Deadly Prophecy: A Second Sight Series Spin-Off

by Heather Topham Wood

  Liam had been stabilized at the scene. Declan wouldn’t have felt a smidgen of remorse if he had died, but he was needed to prosecute Brianna and Adam. Declan had a strong sense Liam would have no issue selling out his friends if it meant saving his own hide.

  With the chaos at the beach house, the moment was the first chance Declan had to speak to Kate alone. He had so many questions, but struggled over where to start.

  Kate spoke up first. “I had a vision of Liam packing a backpack with the zip ties and the chloroform. I tried to call you to warn you, but you didn’t answer. And the cops didn’t take my warning seriously when I called.”

  “So you came,” he said.

  She nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. “Of course I came.” Her hand shook as she continued. “Jared and I got in the car the second I saw the vision. I had no idea if Liam intended to hurt you or not, but I wasn’t taking the chance.”

  She launched herself in his arms and held on as if he were her lifeline. She started to cry softly against his chest. “I’m sorry. I should’ve never let you leave the way that you did.”

  He rubbed a soothing hand down the back of her hair. “I was a dick. I’ve been a dick since you’ve been engaged. I was going through stuff and I took it out on you. I’m sorry.” Holding her felt different. His heart didn’t feel torn in two. She would always be his best friend and also his work wife, but not his love. And he was perfectly fine with the arrangement.

  Pulling away slightly, she wiped at her cheeks. “I’ve known for a long time what happened between us was never resolved. I pretended like we both woke up one morning and were completely fine as friends. Because that was the easiest thing for me to do.”

  “You never made any promises to me, Kate. You told me over and over again that you were in love with Jared. I made myself the runner-up,” he said.

  “I love you too. You know that, right?” she asked with her lower lip trembling. Nodding, Declan didn’t make her spell out her meaning because he felt the same way. He loved her as a partner and best friend. And because they were psychic, they could confide in each other in a way that made their connection permanent. But he wasn’t in love with her. His heart belonged to someone else.

  After being quiet for a long minute, she managed to give him a quirky smile. “So, about you and Jenna….”

  “You got me. I violated your ‘no getting involved with a client’ rule,” he said watching her reaction closely.

  She smirked. “I figured as much.”

  “But I don’t plan to ever violate it again,” he said with a loud laugh.

  “That’s good,” she said. “I think I like this version of Declan.” She didn’t have to explain her meaning. He was content with life, not the Declan always out for more.

  “So, let me get you to your girl,” she said, giving him a playful hip bump. She led him to her car and he marveled in the moment between them. All was right. Kate would forgive him for sleeping with Nikki and he would forget the way she rejected him. At the end of the day, his pride had been more hurt than his heart. He had been more enamored with the idea of being in love with Kate than actually feeling those emotions. He had wanted a family again and didn’t take into consideration Kate may not have been the one.

  Jenna was the one. There was not a single doubt in his mind. The way he felt when he thought she was going to die—he was awake now. She owned him completely. There was no question his future was with Jenna and he didn’t need a psychic premonition to tell him that.

  ***

  Lazy Sundays in bed with his girl were the best. Declan had started the tradition a week after returning from the beach house and it had continued for the past two months. They couldn’t leave the bedroom until at least noon and even that rule was flexible. Most Sundays, Jenna and Declan only left his bed for bathroom and snack breaks. And to feed her dog—Olli had become a near-permanent fixture at his house. Later in the evening, they would usually invite either Kate and Jared or Radha and Lulu over for dinner. His house was finally starting to feel like a home. Jenna had also turned him soft toward his mother. With her and Radha’s urging, he had finally agreed to visit Finola the following week.

  With Derek’s case resolved and his bastard friends behind bars, Jenna and Declan were free to move on. The trial wouldn’t take place for months, but Declan predicted they would be wasting away in prison for a long time.

  Watching Jenna sleep peacefully next to him, Declan lost track of time. Although he loved the blissful bubble he lived inside when they were together, he didn’t have a fear of it breaking anytime soon. Fear was what made him destroy all of his past relationships. And he planned to hold on tight to Jenna indefinitely.

