but I’m not cutting your wings. I may lose my mind when you get hurt because I love you. I’m never leaving you again. You’re worth fighting for. And I hope like hell you feel the same way.”
Her hand reached up to cup his jaw and he turned into it, kissing it briefly.
“I do,” she said. “Who knew we’d be polar opposites now? You work at circumventing the law, and I’m all about upholding it, but as you can see I can be flexible if it’s for the greater good.” She gave a brief laugh. “And this is way too serious a conversation to be having naked and on a soggy bed.”
“We have the whole house to ourselves.” Declan waggled his brows.
“What are you suggesting?”
“Stop worrying about us,” Theo spoke over speakerphone. “Besides, I told Levi to block all visitors. Even Nick.”
“Yes, he rang our doorbell earlier,” Gabby sighed. For fifteen minutes, her second ex-husband hounded their front door. “We ignored him.” Just like she ignored the three voicemails and ten text messages from Nick that got progressively angrier.
“Just want to be alone with my girl, you know,” their son continued. “Her mom is getting in tomorrow morning and she’ll fuss over her. Besides, Levi is here.”
“I’m overqualified to be a fucking chaperone,” Levi’s voice rumbled somewhere in the room.
“Are you doing okay though?” Declan asked. “Remember what I said? If you and Emma need to talk to a shrink, I’m sure they have someone on staff—”
“Got it,” his son cut in curtly. “It’s too soon, Dad. Emma sleeps ninety percent of the time and I really want to do this with her, make sure she’s fine.”
Gabby rested her head on Declan’s chest. He was cradling her across his lap when they made the call to check on Theo.
“Just reminding you that it’s an available option,” Declan persisted.
“Gotcha.”
“It’s gonna hit you later.”
Theo exhaled heavily. “I know.”
“All your dad is saying is he and I have experience with stuff like this,” Gabby said. “You can talk to us anytime too, all right?”
“Thanks, sis.”
He and Gabby exchanged looks, knowing their son was tired, probably irritable, and now was not the time to push him to seek help. It was too soon. They said their goodbyes and ended the call.
They were quiet for a while, Declan was running his hand absently on her bare thighs. Their last round of monkey sex happened in the kitchen right when Nick arrived and incessantly rang on the doorbell while alternately pounding on the door. Her cheeks grew warm as she remembered the feral heat in Declan’s eyes.
Gabby cursed when she saw Nick on the surveillance monitor mounted in the kitchen. She was wearing one of her sheerest nighties, she was barefoot, and was preparing peanut butter sandwiches for sustenance so she and Declan could resume their sexual activities.
“What the fuck?” Declan growled as he stalked into the kitchen, holding his phone, looking at the app for the surveillance cameras. “He has the audacity to come here?”
“His messages were frantic. Theo wouldn’t see him.”
“And he thinks he can just barge in here and talk to you?”
“Look, I’ll talk—” She started toward the bedroom to grab a robe, but Declan grabbed her arm.
“No,” he snarled.
“Dec—”
“You and him are over.”
“He—” She didn’t get the opportunity to say anything before Declan crushed her mouth with his, his fingers digging into her bottom and lifting her up on the countertop, and before she knew it, he’d slammed into her.
He fucked her fast and deep. His mouth moved somewhere in the vicinity of her neck, burying his face in her hair, and that was when she saw what he was doing. Declan wouldn’t be as crass as fucking her in front of Nick, he was too possessive for that. But having Gabby watch the video feed of Nick frustrated, ringing the doorbell for her while Declan was fucking her senseless was him going all alpha in claiming her and making sure she knew to whom she belonged to.
That. Was. Hot.
And utterly insane.
“Hey, where’d you go?” Declan nuzzled her neck.
“You need to reign in your alpha jealousy crap.”
“My what?” he chuckled. “I don’t get jealous.”
Gabby pulled back and arched a brow.
“No, Angel, I’d get rid of the competition if that were the case.” His green eyes gleamed wickedly. “There’s no reason for me to get jealous.”
“You know I’m a homicide cop, right?”
If possible, his face grew more wicked—sinister.
“Oh my god, Declan, I’m not joking about this. You cannot do this jealous possessive bullshit