Chapter 4
Chapter Four
SUTTON
His mouth is on mine before I can think or second-guess this decision.
We stumble backward, our hands everywhere at once. He kicks the door shut behind us and presses me against it, his body hard and urgent against mine.
"Sutton," he breathes against my lips. "God, I missed you."
"It's been two days."
"The longest two days of my life."
I should make him work for this more. Make him grovel. Make him prove he means what he said.
But I'm done fighting. Done pretending I don't want this—want him—with every fiber of my being.
My hands slide under his shirt, feeling the defined muscles of his stomach. He groans and pulls back just long enough to yank the shirt over his head.
"You're beautiful," I murmur, running my hands over his chest.
"Says the most gorgeous woman I've ever seen." His fingers find the buttons of my work shirt, fumbling with them. "How many buttons does this thing have?"
I laugh and push his hands away, undoing them myself. "Patience."
"Don't have any." He watches me with dark eyes as I shed my shirt, then my bra. "Not when it comes to you."
His mouth finds my breast, his tongue circling my nipple until I'm gasping and arching into him. My fingers thread through his hair, holding him there.
His hands slide down to my work pants, unfastening them in under three seconds. "Need you so bad." His words come out muffled, his mouth pressed against my neck. His tongue flicks against my skin, followed by the gentle nip of his teeth, before he places soft kisses over the area.
We move to the bed, shedding the rest of our clothes in a desperate tangle of limbs and fabric. When we're finally naked, pressed together skin to skin, I feel something inside me settle.
This. This is right.
His weight above me feels like home. His hands know me. Every kiss is an apology, every touch a promise. He kisses me until I nearly forget my name. The man has a power over me that should scare me.
It doesn’t.
I crave it.
I need it.
He rolls away, reaches for my nightstand, and quickly sheaths himself with a condom.
And then he’s back, supporting his weight on his forearms and staring into my eyes. I wrap my legs around his waist, pulling him closer.
"I love you," he says, his eyes locked on mine. "I need you to know that."
"I know." I cup his face. "I love you, too. Even when you're an idiot. I’m sorry to freak out. I’m trying to do better.”
"I’ll do better. We both will.”
He pushes into me slowly. We both groan at the sensation. It's been two days, but it feels like forever.
"God, Sutton." His forehead drops to mine. "You feel so good."
"Move," I breathe. "Please, Declan, move."
He does, establishing a rhythm that's both familiar and new. Slow and deep, each thrust deliberate. This isn't just sex. This is reconnection. Reconciliation.
This is us finding our way back to each other.
He’s ruined me for any other.
It’s him.
It’s always been him.
My nails dig into his shoulders as the pleasure builds. His mouth finds mine before pulling away and sucking at that sensitive spot just below my ear. He sucks so hard I know he’s going to leave a mark.
Am I too old for hickeys?
"Everyone's going to know," I gasp.
"Good." He lifts his head to look at me. "Let them know. Let everyone know you're mine."
The possessiveness in his voice sends heat coursing through me. "Yours?"
"Mine." He punctuates the word with a particularly deep thrust that makes me cry out. "Say it."
"I'm yours." My back arches off the bed.
The combination of his words, his touch, and the angle of his thrusts pushes me over the edge. I come apart around him, pleasure crashing through me in waves. I bite down on his shoulder to muffle my scream, tasting salt and skin.
He follows seconds later, groaning my name as he finds his release.
He collapses on top of me. Every inch of his body pressed against mine.
I wrap my arms around him, holding him tight. I don’t ever want to let him go.
We lie there tangled together, both of us breathing hard. His heart pounds against my chest, matching my own racing rhythm.
"Are we okay?" He lifts his head to look at me. "Really okay?"
I brush the hair back from his forehead. "We are.”
He kisses me softly. "I'm going to show you that you can trust me."
"Good."
He gets up to lock the door before returning to my bed.
“Maybe we should have done that before we got naked,” I tease.
“I think they’ve learned by now.”
"Stay the night?" I ask.
"Try to get rid of me."
I'm almost asleep when I hear it.
A high-pitched giggle from somewhere in the house. Feminine. Familiar.
My eyes snap open.
