AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I honestly don't even know what that means. I've been studiously avoiding that one side of the garage since I got here and silently praying that there hasn't been garbage decomposing in there for a year.
I'd thought it might be weird, having him here. Intellectually, I understand that he's a stranger. But emotionally, he doesn't feel like one.
And that's a whole kettle of confusion I haven't really had time to process yet.
“Coming,” I yell, pitching my voice toward the front of the house. I wipe my wet hands on my skirt and quickly walk toward the front door. “Be right there!”
I swing open the front door, expecting to see the mailman or maybe even Cora, ready to chew me out for not calling her back.
But instead, it's Nova.
More specifically, it's Nova holding a white box of pastries in one hand and a to-go tray with two coffees in the other.
“Nova.” My eyes widen in surprise. Delight pricks along my nerves, sending tingles down my spine.
He grins, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Hey, sweetheart. I thought I was being clever, but it seems my cousin beat me to it.” His voice is soft, but not calm. There's a band of steel underneath all that quiet tenor.
My mouth falls into a frown. “Cousin?”
His brows arch toward his hair, but the look on his face isn't nearly as innocent. “Oh, didn't Bane tell you? We're related.”
I shake my head a few times, trying to process the fact that he's here. And apparently related to Bane, who I'm still trying to figure out.
“Huh. Must've slipped his mind, I guess. Come on in.” I step back, holding the door open for him.
“Must have,” he mutters, stepping into the house.
“Here, I can take one of those,” I murmur, reaching for the box of pastries. “That's so thoughtful of you. At this rate, you're going to spoil me.”
“Good,” he says, ghosting his palm up my back and resting his hand on the nape of my neck. “I want to spoil you in all things, Evangeline.”
His breath warms that secret spot behind my ear, the one that elicits a shiver down my spine in the best way. It sends my mind straight into fantasies of other ways Nova could spoil me.
Primarily with his hands and tongue and dick. Lots and lots of it.
I shake my head a little bit, scattering those dirty thoughts away. I'm not even sure where they came from, only that ever since I came to this town, I've been letting myself get carried away with emotions. All kinds of emotions. And actively leaning into things that sound fun.
And what could be more fun than Nova and Bane? If Cora was here, she'd probably flick water at my face and tell me to cool off.
But luckily for me, she's working for the next three hours.
I turn my head, just an inch or so, bringing our mouths close together. “Maybe you could start tonight.” It's an invitation, one I hope he accepts.
He groans, the pained sound practically vibrating against my lips.
“Am I interrupting something?” Bane drawls from somewhere near the kitchen.
I jump what feels like eight feet into the air, but is really closer to two inches, splaying my hand over my heart. “Jeez, you scared me.”
I feel a flush warm my cheeks and spread down my neck like I got caught doing something.
I glance at Nova to see him leveling Bane with the most serious, bordering on hostile expression I've ever seen. I blink and it's gone, replaced with an expressionless neutrality.
“Bane,” he says, tipping his chin up. “What are you doing at my girl's house?”
The question rolls off his tongue like water, smooth and easily. But behind the calm of his voice lies an edge of steel. There's possession and challenge in those words.
If I wasn't standing so close to him, I might be able to brush it all off under surprise or shock. But I can feel the tension radiate from him as if it were a physical force, his biceps practically trembling with it.
