safe.”
Blast. It wasn’t easy fashioning a smile past her regret, but she got her lips to move. “Thanks to you guys.”
“Thanks to Doug,” Evan corrected.
Brick stepped forward. “Cate and Doug are used to being together now.”
Evan said, “They see each other daily anyway.” He brought her face around to his. “You don’t need to live with me for the animals to stay together.”
“Very true.” With her heart aching, she looked down at his mouth rather than meet his steady gaze. “They were together long before we brought them home.”
Jesse stood alongside Brick. “You guys aren’t just friends anymore.”
“No, we aren’t.” Evan slid his hand around and into her hair, his thumb brushing her jaw. “But she doesn’t need to live with me for us to keep dating.”
“You more than date , damn it.”
Why did Brick and Jesse sound so angry? She glanced at them both, and frowned at their identical expressions. “You guys could give us some privacy, you know.”
Brick snorted.
Jesse said, “I thought you were happy living here.”
Now even Doug and Cate looked at her, and she felt like a spectacle. “I haven’t actually moved in.” Sure, she slept with Evan every night and woke with him in the morning. They had amazing sexual chemistry together. They shared meals and they shared responsibilities.
But that wasn’t the same as actually living with him. It wasn’t a…commitment.
“I still have my apartment, filled with my belongings,” she pointed out. “Most of what I own is just across the hall at my place.”
Evan tipped up her chin so she had to meet his gaze. “You love them both.”
His mood, as with his statement, confused her. “Doug and Cate? Or do you mean Jesse and Brick?”
He looked comical for a moment, then determined. “All of them.”
Softening, she nodded. “I really do.”
Jesse and Brick held themselves silent and very still.
Evan’s breath came out. “And what about me?”
Whoa. He’d just dropped that out there like it was nothing. And now he watched her in that deep concentration, his gaze boring into hers as if he could read her thoughts before she voiced them.
She curled her fingers into his shirt and felt the furious pounding of his heart. Hers immediately matched it. “Yes.”
The tension lifted from his expression. His dark eyes brightened. “You love me?”
She wouldn’t lie to him, ever. “Hopelessly. Madly. Forever.”
He put his arms around her, and since she held the dog and cat, they got encompassed as well. “I love you, too.”
“So,” Brick said, his tone gruff, “guess I can go ahead and put on those steaks to cook.”
Softly, almost with reverence, Jesse said, “I’ll help.”
Doug stuck his head up between Cinder and Evan, pelting them both with doggy breath before stepping away to join Brick and Jesse in the kitchen. As always, Cate crawled up and out of the huddle to follow him.
With Cinder still locked close to his chest, Evan said, “You’ll give up the lease on your apartment?”
“Yes.”
He put his forehead to hers. “And will you marry me?”
Her heart felt so full, she thought she might burst. “I would love to.”
Around a satisfied smile, he said, “I’m probably rushing you, but how would you feel about us getting a house together? Maybe one with a nice, big backyard for Doug and Cate to play in.”
“That sounds wonderful.” Then, harking back to a comment he’d made long ago, she smiled up at him. “On one condition.”
Unconcerned, Evan pulled her up and into his lap. “And what’s that?”
“I love Doug and Cate. I love Jesse and Brick. And I most especially love you.” She gave him a quick kiss. “But we will not be adopting a horse to name Horace.” And because she knew anything with Evan would be perfection, she added, “At least, not anytime too soon.”
Their combined laughter filled the apartment, and though neither of them noticed, both Jesse and Brick, along with
Blast. It wasn’t easy fashioning a smile past her regret, but she got her lips to move. “Thanks to you guys.”
“Thanks to Doug,” Evan corrected.
Brick stepped forward. “Cate and Doug are used to being together now.”
Evan said, “They see each other daily anyway.” He brought her face around to his. “You don’t need to live with me for the animals to stay together.”
“Very true.” With her heart aching, she looked down at his mouth rather than meet his steady gaze. “They were together long before we brought them home.”
Jesse stood alongside Brick. “You guys aren’t just friends anymore.”
“No, we aren’t.” Evan slid his hand around and into her hair, his thumb brushing her jaw. “But she doesn’t need to live with me for us to keep dating.”
“You more than date , damn it.”
Why did Brick and Jesse sound so angry? She glanced at them both, and frowned at their identical expressions. “You guys could give us some privacy, you know.”
Brick snorted.
Jesse said, “I thought you were happy living here.”
Now even Doug and Cate looked at her, and she felt like a spectacle. “I haven’t actually moved in.” Sure, she slept with Evan every night and woke with him in the morning. They had amazing sexual chemistry together. They shared meals and they shared responsibilities.
But that wasn’t the same as actually living with him. It wasn’t a…commitment.
“I still have my apartment, filled with my belongings,” she pointed out. “Most of what I own is just across the hall at my place.”
Evan tipped up her chin so she had to meet his gaze. “You love them both.”
His mood, as with his statement, confused her. “Doug and Cate? Or do you mean Jesse and Brick?”
He looked comical for a moment, then determined. “All of them.”
Softening, she nodded. “I really do.”
Jesse and Brick held themselves silent and very still.
Evan’s breath came out. “And what about me?”
Whoa. He’d just dropped that out there like it was nothing. And now he watched her in that deep concentration, his gaze boring into hers as if he could read her thoughts before she voiced them.
She curled her fingers into his shirt and felt the furious pounding of his heart. Hers immediately matched it. “Yes.”
The tension lifted from his expression. His dark eyes brightened. “You love me?”
She wouldn’t lie to him, ever. “Hopelessly. Madly. Forever.”
He put his arms around her, and since she held the dog and cat, they got encompassed as well. “I love you, too.”
“So,” Brick said, his tone gruff, “guess I can go ahead and put on those steaks to cook.”
Softly, almost with reverence, Jesse said, “I’ll help.”
Doug stuck his head up between Cinder and Evan, pelting them both with doggy breath before stepping away to join Brick and Jesse in the kitchen. As always, Cate crawled up and out of the huddle to follow him.
With Cinder still locked close to his chest, Evan said, “You’ll give up the lease on your apartment?”
“Yes.”
He put his forehead to hers. “And will you marry me?”
Her heart felt so full, she thought she might burst. “I would love to.”
Around a satisfied smile, he said, “I’m probably rushing you, but how would you feel about us getting a house together? Maybe one with a nice, big backyard for Doug and Cate to play in.”
“That sounds wonderful.” Then, harking back to a comment he’d made long ago, she smiled up at him. “On one condition.”
Unconcerned, Evan pulled her up and into his lap. “And what’s that?”
“I love Doug and Cate. I love Jesse and Brick. And I most especially love you.” She gave him a quick kiss. “But we will not be adopting a horse to name Horace.” And because she knew anything with Evan would be perfection, she added, “At least, not anytime too soon.”
Their combined laughter filled the apartment, and though neither of them noticed, both Jesse and Brick, along with
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