Page 82 of Kyle

“I’m serious, Anaya. If something doesn’t feel right, it’s not.”

“Emmy and I will stick together, no matter what. And if I get a bad feeling, we’ll leave.”

“You won’t have communication with me. Everything will have to go through headquarters.”

“I remember.”

Of course she did. She and Emerson had been briefed. And while neither seemed happy the team was going dark, they seemed to understand the necessity of it. No personal phones would go with us to Canada and all communication would be heavily encrypted.

“I love you, Anaya.”

She went still in my arms and every muscle in her body had gone stiff.

Shit, it was too soon. I should’ve kept my feelings to myself.

“You do?”

I wanted to chuckle at the shock in her tone but I didn’t.

“Yeah, sweetheart. I do. And if it’s too—”

“I love you, too, Kyle. I’ve known it for a while but I was too afraid to tell you.”

My eyes drifted closed and I savored her words. Words I’d never forget. A declaration that hit my chest, my gut, and if I was honest, my dick. My body filled with warmth and I prayed everything would work out—that Anaya and Emerson could get the intel we needed and the team and I could pull off a successful rescue mission.

“You should finish packing,” Anaya whispered.

“In a minute. I’m not ready to let you go.”

I backed her up to the bed and I knew the second the back of her knees hit the edge because her smile was blinding and her dimples were out.

“Only a minute?”

I didn’t answer my woman’s saucy question, not with words. I tore her shirt over her head and commenced showing her how I felt about her telling me she loved me. It took more than minute. It took five before she was panting my name while I ate her to her first orgasm. And another twenty before she shouted her orgasm into the pillow as I took her from behind. And ten minutes after that, I was emptying myself inside of her and it was her turn to swallow my moan as her pussy took everything I had to give.

Then I went to back to packing.

* * *

The hours had passed faster than I’d wanted.

The kiss goodbye was too damn short.

And the look on Anaya’s face had me rethinking everything.

“We’ll both be home in a couple of days, right?” she whispered.

“Right.”

“I’m gonna miss you.”

“I’ll miss you, too, sweetheart. Stay safe.”

“You do the same.”

Unable to help myself, I leaned down for one more kiss. My hands went into her soft brown locks and I tangled my fingers in the strands, holding her where I wanted. I meant for the kiss to be gentle, I wanted to tell her how much it was going to suck being away from her. But as soon as her silky tongue brushed against mine, I was lost.

I had no idea how it happened. How had I fallen in love so quickly? How was it that Anaya had become such an important part of my life I was dreading leaving for a mission? My job had been my life. First in the Navy, then with Z Corps. There was nothing better than the thrill of an operation—until Anaya. Now I didn’t want to go. I didn’t want to sleep in some shitty, rundown shack away from her. I wanted her curled next me.