Declan

by Kate Hoffmann

  He stripped down to his boxer briefs, then stood watching her, his thumbs skimming beneath the waistband as if he hadn’t thought twice about accepting her offer. And then, he shoved the boxers down, kicked out of them and stepped into the tub.

  Dec winced at the heat of the water, but quickly grew accustomed to the temperature. He grabbed her hands and pulled her forward, then moved to sit behind her. Rachel settled back against him, her hips nestled between his legs.

  “Wow,” Dec murmured. “This is kinda nice. It’s perfect for two.”

  Rachel closed her eyes and tipped her head back. “Hmmm.” She’d gone from the depths of fear to the heights of absolute calm in the course of an hour. This was exactly what she needed, the warm water swirling over her naked skin, a long-limbed man holding her against his body. It was the best kind of therapy for anything that ailed her.

  “I guess I don’t make much of a voyeur,” he said. “I don’t have the patience to just watch.”

  “You’re not exactly supposed to be invited to watch,” she said. “You’re supposed to do it secretly. That’s part of the thrill.”

  “Aren’t voyeurs just Peeping Toms?”

  “All Peeping Toms are voyeurs, but not all voyeurs are Peeping Toms. Some people get sexually aroused by watching. There’s nothing wrong with that if it’s done in a safe and legal environment. It’s a well-recognized paraphilia.”

  Dec growled, then kissed her neck playfully. “I love it when you talk sex to me. But what’s a paraphilia?”

  “It’s sexual arousal in response to objects or situations that don’t have a possibility of reciprocal sexual activity. But it also refers to sexual practices out of the mainstream.”

  “Like what? Like getting dressed up in your girlfriend’s skirts?”

  “Yeah, if you’re turned on by the clothes. Then there’s fetishism, which is arousal from a body part, usually non-sexual. Like the foot. That’s a popular one.”

  “I have a hard time with that one,” Dec said. “I mean, my feet are stuck inside my shoes all day long. They’re about as sexy as my earlobes.”

  “I think your earlobes are really sexy,” Rachel said, glancing back at him. She reached beneath the water and grabbed his foot, then held it up. “This is a beautiful foot.”

  “But do you find it sexy?” he asked.

  Rachel decided to try something she never had. She brushed the soap off his foot, then leaned forward and kissed his instep. Slowly running her tongue along the arch, she stopped when she reached the toes, drawing his big toe into her mouth and sucking it gently.

  Dec’s breath caught and for a moment, he stiffened, then let out a low groan. “Oh, fuck,” he murmured.

  “I think your feet are very sexy,” she whispered as she continued to suck on each toe. She’d always read that men’s feet were particularly sensitive to oral stimulation, but she’d never had the opportunity for any real-life research. From Dec’s reaction, she knew that the research had been correct.

  “See how this works,” she said.

  “Oh, yeah,” he said. “You don’t have to convince me.”

  Rachel giggled, then let his foot drop gently back down into the water. This time, when she leaned back, she felt his growing erection slide up along her spine. For such a swift and intense response, Dec must have enjoyed the toe sucking more than she’d anticipated.

  “Now what?” he asked in a seductive voice. “Teach me more.”

  Rachel slowly rolled over until she faced him, her body still caught between his legs. “There’s a lot of other things to explore if you’re interested.”

  “What about your first date rule?” he asked, capturing her mouth for a quick kiss.

  “I’ve been thinking that might be an arbitrary rule,” she replied as she nuzzled his chest.

  He bent down and grabbed her bottom lip between his teeth, giving it a gentle nip. “I completely agree. Especially if it’s going to stand in the way of my education.”

  Rachel slowly rose and stood in front of him, running her palms over her soap-slicked skin, teasing at his desire. He watched her for a long time, his gaze moving up and down the length of her body. She stepped out of the tub and grabbed a towel from the rack, smiling as she walked out of the bathroom, the towel wrapped around her body.

