Chapter 13 Declan
This kiss is everything I imagined and so much more.
His lips are just as soft as they look. I have never been the type to kiss someone just for the hell of it.
Hell, I don’t remember the last woman I kissed.
But even what I do remember is nothing compared to kissing Xavier.
I want more. I want everything. I don’t usually like to be touched.
I’ve never craved someone’s hands on me.
But like with everything else, Xavier is the exception.
I’ve just spent two hours with him cradled in my arms, and when I had to let him go, it was like losing a piece of myself.
These feelings are all-consuming. After finally getting a taste of him, I know deep down there will never be an end to this.
I lean in for another kiss, but I feel my phone vibrate against my thigh before reaching his lips.
I take it out of my pocket. It’s the movers with all of Xavier’s things.
He doesn’t have much, so it didn’t take them long to box everything up and haul it here.
None of the furniture is worth keeping. Most of it looked old anyway, so I told them to dispose of it.
I enter the code on my phone to unlock the door.
The five men have boxes on the hand trucks and carts.
They say nothing as they start taking the labeled boxes into the appropriate rooms of the apartment.
“What’s all of that?”
“It’s all of your stuff, minus the furniture. I had your apartment packed up and brought it here to you. I thought you would want your own things.”
“You did what?” He tries to pull away from me, but I return my hand to his throat, not in a threat but to get his attention. He goes stiff immediately. “Let me go, Declan.”
“We have been over this several times now, Xavier. You lost your apartment, and I have this one for you. It makes sense to have your stuff moved. This is where you belong and where you will be for now.” I pull him tighter.
I can’t help but notice how well he fits in my arms. Touch had never been a big deal to me, but now it is with him.
“See that right there. The ‘for now’ part. I don’t belong here. I can’t let myself get used to this.” He tries to pull away, so I tighten my fingers around his beautiful neck.
“The ‘for now’ part is because I know that if I said that I’m moving you into my place, you would fight me more than you already are.
So this apartment is a compromise. You can stay here until you finally get it through your head that you belong in my space, in my world, with me.
But listen carefully, Xavier, you will get it sooner or later.
I am not a patient man, but for you, I’m making an exception for now.
” I release the hold on his neck and take his lips in a bruising kiss.
This time, it’s neither slow nor gentle.
It’s ravenous, territorial, and dominant.
He stays rigid, but for only a second, before he gives in and yields to my possession of his mouth.
When I pull back to look into his eyes, I see the surrender in them. Maybe he understands now. He takes a deep breath and sighs.
“I guess you should give me a tour of the place since it seems that I don’t have a choice.”
“Oh, you have a choice, here or my place.”
“Here is good.” He goes to stand, and this time I let him. Taking his hand, I show him around the apartment I’ve set up for him. It has three bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms. When we get to the main bedroom, and he sees the boxes sitting against the far wall, he stiffens.
“Oh, my god. Someone packed all of my stuff. They saw… they packed.” He isn’t speaking in complete sentences, so I don’t understand the problem.
I hate people touching my things, so it makes sense.
I was obsessive about my things even as a child.
My cousins, especially the twins, would make it a game to mess with the order I kept things. I like things neat and organized.
“I don’t like people touching my things either, but I didn’t want you to have to worry about packing everything up.
” I try to soothe him. His face is red, as if he were embarrassed by something.
I want to know what this look means. I want to learn all of his looks.
I don’t pick up on emotional cues, so I need to understand what his expressions and body language mean.
I turn him to face me, but he is looking everywhere but at me.
“What’s wrong?” If possible, his face is even redder than before.
“Strangers packed up my things, personal things.” He says as he buries his face against my chest. I wrap my arms around him, holding him to me.
“I promise they didn’t take anything or go through it.”
“Oh, dear baby Jesus. Just forget it.”
“No, I want to know what this is about. I need to learn your reactions and what they mean.” No way in hell will I fucking let this go now. He turns his head back in the direction of the boxes and lets out a sigh.
“I have, um, personal items that no one should see or that I would want anyone to see. Just never mind.” Then it’s like a penny drops: the missing puzzle piece slots into place, revealing the whole picture.
“Sex toys?” He groans and burrows tighter to my chest. I can’t help the short laugh that escapes my lips. “Are you embarrassed that someone saw your sex toys?”
“And they had to touch them to pack them.” An unknown feeling surges through me. I think about the movers; if I’d gotten any hint from them that they imagined my little deer with them, I would carve their eyes out with a spoon and feed them to the next guy. Xavier is mine.
“I can’t wait to see them for myself. And speaking of just for me, Xavier, I need you to pay attention to this one last detail.
” Cupping his face with my hand, I bring it to where I can see his eyes clearly.
“I do not share. If anyone so much as looks at you, I’ll hurt them.
If they decide to touch what is mine, I’ll kill them. ”
“Why do I get the feeling that you don’t mean in a metaphorical sense?”
“Because I’m not.” I check the time on my watch. Ronan will be arriving soon. “Let’s go back to the living room. Ronan is stopping by with the rest.”
“Ronan? Your other cousin? The rest of what?” He asks as I take his hand and lead him back to the living room. Before I can explain, I find Ronan leaning against the arm of the sofa, scrolling on his phone.
“How long have you been here?”
“Long enough to know about the sex toys.”
“Fucking kill me now!” Xavier plops down hard on the sofa and drapes his arm across his eyes.