Surrendering

by Ahren Sanders

  When we get back to Declan’s house, I head home to work on a special project. When I get there, I hop on the computer and open my email. There are at least thirty images that my friends took last night from the show. I pick my favorite ones and download them. I notice an email from Brent about our project. He’s finished his portion of the assignment and has sent it to Anna for editing. When she’s done, Kyle will review it. He’s also the speaker for our group so he’ll present it to the class and the professor. We’ll all be there for the questions and answer session afterwards. We’re going to meet at my house on Tuesday night to review.

  After reading my emails, I decide to go for a run. I dress quickly, grab my IPod, and leave a note. I have about an hour before dark so I stick close to home. I crank up my favorite playlist and hit the trails around my house. There are lots of people out this afternoon. As I turn around the last corner, I run straight into someone and fall on the ground.

  “I’m so sorry. Are you okay?” I recognize the voice; it’s Brent. “Oh shit, Raven. Are you hurt?”

  I roll over and stand up. I have a small cut on my leg, but otherwise I’m okay. “Hey, Brent, don’t worry about it. I’m fine; I should have been paying better attention.”

  “Your leg is bleeding. Let me take a look.” He leans down, but I stop him.

  “It’s nothing, I promise. Hey, I didn’t know you’re a runner.” I try to change the subject so he’ll stop asking about my leg.

  He laughs, “I’m not a seasoned runner, but I like to get out once in a while to get some exercise. The weather today is great so I decided to run. I was just about to start my cool down.”

  “Well, I’m almost finished too. I’m going to jog walk the rest of the way.”

  “Care if I join you?”

  “Not at all. Let’s go.”

  We jog at a steady, slow pace so we can cool down. I compliment his work on our project and he asks me more about the details of our research. Since I will present all my notes on Tuesday night, I go ahead and tell him where I found the materials and how it relates to the work. Then our conversation turns more casual.

  We get to the entrance where I started so I say good-bye and head home.

  When I get back to my driveway, Declan is sitting on the front porch waiting for me. I jog up to him and give him a quick kiss on the cheek.

  “Hey there, how long have you been here?”

  “Just about fifteen minutes. Abbi told me you went for a run so I waited out here.” I smile at him as we head in and make our way to the kitchen.

  “WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOUR LEG?” Declan screams. I’d forgotten all about it. I look down and my calf has a nasty bruise and dried blood.

  “Calm down. I ran into someone and fell. It was my fault because I took a corner too fast and I wasn’t paying attention. Thank goodness it was someone I knew.”

  “It looks like it hurt. Who’d you run into?”

  “Brent from school.”

  His face goes hard. I can see the muscle in his jaw ticking. He’s not happy at all. “The same Brent that wants you?”

  I roll my eyes at him and sigh. “You’re ridiculous! Brent is not interested in me like that. I think he may have even hooked up with Mari recently. You need to calm down.”

  He stares at me for a minute and then relaxes his body. He smiles at me. “You’re wrong about him, but I trust you and I know you have to work together. But if he makes the wrong move, I’ll beat his ass. Come here clumsy, I have a surprise for you.”

  “I love surprises.”

  “I want to take you three to pick out a Christmas tree tonight.”

  “Really?!! That sounds great! Let me shower and change real quick. Are the girls ready?”

  “Ella will be here in about thirty minutes. When I called her, she was stopping by Target to get some lights and stuff.”

  “I’ll hurry. You could join me in the bathroom and talk to me if you want to?”

  “I want to, but I can’t. Abbi wants me to help her move some furniture out of the way because she wants the tree by the front window.”

  “K, I’ll be out shortly.” I kiss him and run to my room.

