“Beautiful,” she murmurs.
I come up behind her and bury my nose in her neck. “I agree.”
She inhales sharply. “Declan?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m kind of in the mood to forget about everything but right now.”
She turns to face me, and I lock eyes with her. “We’re on the same page, darling.”
She smiles, and for the first time, I notice the weariness in her eyes. I want to ask her what’s wrong, but I don’t want to ruin the moment.
So I don’t.
In retrospect, I probably should have asked her. At least, then I’d know exactly who she was and why we were destined to meet up again.
Instead, I cup her face in my hands.
She shivers when I touch her. And that reaction gets me so rock hard I swallow a groan.
“What do you want, Mia?”
Her pink lips part as she says in a shaky voice, “Take me to bed.”
Mia
Declan smirks in that ridiculously sexy, confident way I’ve learned he does a lot. “Not yet.”
“Why—” My question’s swallowed up by his mouth descending on mine.
“First,” he says as he pulls my bottom lip between his teeth. “I want to kiss the shit out of you.”
His mouth covers mine again, but completely this time, and I let out a gasp. He swallows my cries as he gently probes the seam of my lips with his tongue. I open for him eagerly, and his tongue swipes inside my mouth until I moan again.
God, this is the best kiss I’ve ever had. My legs are trembling, and I hang onto his forest green flannel shirt for balance. His gray eyes flash with green flecks as we stare at each other.
“Mia…” He unbuttons the top three buttons of my blouse, and then whatever he was about to say is muffled by him burying his face between my breasts.
He flicks my pebbled nipple over my thin cotton bra, and I arch my back to get closer. Pulling down the cup of my bra, he takes my entire nipple into his hot, wet mouth and sucks hard.
Now my legs do give way. I tumble toward the floor, but Declan catches me in his strong arms, lifting me up and cradling me against his chest.
“Sorry, Mia,” he murmurs. “I got carried away. I meant to just kiss you.” His southern accent grows stronger when he’s turned on, and I want to melt into the thick, heavy way he says my name.
“I’m not complaining,” I say.
With me in his arms, he walks down the hallway and past what looks like a bedroom and adjoining bathroom.
“Is this a two-bedroom?” I say curiously.
“Yep. My cousins have a few of these cabins on the property that they sometimes rent out.”
He continues to the end of the hall and turns right into a large bedroom with a huge picture window and high ceilings.
I catch a glimpse of a clawfoot tub in the attached bathroom before Declan carries me to the bed. I sit down on the edge and reach for the fly of his jeans.
Palming his thick length through the denim, I slide my hand underneath his flannel shirt.
God, he’s ripped. That feels like an eight-pack.
“You really are an athlete,” I say as I look up at him.
He grins. “I wouldn’t have lied to you, Mia.”
I like the way he says it like he means it and wouldn’t consider being dishonest. I wonder what he’d think if he knew I was planning to enter into a false marriage.
Shoving that unpleasant thought out of my head, I unbutton his flannel at the same time that he undoes each button of my shirt. He shoves the shirt off my shoulders and unclasps my bra with a single flick. I barely get a chance to register his unbelievable body before his mouth is on mine again. He sucks on my tongue, and I feel my core start to clench.
And then, he’s kneeling in front of me.
“I promise to stop if you say the word,” he says with his hand pausing on my skirt zipper.
“I don’t want to stop,” I assure him.
He nods as he unzips my skirt and slowly drags it down my legs. When he buries his head between my thighs, I nearly come off the bed.
“Um…” I thread my fingers through his thick, dark hair. “My underwear’s still on.”
“You’re right. That’s a shame.” He raises his head to look at me, humor and lust dancing in his gray eyes. “Do I have your permission to remove them?”
I dig my teeth into my bottom lip and nod.
And then, I’m naked before a man I barely know.
I never have one-night stands. Not rarely but never.
And I can’t even explain to myself what possessed me to ask this guy I’d talked to for all of ten minutes to take me home. It was something about his eyes. They’re gray and warm and sexy. But the emotion behind them is deep, and he looks like he’s been through a war. He’s undeniably very successful, but something about him seems so lonely.
I understand lonely. I feel that way every morning when I wake up and every night when I go to sleep.
And sitting there with him at the cowboy bar, suddenly I just wanted to connect with someone intimately.
And here we are. I’m completely bare to him, and his mouth is about to kiss my…
“Shit!” My leg shoots up, and I…I knee him in the head.
But he’s a total champ because he doesn’t even pause. He just keeps licking my core and groaning like I’m the best thing he’s ever tasted.
I come so damn hard I see stars. My legs are still shaking when he stands up and drops trou.
Holy Lord of Dicks. Declan is fucking packing. Not literally in the gun sense, but sweet Jesus, his cock could be a literal weapon. It’s enormous. It’s gorgeous. And I want it inside me so much I actually beg him for it.
Out loud.
He hears me. He definitely hears me.
All he does is chuckle while he reaches into his bedside drawer. I catch a quick glimpse of silver foil before he’s sheathing himself. And then, he grips his massive erection with one hand and braces his other arm by my side while he pushes inside me.
