she asked,
    “That’s it?”
    “That’s the important and nonnegotiable stuff. You can pay rent, or you can work for us. You don’t bring people over without letting us know first so we’re not…” He arched an eyebrow at her.
    “Obviously so we’re not outed, so to speak. You’re free to come and go as you please, but if you’re going out, you keep in touch so we know you’re okay. It only makes sense for you to stay with us. You should be close to Tad, and we have the room.”
    “Work for you?”
    “Help Mac on the boat. You already know the ropes.” He smiled.
    “No pun intended. Help me at home, too. I could use an assistant.
    We’ll pay cash and trade room and board for chores.”
    “Chores?” she nervously asked.
    Sully smiled. “Yeah, chores. You know, washing dishes, doing errands, vacuuming. Not like blow jobs.”
    She finally let out a tired laugh before returning his smile.
    “Okay.”
    Sully stuck out his hand. “Deal?”
    She nodded and hesitantly shook hands with him. “Deal. Thank you.”
     
     

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Chapter Three
    They returned to dock. Clarisse seemed to fall into her old patterns. She climbed onto the port gunwale as Mac eased the Dilly backward into her slip. She kept watch to make sure they didn’t hit, grabbed lines, jumped onto the dock, and deftly wrapped the line around the cleat. Sully grabbed the starboard side.
    Sully offered her his hand as she moved to jump down to the deck. He didn’t miss her hesitation before she finally reached out and took it. As soon as she’d regained her footing, she pulled her hand from his.
    Still scared.
    Beautiful despite her injuries, she had blue eyes and long, black hair halfway down her back that, combined with her sweet rounded curves, made his cock stand up and take notice. He’d never preferred skinny women. Despite his honest reassurances, his ex-wife had struggled with her weight, constantly working out and dieting, usually miserable and grouchy the entire time, never happy with herself.
    Clarisse was a beautiful woman. A real woman.
    A woman terrified of him.
    Mac helped her with her luggage. After securing the boat and connecting the Dilly to shore power, they headed for Mac’s truck.
    She had to ride between them. Sully didn’t miss how she tended to stick closer to Mac’s side of the seat while he drove. Sully tried to observe her out of the corner of his eye as they rode toward the house.
    They lived in a small, private, gated community. Their waterfront house on Spring Bayou, a large, sprawling one-story stilt home on a huge double lot, sat near the end of a cul-de-sac. Mac parked next to

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    Sully’s Jaguar sedan and shut the truck off.
    Clarisse stared, stunned. “You guys live here ?” She knew location alone meant the house had to be expensive.
    Mac smiled. “Be it ever so humble and all that crap.”
    Clarisse noticed Sully didn’t help Mac with her bags. She started to grab her duffle bag, but Mac waved her off. “I’ve got it, sweetie.
    That’s my job. You go on upstairs with him.”
    Sully had already climbed halfway up the stairs. A large enclosed room filled the space beneath the house. “Utility room, exercise equipment, and storage,” he explained, pointing at the downstairs room.
    She nodded and followed.
    Sully unlocked the door and ushered her into the foyer, where he deactivated the alarm. Unpretentious decor, but the furnishings weren’t crap, either. These men lived well, obviously didn’t flaunt it, and the house seemed spotless. A textured Berber carpet, white walls with earth-tone accents, beautiful photographs on the walls. A lot of landscapes, but a few of the men together. A very