Amanda shook her head and laughed. She glanced at Decklan to see his lips turned upward in an almost-grin. Even he found his friend amusing.
As much as she wanted to know why Decklan was here and what it really meant, she was desperate for information about the shooting too. “Tell me what you know,” she said to Max.
He braced a hand on the rail at the end of the bed. “From what I can gather, and it isn’t much, they have a guy in custody. They also picked up the senator’s campaign manager for questioning. No one’s saying why.”
Amanda shivered. “He always scared me.”
Decklan ran his fingers back and forth over her hand. She wondered if he realized he was doing it or just how soothing she found his touch. It was driving her crazy, not knowing what had brought him here—or if he planned to stay.
“We’ll know more when the cops talk to the press or release a statement,” Decklan reassured her.
Max nodded. “And now that I know you’re okay, I’ll leave you two alone. Make the most of the time you’ve got, because the cops will come in to question you any minute.” He shot Decklan a pointed glance, then stepped over to Amanda and kissed her cheek. “Let him take care of you, doll.”
Max straightened and walked out, leaving Decklan and Amanda alone.
NINETEEN
Decklan never got the chance to talk to Amanda. As soon as Max left, the cops came in to take her statement. Knowing her story was necessary and he wouldn’t be getting her alone unless she spoke to the police, he resigned himself to waiting. Though the officer in charge asked him to step outside, Amanda insisted he not leave her alone—not that he’d had any intention of walking away. Not ever again.
She answered question after question, her voice trembling, her face pale as she recounted the event, until she looked ready to pass out. Decklan ground his teeth through the entire telling, her fear and panic becoming his as he realized how close she’d been to the bullet that had hit her friend. And all he could do was place a hand on her shoulder and listen. He’d never felt more useless in his life.
Finally, the cop had enough. He told her he’d be in touch if he had more questions. She was drained and exhausted, and the last thing Decklan wanted was to force her to have another emotional conversation with him.
She had to go through another check of her vitals and a talk with a doctor and a social worker about post-traumatic stress and what to expect once she left the hospital. Decklan doubted she processed anything they told her, but he did. And he intended to make sure she knew she wasn’t on her own in dealing with this. Anything that affected her affected him, and he would make sure she knew it.
The doctor signed her out, and then she insisted on checking in with Brad’s family. They were warm and kind to her, worried about her welfare as they assured her that Brad was in recovery now and would eventually be fine.
She was swaying on her feet, and Decklan had had enough. “Time to go home. You need to rest.”
She shook her head, an obstinate look on her face. “I want to wait until Brad’s in a room and can have visitors. I need to see for myself he’s okay.” She glanced up at him with those big brown eyes he normally couldn’t resist.
He steeled himself against her appeal. If she wasn’t going to look out for herself, he’d just have to do it for her. “You can come back tomorrow when Brad’s more awake and you’ve had some sleep. You’re dead on your feet.”
“But—”
He grasped her arm and led her away from Brad’s family. “Do you really want Brad to see you covered in his blood?” he asked, his tone deliberately gentle but firm.
She opened her mouth, then snapped it shut again. “Fine. You win.”
“It wasn’t a contest.”
He would have picked her up and carried her out, but he didn’t trust her not to make a scene. And it would only be making him feel better to have her in his arms. She was still hurt and angry with him, and he didn’t blame her.
At least she was accepting his support, and right now, he’d take what little he could get.
His hand on her back, he led her out of the hospital and into the hot summer air.
She stopped at the curb and turned to him. “I can take a cab to my apartment from here.” Before he could ask what apartment, she explained. “Brad rents one for me for when we’re in the city.”
A new piece of information. Apparently they had catching up to do about parts of her life he knew nothing about.
“You’ll come home with me,” he insisted.
“Why?” She straightened her shoulders and met his gaze without flinching. “Why are you here, and why do you want me back at your place?”
He groaned. “Listen, it’s hot as hell, and you need to be in air conditioning. So let me just get you back to my apartment and we’ll talk there.” He took her silence as approval and flagged down the nearest empty taxi.
He didn’t relax until they were out of Manhattan and the cab driver had dropped them off at his place in Great Neck and they walked inside his apartment. Just knowing he had her here gave him hope that they could get past their last awkward time together.
“I know you want to talk and so do I. But can we get you cleaned up first?” he asked.
Amanda nodded, sudden tears in her eyes that she swiped with one hand. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m never so emotional.”
“It’s the adrenaline drop. You’ve had a huge shock today. You went through something not many people ever experience. Remember what they told you at the hospital? Everyone’s reaction is different but to expect yourself to be emotional.”
She nodded. “I think I’d like a shower.”
He followed her into the room. While she headed for the bathroom and he heard the sound of the shower running, he pulled out a pair of old drawstring sweats and a tee shirt.
She’d left the bathroom door open, so he walked inside and placed the clothes on the bathroom counter.