  Rachel wandered into Dec’s bedroom. He’d set her bag in the doorway, but this time she knew his choice had been purposeful. He wanted her to share his bed. She tossed the bag on the bed and opened it, then pulled out a pair of summer pajamas she’d packed. The short-sleeved shirt and the little shorts had kittens all over the fabric and she dried off and slipped into them.

  “Man, those are sexy.”

  Rachel glanced up to find Dec standing in the doorway to the bedroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. “You like them?” she asked.

  “Better than Victoria’s Secret any day.” He ran his hands over his belly. “So, do you want something to eat?”

  Rachel shook her head. “I’m fine. But I’m not sure I’m up for a movie.”

  “We have our date tomorrow night, we’ll see one then.”

  “Our date,” she said. In all the chaos of the afternoon, she’d forgotten about that. She’d missed her hair appointment and hadn’t found anything to wear yet.

  Dec pointed to the bed. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to grab my pillow. I’ll sleep on the sofa in the den.”

  “No,” Rachel said, shaking her head. She crawled onto the mattress, rising on her knees as she raked her hands through her damp hair. “You’ll sleep with me.”

  “All right,” Dec said. She watched as he shifted on his feet, knowing what was going through his mind, making certain he knew it was an invitation and not an excuse. They both knew they couldn’t spend an entire night in the same bed without touching and kissing. And that would lead to many more pleasures, pleasures neither one of them wanted to deny anymore.

  She wanted to fall into bed with Dec right now, to strip off all his clothes and pull him on top of her. Losing herself in a haze of desire would be exactly what she needed, the touch of his body distracting her from all the other worries plaguing her mind. “Are you coming to bed?” she asked.

  “In a few minutes,” he replied. “I just want to call the office and have them go over and get those videotapes from university security. And then I’m going to send someone over to your house and see if they can pick up any evidence from the garage.” He stepped up and slipped his arms around her waist, then gave her a slow, sensual kiss, his hands running over her body. When he’d had enough, he kissed her neck. “I’ll be right back.”

  “I’ll be waiting.” She drew back the covers, then crawled beneath them. As she snuggled into his soft down pillows, Rachel smiled. Of all the places they’d lived together, she liked this one best.

  She rolled over on her stomach and stared at the things scattered on his nightstand. A bottle of vitamin C.A photo of Dec and five young children, Dec standing with his arms outstretched like the branches of a tree and the children swinging from them. A pile of change and a matchbook from a Providence night club. She picked up the matchbook and peeked inside, relieved to find it blank.

  Curious, Rachel took her search a bit further and pulled out the drawer of his nightstand. It was filled with an assortment of small items, pens and pencils, a small flashlight, a bottle of aspirin. She pulled out a small black book and flipped through it, then saw that it was “his” black book. It was filled with phone numbers, each accompanied by the name of a girl. “Mandi M.,” she murmured. “Tori K. Kari W.”

  Rachel had made an unofficial study of girls who had names that ended in “i” and she’d come to the conclusion that they were usually blonde, gorgeous and possessed a larger than average pair of breasts. She stared down at her own chest and sighed. She liked to think of herself as sexy, but next to girls like that, she paled in comparison.

  Rachel set the black book back inside then pulled out a string of condoms. At least he was prepa
red, she mused. But had he put those in the nightstand just recently or did he keep a steady supply on hand? Rachel had never asked him about past girlfriends or lovers. In the beginning, it hadn’t been any of her business and now, it didn’t really matter. She was the woman in his bed, the woman he wanted here.

  She closed the nightstand drawer and curled back up beneath the covers. Closing her eyes, she listened to the sounds of Dec moving around downstairs and she smiled. Once again, he’d made sure she was safe. As long as she was with him, nothing could hurt her.

  THE HAND CAME OUT OF nowhere, clamping down on her mouth. Rachel tried to open her eyes. Maybe they were open and it was just so dark she couldn’t see. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t scream. The hand blocked whatever sound she tried to make.

  Twisting against the grip, she fought frantically for air, but it was no use. She felt herself blacking out and rather than experiencing a sense of release, her panic only increased. This was how she was going to die, suffocated, second by second, losing her grip on life. She’d nearly resigned herself to her fate, ready to let go.

