Guarding Valentina [Paladin Protection Agency 3] (Siren Publishing Classic) (21 page)

She leaned into him and let her head droop until she was resting it against his shoulder, her pulse still racing. Aedan’s cock still twitched deep inside her, and his breath was a hoarse whisper by her ear.

“I should never have left,” Aedan said in a voice barely above a whisper.

“Just don’t do it again and I’ll forgive you.” She nuzzled his neck and smiled as a familiar scent struck her nose. “Are you using my brand of soap now?”

“It reminded me of you.”

“Well, now you don’t need any reminders. You have me.”

He held her close and steadied her as he got slowly to his feet, still buried deep inside her pussy. “Yes, I do.” He carried her back to the bed and settled her gently on one side before coming around and sprawling out beside her. “So how long until we have to go back home?”

“We need to be back by the end of the month.”

“Three weeks? I’m not sure that’s long enough.”

“Well, it’ll have to be, lover. We’ve got a double wedding to attend, and I’m the maid of honor.”

“A double wedding?” Aedan lifted his head and grinned at her. “Jase must be making an honest woman of Jazz, but who else got suckered into matrimony?”

Val laughed at the expression of pity on Aedan’s face. “Sin. He claims he couldn’t let Jase make him look bad, seeing as how he’s been dating Michelle nearly a year now. He’s blaming Jase and complaining bitterly, but we all know it’s a sham. He can’t stop grinning these days. ”

“Poor fellow.”

“Hey, didn’t you ask me to have dinner with you every night for the rest of your life not an hour ago?” Val gave him a poke in the chest. “There are some who might say that was a proposal.”

“Oh, you think so?” He grabbed her hand and tugged her close. “I’ll let you in on a secret.”

“Mhmm?”

“It was.”

“What?” Val blinked at Aedan, stunned.

“I’m not letting you out of my life. Not now. Not ever. We can get married in a year, a month, or tomorrow, but we are getting married.”

His hazel eyes gleamed with determination and love, and Val felt the last of her doubts melt away. “I can’t marry you tomorrow. I don’t have a thing to wear. Hell, I really don’t. You tore up my dress, and my luggage is still downstairs at the front desk. If you hadn’t been happy to see me, I was going to book a room somewhere else!”

Aedan shot her a wicked grin. “They can keep your clothes until tomorrow. If you’re naked, you can’t leave this room. I vote we start the honeymoon now, and worry about the wedding later.”

“I second that motion.” She snuggled into his arms and kissed him happily. “I love you.”

“Which only proves what I suspected about you the moment I saw you,” he said as he drew her into his arms.

“What’s that?”

“You’re the bravest woman I’ve ever met.”

THE END

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Susan lives out on the Canadian west coast, surrounded by open water, dear family, and good friends. She’s jumped out of perfectly good airplanes on purpose and had lunch next to the queen of Denmark by accident. She’s worked for local law enforcement, been a freelance wordsmith, and bakes what she claims are the world’s best double-chocolate-and-caramel brownies. She’s passionately in love with the written word (and a few of her more hunky creations.) Writing is her joy, her escape from reality, and the only way she knows of to quiet the nagging harridan of a muse she claims the universe assigned to her.

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