Briar brought me to his chest and kissed my temple. “You may have mentioned it once or twice. I love you too.”
“I love him more,” Maddox said.
“Always a competition with you, captain,” Briar responded, though a smile filled his voice. “And here I thought us to be lovers, not rivals.”
“Depends on the day.” But that same humor reflected in Maddox’s eyes. His gaze then roamed Briar’s body. “Though, I must admit… today is leaning more toward the former. You look damn good in that outfit.”
“You really do,” I agreed. Briar wore a button-up gray vest and a black suit jacket over it. The top of his collar was undone, showing the pale skin of his throat. The material clung to his tall, slender frame, emphasizing the lightly toned muscles of his upper arms. “Like, you’re seriously hot as hell. A total snack.”
A blush flooded his cheeks, and he adjusted his round-framed glasses. “I… well, thank you. Both of you.”
“You understood that?” Maddox asked, moving a finger from me to Briar. “You’d think I’d be accustomed to his strange speech by now.”
“You’restrange,” I muttered under my breath. “And a bunch of other ‘s’words. Stubborn, strict, and super sexy.” The last word spoken with an eyebrow waggle.
Maddox arched a brow. “Flattery will get you nowhere.”
“What about cuteness?” I made my eyes bigger and slowly blinked at him, adding a pouted lip for total annihilation. That annihilation being to his self-control.
He tugged me closer and planted a kiss on my mouth, biting at my bottom lip before pulling away. “You don’t play fair.”
“Do I ever?” I poked at the crease of his forehead where he was frowning. But then my insides jolted. “The cupcakes!”
I dashed toward the kitchen and removed the pans from the oven. The cupcakes were slightly darker around the edges than I preferred but not by much. Thank god.
Along with the cupcakes, I had whipped up a large batch of vanilla buttercream frosting for once they’d cooled. I’d also made a variety of cookies—chocolate chip, lemon, and sugar—and four different cakes in preparation for opening day. There were also buttery croissants with a selection of jam fillings and fruit tartlets.
Some items would be staples on the menu, but I planned to have seasonal items as well, like soups and different flavors of coffee, cakes, and cookies for autumn and winter. Yes, I would be introducing the people of Bremloc to pumpkin spice once October hit, and I couldn’t wait.
If my café even lasts that long, anyway.I groaned at the bout of negativity and dove into work to distract my mind.
The scent of brewed coffee wafted around me as the machines whirred to life. Machines that, like the ovens, were also similar to the ones from my world; powered by magical runes instead of electricity but worked exactly the same way. The two refrigeration units were the same, each with an ice rune that kept the interior contents cold.
“Are they burnt?” Briar asked from the doorway.
“Nope. I pulled them out just in time.”
“Good.” He drifted closer and took my face in both hands. His fingertips were cool against my skin. It felt nice. “Remember to breathe.”
“I’m trying.”
“The captain and I will be right here with you.”
Guilt gnawed at my insides. They had taken a lot of time off lately to help me prepare. Neither of them gave the impression it was a problem. But still. “I’m sorry for taking you away from your work.”
“Don’t be,” he responded. “Thane has everything under control at the clinic. His only request was that I bring him back another bundle of cookies. He loved the ones you gave him last time.”
“And Callum is in command of my unit,” Maddox said as he approached. “Unless an emergent situation arises, nothing can take me from your side. Not today of all days.”
“We wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Briar brought me closer.
“Y’all are going to make me cry,” I mumbled into Briar’s chest before reaching for Maddox. He closed the gap between our bodies and rested his head on mine.
“The only tears allowed are happy ones.” Briar pressed kisses into my hair. “You’ve made your dream a reality. I’m so damn proud of you.”
Dreams. Wishes. They kind of went hand in hand. I had wished for another life, one where I’d finally feel like I belonged. That’s exactly what I found in Bremloc. A place to call home and people that loved me forme; quirks, rambling mouth, and all.
“Hello?” a feminine voice asked from the other room. “Mister Evan?”
