Page 133 of At the Edge of Surrender

“Intense might be an understatement.” Charleigh mused it as shepoured a margarita into the glass from a pitcher while her focus was out the big picture window that overlooked the porch and into the backyard. “I’m going to go ahead and go with obsessed.”

The four men were there, standing in a casual circle. Otto was joking about something, his hands animated as he told a story, and Theo and River chuckled along with him.

Only Kane…he wasn’t paying them any mind.

Because his attention was trained on me.

Magic eyes both penetrating and soft. Watching with concern and something that looked far too much like greed.

Lust licked across my flesh at the slow slide of his stare.

“Oh, it’s not like that,” I rushed through a whisper, refuting whatever ideas stirred Raven and Charleigh’s minds.

Refuting what stirred in mine.

“I thought we already established there is no need for secrets, Emery?” Raven had shifted to look out the window, and she nudged her shoulder into mine, the teasing back in her voice. “Look at you, squirming. Hello sizzle and spice. You might as well fess it up. Your secrets are safe with us.”

But that’s all this could be.

This attraction.

The fantasy I’d given into the other night.

This burn I was afraid would never go out.

THIRTY-TWO

KANE

“She’s fuckin’cute, man,” River said where we were gathered around the barbecue, in a spot where we were able to keep an eye on Nolan and Maci who hadn’t stopped playing for a second.

Nolan had shown her about everything he called his own and had basically filled her in on every aspect of his life, mostly going on about how he’d finally gotten his dog that he’d named Rocky.

To say the kid was excited to have her there was an understatement.

Maci squealed as Rocky jumped up and licked her in the face, her joy so clear as she giggled and played.

A swell of devotion pummeled me.

A riptide.

The child so precious she had me on my knees.

“Know it,” I said.

“Good thing she doesn’t take after her dad because that would be some scary shit,” Otto razzed. He jostled me with an elbow before he took a swig of his beer.

“Pfft,” I told him with a shake of my head. “Kid’s a dead ringer.”

A hot gust of air puffed from Theo’s nose. “Honestly thoughtyou’d lost your damned mind when you sent that text. Claiming her without any real proof. But I get it.”

I gave a slight nod. “One look and there was no question.”

Another wild giggle rolled out of Maci, that beautiful, tinkling sound riding on the breeze that weaved through the backyard as the day faded away. I looked that way to find her chasing Nolan up the steps to his fort.

The two of them were so damned sweet together, they might as well have known each other their whole lives.

But Maci’s laugh wasn’t the only one that was having an effect, though this effect was entirely different.

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