Page 36 of Declan

“You don’t sound peachy. You sound like you’re huffin’ and puffin’.”

“Put your clothes on.”

“Nothing you haven’t seen, big guy. And I’m so hot even the warm air feels cool.”

She was hot all right.

Even with her long, shiny blonde hair pulled up into a ponytail, sweat dotting her forehead and more rolling down her neck. Hands down, Autumn was the hottest woman I’d ever laid eyes on. Juliana was seriously beautiful. Brown hair, brown eyes, dark complexion. Autumn was the opposite in every way. But even more than their looks, Juliana had an innocence about her that Autumn lacked.

Both women were gorgeous, but there was something about Autumn that put her miles ahead. Not her beauty, not even her strength and determination, more than two broken souls connecting.

Even if I’d been whole, my body would’ve recognized her, my heart would’ve bound to hers.

Fucking, fucking, hell, that hurt.

My hand went over my tattoo to cover the physical ache my guilt caused.

I was a motherfucker. A no-good son of a bitch. I loved my wife, loved my daughter. I wanted to die loving them—only them—my girls.

I had no room in my life for Autumn Pierce. I couldn’t.

“Put on your damn clothes,” I barked.

I didn’t need to look to know Autumn was glaring at me. I could feel her icy eyes shooting icicles my way. I sounded like the asshole I was.

Clothed or unclothed, it didn’t matter—somehow, some way, Autumn had gotten under my skin. And she was right, I’d seen all of her, tasted every part of her, had fucked her in all manner of ways. Actually, no I hadn’t. I’d never taken her missionary, never sweetly, never tender or soft, never looked into her eyes when my cock was inside of her. I’d fucked her rough and dirty—the exact opposite way I’d made love to my wife. The only way I could have sex now. The only way I stomached touching another woman.

Christ, I was fucked up.

I was a broken motherfucker who needed to walk away from Autumn before I killed what was left of her.

Chapter 13

Something had seriously pissed Declan off and it went beyond us not staying behind to watch out for the convoy. And it wasn’t me changing out of that ridiculously hot covering I’d been forced to wear. Just yesterday, Declan had helped himself into the shower where I was naked, had kissed me, then held me while I’d spaced out, and we’d swapped secrets.

And we’d slept in the same bed last night—that was another first—but nothing had happened. He was as far to his side as he could get and I was rolled on my side facing away from him. But this morning when we’d woken up, it was business as usual.

Now, he was angry and we had a mission to carry out.

Go-time was imminent. Madeleine’s SUV had pulled into a gated compound, Brooks and Max had already peeled off to search for a location Max could use as a sniper’s perch, and Thad and Kyle were scouting the area.

So whatever was going on with Declan had to end. We had a job to do and I didn’t need Declan barking at me while we were doing it. The only problem was, I didn’t know what to say.

Well, I did. What the fuck’s your problem, was on the tip of my tongue but I didn’t think that’d be the best approach. And since I couldn’t say that, I didn’t know what to say.

“Cover up,” Dec barked.

And suddenly I knew exactly how to broach the topic.

“What the fuck’s your problem?”

“Nothing.”

“Bullshit. You’re barking orders at me.”

“Correction, Autumn, I’m giving orders. Orders that you need to follow immediately and not question.”

Was he serious?