Declan (Special Forces: Operation Alpha) (Gold Team Book 5)

by Riley Edwards

  Before I could comment, the door swung open and Thad’s large frame filled the doorway.

  “I have a girl!”

  The room erupted into cheers and a round of congratulations went through the room. When everyone was done, Thad looked directly at me and smiled huge.

  “You ready to meet your niece?”

  My niece.

  Fuck, that felt good.

  “Yo! You gonna tell us her name?” Max asked.

  “Calliope Autumn,” Thad proudly announced.

  “Dude, that’s a mouthful, I’m calling her Calli,” Kyle proclaimed.

  “And what’s up with all you assholes giving your kids middle names after your siblings? Someone better name their kid Maximus. Just sayin’ I’m gonna be pissed I get passed over.”

  One look at Max’s seriously disgruntled face was all it took for me to lose it and bust out laughing. He was seriously put-out.

  “Brother, the way all of you are popping out girls, you might be lucky to get a Maxine out of one of them.”

  “Jesus Christ, he laughs now, too.”

  I ignored Brooks’ comment and looked over at Violet.

  “I’ll see you tonight, yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  I ignored her wide eyes and shocked look.

  “Love you, sis.”

  Those wide eyes got wet and I ignored that, too.

  “Love you, Declan.”

  Chapter 40

  Two months later—Rescue, California.

  “This is it,” Autumn proclaimed.

  Fucking finally.

  After spending two weeks in Maryland, we’d returned to Oregon, stayed a little longer, then drove south into California. We’d explored Crescent City, Eureka, Redding, Nevada City, then we’d stumbled upon a little place called Rescue. It was twenty minutes east of Folsom and an hour east of Sacramento.

  Rescue was pretty much desolate.

  But it was perfect.

  We could settle, blend in, and disappear.

  In Rescue, we could be Autumn and Declan—not Declan the Marine, former special forces turned mercenary. Not Autumn the survivor.

  Just Autumn and Declan. Normal, regular, everyday people.

  Fucking brilliant.

  “You sure?” I asked.

  “You’re not?”

  We were standing on the side of the road looking at what I knew was twenty acres because that’s what the realtor had told me was for sale. Land. No house, no structures. A blank canvas. My eyes took in the two old, towering oak trees and I saw it—my future laid out in front of me.

  Our house. Our kids running around the wide-open space. Our friends and family coming for a visit, drinking a beer in the shade those two trees would provide. Dogs roaming around.

  Fucking, fucking, hell.

  That golden burn started, my chest filled to bursting, and I knew with certainty we were home.

  “Those two oaks stay,” I told her. “Don’t care what kind of house you wanna build but I design the shop and barns. I want horses. And I want a split rail fence around the front. Doesn’t have to be white, but I want the fence. Other than that, the rest is yours.”

  “Whatever you want, Dec,” she beamed.

  “We’re home, baby.”

  “Yeah, we are. Rescue, California.”

  Rescue indeed.

  Chapter 41

  Six months later—Rescue, California

  “Declan,” I groaned.

  His mouth was between my legs, creating the magic only he could. I was so close I was reaching for it, but Declan was playing around, not giving me what I needed.

  This was because he wanted something and I wasn’t giving in.

  “Say yes, baby, and I’ll give it to you.”

  “You know I can do it myself.”

  “Autumn,” he growled, and swirled his tongue around my clit.

  My thighs tightened around his head to keep him where I wanted him and my hands left his hair to cup my breasts, something I knew drove him wild.

  All was fair when one used sexual pleasure to get what they wanted.

  “I’ll make you a deal,” I panted and his head came up and his blazing eyes took in what I was doing. And since I wanted something, too, I gave him a little more, which meant I gave myself more and pinched and rolled my nipples.

  “Fucking Christ, you’re sexy as hell, baby.”

  Oh, yeah, he was close to losing control.

  I pinched harder, my back arched, and I moaned.

