Page 141 of At the Edge of Surrender

“Us, trouble?” Raven challenged. “Have you ever once looked in the mirror, Kane Asher?”

He chuckled an easy sound, and he ran one of those tatted hands through his warm brown hair that glistened a thousand shades of gold beneath the fading sun. “Who me? I’m as innocent as could be.”

There was nothing innocent about him.

He was a vortex.

Gravity.

A magnetism impossible to resist.

“Are you two taking care of my girl?”

His girl? I nearly choked.

Raven rolled her eyes. “Your girl? I think not. I found her first, fair and square, outside of my shop last Saturday morning.”

“Oh, that’s where you’re wrong, Raven, I definitely found her first.” The emerald of Kane’s eyes sparked. A searing of heat and possession.

His mind so clearly on that first night.

I squirmed.

God, what was wrong with me?

“Which means she’s mine.” There was no missing the fact his words dripped with sex.

He reached out like he was going to touch me right before Nolan came stampeding up the steps. “No way, Uncle Kane! I already called her, and I’m the team captain, and you can’t go stealin’ because stealin’ is bad.”

My attention whipped up, confused by what was happening.

“And I already called my Mr. Kane!” Maci was right on Nolan’s heels.

“Uh-oh, why am I sensing competition brewing in the air?” Charleigh asked.

“You know the rules, Momma Dog!” Nolan enthused, punching a fist in the air. “We gotta play a whole family game before our family has to go because family activities are really important.”

Surprise widened my eyes.

Kane caught it. “That’s right.”

“What kind of game?” Raven asked.

“Kickballs!” Maci shouted, tossing out an awkward kick.

Kane nearly bowed in two as he laughed, low and deep with affection, his focus just canting to me for a beat as he set his hand on her head. “Why’s that sound so dangerous?”

I tried to staunch a laugh, but Raven let it out. “Because our little one here is definitely dangerous. She’s going to be kicking all theballs. I want her on my team.”

“Goodfingbecause I already picked you, Missy Raven, and your Otto because he said you always gotta be on his team.”

Raven glowed, her own affection riding out, these people already accepting Maci in a way I still couldn’t wrap my heart around.

“That is a very good thing, but I have to admit, I’m not much of a runner,” Raven told her.

“Yeah, that’s all Charleigh over here. My Little Runner.” River was suddenly there, murmuring it as if he were only speaking to her as he pulled her up from her chair.

I would have thought the two of them would have been together forever if I hadn’t learned that she’d only come into their lives a year ago.

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