Because I know the song list, I know the guys are on their last song for the show. I’m thankful because I don’t think I’ll be able to walk tomorrow due to all the dancing I’ve done in these shoes. I’m just about to head to the couch to sit down when Declan calls my name.
“Babe, did you hear me? I see you standing there. I need you to come here for a minute.”
He’s motioning for me to join him on stage and I feel hands pushing me forward.
I’m going to kill him! What the hell is going on?
As I get on the stage, he pulls me to his side and goes back to the microphone.
“I’ve recently mentioned there’s someone special in my life now and this is her. I need some help from y’all tonight. It’s her birthday and I want you to help me sing “Happy Birthday” to her. When we get to the name part, just call her baby. Okay- ready?”
The crowd cheers in response and Declan leads the room in singing to me. I’m not sure if my cheeks are as red as they feel, but I’m pretty sure I look like a tomato.
The song finishes and Declan turns me around to face Robbie. He’s holding a gorgeous four layer, red velvet cake with twenty-two candles. I lean over to blow them out and the room goes wild.
Even though I’m embarrassed as hell, I can’t be mad. I snake my arms around Declan and kiss him hard. He kisses me back with equal strength until Robbie clears his throat behind us. I pull away from him, but smile as he nips at my lower lip one last time. I give a small wave and walk back off-stage. There are catcalls behind me, but don’t turn around.
We cut the cake just as the band joins us. Everyone compliments them on the show and the crowd they brought in. Cooper tells us that there are a lot of old friends here. Finn starts serving drinks and we talk about the night so far. Kendall gets extremely animated when she tells the Sami story. Everyone explodes in to laughter when they hear about the expression on Sami’s face when Charlie told her that ‘Declan has improved his taste’.
“I certainly have. I freely admit that she was from the bottom of the barrel knowing what I have now.” He kisses the tip of my nose and smiles at me.
We all hang out a little while longer but Nate, Cooper, and Blake head out to the bar to see their old friends. I encourage Declan to go with them, but he insists on staying with me.
At two am, I finally call it a night. Even though Ella has been keeping him company for the last hour, Will looks relieved that we’re leaving.
Declan fits all the girls in his truck and Will offers to drive Kendall’s car back since she’s clearly drunk. Ella volunteers to go with him and I catch Declan shaking his head, but he doesn’t say anything.
On the way home, we torture Declan by singing every pop song that comes on the radio. He doesn’t complain once. He just holds my hand and drives.
When we get home, sleeping arrangements are made. Abbi gives up her room again to Charlie and Harper. Kendall decides to take the blow up mattress and Will takes the sofa.
I get Declan and I some water and start to say my goodnights. Abbi motions me back to the kitchen, “Rave, can you keep my brother holed up in your room tonight?”
“I think so, why?”
“Jimi is coming by and I don’t want to explain anything to Declan.”
“You got it, good luck!” I hug her and head to my room.
Declan is just getting out of the shower and has nothing but a towel wrapped around him. The skin on his chest that’s not covered by tattoos is pink from the hot water. I lick my lips thinking how sexy he is and get lost in my thoughts.
“Baby, you shouldn’t look at me like that with a house full of people.”
“I know, I was just thinking about how delicious you look.”
“I was thinking the same thing about you. Come here.”
I walk to him, noticing the growing bulge under his towel.
“Since I didn’t get to help you get dressed tonight, I want to help you get undressed. Turn around.” He lowers the zipper and the dress falls to the floor. I step over it and face him again. He’s staring at me speechless.
“Surprise, do you like it?”
“Fucking unbelievable.”
“Thanks, they were a present from your sisters.”
“Remind me to thank them later.” He wraps himself around me and carries me to the bed. He drops the towel and crawls on top of me with deep desire in his eyes. Propping himself up on his elbow, he runs his fingertips from my hipbone to my breastbone. My body aches for him. I arch into him, trying to find his lips. He leans in and kisses me softly, curling his tongue with mine in a slow motion.
