With Herculean effort, I kept my gaze trained on her face. “You would have told me if it was important enough. I don’t like us having secrets, but I can’t condemn you for keeping some things from me when there are a lot of things I can’t share with you, Nova.”

“It’s possibly the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do, keeping a secret from you. That’s why I don’t have many,” she murmured. “And you’re right, if it were important enough, I would have told you about Cali. But she’s not like Manuel. She’s sweet and loving. Look at how much she turned Garret around. Not just anyone could have done that. Actually, I think she should be considered for sainthood for the miracle she performed, transforming him into an actual human.”

I grinned. “I trust your judgment, baby.”

“Is Ramirez why you’ve been so busy?”

“One of the reasons,” I admitted. “The Irish are the other.”

Her eyes widened. “Your bio mom’s family?” she guessed. I grimaced at the mention of Sheena, but I nodded. “What can I do?”

“Keep gifting me with your laugh, your kind heart, and your endless love, and I’ll have everything I could ever possibly need.”

36

Nova

“That will be a big hell no.”

I rolled my eyes as I walked down the stairs, pulling Ciana along with me. Ryan stood at the bottom, his eyes eating up the sight of me in my white romper. The shorts ended an inch or so above my mid-thigh, but on a taller person, their ass cheeks would have been exposed. The middle had a cutout, right around my belly button, and the top was low-cut, giving off a nice tease of the girls, enhanced by the push-up bra I was wearing.

I’d been going for cute and comfortable since it was hot as hell outside, but from the way my man was looking at me, I got the impression I had more than exceeded that goal. His nostrils flared, his eyes raking over me possessively, making me want to skip out on girls’ night and beg him to reschedule whatever he needed to do for work so we could go back to his apartment and cuddle.

“You’re not leaving this house dressed like that, Nova,” he growled when we reached the bottom stair. “Go change, or there will be no night out.”

“I’m okay with that, actually,” Ciana grumbled beside me.

“Hush, C.” Even standing on the step in front of him, I still had to tip my head back to look up at Ryan. “You may be the person I love most in this world, Vitucci, but I will dress however the hell I please. You don’t like it—tough. It’s hot as balls out there, and this is light and cool.”

“Everything is on display,” he complained, his head angled so he could look down the front of my top. He licked his lips, and I fought a smirk. “All of this is for my eyes only, my heart.”