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“Sorry—”

“No, Petal, it’s not your fault. It wasn’t healthy for you to keep all this anxiety inside. I’m glad you told us. But there is nothing that can drive us away. We’re in this together with you for the rest of our lives.”

When he lifted his head and a tear broke off from his lashes and rolled down his cheek, I lifted my thumb and caught it. I lowered my head and captured his lips in a soft, chaste kiss before Luka did the same.

Phoenix centered himself before taking a deep inhale, letting out a long breath, and blinking up at us. “Let’s go home.”

I nodded at Luka, who scooped Phoenix into his arms and cradled him close to his chest as we walked out.

Determination washed over me and I started planning a night with just the three of us together. And it’d be a night where Phoenix would come away with no doubt how much we both loved him.

CHAPTER 10

PHOENIX

Although unusual,I dismissed the little detail when Luka called and asked me to catch a ride home with Arthur after I finished at the bakery for the day.

For the past couple of weeks, I’d been busy creating holiday treats while taking speciality orders, because between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, orders grew over two hundred percent.

I waved toward my snarky best friend as he pulled away, who was heading home to his loving husband, as worry balled up in my chest as I dragged my feet walking up the pavement to the seven steps that stood between me and the front door.

When I answered earlier, I wasn’t concentrating on the conversation as I was busy weighing the dried fruit for the spiced panettone, a new recipe I was testing out. But it hit me hard when it was time to leave, and I realized how strange it was that Burton and Luka hadn’t picked me up. They both drove me to work and brought me home during the week, so we’d have a few more minutes of our day together and I’d missed them.

On top of the rush, we were completing the details for the street fair the following Saturday. I’d fallen into bed exhausted more than once and realized we hadn’t made love since ournight together on the couch. Unable to keep them at bay, the more time we spent apart, the doubts nudged me, feeding off my insecurities.

My heart stalled in my chest when I imagined the happiness I shared with the two men disappearing in a blink.

Did they not want me any more? Was I too much trouble?

My lashes fluttered, keeping the tears at bay, as a dim light turned on inside and I realized I’d been standing there for several minutes without moving. The cold air nipped at my fingers, but it was a random thought that froze me to the spot. That one worst-case scenario turned into another, and another, as several minutes of mind-numbing disasters made my heart hurt with each beat, and I shook my head, trying to rid myself of all the negativity.

Taking several deep breaths and lecturing myself on not jumping to conclusions, I opened the door.

Silence met me and after taking a shaky inhale, I walked inside and shut the door behind me. I dropped my bag and keys before I flipped the lock, hesitating.

As I turned back to the room, I called out, “Hello?”

I faltered when I heard a song start in the background. Then the light in the room brightened, revealing both Luka and Burton, dressed in elegant black suits, hair styled, along with matching ties.

It was a testament to how fucked up I was that instead of marveling at both men, masculine perfection in their custom evening wear, negative thoughts flooded me at the proof of how perfectly matched the two men were for each other and how I didn’t belong.

And then came the sudden realization they wouldn’t need me, because I wasn’t worth it —

“No! Nuh-uh! Those thoughts that made you grow pale and shakeis notwhat’s happening here,” Burton said as he pulledme close, allowing me time to inhale his scent and relax against him. But despite all my efforts to hold back the surge of thoughts overwhelming me, I grew lightheaded and without my permission, I fainted.

When I blinked my eyes open, nothing in my immediate vicinity would focus, and my breathing sawed in and out of my chest with a rasping noise.

Am I alone?

A hand caressed my face as I came to, and at the touch, I realized a familiar chest was against my back.

For all the evidence I was okay, my whirlwind of thoughts refused to cease and along with it, the sense of flight took over and I darted to my feet.

Or I tried.

But Luka’s muscular arms banded around me and his soft voice against my ear kept repeating words until they sunk in.

“You’re safe and loved, Sunshine. You’re safe and loved.”