  “Gonna take you hard tonight,” he grunted. “I want you on your knees, your ass in my hands, and I want you screaming.”

  Yes.

  Perfect.

  He’d lifted the ban on positions and Declan took me however he wanted, but it didn’t matter how that happened—when we came together, we connected. In the last fifteen months, there’d never been a time I didn’t feel his love. Hard and fast, slow and sweet, we made love. Every time.

  But you know what he hadn’t allowed? Me taking him in my mouth. I was over it. So over it, I’d seriously contemplated handcuffing him to our awesome new bed in our awesome new house. The problem was, it was awesome, therefore I didn’t want him breaking the slats of the headboard. I also didn’t want the wood marred with scratch marks. So I hadn’t handcuffed him, but I was impatient and done.

  Which brought us to now.

  “Wanna make a deal, honey?”

  “Does the deal include your sweet pussy wrapped around my cock?”

  “Nope. But it includes my mouth wrapped around your thick cock.”

  “Autumn,” he hissed.

  Hissed, like a freaking serpent.

  “The deal is, you can have however many goats you want if you let me suck your dick.”

  He wheezed in a breath and narrowed his eyes.

  Yes, we were negotiating about goats. He wanted them, I didn’t. We already had two horses. I didn’t have to take care of them, Declan did. But I’d read up about goats, they ate everything and I didn’t want the new garden I’d planted to be desecrated by the hungry beasts.

  “And you have to promise you’ll keep your goats out of the yard.”

  “Baby—”

  “It’s been over a year. I’m ready. You know it. So whatever the deal is, it’s your deal, not mine. So tell me, why don’t you want it?”

  Declan surged up and over me, one elbow on the mattress taking most of his weight, the other dove into my hair and held me in place.

  “Make no mistake, baby, I wanna feel those lips wrapped around my cock. But you know what I want more? You in a good state of mind. You smiling. You happy. You healthy.”

  “I’m all those things, Dec, you make sure of it.”

  “Right. So can you see why I’m not all fired up to risk setting us back? You think I’d do anything that would trigger something unpleasant for you? Baby, I don’t need a blowjob. I need you smiling, laughing, happy, healed, and whole. Nothing else. Just that.”

  God, I loved him.

  “I’m giving you a damn blowjob, Declan.”

  God, seriously, what woman had to beg her man to allow her to suck him off? Didn’t that go against the laws of nature or some such shit? Shouldn’t his man card be revoked? So annoying.

  His brows creased, and since my hand was on his back, I felt the muscles under my palm tense.

  “Autumn—”

  “I heard you,” I whispered. “And I love the way you protect me. But what you’re not hearing is, I need this. I’m not broken so stop treating me like I am. No boundaries, honey. Nothing between us.”

  “Fuck,” Dec clipped and rolled off me and settled on his back. “Have at it, baby.”

  Have at it?

  Yes, please.

  I scrambled to my knees, crawled over to him, and stared down at a very hard, very long dick.

  And froze.

  “Um.”

  He started to knife up, misunderstanding my hesitation, and I planted a hand on his chest, shoving him back down.


  “I don’t know where to start,” I admitted, not feeling the slightest bit of embarrassment.

  This was Declan, we had no room for awkwardness or blushing. I could do anything, say anything, ask anything, and be myself totally with no judgment.

  “First thing, is to check your teeth,” he told me. “The tip is sensitive, but specifically the underside. Lick, suck, do whatever you want, but keep my cock wet. You wanna play with my balls that’d be appreciated. Roll, pull, but do not squeeze. And if you can’t take all of me, don’t force it. Use your hand, and stroke while your mouth’s on me.”

  After he was done with his instructions, I looked back down, lowered my head, and took a long lick from root to tip.

  Declan groaned and I did it again, wetting him as I went. After a few minutes of licking, I gained courage, fisted him, and gave him a few pumps with my hand before I took the tip in my mouth and swirled my tongue around the tip and paid special attention to the thick vein on the underside.

