“We have something special happening between us. I feel it, and you feel it. I know Zander is torn up over you guys fighting, I know he’s angry with himself over how he spoke to me, but I can’t make things right with him until I’ve made them right with you.”
Tears well in my eyes, but I take a couple of deep breaths to drive them away. I don’t want to start crying now with Declan. We need to have this talk, and once tears become involved, I’m not sure I will be able to say what I want.
“I’m not mad at you, Dec. I was on Monday, and okay, maybe Tuesday, too. But I was madder at Zander. What got to me was that you so easily appeared to give up on us. Looking back now, I have to put it into context. We’ve been giving us a go for two weeks. Before that, we couldn’t stand each other.”
Declan shakes his head. “That’s not fair. Our past is—”
“Just that, our past,” I interrupt, squeezing his hands so he knows I need to get this out. “I feel differently about you, Dec. I cared about you before, but before it was buried deep. Now I care about you and feel it in every part of my soul. You mean a lot to me, and I don’t want this to end. Monday was a crap day, but I’m not ready to give up.”
I think about the key I still have to Declan’s place, the one I couldn’t leave behind, the same one Declan never asked me about. He would have realized I never gave it back, and he was fine with that.
“I’m not ready to give up, either.” He squeezes my hand now.
“You remember that fight we had when we tried to see a movie together?” I ask on a smile.
“Um … yeah?” Declan sounds concerned, and I quickly gather he thinks I’m about to collect one of my movie choices where he has no say in what I decide we watch. However, there is no way I’m going to waste that when it’s almost eleven o’clock at night. I will make that torture for him start much earlier so there is no risk of either of us falling asleep.
“I was really annoyed at you for dismissing my choices. You were being completely unreasonable and kind of a jerk.”
He winces. “I know. Not my finest hour. I’m sorry—”
“Don’t. I’m not looking for an apology. I was a pain that night, too. I dismissed your choices purely because you had already said no to mine. It wasn’t my finest hour, either. But I loved that night because it felt natural. It felt real and proved to me that we could still disagree and not have it ruin us. Once we were moved away, you pushed me against that building and gave me a kiss I felt all the way down to my toes,” I tell him, and his unsure expression quickly changes into a satisfied grin. “And I thought to myself: if we ever have a fight, and if you gave me a kiss like that, I’d likely not even remember my own name, let alone whatever the hell we were fighting about.”
“Oh, really.” He sounds cocky now, tugging me closer then releasing my hands to grip my hips where he lifts me until I’m straddling him.
“Yep,” I say breathlessly. I definitely like this new seating arrangement. “I don’t want to encourage us to fight in the future, but I do think we should implement that kiss as a way of bookending our fight. The promise of that kiss, and more, will be a sure way to speed things along. Are you good with that?”
He doesn’t answer me verbally, but he does kiss me senseless, so I suppose that is an answer.
Where our usual make out sessions have a routine about them, purely because we had boundaries, this time we have no such things keeping us from behaving, since we decided on Monday we were finally putting to bed our no sex deal.
It might not be Monday, but that deal is still definitely dead and buried.
I pull away from his kiss to take off my T-shirt, made more meaningful since I am not wearing a bra.
Declan appears hypnotized by my beasts, and I have to run my hands through his hair for his eyes to make their way to mine.
“Are you sure about this?” he chokes out.
“Yes.” There is no doubt in my mind that we are ready for this.
“I want you to know that, if at any time you change your mind about this, you say the word and this will stop. No hard feelings,” he assures me, keeping his eyes on mine before they drift downward again. “But, for me, I might not be able to say much of anything unless it is declaring my love for these two. They are perfect,” he tells me before diving in with his mouth, sucking one nipple while he cups my other breast.
I go from wanting to laugh to groaning.
Declan might have had a thing about breasts since he was a teenager, but I realized I had a thing about my breasts from the first time I started masturbating.
I should have known from the start that Declan and I would be a perfect match.
Declan is so into my breasts, alternating between sucking, licking, nipping, and pinching them that I’m lost to the moment, wiggling on his lap as I use his erection grinding into me to get myself off.
It is glorious, and I bathe in the afterglow while Declan doesn’t stop, he doesn’t slow down, and my sensitive peaks become too much.
“I need … Dec, I need …” I need him to fill me.
We have had foreplay for two weeks, and while me being half-naked is new and his worshiping my breasts is new and not to be unappreciated, I need more.
“I know,” he whispers, picking me up as I wrap my legs around him to keep myself in the position I want.
He carries me to my bedroom and gently lies me down on the bed. He then undresses while I watch, which I decide on the spot is a new tradition I want us to have. Every. Single. Night. Naked, and with me having an exceptional view of his long, hard cock as he slowly places a condom on himself.
I almost feel jealous of his hand, but before this night is over, I don’t doubt I will be well-acquainted with that part of Declan’s body.
“You’re so beautiful, Sash,” he tells me as he grips my track pants and pulls them and my panties down in one quick tug.
