My Warrior (Bewitched and Bewildered #12) - Alanea Alder Page 0,71
hard for you."
Ari turned in her arms and pulled her close. "It is. It's very hard. I want to wrap you in cotton and keep you safe, but that's not who you are here." He tapped her chest.
"I'm assigning you my six."
He grunted.
"You were totally going to do that anyway, weren't you?" she asked, amusement dancing in her eyes.
"Absolutely." He saw no reason to lie.
"I knew it." She laughed. "I suppose having you act as my back up is a small price to pay." She tilted her head back, and he practically sagged in relief. Any action where he touched her felt like heaven. He kept things light and simply nibbled and tugged on her lower lip. When her phone rang, they stepped apart.
She answered it. "Wilson, here."
"Hey, Brie, I asked our boys for what you wanted, and they were more than happy to donate. I'm at the portal now; where should I drop your stuff?" Ari wondered what Brie had asked Cam for.
"I'm at the warrior villa, we're mobilizing for tonight."
"That soon? Need help?"
"Think you can keep up, old man?" she teased.
"Old man? Wait until I see you, young lady," he groused before he hung up.
"What'd ya ask for?"
"Some SWAT tactical gear. I helped nearly every team member study for their advancement tests, they so owed me."
"We have gear," Ari protested. It was unit gear; it was the best. Right?
"And it's solid equipment, but what I asked for is part of the reason why Aiden chose me for this mission. It's all new tech gear that you and your fellow unit brothers may not have been exposed to yet."
"I guess, if it's so important."
"Are you pouting right now?"
"No. Maybe."
"God, I love you," she said, then froze. His heart practically stopped. They turned to face one another. She covered her mouth with her hand. "God, I do. I love you. This is bad."
"Wait. What? This is in no way bad!" he protested, pulling her close. His mate loved him! He wanted to shout it from the palace walls.
"Yes, it is, because I can't lose you and live," she struggled in his arms.
"Baby, I'm a lion-shifter. I'm close friends with witches that can do shit like make it snow and create tornadoes. I'm not going anywhere."
She calmed down but still clung to him. "I can't lose you, Ari. I just can't."
"You won't," he reiterated.
She looked over at their bed and sighed. "We don't have time."
"Normally, I'd see that as a challenge, but as we just admitted our love for one another, the next time we're in that bed, we're going to spend all night making love, and I'm reclaiming you. I don't want to be rushed."
Brie gave him the stink eye. "I didn't hear you admit shit. I'm the one dangling out here in vulnerability land."
Ari stared. She was right. He cupped her face. "Brie Wilson, I have loved you from the moment I first saw you. I loved you even more when you shot me. Every day that love grows. From now until the day we pass from this world, I will be yours and you will be mine."
She rubbed her cheek against his hand. "You would say something about me shooting you in your love confession."
He kissed her nose and let his hands drop. "Of course."
They heard a doorbell chime. "That's probably Cam with your stuff." He grabbed the last of his own gear, and they headed downstairs where Bastien was greeting Cam.
Cam eyed his mate. "I heard y'all were having a party. Feel like letting this poor, bored Vanguard join in?" He held out an impressively large duffel to Brie. She stepped forward took it, then headed off to one side of the foyer to rummage through it like a kid in a candy bowl.
Bastien pointed to Cam's attire. The man had come completely decked out in black gear, an automatic weapon slung across his back. "And if we said no?"
Cam shrugged. "I already bribed Meryn with an Apple watch to get the locations of both sites. I could just meet you there."
"Damn," Bastien muttered.
On the floor, Brie just chuckled. "Oh, they remembered. Awesome." She started attaching, buckling, clipping, and even velcroing items to her body. When she stood, she looked like his own personal wet dream. "Damn, baby," he breathed, taking her in.