Falling For Declan (Falling Book 8)

by Tracy Lorraine

  “I don’t mind,” I say but I think she knows I’m stretching the truth a little.

  “Go.”

  I watch her walk from the water, carrying her board by her side, and I’m torn. I never thought anything would drag me away from surfing, but right now the thought of just lying with her as the sun rises on the beach is seriously tempting.

  She turns the second she’s out of the water and gestures for me to go, and I do as I’m told. I remember why when I catch my first wave and all my thoughts fall from my mind.

  “I hope you weren’t planning on doing anything today, because I’ve got you all booked up,” I admit when I fall down beside her a while later.

  “I’m meant to be working.”

  “Nope, you’re not needed.”

  “But I’m on the rota.”

  “Only so you wouldn’t get suspicious. You haven’t had a day off in two weeks, it’s well overdue,” I say when she looks like she’s about to argue. “The others are more than capable.”

  “So what am I doing, then?”

  “After this, you’re spending the afternoon with Lilly and Liv. Lilly has it all planned. Then, we’re all going out tonight.”

  “Where to?”

  “It’s a surprise.”

  “I hate surprises,” she pouts.

  “I know, that’s why it’s so much fun.” I pull the towel from her body and roll on top of her. “I missed you last night.”

  She groans beneath me as I kiss down her neck. “Me too.”

  Glancing around, I see we’re the only people on the beach. I’m surprised it’s not full of surfers, but we must have just beaten them out. I’m also relieved. Pulling her bikini top to the side, I flick her already peaked nipple before pinching it between my thumb and finger. Her back arches off the sand in her need for more.

  “You really did miss me last night.”

  She moans again as I go for the other one, too. Her hips rub against me and the only thing I can think about is sinking inside her. If we were anywhere more private, I would do exactly that.

  Telling myself I’ll get what I need at the first possible chance, I fall off to the side and run my hand down her stomach. I expect her to argue, to be concerned about our surroundings, but it seems my fiery redhead doesn’t care this morning. Her hips flex as I find her wet and ready for me, forcing my fingers where she needs them.

  Her moan of ecstasy when I push inside her has my balls tightening. “Fuck,” I grunt before lowering my head and pulling her salty nipple into my mouth as I work her into a frenzy. It feels like only seconds before she’s writhing beneath me and about to climax.

  “Let go. Tell the whole fucking beach who you belong to.” My demands must hit the spot, because not a second later she’s screaming out my name for the world to hear. Puffing out my chest that this incredible woman is mine, I slowly bring her down from her high.

  Watching the pleasure wash across her face distracts me from anything that could be happening around me. When the last wave of her orgasm has subsided, she opens her eyes and looks up at me. She looks fucking gorgeous with her freckles and heated cheeks.

  Slowly, I pull my fingers from her and suck them into my mouth. Her chin drops open as she watches my every move, her eyes darkening, begging me for more.

  “Let’s get back.” I announce, quickly jumping to my feet. I’m sure the boner tenting my shorts tells her I’m not as thrilled to end it there as I’m making out, but she doesn’t say anything.

  Her house is still in silence when we walk up the stairs. Her new housemate must be sleeping off her hangover like Nicole expected to be doing.

  “Shower?”

  “Yes. Let me grab you some towels.”

  “I don’t mind sharing yours,” I say, pulling her to me.

  “Go get the shower started. I’ll be right there.”

  I’ve just stepped under the spray of water when she comes into the room and I get the pleasure of watching her strip. I’ve no idea if she does it on purpose to tease me, but I swear it takes longer than necessary for the last item of clothing to drop to the floor and for her to step towards me. Our eye contact holds as she gets closer, and I’m sure my eyes give away everything I want to do to her.

  The second her feet hit the bottom of the bath, I grab her hips and pull her flush against me. She moans as our skin connects and my cock twitches. Thoughts of imminently being inside her make me even more desperate.

