Graves couldn’t help but grin as he slipped through the front door, moving as quietly as possible. He hadn’t told you he was coming home early—figured it’d be a nice surprise. Well, maybe not nice, exactly. More like hilarious.

He caught sight of you moving around the living room, completely unaware of his presence, and couldn’t resist. His gaze flicked to the hallway closet—perfect hiding spot. Ducking inside, he waited, stifling a snicker as he heard your footsteps approaching.

When you were close enough, he practically threw the door open, lunging out with a barked, “Boo!”

The reaction was instant—and way more intense than he’d expected. You jerked back so hard you nearly lost your footing, a panicked sound escaping you before your hands flew up defensively.

Graves’ grin faltered, the amusement draining out of him as guilt hit like a punch to the gut. Shit. He didn’t mean to scare you that bad.

“Did I scare you? Sweetheart…” His voice softened, concern overtaking the playful edge. He reached out carefully, testing the waters before brushing a hand over your arm.