RunningWildAmazon

by Reece, Christy

  “My parents, on the other hand, are thrilled.”

  “I imagine they are. Having to be on guard all the time must have been stifling. Now they don’t have to worry.”

  “That’s not the biggest reason. They are of course glad that the nightmare of Simon Cook is over.”

  “Then what’s got them so thrilled?”

  “You.”

  She raised her head from his chest so she could see his face. “Me?”

  “Yeah, you. They cannot wait to meet you.”

  Speechlessness wasn’t something Anna often suffered, but this bit of news completely numbed her mouth and her mind.

  Aidan grinned. Yeah, he loved seeing that shocked look on her face. He planned to put it there as often as he could.

  “So I was thinking maybe this weekend, we could go see your mom and dad,” he said. “I know they live a few hours from each other, but we should be able to see them both in a weekend, don’t you think? Then next weekend, we’ll go see my family.”

  Before he could stop her, Anna shot up out of his arms. “Now wait just a minute. This is putting the cart before the horse, counting chickens before they hatch, and several other farm animal analogies I can’t think of right now.

  “Don’t you think it would be a good idea to actually talk about you and me before we become an ‘us’ to other people?”

  “Have I ever told you I admire the way you talk?”

  “No. It seems there are lots of things you haven’t told me.”

  “Have I told you that I love you?”

  Tears sprang to her eyes. “No,” she whispered, “you haven’t.”

  “I do, Anna. I love you so much it scares me. Seeing you in danger…” He shook his head. “Not being able to get to you, help you. Hell…I aged a decade in seconds when I realized Cook had you.”

  She sat down beside him again. Her heart was soaring, and there was nothing more she wanted than to throw herself into his arms, but she had to know the truth. “What about Melody?”

  Aidan frowned his confusion. “What about Melody?”

  “I heard you, Aidan. Remember how I told you the drug Cook gave me made me unable to move, but I was wide awake? The room I was in had a speaker connected to where you were with Cook. I heard every word you said.”

  “What did I say?”

  “That I was just someone you’d slept with—like so many other women. A fling and nothing more.”

  “Anna. Sweetheart. I would have told that bastard anything to get him to release you. I thought if he believed you meant nothing to me, he might consider letting you go. If lying to the devil would have gotten you out of there alive, there’s nothing I wouldn’t have said.”

  “That’s what I told myself, but I—”

  Aidan pressed a finger to her lips. “But nothing. You’re too smart to let your insecurities get in the way of what you know to be true. Yes, I loved Melody, with all my heart. I was devastated when I lost her, but you were right about a lot of things that you said to me on the island. I was using Simon as an excuse to not move on. I felt such guilt for bringing him into her life. For what happened to Amy and Kristen. Something I didn’t realize I was doing was allowing my grief to hold me back from loving again. You made me see that, Anna. You made me want more.

  “I didn’t tell you, mostly because we haven’t really had a chance to talk about it, but McCall and I were implementing a plan to capture Simon. We hadn’t yet had a chance to put anything in place, but it was in the works.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I fell in love with an outspoken, opinionated, compassionate, tenderhearted little rebel who had the audacity to challenge me, make me see things I’d refused to acknowledge for years.”

  He brought her hand to his mouth for a soft kiss. “Thank you for that, Anna. For not letting me get away with my old standby lines and excuses.”

  Aidan drew in a shaky breath. He’d been talking forever, and Anna had yet to speak. Had he been reading her wrong? Was he in this by himself? What if she didn’t love him?

  “Okay, baby, I’ve spilled my guts till I’m raw inside. Talk to me. Tell me what you’re—”

  She threw herself into his arms, kissing his cheek, his chin, his mouth. “I love you, Aidan. With everything that’s within me…I love you.”

  Aidan swooped down and took her mouth. It was a claiming, a declaration, and a promise. He devoured her lips like he’d never get enough of her, and Anna gave him her all. Her heart, her mind, her very being were his for the taking.

  The kiss was everything, and then it wasn’t enough. Aidan pulled away. He wanted to explore every inch of her, but they still had things they needed to talk about. Once he got her naked, he didn’t plan on speaking with any coherence for several hours.

  He held her shoulders and locked his eyes with hers, wanting to make sure he could read her correctly.

  “We don’t have to decide everything today, but I don’t want to go another night without you. I have a couple weeks’ leave from LCR, but when I return, I have to live in the DC area.”

  “That shouldn’t be a problem. Several psychologists for the Timothy Foundation live in other cities. Even a couple in other countries. As long as I’m with them, I can work remotely.”

  “You’re thinking of leaving?”

  “Once I get my doctorate, I’d like to open my own practice.” Her smile grew brighter. “I’m sure I can find lovely office space in the DC area.”

  She went to move back into his arms, and while he wanted that more than anything, he needed to make sure of one thing.

  “You’re not just saying that, are you? I’m old-fashioned in some ways, but when it comes to this, I want to make sure you’re doing what you want, not what you think I want.”

  She gave him that cheeky grin he so loved. “When have I ever held back my opinion with you, Thorne?”