  Lifting her so her legs wrap around my waist, I press her back against the tiled wall. She gasps when her heated skin connects with the cold, but she doesn’t back away.

  I stare at her for a couple of seconds, taking in her beauty, appreciating what I failed to admit to myself for all those years before I find her entrance. I thrust forward and simultaneously lower her so I know I’m going to hit her exactly where she likes it.

  Her legs tighten around me as I continue to thrust up into her. Gradually, her moans begin to get louder and her head thuds back against the wall. I have a fleeting thought about her houseguest, but I don’t give a fuck if she hears every single thing. This is Nicole’s house, and I’ll fuck her however I see fit.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Nicole

  Leaving Dec in my bedroom on the phone, I make my way downstairs to find Liv. I heard her get up a few minutes ago, but knowing there’s little chance she slept through our shower activities, I hesitated to greet her immediately.

  “Good morning,” I sing when I get to the kitchen and find her stood beside a boiling kettle.

  “It sounded like it was for you!” My face flames and a groan finds its way past my lips. “Don’t be embarrassed. I’m jealous, I haven’t been fucked like that in forever, or ever, actually, but I don’t want to dwell on that.”

  “David doesn’t do it for you?” I ask, happy to spin this conversation onto her.

  “At the beginning it was…all right. We were never going to set the bed on fire, if you know what I mean, but I honestly can’t tell you the last time we even had bad sex, let alone half decent sex. Thank fuck for BOB, is all I can say.”

  “I’m sorry.” I’m not sure what else to say. With everything she told me last night, I can’t help feeling for her; she’s found herself stuck in a really shitty situation, and I hope she finds the strength to do what she needs to do.

  “You ready?” Dec asks when he appears a few minutes later. Liv immediately spins around and I watch her eyes run the length of him. I swear her eyes are on the verge of turning green as her obvious jealousy pours from her. “Liv.” He nods at her, but otherwise ignores her desperation.

  “Sure, where are we going?”

  “Just for a drive, and I’ll drop you where you’re meeting Lilly for the afternoon.”

  “What about Liv? I thought she was coming?”

  “Don’t worry, we’ve got it all covered.”

  “Okay.”

  “Grab a jacket.”

  “But it’s lovely out.”

  “Do you trust me?”

  I stare at him and I see his expression darken a little as he registers what he just said. “Yes,” I state strongly, because I do. He’s gone out of his way to show me that he’s serious about what we have here.

  “Good. Come on.”

  “Where’s your van?” I ask, looking up and down the street. We walked to the beach this morning, so I didn’t pay it any attention.

  “I haven’t got it. We’re going on this, instead.” He comes to a stop next to an immaculate black and chrome motorbike.

  I step back until I hit my neighbour’s front wall.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m not getting on that.” The panic in my voice must be obvious because Dec’s eyes soften as he walks towards me.

  “Why not? What’s wrong?”

  “My dad was killed on one of those things. I will never get on one.” My voice is firm and adamant, but I can see from Dec’s expression that I’m about to have a fight on my hands.

 
; “Nothing will happen. I just want to take you along the coastal roads so you can see the view. We’ll hardly see any other vehicles.”

  “No. I’m not getting on it.”

  I watch as he blows out a breath, thinking about how he’s going to convince me.

  “What happened to your dad was devastating, but it was an accident,” he says softly. “But accidents happen every day to people who drive other things as well. I promise nothing will happen to you, and I know once we get going, you’ll love it.”

  “I can guarantee you, I won’t.”

  I see a small smile twitch his lips. “I’ll prove you wrong. Now come on, you’re braver and stronger than this. Conquer another fear with me. I dare you.”

  “You’re a massive dick, Declan Morrison.”

  “You’re right, I do have a massive dick,” he says with a laugh as I snatch the helmet out of his hand.

  “You’re not funny.” I pull the helmet on and he helps me secure it. I stare at him with narrowed eyes the entire time, hoping it’ll convey just how unhappy I am about this.