“This was by far the best birthday I’ve ever had. Thank you.”
We spent the next hour wrapped up in each other. In the end, I had to use a pillow to drown out my cries.
Chapter 31
Atlanta
On Sunday, Robbie, Finn, Will, and I met with my dad. He told us he had broken into a server that was potentially passing trade secrets to a competing firm. The reason he had been so worried was because the trade secrets could have been seen as acts of terrorism; he wanted us watched until the CEO got his hands on the culprits. The two IT guys responsible for passing the info on were taken into custody. My dad’s name was never mentioned so Will was free after Sunday.
Daddy had accepted Declan, but he’s still super protective of me. He asks Declan and me to join him in his office. My mom is already there with her glass of wine and I’m nervous.
“Daddy, what’s going on? I thought things were fine.”
My dad looks at me with a serious, but kind expression. “Everything is good. Your mama and I want to talk to both of you about something. I know you think I’m crazy protective, and you’re right, but we know you are spending time at Declan’s house.”
I ease over to Declan and loop my fingers through his. He squeezes them, but keeps his stance.
“Ravenel, your safety is very important to us. We want you to be happy and safe at the same time.” My mom says quietly.
“Okay, that’s normal, but why are we both in here?” I ask my dad.
“Well, I want to install an alarm in Declan’s house and I want him to go through a firearms course. I wanted to talk to you about that together. “
Declan’s arms release in tension and my body tenses. How did we get to this? Declan doesn’t need to have an alarm or a firearm- he’s my boyfriend for God’s sake!!!
“Daddy, I think-”
“Already done, sir. I have a weapon on reserve. I’m just waiting on Robbie to approve it. If you want an alarm on my house, I’ll gladly pay for it.” Declan interrupts, surprising me.
“No need to pay for anything. I’ll have Finn oversee the install. As long as you’re together, no payment is necessary; it goes under family. Have you had any training on guns?”
As they talk, I learn that Declan had been to the local gun shop. He had taken lessons with the on-site trained professional. Apparently, he wanted a concealed permit for awhile. I’m impressed.
I get bored with the whole protection thing and whisper to my mom, “Mama, what do you think of all this?”
“I think you chose well. I can tell he’s crazy for you. Why don’t you tell me about the weekend?”
I spend the next half hour telling her all about our Thanksgiving, the party details, the karaoke, and the on stage serenade. Then I show her my new bracelet. She’s known I wanted the bracelet for some time now and she’s thoroughly impressed with Declan.
After my dad and Declan are done discussing firearms, we join everyone back in the living room. Its been a long day and I’m ready to go home. Tomorrow starts a grueling week of school for me, and Declan has plans to spend every day with the band getting ready for the show in Atlanta on Saturday.
Dad and Finn make plans to put in the new alarm system at Declan’s on Friday since both Declan and I will be available to be there. We talk for another half hour and then the boys and I say our goodbyes to my parents.
When Decl
an and I get to his house, he calls his dad and fills him in on the events of the weekend and our trip to Atlanta. He even sends him a small video clip from Friday night so he can watch Blake and Nate singing.
I send a quick text to let Abbi and Ella know I will be home tomorrow after school. I get an instant reply to thank me for staying here tonight because they invited Jimi and Will for dinner. I laugh, wondering who in that bunch is going to cook.
Declan prepares dinner and when it’s ready, we move to the couch and watch TV.
“So tell me, what’s up with Abbi and Ella?”
I’m not sure how to respond so I play dumb, “What do you mean?”
“Don’t play coy; I’m not blind. I know what I saw last night and this morning. I want to hear what you know.”
I stuff my face so I don’t have to answer.
“Raven, I saw Jimi with his hands all over Abbi and there was a definite shift in sleeping arrangements this morning. When we went to bed, Jimi wasn’t there. But when I went to get us water this morning, he was sleeping on the blow-up bed next to Kendall. And I noticed Will and Ella practically drooling over each other. So tell me, what you know?”