  “Have I told you that you’re the most amazing woman and that I adore every single thing about you?”

  “Even the things that drive you crazy?”

  “Especially the things that drive me crazy.”

  Her expression confidently sexy, she lay back on the couch and held out her arms. “Show me.”

  With a growl of intent, Aidan followed her down, his mouth devouring as his hands roamed everywhere at once, pulling and tugging. Seconds later, she was completely bare, and Aidan hadn’t yet shed one item of clothing.

  “Hey!” She reached for his shirt. “Not fair.”

  “We’ll work on me for the next round.” He started at her feet, kissing, nipping, caressing. Everywhere he touched, she melted. By the time he worked his way up her body to look into her eyes, Anna was a mass of heated desire like she’d never felt before. Need rippled through her in waves, and the instant he slid inside her, she zoomed to climax.

  When she returned to earth, she opened her eyes to see Aidan hovering over her with an expression of such sweet tenderness she wanted to cry.

  “Thank you, Anna.”

  “For what?”

  “For being who you are. For not giving up on me. For putting up with me. For bringing me back to life.” He lowered his head, gently touched his mouth to hers. “I love you, Annabelle Bradford.”

  Her heart so full she thought it might burst, Anna whispered, “And I love you so much, Aidan. You’re everything I’ve ever dreamed of. Everything that I could ever want.”

  “Say you’ll be mine forever.”

  “For now. Forever. For always.”

  “Always.”

  And as his lips met hers, Aidan once again swept Anna away to a world of beauty she’d only ever imagined in her dreams.

  Epilogue

  Alexandria, Virginia

  Classical music soared through the rafters of the gorgeous old church, setting just the right ambience for the ceremony. Flowers of every variety and color graced the windowsills. The pews were decorated in colorful ribbons, and candles, interspersed throughout the auditorium, gave off a soft golden glow of
both intimacy and reverence.

  Standing at the altar, holding a lovely bouquet of white roses and delicate peach orchids, Anna willed herself not to cry. Everything was so perfect. This was an LCR collaboration unlike any other operation that had ever been planned. Who knew that hard-boiled operatives could create such beauty?

  The woman walking down the aisle toward the man she adored was one of the biggest reasons everyone had worked so hard. Riley Ingram had overcome so much, and today she would join her life with Justin Kelly, her friend, her partner, the love of her life. How could it get any better?

  The wedding dress was almost as lovely as the bride herself. Silk, satin, and ivory lace—elegant but far from elaborate. The simple design was perfect for Riley’s petite frame and looked wonderful with her dark hair and creamy complexion.

  The man at her side, walking her down the aisle, made everything better. Stoic as always, the gleam in his dark eyes told the tale. Noah McCall, LCR leader and one of the toughest men Anna had ever known, was showing his softer side. The slight curve to his mouth revealed how special this day was for him, too.

  Anna’s gaze shifted slightly to get a glimpse of Justin’s reaction as his bride-to-be came toward him. The naked emotion on his face squeezed Anna’s heart. These two were so much in love.

  Her eyes moved to the man standing just behind the groom. Her heart flooded with love. Dressed in a black tuxedo, his thick blond hair slightly ruffled from the wind, Aidan Thorne was the epitome of gorgeous, sexy male perfection. And he was all hers.

  Completing her perusal of the best man, she returned her attention to his face and swallowed a laugh. While she’d been ogling him like the eye candy he was, he was doing the same with her. The smoldering heat in his eyes left little to her imagination. Anna shivered with anticipation. Later tonight she would make sure the invitation he was issuing with that sexy look was thoroughly and deliciously satisfied. He gave her a conspiratorial wink as if he knew exactly what she was thinking.

  Feeling more than a little flushed, Anna turned her attention back to the bride. Her throat clogged when she spotted a glistening of tears in her friend’s eyes. Riley wasn’t one to cry, but today of all days it was understandable.

  When Riley and Noah reached the altar, the music ended, and the minister asked the question, “Who gives this woman to be married to this man?”

  Noah answered in his deep, strong voice, “Her family and I do.”

  Pressing a kiss to Riley’s forehead, Noah was about to back away when Riley caught his arm. She whispered something only Noah could hear. Noah grabbed her, hugged her hard, and then let her go.

  Riley turned to face the man she was going to join her life with. Her smile both beautiful and brilliant, she held out her hand. “Okay, Kelly. Let’s do this.”

  With a shout of laughter, Justin pulled Riley into his arms and gave her a brief, hard kiss. “I love you, Ingram.”

  The wedding reception was winding down, and he had yet to dance with the maid of honor. Aidan had seen his beautiful Anna from time to time and had exchanged numerous heated looks with her. That wasn’t nearly enough. He wanted to hold her, dance with her, kiss her luscious peach-frosted lips.

  It was still hard to let her out of his sight. He had come so close to losing her. Still woke up in the middle of the night and reached over to touch her just to make sure she was there and safe. He knew that Simon Cook and his minions were all dead. Aidan, along with LCR researchers, had dug deep and uncovered everything about the evil bastard’s empire. Cook’s wild ramblings about governments purchasing his creations had been accurate. Cook’s clients had included Mafia kings, drug lords, one well-known actor, a couple of politicians, and yes, several government officials from various countries.

