Nate

“Of course not.” My chest was hurting just thinking about that.

“Then do me a favor and don’t let him talk to you that way.”

He didn’t get it. If Duke was doing this, then he wasn’t plotting to hurt me in another way.

But I got what he was saying. I’d kill him before I let anyone talk to my daughter like that.

Not—I meant Valerie’s daughter. My goddaughter.

Some of the fight faded, and he rested his forehead against mine, still holding me. His fingers flexed in my ass. “I don’t want him to hurt anyone I care about.”

Pleasure flooded over me, centering right where my heart was.

“That shit could leak to Nova in ways you couldn't even think of. None of this can touch Nova.”

Right. Cold reality crashed back into me.

Nova.

I couldn’t let Duke hurt me, and somehow that could get through to Nova. I understood what he was saying, and he was right.

He was being the dad to Nova that my dad never was to me.

“Quincey?”

I missed the Quince.

“Hmm?”

“You’ll stop taking calls from him?”

I nodded. “I will.” I pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “Thank you for being a good parent to Nova.”

The fight completely left him.

“She’s not the only one I care about here.” He was staring right at me.

My heart squeezed.

Did I dare feel… Of course, he cared about me. We had magical sex nights together. There was a whole bunch of caring going on there.

I tightened my arms around his neck. “Back at you, you know.”

He grinned, his eyes soft. “I think Logan would cover another hour.”

“Yeah?”

His hands were flexing over my ass again, and he began rolling me over him.

I tightened my legs, grinding with him, and soon neither of us cared.

42

Quincey

Logan’s girlfriend was gorgeous. Her hair looked smack on the line between dark blond and a caramel light-dark color. When she turned her head one way, I saw blond. The other way, caramel. It was pulled in a messy fish-braid, and I loved it.

Looooved it.

She also had sparkling warm eyes and a warm aura that oozed from her. I liked her immediately.

I’d started to feel comfortable with Logan. He flew out so much, and after he helped against Duke, meeting his girlfriend was a big deal to me. She’d been at the surprise baby shower and around the day after, but there were so many of them. Nate and I weren’t together together, or together how we were together now, so they all seemed like a cohesive “them,” and I was not one of “them.”

Now I didn’t know what I was, but I felt more “in” than I had been before. I wasn’t all the way. Maybe an arm. Or a hand. Or an elbow.

One of those.

Maybe an ankle.

Yes. I felt like I had an ankle in.

And tonight, I felt like I was getting a shin in, too, or half of my calf muscle. Just one, though. Not both.

We were at Keela. The atmosphere was private, and elegant, and romantic.

I was trying not to think about the romantic part because I didn’t want to get ahead of myself. Nate and I were sleeping together, but he’d not said anything about a relationship status. I was operating on the assumption that we were sleeping together, and that was it. My priorities were Nova, dancing, and Nate’s bed. I was fine keeping with that status quo unless something changed.

“Logan mentioned you’re in a dance production now?”

We’d been seated. Logan and Nate were conferring over the drink menu, but I’d eaten dinner enough with both of them to know they were probably talking about anything but what kind of wine to order. They were like two giggly boys at times. When I focused on Taylor, she was holding back a smile, and I had a feeling she knew instantly what I’d been thinking.

I flushed, laying my hands on my lap and straightening more in my seat. “I am, yes. It’s a new type of program, so it’s exciting.”

“That’s amazing.”

“And you’re a nurse?”

She nodded. “It’s hard work, but addicting.”

The guys had quieted. Logan’s gaze rested on Taylor, a softening, but also a very focused look came over him at the same time. As if feeling it, she looked over, and the two shared a gentle smile.

I wanted that. Badly.

Pain sliced through me, and I had to take a second because it rose so swiftly and powerful that I felt it in my throat. I felt seared.

Glancing to Nate, seeing his gaze on me, I couldn’t discern what he was thinking or feeling. I gave him a small smile, and then his gaze gentled. “Did you want some wine tonight? We ordered red, but I know you don’t usually drink.”

“Graham was all insistent on some pink drink for you.”

I was surprised, seeing Logan grinning at me. He had a hand under the table, his arm veering toward Taylor, and I glanced down. They were holding hands.