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He was pleased to feel her naked against his own flesh, but he didn’t want to wake her. Still, it was a pleasant sensation to feel her settling into him, the curve of her ass pressing against his hardening cock.
Despite the fury of his desire, Declan fell into a mostly dreamless slumber. He was still concerned about the stalker situation, but as long as he had Taryn within arm’s reach, he could keep her safe. His wolf purred into the streams of her long, golden hair. Cicadas sang their mournful tune through the open window.
Declan woke on his back as warm sunlight poured into their chambers. A sense of alarm crawled up his spine when he glanced at the other side of the bed, finding it vacated.
“Take it easy, tiger.”
His heart sang at the sound of her voice. She was in the chaise lounge set up next to the walk-in closet. She only wore a sheet draped around her body. He was pleased to find she was still naked, sipping coffee with a playful smirk making her blue eyes sparkle.
He cocked an eyebrow and rolled onto his side, his loins already stirring at the mere sight of his beloved.
“Wolf, you mean?”
Taryn snickered. She motioned with her chin at the side table where a steaming cup of joe sat. Declan had caught the scent of sweet hazelnut in the air already.
“Drink up then, wolf,” she mocked.
Declan groaned as he rolled over to pick up the steaming cup, then sat up in bed to take in the first gulp. It was positively divine.
“Mmm, nothing like private garden-grown coffee beans,” he muttered.
He had expected at least a small chuckle from Taryn, but her mind was elsewhere. He caught her gazing deep into the swirls of her mug like it was a wishing well to brood over.
“Got something on your mind, my darling?”
Taryn blinked, then met his gaze once more. She looked hesitant, and that made Declan nervous.
“I want to tell you about something that happened last night. But I don’t want you to react instantly. I just want you to listen to me for a moment?”
Declan’s body stiffened in the bed, and he had to do everything within his power to not shatter the mug between his palms. A shifter sensed things an average human wasn’t capable of, like the mood of a conversation and the direction it was traveling.
Taryn sensed Declan’s change of temperament and raised her eyebrows in warning. He took a deep breath to control himself. He had to try for her. She was worth all of the control in the universe.
He placed his mug down and settled his palms on his lap. “Go ahead. I will do my best to remain … unmoved.”
Taryn sighed, then brushed her hair out of her face with one hand. It was a simple gesture, and Declan found it very sexy.
But then his attention was grabbed by the look of sadness on her face. His pulse fluttered at his wrists, and he clenched his teeth to stop from shifting.
The wolf could sense Taryn’s distress and wanted out.
“Last night, Phillip cornered me. He was really drunk, so I’m sure that influenced a lot of his behavior. He said you didn’t deserve me because you believe in the unworthy shifter philosophy."
Phillip. That son of a bitch.
Declan could not contain his growl, which reverberated throughout the core of his belly and vocal cords like the strum of a guitar. He tried to steady himself by centering his glare on Taryn, but she was also a shifter … and an incredibly intuitive one.
“Don’t kill him, Declan.”
“I said nothing of the sort.”
“But you are thinking it.”
“How could you know that?”
Declan immediately regretted his snippy jab but was gracious when Taryn didn’t take it that way. Instead of scolding him, she put her mug of coffee on the side table and stood, the sheet clinging to her body like paint, barely held up against her bountiful breasts. All it would take was a dainty gust of wind, and she’d be naked before him.
“I know because I know you. You told me I’m your mate. And believe it or not, I know a thing or two about what alphas are like.”
