Page 140 of Snow

Nova was still laughing when a pair of familiar arms slid around her waist from behind.

She didn’t have to turn around; three months ago, she might have stiffened at someone coming up behind her like that, but now she leaned back against him.

Snow pressed a kiss below her ear. “Remind me never to piss off that little girl.”

“Smart man.”

“Joker’s never having children.”

Nova laughed. “She’s eight. He’ll survive.”

“His dignity won’t.”

“You got a point there.”

Snow chuckled against her neck before turning her in his arms.

Nova smiled up at him. She still had moments when seeing him made something flutter stupidly inside her chest.

They had been living together for three months now. It wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns. They were building a relationship, and still learning things about each other. But they were doing it together.

“What?” he asked.

Nova realized she’d been staring at him.

“Nothing.”

His eyes narrowed. “That’s bullshit.”

She smiled. “I was just thinking.”

“That’s Dangerous.”

She smacked his chest.

Snow caught her hand before she could pull it away and brought her knuckles to his mouth.

“Are you happy?”

The question caught her off guard. She looked around the gym.

Sophia had driven down for the opening and was currently talking with Snow’s mom near the food table. Her brothers were somewhere around there too. Bear and several of the guys had gathered around Joker and were still giving him hell, while Amira had moved on to demonstrating her newly acquired skills for anyone willing to watch.

Three months ago, Nova’s life had looked perfect from the outside, but never really felt like her own.

Now she owned a kickboxing gym, lived in Virginia Beach, and was surrounded by a team of Navy SEALs, their families, and a little girl who had just kicked a grown man in the balls. Not to mention the man standing in front of her had once watched her crawl into an air duct on a burning oil rig.

Life had gotten weird. But it was hers.

“Yeah,” she said softly. “I really am.”

Something in Snow’s expression changed. His arms tightened around her waist. “Good.”

Nova rested her hands against his chest. “You know what else I was thinking?”

“That you want to take me into your office and properly thank me for helping you hang those heavy bags?”

She laughed. “No.”