Nathan leaned all the way down, giving me a very sexy, very girlfriend-like kiss goodnight.
“See ya in the morning, beautiful.”
A minute later I sat in silence, enjoying my new digs all by myself for the very first time. It was a little surreal, taking it all in. Realizing that I’d gone from living by myself to having three different roommates. That I’d gone from being unapologetically single, to having three hot new boyfriends.
Three hot new boyfriends… at the same time.
That part was probably more surreal than most.
Beast bounced to his feet as I got up abruptly from the couch. He stretched when I stretched, then followed me closely as I began walking the midnight halls.
This place is your home now, Kayleen.
It sure didn’t feel like it. Not yet, anyway. But if it ever was going to, I’d have to grow accustomed to the old Spanish villa. And that all started off with a late-night snack.
Into the kitchen I went, where I whipped up — of all possible things — a peanut butter and strawberry sandwich. I sprinkled the inside with sunflower seeds, poured myself a tall glass of milk, and tossed two slices of roast beef to Beast as a reward for waiting there patiently.
Then we walked.
I knew little when it came to architecture, but Spanish-style homes had always been beautiful to me. This one was retro as well, combining elements of old-world style with modern technology. Bright, beautiful colors and patterns, all gorgeously backlit by LED nighttime lighting.
I passed smooth stone columns and archways. Railings twisted into beautiful patterns, decorating smooth stuccoed walls and gently curved hallways. There were stained-glass windows in the study that had to be over a hundred years old. Tiles inlaid along the covered veranda, each one hand-painted with painstaking detail.
Still, nothing in the whole house was as beautiful as the central atrium.
It stood square in the middle of the house: a lush outdoor rectangle, open to the sky. Inside were ferns and succulents, as well as a trio of tall, sweeping palms. A stone path wound its way through gravel gardens, culminating in a carved marble bench set before a slow, gurgling fountain.
I sat down on the bench, steeling myself against the cool nighttime air. As a transplant from New Jersey, I’d found the deserts of California breathtakingly beautiful, even at night. Or rather, especially at night.
I glanced up, already knowing what I’d see. Filling the rectangle above me, were millions and millions of bright, twinkling stars.
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“Damn.”
It always amazed me, no matter how many times I saw it. When you came from an area of constant light-pollution, views like this never seemed quite that real.
A sound drew my attention, and I looked down to find Beast relieving himself against the nearest terracotta planter.
“Better not let the boys see you do that,” I warned.
My little corgi only looked back at me with his crooked-toothed grin.
I sat there for as long as I could stand it, until the chill desert air seemed to seep into my bones. Still, it was a good spot. A great spot, actually.
“We’re bringing a blanket next time,” I told Beast. “Remind me.”
I returned to the kitchen with my empty glass, wondering what it would be like to wake up here in the morning. It would be Wednesday. Burke’s day off. Burke’s only day off, according to Chase and Nathan, because Burke liked to work six days rather than four.
Folding my arms, I glanced around the kitchen until I decided on something. Then I walked back into the bedroom wing of the house, Beast’s little dog-tag jingling merrily around his neck.
I stopped when I reached the computer at the end of the hall.
It was the one in the alcove, the one Chase had always called their ‘shared machine’. None of them used it to write their stories on. But they used it every day to deposit their latest work, as well as to read and keep up with what the others were writing.
I’d seen Chase and Nathan here often, reading away. Even Burke, once or twice a week. There was a yellow-lined suggestion pad with half the pages already torn out, a pencil, and nothing else. Right now, the top page was blank.
You should read some of it.