Husband With Benefits

Kael was nervous, but not for the reasons one might have believed. Unlike the last time he had been in a similar situation, he had made a concerted effort to be better prepared to meet the Frosts. Or at least, that’s what he had thought. Now, as he sat here, surrounded by seven ladies, with only Cai present to provide the necessary testosterone levels to balance the female energy, he found himself at a complete loss.

This was not at all what he had expected. All day yesterday and this morning, Dora had been buzzing around, a mix of happiness and nerves as she prepared for the ladies’ arrival. Kael had braced himself for what he was sure would be an intense grilling. He had even gone so far as to look up the kinds of questions they might ask him, carefully preparing his answers. Dora’s nervouse energy had rubbed off on him.

But instead of being grilled, he found himself being—’doted on’ should be the word. The entire scenario was the opposite of what he had anticipated, leaving him feeling slightly disoriented and unsure of how to respond to the unexpected wave of attention.

They complimented his looks with an almost clinical objectivity, nodded approvingly at his sense of style, and then praised him for taking on the ’challenge’ that was Dora. It was at this point that he had actually expected the grilling to begin, but instead of questioning him, they started questioning Dora.

Shouldn’t they be cautioning her against me? Warning me not to hurt her? What was this turnabout for? He was at a total loss. They questioned him about the food and asked if he had made it. When he admitted that he hadn’t, they simply praised him for being able to order takeout so well. He felt like a little kid at that moment! For heaven’s sake, even a seven-year-old could order takeout. Finally, Cai gestured for him to head to the kitchen, and Kael didn’t need to be told twice. He hurriedly escaped from the room, almost tripping over himself in his haste.

Once in the relative safety of the kitchen, Kael turned to Cai and questioned him hurriedly. "What the hell was that all about? I was ready for an interrogation, and instead, they’re acting like I’ve just won a prize for ordering dinner. Is this some kind of trick?"

Cai shook his head with a knowing smile. "You might be right about it being a trick, but not in the way you think. This is probably their way of throwing you off balance, giving you a false sense of security. Meanwhile, they’re letting Dora calm down, relax a bit, lower her guard. Once she’s not so tense, that’s when they’ll bring out the real weapons. Trust me, they’re not done with you yet."

Kael blinked, the realization sinking in. "So, this is just the warm-up?"

"Exactly," Cai replied, leaning against the counter. "They’re lulling you into a false sense of comfort. Once you think you’ve got it easy, that’s when they’ll strike. Be ready, Kael. The real grilling is yet to come. And don’t let down your guard. Of course, if you’re too scared the back door is open and you can always escape... Like I am going to, of course. Bye! Have fun"

But as soon as he re-entered the room, all eyes turned to him, and he could feel the shift in the atmosphere. The warmth and light-heartedness from earlier had cooled, replaced with a more focused, almost predatory gaze from the ladies and Dora was noticeably absent... So Cai had disappeared and Dora had disappeared... and he... had been ambushed.

"Don’t worry, Kael. Just have a seat here. We don’t really bite." Evana Sterling muttered as she invited him to sit... in the hot seat. Somehow, in the few minutes he had disappeared, a stool had been placed in the centre of the room, facing the couch set...