  *****

  Even though my plan was to get to sleep early, Declan and I didn’t crawl into bed until midnight. We bought a beautiful tree and set it up. Ella insisted we go ahead and put the lights on and then we ended up doing the decorations too. The girls had a few boxes of ornaments in the attic, but Ella bought more. Abbi didn’t want a traditional star or other topper so she bought holiday stems and garland and made them into a spray. She also created a bow with ribbons cascading down. When we were finished, we sat around the Christmas tree enjoying our work while the Christmas lights illuminated the room.

  Chapter 32

  The Holidays

  There are only two weeks until Christmas and I only have one week of school left.

  My group project is done and we sent in the final draft today. I think we’re ready to answer any questions about our report, but we plan to meet one more time tomorrow night to make sure. I let Declan know because we’re meeting at my place and he insists on being there. He’s still convinced that Brent is interested in me.

  Sayge played in Atlanta again this past weekend and Jay gave them the same line up as last time. I wasn’t able to go, but Abbi was. She met up with my Atlanta girlfriends at the show. Declan was upset, but once he saw my study guide for World Economy, he relented.

  We talked several times throughout the weekend and he made the guys get up early so he could be home by lunch on Sunday. Harper told me that he received a lot of female attention, but Charlie scared almost everyone away by being her badass self. I think Nate ended up hooking up with a random chick, but she wasn’t invited back to the hotel.

  I finish what I need to so I can spend the rest of the day with him when he gets back. We haven’t spent this much time apart since we got back together in October and I’ve missed him this weekend. I tell the girls we need a little privacy in the living room so I can wrap their Christmas gifts, but that when I’m done, they can come in and we’ll have a wrapping party.

  I text Abbi and Ella when it’s safe and they join us in the living room with all their gifts. The only thing Declan has to do is occasionally get up to get more wine, tape, or clear the area for more presents.

  He and I went in together on a little boy we picked out on the Angel Tree. I picked out the clothes and shoes, but Declan went crazy on the toys. We had a monetary limit, but I think he may have gone over it. The angel tree is a tradition in my house. My parents always picked a child and Robbie and I did the same. Abbi liked the idea so much she talked her dad and Ella into selecting a child and we all have the gifts ready. Robbie is coming tomorrow to pick up all our packages and deliver to the drop off location. When we finish wrapping all the gifts, our tree looks like Santa has already visited.

  We cleaned up our mess, chattering briefly about the gathering we’ve planned for this weekend. Our group of friends hasn’t gotten together since my birthday weekend, so I’ve planned a small celebratory party for Saturday night. I invited everyone to come over before we go to The Steamroom. I’m going to celebrate the successful completion of my first semester in Grad school. Kendall, Harper, Charlie, and Abbi only have one semester left before they are officially college graduates.

  Declan and I turn into bed pretty early, but I make him tell me every detail about the weekend. He says they had a bigger following from the last show and people actually started asking them if they had any merchandise. He and Cooper have a meeting set up with Jay after Christmas to talk about studio time. According to Jay, if this is the route they want to go, they need to at least have a semblance of a CD to offer for sale. It doesn’t have to be a big production, but they need a few tracks out so they can see how people are going to react. It sounds like a big deal to me, but Declan is nonchalant about the whole thing.

  Sayge has a short performance this Wednesday night for an arts fest
ival here in the area. It’s a small venue with all local artists. Abbi is actually volunteering there. They won’t decide on the next festival until after the holidays. For now, he’s going back to the regular schedule around town.

  “Sparkle, what are our plans for Christmas?” Declan asks as I curl into his chest.

  “I don’t know; I hadn’t thought it out yet. What do you want to do?”

  “Well, there’s no question I want us to be together, but we need to think about our families too.”

  “I could meet you wherever you are on Christmas Day.”

  “What about Christmas Eve?”

  “We generally have dinner at my parent’s house on Christmas Eve. The Blacks are invited. Then we get up on Christmas Day and open presents. Once that’s over, I can drive to wherever you are.”

  “Am I invited on Christmas Eve, or is it closed to outsiders?”

  “Declan Collins, you’re hardly an outsider. Do you want to come?”