  “Eyes,” he grunted. “Keep your eyes on mine.”

  Oh, yeah, I could get down with this. I took more of him in my mouth and he groaned again.

  “Christ.”

  He was hungry. So hungry, my pussy throbbed. Excitement leaked down my thighs, and if I wasn’t so determined to make this good for him, I would’ve touched myself.

  Next time I was so doing that.

  I played.

  Declan groaned.

  And I played more until I found a rhythm using my mouth and hand in tandem. The taste of him filled my senses, the sounds of his pleasure filled my ears, and I felt full.

  Full of happiness.

  Full of love.

  Full of the healing powers that Declan possessed.

  Only him.

  My home. My beast. My protector. My lover.

  “Enough. Get your ass up here and ride me,” Declan grunted.

  I didn’t stop.

  “You got two seconds to get your sweet ass up here, Autumn. You don’t move, I’ll haul your pussy up here myself.”

  My pussy spasmed, more wet leaked, but I didn’t move fast enough because Declan’s hands went under my pits and he hauled me up. Before I could blink, I was planted on his cock and all the oxygen whooshed from my lungs.

  “Sweet blowjob, baby. Best head I ever got. No fucking joke. But when I come, I come in you. So when I tell you to ride my cock, you listen, yeah?”

  I wanted to tell him that him blowing in my mouth was still technically coming inside of me, but my explanation died in my throat.

  Declan looked hot and turned way the hell on. He looked fierce in his desire. Desire I’d created, hunger I’d built.

  Hell, yes, I was so down with giving him a blowjob if this is what I earned.

  “Yeah, honey, I get you.”

  “Ride me, Autumn, and you better find it fast. You got me to the edge.”

  I could do that. I was primed and ready to go.

  I rocked my hips, ground down, added a swivel, and Declan bucked under me.

  “So fucking beautiful,” he groaned. “Love you, baby.”

  “Love you, honey.”

  It didn’t take long and when my orgasm broke and Declan’s fingers dug into my hips, keeping me still as his cock jerked inside of me, filling me with something else.

  Fully connected, heart and soul.

  “Goddamn, your pussy’s so sweet.”

  Not the most flowery compliment he’d ever given me, yet I loved it.

  So I smiled down at him and I was blessed with one in return.

  Chapter 42

  Six months later

  “Baby, come here.”

  “We got a caravan full of people arriving in T-minus three minutes. I don’t have time to come there.”

  Autumn was not wrong. In a few minutes, our house would be overrun.

  It had almost been two years since Autumn and I had taken off. We’d found our way, built a house, filled it with love, but mostly we’d healed.

  Since Calli’s birth, we’d been back to Maryland three times. Once for the birth of Maxine, Kyle and Anaya’s daughter. Once to welcome Maya, Max and Eva’s daughter, and the third time was when Emmy popped out Thad’s second daughter, Ophelia.

  All girls.

  All the men were in for a world filled with drama and happiness.

  I wanted that. I wanted Autumn to have that.

  “Baby, before they all get here, I wanna take a walk.”

  At my request, Autumn’s gaze came to mine and she readily agreed, “Okay, Dec.”

  I took her hand, led her out the front door, didn’t bother stopping to take in the new ferns she’d added that now hung from the hooks I’d screwed into the ceiling of the porch. I knew they looked good, everything Autumn planted or decorated looked good. She’d taken a shell of a house and had made it a home.

  And not a single day had passed that I didn’t pause to take in the beauty. But then, I had something else on my mind.

  Blessed.

  And never in my life did I ever think I’d feel that.

  I stopped under the two old oak trees, reached into my pocket, and pulled out a ring.

  I didn’t waste any time. “Marry me. This weekend while everyone is here, do me the honor of becoming my wife.”

  Autumn said nothing.

