***

Rory clasped a thick file against his chest with one hand as he pulled a suitcase behind him with the other. His mind was still in a haze of joy, disbelief, and fear. It had been since he'd pulled out onto the road behind the well-dressed secretary. Never in his life would he imagine being personally escorted by the owner of the company's secretary... but then again, it was the owner's property they were headed to, and Rory couldn't help but feel like he'd missed something important during the meeting.

Bethany frowned as she waited beside her car. "Is that all you have? Will you need to go back into town for more at some point? If so, you'll have to schedule that with Mr. Perish or find a way to convince Rin to go with you... Though you would have a better chance of winning the National Chopin Competition as a novice." She covered her snarky giggle with a dainty hand.

Rory frowned. "That won't be necessary. This is all my belongings... And I'm sure this Rin person couldn't possibly be so bad as to not be willing to..."

"Ah! Rin is that bad and then some. In case you missed it, Rin is Mr. Perish's only child and a spoiled delinquent."

Rory arched his brow. "Should you be talking about your boss's child in such a way?"

Bethany snickered. "I suppose not... but I'm sure it's alright to speak of my own soon-to-be stepchild that way, is it not?" She held up a diamond ring that caught and reflected the light like an icicle in the Arctic. She turned sharply on her much too high heels and strutted into the house with only a light tap on the door as she went. She called out loudly as she made her way through the beautiful home, maneuvering about as if she owned the place herself. She didn't bother waiting for the individuals working around her to stop their tasks as she barged in and called out loudly, "Rin, everyone... I'd like to introduce you to the new assistant. He'll be living here starting today. So, if you could take a minute to introduce yourselves..." She stepped aside and motioned Rory forward. "This is Rory Hartings, everyone."

Rory's eyes widened as he took in the room, currently set up as a photoshoot of some sort. Several people were working throughout the room, but Rory's eyes were trained on the three most captivating people he'd ever seen in the center. To his surprise, one of them wasn't one of the models but the photographer... Rory forced his mouth shut as everyone in the room except the center three stopped what they were doing and began introducing themselves. However, he couldn't stop his gaze from continuously returning to the center of the room as the snap of the camera seemed to drown out the others' voices. His cheeks heated, and his feet began moving on their own as he watched in mesmerized curiosity. He didn't know which sight was most breathtaking.

In the center of the room were two of the most beautiful men he'd ever seen wrapped in a lover's embrace. Their eyes devoured each other as their lips hovered only scant millimeters apart from each other. The taller, more masculine of the two had a sharp, but narrow jawline and the long, elegant fingers of a painter. The top of a well-muscled chest stuck out from under a flowing silk robe. The smaller, petite body of the other man was entwined seductively within the other man's embrace... arms, legs... if not for how pale and slender they were, one wouldn't be able to tell where one man began and the other ended. It was a motionless dance of passion, being staged frame for frame by each snap of the camera.

Snap. Snap. Snap. Rory's eyes moved back to the photographer. Never had he seen such hunger and desire reflected in someone else's eyes. There was no mistaking the electric charge in the room that was being created. Was this what it meant to really get into your work... or was there something else going on between these three?

A shorter woman whose name he'd missed leaned closer. "We do these shoots before any event Rin will attend. The readers have been known to camp outside of the event the entire day before opening to acquire a print. At the last event, they printed over a hundred thousand copies, and they all sold out before noon. We're lucky they hadn't started the NSFW shots yet." She sent him a wink.

Bethany rolled her eyes in open irritation as she clanked over in her heels, stopping beside the other woman before waving to the trio. "Can I get your attention for a moment, then I'll be out of your hair." As they began to make their way over, she pursed her lips and nodded toward the taller, robed man. "That is Rin."

Rory's eyes widened as violet eyes met and locked on his. A playfully wicked smile curved the taller, robed man's lips, causing Rory's heart to jump suddenly against his chest. He found himself instantly captivated and drawn in by an electrical pull he had never felt nor ever cared to explain aloud. This person was pure seduction from the sway of his hips, the perfect tilt of his head, to the wicked curve of his lips. It was obvious this person was well aware of his effects on others and got off on the vast emotions and turmoil it aroused. Rory thought he would have to physically force his mouth closed as he drank in the sight.   

Rory couldn't break contact with the intense violet eyes that held his. He'd barely noticed as the second robed man had intercepted the taller one halfway, yanking at his robes. The beautiful man bent and whispered something to the other before gently peeling his hand away. He brought the hand to his lips for a kiss, but the smaller man jerked his hand away, sending Rory an icy blue glare instead, as he stomped off in the opposite direction. Rory was stunned as a melodious, androgynous voice rang out.

