Chapter 18
VIOLET
Iflop onto the couch, causing goldfish crackers to spill out of the bowl next to Wyatt who fell asleep beside Declan while they watched Cocomelon.
This is a side of Declan that I wasn’t expecting to see.
Hell, I couldn’t have predicted that this was how the weekend would go.
I’m not sure why I called him in my moment of panic, but I felt like I could rely on him for advice or anything, and he delivered in full.
He could have rushed off by now, but instead, he’s hanging out with us, and my heart warms at the gesture. I glance outside and see Connor is finished cleaning up, as he is walking with a full garbage bag to the back of the garage.
My eyes dart back to Declan while he squeezes a tennis ball, with Puck sitting at full attention and drool running down one side of his mouth.
“I really can’t thank you enough. I know this is the last place you want to be.” I feel like I’m repeating myself, but it’s worth it.
Declan shrugs it off. “It’s fine. Ford would want me to help you out during your dire time of need. Plus, this isn’t so bad.” He leans in closer to me and lowers his voice. “I mean, have you seen the snacks in the pantry here? It’s a goldmine!”
I laugh softly, aware that Wyatt is napping, and we didn’t have the heart to move him. “That’s what happens when you have kids; your pantry becomes the key to utopia.”
Declan leans back against the sofa with a wry smile. “You’re really in your element now. I mean, the whole family thing. It suits you.”
“Really? Because I feel like I sprouted a gray hair last night.”
He finally tosses the ball for the dog who goes running. “Nah, you like the chaos. I kind of get it. I mean, you can’t get lost in your own thoughts when you have all of this around you.” He points between Wyatt and the dog, then looks for Connor.
His point of view isn’t far off. “I think you’re right,” I agree.
“Some people have career aspirations on the forefront, and others have family aspirations. You and I are opposites.”
“Hey, who says I don’t want to start a flower empire?” I protest in jest.
He gives me wide eyes. “Do you?”
I think about it for not even a second. “No. I’m happy with one store and a talking parrot.”
“Exactly, and I’m happy with anything hockey.”
Right, this guy doesn’t have his personal life as a priority anytime on the horizon.
The reminder is good for me, otherwise the scene in front of me will begin to offer a slither of hope.
How can I not be affected by Declan showing me his family-man persona, even if he has no idea that he seems to have it.
He’s been nothing but, well, swoony since he got here.
Connor enters the house, interrupting our conversation, luckily.
“I’m done,” he declares.
He walks to the big chair opposite the sofa and flops onto it. “My head hurts.”
Declan and I look at one another, knowing the familiar feeling.
“It will for a little bit, but I already ordered pizza because carbs are your friend.” I know I should go harder on him, but I’m a softy when it comes to Connor.
“Drink more water. Just remember this feeling, because trust me, you never ever want to show up to practice or a game like this. You’re way too young to go down this road,” Declan conveys to him while he wraps his arm around Wyatt to pull him close in a snuggle.
I’m not sure he even realizes what he’s doing, it appears so second nature to him.
Again, I shake off the thought, because he’s stated many times that he only does casual.
Connor crosses his arms and nestles deeper into the chair. “I know. I said I’m sorry, and it wasn’t me who brought the alcohol.”
“Hopefully you learned a lesson from this,” I add.
“Yeah,” Connor mumbles.
The sound of the front door opening and the dog running draws all our attention to Ford and Brielle entering the house. They’re home early.
“Hey,” Ford draws out while he sets their bags on the floor. He notices Wyatt sleeping, so keeps his voice low, and although he observes that Declan is here, he doesn’t seem bothered.
Brielle saunters behind him with her natural smile, and her eyes dance between Declan and me. That’s when I notice she’s confident with her theory about us that she presented to me a while ago, as her lips roll in to hide her smile from Ford before she takes a few steps in front of him.
“Has Wyatt been sleeping long?” she asks as she studies the scene and does her best to keep the jumping Labrador at bay from her growing belly.
“Half-hour. You guys are home early,” I say and stand up, nervously tucking my hands in the back pockets of my shorts.
