“I am truly sorry, Erin…”

Erin tried to speak, but no sound came. Instead, he just stared, marveling at the moon reflected in the blue of Remy’s iris. Remy trailed his fingertips to his cheek, around the arch of his ear, and teased the tip of his earlobe.

Gentling…

Erin leaned into the touch, shutting his eyes, and licking his chapped lips. It’d been so long since Mitch held him, and oh, how he’d missed this closeness. The scent of Remy, intermingling with his own Omegan scent. The feel of Remy's fangs, scraping over his hypersensitive glands.

Kisses over his neck...

Caresses between his shoulder blades...

Strong fingers gliding through his hair...

“Erin?” Remy called his name in a whisper.

Erin clamped down on the purr in his throat and forced himself to open his eyes and focus.

“Thank you.” Erin’s voice came out squeakier than he’d intended, and he cleared his throat. “For saying that, Remy.”

“I meant it.” Remy’s brow hardened. “Every word of it, Erin.”

“I know you did.” Erin smiled and let out a breathless laugh. Even when Remy was apologetic, he was still a visibly proud man.

“Then? Will you stay?”

Erin blinked at the request. Apologizing was one thing, but Remy was essentially asking him to reclaim his position as Annalee’s nanny.

“You said one month…” Erin’s breath smoked as he sighed. “I didn’t even last two weeks.”

“I said and did a lot of stupid things,” Remy refuted. “You’re the best person to take care of Annalee. I see that now.” He held Erin’s face in his hands and squeezed his cheeks ever so lightly. “Stay. Please?”

Once more, Erin’s heart thumped wildly, and he fought the urge to rub his face into Remy’s palm. Remy stared at him with palpable anticipation. Erin licked his bottom lip, willing his throat to unclench so he could speak.

“Erin!”

The sound of Nina’s voice was like a jagged edged knife, cutting through the tension. Erin whipped his head around so quick it spun.

“Nina?” His sister climbed out of the chili pepper red Mustang, slamming the door behind her. “What are you doing here?”

“Shouldn’t I be the one asking that question?” Her gaze narrowed on Remy, still holding Erin’s cheeks. Remy removed his hands slowly and Erin stumbled to collect his thoughts as Nina’s stare grew more ferocious.

“Remy, this is my sister, Nina.” He smiled through the sudden pressure slamming down on him. Remy’s touch reduced his anxiety, but with Nina’s arrival, it came rearing its ugly head once more. “Nina, this is Remy.”

Neither of them bothered to acknowledge the introduction outside of a head nod. Erin squirmed from the oppressive atmosphere. Two Alpha’s in their prime, fiercely at odds over Erin.

“I’m cold!” he suddenly exclaimed. Both Nina and Remy rushed to offer him their jackets, but Erin shook his head. “Why don’t we go inside? Annalee is probably worried sick, and if we stay out here any longer, we might catch cold.”

“Good idea.” Remy nodded and waved over one of the valet drivers. “Please take Ms. Holloway’s car. You can add her as my guest.”

“Yes, Sir!”

“Be careful with her,” Nina told the driver as she handed him the keys.

“I will be, Ma’am.” Her heels clicked on the pavement as she walked toward the atrium, pulling on her dark leather jacket once more. Her hair was recently cut, and her makeup fresh. Her red lipstick juxtaposed her green eyes in a way that was both devilish, and sexy.

“Hot date?” Erin teased her, hoping to ebb some of the tension.

He immediately regretted when she answered, “funny, I was wondering the same thing about you.” Nina eyed Erin as he followed Remy into the condo. She leaned in to sniff the tips of his blond hair and scrunched her face in disgust. “He scented you?”

“Yes…” Erin whispered, hoping to lower the tone of the conversation so Remy wouldn’t overhear them. “But it wasn’t intentional.” At least Erin didn’t think it was. He and Remy were both high on adrenaline and fear. Erin’s fight or flight instinct was running at warp speed, and Remy, he’d acted on impulse.

“What do you mean, it wasn’t intentional?”

“I told you, it’s a long story.” One Erin seriously wished he didn’t have to tell. At least not tonight. He was exhausted and developing a pulsing headache.

When they reached the condo, Erin saw the valet driver from earlier, crouched and nodding to sleep in front of Remy’s door. Remy cleared his throat loudly and the poor boy jolted awake, hurrying to smart himself.

"Sorry, Sir." He fixed his hat into place.

Erin had the grace to thank him, but Remy handed him a crisp hundred from his wallet.

“Let Henry know you stayed to help me so you can be paid for staying over as well.”

“Thank you, Sir!” The valet tipped his hat and headed for the elevator. Nina mumbled ‘show off’ under her breath and Erin jabbed her in the arm.

When they opened the door, Erin expected Annalee to pop up and greet them, but they entered a silent room.

“Annalee?” Remy called out to his daughter, searching the living room and kitchen. Erin took the stairs and searched Annalee’s room.

He was just beginning to grow worried when he saw the strip of light coming from his bedroom.

Annalee?

The door creaked when he opened it, and he smiled when he saw Annalee sleeping in his bed. Something in his chest warmed. The feeling oozed over his ribs like sticky honey and he stared at her placid face...wishing.

“Annalee?” Remy called from the hall. Erin poked his head out with his finger over his lips to shush the Alpha.

“She’s in here.” Erin ushered Remy into his room.

Remy let out a sigh of relief when he saw her tucked into a tight fetal position. “As you can see, she agrees you should stay,” he whispered. He moved to pick her up, but Erin held his arm.

“She’s fine.” Erin shook his head. “I don’t mind her sleeping here. That is, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course not.” Remy gave him an encouraging smile.

Erin bent down to kiss her forehead, covering Annalee up with a blanket. He dimmed the light in his room and took one last glance.

“We should head back down before Nina’s head officially explodes.”

"Now that would be a shame," Remy remarked dryly. Erin pursed his lips together and smothered the laugh at his sister's expense.