  The Colombian government was having a field day with all the information uncovered, but Aidan’s primary concern had been to ensure that Cook had not set up a contingency plan. He hadn’t. Simon Cook and his insane, twisted evil was in hell where he belonged.

  Standing in the middle of the room, Aidan’s eyes roamed the crowd. He had lost sight of Anna. He told himself he wasn’t worried. With the exception of Justin’s family, he knew every person here. It wasn’t every day that two operatives married each other. LCR people from all over the world had flown in for this very special event. But he still didn’t see the one person he most wanted.

  Her light touch on his shoulder made him smile. He turned to the woman who had changed his life and held out his hand. “Dance with me.”

  Wrapped in Aidan’s arms, her head against his chest, Anna swayed to the music. The wedding had been perfect. The bride and groom had left a while ago, their faces bright with happiness.

  Her duties as maid of honor had ended, and now Anna wanted to concentrate on the man holding her in his arms as if he’d never let her go. It had been almost a month since Aidan had told her he loved her, but she still had to pinch herself sometimes to make sure all of this was real.

  His parents had been as wonderful as Aidan had claimed, welcoming Anna into their home as if she were already family. And Jennifer, Aidan’s sister, was exactly as he had described her. Anna already knew they were going to be great friends.

  Her own parents had been a little less effusive. Not because they didn’t like Aidan. They were both thrilled, and for the first time in years, she’d seen her parents actually smile at each other. What didn’t thrill them was the fact that she had moved away from Arizona. Even though she promised frequent visits, it had taken half an hour to get her mom to stop crying. And in an odd but encouraging moment, her mother had thrown herself into Anna’s father’s arms, and he had comforted her.

  Not a reconciliation, by any means, but for Anna, who had witnessed more acrimony than happiness between her parents, the moment had been a nice one.

  “Happy?” Aidan whispered in her ear.

  “More than I ever thought possible.”

  Aidan pulled away slightly so he could see her face. She did look happy. There were no shadows from the past, no doubts about his love for her. Not for a second did he want her to think that he didn’t adore her with every breath.

  She looked especially beautiful tonight. The color of her gown—what she’d told him was a light ginger-peach—gave her creamy skin a luminous radiance. Her hair was a dark, silky waterfall flowing over her soft, bare shoulders. She glowed with good health and contentment. And Aidan was so much in love with her he couldn’t see straight.

  Today had been a special one for both of them, watching their best friends get married. Tonight was going to be even more so. The moment they walked into their apartment, she would know what was about to happen. Rose petals would lead a path to their bedroom, where champagne was chilling. He’d brought the ring with him to the wedding and hadn’t asked himself why. And suddenly he knew the reason.

  Aidan had wanted everything to be perfect for her. She deserved nothing less. But as he looked around the room and at Anna again, he realized this was the perfect place. There were flowers, romantic music, and wine. Best of all, almost everyone in this room was LCR personnel. He had hidden his true feelings for Anna for much too long. He would wait no longer.

  She had her eyes closed again and wore a sweet, slightly goofy smile on her face.

  “Anna?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Get ready to be embarrassed.”

  Her eyes flew open. “What?”

  Aidan withdrew the small ring box that had been burning a hole in his pocket and went to one knee. Removing the three-carat, round-cut diamond engagement ring, he held it up to her. The music was now a soft romantic ballad, perfect for the occasion. Everyone around them, realizing what was about to happen, had stopped dancing, shamelessly staring.

  “Aidan!” she squeaked in a whisper. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m showing the world that I love and adore you. Annabelle Bradford, will you marry me?”

  Forgetting all about embarrassment, she squealed, “Yes!”
>
  Aidan surged to his feet, and surrounded by thunderous applause, wrapped his arms around Anna, staking his claim for all the world to see.

  Dear Reader: Thank you for reading Running Wild! I hope you enjoyed Aidan and Anna’s story. If you would consider leaving a review to help other readers find this book, it would be greatly appreciated.

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  Other Books by Christy Reece

  LCR Elite series

  Running on Empty, An LCR Elite Novel

  Chance Encounter, An LCR Elite Novel

  Running Scared, An LCR Elite Novel

  Grey Justice series

  Nothing To Lose, A Grey Justice Novel

  Whatever It Takes, A Grey Justice Novel

  Last Chance Rescue series

  Rescue Me, A Last Chance Rescue Novel

  Return To Me, A Last Chance Rescue Novel

  Run To Me, A Last Chance Rescue Novel

  No Chance, A Last Chance Rescue Novel

  Second Chance, A Last Chance Rescue Novel

  Last Chance, A Last Chance Rescue Novel

  Sweet Justice, A Last Chance Rescue Novel

  Sweet Revenge, A Last Chance Rescue Novel

  Sweet Reward, A Last Chance Rescue Novel

  Chances Are, A Last Chance Rescue Novel

  The Wildefire series