"That's exactly what we mean," Zayn says, direct as always.
My heart hammers against my ribs. I set down my wine glass to hide the trembling of my fingers.
"We understand it's a lot," Darren adds quickly, his hand finding mine under the table. His touch is warm, reassuring. "No pressure. No timeline."
"We can give you all the time you need," Dmitri agrees, his deep voice resonating across the table. "Take things as slow as you need."
I look at each of them in turn, trying to process what they're offering. What they're asking.
Five incredible men. And they all want me. Not just for a weekend fling, but for something more ongoing. Something real.
"I don't know what to say," I admit, my voice softer than intended.
"Take all the time you need," Jax assures me, his gray eyes sincere. "We're not going anywhere."
"Unless there's a road game," Aidan interjects with a grin, breaking the tension. "But even then, we always come back."
I can't help the laugh that bubbles up. "Good to know."
I take another sip of wine, using the moment to gather my thoughts. Am I interested in continuing this? My body's emphatic response throughout the day suggests an obvious answer. And the fact that I'm apparently their scent match adds a whole other layer of rightness.
But also even more potential for this to crush me like nothing ever has before if it all goes wrong.
I think about the conversations we've shared. The intimacy. And as terrified as I am of letting these men in even more than I have already, I'm more terrified of losing this. Of not seeing where it leads.
"I'd like that," I say finally, surprising myself with the steadiness in my voice. "To continue this. To see where it goes."
The change in the atmosphere is immediate, like a collective exhale of relief. Aidan's face splits into a wide grin. The others are smoother, but I can tell they're excited. And Darren... Darren squeezes my hand so tightly I can feel his pulse hammering through his palm.
"We were hoping you'd say that," Jax says, his voice rough with emotion.
"Though we would have respected whatever decision you made," Dmitri adds solemnly.
"Respected while obsessively trying to change your mind," Zayn adds.
I can't help but laugh. "I appreciate the honesty."
"To honesty," Jax says, raising his glass with a faint smile on his lips. "And to the most beautiful woman any of us has laid eyes on giving us a second chance we definitely didn't deserve."
"Technically, it's a third," I tease, but I raise my glass in salute.
We all take a drink, letting the realization of what we just figured out settle in.
"So," I say, setting down my glass and reaching for the platter of roast lamb, suddenly ravenous, "how would this work, exactly? Practically speaking."
"However you want it to," Jax answers smoothly. "There's no rulebook for this."
"Though there are some logistics to figure out," Aidan adds, passing me the potatoes. "Like schedules and stuff."
"Hockey season means we're on the road a lot," Darren explains, taking a generous portion of vegetables after putting some on my plate. I'm not used to other people feeding me. Making sure I have what I need first without having to ask, but it seems to come intuitively to them, and it feels… nice. "Home games are easier, but away games can mean three or four days away sometimes."
"So you'll have space from us if you need it," Zayn says dryly. "Or…"
"Or?" I ask, tilting my head.
"Or you could come with us when you want," he says with a shrug. "The tour bus is nice. We'd make sure you have your own space. Clear some of Darren's shit out of the extra room."
"You make it sound like I'm a packrat or something," Darren grumbles, stabbing his meat with his fork.