“Well… I don’t know much. I think Jimi and Abbi are into each other, but the Ella and Will thing is new. They just met on Thursday. Even though they were forced to spend a lot of time around each other this weekend, my guess is that they’ll take it slow.”
“This could put us in a weird position if things go bad with them. Just through circumstance. We all spend a lot of time together. With the new addition of Will, I’m not sure this is a good idea.”
“Declan Collins, don’t be a hypocrite! How do you think they felt when we started our thing? Don’t you remember all the drama? Remember our fight and the tension between everyone it caused? I think they’re adults. They can make their own decisions. You stay out of it.”
He looks at me for a minute and purses his lips. He looks upset, but shrugs his shoulders. “You’re right. I don’t know anything about their relationships. It could turn out as great as us and I certainly didn’t appreciate them getting into our business a few months ago.”
“Good boy.” I mock him.
“Boy, huh? Do I need to show you that I haven’t been a boy for about ten years? Especially not a good boy.” He puts his empty plate down and moves on the sofa to me.
I shove the last bite of food into my mouth, trying to stall his attack. I need to think of a good comeback, but my mind has gone blank. He moves my plate away and traps me under him, keeping his body pushed up on his elbows. I can’t roll away and his knees have mine stuck. He watches me and smirks at my continuous chewing. “Pretty soon, that little bite is going to be baby food if you don’t swallow.”
I finally swallow and ask for a drink of water. He lifts the cold bottle to my lips and purposely spills some water down my chin and onto my neck.
“Declan, that’s cold!”
“Let me clean you up.” He leans down and licks up and down the path formed by the water. When he gets to my collarbone, he nips gently over my sensitive skin. My body ignites and I run my hands under his shirt and pull it over his head. He helps me get it off and then settles me under him again. He slowly makes his way to my mouth and his lips crash onto mine. I scratch my fingernails down his back, urging him down closer to my body, but he barely moves.
“Dec, I need you to touch me.” We continue kissing and he lightly runs his hand down my side until he reaches the top of my pants. He pulls on the button and lowers the zipper just enough to move his hand down to my center. He hisses into my mouth when he feels my slick flesh. The moment his fingers run down my folds, I buck up and press into him. He’s moving so slow, teasing me as I squirm under him. I slide my hand down his abs and unbutton his jeans. He’s gone commando today and his cock springs right into my hand. I rub the tip with my thumb and lightly scrape his length. I wrap my hand all the way around him and squeeze as I stroke. “Is this how you prove you’re not a boy? You take me to third base on the couch?”
“Oh, you want to make fun of me, huh? Let’s see what you have to say when you start screaming my name.”
Lighting fast, he has me up and my legs wrapped around him. He throws us against the hallway wall and supports me with one arm while his fingers assault me. They curl and twirl inside of me as he whispers dirty words in my ear.
Minutes later, I’m shouting his name against his neck and holding onto his biceps for support. I throw my head back against the wall and try to catch my breath. He’s shaking as hard as I am. He removes his fingers from me and I moan in protest.
There’s a loud knock at the door. Then the doorbell starts ringing. Whoever it is continues to knock loudly.
“Dec, who could that be?”
“I’m not sure, but I’m going to kill them.”
Declan puts me down on the floor and we both straighten our clothes. He doesn’t grab his shirt, but he stalks to the door and looks through the side window to see who’s here. He swings it open, but stands in the doorway so I can’t see who it is.
“This better be a fucking emergency or I’m going to kill you Blake!” He yells.
“No, man. Sorry to interrupt, but Cooper told me to be here at 9:00. From the look of you and sounds coming through the door, you didn’t get the same call.”
Declan shakes his head, “What are you talking about?”
“Check your phone. Cooper called a band meeting tonight at your house.”