"Sab, come on... Where are you going? Aren't you going to say hi, at least?" Rin didn't bother straightening the robe that was hung loosely around a well-sculpted body and barely hid narrow hips as he sauntered away dramatically from the departing man to the waiting group, hands lifted in an over-exaggerated shrug.

Sabastian spun, robes twirling magnificently around him. His eyes narrowed as he studied Rory with a snarled-up nose for a moment before he shook his head and turned once again. "Why bother? He'll not be here long enough to get to know." He snapped out over his shoulder in a heavy French accent. He stomped toward a table lined with various items and began shuffling through them. He sent Rory another glare over his shoulder as he retrieved his cigarettes from the table. "I'm going for a smoke. You can have your fun." He gave a nonchalant shrug, though it was obvious he was aggravated. "There's no point wasting my time on the flavor of the month." He bit out.

Laughter rang out, filling the room. "Cold bastard..." Rin's attention shifted to the photographer. "Dillon? You got a quick hi in you before we take a smoke break?"

Dillon nodded as he carefully placed his equipment down and made his way over. He extended his hand to Rory first, his rich, husky voice sending shivers down Rory's spine. "I'm Dillon or D..." He pointed around the room. "Photographer... among other things. We'll be seeing a lot of each other," His eyes moved pointedly between Rin and Bethany before adding, "If you stick around. And don't mind Sebastian." His eyes moved from Bethany to Rory mischievously before he bent down and whispered somewhat loudly, causing shivers to run along Rory's spine. "He just doesn't like to share, is all... but you'll find, once he likes you, he can play very well with others." He sent him and Bethany a wink. He turned to Rin and asked as he straightened Rin's disheveled robes. "Good enough?" When Rin nodded, an equally wicked grin appeared across his lips, Dillon added. "Cool... Then I'm headed out back. You want me to grab you a drink or anything from the kitchen?"

Rin chuckled, shoving his hands playfully away. "Nah, I'll give... what was your name again?"

Rory swallowed hard, feeling like he'd just fallen into the lions' den as two sets of predatory eyes measured him up and down. "R-Rory... Rory Hartings..."

Rin grinned. "Rory... I like it... Well anyway. I'll grab something when I give Rory a tour of the house. I'm sure Beth is ready to leave, right, Beth?" Rin's eyes narrowed on the secretary.

Bethany sent Rin a cold smile. "I can't imagine there would be any remaining reason for me to stay, now, is there? Surely there will not be anything for me to report to your father this early on, will there?" Her glare moved between Rin and Dillon, only causing their malicious grins to widen.

Rin sent her a tight-lipped smile. "Not at all." Throwing an arm around Rory's shoulder, Rin nodded toward the rest of the house. "We'll be the closest of friends in no time, don't you and father worry your heads about that."

Bethany narrowed her eyes. "Yes, well, we all know how close you and your friends like to be." Her eyes moved pointedly to Rory. "If Mr. Hartings is smart, he'll avoid being a close friend of yours."

Rin's eyes narrowed on Bethany. "We'll see. You've yet to find someone unwilling to be my close friend... now have you." Rin quickly sent the other woman a wicked grin and wink while licking the corner of his lip. "Save, Amanda here... but, married really isn't my type... So, she's safe... for now.." Rin's attention turned to Rory, sliding the arm that was on his shoulder slowly down his back and around his waist. Rin huskily murmured. "Shall we? I have so much I'd like to show you."

"I'm warning you, Mr. Hartings... Watch yourself." Bethany huffed out before she turned on her heels and stomped indignantly from the house.

Rory's eyes widened as his gaze moved between Rin and Amanda. "What was that about?"

Rin laughed. "You'll learn soon enough."

Amanda giggled as she eyed Rin up and down. "It's about the irresistible charms Rin constantly drops... And the fact of whether you," she lightly tapped Rory in the chest with the rolled-up script she was holding. "Are gay, straight, or whatever... eventually, as long as you're single or poly, you'll give in."

Rory frowned as he tried to pull away, but Rin tightened the hold around his waist. He shifted a displeased glare between the two. "I'm sorry to disappoint, but I'll not be 'giving in' to anything... except my job."

Amanda covered her mouth and the giggles that were escaping, not saying anything in response as Rin let out a throaty laugh. "Is that so? Well, why don't we start with a tour, and then I'll show you your room. Mandy, mind telling the others to be ready in ten?"

She nodded, laughter reflecting in her eyes as she continued to cover her mouth with the rolled-up script. With continued glances back at them, she made her way toward the back of the house where the others had vanished earlier.