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She blinks. “Come again?”

I shake my head. “Nothing. Come on. I’ll carry this to your room.”

Because if I stand here another second, I’ll forget myself and the tiny little fact that she has no idea who or what I am.

I’ll forget she’s human.

Hell, I’ll forget everything except the fire in my blood screaming for her.

She trails behind me, quiet for once, and I swear the air between us is thick enough to cut with a knife.

One touch.

That’s all it took.

And now there’s no going back for either of us.

Es meus.

CHAPTER FIVE-CASEY

I am such a nerd. The opposite of whatever you would call a cool person.

In other words, I have exactly zero chill.

Zeke—tall, growly, stupidly hot Zeke—is currently carrying my suitcase like it’s made of feathers, muscles rippling beneath his shirt, while I trail behind him like some sweatier, more confused version of Cinderella arriving late to a pool party.

He doesn’t talk much.

Just glances over his shoulder occasionally to make sure I haven’t face-planted on the graveled walkway that leads to the stairs outside Avery’s home.

His expression is all hard lines and broody intensity, but I swear there’s a twitch of amusement in his jaw every time I trip over the tiny pebbles like a newborn giraffe.

We round the porch, and I spot a small figure barreling toward us.

A tiny, furry blur of energy with teeth, curls, and zero fear.

Rosie.

Avery’s daughter. Only she is butt ass naked.

“Hi, Casey! I missed you. Mommy said you were coming for a visit!”

“Hi there, Rosie Posie,” I reply and grin at her childish innocence.

“Uncle Zeke!” she shrieks, already bored with me and launching herself into his leg with all the force of a rogue wrecking ball.

Zeke grunts but doesn’t budge an inch, just pats the top of her head like she’s a wild animal only marginally tamed.

“Hey, fuzzball,” he teases, and something about seeing him all playful like that makes my ovaries stand up and take notice.

Two seconds pass as I try not to freak out about that, when Rosie turns those big brown eyes on me. She squints, tilts her head, then grins like a little street urchin plotting trouble in a Charles Dickens book.

“Mommy! Daddy! Casey’s here and she’s Uncle Zeke’s girl!” she shouts, then innocently blinks up at me again.

Like it’s a totally normal thing to assume.

Me and Zeke. Together.