No, I realized. That's what she's trying to do—find pairs who are happy together.
"We would live here together?" I asked, frowning a little. "Auguste has a house and Jonathon a practice."
"We could live anywhere you like," Amon said, although there was a little wince in his eyes.
"I'm more interested in my experiments than my practice if I'm honest," Jonathon said. "Especially lately."
"It's never bad to have a house in a good part of London," Auguste added with a shrug. "I have them in several places, in fact."
I let out a puff of exasperated breath at this news, and he grinned at me.
"I would like you to see my home," Amon said softly. "My real home. In Egypt. But there is no rush, and if it is not to your taste—"
Now Auguste was wrinkling his nose. "Egypt isn't the best place for a vampire, but it might be managed."
Booker was the only one who hadn't spoken up yet, and I found him watching me. "What do you think?" I asked. Booker and I were tethered together. If the choice was up to me, it also needed to be up to him.
"I am yours," he said.
I pursed my lips, ignoring the little hum of conversation at the other end of the table and Ezra mentioning Dublin—probably just to exasperate Amon. "You're your own too."
Booker blinked and then looked around the table, out into the hall. He'd been quiet all evening, studying every room with intense interest, examining the art on the walls. It suddenly occurred to me that this was Booker's first time outside of Rooksgrave Manor and its property. He had joined us without a mention of it, and he wasn't simply quiet and observant. He was fascinated. Suddenly, as if the tether allowed for us to communicate without a glance or a word, I knew his answer.
"I would like to travel," he said.
A giddy excitement bubbled up in me. I'd seen more of the world than Booker, but not nearly as much as the rest of my gentlemen. We might have adventures together, or at least explorations.
I turned back to find everyone else watching us intently, and tried to contain my sudden determination to say yes. I had more questions, more things I needed to be sure of before I made a promise.
"I like my role at Rooksgrave. My work, if it can be called that," I began, and Amon nodded eagerly.
"You don't need to be concerned about any financial arrangement. It could be continued, you would want for nothing, my star."
"I'm not talking about money, Amon! I just mean… What if I wanted something new?"
"It would be yours," Amon said easily.
I huffed and rolled my eyes. "I don't mean new dresses or jewelry. I mean what if I wanted to…to learn something. Have a skill. Do something else with my days besides just…wait for one of you to want me?"
Amon blinked at that, brow furrowing, and I was surprised by the sinking weight in my chest. I hadn't ever really wanted more than to be allowed to have my fun without needing to feel guilty about it, but I was always curious and it would hurt to know that curiosity might have to be limited to sex.
"I don't want to be your cage, little star. I'd like to be your home," Amon said, cutting my worry off in a simple answer.
"I don't believe a single one of us would be interested in preventing you from exploring all the world has to offer, Esther," Jonathon said, reaching for my hand on the table.
"We just want to be at your side as you do it, mon coeur," Auguste added with a nod.
I looked at Ezra next and found him smirking. He sagged, feigning a poor attempt at being put out, and let out a long sigh. "I suppose you might be permitted a hobby or two," he said, in a terrible, nasal, English accent.
"Beast," I said fondly.
"I can think of a thing or two I could teach you—Ow! Book, mate, you're made of stone," Ezra grumbled rubbing the arm that had just been punched.
"I know," Booker said mildly.
"You're really all so sure about—about this?" I asked. Me. They were so sure of me? My aunt had been too eager to push me into service, and I'd found myself passed from house to house, searching for a place that suited. Rooksgrave was nearly perfect, but this? This sounded so much better!
"It is new, I admit, but I'm convinced I couldn't find a better, more incorrigible young lady to spend my evenings with. In bed, or the kitchen, or anywhere else you'd let me take you," Auguste said.
Jonathon and Ezra echoed their agreement with a brief raise of their glasses, and at the far end of the table, Amon watched me with a smile.
"I have no doubt you will improve my days and nights, and I simply wish to do the same for you, my star," Amon murmured, warmth flooding my cheeks at the praise.
"She's already made a lot of progress on your personality," Ezra said, blinking innocently.
Amon bared his teeth at the other man, but I thought his shoulders might have been shaking with a hint of laughter.
"There's no rush to leave the manor, either," Jonathon reminded me, squeezing my hand. "When you're ready we can move on. Together."
I took a deep breath, torn between declaring myself ready now and shy of the thought of moving on from the structure of Rooksgrave. I'd never really had a relationship before, let alone five. And they were all still learning each other as I was learning them. But I had time. And now I had this beautiful choice, this possibility of a life, laid out before me. A life with the wildest and most intense sex I'd ever had, friendship, experience—and yes, the pretty dresses and beautiful homes and soft beds too.
"Then I accept," I said softly.
Amon's face lit up, and he rose so quickly from his chair that Auguste had to catch it before it toppled over. I laughed at the obvious joy in his expression, pushing back my chair to meet him as he rushed around the table.
"You accept?" Amon repeated, eyes wide and hands gripping my waist.
I nodded, unable to fight the stretch of my own smile. "I'm not ready to pack up tonight—"
"As much time as you need," Amon rushed out.
"—but I accept." I barely got the last syllable out before Amon's lips were on mine, folding my mouth in powerful kisses that echoed down into my bones. I parted my lips to deepen them, and he pulled away, gaze glowing.
"This calls for a celebration, gentlemen."