A quick glance at her and he realized she was staring down at her blood-stained dress, tears dripping from her eyes and her hands hanging uselessly at her sides.
“Come on. Let me help.”
She turned toward him, and everything he felt for her washed over him in one never-ending wave. Heart lodged in his throat, he took over, wiping her tears with the towel, then helping her out of her clothes. She moved slowly and he didn’t push. Nor did he let his gaze linger on her body as she stepped out of her undergarments. She was so fragile at that moment, he wanted nothing more than to gather her in his arms, but he sensed she still wasn’t ready.
Instead, he turned away as she stepped into the shower, and knowing she wouldn’t want any reminders of today, he balled the garment up and tossed it into the trash.
“I’ll wait outside,” he said loudly, over the sound of the running water, prepared to give her privacy.
But when his answer was a gulping sob, he turned back around to find her leaning against the shower wall, her shoulders shaking.
“Fuck it,” he muttered and quickly stripped off his clothes, opened the shower door, and stepped in to join her.
Amanda didn’t know why, but as soon as she hit the shower and saw the first bit of blood run from her arms to the floor, she fell apart, and Decklan was there.
He pulled her into his arms. “Let it go,” he urged.
And she did. She wrapped herself around him, his solid body her safe haven as she fell apart completely.
She came back to herself in slow bits of awareness. Decklan’s big hands caressing her back, his deep voice whispering in her ear, warm water cascading over her as she curled into him.
She pulled back. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” He gazed at her, intense dark eyes looking right into her soul. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “I am now.”
She soaped herself up, more capable now that the hysteria had passed. She felt much better once all the evidence of today had swirled down the drain. She quickly handle
d her hair, using shampoo and conditioner she’d left here and he hadn’t gotten rid of.
Interesting.
So was his showing up at the hospital.
She tipped her face up to the water, and hopefully she rid herself of the worst of the makeup mess she was sure to have had covering her.
He looked at her. Smiled. Then reached out, wiping beneath her eyes with his thumbs.
His touch was so sweet. Familiar. Needed.
“Decklan, what are we doing?” There was no mistaking what she meant.
They were both naked in the shower, two people who hadn’t spoken in too long, and the last time had been hurtful and ugly. But she didn’t feel any of those emotions now. She just felt taken care of and … loved. She swallowed hard, the lump rising in her throat because she wanted that last one to be true.
He braced his hands on either side of her face. “We’re doing what we should have been doing all along. Being together. Believing in each other. Being there no matter what.”
“But I lied—”
“And I screwed up how I handled it after I found out. I have no good excuse except—”
She placed her finger over his lips. “I don’t care about why. I just care that you came around. I shouldn’t have kept something so important from you.”
“And I have issues stemming from losing my parents in such a traumatic way. We were getting so close…”
“You pushed me away first?” She rose to her tiptoes and briefly pressed her lips against his. “Can we agree to forgive and forget?”
“We can.” He grinned. “Now can we get the hell out of this shower? I’m turning into a prune.”
She laughed and nodded. No sooner had she stepped out and dried herself off than Decklan picked her up and carried her to bed.
“I’m not finished with you yet,” he said in that deep, commanding voice she loved.
“No?”
He came over her, his naked body covering hers, and she moaned, soaking up his strength and body heat. “No.”
She raised her arms, intending to grip the headboard, hoping he would take her body to miraculous heights, when he surprised her.
He slid his hands into hers. “Touch me.”
She felt the smile pull at her lips. She’d been waiting for this moment since the night they’d first been together. “Really?”
“Really. Ask me why.”
“Why can I touch you?” she asked, finally running her hands over his well-honed body and enjoying every touch, every caress. She could finally show him she cared, and she reveled in that fact, knowing she’d never get tired of touching him.
He braced his arms on either side of her shoulders and began to rock his body over hers, the hard length of his erection gliding over her sex. She moaned, arching up and into him, her body clenching and craving his.
“Because I love you, Amanda. You can touch me any way you want, any time you want, because I love you.”
She opened her eyes and met his gaze, his expression full of emotion. For her.
Her heart filled. “I love you too.”
He shifted his lips, lifted himself up, and slid into her in reply. She sighed in pleasure, amazed at how full she felt, not just her body but her heart. She curled her fingers around his biceps, as he didn’t thrust hard, just rolled his hips, pushing into her, making love to her in the sweetest way possible.
She knew there would be times he would want it harder, need to tie her up or have her submit, and she’d need those moments just as much. But now? As he took her up and over, he completed her, and she knew she’d come home.
* * *
Amanda hung up the phone. She was smiling so wide her face hurt.
“I take it that was Brad?”
She nodded. “He’s in his own room. Recovering. Keith is hovering over him, which he loves. And though his parents met him under the worst of circumstances, I think the life-or-death thing showed them what was important. The senator accepted their relationship. They actually wished them well.”
Decklan raised his eyebrows. “That’s amazing for them.”
“Miracles happen.” She stepped into his waiting arms and rested her head against his chest, savoring the steady beat of his heart.
