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I bite the inside of my cheek. “Oh. Why isn’t he out here? Is everything okay?”
The corner of his mouth lifts up a little. “He’s giving me some privacy.”
My brow furrows as I trace the slope of his nose with my gaze. “We’re on the side of the road.”
“And I’m right here,” Bane drawls.
Nova lifts a shoulder, and I see the familiar sparkle flicker in his eyes as he holds my gaze. “I may or may not have told him in explicit detail all the ways I’m going to enjoy my reunion with my girl.
“Our girl,” Bane grunts.
I don’t fucking care that they’re both being possessive and a little ridiculous because it’s exactly the thing I needed. Only instead of laughing like I normally would, a watery sort of laugh falls from my lips.
Regret etches into Nova’s features as his smile fades. “Fuck, I’m sorry, sweetheart, don’t cry. I was just fucking around—not that I don’t want to do unspeakable things to you, but I was just fucking with Silas. Because he definitely deserves a little shit.”
Nova’s gaze sails over my shoulder, and I’m sure he’s exchanging a loaded look with Bane.
“I know,” I say with a hiccup, my tears slowing. “It’s just . . . I didn’t know if I’d ever see you again, and I—” I stop, flicking away the tears as they leave my lash line. “I don’t even know why I’m crying, except that I can’t seem to stop now that I’ve started.”
“It’s alright, sweetheart. You can cry as much as you need to. You can do whatever you need to. Just tell me what I can do to help.” As he inches closer, my knees part to make room for him. His torso presses against my inner thighs, lining our bodies up perfectly. I can feel the heat radiating from his skin as he settles between my legs.
In this position, our faces are only inches apart. I can see the light dusting of freckles along his cheekbones, and the amber-colored constellations embedded in the rich mossy green of his eyes. My breath hitches, and I know the situation feels a little weird, but I think I’m going to have to embrace the weird and just go for it.
“I just need you,” I whisper with a sniff. It’s all too easy to fall into Nova’s gaze. Where Bane makes me feel safe and protected, Nova makes me feel playful and brave.
His hands land on my hips, a gentle yet possessive reminder. “I’m here, Evangeline. Take whatever you need from me. It’s yours, yeah?”
I lean forward and take what I need from him, regardless of where I am or who else is here. There are plenty of little hiccups we’re going to have to smooth out if we’re going to make this unconventional relationship work between all of us. And there’s no time like the present.
There’s a spark when our lips connect, electricity zipping through my body at the contact. His lips are soft against mine, moving with familiarity that stirs something deep inside of me. Like my soul is exhaling, and my body is perking up and paying attention. It feels like coming home in a different way than kissing Bane.
Or Silas, my mind helpfully adds.
I can taste the saltiness from the dried tears on my lips, and when he swipes his tongue against the seam of my lips, I’m more than happy to let him in. Our tongues tangle together in a familiar dance that sets my blood on fire. He lets me lead, content to be an active participant. I sink my hands into his hair and let myself fall into his kiss.
A throat clearing from above has me pulling back and blinking my eyes open. Silas stands behind Nova, his hands shoved into his pockets and his trademark scowl gracing his full lips.
I pull away from Nova with a gasp, and I try to, I don’t know, stand up or something. But Nova isn’t moving away from me anytime soon. In fact, I’m pretty sure his palms just slid over the curve of my hips and dipped underneath, so he’s halfway palming my ass.
I’m flustered and surprised, and okay, a little bit turned on from that kiss. But mostly, I’m so fucking happy to see them all here, in one piece.
I let my mouth curl into a genuine smile, and I eye the eldest St. James. “Fancy seeing you here, Silas.”
It seems it’s the day for miracles because Silas’s mouth twitches like he’s going to full-on smile at me. He nods, but it seems more like to himself than to me. His gaze roams over me like a physical caress, sloping down my exposed neck, gliding over my breasts, and tucking into my jean shorts. It’s so potent that if I close my eyes, I can feel his lips ghosting across my skin instead of his gaze.
Silas’s gaze has always felt good on me, among other things.
He blows out a breath before looking to the left and right, along the road. “We shouldn’t stay here like this. It’s not safe, and we need to get you to the hospital to get checked out.”
Disappointment sinks like a stone inside of me, popping the hopeful balloon all too easily. “Oh, um, I’m fine. I don’t need to go to the hospital. Really. Besides, I want to see Hunter. And Dixie,” I add as a bit of an afterthought. It’s not malicious, it’s just that the last time I saw him—I shake my head, scattering those thoughts like seeds in the wind. No good will come of reliving that right now.
“We need to debrief, remember, sugar?” Bane says, not unkindly.
I nod once, decisively. “Right. So we should probably head straight home to go over all that stuff, right? I don’t want to have to repeat it three times.”
“We don’t know what was in that syringe Bane found, Evie,” Silas says, shaking his head slowly. “There could be lasting side effects or complications. We need to get you checked out.” There’s intensity in his words, an underlying concern that tightens his jaw and darkens his eyes.
I shake my head and hold in my cringe when a lock of my stiff hair scrapes against the side of my neck. I’m pretty sure it’s dried mud. But it’s the shock of awareness that I needed, and suddenly I want nothing more than to go home and spend thirty minutes inside a shower before snuggling with Hunter on the couch. Maybe we could watch his current favorite movie.
