by Melody Anne
Talking stopped when he leaned down and sucked her nipple through the thin layer of silk she was wearing. She moaned her approval and he didn’t have to hold her hands any longer.
He kissed and licked and massaged her breasts through the fabric for a while longer, loving how she felt. But soon he didn’t want anything between them. He lifted her and carefully stripped the teddy, definitely wanting to see her in it again, and then she was lain out before him, a perfect piece of art.
He lavished attention on both breasts, making her wiggle and cry out as he sucked and nibbled. She begged for more. He’d give her the world. He was so hard he could cut glass at this point, but he wanted this night to last forever.
He danced his tongue across her flat abs and sucked on the inside of her thighs. He spread her legs open and took a moment to gaze at her wet heat. “So beautiful,” he muttered, and she sighed in pleasure.
He had to taste her. He could do this forever and it wouldn’t be enough. Her taste and smell were heaven. She arched her back as he sucked and licked her swollen flesh. He wanted to plunge deep inside her, but not before he made her scream.
He swirled his tongue and hummed against her, and after a few more swipes, she cried out his name as her body stiffened and her thighs squeezed his shoulders. She pulsed against his mouth over and over, and he swept his tongue up and down her hot slit until the shaking stopped.
She melted into the bed, her body damp, a sweet smile on her lips. He leaned over her, enjoying how utterly beautiful she was. He didn’t move until she opened her eyes, their dark depths glowing with pleasure.
No words were spoken as he slipped inside her, finally coming home. He moved slowly in and out as his head descended and he took her lips again. But no matter how many times he made this woman come, he wanted more. He stroked her, built her pleasure, and felt her release again and again while holding back his own.
Eventually he couldn’t hold back any longer. Her name ripped from his lips as he let go, filling her with his heat. She shook around him as they came together in a perfect moment of bliss.
He collapsed on top of her where he lay for a minute before turning and pulling her into the cradle of his arms. They were both sweaty and hot, and he knew he could lie like that for the rest of his life.
“I really, really like that nightie,” he said with a light chuckle.
She giggled against him.
“I should’ve bought one sooner.”
“No, I think that was perfect timing.”
They didn’t speak any further, and soon he heard her slow, steady breaths, telling him she was sleeping. He lay there a while longer before getting up and shutting off the lights, then he carefully pulled the covers out and climbed in.
She reached for him in her sleep and he wrapped her close. This would be how they slept from here on out. She was supposed to be at his side. He had no doubt about that, and he wasn’t going to argue about it anymore.
She was his. He was hers. That’s just the way it needed to be.
Chapter Thirty
Angela’s stomach stirred as she slowly woke. She was on fire, and didn’t understand why, until she felt Declan’s hands on her thighs. The morning sun was glowing in her room. She thought she’d been sated the night before, but at his touch, her body came instantly alive. She was ready for him that quickly.
“Good, you’re awake,” he said as he leaned down and nibbled on her chest, taking her nipple into his mouth and sucking. She couldn’t stop her groan of approval.
“We should chat,” she said, but the word ended on another moan.
“Unless it’s about the weather, nope,” he said before taking her other nipple into his mouth and biting down before sucking.
“But, Declan . . .” she tried again. And he smiled as he raised his head. He leaned over her while continuing to run his hands along the curve of her body.
“My turn,” he said. He then kissed her so hot she couldn’t have spoken if she wanted to. His finger dipped into her heat and she moaned. She wouldn’t mind always waking up like this. Who needed coffee when she had Declan?
“We’re going to quit pretending there isn’t something going on between the two of us. We’re going to stop fighting it. You’re going to sleep in my bed, and we’re going to see what comes next.” He said all of this while pumping his fingers in and out of her and circling his thumb around that most sensitive part.
She was coming undone and could barely hear his words. There was no chance she’d be able to argue, and maybe that was his strategy. But she was feeling too dang good to care about that right now.
He swept his thumb across her again and she came . . . hard. He let her catch her breath before making her look him in the eyes.
“Do you understand?” he asked.
“Yes, and no. I don’t know what that means,” she said, her voice breathy.
“It means you’re my girlfriend, I guess.” He stopped for a second and gave her a crooked smile. “Though I have never in my life used that term. With what the two of us have together, it just doesn’t seem to fit, but we can think about that for a while.”
“It’s not just me, though, Declan. I don’t want Timothy to get hurt in all of this,” she said.
“I love Timothy, Angela. My entire family does. There is no chance we’re going to hurt him,” he told her. He spoke so easily of loving her son it brought tears to her eyes. She loved her son so much, and all she wanted was for the rest of the world to love him as much.
With those words she didn’t have any fight left in her. She wanted this man, and she wanted to take what she wanted without thinking of all the what-ifs. She rarely did that, but she thought she could this one time. She needed this man.
“Make love to me,” she told him.
She didn’t have to ask twice. He climbed over her and slipped inside, and they didn’t emerge from the bed for another hour. She didn’t want to get up when they did, but Timothy was going to be home at any time and she wouldn’t put it past his brothers to come find them in the bedroom.
