Page 72 of Declan

Declan and I could do anything.

We could go anywhere, do anything, and be anyone we wanted to be—as long as we were together.

More blocks fell, more walls cracked, more warmth seeped in.

And right then and there, with Declan’s tongue dancing with mine, I vowed to him the same. I’d break into his fortress, unlock his vault, and I’d free him from his past.

He believed in me.

I wouldn’t let him down. I wouldn’t let myself down.

This was our shot.

And I was going to be fearless.

Chapter 24

Christ.

She was spectacular.

Autumn’s soft body pressed deeper and I fought to keep our kiss gentle. My dick painfully hard in my pants, and the hungry sounds she made, only intensified my need.

I slowed the kiss, leisurely stroking, taking one more taste before I pulled away. Her responding mew made me smile.

My girl liked to kiss. Which was damn good, because I planned on kissing her as often as I could.

“Where are your parents staying?”

She blinked at my question then frowned. “Why are we talking about my parents?”

Hell, yeah, she liked to kiss.

“Because I don’t want them walking in here and finding us making out. I exchanged a handful of words with your dad before I took off. Don’t think I made the best first impression so I figure if I wanna live long enough to get you to a place where I have you waking up beside me for the rest of my life, I might want to put some effort into not giving your dad a reason to kill me.”

Autumn’s lips hitched up. And a miracle happened, the grin took her from sexy to child-like innocence. Which made me want to kiss her again.

I waited for the ball of guilt to appear, to choke me, to fill my gut with acid, but it never came. I felt the absence so acutely my legs shook.

Fucking, fucking, hell.

It had been so long since I hadn’t felt that weight I’d forgotten how heavy it was.

“I don’t know,” she answered. “Mom didn’t get that far in her, Put the Family Back Together plan. She just started bossin’. Told me to pack my bag and demanded my dad get us to Maryland.”

“Where’s your rental car?”

“Turned it in. We flew here. Ashaki blew in, said a bunch of stuff, then my mom just kind of…I don’t know… snapped? Woke up? I don’t know what to call it other than it was the first time I’d seen my mom be herself since before I was taken. I know Dad saw it, too, so he did what he’d always done, and gave my mom what she wanted.”

“Put the Family Back Together plan?”

Autumn sighed and looked around the kitchen. “Can we maybe get something to eat first, then I’ll tell you everything?”

I watched her closely and saw no signs of her shutting down, dodging the question, yeah. But I figured after all we’d discussed she needed a break.

“One thing before we go get food. What did Ashaki say to your mom that she was right about?”

Autumn’s head tilted slightly and her forehead wrinkled.