Chapter 6 #2
“I was having fun,” Declan complained.
“You’re about to have more fun,” she countered.
It was the work of a minute to get him to shove his jeans and briefs far enough down to release his cock. It snapped upright, eager and ready.
Sydney pulled a condom from her pocket and rolled it on him, grinning as Declan’s curses became more creative than coherent.
“You better plan on hopping on my cock right here and now, or I’ll flip you over and fuck you boneless.”
“Promises, promises,” Sydney gasped as she straddled him. She notched the head of his cock between her folds and slowly sank down, pleasure rippling up her spine.
The tingles that had begun when he kissed her leveled up again.
Sydney undulated over him in a slow, even rhythm, his fingers digging into her butt cheeks as he allowed her to be in charge.
But the heated light in his eyes and the tension building in his body said she wouldn’t get to play for much longer.
Fabric bunched around her waist, untidy and unkempt, but from the pleased look in his eyes, he was into it.
She reached between her legs to rub her clit, and Declan picked up the pace. The grip on her hips elevated her far enough that he could thrust his cock deep and hard on each rock, shooting the air from her lungs in the best possible way. She wanted it all, wanted it hard and dirty.
Declan flashed his barely there smile, his eyes burning intently—
“You like this,” he said quietly. “Naked from the waist up here in the outdoors. Those pretty tits bouncing for me. My cock fucking into you so you feel it everywhere. You taking what I give you so sweetly. You need this, need me to show you how to let go.”
“Yes,” Sydney whispered. “So close.”
“Let me have it.” Declan slowed his thrusts but held her so immobile that it seemed every drive went deeper than the one before. “Give it to me. Squeeze my cock so hard it feels like you’ll never let go.”
She broke. The rush of pleasure didn’t come in a wave, but an absolute cascade that hit her hard enough she lost control of her muscles and collapsed on top of him.
He held them locked together, and with every continuing pulse of her sex around him, she felt it so deeply it triggered another set of aftershocks.
It was pleasure, yes, but also connection, and she glowed inside at being known well enough by this man that he could play her body like a Stratovarius.
A minute later? An hour? Sydney wasn’t sure when it was, but Declan rolled her back onto the cushions and delicately draped a cozy blanket over her before he dealt with the condom.
Then he was back, pulling her into his arms and holding her as the sunset bloomed then faded and the stars popped out overhead.
When he dropped her off at the house in full darkness, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and headed inside.
That’s when she realized that for the last hour or more, neither one of them had spoken.
It didn’t feel as if they had to.
The next days passed quickly, which was a relief. Busy hands meant Declan’s mind was far too occupied to worry about making the right decision when it came to convincing Sydney to give them a chance.
Because he was very firmly of the opinion they already were a thing. Not what he wanted them to be, but somewhere on the journey to it.
She was still skittish.
No way in hell he’d be stupid enough to relate her directly to a horse in real life, at least not where she could hear, yet the same principles were involved. Don’t go too fast, don’t introduce new elements too quickly.
Whether Sydney liked it or not, they already had a solid base. Sex wasn’t enough to sustain a relationship, but it was a fine starting place. If it took him keeping her in bed until she realized she never wanted him to leave, he could handle that.
Jinx came home from horse camp on Sunday, absolutely thrilled with how much she’d improved. She phoned to let him know she was back but was staying for supper with the Stone family. “If that’s okay?”
“It’s fine with me. Did you mention this to Petra or Aiden?”
She hesitated for a second. “I did, and they approved, but I kind of felt like I should ask you, too.”
Declan knew about the plans to make Jinx officially part of Aiden and Petra’s family, and if this wasn’t a clear sign that it was time to clarify things, he didn’t know what was.
Still, for now, he followed along like usual. “It’s okay with me. Call when you want to come home and I’ll pick you up. I wouldn’t mind saying hi to Sasha’s parents.”
“Got it. Bring Dixie? I’ve missed her. Love-you-Deck-bye.” The last four words came out as a smeared blur, but they lit something inside him big and bright.
The next second fear rolled in again. If anything happened to that girl, he would never forgive himself.
They needed to make changes around High Water because they all had too much to lose, and it wasn’t fair to any of them to have their loved ones at risk.
It was a small gathering at the family table that night. Jake had taken the ranch hands to work on their roping skills. Tansy went to visit her sister Ivy so Jeffrey could spend time with his three cousins.
