Page 125 of His Greatest Treasure

“My father wouldn’t agree.”

“Your father’s always known I wanted you.”

She leans back, eyes wide as they lock onto mine. “What? No, he hasn’t.”

“The summer you visited when you were eighteen, he called me out on it behind the Huttons’ garden shed,” I say.

“He never said anything. Neither of you did.”

“I doubt he wanted you to know that he threatened to beat my fourteen-year-old ass if I even thought of looking at you again,” I grunt.

She laughs, relenting. “Well, you didn’t listen to him either way. You were always hanging around all of us.”

“No. I didn’t listen. And I still wouldn’t.”

“I wouldn’t want you to.”

“What is it you want me to do, Avery?” I ask lowly, curving a hand around her hip, loving the way she wiggles in my grip, pressing further into it.

Her stare flicks to the bunk bed closest to us. My cock throbs, stiffening in a matter of seconds. I swallow a groan.

“How much time do we have before?—”

The fire alarm blares, cutting her off. She gasps at the noise, and the dispatcher’s voice follows, explaining the call. My pulse spikes, and then I’m moving.

I kiss her too quickly, but she melts into me like I’m taking my time. It’s painful to pull back, and I have to remind myself that tomorrow, there won’t be anywhere for either of us to run.

“Go. Be a hero,” she says with a shove to my chest.

Walking backward to the door, I point at her. “Tomorrow, princess.”

“Tomorrow,” she agrees, and the kiss she blows is the last thing I see before ducking out of the room.

It’s the image that stays with me for the rest of the night.

EPILOGUE

AVERY

Nova pushesme along the sidewalk, her giggles loud and proud for everyone to hear ten kilometres away. The blindfold Gracie helped her tie around my head is snug, making the world pitch-black. With my arms outstretched, I focus on not stumbling on the uneven concrete.

“Please don’t make me trip,” I plead with them both.

Nova giggles again and stops pushing so hard on my back. “Sorry, Mom.”

“It’s okay, sweetheart. I’m excited too.”

“Me three, and I already know what’s waiting for you,” Gracie says.

“Oliver’s here, right?”

I sound as shy as I do hopeful. After seeing him at the station yesterday, I’ve been antsy, to say the least. Sleep didn’t come easy last night, and I tossed and turned for hours with his voice speaking soft promises to me in my mind.

Maybe I should have just gone over and barged into his house after watching his SUV pull up his driveway last night, but the anticipation almost makes this . . . sweeter.

Now, I’m just ready to take off down the sidewalk and run into his arms. He’ll catch me. There’s no doubt about it.

“He’s here. About ready to crash through the door and grab you, from what I see,” Gracie teases.

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