“We left right after lunch and didn’t have any traffic. Looks like Wyatt made a new friend.” My brother’s eyes land on Declan again.
“Yeah, do enlighten us with your explanation on Wyatt’s new friend choice,” Connor remarks to completely mess with us.
My eyes snap to Connor with a disapproving look. “How about you go grab another water, huh? You know how this is going to go.” I indicate with my head that he should get out of here.
He groans but stalks out of the room, leaving his parents confused and looking curiously at me.
“We had a bit of a situation,” I begin, and Brielle instantly looks panicked, so I hold my hand up to calm her. “It’s fine, all fine. Connor got a little carried away with his friend quota for the evening, and it might have involved a little alcohol, but hey, he learned his lesson.”
“What?!” Ford looks furious.
Damn it, I knew the easy story wouldn’t work.
“I went to give Wyatt a bath, returned downstairs to find a party. Luckily Declan saved the night by ending it and making sure everyone got home safe.”
Ford swipes his hair with his hands, while Brielle’s head dips low.
“It was bound to happen. We were all his age once,” Declan attempts to comfort them.
“I’m so sorry.” Brielle seems mortified.
Ford glances off into the kitchen, and I can tell he is debating which talk to give. He lets out a breath and turns his attention to Declan. “Thanks, man, I owe you. I can imagine man-to-man worked better in that situation.”
“It’s no problem, you would have done the same.” Declan gently moves Wyatt out of his way.
“You guys didn’t call us?” Brielle wonders.
I offer her a sympathetic smile. “Now you know. After you enjoyed your little getaway.” Her face is full of fondness and appreciation.
Declan stands and rubs a hand across his jaw. “I think I’m going to head out.”
“Me too, since I think you guys have a fun evening ahead. Pizza should be here soon.”
“Don’t you two want to stay?” Ford asks.
Brielle places a hand on her husband’s arm. “I think they want to run away after this.”
“Exactly what she said,” I tell my brother.
Declan and I begin to walk out of the room.
“Wait.” Ford stops us in our tracks. We both look at him, slightly concerned. “Is something happening between you two?”
The question instantly makes my stomach swirl, as if we’ve been caught out, and I think it excites me, if I’m honest.
“Of course not.” Declan is quick to laugh off his suggestion.
Even though I know it’s for the best, I wish we didn’t have to lie. “I knew Declan was in the area, and I needed a manly touch to deal with the varsity hockey team,” I add.
Ford nods slowly and seems to buy it. Brielle, meanwhile, hides behind her hand over her mouth because she knows exactly what we’re doing.
“Okay, I mean, if there was, I’m not sure I would be cool with it, to be honest.” Ford still eyes us with caution.
I offer a fake smile. “Nothing to worry about then. Just friends.”
He seems convinced, but I know we’re leaving having told the biggest lie of the century.
Unlocking my door, I enter my home, with Declan hot on my heels.
I’m lucky he had a weekend bag in his car when he went to visit his parents, because he didn’t have to hesitate over logistics about staying at my place.
After last night, I want to do something nice for him.
He followed me home in his car, and I’m sure his Maserati will draw the attention of my nosy neighbors, but I don’t really care.
“If you give me twenty minutes, I’ll shower then cook dinner. I’m positive I have a stray Cheerio somewhere in my hair,” I mention as I toss my keys into the bowl on the side table.
I feel arms wrapping around me from behind, because how dare I forget how insatiable this man is when the setting allows.
“Go enjoy a warm bath, and food will be here in a bit.”
I glance over my shoulder with a raised brow. “What do you mean? I’m cooking.”
“No, you’re not. You deserve to rest and take it easy after what went down. In the car, I called the chef from the Dizzy Duck to send over some stuff.” He says it so casually.
Twirling on the balls of my feet, I come face to face with Declan and rope my arms around his neck. “You should be the one taking it easy, and the chef from the Dizzy Duck just won a bunch of awards, and now you’re saying he is sending over food?”
“And wine.”
