“Mi-mi.”
Aw, hell.I take Kent into my arms and snuggle him against me. He wraps his chubby arms around my neck and giggles.
I break into a laugh right as a photographer wanders by. The photographer is the only guest allowed to carry a camera. My uncle hired him to “take a few photos” that will need to be pre-approved by both Declan and me before they will be released to the press. He focuses his lens directly at me. Right behind the camera, I catch Declan walking past with Cam, Luke, and Michael. Declan glances over just as the photographer snaps a picture of me holding his nephew.
My eyes lock with my husband’s. Surprise registers on his face, followed by an emotion I can’t read. Then, he breaks the eye contact and turns away, almost as though he’s…annoyed.
What the hell?
* * *
Declan
Now she’s holding a baby? Something shifts in my chest, and I force the emotion away. But I can’t stop watching Mia. She looks so natural with Kent in her arms. I swear everything she does today is testing the limits of my resolve.
I feel like I’m leering, so I jerk my gaze away from her and try to focus on whatever the hell Luke’s saying to me. Because I didn’t hear a word of what he said.
I’ve been barely hanging on by a thread since Mia walked down the aisle toward me. When I pulled her in for that kiss, my entire body felt like it was on fire.
I want Mia. I want her badly. And I can’t have her.
“Things going that well, huh?” Luke says to me tauntingly.
Michael laughs. “Looks that way.”
I resist the urge I have to haul off on the two of them. Right now, I would give a lot to be in the middle of a hockey game where physical beat-downs are common. At least then, the worst I’d get is two minutes in the penalty box.
“Stay out of this,” I warn them.
Cam’s gaze shifts from me to Mia and then back to me. “Ahhh.” His entire face lights up with glee. “You’re falling for your wife.”
He, Michael, and Luke crack up.
“Shut the fuck up.” I glare at them. “You’re all fucking troublemakers.”
“That we are,” Luke says with far too much pride in his voice. “And we’re going to stand here and enjoy the show today. I have a feeling things are going to get even more interesting.”
Cam grins at me. “You know, I sometimes wondered what type of woman could handle standing next to the likes of you, Dec. I think I’m getting an idea.”
“What does that mean?” I demand. “The likes of me? I’m no different than you guys.”
Cam, Michael, and Luke look at each other and then back at me. “If you honestly think that, you’re lying to yourself,” Cam says.
I stare at him. In my irritation, I feel like I’m going to bore a hole through his head.
But Cam just smirks. “You’re Declan Wild. One of the greatest hockey players of his generation. You’ve got fans who bug you when you go out in public. You’ve got reporters showing up at your wedding. You seriously think just anybody can handle being in your orbit?”
I guess I never thought of it like that. “I’m just a regular guy,” I say stubbornly. “At least, I want to be. And I can, too, go out without being mobbed. I did it the other night, the night I met Mia.”
“You can do it here,” Luke agrees. “People in Wilcox and the rest of the area respect the rights of a private citizen. But the press won’t leave you alone no matter where you are. And I’ve seen how women fall all over you at the arena. Come on, you know you’ve had nights when all you wanted was to be anonymous, and it was impossible.”
Yes, being a public figure has its downsides. And now that I’m married, I already feel protective of Mia.
“I just want to keep her safe from all of that,” I murmur. “She didn’t sign up for tabloids and all that crap.”
“I get your point,” Michael says. “But I think you’re worrying for nothing.”
“Yeah, I have a feeling she’s more than capable of standing up for herself,” Luke says. “She’s a successful businesswoman who’s used to interacting with all kinds of people.”