  “Come on then, jump on,” he says as I watch him swing one long leg over the bike in front of us.

  My stomach knots in fear. I swore I’d never get on one of these things after it took my dad away before I even had the chance to meet him. But Declan was right a few weeks ago: I never have been able to turn down a dare. And it’s him that’s asking me to do this. If it were anyone else, I’d be back in my house with my slippers on by now, but I can’t say no to him.

  I get myself relatively comfortable behind him and lock my arms around his middle, holding as tight as I can. He hasn’t even started the engine, but I’m already petrified.

  The second the bike rumbles to life, my stomach turns over. I take a slow, deep breath to try to settle it and to calm my racing heart.

  “You okay?” I hear Dec shout back to me, but I’m unable to respond. He must take that as a yes because he slowly begins to pull away from the curb.

  Holding so tight I wonder if he’s struggling to breathe, I squeeze my eyes shut and pray I’m going to see Bailey and Lilly again.

  I keep them shut for the longest time. The air whips around my exposed neck, making me think we’re going about a million miles an hour. I want to tell him to slow down, to stop, anything, but I’m frozen in fear.

  I’ve no clue how much time has passed as I cling onto Dec for dear life, but eventually I manage to find the courage to crack one eye open.

  “Whoa.” Both eyes open wide as I take in the view of the bay before me. It really is beautiful. Suddenly my fear isn’t at the forefront of my mind, and for the first time in however long, my hold loosens and I can breathe a little easier. Being able to watch the passing scenery, I can see that we’re not going all that fast and it makes me feel much better.

  “I told you you’d love it,” Dec says the second he takes his helmet off. He pulled off the main road a few minutes ago, and we weaved our way down a long gravel track until the most stunning manor house came into view. He’s parked up next to Lilly’s car, so I know this is where I’m meeting her for the afternoon.

  “How’d you know I was enjoying it?”

  “Because after about ten minutes, I felt you relax.”

  “How did you know I hadn’t passed out through fear?”

  “Shut up,” he mutters as he helps me off the bike and frees my head.

  I immediately run my fingers through my hair and give it a shake. I feel his eyes on me but when I look up, I don’t expect to see the serious expression on his face.

  “What?”

  He has to clear his throat before he can respond. “I love you.” My heart tumbles in my chest and butterflies erupt in my stomach. Neither of us has uttered those words since the night Bailey disappeared. I wondered if he’d just got caught up in the moment and hadn’t really meant them. I put my concerns to one side and focused on enjoying our time together, but I hadn’t realised how badly I needed to hear them again.

  “Thank you—”

  “That wasn’t the response I was hoping for.”

  “Let me finish. Thank you for making me do that, for helping me face my fears. I love you, too.”

  “That’s better,” he says, before wrapping his hand around the back of my neck and pulling me to him for a kiss.

  “All right, all right, put her down. It’s my turn,” Lilly shouts over the car park. “I can’t believe you got her on that thing,” she adds when she gets over to us.

  “I told you I would.”

  “Your need to always be right is tiresome, you know?”

  They continue bickering back and forth for a few minutes before Lilly threads her arm through mine and tells me it’s time for lover boy to go.

  “Give him a kiss goodbye, and then it’s girl time.”

  “I’ll see you later, Ginge.”

  “You’d better.”

  “Ugh, that’s enough. Come on.” Lilly drags me away from Dec, and together we walk into a huge reception area.

  “This place is incredible.”

  “Best hotel around for miles.”

  “Are you allowed to say that?”

  “Even Lucas can appreciate this place is even better than his.”

  We walk down a wide hallway with artwork that probably costs more than my house hanging on the walls before it opens up into a gorgeous summer room. There are only a couple of tables, but over in the corner one is covered in food and has Liv sat at it.

  The three of us enjoy our cream tea and eat one too many cakes before we head down to the outside pool. We spend the afternoon relaxing back on sleek sun loungers as we soak up the gorgeous weather and view of the bay in the distance.

