Page 77 of Toxic Temptation
“What’s your friend’s name?”
“Charity.”
“Is she a doctor like you?”
“Not quite. She’s an EMT.”
“Oh! Uncle Kovan called them once when I had a bad reaction.”
The pride in his voice when he talks about Kovan physically hurts me. This is what love looks like. This messy, fierce, protective thing that makes a man rearrange his entire life around a child’s needs. I’ve forgotten what it feels like to be someone’s priority.
Luka nods happily as the smell of cooking eggs wafts over to us from the kitchen. I can’t remember the last time that pan was used. Hell, I can’t remember the last time there was food in this apartment that wasn’t bought from a take-out place.
A moment later, Kovan slides plates of perfect eggs and buttered toast across the table. The domesticity of it—breakfast, conversation, the three of us around my table—feels like playing house.
But with every passing second, it feels less and less like a game.
I stand, needing distance. “Coffee, anyone?”
“Sit. It’s already handled.” Kovan places a steaming mug in front of me. His fingers brush mine for half a second.
That’s all it takes. Half a second of skin contact and I’m remembering last night. The heat of him beside me in bed. The hours I waited for him to cross boundaries I’d drawn but didn’t really want.
“Oh. Thanks.”
Kovan looks at Luka, who’s eyeing his plate uncomfortably. “What’s the matter, Luka?”
He shrugs with that telltale,I don’t wanna talk about itsadness of children. “I dunno. I’m not hungry.”
Something in his tone makes me look closer. The brightness from moments ago has dimmed. “Why not?”
Luka glances at Kovan. “I… I just remembered I have to see Mama later.”
Kovan’s jaw tightens, but his voice stays gentle. “Until custody’s settled, I can’t stop the visits completely,” he explains to me.
“She doesn’t want to see me.” Luka gets smaller with each word, both his voice and his posture. “She always says mean things about you.”
Rage floods through me so fast it’s dizzying. “That’s not right. You shouldn’t be in the middle of this.”
Kovan’s look suggests I’ve stated the obvious, but I don’t care. Someone needs to be outraged on this kid’s behalf, right?
“If you want me there, I’ll cancel my meetings,” Kovan offers. “The client from France can wait. You’re more important.”
The absolute certainty in his voice makes me shiver. This is what a parent sounds like. What protection feels like. What I had once and lost and thought I’d never see again.
“No, it’s okay.” Luka pushes eggs around his plate. “You don’t have to.”
The resignation in his voice—like he’s already learned not to expect too much from the adults in his life—makes me want to tear up.
“I could be there, too,” I say before I can stop myself.
And why not? Every kid needs to know that their parents will walk through fire for them. Luka may not have that. But at least he has an uncle who’s willing to move mountains for him. The more I see Kovan doing, the more I’m willing to shoulder some of the weight.
“Really?” Hope flickers in his eyes, then dies. “Well… maybe not. Mama wouldn’t like that.”
“Forget her,” Kovan growls. “What doyouwant?”
“I don’t want anyone to fight.”