“Did he say if the police know anything?” Decklan asked.
She stepped out of his embrace and walked to the kitchen, then poured them both a cup of coffee she’d set to brew earlier. “The guy who shot Brad was detained by witnesses.” She added milk and sugar to hers, milk only to Decklan’s, and handed him his.
“Thanks.”
She nodded. “Faced with being arrested, the shooter squealed like a canary. The senator’s campaign manager hired the guy.” She shivered at the thought. “I never liked the man. He always gave me the creeps. And I knew he wasn’t happy when he found out the senator planned to go public, but this?” She shook her head.
“Sick bastard,” Decklan muttered.
“Yep. He wanted Brad out of the picture before his homosexuality was exposed and the senator’s campaign took a hit.”
“How the hell did he think he’d get away with it?”
“He figured if he could hire a guy and make it look like a random crime, he’d build sympathy for the presidential candidate whose son was killed.” She took a sip of much-needed caffeine. “The senator believes the Second Amendment gives the average citizen the right to bear arms, so his manager planned to push the him toward major speeches where he’d say, if my son was armed, he would still be here today. Play the sympathy angle.”
Decklan shook his head. “Has he lost his mind?”
“I’m not sure he ever had it,” Amanda said. “The bottom line is, he just wanted Brad gone. And he almost got his wish.” Her voice shook at the very thought.
“Well, he didn’t. Do you want to get ready to go to the hospital and visit?”
She nodded. “But we have to stop by my apartment so I can pick up a changes of clothes. I think I’d call too much attention to myself in your sweats and my high heels.”
He grinned. “You look hot in anything.”
She stepped back and patted his cheek. “Charmer.” She started for the bedroom, but he grabbed her wrist.
“I have a question.”
She spun back around, happier than she’d been in … ever. Not only did she have Decklan back but there were no more lies between them. “The mood I’m in, I’m likely to agree to anything.” She wiggled her eyebrows seductively. “Go on. Ask.”
“Would you move to New York? I know you’d have to give up your dream job, but with Brad’s reference, I’m sure you could find something flexible here. And let’s face it, Gabe is pretty influential himself. He could help.”
The only sign he felt unsure of himself was the muscle ticking above one eye. “Good thing I thought about this.”
“Seriously? When?”
“Last night, while I laid in your arms, I knew I couldn’t be without you anymore. And Brad, well, after what he’s been through, he’ll understand needing to be with the one I love.”
“Damn, that was easier than I expected.” He grinned, lifted her up, and spun her around before walking back toward the bedroom.
She squealed and grasped him around the neck. “What are you doing?”
“Taking you to bed.” He had her down, clothes off, and cuffed to the bed before she could blink. She immediately became hot and aroused.
“Glad to see some things don’t change.” Decklan laughed. “I’ll always want a little kink. How about you?”
“Always,” she said in a soft purr, her body already softening for him. Not her nipples, those were tight peaks. “What about the hospital visit?” she asked in a needy voice.
“We’ll get there. I promise. I just want to celebrate.” He pulled his shirt over his head, giving her a good look at his gorgeous, tanned skin and muscles she’d felt over and over last night.
“What are we celebrating?” she asked, rolling her hips in a blatant bid for a
ttention.
His eyes dilated. “We’re celebrating forever, baby. That’s what we’re celebrating.”
And that was perfectly fine with her.
Thank you so much for reading Dare to Submit. I would appreciate it if you would help others enjoy this book too. Please recommend to others and leave a review.
Coming next: Dare to Touch, Olivia Dare and Dylan Rhodes’ story – 12/29/14 – visit www.carlyphillips.com for updated information.
Dare to Touch
NY Times Bestselling Author Carly Phillips turns up the heat in her newest sexy contemporary romance series, and introduces you to the Dare family… siblings shaped by a father’s secrets and betrayal.
Olivia Dare, executive director of the Miami Thunder, and team travel director Dylan Rhodes share more than just a passion for football. Their chemistry is explosive—their feelings for each other intense. Yet Olivia has ended things for reasons he still can’t fathom and she won’t explain.
Unwilling to let something special go so easily, Dylan has been pursuing Olivia ever since. When the Pro-Bowl takes them to the tropical paradise of Hawaii, Dylan is determined to make sure their time together isn’t all business. What happens in paradise is life altering but once Olivia admits her deepest secret and fear, will Dylan still want the forever he’s been pushing for?
For updated information on when you can preorder Dare to Touch, for excerpts, teasers and more, sign up for Carly’s Newsletter.
Other Books in the Dare to Love Series:
Dare to Love – Ian (FREE)
Dare to Desire – Alex
Dare to Surrender – Gabe
Dare to Submit – Decklan
Dare to Touch – Olivia (coming soon)
**The Dare to Love series is ongoing. Each Dare sibling will get a story!
**Each book stands alone but also reads best if order for maximum reading enjoyment.
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