Brendan touches my shoulder. ‘It’s okay, love. He knows exactly who you are and what you do for me. Turns out I was the last fucker in London to cotton onto the Seraph thing.’

Oh my God. This is excruciating. So far, I’ve been in my own little bubble with Brendan. I knew there would come a time when someone else would stumble on the truth, but I didn’t expect to be blindsided like this in a business meeting. It’s beyond horrifying to realise that this stranger knows Brendan is fucking me, even if he’s been doing the same with Talia.

I force myself to look at Ethan. He’s settled back on his sofa, nursing his sparkling water as he openly assesses me.

‘You’re very beautiful.’ There’s no inflection in his voice when he says it. None at all. Somehow, his statement of fact feels more intense, more ominous, than if he gushed.

‘I—thank you?’

Brendan slides his arm around my back so his hand hangs over my shoulder in a way that feels proprietary. ‘Poor Ethan. He’s got no one to fuck because he’s such a grumpy bastard. Meanwhile, I really like watching and I have a sexy-as-fuck assistant who explicitly agreed to being shared in her questionnaire. If that doesn’t scream serendipity, I don’t know what does.’

My mouth goes instantly dry. My palms break out in pinpricks of sweat, and I press them to my fabric-covered thighs. I jerk my head around to see if he’s being serious, and whatever is on my face makes him laugh.

Shared.

Oh my holy fucking Christ alive.

‘So sweet,’ he croons. ‘You know the innocent routine really does it for me, don’t you, love? You’re really not helping yourself when you look at me like that.’

I swallow, beseeching him with my eyes to read my mind and get us the fuck out of here. Besides the fact that I don’t know Ethan from Adam, outnumbered is outnumbered. And it’s three o’clock in the afternoon, for crying out loud!

‘If you have something to say, say it now,’ Brendan tells me with a little nod, and I know he’s giving me an out.

Stop.

I could say it right now and all this would go away. We could walk out of here and I’d never have to see this Ethan guy again. I could excuse myself from any future meetings with him.

But it’s not fair. Because Brendan is correct. I did tick the “group activities” box on that questionnaire. I knew Brendan was into kinky shit, into watching, and I still ticked it with all the desperation of a mother who’ll do anything to get in the door. Land the job. Collect the sign-on bonus.