Her Wild Hero

“Including leaving the DCO because you thought it was best for me?” she asked.

He nodded. “I couldn’t understand why someone like you would want to stay with someone like me. Not after seeing me like that.”

She took his big hands in hers again, holding on to them tightly. “Someone like me would want to stay with someone like you because I love you. You were willing to pull down all the walls you’d built around yourself and be the shifter you were always meant to be to save me. That’s the kind of someone you are to me, and it’s all that matters. I love you. Is that so hard to believe?”

He lifted their joined hands to his lips and kissed her fingers. When he raised his head again, there were tears in his eyes. “Yes, it is hard to believe. But I’m glad. Because I love you, too.”

Then his mouth closed over hers and he was kissing her so hard she could barely breathe. But she didn’t complain. She kissed him back just as fiercely. She’d missed him.

“So, we’re good, right?” she asked when he lifted his head. “You’re not going to quit the DCO?”

He grinned. “No, I’m not going to quit.”

“Good.”

She snuggled against him, but he caught her chin and tipped her head back. “Now I have a question for you.”

“What?”

“You and Derek?”

The question had come from so far out in left field that it took her a moment to get her thoughts together. Then she realized she better not hesitate too long because if she didn’t know better, she’d swear Declan looked jealous. Which was cute but also possibly dangerous. She’d just pulled their relationship back from the brink, she didn’t want it going south again because Declan thought she had a thing for another guy.

“Derek and I met when he and the rest of Landon’s old Special Forces team went to Washington to help rescue Ivy. Like I said, we danced a few times at Ivy and Landon’s wedding. That’s all. The moment he kissed me, I immediately shut him down and let him know I’m not available.” She made a face. “Something you would have known if you’d hung around a few minutes longer.”

Declan chuckled, then shook his head. “I still can’t believe it.”

“Believe what?” she asked.

“That Ivy and Landon are married.”

She groaned. Oh, that. “I was serious before. This is more than top secret. If you leak a word of this, Dick will split them up and—”

“I’m not going to say anything,” Declan promised. “Besides, I’ve known that Ivy and Landon were more than partners for a while.” He grinned down at her. “You know, you have a lot of secrets. At some point real soon, you’re going to tell me all of them.”

She’d gladly tell him anything and everything. Well, everything except the matchmaking software she came up with. And no way was she typing her name in there, either. She didn’t need some computer to tell her that Declan was her soul mate.

“I will,” she told him. “At least as much of it as I can tell you without betraying confidences. But I’ll tell you everything I can, as long as you promise you’re going to stick around to hear all of it.”

“I’ll be here.” He cupped her face, his thumb brushing her cheek. “Although, if we’re going on missions together, we’re going to have to learn to sneak around like Ivy and Landon.”

She laughed. “We don’t have to worry about that. I don’t think I’ll be going on any missions anytime soon. I’ve decided I like being an office drone a lot more than I thought.”

Declan grinned. “Good. Because I want my ring on your finger where everyone can see it. Including Derek.”

Her breath caught. “Ring? As in wedding ring?”

“Yeah.” He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. “If you don’t mind being married to a bear.”

Kendra laughed. “I don’t mind at all.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.” He gazed down at her, his blue eyes turning that same beautiful rose color they had in the cave. “Then what do you say we go into the bedroom and celebrate?”

She went up on tiptoe to kiss him long and lingeringly on the mouth. “I say, lead the way.”

Declan did better than that. He swung her up in his arms and carried her there. She caught a glimpse of a big four-poster bed and a huge built-in bookcase as he set her down on her feet, but she was too focused on him to pay much attention to the decor. He undressed her slowly, kissing each and every part of her body as he exposed it, leaving her quivering and weak-kneed by the time he was done. She clutched his shoulders, afraid she’d fall if she didn’t hold onto something, but Declan was already urging her back on the bed. She lay on the pillows, watching as he unbuttoned his jeans and pushed them down. Then he was on top of her, bracing his weight on his forearms as he covered her mouth with his.