"Did you hear that?" I whisper.
"Hear what?" Declan's voice is drowsy.
Another giggle, closer this time. Right outside my door.
"That," I say, sitting up. "That annoying sound."
Declan listens. I see the moment he recognizes it. His jaw clenches.
"Bree."
"Of course it's Bree." I pick up my shirt from the floor and pull it on. "Why is she always here? Doesn't she have her own house? Her own life?"
"She's dating Holden."
"Dating is generous. She's using Holden to hang around you." I yank on my underwear with so much force I nearly hurt myself. "I cannot stand that girl."
"Sutton, she’s not here for me."
"I'm serious, Declan. She's toxic. She tried to break us up during our freshman year, and now she's here doing it again. Always touching you, always finding excuses to be around." I turn to face him. "And the guys just let her waltz in here whenever she wants."
"What am I supposed to do? Tell Holden he can't date her?"
"Yes!"
He laughs. "I can't do that."
"Why not?"
"Because it's his life. His choice." He reaches for me, pulling me back to the bed. "Come here. Don't worry about Bree."
"How can I not worry? She's a snake."
"A snake with no venom." He kisses my temple. "She's just hanging on to any guy she can find. It's pathetic, really."
I pull back to look at him. "Any guy she can find? That's supposed to make me feel better?"
"That came out wrong."
"You think?" I cross my arms. "So she's just desperately clinging to whoever will have her? That's your defense?"
"Bree wants attention. Any attention. She dates guys on the team because it makes her relevant. But none of them actually want her. Not really. She's just... there."
Another giggle, and this time it's definitely right outside my door.
I narrow my eyes. "Is she listening?"
"No way." But Declan looks uncertain.
"She's eavesdropping." I stand up. "That bitch is literally standing outside my door listening to us."
"Sutton, wait."
But I'm already moving toward the door. Declan jumps up, grabbing his boxers.
"Let me handle this," he says.
"Why? So you can be nice to her?"
"No, so you don't commit murder. I kind of like having a girlfriend who's not in prison."
That makes me laugh despite my anger. "Fine. But if she's out there, I'm saying something."
"You already marked your territory pretty well the other day," he says with a smirk.
My face heats. "That was your fault."
"My fault you decided to basically mount me in front of everyone?" He's grinning now, pulling on his boxers. "I seem to remember you being very enthusiastic about it."
"Shut up." But I'm smiling now, too, remembering the look on Bree's face when she stormed out.
Another sound. Someone's definitely out there.
Declan moves to the door and yanks it open.
Bree jumps back, her eyes wide. She's wearing Holden's oversized T-shirt—and apparently nothing else. Her hair is a mess, her lips swollen.
"Oh!" She puts a hand to her chest. "Declan! You scared me."
"What are you doing outside Sutton's door?" His voice is cold.
"I was just walking by." She gestures vaguely down the hall. "On my way to the bathroom."
"The bathroom's the other direction," I say from behind Declan.
Bree's eyes flick to me, then back to Declan. "Right. I meant from the bathroom. I just came from there."
And then I knew.
She was hoping she might catch Declan leaving my room.
"You're pathetic," I snap, stepping beside Declan. "You can't stand that he chose me. He’s sleeping in my bed. You can skulk in the hall all you want; he’ll be in here.”
I slam the door in her face.
Declan looks at me with a cocky smile. “You’re feral.”
“I really don’t like her.”
“You don’t say.”
He pulls me back to bed and snuggles up close to me.
From down the hall, we hear raised voices. Holden and Bree are arguing.
"Think they're breaking up?" I ask.
"Probably." Declan doesn't sound concerned. "He'll be fine. Better off, actually."
"Won't the guys be mad at me for causing drama?"
"They'll thank me. Nobody actually likes Bree."
I laugh. "Then why did Holden date her?"
"Because she's hot and easy?" He shrugs. "Guys are simple creatures."
"Wow. That's romantic."
"I'm romantic where it counts." He kisses my earlobe, tugging it with his teeth. "Want me to prove it?"
"Again? Aren't you tired?"
"Never too tired for you." His mouth finds my neck, and he proceeds to make me forget all about why I was mad at him.