My mouth opens then closes. “Is this a connections thing or a threw-some-money-at-them kind of thing? People wait weeks for a reservation there.” This is crazy. And expensive. But mostly sweet.
“Not us, babe. Now go relax.” Declan slants his shoulder up while he encourages me to walk forward.
I don’t unlink from around his neck, and instead, I stand on his toes as he walks, with me hanging off him. “Look at you. If I wasn’t wise, then I would call you a romantic. You know, this really ruins my ability to thank you tonight. You’ve outshined me.”
“That’s hard to do,” he promises.
But a few hours later, and it feels like I’m a tiny speck on the ability to impress.
I’m for sure relaxed, and the food was delicious, right down to the drizzle of sauce on my chicken.
I know thought went into the order because we got extra chocolate chip cookies that the inn leaves on pillows but are not on any menu.
I feel like Declan asked for that just for me.
Drinking the last sips of wine from our glasses, we stand by the sink.
“Thank you for staying. I would have felt bad if you went back to the city and I didn’t get to give you at least one orgasm this weekend.”
He chuckles. “I’m swamped with meetings this week, but this is a perfect way to head into a new week. Besides, I kind of felt ending the weekend between us with brother bear giving me the stare down wasn’t the way to leave things.” Declan tips back his wine glass to finish the drink.
My eyes enjoy the reality that he’s standing in my kitchen after a dinner where we laughed and talked. “Fun, right?”
“If he ever were to find out, because I’m not sure Connor is going to stay tight-lipped with his theory, then we need to come up with a story.”
“What do you mean?” I hold my glass to my chest.
Declan folds his arms over his chest and leans against the edge of the sink with a suave grin. “Well, we can’t exactly say how we started, now can we?”
“True. Nobody knows about that night except us, which means we are free to make up our own version of events.”
“We ran into one another at the stadium, then…” he begins.
“Again, at a bar in the city…”
“Where I asked about things that scare you.”
My cheeks warm because it seems neither one of us wants to change our sequence of events. “And we got to talking, then you showed up in Lake Spark at my flower shop, relieved that you would never have to impress me with a flower…”
“The bird said to tie you up, but you just wanted to tie me down, and your charming ways kind of wore at me.”
The way he says it, with his eyes locked on me, sends a chill down my spine.
It’s a blur between what’s real or pretend right now, especially when he steps closer.
Only when I hear the glass clink against the bottom of the sink do I realize that Declan slid it away from my fingers.
He cups my face between his palms, and he lowers his mouth onto mine to kiss me.
The kind of kiss that feels confirming.
I’m not sure for what, but I return his kiss with the same force.
My fingers curl into his shirt because I feel like I’m going dizzy or crazy, and I don’t seem to mind.
Pulling gently away, his eyes have a glint that gives me no answers, other than the desire I see.
I interlink our hands, and without any words, walk us to my bedroom where I guide him to sit on the edge of my bed. He watches my every move as I lead, pleased when I drop down onto his lap to straddle him.
Declan’s hands follow the curve of my hipbone down to my ass before he hoists me snug to his body, and instantly, I feel his cock through his jeans.
Our lips fuse together in a kiss that feels far more intimate than it should.
But it only fuels us because he rolls us until I’m on my back and underneath him. Then it feels as though the air snaps between us, a calm after a long day.
We enter a pattern of a kiss, then our eyes dancing, before planting another kiss at random spots on one another’s body.
No need to rush or say anything, because our eyes say it all.
Sex isn’t our priority, yet this feels like something to cherish.
We take our time caressing one another’s bodies for what feels like forever, until Declan holds my gaze while he brings two fingers inside of me, and his thumb circles my clit. It’s like a magnetic pull that neither one of us can control as my body follows his movements, writhing under his touch.
Slow, we never rush. We enjoy the taste of one another at the same time, and when he pushes inside of me with his cock, I get lost in him.
Because when I see our hands connected against the mattress as Declan moves inside of me—no dirty talk, just our breaths and moans merging into a synced sound—then I realize we’re entering new territory that I’m not sure either one of us anticipated.