  “Baby—”

  “Never did I think I’d have this. None of it. Not the house, not the horses, the goats, the flowers, the garden, the family, the peace, the happiness, the love. Not once when I was living that life did I ever think I’d find this. Never did I think my soul would heal. That I’d be whole. Thank you for giving it to me—all of it. All you give, your love, your smiles, your honesty, your heart. I love you more than I ever thought possible. I want to be your wife.”

  I didn’t get a chance to put her ring on before she was in my arms and her mouth was on mine. She took what she wanted, she gave what I needed, and she did it for a long damn time. She only broke the kiss because a car pulled into our driveway.

  And that weekend, with all of our friends around us, I married Autumn Crenshaw.

  Her dad gave her away.

  Her mom, her sister, and my sister stood beside her.

  Thad, Jaxon, and Zane stood next to me.

  Chapter 43

  A year later—Autumn and Declan’s anniversary.

  I was on pins and needles waiting for Declan to come in from his shop.

  Declan found that he was not the type of man to sit around. After we’d sorted the house, he’d filled the barn with animals, which now included a third horse, five goats—that I had to admit were really cute—two cats that strictly stayed at the barn because they were not friendly, at all, but they were good hunters and ate the mice, and two mutt dogs we’d rescued. Those didn’t stay at the barn, they were mostly indoor dogs that thought they were human and were spoiled rotten.

  But even with all of that, Declan found he needed something to do but didn’t want a job he’d have to commit to. So he bought old hot rods that were in disrepair, fixed them up, and sold them. Word had gotten around and he now had a waitlist full of people wanting restoration work done. Proving that Declan could do anything.

  As for me, I found I was happy doing nothing. Well, not nothing exactly, I’d planted a huge vegetable garden—totally normal, right. Dec was so impressed with what I’d done, he built me a greenhouse. Now that we had an abundance of fresh vegetables and herbs, I took what we couldn’t use and donated them to anyone who would take them off my hands. As a result of that, and so many interested in what I grew, and others wanting to swap, I now ran a small co-op. There were only twenty-five of us, but I loved it—totally normal.

  And of course, with all of Declan’s pets, I always had something to do. And I’d taken back up cooking. He even taught me to make pão de queijo. They were delicious and he let me make them on Violet’s birthday for breakfast. And there were now violets planted around his favorite oak trees in the front yard and sprinkled throug
hout the back flowerbeds. Something his sister loved, which I knew because the last time she’d visited, she’d sat under the oaks, stared at the violets, and cried. This worried me, but when I went out to talk to her, she just hugged me and told me how happy she was that Violet was home, too.

  The result of all the cooking I was doing meant that Declan was working out an extra four hours a week and I’d put on fifteen pounds and I wasn’t even a little worried about it.

  My weight gain meant I was eating healthy and regularly. I was happy, I was relaxed, and I’d taught myself to be a damn fine cook.

  And soon, I hoped I’d gain even more weight, and that’s what had me on pins and needles. My nieces were getting big, Dec’s nephew was a walking, talking, one little boy demolition team, and the rest of our friends had kids.

  I was ready.

  I’d had almost three years of healing. Great years. Learning years. I was close to my parents and so was Declan. We had a great tight-knit group of friends, both of our sisters were great moms. I had great examples.

  I was so ready.

  I heard the back door open, my heart leaped into my throat, and I waited for Declan to greet Sasha and Pete. The sound of excited dog nails scratching on the hardwood floor stopped so I knew he was giving them a rub down. Then Sasha ran into the kitchen and I knew he was done.

  And just like every day he came in, he walked directly to me, kissed my temple, and muttered, “Hey, babe.”

  Damn, I loved hearing that.

  “I stopped taking my birth control,” I blurted out and held my breath.

  “Say again?” His growl made me shiver.

  “After my last period, I didn’t start a new pack of pills. It’s been three weeks,” I elaborated.

  “You ready?”

  “Yes.”

  “Upstairs.” This growl was different than the first. I didn’t shiver—I trembled.