Page 23 of Her Nightshade

Charlie stood behind me in the kitchen, his hands wrapped around my waist as I prepared snacks for everyone. He seemed to savor every second of our closeness, like he was storing up all the affection he could before Sloane and Callan showed up.

I smiled when I heard the rapid tapping on the front door. As nervous as I was about having Charlie here during their visit, the excitement of seeing my daughter outweighed it. When Charlie slipped his hands from around me and stepped back, it almost felt like we’d been caught.

“I promise I’ll be good,mi diosa,” he said with a playful smile, like the secret we shared was an exciting game to him. And if I was honest, it thrilled me too; no one knew just how deep our connection ran, and that secrecy only heightened the excitement.

“I know you will be,” I teased, giving him a quick kiss. I knew it was just enough to reassure him.

I made my way to the door, my heart full as I saw Callan and Sloane standing there. Sloane’s eyes gleamed with excitement and Callan seemed content, his arm wrapped around her waist.

“Mom,” Sloane greeted, flashing me a knowing smile before glancing past my shoulder, no doubt searching for Charlie.

“Hi, baby,” I said, widening my arms and melting into her embrace as she stepped forward.

After Sloane let go, I turned to Callan, hugging him warmly. A part of me wondered if Charlie would be jealous. I pushed the thought aside, because if that happened to be true, that would be an even bigger problem than I was ready to handle.

As I pulled away, I noticed Sloane already making her way over to Charlie, greeting him easily. Callan closed the door behind them as I followed, my heart already racing. I hated not knowing how this interaction would go.

“So nice to finally meet you, Sloane,” Charlie said, his dimpled grin sending familiar flutters through me. “I’ve heard a lot about you.” He glanced at me briefly, his gaze lingering just a moment before turning back to her.

“And I’ve heard plenty about you, Charlie,” Sloane teased, reaching for Callan’s hand.

Callan, setting their bags down, gave Charlie a friendly tap on the shoulder. “Good to see you, man.”

Charlie, as if on instinct, searched for my hand as I moved to stand beside him. And without thinking, I did the same, feeling his presence like a tether. My fingers wrapped around his, gripping tightly, and the familiar comfort settled over me. I couldn’t deny how much I needed that closeness too, especially in this moment.

I caught the briefest flicker of a smile on Charlie’s face as he squeezed my hand. For a second, I worried it might be too much, but Sloane seemed unfazed as she and Callan walked further into the living room.

“More plants, Mom? You’re worse than me now,” Sloane teased, eyeing the new plant Charlie brought me.

I laughed, shrugging lightly. “Blame Charlie. He got me that one,” I said, glancing at him with a playful smile.

Charlie chuckled softly, giving me a sideways glance. “What can I say? Gift giving is my love language,” he said, but his smile quickly faded, as if he’d said something wrong.

But I didn’t mind. In fact, I only wanted more of him—more of these little moments where he revealed pieces of himself so openly, despite my nervousness of this visit.

“Yeah? What’s yours then, Mom?” Sloane asked, her eyebrows raised, completely unfazed by the question.

Before I could answer, Charlie beat me to it, his voice low and sure. “Physical touch,” he said, his gaze still on me, a playful smile lingering on his lips as he bit down on his bottom one slightly.

My breath hitched for a moment. I glanced at Sloane, wondering if she noticed the true meaning behind his words.

“Gross,” Sloane said sarcastically as she turned and made her way towards the terrace. “What’s for dinner?”

Callan leaned casually against the couch with his arms crossed, his gaze following Sloane before shifting back to Charlie and me. He watched us observantly, though I barely noticed as Charlie’s hand slid down my arm.

He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a low murmur. “Speaking of physical touch…” he whispered, his lips brushing just near my ear, sending goosebumps over my flesh. His thumb traced small patterns on my skin, the meaning behind his words clear.

A flush crept up my neck, but before I could respond, I felt Callan’s eyes still on us. I glanced up, catching the slight tension in his jaw. He definitely heard that.So what?His expression stayed neutral but the concern was there, unspoken but obvious to me.

Charlie didn’t seem to notice or care that Callan had picked up on the subtle, sexual exchange. He just kept his gaze on me, a slow smile forming as his fingers lingered.

Then I wondered if he was silently staking his claim, as if he would have to do that in front of Callan, my daughter’s fiance. Did his jealousy run that deep?

Callan, quiet but clearly uneasy, pushed off the couch and glanced towards the terrace. “I’ll go see what Sloane’s up to,” he said casually, but the tension in his voice gave him away.

I didn’t know what it was, but I knew Callan was thinking something, and he was going to let me know what it was, whether I wanted to hear it or not.

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