Page 104 of Guarded Knight

Poppy lights up and runs toward him. “Grumpzilla!”

Gabriel crouches just in time for her to launch into his arms. “Hey, tiny terror.”

Daisy barrels in next. “We’re getting chocolate muffins!”

“Lucky me,” Gabriel lifts both girls off the ground and into his arms. “Guess I picked the right time to come back.”

Xander leans a hip against the kitchen island, arms folded. “You were out?”

Gabriel doesn’t miss a beat. “Yeah.”

“So you left Lara here on her own?”

Gabriel nods once, still not gazing at him directly. “Anton was in.”

Xander watches him a beat longer than necessary. Gabriel sets the girls down and ruffles Daisy’s hair.

Anton steps forward with a thermal mug in hand. “Gabriel’s been all over it.”

Xander arches a brow. “That right?”

“Mm-hmm.” Anton sips and peers over the top of his mug. “Lara’s been covered day and night.”

Before Anton can be on the receiving end of our sarcastic thank-you dagger stares, he shoves his head in the fridge.

I clear my throat and try to steer us back to the girls. “You two just here for muffins and chaos?”

Poppy nods. “Dad says it’s a check-in but it’s really just ‘cause we begged to see Auntie Lara.”

I laugh and ruffle her curls. “Obviously. Who could resist my magnetic charm?”

Daisy wrinkles her nose. “What’s magnetic?”

“Something you can’t stay away from,” Gabriel says, not missing a beat and taking his eyes off me just as quickly as they landed there.

The way his voice dips on the word makes my skin flush. Last night was exactly that—magnetic. And if I let myself dwell on it, I’ll give everything away right here in front of my brother.

What I wouldn’t give to tell someone what happened last night.

Xander’s gaze traces every inch of Gabriel’s body language. “So… where’d you sleep?”

G doesn’t answer right away. He’s focused on Daisy’s juice box, helping her pop the straw in without looking up. “The couch.”

Xander lifts one brow.

I jump in before this escalates. “Why are you acting weird?” I get one chance to ask that question. I hope I don’t need that later because asking twice will give Xander all he needs to know.

Xander glances at Anton.

Anton shrugs. “Nothing weird in this place.”

I will happily spar Anton in the gym next time he asks.

Gabriel doesn’t say a word, but heknows.And part of me wants him to. Wants this to be real enough to tell the whole world. Butwhat if it isn’t? What if it falls apart, like everything else? Then Xander will have one more reason to worry about me.

And I’ll have one more broken thing I can’t fix.

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