Declan

by Kate Hoffmann

  She nuzzled her face against his chest, then traced a path of kisses to his nipple. Darting her tongue out, she teased at it, bringing it to a hard peak before moving across his chest to the other. He groaned softly, furrowing his fingers through her hair to hold her close.

  When she finished, he stole another long, deep kiss and Rachel felt her blood warm and her body relax. Suddenly, her mind became consumed with the sensation of his hands on her skin. She couldn’t think, but that didn’t matter. With every caress there came an automatic response, a shudder or a moan, an effort to move closer to what they both wanted.

  Their mouths still locked, they moved to the sofa and Dec gently laid her down, stretching out beside her. Rachel had never been kissed the way Dec kissed her. He took his time, as if focusing all his seductive powers on her mouth. As his tongue delved inside, then withdrew, she was reminded of what they’d soon share, his hips nestled between her legs, his shaft buried deep inside of her.

  A dull ache pulsed at her core and the need seemed to multiply with every breath she took. Rachel rolled over and straddled his body, then tugged her camisole over her head. When she reached around to unhook her bra, Dec sat up and pushed her hands aside.

  He slipped his fingers under the straps and let them fall off her shoulders. His mouth found a spot at the base of her throat and he kissed her there, lingering over a pulse as if he could sense her excitement. A moment later, she felt his fingers at her back and the bra fell away.

  Rachel shivered in anticipation and when he drew her nipple into his mouth, tiny explosions of pleasure shot through her body. She closed her eyes and allowed her mind to drift, arching against him, inviting him to take more.

  He seemed to know her body, sensing what made her moan and tingle and sigh. Though she felt a frantic need, he drew the seduction out, each caress meant to exact the maximum amount of pleasure before moving on to something new.

  Rachel’s hands smoothed over his wide chest, along the sharp angle of his shoulders and down his muscular arms. His shirt was caught beneath him, hindering his reach and after a time, he grew frustrated with the restriction and twisted out of it.

  There was so much more to explore, she mused as she reached for the top button on his jeans. But just as she undid it, a phone rang. Rachel groaned and continued her task, but the sound had broken Dec’s concentration. He glanced over his shoulder, then cursed softly. “I should get it,” he whispered.

  Rachel reluctantly crawled off of him, then smiled. “I’ll just finish cleaning up.” She grabbed her camisole and tugged it over her head, then walked out to the porch and began to gather the dishes from the small table. Inside, she heard Dec speaking softly on the phone. She couldn’t make out what he was saying, but a sudden wave of doubt washed over her. What if he was talking to another woman?

  A tiny knot grew in her stomach. She knew he had brothers, that he didn’t have time to vacation, and that he did work for Trevor Ross. A man as handsome and charming as Dec probably had plenty of female company. And many of them probably had his phone number. When she’d asked him if he had a girlfriend, he’d said no. Rachel frowned. And if he did have a girlfriend, why on earth would he agree to remain celibate for three months?

  Maybe he’d had so much sex over the past year that celibacy sounded good. She laughed softly. Celibacy would never sound good to a man. It just wasn’t in their nature to give up sex completely, unless they planned to become a priest or a monk.

  And did it really make any difference how many women he had in his past? This was never supposed to be anything more than a short-term affair, a passionate night or two together before they’d both agree to go their separate ways.

  But the better she got to know Declan, the more she realized it might be difficult to give him up. If the sex was fabulous, it might even be impossible. Rachel stacked the dishes in front of her then picked them up and carried them into the cabin. She wasn’t going to think about the future. They had two more nights together and that would have to be enough for now. As soon as he was off the phone, they’d pick up where they left off.

  Dec was standing in the middle of the kitchen when she went back inside, his cell phone clutched in his hand, his brow furrowed into a deep frown. “That was my office,” he said.

  “I thought it might be one of your girlfriends.”

  “I don’t have any girlfriends,” he said, his expression unchanged.

  “Good to know,” Rachel replied as she set the dishes in the sink. “Is there a problem at the office?”

  “The police just arrested someone in your stalking case. An intern from the radio station. Some kid named Jerry. One of my guys interviewed him earlier this evening and he admitted it.”

  Rachel gasped. “Jerry? No, Jerry couldn’t have done that. He’s a sweet kid, he’s harmless. He cleans up late at night and I see him during my shift. Every now and then, he brings me coffee. He has a little crush on me. He’s just not capable of this.”

  “He has a crush on you? Why didn’t you tell me this? Rachel, you can’t keep these-” He stopped and forced a smile. “He admitted it,” Dec repeated.

  Rachel slowly leaned back against the counter, bracing her hands on the edge. “Then it’s over?”

  He nodded. “I guess so.”

  “Wow, that was quick.” She drew in a deep breath. “I guess that means we don’t have to stay here any longer.”

  He walked over to her and slipped his hands around her waist. “It’s too late to drive back tonight and the traffic will probably be murder,” Dec said. “Besides, I’ve had a little too much to drink. We’ll stay tonight and go back tomorrow.”

  Rachel turned back to the sink and began to fill it with warm water. She’d hoped that he’d want to stay longer, but he’d probably stayed away longer than he ought to, especially since this was a job and not a vacation.

  Declan ran his palms up her torso and gently cupped her breasts in his hands. “We still have tonight,” he murmured.

