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They were farther away from each other than Carver liked.

“I mean you no harm,” Dante told him. “I just wish to touch you.”

Carver released a sob that had been building up.

“My baby boy.” Dante moved so fast that Carver couldn’t follow it with his eyes and before he knew it, Carver was wrapped tight in Dante’s arms.

Burying his face in Dante’s chest, Carver breathed deep, inhaling all the scents that surrounded him. Dark chocolate, aged bourbon, leather, and something sharper like pine. All the scents were layered and for once Carver didn’t care what they meant.

“Is this okay? Me holding you?” Dante questioned softly.

Carver wrapped his left arm around Dante’s waist as he was still cushioning Syn to his chest with his right. “Don’t let go yet.”

“Baby,” Dante cooed. He kissed Carver’s temple then his forehead. “I would hold you forever if you would allow it.”

Ignoring Dante’s words, Carver merely clung until his knees stopped shaking and the tears that had been threatening to fall dried up. If just being held by Dante calmed and soothed Carver like this, what would it be like to be around Dante all the time?

“You don’t have to say anything,” Dante said. “Explain anything. Just you being here makes me so happy. Like everything is right in my world again.”

Guilt and pain flooded Carver’s system. Dante wouldn’t feel that way with a silver dagger through his heart.

“Shh,” Dante murmured. “It’s all going to be okay.”

It wasn’t. Slowly Carver drew away. He had to force himself to step back and put space between the two of them. To distract himself, Carver held up Syn for Dante to see. “I seem to have found more than one friend tonight.” He hoped his joke didn’t sound as flat to Dante as it did to Carver’s own ears.

Dante smiled, his fangs flashing for a moment before he brushed a finger across Syn’s head. “She does like to find pretty things.”

Carver’s face heated and he was not going to respond to that comment. Did he like being called pretty by Dante? Absolutely. Should he? No, no he should not. This wasn’t why he was there.

“I’m glad you came back,” Dante said. “Thank you.”

“Thank you?” Carver repeated. “Why are you thanking me?”

“It stops me from tracking you down and looking like a stalker.”

Carver giggled. He wouldn’t mind having a hot stalker. Wait! No! Fuck! Carver was the stalker. And he had to keep Dante far away from his friends.

“I love your laugh, baby. Are you ready to come inside? Or would you prefer a walk around the estate? I never did get to finish showing you around,” Dante offered.

“Walk!” Carver didn’t mean to shout. Except if they walked around, maybe Dante would hold his hand again. And that would put off the ugly business that Carver was really here for.

Dante smiled again. “Do you really want to walk or would you prefer to be carried by your Daddy?”

Well…Carver hadn’t known that was an option. “What if I’m too heavy?” he teased. Since Dante had carried him out of the club playroom and all the way to the car, they both knew that Dante had no issues with Carver’s weight. Plus, oh yeah, vampire leader.

“Huh,” Dante huffed. “I’m not sure what to do with my boy doubting my Daddy ability.”

Carver had to press his lips together to stop from grinning. The littleness inside him wanted out. Twisting his torso from side to side, Carver attempted to appear innocent. “Who, me?”

“Yes, you!” Dante snatched Carver up and tossed him over one of Dante’s wide shoulders.

He barely saved Syn from being crushed. “Daddy! You almost smashed Syn!”

Dante swatted Carver’s ass lightly yet heat still bloomed. “Syn can fly just fine and doesn’t need to be carried like my naughty boy.”

When Dante had offered to carry him, Carver had been imagining the bridal style like at the club. Not being hung over a shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He kicked his legs. “Daddy!”

Walking around the trees toward the big house in the distance, Dante snickered. “Yes?”