“Well, as you can tell, this isn’t a good time.” He moves from the door and gets his phone off the table. There are several messages and texts from Cooper about the meeting. Declan blows out a frustrated breath and I hand him his shirt. I gather our dinner dishes and go to the kitchen to clean up. I’m avoiding Blake because I’m pretty sure he heard me screaming through my orgasm a few minutes ago. After I finish the last dish, I gather my stuff and head to the bedroom. Nate and Cooper have arrived and Blake is strumming his guitar. I give them all a quick wave and tell them I’m going to go study. Blake smiles at me and my face heats up.
I get ready for bed because I’m pretty sure that the world of business and economy will put me to sleep. Declan comes in shaking his head.
“I’m so sorry.” He sits next to me.
“Why are you sorry? I’m pretty sure I enjoyed myself.” I laugh and run my fingers over his zipper.
“Blake’s a cockblocker. I was in pain for five minutes.”
I move my hand to his neck and pull him down for a kiss. “Maybe when you come to bed, we can take care of that. But for now, I need to study and you need to go practice with the guys.”
“You’re not mad?”
“Not at all. I need to study so my GPA doesn’t drop. I’ve got plenty to keep me busy tonight.”
“See you later; we’ll try to keep it down.”
“Don’t worry about it. This is your house; be as loud as you need to.”
“You’re now a part of this house and you should be able to study.” He emphasizes the “you’re” to make sure I know he wants me here.
He grabs the notebook on his nightstand when he leaves. A few minutes later, I hear his guitar strumming. After about an hour of reading, taking notes, and highlighting, I pile my books back in my bag and close my laptop. I curl into bed and fall asleep, listening to the music from the other room.
*****
The rest of the week flew by in a rush. I met with my school group several times throughout the week and we split our responsibilities. I’m in charge of the research portion so I’ve been staying up late every night trying to find the data to turn over to Brent before the weekend. He’s in charge of the graphics and images after I compile the information.
I also have three other classes to study for. Declan, the other guys in the band, and I are leaving as early as possible after the alarm system is installed at Declan’s. Abbi and Ella are driving down later today. Abbi mentioned that Jimi is coming too.
We all meet
at Declan’s house and they load all their equipment in his truck. We finally get on the interstate close to 2:30. I ask for the third row in the vehicle so I can sprawl all my stuff out. Declan’s phone rings, but I ignore it because I’m making flash cards.
“You’re kidding me- you’ve got to be kidding, right?” He says into the receiver. “Nah man, but I’m gonna put you on speaker so everyone can hear this.” He plugs the phone into the mount and pushes speaker. “Jay, you’re on- go ahead.”
“Hey, guys, listen, there’s a switch in the line-up and you guys got pushed back to 3:30. We added an extra thirty minutes. You’re now scheduled til 6:00.”
Copper is sitting in front of me and he jumps forward. “Jay, is this good or bad? We can make up the extra thirty minutes, but whose on after us?”
“This is good. The group after you is a local Atlanta band and they have a huge following. People will be getting there early to make sure they get a spot before the band comes on. If anything, this is going to bring you more exposure. And since the organizers gave us less than twenty-four hours’ notice, you get an extra five-hundred bucks and one room compted for the night.”
“Jay, this is Declan; Meet us at the room first thing in the morning and give us our passes. This sounds good.”
I smile to myself at his attempt at professionalism. I know in my heart, he’s just as excited as the others. When they hang up, the car explodes with excitement. Everyone’s talking at once and I catch Declan’s eyes in the rearview mirror. I smile at him, knowing this is what he and Cooper have been working so hard for.
About an hour into the drive, I’ve outlined my entire module and start with my flash cards. Nate notices my strange studying habit of posting the card to my forehead while I try to figure out the answer to the question on the back. He turns around to face me and reaches for my pile.
“Rave, let me help. I’ll quiz you.”
Surrendering Page 27