Page 72 of Crushes and Confections

“I don’t want to keep going back and forth between houses anymore, and I want us to officially all move in together completely,” I said, starting with the thoughts I had this morning.

“I already told Claire I wouldn’t be going back to the orchard after the renovations are done,” Riley said. “Where she goes, I go.”

“Would you want to finish moving in here? Renovate your place? Or find something new altogether?” Vance asked.

I tried to envision what I saw for us in the long run. “Maybe here for now? Then eventually we could look at getting a new place altogether, or building one? I don’t see myself getting rid of my cottage altogether, though. Maybe I’d rent it out.”

“I agree that it makes the most sense to move in here first, but I like the idea of building our own place together in the future,” Adrien said with a grin. “We’ll make sure to have an extended closet for you and Riley. For all your clothes.”

That got a round of laughs all around and smiles traded about. “So what you’re saying is that Holiday Hollow is starting to rub off on you?”

“It was the trumpets,” Adrien confessed, his eyes filled with mirth.

“It may have frightened me the first time in the cafe, but now they are officially a war cry,” Vance said. “I’m pretty sure Sarah is my hero.”

“I’m telling you, she’s been practicing for the Sweetheart Swing coming up,” I said. “She’s going to turn up the heat.”

“Speaking of heat, what do you usually do for yours?” Vance asked curiously.

His question was innocent enough, but the thought of my heat coupled with the fact that I was surrounded by men I definitely wanted to be part of my next one had me squirming on Vance’s lap.

“I usually ride it out by myself,” I admitted. “I’ve suppressed it a few times, but it always made the one following it even worse. My next one shouldn’t be for a couple months and I-I’d like it if you were all there.”

“Thank fuck,” Riley praised as the alphas let out delicious growls. “If I have to camp outside your house with supplies one more time, I’m going to go crazy.”

“What?” I asked, confused.

“So I might have checked in on you a few or five times and refilled your fridge and tried to keep you stocked up on batteries and things like that,” he said, the words rushing out quickly. “I didn’t mean to overstep, but I just needed to know you were okay.”

I shook my head, remembering his scent throughout my space and in my head. I’d always written it off as a heat fever dream, hoping he would show up. “No wonder I thought of you.”

“You thought of me during your heats?” he asked, his voice thick with emotion.

“What part of the fact that I’ve been hopelessly in love with you for years do you not understand?” I said affectionately, bending over to kiss him.

“So damn lucky,” he muttered under his breath.

“And, if we’re laying it all out there,” I said, deciding to be brave. “I love the bonding marks you have, Adrien and Vance, and I can’t speak for Ri, but I’d like to have my own from both of you someday too.”

“Oh hell yes,” Riley said enthusiastically. “I need one on each of my good sides.”

Vance chuckled beneath me. “Why I thought this would be some serious conversation is beyond me.”

“For the record, I think we’ve made it perfectly clear, but just in case there was any doubt, we want the both of you as well, in every way possible,” Adrien said. “Which after our conversation hopefully means that you’ll accept the next gift we’ve been working on.”

“It’s time?” Riley asked excitedly, letting me know he’d totally been in on the surprise.

Adrien rose from the couch, tugging Riley with him as Vance rose from the couch with me in his arms. They led us down the stairs to the finished basement. From the stairwell and the shining dark wood I expected it to be fancy. Maybe a polished wooden bar and a plethora of fancy bottles, a reading nook, a fancy office.

But it was none of those things.

“Guys,” I whispered as I realized just what they had created down here.

The space was an open floor plan like a studio apartment. A small kitchenette rested in one corner with a fridge, small counter, sink, and microwave.

The floor was a polished dark wood and three of the walls were a soft white. The accent wall was covered in hunter green wallpaper with tasteful floral designs. The earthy vibe was continued with plants in every available space.

A comfortable sectional was pushed into one corner with several accent pillows that matched the pops of color in the wallpaper perfectly.

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