There were no words for it. And I couldn’t lie to them if we were really doing this, so I finally looked at Luke. “Thank you.”

The confusion crossed his face. “Thank you—” his eyes went wide. “Really?”

It wasn’t incredulous, it was awed. I nodded.

“What did I just miss?” Rylan asked, looking between us.

Fidgeting with the cuffs on my hoodie, I looked at the painting again, and then back at Rylan. “I’m Elyse Taylor. Or rather, that’s the name I sell my art under.”

“Holy shit.”

They were all looking at me now, but the way Luke looked at me made the floor drop a foot beneath my feet. Without warning, he reached out and pulled me to him, wrapping me fully in an embrace. This wasn’t an introductory hug. It was more than that. I gave in to what I wanted to do with all of them and simply breathed. His scent was stronger right now, floating around me like the air off the sea, and I was perfuming.

I pulled back because we were only in the entryway, and there was a hell of a lot more to see. “If we’re not careful, you’ll never get my scent out of here,” I said.

Bennett laughed. “You say that like it’s something we want to get rid of.”

My stomach swooped again. They were already so certain. I knew it too, down deep, but history had fucked me so many times, I couldn’t bear to give in only to have my hopes shattered. Again.

“Come on,” Avery said with a grin. “Let’s show you the place.”

The kitchen was first. Black marble floors and slick stainless steel made it look like one of those kitchens out of a design magazine, but still lived in. There was a kettle on the stove and mail on the counter. A tall bar with stools to sit on and a table next to a window which looked out over the backyard and the evening sky.

“Who designed this place?” I asked. “And the studio? ‘Cause so far everything is beautiful.”

“We did,” Rylan said. “Together. The studio too. A designer helped it all come together, the logistics and stuff. But it took forever, and I’m pretty sure Kade and Avery got into about three fistfights over things like tiles.”

I raised an eyebrow and Avery chuckled. “Not serious fights.”

On the pale countertop there was a crumpled pile of black fabric. “The infamous shirt?”

“I’m tempted to have you put it on,” Bennett said. “Another hit for when you have to leave.”

“Remind me later,” I said, smiling. Being here in their space was strange, but it would have to be for us to get past the awkwardness. “What’s next?”