Page 33

Inhaling a deep breath, I relaxed into Burton’s hold, giving both of my men a watery smile.

“If I were being honest, I fell a little in love with you both when you walked into my bakery. Although what I feel for both of you now is incandescent compared to those days, when you two were a fantasy to me. It’s because I love both of you, with everything I am.”

There was a sniffle next to the table and the three of us turned to see a cute auburn-haired woman in a crisp, white shirt, a maroon apron, and black pants holding a notepad in one hand and a napkin in the other, wiping her eyes.

“You three are so sweet. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

Burton buried his face against my neck and hugged me as Luka pressed close to my side.

I huffed out a tearful laugh and said, “It’s for the best. The last thing I need is to get dehydrated from crying.”

“Perfect timing. I brought water. Would you like anything else to drink?”

Luka asked, “How’s the sangria? I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”

“Ingrid, and if you enjoy tart cherries and apples with an undertone of citrus, I’d recommend it.”

“Perfect.”

She gave us a warm smile and said, “I’ll give you a few more minutes to decide what’s for dinner.”

“Thank you,” Burton spoke up.

When we were alone, I asked, “Not that I’m complaining, because this date has been lovely so far, but why did you guys go to elaborate lengths to confess your love?”

“Because you’re worth all of this and more.”

Luka added, “We spend most of our time at home or at work. Tonight, we wanted to make a memory together.”

Nodding, I agreed, but I gasped with a realization.

“What about you two? Do you?—”

The softness in their gazes told me everything as I trailed off.

“Yes, we love each other. But it wasn’t until we realized how much we were holding back, both with our feelings and how we lived our lives. We were pretending to live, but you were our missing piece, our purpose, and the happiness we’d been searching for,” Luka said.

Burton cleared his throat until I turned my attention toward him. He reached for my hand and squeezed.

“It might take us the rest of our lives and beyond, but we will show you every day, with every gesture, word, and caress, how much we need you, Petal.”

I’ve been a bit of a closet romantic, loving the run-of-the-mill gestures of affection as much as the HEAs. But as much as I watched and read about love, I never pictured myself in the character’s place.

It wasn’t until the morning I woke up, enveloped between the two sleeping men, that a spark of hope ignited in my chest. Hope that one day I would be free to express my love and sense it in return.

“I’d know without the words. You take care of me, worry if I get enough sleep, and pay attention when a panic attack is inevitable, but you two also get angry on my behalf. On top of all that, your touch sets me alight, and I know I’m safe and wanted. There is nothing in this world that would make me stop feeling this supernova of emotions inside whenever you both are near.”

CHAPTER 11

PHOENIX

We had a magical night.

After dinner, Burton and Luka surprised me with a specialized tour of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.

I loved the paintings and the architecture of the building, but it was the courtyard and greenery that captured my attention. We wandered around for an hour, alone in the beautiful place.

We arrived home and Burton rushed upstairs while Luka kept me occupied with a shoulder rub on the couch.