With reluctance they both rose and showered together. When they came downstairs they found Kian sitting in the kitchen with Timothy, who was happy as could be munching on some sugary cereal.
“Good morning, sweetie,” she said as she moved over to him and kissed him on the top of the head. “Did you have fun at Kian’s?”
“Yes, we stayed up late watching scary movies then slept in past nine,” he exclaimed. That was something they never did so she could see why he was excited.
“I figured neither of you would be up too early, not when you had the house to yourselves,” Kian said with a wink that turned her cheeks pink.
Angela couldn’t look at Declan’s brother. She was too mortified, because she wasn’t going to be able to deny what they’d been doing, but she certainly wasn’t going to confirm it either.
“I’m glad you had fun, sweetie. I can’t believe how quickly time is passing. You used to be too little to stay up half the night,” she said.
“I’m almost a teenager, Mom,” he said before stuffing another bite of cereal in his mouth.
“Well, you have a few more years until that dreaded time,” she said. He was only eight. She didn’t want him growing up too quickly.
“Did you know Kian and Roxie have a baby?” he asked.
“Yes, I do know that,” she said. “A very sweet baby.”
“Why don’t you have a baby?” he asked with such innocence. But his words still stabbed her through the chest. She hoped it wasn’t showing in her face.
“I have you. I don’t need a baby,” she said.
“But then I could grow up and it wouldn’t make you sad,” he reasoned.
She reached over and hugged him tight. “You are such a good boy. I promise to not be sad as you grow up just as long as you’re still my son forever.”
He laughed. “I have to be your son, Mom,” he said, and she ruffled his hair.
“You get to be my
son, just like I get to be your mom because it’s the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“You always say that. I guess I’m pretty cool,” he told her.
“Yes, you certainly are,” she said.
“As much fun as it is listening to this conversation, I have to get home,” Kian said. “Thank you for letting him stay the night. It was a lot of fun.”
“Thank you for having him,” Angela said. She walked over and gave him a hug. “You guys are amazing with my son and me.”
He shifted on his feet but gave her a big smile.
“I’ll walk you out,” Declan said. Before he moved away, though, he leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. Her lips were tingling as he left the room.
“That’s gross, Mom,” Timothy said. “Kian and Roxie do that a lot too. Grownups are weird.”
And with that he lost interest in the conversation. Angela guessed Declan wasn’t going to hide their relationship in front of his family. She felt pretty good about that, even if it scared her a bit to be so open in front of her son.
On the other hand he didn’t seem to mind at all. Maybe it was something that should be done just like ripping off a bandage. She wasn’t really sure of anything. But she did know she was pretty happy for the first time in a long while. She hoped her bubble didn’t burst.
Chapter Thirty-One
Declan had been at the office the entire day, and Angela had finally hit the point of no return. She was done being in the house. Because she felt guilty keeping Timothy locked up with her, she was letting him go to the other Forbes’s houses too much to play with other kids, but that left her all alone.
She called Declan and told him they were eating dinner at her favorite Italian restaurant with outdoor seating. He didn’t argue with her, but he insisted on picking her up. She wanted to fight him on it, but she had to give in sometimes. To win a war you had to lose some scrimmages.
They arrived just in time for the last outdoor seating of the night. The two of them had been inseparable for a week. She didn’t fight being in his bed anymore. She also was well aware she was in love with him. Whether she’d wanted it to happen or not, it had, and there wasn’t a whole lot she could do about—except keep it to herself. She didn’t know what it meant and she really didn’t know if it would last when the danger was over.
“I’m starving,” she told him.
“Nope. I’ve been told we never really starve,” he said.
“Ah, yes, Eden preaches that. Didn’t her dad used to tell her all the time that she’s not starving, children around the world are the ones who feel real hunger.”
“Yes, and it’s enough that it’s stuck with me,” Declan told her.
“Well I’m really, really hungry,” she said.
Their waitress, Cammy, brought their drinks and placed bread in front of them. Angela wasn’t shy about picking up a piece and slathering it with butter. He followed suit.
“I don’t know what’s happening to me lately, but I can’t seem to get enough food. It’s insane. And my pants were tight today. You’d think that would scare me enough to get me to slow down.”
Declan paused and looked at her. She couldn’t read his expression. She smelled the wine and it turned her stomach. She set it down and focused on the bread instead.
“Maybe we need to do a pregnancy test,” he said.
Her eyes widened as she looked at him, and then she was filled with sadness.
“I’m not pregnant,” she told him.
“You could be, Angela,” he said. She had no idea how he felt about that. He continued to eat his bread as he looked at her. “The condom broke the first time, and we haven’t used any in a while.”
She lost her appetite as she set the rest of her bread down and picked up her water glass. “I might be getting the flu or something, but there’s no chance I’m pregnant.”
“Why do you say that?” he asked.