  “Yes, I want to be where you are. Let’s run it by my dad first, but we can leave your parents and head to his house in the early afternoon. The girls will probably spend the night with him so he won’t be alone, and we can choose between a late lunch or an early dinner.”

  “Are you sure? Will he be upset?”

  “Not at all. We might need to switch it up next year so he gets Christmas Eve.”

  My heart melts. He’s making plans for next year with me already. As always, he reads my face and pulls me into him. Unfortunately, I can’t have sex for about three more days because of my monthly visitor, so I reach between us and rub him through his boxers. He’s already hard, but continues to swell with my touch.

  I climb on top of him and lower over his body. I start by kissing his collarbone down to his nipples where I suck gently. My hands move to the waistband of his pants and drag them down. He kicks them off and I to run my fingernails up and down his entire length. Kissing a path down his body, I stop when my lips meet my fingertips and I can see him in his entirety. I circle his crown with my tongue and bite on the barbell. Alternating between sucking and nipping, I play with his tip until he hisses.

  “Sparkle, you’re killing me. Please stop teasing.” He begs.

  I lower completely down over him and alternate between sucking fast and slow, trying to taste every inch of him. He puts his hands on my head and massages my scalp as I move. I position myself where I can take all of him and he moans when he hits the back of my throat. With his entire cock in my mouth, I massage his balls. The sounds he’s making are turning me on.

  I look up at him and see raw desire in his eyes. He’s watching me take him and gripping my head to guide my movements. His apa scrapes against my teeth and he breaks our stare. He throws his head back and whimpers.

  “Shit, Raven, I need to pull out.”

  I shake my head and grip his ass with my free hand. He fills my mouth with salty liquid and I stop moving to run my tongue back over his tip. When he’s done, I slide back up his body, kissing his tattoos. He pulls me by my armpits up to him. He cradles my face and stares into my eyes. I will never tire of his piercing green eyes.

  “Not that I’m complaining, but what was that for?”

  “Many reasons, but I’ll give you the top two. One, I missed you incredibly. And two, you want to make plans for next Christmas with me.”

  “You have no idea, do you? I guess I still have to prove to you how much you mean to me. As soon as you give me the green light, I’m going to go back to my daily goal of worshipping Ravenel James Hayes until she knows exactly how I feel about her.”

  “Dec, I love you too. I was just surprised you were already thinking about next year.”

  “Raven, I’ve come to the conclusion that love may not be strong enough a word for how I feel about you. I’m starting to understand why my dad never remarried after my mom died. I’m not sure I could ever get over it if anything happened to us or to you.”

  “Nothing’s going to happen so let’s not think about it.”

  He doesn’t answer; he just kisses me until I fall against him breathless.

  *****

  My whole group felt great about the presentation we finished. We decide to get a beer to celebrate. I send a text to Declan to let him know, but don’t mention where we are. I know he’s tired from playing at a new bar last night and he has a show tonight as well. We raise our beers to toast and cheer about the end of our first semester as MBA Students. We discuss our holiday plans and the courses we’re going to take next spring. I’m not surprised to find out that we’re all taking the same classes. On our second round of beers, my phone starts ringing in my purse.

  “Hey there!”

  “Sparkle, why didn’t you answer your phone earlier?”

  “It was in my purse and I must not have heard it. What’s up?”

  “You tell me.” He sounds aggravated.

  I wave my finger at my friends and step away from the table for some privacy.

  “Now where’re you going?” He asks.

  How does he know I got up? I start looking around the bar and find him leaning against the wall at the entrance watching me with a grin on his face. I shake my head and hang up as he walks up to me.

  “What in the world are you doing here?” I laugh at him.

  He pulls a stool up next to me at our table and shrugs. “Thought I would join you guys and buy a round to celebrate your semester.” He nods to everyone at the table, acknowledging them.

  “That sounds good to me. Thanks, man.” Kyle says and motions for the waitress to get us another round.

