Page 114 of Taken by Moonlight

A shadow crossed Alex’s face, but he kissed my cheek gently. “Even if you won’t be our mate, we need you. We love you. And we’ll do what it takes to make thiswork.”

Make it work? They were willing tocompromise.

Unlike others in my life rightnow.

“If you won’t come to live with us full-time, then we’ll come here to live part-time.” Dante glanced at the others. “Each of us will take turns in the city, and leave the others to run things at theranch.

“We’ll work it out,” Gabriel promised. “Leave the details to us. We want you as our mate,Peyton.”

Again, I nearly cried because these guys wanted me and were willing to compromise for my needs. It had been a long day of everyone else expecting me to cater to their needs. Me first, mefirst.

Dante, Gabriel and Alex were not likethat.

“I know how scary it is having to make changes and move into unfamiliar territory.” Alex looked at me straight in the eye. I touched his dearface.

“No more glasses,” I told him, my throat closing again. “You lookgood.”

Alex smiled gently. “Thanks to you, sweetheart. I wanted to stay shut away, like a hermit, after what happened to me. But Dante and Gabe, they pulled me out of that dark place. I love them. They’re my family. I want you to be part of our family, too. Please Peyton. Don’t do it because we need you. Do it because we love you, too, and we want you exactly as youare.”

“Our dimples,” Gabriel chimed in. He grinned, but it was shaky, uncertain. “What do you say,honey?”

I couldn’t find the words. I nodded. “I love you guys. But part time won’twork.”

Their expressions fell. Alex lookedcrushed.

“It will have to be fulltime. Forlife.”

Joy filled Gabriel’s face. “Seriously?”

“Yes.”

“What about the house?” Alex asked. “It’s been in your family forgenerations.”

“It’s just a house that was filled with loving memories. I need to make memories of my own now.” I looked around. “Maybe I can keepit.”

“Of course you can,” Gabriel toldme.

They all kissed me. Dante grinned. “Do you need helppacking?”

I glanced around the room. It would take time, sorting through everything. But I knew I’d havehelp.

“No. We can return later for my things. First, there’s something I need to do atwork…”

We spenta couple of hours packing a few of my things, and then a long, leisurely night making love upstairs. The springs on the bed that had conceived generations of my family squeaked andmoaned.

I think my mom would haveapproved.

We slept in each others’ arms before I rose early to head into theoffice.

Dante wanted to go into the building with me, but I insisted on doing this alone. Some things a girl needs to do byherself.

I marched into Reggie’soffice.

I dumped a box of papers all over his desk. “Here. My work for the past six months. Feel free to go through it. I’mquitting.”

He sputtered. “You can’t quit! I needyou!”

Right.