“You don’t need to flatter me, Dec. I’m not going anywhere.” I open my legs to him, hoping he will take me up on my offer quickly.
“I’m just stating a fact.” He places his hands on my bed and crawls his way over to me, looming over me before his lips brush mine gently. “You’re definitely sure about this?”
“I’m so sure about this that if you don’t do something, I’m just going to have to assume you don’t know how to use that outstanding cock—”
In answer, and to cut me off, he pushes his cock against my entrance, and I hold my breath, desperate for him to push in.
“I am going to keep giving you orgasms until either we pass out or you tell me to stop, got it?”
“Stop teasing!” I cry out, and then he finally enters me.
At first, he’s slow, giving me time to adjust and just enjoy the feeling of him inside me. I can’t stop touching him all over, moving my hands from the messy, sweat-soaked hair, to his shoulders, his back, his abs, his ass. I can’t stop caressing him. And when his thrusts become all-consuming, I just hold on for the ride of my life.
When we pass out hours later, I doubt I will be able to walk tomorrow, yet I don’t care. Held closely against Declan’s chest with my eyelids heavy, my body boneless and satisfied, I realize how happy I am.
The world can be going to hell and it wouldn’t matter, not as long as I am able to have mind-blowing sex with this incredible man, and then have him hold me safely in his arms.
Everything in my life just feels as though it has clicked into place.
***
Friday morning is filled with more toe-curling sex with Declan. Then he goes into work by himself while I finish up going through my photos.
I might be a little giddy from being in a sex-hazed bubble, but there is no way I’m going back to work early and facing Zander. He does not get an early out from my anger because Declan has fucked me into a permanent good mood. He can keep suffering. Which is also why I ignore his two calls. He can grovel to me on Monday.
On my last day off before the weekend, I head to the grocery store to fill my
fridge, getting ready for when Cynthia is over.
Declan is disappointed when I tell him he can’t come over tonight, but I need to put my girl first.
Besides, if it is possible to have sprained my vagina, then I think I have done that. I might feel thrilled with how sore I am, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready to jump back into the sack for a second night in a row.
Tomorrow night, though? Ready or not, I am staying over at Declan’s. I have already arranged to have a girls’ day with Ava and Cynthia tomorrow, and then Cynthia is going to help Ava with Jensen while Zander is working late on a case. Therefore, my night is clear.
Joey called this morning to congratulate me on getting back together with Declan. When I was quiet for too long, wondering why Declan told him, rather than worrying about answering Joey, he felt the need to explain how he knew.
“When Declan came into the office, it was the first time since you left that he had a smile on his face. My guess, you guys made up. So, without thinking too hard about the how and why, since you’re involved and I definitely don’t want those images in my head, I’m happy for you guys.”
After that embarrassing phone call, I haven’t heard a peep from the office, just Declan texting me throughout the day. Most of them are to reiterate how much he loves my breasts. I might have sent him a cleavage shot just to mess with him.
When I get a message from Cynthia saying she’s about to talk to Vanessa, I grab my bag so I can be outside Cynthia’s apartment building for when she’s ready. I don’t want her to have to wait around for me.
Unfortunately, I don’t even make it more than a couple steps outside my house before Declan calls.
I almost consider ignoring it so I can be parked out front of Cynthia’s before I get into any sort of conversation with him, but I worry it might be serious.
“You better get that,” a voice says from behind me, and I swing around to see Bowen standing there. Next to him are three of his men.
My heartrate picks up, and I glance toward the doorway. The sensor light came on as I went through it, but are we in the line of sight for the camera?
“The camera has been disabled, if that’s what you’re wondering. It’s on a loop. No one can see we’re here,” Bowen informs me.
I shiver that he even knows about the camera. What else does he know?
“What are you doing here?” I demand, gripping my cell phone tightly in my hand and considering if I should answer Declan’s call and optimistically have enough time to cry for help, or throw it at Bowen in the hopes it distracts him and his men long enough for me to get away.
“I’ll explain that in a moment. For now, you really should get that call.”
A chill sweeps over me as his words take on a sinister feel.
I quickly answer Declan’s call, worried something has happened to him. But before I can utter a word of warning, Declan blasts me.
“What the hell, Sasha!” Declan shouts, and I pull the device away from my ear from the unexpected outburst.
“What—”
“You texted that to everyone? Why would you do that? I trusted you!” he snaps, his anger palpable through the phone.
My breath catches. I have zero idea what he is talking about. Is this related to Bowen or something else? What is going on?
“I don’t know—”
“We were doing well. This was good. Why would you do this?” He sounds less angry and more distraught now.
What the hell is he talking about? What does he think I have done?
I glance up at Bowen, not sure what is happening, and see his smile.
He looks gleeful, and I instantly know he’s done something.
“What did you do?” I hiss at him, my hand holding my cell shaking.
“Only what you deserve.”
Chapter 16
“Why are you here?” I ask instead of replying to his creepy words. I’m still hearing mumbling from the cell in my hand. Declan must still be ranting at me, which means he likely didn’t hear Bowen talking.