Petra and Aiden held hands under the table and pretended they weren’t.
Kevin arched a brow, the scarred slice on the side of his face turning his amusement into a very pirate-y expression. “You do know we can see you, yes?”
“How’s your boyfriend?” Aiden returned, trying to divert attention. “Isn’t it time we officially met him?”
“Agreed,” Declan said as he scooped up a serving of the roast chicken and potatoes that had been cooking in the slow cooker all day. Tansy was back in charge of the kitchen, and they were not starving. “I think you should invite him over.”
Leaning back in his chair, Kevin folded his arms over his chest and put on his stubborn face. “How come all of a sudden I’m the one in the hot seat?”
“You’re the psychiatrist; you tell us,” Petra teased.
“That doesn’t mean I can read minds,” Kevin reminded them.
“Means you know better than most when people are avoiding things they should do, though.” Declan lowered his head and looked straight at his brother. “For example, there’s a conversation that needs to happen with a certain teenager. I think you should do it soon.”
Petra shivered, hope in her eyes. “You don’t think it’s too soon?”
“No.” Declan turned his gaze on Kevin. “Invite Edison over this coming week. Anytime I’ve met him, he’s been like a big puppy dog. He’ll be good for you. We’d like to welcome him.”
“You don’t think it’s too soon?” Kevin winked at Petra as he echoed her concern.
“No.”
Aiden snickered. “And you, big brother? What’s the thing that you’re procrastinating from doing—”
Declan’s phone rang, which was such a rare occurrence they all started in surprise. He ignored Aiden’s question and thumbed the call on. “Jinx?”
Her shaky voice rang out on speaker. “Deck, Tyler’s hurt. We took him up to the loft after supper because he wanted to show us something and he fell down some weird shaft.”
“Do his parents know?” Declan shot to his feet and headed for the door with Aiden and Petra hard on his heels. Dixie whined, pacing nervously as she looked around expectantly for Jinx.
“Yeah. And I called Sydney on the direct number she gave me, and she’s on her way. I’m scared.”
“We’re coming over. You stay with Sasha and we’ll be right there.”
He didn’t tell her it would be all right because there were no guarantees.
And wasn’t that the most pessimistic, cold-hearted thought?
Somehow Sydney beat them to Silver Stone. By the time Declan, Petra, and Aiden followed the ranch hand waiting for them into the barn, it was clear things had gone very wrong.
Caleb was searching along a wooden wall below the loft. Tyler’s crying could be clearly heard through the wood, but there was no sign of him.
“What the hell?” Aiden leaned his ear to the wall. “Service shaft?”
“Something like that.” Caleb dragged a hand through his hair in frustration. “But not one that I ever knew about, and it’s not on the blueprints.”
“We can tear the wall down,” Declan offered.
“We started to, and he screamed louder. Says there’s a stick that stings him when we move anything on this side.”
Stings? The hell?
“Caleb, we have an idea.” Tamara Stone stood at the top of the stairs, her face ghastly white. “Sydney says she’s going to him.”
Christ. Declan raced up the stairs on Caleb’s heels.
A small gathering huddled at the top. Caleb’s brother Luke was there as well as Jinx and Sasha.
The girls sat to the side, arms around each other as they rested out of the way on a haybale.
Petra hurried to them, and the girls grabbed her tight as she curled her arms around them both.
Dixie shoved her nose into the middle of the huddle, offering worried kisses.
Sydney was methodically tying a rope onto the handle of the medical kit she carried with her. “Once I see what’s happening down there, if possible, I’ll give the go ahead for the guys to rip a path straight to us. If not, I’ll immobilize Tyler as necessary and you’ll have to bring him up this way.”
“You’re going down now?” Declan asked the instant he got close enough to speak without shouting.
She glanced his way and stepped closer, then shocked the hell out of him by calmly undoing his belt buckle and stripping it from his belt loops while she spoke.
“The EMTs are at least fifteen minutes out, and I’m here.
I’m the only one with the necessary training and small enough to fit.
I’m sorry, Tamara. I look forward to having your assistance once we’re no longer dealing with an enclosed space. ”
Declan stole the belt from her fingers as soon as he figured out what she was doing.
“Let me.” He quickly used another rope to create two loops for her legs and a higher chest section to control her vertical position.
“Modified climbing harness. We’ve used it in emergency situations before. It’ll hold.”