“You’re a dreadful liar, love.” Briar stopped and took hold of my chin. He angled my face up before softly kissing me. “Sweet dreams.”
His goodbye washed away some of my drowsiness. “You’re not staying?” I asked, more alert than before. Tingles of anxiety poked at my sternum.
“I’m afraid I can’t,” he responded. “Thane worked long hours at the clinic today so that I could spend the day with you. He needs to be relieved of his duties.”
“We’ll stay with you then,” Maddox said before picking me up and cradling me to his chest.
I was too tired to complain about being manhandled. The complaining was an act anyway. I secretly loved when he carried me like that. I was a five foot seven twink and had accepted the fact I’d be small forever.
Briar’s smile was bright, and maybe a bit surprised. “I’d like that.”
We didn’t say much on the way to the clinic, but I felt the warm current flowing between the three of us. The comfortable silence was a testament to how at ease I felt when around them.
I closed my eyes and burrowed closer to Maddox, inhaling his leathery scent. The summer night was humid, and by the time we reached the clinic, my shirt stuck to me. But that was okay. Maddox helped me peel it off as soon as we were upstairs in Briar’s room. His mouth crashed to mine as he laid me on the bed.
I hooked my arms around his neck and returned his hard, rough kisses. Briar joined us after Thane went home, and the three of us kissed and rutted together, the bed creaking as we sent each other soaring.
Exciting things waited ahead for me. Opening my dream café. Learning more about the kingdom of Bremloc and the lands surrounding it. And falling deeper in love with the two men who’d stolen my heart.
I was about to begin a new chapter in my life, and I only had the courage to turn the page because I knew they’d be right there with me.
Chapter Two
Welcome to The Brewed Muffin
“What if no one comes?” I asked, staring out the window. Antsy, I paced in front of it, anxiety building with the racing of my thoughts. “What if this was a huge mistake?”
Bremloc didn’t have a café like mine. In fact, there wasn’t a place to go in and buy a cup of coffee at all. Taverns and a bakery? Sure. But not a legit coffeehouse that also served desserts, sandwiches, and provided a quiet space to get lost in the pages of a good book. So, I had thought the cafe was a good idea.
But as I waited for people to arrive on my grand opening, I questioned everything.
“It’s still early.” Briar placed a decorative pillow on one of the chairs and fluffed it. We were in the reading parlor surrounded by bookshelves and a collection of sofas and armchairs where people could sit with a book and relax. “Give it time.”
“What if everyone hates my food? My coffee? Oh my god, I’ll go bankrupt. I won’t be able to pay back my loan and will have my property seized. I’ll be kicked onto the streets and forced to do questionable things for money—”
“Evan?” Maddox grabbed me by the shoulders. “Stop pacing. Breathe.”
“I’m too stressed to breathe.”
He kissed me, then, and as our lips softly met, my bubbling anxiety simmered. I surrendered to the taste of him. His warm and spicy scent made me forget about everything else.
“There,” he whispered. “Better?”
I looked up at him… and then back out the window to the path sorely lacking foot traffic. So much for forgetting my worries; his lips only gave me a temporary reprieve before those worries smacked back into me. “Is it too late to become a knight? I think I have a better shot at that than being a café owner.”
“As I’ve said before, you with a sword is a frightening thought.”
“So is the thought of drowning in debt and broken dreams,” I said. “Is the position as the court jester still available? Because I’m a total joke. A laughing stock.”
“Physician?” Maddox sighed. “Your turn.”
“Come here, love.” Briar grabbed my hand and turned me from the window. “Let’s go to the kitchen and make sure everything’s ready for when your guests arrive.”
“You meanifthey arrive.”
“None of that.” He lightly bopped the tip of my nose with his finger. I wiggled it in response, earning one of his crinkly-eyed smiles. It softened as his hand fell to my neck. “All will be well. You’ve worked so hard to make this happen. Believe in yourself like I believe in you.”
My throat wobbled just like my heart. His confidence seeped into me too. A little anyway. Enough to quiet the negative thoughts in my head. “Have I ever said I love you? Because I do.”
