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“Funny. She feels bad about that, you know,” Taryn added. “Oh, she’s excited she shifted, absolutely, just a bit remorseful it happened while knocking someone’s block off. She’s twenty-one and is trying to learn how to manage her emotions better.”
“What do you need in town?” Declan asked curiously.
“A few things, this and that.”
“Give me a list,” he told her. “I’ll send my best servant. They’ll go right away too.”
“That’s generous of you, my handsome king. But I will pass on that offer. There are things that I want to personally grab for myself. It feels good purchasing the things that are unique to me and my preferences.”
It was always difficult to remember that despite being a royal … and likely having access to inexhaustible wealth … Taryn had been raised by a human mother.
Her human mother had taught her four daughters to fend for themselves, do chores, and not rely on their royal staff for everything.
That was probably why each of the four Autumhart princesses was so resilient.
Something warm uncurled in Declan’s chest. He walked toward Taryn and took one of her hands into his.
When he spoke, his voice was soft. “I love that you’re the way you are. I love that you don’t need anything,” he told her. “I think that’s a great idea, that you want to go into town on your own. But I must insist that you use my driver.”
“Thank you, My King.” Declan shuddered as the warmth spread through him. Taryn was looking up at him with gratitude on her face. “I knew you’d be okay with it. I’m glad that you’re always on my side.”
“I am on your side,” he agreed. “In fact, I am going with you.”
He could tell this last comment surprised her. But that was all her face showed … surprise. She didn’t seem upset or overly happy by his declaration.
Taryn clearly didn’t have a problem with him accompanying her. Declan swallowed the sigh of relief … he didn’t need Taryn to know that he had been standing on eggshells, waiting for her to say no to him.
“Great,” Taryn added. Surprisingly, she leaned up toward him and pecked him on the cheek. “I’m going to freshen up first, and then we can leave. It won’t be a long trip.”
“That’s perfect,” he told her. What he didn’t tell her was that she smelled like Phillip. Smelling Phillip on his queen wasn’t Taryn’s fault, but it sure made Declan wonder what would have happened if Hanna hadn’t been there too.
Would Phillip have been even more determined to get his scent all over Taryn?
Declan smiled, even as his mind churned with slight anger at his best friend. Phillip getting his smell all over everything was a passive-aggressive way of getting attention.
What kind of attention does Phillip want from Taryn? He knows I’d smell him all over her.
What kind of attention does he want from me?
Taryn returned dressed simply yet smartly. It was the kind of outfit that Hanna would deem business casual, although Declan was very rarely sure what that actually meant.
Regardless, Taryn looked elegant. And she looked fit to be by his side.
She’d look fit to be by my side no matter what she wore. The thought floated through his mind and disappeared as quickly as it had arrived there.
“I’m ready when you are,” she told him.
Instead of saying anything, he reached forward and pulled her into a deep hug. Then he pushed her away just a few inches so he could turn his face to hers and kiss her full on the lips.
The kiss deepened quickly, and Declan reveled in the feeling of Taryn clinging to him.
The kiss was important to Declan. It was his way of saying, “I love you. I love you, and I will never stop loving you. I love you, and I will never stop protecting you.”
“That was nice,” she said. “Where’d that come from?”
“You don’t let me kiss you that much,” Declan laughed wryly. “I have a lot in supply,” he answered. “I have a lot of kisses waiting for you. They’re all for you and only you.”
“As long as it takes you seventy or eighty more years to deliver them all, I am your girl.”
