silky black hair, Noah pushed it aside to reveal a bare, elegant shoulder. Bending down, he pressed a kiss to her creamy skin, breathed in her subtle delicate perfume and wished they had time for more. With guests numbering close to a hundred arriving in a matter of minutes, he knew that wasn’t possible.
With a sigh of regret, he backed away and then noticed the worried wrinkle above the bridge of her nose. This decision hadn’t been easy for either of them.
“A few will be surprised. The ones who know us best probably won’t be. No one’s going to be angry but yeah, a few of them will be upset.”
“It’s going to be hard to say goodbye.”
“We’ll still see them.”
“I know, but they’ve been my family since I moved here.”
Noah drew in a settling breath. He was doing his best not to think about that part of his decision. Last Chance Rescue had started in Paris with nothing more than a dream, determination, sweat, and the occasional bloodletting. Saying goodbye would be like losing a limb.
Still, he knew this was for the best. Taking his wife into his arms, he held her tight. How he’d been so blessed was still a mystery to him. And he was going to do whatever it took to keep his Mara happy.
“Micah and Evie need to be close to their grandparents. And they’re missing out on having dozens of cousins, not to mention aunts and uncles doting on them.”
Five years ago, he would’ve laughed his ass off if anyone had told him he’d actually move thousands of miles and interrupt his entire operation to be close to a large family. But for Mara and his children? He would move the earth itself if he could. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for them.
Pulling away from him with a sniff, she asked, “Have I mentioned lately that you’re the most wonderful man in the world?”
He smiled down at the woman who was his heart…his life. “Not in the last couple of hours.”
The doorbell chimed, telling them their first guests had arrived.
Samara stood on her toes and whispered in his ear, “Be prepared to hear it several times tonight.”
His heart clenching with emotion, the smile disappeared from his face.
“What’s wrong?” Samara asked.
“Just thinking how much I love you.”
Giving him the hot, wicked look that always sent his body pulsing with need, she winked. “That’s something you can tell me several times tonight, too.”
“Deal.” He kissed her hand, then engulfed it in his larger one and pulled her with him to the door. No matter where they lived, as long as he had Mara and his children, he would be a happy man.
And LCR would continue to thrive. He already had plans in place. If things worked out the way he wanted, the organization that had started with two clueless men and a dream would expand beyond their wildest expectations.
The door opened and Angela beamed at Noah and Samara. Lately, her mouth couldn’t seem to stop smiling. This was the first social event she and Jake had attended as a couple. Silly, but she was nervous. Even though she and Jake had been together for several months, they had yet to make any kind of announcement about their relationship.
Noah had partnered them on several missions and though they still had a few kinks to work out, things had gone even better than she could have hoped. Having Jake as her partner at work and at home was her dream come true.
And now they were telling the world that their partnership extended beyond work. An LCR social event was a rarity of its own. Appearing together as a couple was definitely a public statement of intent.
As Samara hugged her and then took her purse, Angela asked, “Are we too early?”
“Of course not. You’re right on time.”
Angela took note of her friend’s glistening eyes. Something was going on. The couple of times she’d seen Noah this week, he had been quiet and pensive. A familiar fear tugged at her heart. She hated to be a pessimist but now that things were so wonderful for her and Jake, she couldn’t help but fear that something would happen to one of her loved ones to spoil her happiness.
They went into the large, beautifully decorated living room. Samara’s taste ran from bold to peaceful, splashes of bright colors blended beautifully with serene pastels. Looking around for the two dark-haired little imps she adored, Angela said, “Where are Micah and Evie?”
“They’re staying the