Page 213 of BounBound By Scars

As he tried to get the second shoe on our very squirmy toddler, I watched him mutter under his breath.

“We’ve got…” he checked his watch, “forty minutes to drop her off and hit the road to Vermont.”

I rolled my eyes. “They’re not going to cancel the reservation if we’re late, Kabir. You forget who we are sometimes.”

His eyes lit up with victory the second he got Dahlia’s shoe on—like he’d just hacked the most complicated system in the world.

He turned toward me, sliding both hands around my waist, his voice dropping low. “Guess going from global fugitives to decorated heroes takes some getting used to.”

“Really?” I deadpanned, glancing at Dahlia—who, with great toddler elegance, slid off the daybed and ran straight to her toy basket. “By the way… she’s not looking. Kiss me.”

His brow arched. “I’d kiss you even if she were, Mrs. Gill.”

He leaned in—and his mouth found mine in a slow, searing kiss that stole every breath I had. His fingers slid into my hair, fisting gently as he coaxed my lips open, his tongue brushing against mine like a promise.

“Mama… no!”

We jumped apart, laughing as tiny hands started pushing at our legs.

“Guess someone doesn’t like me attacking your mouth,” I grinned.

He chuckled, dropping a softer, chaste kiss to my lips.

“Lo-Lo!” Dahlia cried, her face screwing up into a dramatic pre-tantrum.

“Yes,beta,” Kabir said as he scooped her up. “We’re going to see Uncie Lo-Lo.”

She immediately lit up, giggling against his shoulder.

Drama queen!

We grabbed her bag, locked up, and made our way to the car—me driving, Kabir in the passenger seat with a juice box in hand for the queen in the back.

And as we pulled onto the quiet street, headed toward Zarek and Leora’s place, I caught Kabir watching me with that same soft look he always saved just for us.

After he remotely entered the gate code, we rolled up the gravel path just as the front door swung open and Logan stepped out—his one-year-old mini-Logan, Elijah, perched on his hip like a squishy royal.

Logan and Kaylan were crashing at Zarek’s for the whole weekend—because wrangling three toddlers takes a village… or at least four semi-functional special agents.

The second our doors opened and Kabir unlatched Dahlia from her car seat, she spotted her second favorite man.

“Lo-Lo!” she screamed with full toddler intensity.

Kabir scooped her up just as Logan sauntered over, grinning.

“Baby swap, Kabira?”

Kabir laughed, already handing over Dali like they were trading intel files. “Careful. She bites.”

Logan took her with one arm like it was nothing. “Good. So do I.”

I just shook my head, grabbing Dahlia’s bag. “You two are ridiculous.”

Logan bounced Dali on his hip. “You staying for coffee or you wanna get on with your hot parent getaway?”

Kabir rolled his eyes before giving me a look. “I need caffeine,Heer. Don’t know about you.”

I shrugged. “Coffee it is.”

---