“Christ,” he bites out. “Mia. You’re so wet. You feel so damn…” He slams his eyes shut as he pushes all the way in, and we both groan. “Holy fuck, you feel amazing.”
“So. Do. You.” I dig my nails into his back as he starts to move.
“Mia.” He rocks into me so deep I can barely think straight. “Is this okay?”
“So okay.” I meet each one of his thrusts with my hips jerking up into him. “I’m already so close. Declan…”
He lifts my right leg up and back to open me up further.
“Oh, God. It’s too much…”
“No, it’s not. You’re beautiful. Mia, look at me.”
But I can’t. I don’t understand what’s happening, but the way his thick length is hitting me, I’ve never felt so exposed in my entire life.
“Mia.”
As his calloused fingers brush my cheek and then my lips, I bite down on his finger. God, I’m so damn close—and he knows it too. I’m already starting to clench around him.
He groans. “Let me see you come, babe. Look at me.”
I force my eyes open, and his gray eyes meet my gaze. His look is hot and smoldering, and as I cry out his name and go over the edge, something shifts. He looks…vulnerable and stripped of his cocky armor. He drives inside me a few more times and then comes with a growl.
He wraps his arms around me and shifts us so I’m resting next to him. He’s still inside me. And I don’t want him to leave.
Eventually, he pulls out and goes to throw away the condom.
When he returns, he peels back the plush navy comforter and cream sheets, and I give him a quick kiss before crawling underneath. He scoots in behind me and snuggles me up against him, my back to his chest.
Ah, spooning. Something I’ve only read about in romance novels. I’ve never wanted to try it before. All that closeness sounded sweaty and rather suffocating.
But tonight, with this guy? I’m digging it
.
I wiggle even closer to him, and within two minutes, I’m asleep.
Chapter Seven
Mia
I wake up before Declan in the morning. So early that I have to blink a few times before I realize where I am.
I had my first one-night stand last night.
And it was fucking amazing.
I spend a moment running my fingers through Declan’s messy, dark hair. I kiss his cheek and trace the length of his trimmed facial hair. His eyes remain closed, and I have the urge to lie back down and join him.
But real life is hitting me hard this morning. I have to deal with the not-so-minor issue of my contractual marriage requirement. And this guy next to me? He doesn’t deserve to get dragged into my mess.
Even if I did want to date him (which I kind of, sort of, really do), it’s not possible at the moment. Not for a year. And what am I supposed to do, ask him to wait for me? This gorgeous, successful guy who no doubt has women going after him on a daily basis—no, that would be completely unfair.
I need to get out of here. Make a clean break.
I slip out of the bed and dress quietly. I find a pad of paper in his living room and scribble him a quick note. Then, I return to the bedroom quietly and place the note on the pillow next to him.
I kiss him quickly on the lips. He doesn’t budge. I fight back the ridiculous emotion that threatens to clog my throat, and I leave his cabin quietly.
I don’t even know his last name. Getting attached makes no sense.
But I was. Getting attached.
I liked him.
I like him.
Which is even more reason for me to let him go. Maybe in a year, I’ll run into him again, when I have my life figured out. When I’m no longer looking for a fake husband. Maybe then, we can be something. But until then, I have to go.
I manage to roll my motorcycle out of sight of Declan’s cabin without revving the engine. I’m congratulating myself on that fact when I nearly run over a cowboy.
He’s standing in the path I need to drive down to reach the back gate, the only way I know how to get out of here. Judging by his dark hair and facial features, he’s one of Declan’s cousins.
And I’m sneaking out of Declan’s place wearing the same clothes I had on yesterday. I certainly look like I’m doing the ride of shame, and from the frown he shoots me, this guy knows it.
“Hello.” I lean one foot on the ground. “I’m Mia.”
He tips his cowboy hat. “Luke.”
This family certainly is a good-looking bunch. Luke’s got crystal clear blue eyes and a confident swagger to him. He’s a handsome cowboy, for sure, and the scar on his right cheek just makes him sexier.
I stand up off the bike. “Nice to meet you, Luke. Is this your ranch?”
“My parents’ technically. But they’re retired now.”
“Well, it’s beautiful.” I sit back down on my bike. “I’ve got to be going now…”
He glances over my shoulder. “You coming from my cousin’s cabin?”
I flush hot with guilt. “Yes.”
“You spent the night?”
“Are you always this nosy?”
“I am when it involves someone I care about.” His piercing eyes pin me in place. “And it looks like you’re trying to make a quick getaway.”
“It’s best this way,” I murmur so quietly he has to lean forward to hear me. “Believe me. I’d only be complicating his life in a way he doesn’t deserve.”
Luke furrows his brow. “Okay. If you’re in some kind of trouble, I’m sure we could all help you out…”
“You can’t. But I appreciate the offer. Small towns really are friendlier than cities.” I rev the engine and give him a wave. “See you, Luke.”
He juts his chin at me. “Mia.”
When I get home to my one-bedroom apartment, I don’t want to deal with anything. And, because it’s Saturday, I don’t have to go into work. So, I crawl under the covers and go to sleep.
