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“You’re such a bitch.”

A sigh escaped. “We’ve gone over this before. Just because I tell the truth doesn’t mean?—”

“That you’re an asshole? Yes, yes, it does,” Arthur snapped back before he disappeared back into the kitchen.

I shouted back, “He married you, didn’t he?”

My friend stuck his head back through the swinging door with a huge smile on his face.

“Yeah, he did. Why don’t you head out? I’ve got this, and Charlotte texted. She’s free to come in until close. Her professor canceled afternoon class. She’s been dying to try your limoncello cake recipe. Have a good night, and I’ll see you Monday morning,” he finished before disappearing behind the door.

A low chuckle and a boisterous shout of laughter captured my attention, and my cheeks heated when I turned back to seeBurton and Luka focused on me. With a gulp, I removed my apron and smoothed back my messy hair, taking a minute to throw the grubby thing in the hamper set inside the blocked off stairs.

“Phoenix?”

“Yeah?” I turned back to both men.

“We’re starving and wanted to know if you wanted to come home with us? Luka’s a tremendous cook and he’d love to cook for us.”

Excitement rushed through me and I only just stopped myself from jumping up and down in agreement. Admittedly, a flood of fantasies ran through my mind in a blur of naked skin and cries of ecstasy shared between the three of us, but with a firm voice, I reminded myself it was lunch, not an orgy.

Rather than shouting my agreement, I sucked my lips into my mouth and nodded.

“Great! Do you need anything?” Luka asked.

I hesitated as I remembered what I was wearing. “No, but should I go home and change?”

Two sets of eyes moved down my face and over my body, clad in a simple tee and jeans with a comfortable pair of white runners, feeling like a heated caress on my tingling skin, before Burton shook his head.

Luka led the way out of my bakery, down the sidewalk about a block, and into a comfortable yet mammoth truck.

Although the practical side of my brain screamed at me to pay attention to where they were taking me, my thoughts scrambled the moment Luka touched me in a possessive manner, which I still sensed despite both of his hands now being on the wheel. If I didn’t get myself under control… well, I didn’t want to think about the consequences.

I never thought about relationships much, knowing I wasn’t the ideal man for anyone. Absentminded was the bestdescription whenever I started working or fussed over a new plant, concentrating on doing what I loved instead of the noise and people around me.

After working every day since I turned fourteen to make enough money to take control of my life, I haven’t figured out a way to slow down. Despite owning my business, I enjoyed my place in the background, roaming out from time to time and talking to the regulars, but never taking center stage. I hired the best people I could find for that because even I knew customer service didn’t work when you got tongue tied at the simplest interactions.

When I came out of my thoughts, the three of us stood in front of a beautiful property; an array of flowers blooming in flowerbeds and hanging pots on the porch, trees towering over the manicured lawn, but in the center of it all stood a bright blue house with white shutters and a red door. The lot, with the towering maple and oak trees, gave the house a secluded feel, as though you stepped into another time and place.

“It’s beautiful.”

“Thank you,” they said at the same time.

As the men flanked me and escorted me up to the porch, unlocking the door, I heard something on the other side.

After I passed the threshold, my eyes focused on the warm interior of the home Burton and Luka shared, but became distracted when I heard loud and persistent clicking on the hardwood floor and two dogs appeared from a room in the back. I knew I should let the dogs approach me in their own time and investigate me, but I sank to my knees and reached out for them, laughing as the silver dog licked at my face. The smaller one with a brown and white coat whimpered until I sat on the floor, cross-legged. They climbed onto my lap and with a sigh, closed their eyes.

“Oh my, these two are so precious. What are their names?”

Burton slapped Luka on the arm, giving him a glare, but Luka shrugged and answered.

“The little one is Stella. She’s five months old and loves people. Ruby is Stella’s older sister.”

Burton chuckled. “You’re great with them. Did you have one when you were a kid?”

I shook my head and admitted, “My father hated animals of any kind. Well, now that I think about it, he hated everything, including his own son, so he’d never think about getting me something I’d love, like a dog.”

Ruby sensed my anger and stuck her head underneath my neck. With a smile, I ran my hand down her back and relaxed as the two girls showered me with affection.