  And then suddenly, the hand was gone. Rachel bolted upright and gasped for breath, her heart slamming in her chest. He was there beside her and with a soft cry, she scrambled across the bed to get away.

  He reached out and grabbed her hand. “Hey,” he said softly. “It’s all right. You were having a bad dream.”

  The soft light from the hallway illuminated his silhouette and for a moment, Rachel thought the panic would overwhelm her. But then she recognized Declan and her pulse began to slow. Emotion surged inside her and she fought back a wave of tears. These wide swings between utter fear and blissful safety were beginning to wear her down.

  Dec drew her into his arms and pulled her back down to lie beside him, gently stroking her back and kissing her face. “Better now?” he asked.

  She nodded, nuzzling into his warm, naked chest. Rachel lay there for a long time, listening to the strong rhythm of his heart and letting his strength seep into her. She wanted this closeness. In truth, she needed to feel closer.

  Pushing up on her elbow, she stared down into his face, the features just visible in the dim light. He watched her silently and without thinking, she crawled on top of him and began to move. Her hips rocked up and down against his crotch and Dec moaned, arching into her body as if inviting her to continue.

  There was no conscious decision to seduce him, just an unspoken agreement that this was the time and place. She felt it, in her soul and deep inside her body, an undeniable need to ease the ache there. She had to have him-now, not later. Bending forward, Rachel slid down over his hips, moving lower and lower until she straddled his thighs.

  He was already hard, the outline of his erection evident beneath the soft cotton of his boxer briefs. Rachel rubbed her hand back and forth over the ridge and Dec moaned, twisting beneath her touch. His eyes were closed and she knew he’d have a hard time fighting the pleasure she was giving him.

  She pulled the waistband of his boxers down to reveal his hard cock. Wrapping her fingers around it, she slowly began to stroke him. But it wasn’t enough to just touch him, she needed to taste him as well. Taking the tip into her mouth, Rachel flicked her tongue over the head of his penis. She seemed to connect with all the right nerves because Dec jerked beneath her, then moaned again, softly whispering her name.

  She took her time pleasing him with her mouth and he grew even harder, his erection straining against her hand. Rachel grabbed the boxer briefs and pulled them off, sliding down with them until she reached his feet.

  Grabbing his foot, she pressed a kiss into the curve of his instep, then moved to his toes. But when she took his little toe into her mouth and began to suck, Dec pulled his foot away. “If you do that, I’ll come right now,” he warned her.

  Rachel laughed softly, then crawled back on top of him. “Have I discovered a weakness?”

  He reached up and brushed the hair away from her face, groaning as he tugged her head back. “You’re my weakness,” he said, his voice ragged.

  Bending toward him, Rachel kissed him, lingering over his mouth the way she lingered over his penis. “I need you,” she murmured. “I need to feel you inside of me.”

  Dec smoothed his hand over her cheek, turning her face until he could see it more clearly in the dim light. “Are you awake?” he asked.

  Rachel nodded. “Yes. I know what I’m doing.”

  “Are you doing this because you’re afraid and you want me to make you feel safe?”

  “I’m doing this because I want you,” she replied. “Nothing more.”

  Dec pulled her back down into another deep kiss, his mouth capturing hers, plundering hers with his tongue. “I want you, too,” he said, a desperate edge to his voice. “God, I want you so much it scares me.”

  Rachel reached for the hem of her pajama top and tugged it over her head, then tossed it on the floor. She’d always let her partner take the lead in the past, believing that men gained more pleasure from controlling their partner in sex. But tonight, she felt as if this was her awakening, a time to take what she needed.

  Dec reached up and cupped her breasts in his hands, teasing at the nipples until they were hard peaks. They’d waited so long for this that she’d expected this moment to be frantic and wild. But instead it was quiet and gentle, two people intent on savoring every sensation.

  Rachel slid her legs along his, until she lay on top of him. His penis pressed against her belly and she rubbed against it, rising up every now and then before dropping down again. Though it was such a simple act, it made Dec even more aroused and he clutched at her backside, urging her to move at his direction.