Declan
The phone wakes me. I roll over, confused for a moment when I’m alone. Last I knew, I’d been curled up with a warm, soft body next to me.
I grab the phone. “Hello?”
“Declan,” Ned says in his efficient, businesslike manner. “I’ve got a solution to your problem.”
“Already?” I rub my eyes. “How did you—”
“I’ll tell you everything in person,” he says. “Can you come to my office at noon?”
“Sure. See you then.”
I toss the phone and climb out of bed. I walk naked through my cabin, looking for Mia.
By the time I’ve returned to my bedroom, I’ve accepted the truth—she’s gone.
And that’s when I see the note on the pillow.
Declan,
Last night was amazing. I hate to have to leave. The timing of this is just all wrong. Maybe someday it will be right? I hope so. Love, Mia
A combination of frustration and relief washes over me.
Relief because she couldn’t have summed my current feelings up better—the timing is all wrong. I can’t drag someone innocent into my mess. I need to decide how badly I want this ownership position. Because if I want it badly, I’m going to have to marry someone. Which means getting to know a woman for real, a woman I truly like, isn’t in the cards for me right now.
I blow out another breath of frustration. I liked Mia. Sure, we had a lot more sex than we talked, and it was just one night, but it sure didn’t feel like a casual fuck. And the fact that I can’t pursue something with her? That just sucks.
On my way out to meet Ned, I pass Luke mending a fence. He signals to me to pull over.
“Met your overnight guest this morning,” he says when I roll my truck window down.
I keep my expression impassive. “So?”
A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “So she’s gorgeous.”
Now I’m out of the truck. “You hit on her?”
He stays just out of my reach, using the long-ass shovel in his hand as a buffer between us. “Relax, Wild. No, I didn’t hit on her. I don’t need to poach off you to get a woman’s attention if I want it.”
I blow out a long breath of air. I’m not usually so hot-headed. I should be used to Luke’s annoying-as-fuck sarcastic side by now, but I’m off my game this morning. And he fucking met Mia when I couldn’t even say goodbye to her.
He stays silent while a million emotions probably cross my face, until finally, he says, “In the year and a half you’ve been living here, I’ve never seen a woman at your place.”
“I go to theirs usually.” But lately, I’ve just been flying solo. No hook-ups, no pressure to call or end something I never should have started, no drama.
“But last night?” he presses me. “You changed things up?”
I shrug as he smirks. “Fuck you.” I punch him in the arm. “You’re so fucking nosy.”
“That’s what Mia said too,” he says with a shit-eating grin. “She didn’t say it as crass as you, though.”
“Can’t believe you met her,” I mumble as I climb back into the truck.
“She said something interesting, actually.” He walks up to the truck and rests his forearms on my open window.
“What?”
“She said something about leaving being best. That she’d be complicating things for you if she stayed, and you don’t deserve that.” He frowns. “Any idea what that’s about?”
I frown too. “No clue. Hopefully, everything’s okay. She seemed to have her shit together.”
He slaps the truck door and steps back. “Let me know if I can help.”
“Thanks.”
“Oh, Brayden and Leleila are coming by tomorrow with the girls. They want to do a family dinner. You’ll join us, right?”
Brayden is Luke’s youngest brother. Their parents—my Aunt Edna and Uncle William—gave Wild Ranch to all five of their kids, but only Luke and his twin brothers, Cooper and Chase, live here. Their sister,
Stella, and her husband bought a smaller property in town, and Brayden decided to run his own ranch in Mountainview, a town over. Then, he married Leleila, and they and their twin girls made Mountainview their permanent home.
“Will do.”
I’ve just started getting used to this. Having family around at all times, driving me fucking nuts, and also offering to help out whenever and wherever. While I got to come to Montana for visits, the rest of the time, my brother, Cam, and I grew up with just our parents. And since I’m ten years older than Cam, he and I weren’t ever doing anything at the same time.
I spent a lot of time alone as a kid. Not lonely exactly, but not looked after either, the way my cousins were raised at Wild Ranch.
When my dad realized I had a natural talent for ice hockey, he sent me away to camps and for private training at every opportunity. And when I was home, I was on travel teams and up at dawn for practice. I loved to play hockey. I begged to play. And it was great, but it was isolating too. I was always competing and pushing to make it at every level. You don’t grow up like a regular kid when the endgame is the pros.
And my dad, well, he never let me lose sight of the endgame. Did he want to make sure I enjoyed being a kid? Sometimes it was hard to tell.
Chapter Eight
Mia
My uncle calls me in the morning, asking me to come to his office.
“I’ll be there in ten minutes,” I say, already grabbing my purse.
I make good time getting to Uncle Ned’s suite, and when I arrive, he greets me at the back of the building.
“You look tired,” he says observantly.
“I didn’t sleep much,” I say.
“Stressed?”
“Yes.” That, or I was having mind-blowing sex with a guy I just met.
Uncle Ned gestures down the hallway. “Let’s go sit down in my office. I think I may have a solution you’ll like.”
I’m curious, and a little anxious, to see how my uncle found a solution to my marriage problem so quickly.
I don’t know what I thought I’d find when we entered his office.
Declan (Wild Men Book 8) Page 4