“I owed you,” he says simply, as if that answers everything.
“Owed me? What are you talking about? Has this all been you? You’ve been messing with me and Declan?” I accuse, my voice rising as my anger and confusion builds.
“No,” he denies before nodding at one of his men.
That man then steps forward and grabs my phone, passing it to Bowen before he steps behind me, gripping my shoulders and keeping me in place.
“Then, what is this?”
He doesn’t answer me. Instead, he lifts my phone to his ear.
“Mr. Lockwood?” he asks then pauses for a moment before continuing in an overly pleasant tone. “Yes, this is Bowen Pizor. I am here with Sasha because she requested me to be here. After her many calls, I have finally grown tired of her desperate attempts to get my attention.”
When I open my mouth to call him a filthy liar, the man behind me wraps his hand over my mouth and his free arm around my arms and middle, holding me hostage.
“It is true. Sasha called me a few hours after our first phone conversation, which I believe you were there for,” he says confidently, which makes me wonder how the hell he knows Declan was with me. He never spoke, and I never said! Is that just a guess?
“She explained her twisted plan for you all—the way she wanted to mess with you. I have to admit that it has been fun to watch it play out,” he tells Declan before he holds my cell up to show me that he has muted it so Declan can’t hear us.
The hand around my mouth disappears, and I scream, managing a split-second of sound before the hand wraps back around my mouth.
“You want to get your neighbors killed, then feel free to scream to your heart’s content. Any man, woman, or child to exit their home or approach us in the immediate area will be shot,” Bowen snaps angrily while the man to Bowen’s left waves his jacket off his side to show a sidearm strapped there.
“Ready to behave?” He glares at me now, and I nod as best I can. Then the hand blocking my mouth is removed again.
“You’re full of shit!” I hiss. “You planned this! You—”
“Yes.” He grins, grabbing my face with his free hand and squeezing my cheeks painfully and tightly until I fear my jaw may shatter under the force. “But this is still a game, and I still have one move that must be completed tonight.”
“Why?” I grind out, my voice and body shaking under that one word.
“We’ll get to the why in a minute.” He steps back from me and places the cell phone back against his ear after taking the mute off. “You still there, Mr. Lockwood? I believe you are about to get the answer to what you most want to know. Can you truly trust Sasha Jennings?”
He places the phone away from his ear now, holding it between us. “Sasha, I have a question for you, and I want your ex-boyfriend—” He purposely cuts himself off, his eyes widening before a look of shock covers him. “Oh, right, you guys got back together last night, didn’t you?” He gives me a snide smile then.
My mind races. How does he know that? Was he watching?
“I want your boyfriend to hear one last piece of betrayal from you.”
One last piece of betrayal? What is he talking about?
“I have never—”
“Ah-ah-ah.” He shakes his head as the stupid asshole behind me slams his hand back over my mouth. The pressure is so forceful I’m positive I will have a hand bruise over my mouth after this. As it is, I taste blood as part of my lip is caught between my teeth.
“Now, where were we? Oh, right. I need you to give me a name, Sasha.”
I try to shake my head, but I barely get a twitch of movement.
“I want the name of the person you sent to get Jordan Yorke to stop pursuing you in college.”
He couldn’t have asked me a more surprising question. Well, okay, he could have, but that doesn’t mean this question doesn’t feel out of left field.
The man behind me doesn’t remove his hand from my mouth as
Bowen places my cell back on mute.
“Just know that, before you give me your answer, I already know who you sent after him. Right now, I have the lives of Zander Jameson, Joseph Kim, and Declan Lockwood in my hands. One phone call from me, and I take them all out right this second. But I am giving you a chance. Give me the correct name, and only he will be dead by the end of tonight. Give me the wrong answer, lie to me, and all of them won’t live to see tomorrow.” He looks deadly serious, and I know he, at the very least, intends for one of them to be dead. But is he lying about killing them all?
My body is full-blown shaking. If the asshole behind me didn’t have a hold on me, I would likely be curled up in a ball right now.
“Do we understand each other, Sasha?” he asks, and the hand is removed from me, yet the grip holding me hostage doesn’t lighten.
“H-how d-do I kn-know you aren’t l-lying, that y-you won’t hurt them a-all?” I ask as tears begin to fall down my face.
“I guess you don’t. But what is the harm in believing me? Either they’re all dead, anyway, or you get to save two of your friends if you tell me the truth. It’s your call.” He removes the mute again and faces the cell at me.
The screen is lit up, and Declan’s name and face stare at me as he listens from the other end.
I have no doubt he’s trying to trace this call, or has Jerry on it. Will they make it on time? Will they be able to find me or will I be long gone by then?
Will Declan be dead by then?
“Sasha, tell me who sent Jordan Yorke away from you seven years ago.”
“D-Declan,” I whisper, and when he waves his hand in my face, I say his name louder.
I Knocked Him Out (Love at First Crime Book 2) Page 25