  Jenna slept in his t-shirt and a pair of plain cotton underwear. Her hair was tangled and she usually had zero makeup on when she was with him. And she was stunning—gorgeous enough to take his breath away each time he looked at her. He was damn lucky she had decided to give him a chance. And he wouldn’t waste it.

  While she was still sleeping, he planted a light kiss on her lips. She smiled fully before opening her eyes completely. Blinking at him, she said slyly, “Do you ever sleep?”

  “Why would I sleep when I have perfection in bed with me?” he said teasingly. He tapped her nose with his pointer finger. “You’re beautiful. Have I told you that?”

  She feigned checking her watch. “Not in the last five minutes.”

  “Well, you are,” he said, his voice growing husky. “And I don’t have enough adjectives to describe how much I’m in love with you.”

  “God, I love you,” she said, turning serious. “I hope every night you find your way into my head to see just how much I love you.”

  They dove for each other at the same time. Tangling their bodies and their mouths in an effort to consume one another. She was intoxicating to him—her floral scent, her soft skin, her perfect, curvy body. Her knees parted, inviting him to place his palm against her mound. As he snuck a finger inside of her and then another, Jenna started to move her hips quickly back and forth. But he deliberately took his time, always trying to extend how much pleasure they could get from one another.

  When her hand reached for him, his body came to life with anticipation. Her smile was wicked as she touched his hardness ever so slightly, a tease of what was to come. His body started to ache with the desire to bury himself in her, but he forced himself to stay in control. He refocused on teasing her clit, working her harder and faster than before.

  He kissed her as they continued to make each other’s bodies hum. Her hips twisted below him, driving him even wilder with lust. She was losing herself to his touch and it was an empowering sensation. Her lack of inhibitions didn’t just make the sex amazing—it told him she loved and trusted him. Her eyes would look up at him with her heart unhidden as she called out his name in pleasure.

  He tossed off her shirt to expose her perfect full breasts. He covered her nipple with his mouth and ran his tongue in slow, languorous circles around the areola. Jenna’s breasts were sensitive and her breathing always came out shallow when he kissed her there. The sound of her pleasure always made him desperate for her.

  His erection swelled and he longed to fill her up. Her hips tilted up on instinct and he felt her dripping with anticipation for him as he positioned himself at her opening. His thrusts started as slow and long, but he was done with the torture of waiting. If he didn’t own her soon, he felt like he would be torn apart by the tension. He became almost frantic to feel more of her and his hips started to move at a blinding speed. She cried out before wrapping her legs around his waist and locking her ankles together. Her pelvis pushed forward to meet his—matching his unrelenting pace. Before long, they both crested, crying out as they reached their climaxes together. Declan clung to her as the waves of pure pleasure crashed through his entire being. He didn’t want to let her go and wanted to beg her to never stop touching him. Jenna was everything good and right in this world. And although he felt undeserv
ing, he would keep trying to be worthy of her. Because now that she belonged to him, he knew he’d never survive without her love.

  Love hadn’t come easy or natural for him, but damn the end result was worth the fight. Not that the fight was ever over. His line of work wasn’t all fun and games, and there would probably be many more people who would try to kill him in the future. But at the end of the day, he’d have Jenna—his shelter against all the bad stuff.

  And she had taught him how to avoid being his own worst enemy. Taught him that even destiny can make mistakes. And for the first time since his psychic gift appeared, he was perfectly content to live in the moment.

  THE END

  About the Author

  Heather Topham Wood’s obsession with novels began in childhood while growing up in a shore town in New Jersey. Writing since her teens, she recently returned to penning novels after a successful career as a freelance writer. She’s the author of the paranormal romance Second Sight and The Dark Dreamer series and the standalones Falling for Autumn, Pretending Hearts, The Ex Trials and The Disappearing Girl.

  Heather graduated from the College of New Jersey in 2005 and holds a bachelor's degree in English. Her freelance work has appeared in publications such as USA Today, Livestrong.com, Outlook by the Bay and Step in Style magazine. She resides in Trenton, New Jersey with her husband and two sons. Besides writing, Heather is a pop culture fanatic and has an obsession with supernatural novels and TV shows.

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