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He gives me the driest look I’ve ever seen from him, and I can’t help the hearty laugh that leaves my throat. “My body is small, Michael. It would be weird if my handsweren’tsmall.” Then he gets cheeky and adds, “We all can’t be behemoths like you.”
Again, a laugh bursts from my chest. While I like my shy Damon, this one is nice too. “I’m just the right size, baby.”
Damon doesn’t comment on the pet name and I’m glad he let it slide. I didn’t mean it, but I also did. I want to call him baby, babe, love, handsome, mine. All of it.
“If you say so. Is your dad tall? Or your mom?”
The smile drops from my face and I turn to the window, watching the ground move closer and closer. I don’t tell anyone about my past. I told Savage because he was my boss and he had to know everything there was about me. Quin already knew because he was the one that vetted me and he’s a whiz with background checks, getting deeper than most military organizations to find out your secrets.
No one else has stuck around long enough for me to get there. While we were with Savage, I wanted someone to get to that point, wanted to find someone that was mine. But as more and more years passed, the less likely it was to happen. Then Abel came along and gave Savage the extra push to get out of the game and take us with him.
When we settled in Canada, men and women were never hard to pick up, but there was always something missing. They weren’t Damon, a man I didn’t even know, but knew belonged to me.
I never had the opportunity to tell anyone about my past. Damon’s guileless questions have me wanting to tell him everything. He deserves nothing less.
Dragging in a breath, I say, “I don’t know. I never met my father, and my mother didn’t disclose his name.”
“Oh,” Damon says. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“No, it’s okay. You couldn’t have known. And my mother was maybe your height. Not a very big woman at all. Could have been because of the drugs, but I have no way of knowing. She gave me up shortly after I was born. So, I don’t know much about my family outside of that.”
Damon looks sad for me, but not pitying. Thank god. I don’t think I could have handled pity for something neither of us could change. “That’s awful. Do you know if you have any family? Or are Abel, Savage, and Quin your family now?”
I smile at that. “Both. I have a brother. He was actually at the ball. Brent Montgomery?” Damon’s eyes grow wide. “Do you know him?”
“No, but he’s running for like, senator or something, right?” I nod. “My stepfather is thinking about a run.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Weird coincidence.”
“Yeah.”
Turbulence picks up a little and Damon grips my hand tightly, his lips pressed in a thin line. To get his mind off what’s going on with the plane, I talk about my family. “You forgot Red.”
“Huh?” Damon asks, looking at me with knitted eyebrows.
“My family. You forgot Red. But you don’t know him. He’s Quin’s boy. Nice guy, really tough. Quin met him a little while ago after a job and they’ve been pretty much inseparable ever since. He’s the newest addition to our family, but he fits in well. I think you’d like him.”
Damon’s expression softens and he murmurs, “I would like to meet him. If I ever visit Canada.”
“Baby, if I have my way, you will.”
The pilot comes over the speaker to tell us we’ll be landing soon and no less than two minutes later, we’re bumping along the tarmac. Damon has a death grip on my hand, but I don’t mind. Whatever gets him through this flight.
Shortly after, the pilot shuts down the engines and comes back to speak to me. “Enjoy your stay, Evan.”
“Thanks, Floyd. I’ll be here for a few weeks. I’ll let you know a few days in advance when I’m due to head back to California. You can head back to Quebec.”
“Appreciate that. Have a great trip.” Floyd dips his head to Damon and heads back to the cockpit to do whatever it is he does.
The flight attendant bids us goodbye and opens the door and lowers the flight of stairs for us. On the tarmac, a car is waiting for us, a driver exiting and opening the door when he sees us exit the jet.
When I have our bags in the trunk and we’re settled into the back, I give the driver the address and sit back, sliding a possessive arm around Damon. He lets out a long breath and snuggles into me. After a few minutes, he’s asleep again. My poor baby. He got very little sleep last night, from what he told me. Luckily, the drive there will take about forty-five minutes, so he will have some uninterrupted sleep.
Slouching down in the seat, I adjust myself so he can lie more comfortably against me. Damon’s arm tightens around my waist and he mumbles something before he settles and goes back to sleep. Kissing his hair, I hold him close while he sleeps.
I hate to wake Damon when we pull up at the address, but I have to. Again, I shake him lightly, but this time, he grumbles. “Ugh. I got no sleep last night. I’m exhausted, Michael.” He doesn’t sound whiny—just really tired.
“I know, baby. Let me get you upstairs and we can take a nap.”
