Page 17 of Shadowed Obsession

“Tomorrow,” I confirm. My hand just brushes along his back, and he's already pulling away. He hops to Dixie, who's waiting by the side door.

Before they leave, the door behind them opens. Nova stands in the doorway with a wide grin. “Well, if it isn't my favorite nephew! Where do you think you're going, little monster?”

He makes some growly noise and bends down to scoop Hunter into his arms. He bicep-curls him and blows a raspberry against the dinosaur on Hunter's shirt. Naturally, Hunter squeals and laughs so hard, he squeezes his eyes shut.

“Put me down, Uncle Nova, or I'm going to pee my pants,” Hunter huffs out between giggles.

Nova only grumbles like some kind of dinosaur-wolf hybrid, and I feel that weird squishy feeling in my lower abdomen again.

Okay, so I guess that specific feeling isn't exclusive to single dads. Apparently, it extends to single uncles too.

“Alright, alright,” Nova says, putting Hunter back on his feet again. “Don't want Uncle Bane to come home to a pee kitchen. Unless . . .” he trails off, a mischievous grin on his face as Hunter cackles in delight. It's that giddy sort of laughter kids get, and I feel my own mirth rise up to join in.

Nova leans over and kisses Dixie's cheek in greeting. “How's my favorite mother today?”

Dixie hooks her arm around Nova's neck and traps him in a hug. He chuckles as he wraps her up in an one-armed hug. It's an awkward position with Hunter between them and Nova hunched over. But it doesn't seem like any of them mind.

“Is there a party at my house no one told me about?”

“Uncle Bane!” Hunter exclaims.

Bane's voice booms from behind me, startling me. I press a hand to my chest. “Jesus.”

“Nah, just me, baby,” Bane murmurs next to my ear. I look over my shoulder and he's already crossing the kitchen to bend down to Hunter's level. They exchange a five-step handshake that ends with Hunter bent over in giggles.

Nova steps in front of me, planting both hands on either side of the counter, next to my hips. He leans down, pausing a few inches away from my face. “Sweetheart.”

The smirk slides off my face when I get a good look at him. Dark shadows underneath his bloodshot eyes, faint bruising along his jaw.

“Are you okay?” I let my finger hover over his jawline.

His expression relaxes into something more serious. He captures my hand and places a kiss in my palm. “I'm with you, sweetheart. I'm perfect.”

“What happened?” I keep my voice low, concern tightening my gut. “I half-expected you to show up here last night. Or, I don't know, text me.”

He places another soft kiss along the inside of my wrist. “I'll make it up to you. Starting now.”

“Wha—”

Nova drops his shoulder, and the next thing I know, I'm airborne. He tosses me over his shoulder in a fireman's carry with such ease, I'd be more impressed if I wasn't fighting all the blood rushing to my head.

“Oh my god, Nova, put me down,” I hiss, pushing against his back to try to situate myself.

“Alright, alright. Time to go, Hunter. You guys have fun, and make sure Evangeline gets some rest, yeah?” Dixie calls out.

I miss whatever Bane says next because Nova bounds across the room. It's so jarring against his hard muscles that my vision goes out of focus for a second.

“Jesus, Nova. Why are you so hard,” I mutter.

He smooths a hand along the back of my thigh as he climbs the stairs two at a time. “Oh, Evangeline, you have no idea.”

8

EVANGELINE

“Where are we going exactly?”

“I'm stealing you away, of course. Somewhere I can plunder you,” he quips, smoothing his palm over the back of my thigh as he carries me down the hallway. It's distracting as hell.

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