Chapter 37

Devolin

An ear-piercing shriek rented the air, making me jump from my Dalton-induced-daze.

Next thing I knew, Morgan sent her shears flying and was up and running through the backyard in her too-big-for-her-small-feet rubber boots, gardening gloves and all, the imagery so comical that I forgot about my panic, and started laughing.

That’s when I noticed the truck coming to a halt in the driveway next to my car.

Theo was home.

My heart beat at a staccato pace at the sheer excitement that the moment exuded.

The second the man’s feet hit gravel, he sprinted toward his wife, catching her as she leapt with another shriek into his arms, their lips meeting in a fierce welcome home that made me feel like an interloper.

Pausing to grab my and Morgan’s baskets, as well as the shears my friend had chucked ten feet away, I proceeded toward the reuniting couple, noticing Rex leaning against the front porch, taking in the scene just like I was.

“Oh, God, you reek!” Morgan gagged, but her arms were still firmly wrapped around his neck, her legs around his waist. “Where the hell have you been? Why didn’t you call when you landed? I would have—”

Theo slammed his lips back onto Morgan’s then pulled away. “Shut up, woman,” he growled. “Please tell me that you’re done for the day. I haven’t seen or spoken to my wife in a week. I’ve barely slept because I worried about her and our baby. I’ve been told I smell bad, which means I need to hose myself down before thinking about going into my house to take a shower and spend the rest of the day sinking myself deep inside my wife to remind her of how much I love her.”

Thinking it best to announce my presence, least I heard something more they didn’t mean for me to hear, I cleared my throat. “I guess we’re done here for today?”

Morgan began giggling into her husband’s shoulder.

Theo spun around grinning from ear to ear. “Well, if it isn’t our little Hussy!”

I could feel the blush spreading over my face. “You can stop calling me that now that you know my name, Theo.”

“You’ll always be Hussy or Huss to us, Devolin,” he told me.

Feeling shy, despite all we’d been through together, I nodded, while staring at my feet. “I’m glad you’re back safe,” I whispered.

The operation was now deemed a closed case, but I hadn’t heard from Dalton in nearly twenty-four hours now, and that had me worried.

Oh, I knew that he was on his way to drop Nadia off into Canadian officials’ custody, but I’d expected at least one call from the man, or even a few words in a text.

“I-I guess I should get going. Morgan, give me a call if you need me.” Meeting Theo’s gaze, I forced a smile, then turned to leave.

“Hey, Dev?” I turned to acknowledge Theo. “He’s okay.”

Relief was potent, but seeing as I wasn’t quite sure what was going on, I figured a look of indifference would be more appropriate. Something about the way Theo sized me up though, told me he wasn’t fooled one bit.

Shaking it off, I waved to both Morgan and her man, jumped in my car, finding Rex already buckled in the passenger seat, then drove off.

“He called,” Rex said in that gruff voice of his.

“Hmm?” I mumble absently. I was busy piling slices of meat and cheese, along with whatever else my fridge had to offer, onto the sandwiches I was making for lunch.

“Dalton called,” he said again.

“What are you talking about?” I turned to pick up my phone, intent on showing him that the man in question hadn’t when I stopped dead, to see the ten unanswered calls.

All from Dalton.

“You left your phone in the car’s console,” he reminded me.

I had.

But it still didn’t explain why I hadn’t heard from him until just this morning.

Call me crazy. Maybe it was that I’d finally gotten myself some for the first time in my life, and when I did, the man left for another country, where I had to sit back and curb the urge to upchuck whenever he was in a dangerous situation. Okay, so it’s his job, I knew that. Maybe it was that we had yet to discuss where we stood with one another, despite the man’s two proclamations of love. Hell, maybe it was that I was one of those needy bitches I swore I’d never be. When it came down to Dalton, I’ve never been able to think or act rationally.

Or maybe it’s because you know something is up around here, and somehow you think that Dalton knows all about it, and he hasn’t said anything, as of yet?

I’d caught the long studying looks Rex had been giving me over the last week. I’d even caught the tail end of a conversation between the man and Dalton once, too. The way Rex had rushed out of my apartment to get rid of the trash the other day. The way he obsessively stared at my hand last night when Brycen had handed me that letter, as if he didn’t want me to read it because he knew who it was from.

Choosing to go for nonchalant, I put my phone back onto the counter and said, “He did,” before turning to our food once more.

It was early Sunday night, and I was tired of the day, wanting to see the end of it. So, I bedded down early.

After lunch, I had tortured myself by listening to Dalton’s three voicemails then promptly erased them, sending him a text that all was okay. Then I’d powered my cell off and unhooked my landline for the remainder of the day.

I even stayed away from Rex, giving him free range to my apartment, while I perused my book collection and settled for a sweet romance, something I didn’t normally read. I preferred the hot and dirty. The alpha male that knew what he wanted and brought it out in his woman. Being in a morose mood, one where I didn’t see any hearts and flowers coming my way anytime soon, I figured I’d get it from a book.

The only time I left the comfort of my room was to hit the kitchen to grab myself a soda, a large glass of milk, a bag of potato chips, and Oreos.

Somehow, between the massive family-sized bag of chips, the half-empty package of Oreo cookies, and a Bridget Jones marathon, I managed to fall asleep.

Something was tickling the side of my face.

Swiping at nothing, I settled down only for the same sensation to happen again, this time, a distinct fragrance hitting my nose.

Stargazer lilies.

Around the same time the smell hit me, so did the solid heat pressed against my back.

My body stiffened.

“I know you’re awake, Devolin,” Dalton cajoled.

“No,” I groaned petulantly, “I’m having an amazing dream where you’re being sweet and not an ass at all. Let me sleep.”

The bed began to shake with Dalton’s silent laughter. “I said I could be sweet, didn’t I?” He tickled my shoulder with the bloom, running it down my arm, where goosebumps followed its trajectory.

Then his lips brushed my temple, trailing down to my cheek, my shoulder, up into the side of my neck, where he buried his nose. Inhaling deep, he then chucked the lily he was wielding onto the bed beside us, before wrapping his arms tightly around me.

“Jesus fucking Christ I’ve missed you,” he whispered. “I’m sorry I didn’t call until this morning. I know you’re pissed.”

“No, I’m not,” I argued even though I had been; now, not so much. Not with him finally being here, with his arms surrounding me, his heat warming me from the inside out. Not with him being sweet like he was, when I knew he probably was exhausted from the last week. If my alarm clock was anything to go by, he’d come to me the moment he’d landed. Hesitating, I confessed. “Well, I was. But I’m not now.”

The mattress shook again as he pressed his lips against my neck again. “Okay, sweetheart.” After a lengthy pause where neither of us said anything, he sighed, “I’m staying.”

“I kind of figured as much,” I said, smiling into my pillow. “Now sleep, Kip.”

“Mmm.” He squeezed me against him then mumbled, “Love you.”