Half an hour later, Kate pressed the elevator button of the condo building and then turned back to Kirk and his brothers.

Though they had all walked back from the Convention Center together, she half-expected to find that they weren’t really there, or at least that they weren’t such unbelievable physical specimens.

But there they were, just as tall, dark and handsome as they had been before.

The one called Buck grinned at her, his eyes dancing.

Solo’s smile was more reserved. He was taller than the other two and quieter.

Kirk wasn’t smiling at all. He was gazing at Kate in a way that made her want to blush down to her toes.

Was it true that these guys were here for the sole purpose of mating? She could believe it from the desire that rolled off Kirk’s body, sizzling in the space between them.

The elevator dinged, interrupting that dangerous train of thought.

Kate marched in and the men followed.

She pressed the button for the penthouse and the car began to ascend.

The men were so massive that the four of them barely fit in the elevator.

“I like this better than the moving staircase,” Solo said.

“But we can’t see out,” Buck retorted.

“It is more efficient,” Solo explained. “It doesn’t take up as much space.”

“Efficiency isn’t everything, brother,” Buck teased.

“Thank you for helping us, Kate,” Kirk said.

“It’s fine,” Kate replied, keeping her eyes forward. She didn’t dare look up at him for fear of getting lost in his eyes.

Get it together, Kate, she scolded herself.

At last, they reached the top floor.

She launched herself out of the elevator and opened the door to her flat, hands shaking.

“Hey guys,” she called out as she stepped inside. “We have company.”

“Hey,” Beatrix said. She sat on the sectional sofa, sketch board and pencil in hand, as usual. Another pencil was tucked behind her ear. A third was threaded through her ponytail. “Cecily’s in the shower.”

“Come on in, everyone,” Kate said over her shoulder to the guys.

She watched Beatrix’s mouth fall open as she took in the new arrivals.

“Beatrix, I want you to meet Kirk, Buck and Solo. They’re going to be staying with us for a short while until they can get on their feet in the city,” Kate explained.

“Have you been reading my letter to Santa?” Beatrix asked, casting a wide-eyed glance at Kate.

“I know, right?” Kate mouthed back.

“It’s very nice to meet you,” Buck said, heading right over. “Are you making a drawing?”

“Y-yes,” Beatrix said.

He sat on the arm of the sofa, leaning over her with great interest to study the drawing.

“Are you guys hungry?” Kate asked.

“Yes,” Kirk said, sounding relieved.

“I’ll order us some food,” Kate replied.

“Let me cook for you,” Solo offered.

“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Kate said. “Besides, I don’t even know what we have in there. Cecily’s the only one of us who cooks and she’s been working too much to do it lately.”

“It would be my pleasure,” Solo said, disappearing into the kitchen.

“Solo enjoys cooking,” Kirk explained. “Back at the lab, Dr. Bhimani allowed him to assist in the meal preparation. He has a talent with food.”

“Rima’s mom,” Kate realized out loud.

“Yes,” Kirk said. “Dr. Bhimani has taken all of us under her wing, with Rima’s help. Do you know her well?”

Kate shook her head.

“Rima took the bus to camp, and I never visited her house, so I haven’t met her mother.”

“I hope that you will visit Stargazer with me one day,” Kirk said. “You can meet her then. When you are able to take time away from your duties, of course.”

“That sounds nice,” Kate agreed.

Kirk smiled down at her and again she felt a delicious shiver down her spine.

She looked away and noticed Buck and Beatrix talking quietly.

Beatrix was Chinese and rocked a goth style, her petite frame inevitably draped in shades of black. But somehow she seemed positively tiny, her features even more delicate than usual, in contrast to Buck’s enormous frame and broad smile.

Buck grinned down at Beatrix and she actually smiled back. She was normally reserved about people looking at her unfinished work. But she was holding her drawing out slightly so that he could see it better, instead of clutching it to her chest, as she often did when Kate came into the room.

“Your friend is kind?” Kirk asked softly.

He was watching them too.

“Yes,” Kate agreed. “She’s no picnic first thing in the morning, but she’s definitely a good person.”

Kirk nodded as if he were satisfied.

“They will be very happy together.”

“Whoa,” Kate said. “Let’s not print up the wedding invitations just yet. You guys are just staying here, until you can get on your feet, nothing more.”

“Nothing more?” Kirk echoed. His deep voice carried a note of sorrow.

“Is this to eat?” Solo asked from the doorway of the kitchen. He was holding a glass jar of bright red dishwasher tablets.

“No,” Kate said quickly, moving toward him to be sure he didn’t try to eat one before she could stop him.

“Oh,” he said. “It looked like a dessert. But it smelled like burning.”

He handed it over to her obligingly.

Kate made a mental note not to leave anything toxic in an unlabeled container while the men stayed with them.

“I guess I never noticed how delicious those things looked,” she said. “Come on, I’ll help you in the kitchen.”

But Solo was no longer paying attention to Kate.

He stared past her, his blue eyes fixed on the opening bathroom door.

Cecily stood in the threshold wearing only a towel. Fragrant steam billowed out around her.

For a moment Kate saw her friend through Solo’s eyes - a wanton angel with auburn curls, blinking back at him with droplets of water still clinging to her lips, the scent of her milk and honey shampoo emanating from her curvy figure.

Kate opened her mouth to explain everything to Cecily, but she got tangled up trying to decide which unasked question to answer first. Why were there three giant men in the apartment? Why was Beatrix showing off an unfinished drawing? Why was she clutching the dishwashing detergent like she was afraid someone would try to take it from her?

But Cecily was too busy gazing back at Solo to ask any questions, or notice Kate’s delay.

“We’ve got company, Cecily,” Beatrix yelled from the sofa.