Page 43 of Raven's Instinct
“That’s kind of you,” Kendra said miserably. She didn’t see this evening getting back to kissing and petting in the hallway. She’d known that was the risk of telling him the truth, but she hadn’t realized how desperately disappointed she would be to slink away with her metaphorical tail between her legs.
“It wasn’t your fault,” Alan said. “You don’t think that it was, do you?”
Of course it was.Kendra didn’t answer out loud.
“Kendra.” That was a different tone from Alan, one that was actually dangerous. “Kendra, thiswasn’tyour fault.”
“WhodoI blame, then?” Kendra snapped. “Some sad sack that I fell for? The condom company? The wife for being bad in bed? No, this was me and my bad judgment and my loose morals.”
Alan actually laughed then. “Your morals are not loose.”
“You don’t even know me,” Kendra said miserably.
“Iknowyou,” Alan said, and when he touched her face, Kendra didn’t draw away, staring defiantly back. “Iknowyou.”
Then he kissed her again, and her treasonous body flooded with heat again.
But this wasn’t just her body.
In the short time she’d known him, Alan was twice the man and a hundred times the gentleman that Charlie had ever been. When he’d snooped into her past, he’d come clean about it and Kendra even believed him when he said he was going to tell her. She wasn’t sure she had ever believed Charlie, if that was even his name. She had just desperatelywantedto believe him.
Alan was not Charlie. Charlie wasn’t even in the same class as Alan. Maybe not even the same phylum.
“Alan…” she murmured against his lips.
He drew back, but didn’t let go of her face, cupping her with both hands. “I want to pound that douchebag into a bloody pulp for breaking your heart. You deserved better, you and Amy both.”
As much as she wanted to fall under the spell of his words, Kendra had to be sensible. “What is this?” she asked. “What are we even doing?”
“I’m hoping to kiss you again,” Alan said lightly. “Maybe explore some of those suggestions you gave me earlier. Test the headboard.”
“Seriously…”
Alan sobered. “I love you, Kendra Emerson. I don’t care if it doesn’t make sense. Call it destiny or soulmates or anything but late to dinner. Instinct says you’re the one for me, forever, and I’m all in.”
All in.
Kendra’s resolve to resist him wavered, but she rallied. “That’s great for tonight, but what about the future? Aren’t you going to be reassigned once Addison’s back from maternity leave and her ex doesn’t make an appearance?”
“I’m thinking about staying here,” Alan said unexpectedly. “I love working at Tiny Paws.”
“You’re actually thinking about staying here and working at a day care for shifters after your assignment is over? Youwantto be a career caretaker?”
“Why is that so shocking? I don’t care about gender norms. If anything, they need good role models for strong, nurturing men. Those kids are crazy-amazing, and Cherry needs all the help she can get. I have had more satisfaction changing diapers and opening tubes of applesauce and applying glitter to paint and braiding hair than I have had over alifetimeof questionable missions and dangerous assignments. Not one of them has paid me more than what I’ve gotten from helping those kids learn and grow.”
“Even the mission to the north pole to fight an ice monster who gave you a magic spell?”
“Even that,” Alan said gravely. “Kendra, I want to stay here, with you, and raise Amy as my own, if you’ll have me.”
If she’d have him?
Have him! Have him!her owl chorused.
30
ALAN
Alan hated that Amy’s father had betrayed Kendra and made her unknowinglythe other woman,but her story wasn’t as bad as he’d actually feared it could be. If Amy’s father had physically harmed Kendra, or threatened her, or hurt Amy, or any of another thousand things that Alan could easily imagine, he was not sure he would have been a big enough man not to hunt him down and make himregretit.