She didn’t want the romance to die so quickly, but she needed to tell him. It was only fair, especially if she was falling in love with him. She didn’t want him to fall in love with a broken woman.
“When I was stabbed there was a lot of damage,” she said. She refused to shed another tear about this. She’d stay strong.
“I know. I read the report,” he said as he reached for her hand.
“I was told I won’t have any more children,” she whispered. It still broke her heart to say those words. It made her less of a woman. No man would want to marry a woman who couldn’t have children.
He gazed at her for several long moments. “You do realize that even if you can’t have children that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you, right?” he asked as if he could read her mind.
“Of course it makes me less of a woman,” she said, voicing the thought she’d just had. His gaze narrowed.
“I don’t ever want to hear you say something like that again. You are a man’s dream come true, Angela. You. There’s nothing more you need to give or add to the beautiful package you are.” He was saying the right words, but they were coming through clenched teeth.
“Men want an heir,” she said.
“There might be some men out there with that opinion, but would you want to date a man like that?”
She paused. “I’ve never really thought about it. I’ve just figured I’m too broken to marry.”
“You’re not even a little bit.” He squeezed her hand. His jaw unclenched. “You’re beautiful, kind, and loyal. I’m honored you’re mine.”
A tear slipped down her cheek before she wiped it away.
“I just wanted more kids. It was always something I dreamed of,” she admitted. It was so painful to even talk about.
“Did you ever get a second opinion?” he finally asked.
She stared at him, not knowing what to say or think about those last words.
“What are you talking about?” she asked.
“It’s been four years since the incident happened. There’s a lot of trauma in a stabbing. Did you ever go back and have it tested again?”
He didn’t appear upset; he looked empathetic. But his words were scaring her a little, and sadly, giving her some hope.
“No. It hurt too badly the first time I was told. I wasn’t going to put myself through that again,” she told him.
She reached for the wine glass, and he slipped it out of her hands.
“I think we need to check again or take a test. I’m assuming you aren’t on birth control. I should’ve asked you why there was no chance you’d get pregnant. I’ve never trusted a woman with that before.”
She felt the color drain from her face.
“I wasn’t trying to trick you, Declan. You can look at my medical records.”
He squeezed her hand. “I don’t think you’re capable of lying, Angela. I know that. I’m just saying, we should check again.”
She sat dumbfounded as the waitress brought their food. She couldn’t even look at it. Her stomach was turning. What if he was right? What if there was a chance she could have another baby? She’d given up hope that week in the hospital. She hadn’t thought she’d ever have another child. She’d been so grateful to have Timothy. Some women could never have a child and they were okay with that, but she wouldn’t have been.
“Hey,” he said, getting her attention. “There’s nothing we can do about it tonight. Let’s enjoy our meal, alcohol free, and we’ll look into it tomorrow.”
“I don’t want to get my hopes up,” she said. “I won’t be able to stand the letdown. I don’t want to get pregnant now, but the thought that I could in the future would matter to me.”
“If you are pregnant, we’ll handle it.”
“Handle it?” she questioned.
“I’d love my child, Angela. I hope you wouldn’t think I could feel any other way.”
“I know you would, but if I did get pregnant, it would’ve been under false pretenses. I swore to you there wasn’t a chance.”
“And tha
t’s exactly what you believed. But the body is an amazing thing. It can heal. And what’s meant to be will happen.”
She was speechless at his words. Timothy’s biological father hadn’t been nearly so kind. He’d thought she’d tried to trap him. He’d been a monster. It had been just her and Timothy for a long time. She wasn’t sure what to think about what Declan was saying.
He leaned in and gave her a kiss, his lips lingering on hers for several moments. When he pulled away her heart was fluttering. She looked at this man she loved so much, and it killed her not to say the words.
“I’ll take another of those,” he said. She leaned forward and knocked her glass off the table.
“Oh,” she exclaimed as she leaned over to grab it.
And that’s when everything went very wrong.
There was a boom in the air. As she lifted back up, she watched Declan fly from his chair. Red splashed her as he grunted, falling to the ground.
“Get down,” he ground out as another explosion ripped through the air.
Angela was frozen for a second, but then she slid to the ground next to him. He immediately grabbed her with his uninjured arm. His left one had a big bloodstain by his shoulder.
“Is that a gunshot?” she asked.
“No time. Crawl inside,” he told her as he pulled out his gun. “Don’t argue with me. Just do it, or lives will be lost.” He’d never spoken so firmly to her before and Angela didn’t even think of arguing. She moved quickly, not knowing what was happening.
“Come here,” Cammy, who was the owner’s daughter, said. She was behind the counter waiving her arm.
“I don’t know what’s happening,” Angela said as she crawled across the floor.
“Someone is shooting at the restaurant. We’ve called the police.”
Sirens were blaring in the distance. Angela huddled with Cammy and looked for Declan. Where was he? What was he doing? She wanted to go back to him, but she didn’t want to put him in more danger. She had no choice but to wait. She and Cammy held each other as the clock slowed down.
Chapter Thirty-Two