Page 3 of Declan's Hope

Declan had walked into Haven’s house and given her the beginnings of that slow, sexy smile she had a hard time resisting. But before it could become full-blown, his scowling gaze had zeroed in on Tim’s arm draped around her shoulders. After that, Declan had done nothing but taken time about throwing irritated looks at her and menacing ones at Tim.

Of course he’d all but ignored her pointed looks clearly saying, stop it, until she’d finally had enough and covertly mouthed, “What’s your problem?”

The bane of her existence had growled and crossed his arms before giving her a heated look. And danged if she didn’t still find herself growing wet over it every time she thought about it.

Not too long after, she’d told Tim she had to get going. She hadn’t really, but she’d been about to turn into a puddle of melting goo with each pass of Declan’s eyes over her body.

There was only so much a girl could take.

And Declan, the rat, had been well aware how he’d affected her. At least if his knowing smirk had been anything to go by.

A grinning Haven had shown Hope to the door—nodding over Hope’s whispered complaints about Declan—but without Tim beside her. When she’d finally noticed his absence, she’d turned around in time to see Declan glowering down at her date and murmuring something she couldn’t hear. Tim’s widening eyes and flushing face had had her ready to intervene. But before she could, Tim had fast-walked over to her and said an abrupt goodnight to Haven, then rushed Hope out the door to his car.

Her last glimpse of Declan had been as she’d glared at his satisfied grin where he’d stood next to Haven on her front porch. Their near stare-off had only lasted seconds due to the way Tim had hurriedly backed out from the driveway.

The man had definitely been in a rush. Hers and Destiny’s apartment wasn’t that far away from Haven and Cal’s, but Tim had made it there in record time—all while refusing to share what Declan had said to him. The evening had ended at the entrance to her apartment building without a goodnight kiss, but with Tim finally informing her, “You’ve got some scary friends.”

The last she’d seen of Tim had been him rushing back to his car without a backward glance. Then he’d sped off like he’d had a demon horde chomping at his butt. To this day, Tim wouldn’t talk to her, much less look at her. In fact, she’d noticed all the male teachers gave her a wide berth.

Anyhow, she saw no sense in walking into the bear’s lair, so to speak, when she didn’t have to.

HOPE: WILL MR. RUDE BE THERE?

HAVEN: YOU MEAN DECLAN? LOL

DESTINY: MR. RUDE AND FUNNY MAN WILL BE GONE.

Funny Manbeing Garrett Wallace and the bane of Destiny’s existence.

HOPE: I’M IN. SEE YOU THERE.

Hope dropped her phone back into her purse, grabbed her folder, and tidied up her desk before giving her classroom one more visual check. And she did it all while trying her best to keep a pair of dark blue eyes under a stern black brow from filling her mind. She needed to quit dwelling on him. The man had been nothing but surly—and at times downright territorial-ish—toward her when he had no right to be.

And, okay, yes, if Hope had to be totally honest with herself, when Declan hovered over her, it did give her a slight thrill to have a man standing next to her she actually had to look up at. But that was beside the point. Because while Declan Carter might be tall, dark, and handsome, she had no interest in a guy with caveman tendencies and enough broody sexiness to make a woman stupid.

Really, she didn’t.

* * *

“I thought you said he wasn’t going to be here,” Hope muttered, leaning down to Destiny’s ear as she tried her best to ignore the newly bearded man—lord help her—currently staring at her from across the Elite Protection Agency’s large outer office. She turned her back on him. Out of sight, out of mind. Sort of.

“Don’t blame me. Haven’s the one who said he’d be out.”

Haven. Hmm…

It was almost like her friend wanted her and Declan to be thrown together. And thinking back, he happened to be at Haven and Cal’s place an awful lot whenever Hope made plans to visit her, but not so much at the times when she just happened to drop by unannounced.

She needed to have a talk with her other best friend about meddling.

“At least Garrett’s not here,” Destiny said, glancing around with a slight frown. Her words said one thing, but her expression told another story. Hope wouldn’t dare call Destiny out on it, but her face had kind of fallen when they’d walked in together and Declan had been sitting by himself on one of the leather guest couches.

She grinned. Her friend could protest all she wanted about how much she wasn’t attracted to Garrett. Hope had seen the shy glances and outright longing stares Destiny had given the man when his attention might be elsewhere.

Her friend had it bad, which Hope saw as good.

She hoped.

“Yeah. I bet you’re not disappointed at all.” Hope hip-checked her friend. Well, it was actually more like Hope’s hip to Destiny’s arm check. The two were so opposed in height it struck her as kind of funny, especially on the rare occasions when Destiny didn’t have on heels. At those times, Hope truly felt like an Amazon next to her diminutive friend.

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