  “Ugh, I don’t want to move,” Lilly complains when she looks at the clock on her phone. “I want to stay here forever.” She finishes her glass of Pimm’s before getting up and pulling her cover over her head.

  Both Liv and I pack up our stuff and follow behind Lilly when she heads inside. I expect her to leave so I’m surprised when she comes to a stop by the lift and hits the button to descend.

  “Where are we going?”

  “To get ready for tonight.”

  “What are we doing?”

  “If I told you, I’d have to kill you.”

  “Was it Dec’s idea?”

  “Yep, and I think it’s perfect.”

  I groan, because it could be bloody anything knowing him. I could be about to be forced to jump out of an aeroplane or something else I’m terrified of.

  The three of us spend the next couple of hours being preened and polished. I’ve never had the opportunity to do this kind of thing, so it’s amazing to sit back and let someone else worry about making my hair curl just right and have my nails done properly, not the rush job I do myself every now and then.

  Lilly and Liv emerge from their last appointment looking incredible. They’re both wearing cute little dresses and their hair and make up are perfect. I, however, am still sitting in a hotel robe with only the clothes I wore here or my bikini to change back into.

  “You two look amazing, but—” I don’t get to finish my sentence because Lilly produces a gift bag from behind her back.

  “Happy birthday.”

  “I thought all this was my present?”

  “Yeah, but there’s this, too.”

  I take the bags from her when she passes them to me, and pull out a cute little floral playsuit from the gift bag.

  “I didn’t think you’d want a dress.”

  “It’s perfect. Thank you so much.”

  “You’re welcome. Now go get it on, we’ve got plans.”

  Once I’m ready, we head back to the lift and are directed to the restaurant. I expect to find a table laid up for the three of us when I walk into the room. What I’m not expecting is to find Dec, Lucas, BJ and Liam sat waiting for us.

  The second they see us coming, Dec and Lucas stand. I can’t help but laugh as I watch Lucas’ eyes bug out of his head w
hen they land on Lilly. I understand why; she looks stunning. When I turn my attention back to Dec, I see his eyes darken as they drop down my body and to my exposed legs.

  The sexy little smirk that plays on his face when his gaze comes back up to my eyes makes me wish we were alone.

  “Looking sexy, ladies,” is called from the other side of the table, and I look over to see BJ giving Liv a salacious wink, while Liam sits there with his eyes wide and his mouth open.

  Everyone soon gets distracted when a waitress comes over with glasses of prosecco.

  Just like everything here, the food is out of this world, and the amazing service means the alcohol flows a little too well. By the time desserts are cleared and Dec and Lucas begin arguing over the bill, I’m feeling seriously buzzed despite the amount of food I’ve packed away.

  “Car’s outside. Are we ready to party?” Lilly announces excitedly. It seems the bubbles have gone straight to her head as well.

  Any images I had in my head of a couple of taxis sitting outside waiting for us are soon smashed when I see a giant black limo.

  “That’s what I’m talking about,” BJ announces as he wraps his arm around Liv’s waist. Just over his shoulder, I spot Liam giving him a hard stare. What’s going on there?

  I’m soon distracted from Liam’s obvious annoyance when I’m handed another glass of bubbles. The music starts the second we’re all in, and the limo pulls away. I’ve no idea where we’re going, and to be honest, I don’t really care. We could just drive around all night, and I’d be happy. I’m surrounded by people I love. What else could I need?

  Declan

  It wasn’t intentional for today to be about pushing Nicole to face her fears, but that’s kind of what it’s turned into, minus her afternoon at the swanky hotel. But as we get closer to our destination, I wonder if I’m about to push her too far.

  Looking over, I see her laughing with Lilly and Liv. She’s smiling and her eyes are sparkling with happiness. My heart swells. This is how I want her to be every day, not fighting with her grief and the loneliness I know she’s been feeling.

  Looking through the blacked out window beside me, I see the lights of the bar we’re heading towards come into view. It’s now or never.