  “I’m so close,” he said. “From the minute you touched me, I felt like I was nearly there.”

  Rachel smiled. “I’m glad I have that effect on you.”

  “Oh, you do,” he murmured. He reached down and slid his hands beneath her boy shorts, bunching the lacy trim in his fists, then slowly worked them down her legs. A few moments, later, they joined his boxer briefs on the floor.

  The feel of their naked bodies stretched out together set every nerve in Rachel’s body tingling. His hands skimmed over her backside, then up to her shoulders and back again as he kissed her. It was good that they’d waited, Rachel mused. Though it might have been a wonderful physical release a few days ago, Rachel felt as if they’d somehow grown closer since then.

  She brought her knees back up around his hips, letting his cock nestle between her legs. And then, she drew forward and he was probing at her entrance. Rachel held her breath, enjoying the feel of him nearly inside of her.

  “Oh, God,” he murmured. “Don’t do that to me.”

  But Rachel didn’t listen. She slowly lifted herself up on her knees, then sank down on top of him. He slid inside her, inch by inch, but before she could bury him completely, Dec grabbed her hips and stopped. “We should use a condom,” he said.

  “Umm,” Rachel murmured, her mind focused on the feel of him inside of her. “All right. That would be good.”

  Dec gently lifted her up, then twisted beneath her to grab a condom from the bedside table. He struggled to tear open the plastic packet and when it finally did, he gave it to her to smooth over his stiff shaft.

  “Now?” she murmured, crawling back on top of him.

  Dec groaned, pressing at the damp spot between her legs. “Now.”

  This time, she came down all the way, until he was buried deep inside of her. Rachel sighed and then smiled. She’d imagined how this might feel, but it was so much better. He was thick and hard and he filled her completely, his warmth, his strength, his courage.

  She began to move above him, drawing him in and out of her body in a slow and easy rhythm. Dec watched her, his gaze fixed on her face, his expression intense. But what began quietly, soon turned into something much more desperate and passionate.

  As Dec’s pleasure began to increase, he grabbed her waist and flipped h
er beneath him. Bracing his arms on either side of her, he continued to move but now he controlled the tempo and Rachel found herself losing touch with reality.

  Through a hazy desire, she watched his face, tense in an attempt to maintain control, the clenched jaw, the closed eyes, the focused expression. But she didn’t care. She wanted him to lose control, to give it up to her in the same way she’d made herself vulnerable to him.

  He drove into her hard again and again, then stopped, leaning over her and kissing her deeply. “You’re making me crazy,” he said. “I want you too much.” He slid down on her body until he could catch his arms beneath her legs, then began to kiss her belly.

  A moment later, his mouth was on her, his tongue teasing at her clitoris. Rachel knew the feeling, knew how intense the orgasm would be and how quickly it would come. But this time, she wouldn’t give in to it. She’d wait and share it with Dec.

  He brought her close again and again and she fought the pleasure. And when she could fight it no more, Rachel put her hands in his hair and tugged him back up along her body. “I want you inside me when I come,” she said.

  He filled her again, still as hard as he was before, and began to move. But this time, Rachel let go, surrendering to the wild sensations that coursed through her body. She wasn’t sure it would happen, but as he increased his tempo, she felt herself spiraling upward. There was no stopping it and Rachel shifted beneath him, finding just the right spot to bring her the rest of the way.

  Her orgasm hit her like a surge of electricity, gripping every nerve in her body for just one unbearable second. And then Rachel tumbled forward, falling into it, the rush of pleasure, the shocking spasms and the overwhelming satisfaction.

  She hadn’t realized that Dec had found his release at the same time until her mind regained some sense of reality again. He was gasping for breath, driving into her, and Rachel sighed, running her hands over his chest.

  There had been nothing bizarre or kinky about it. It was perfectly normal sex. But at the same time, it was the most extraordinary sex she’d ever experienced. Because it was with a man who touched her heart and her soul. She was falling in love with Declan Quinn and there was nothing she could do about it.