Page 34 of Night By Night

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Maddox tucked JJ’s presents into the trunk of his car and headed over to Hank’s fifteen minutes earlier than he’d told him he’d be there.

He’d steal every last second of time he could with him.

When he arrived, he hadn’t even made it all the way up the walk yet when JJ opened the door and ran out, happily squealing. “Uncle Dox!”

She wore an adorable pink sundress over a bright orange one-piece bathing suit, and he envisioned Hank shopping for clothes for her.

He had to shove that thought away. It’d be too easy to think about maybe shopping for clothes with him, shopping for groceries with him, maybe buying a new house with him—

He caught JJ as she threw herself at him, picking her up and swinging her around before settling her on his hip. “Happy birthday, sweetheart. How’s it feel being six?”

She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. “Great! Daddy’s in the shower.”

“Okay.” He walked in with her and closed the door behind them. She was adorable, looked so much like Hank it made his heart squeeze. Thank god she’d gotten more of Lois’ genes than that loser asshole’s.

He set her on her feet in the entryway and she ran down the hall, presumably to let Hank know he’d arrived.

For a moment, the thought of what it’d be like coming home every day to JJ’s greeting flitted to mind, and he viciously shoved it away again.

No. Don’t go there.

It was the bad kind of torture to do that.

Even though he’d love that reality. It’d be a dream come true.

To be able to walk down the hall, enter the bathroom where Hank was in the shower, pull the shower curtain back and kiss him hello and—

He reached down and adjusted his cock, where it’d started stiffening in his shorts over that thought.

Bad Maddox. Stop it.

She returned. “He’ll be out in a minute.”

“Okay, sweetheart.” He walked over to the couch and sat down, just for her to bounce into his lap, nearly nailing him in the nuts in the process.

“Thank you for coming to my party today, Uncle Dox.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for anything, sweetie.”

“Do you think anyone else will come?”

He smiled. “I have a feeling a couple of people will.”

If they didn’t have at least double digits showing up, he’d be shocked. In fact, he suspected there wouldn’t be any leftover cake.

Thank goodness Eliza and June would be handling that logistics issue.

He heard a door open down the hall. “Hey, I’ll be right out,” Hank called.

“No worries.”

Meanwhile JJ settled in, one arm draped around his neck, totally at ease with him. “Daddy told me you and him used to go to the beach when you were kids.”

“We did.”

“And find shark teeth?”