  The conversation keeps going and Anna comments on the festival Sayge played at a few weeks ago. This engages Declan in to the conversation and he answers all their questions about his band.

  “We usually play at The Steamroom on Thursday and Saturday nights, unless we’re doing a special gig- like the festival. If you guys ever come in, you’re welcome to come backstage as my guests. Raven comes as much as she can with her schedule. Just ask for me or her and we’ll get you backstage.”

  “That’s so cool!” Mari jumps up and down in her seat.

  “Yeah man, thanks. Brent and I may be there tonight.” Kyle tells him.

  Anna doesn’t say anything, but I swear I see attraction to Declan in her eyes as she stares at him.

  “Baby, you ready? I have a surprise for you at home.” He asks me as he gets off his stool. He throws twenty dollars on the table and holds his hands out to help me into my coat.

  “Bye guys, have a nice break if I don’t see you before next semester. Merry Christmas!” I tell them as I follow him out to the car.

  When we get home, there’s a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket and an arrangement of lilies on the table.

  He takes my coat and hangs it up then leads me to the kitchen and pours us a glass. He toasts a ‘congratulations’ before drinking.

  “Sweetheart, if this is how you celebrate the end of a semester, I can’t wait to see how you celebrate graduation.” I smile at him.

  “Already thought about it. You just need to graduate and then you’ll see.”

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  He shakes his head and leads me back to my room. He takes me into my bathroom and starts the tub.

  “Are you trying to distract me?” I ask when he pulls my sweater over my head and snaps my bra open.

  “No, I want to take a bath with my girlfriend and show her how proud I am of her. Then I want to make love to her before I have to leave.” He has my jeans pushed all the way down and I step out of them. He picks me up and puts me into the warm water. I pour some of my favorite bubbles into the stream and the room quickly fills with the aroma of lavender. Declan settles in behind me and pulls my back to his chest. He runs kisses along my exposed neckline. I relax into him and he massages my shoulders as I whimper under the pressure. He turns off the water and I feel his erection against my thigh. I wiggle against him in jest, trying to get him to play, but he adjusts an
d continues to rub my back.

  “Baby, this is all for you. You’ve been working really hard the last few weeks. Let me pamper you for a little while.”

  “What if I want to pamper you too?”

  “You do, every single day I’m with you.”

  I stay quiet and let him rub the knots out of my back. Every time he hits a sensitive spot, I moan in appreciation. I finish my champagne and rub my hands along his legs, tracing patterns as I go.

  “Dec, you know I feel pretty lucky to have you too. I’m completely, utterly, and shamelessly in love with you.”

  He stops and sits up straight. He grips my hips and turns me to straddle him. My legs wrap around his back. And in one quick motion, he’s in me. I arch my back and buck my hips, taking him deeper. He groans and I throw my head forward, grasping his face with both hands to kiss him. I can’t stop my body from surging back and forth. His hands grip my ass hard as he tries to slow me down, but I keep moving. I move my hands through his hair, down his neck, and grip his shoulders while rocking with as much power as I have. He moves one hand and fingers my nipple until it’s pebbled and throbbing. He breaks our kiss and lowers his head. As soon as his tongue touches my skin, my body starts convulsing. I tighten my muscles around him and he nods his head against me. I slam down on him one more time and he wraps his arms around my naked waist, screaming into my neck. This sets me over the edge and I muffle my cries against his collarbone. Our hearts are beating together and my breathing finally gets back under control.

  “Safe to say, making love is off the agenda this afternoon,” he says against my skin.

  “What do you mean? I think we just did.”

  “Sparkle, that wasn’t my idea of making love. I’m pretty sure you just fucked the shit out of me.”

  I feel blood rush to my cheeks. I did attack him.

  “Hey, don’t be embarrassed. It was hot. I’m getting hard again just thinking about it.” He moves against me and pulls the drain to let the water out.