  “Tonight.” Suddenly, she wasn’t quite sure why she was doing this. Was she really willing to settle for one wild night of sex with this man and then return to her regular life? There were no promises between them, no indication that this was anything more than just lust. “Your job is done now.”

  Dec gently turned her around, reaching out to shut off the water as he did. He took her face in his palms and gave her a gentle kiss. “This was not part of the job. This just happened and I’m glad it did. I hope you are too because it doesn’t have to end here.”

  She took a ragged breath and fought back the tears that threatened. “It doesn’t?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.” He wove his fingers through hers and pulled her along toward the sofa. “Leave the dishes. I’ll do them tomorrow before we go back.” Dec sat down and pulled her down beside him. “Now that this is over, maybe we should get some things straight between us,” he suggested.

  Rachel stared down at her hands, nervously twisting her fingers and knowing that the “let’s slow this down” speech was about to be dragged out. She had heard it before. You’re getting too attached, things are moving too fast, you expect too much from me. She’d promised herself this time that she wouldn’t fall in love, but a tiny part of her already had.

  “I know,” she said, reaching out for his hand. “This was crazy, the two of us. But it was an affair of opportunity. I never expected anything long term.”

  “You didn’t?”

  She shook her head, falling back on an academic explanation for the ache in her heart. “Physical attraction doesn’t always translate into a long-lasting commitment. This was just about sex.”

  Dec sat back, pulling his hand from hers. “So you were just another notch on my bedpost and I was just another chance for you to experiment?”

  “We were more attracted because what we were doing was forbidden. Now that it isn’t, the attraction won’t be so strong.”

  “Speak for yourself,” Dec said. He stared into her eyes, th
en smiled cynically. “Somehow, I get the feeling that this is a test. That you’re just watching me, ready to measure my response.” He stood. “The one thing I liked about you, Rachel, was that you didn’t play games. I guess I was wrong.”

  “I’m not playing a game. I’m just being realistic. Can you really tell me that once we go home, we’ll continue on like we’ve been doing for the past two days? No. You’ll go back to work, I’ll go back to work, we’ll have excuses why we can’t be together. Occasionally we’ll fall into bed, and then it will gradually end.”

  “Because that’s the way it’s always happened before?”

  “Dec, let’s be realistic. We’ve known each other for two days.”

  He considered her statement for a long moment, then shrugged. “You’re right,” he said. “Not a good idea. Better to stop it right now before we make a mistake.” He walked to the door, then stood staring out into the night. “I’m going for a walk. I’ll be back a little later.”

  Rachel didn’t want him to leave, but in the end, she didn’t stop him. The moment the screen door slammed, she let out a tightly held breath and closed her eyes. This was for the best, wasn’t it? She’d been so caught up in this whirlwind of desire that she’d never really considered the consequences.

  It would be so simple to fall in love with Declan. He’d been her white knight, riding to her rescue, ready to protect her with his own life. Gosh, it was such a predictable response that she was surprised she hadn’t seen it coming.

  And never mind the fact that she’d manipulated him into wanting her. She’d had her own bad luck with love, but Rachel wasn’t sure she’d be able to recover from a bad ending with Dec. It wasn’t in a woman’s nature to separate sex from love. She’d tried and it didn’t work. Maybe, if it had been another man, she would have succeeded. But Declan Quinn was just too much of what she’d always wanted.

  DEC WASN’T QUITE SURE how such a promising evening had ended so badly. He cursed his decision to pick up the phone, knowing that the call had been the beginning of the end. A walk in the woods hadn’t helped his mood and when he returned, he’d fully intended to straighten everything out with Rachel. After all, she’d always been interested in how he was feeling.

  And how was he feeling? Frustrated, confused? A little angry, maybe? He’d been so quick to trust her, so certain that she wasn’t like other women he’d known. But Dec realized he might have been wrong. After her behavior tonight, he could call her fickle and capricious and manipulative.

  He could also say, in all honestly, that she might just be a little bit confused and he still wanted her more than ever. As he walked back to the cabin, he went over in his mind what needed to be said. But when he got inside, Dec found the lights turned down low and Rachel’s bedroom door closed. He walked up to it and raised his hand to knock, but then realized that the closed door was proof enough of her feelings. So he’d stretched out on the sofa in the dark with a cold beer and every intention of getting himself good and drunk.

  In the end, he fell asleep midway through the first beer. It wasn’t a restful sleep and he hovered near consciousness as images of Rachel flickered in his head. Over and over, he’d wake himself up, more determined to stop thinking about her. And then, he’d lapse into a fitful dream that made him even more frustrated.

  He wasn’t sure what brought him out of his dreams again. But when Dec opened his eyes, he cursed softly. The clock on the mantel was closing in on three a.m., barely three hours since he’d first laid down. With a deep sigh, he threw his arm over his eyes. The effects of the earlier wine had worn off and Dec considered waking Rachel, getting her packed and leaving for Providence right then and there.

  But there was still time to figure out how to salvage something from what had begun between them. Couldn’t she see what it would be like for them, Dec wondered. Wasn’t she even curious where it might lead? She must have had some pretty nasty experiences with men to blow him off so quickly.

  He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then drew in another and another, consciously trying to relax himself. As he lay perfectly still, Dec slowly realized he wasn’t alone. He pulled his arm away and pushed up on his elbow. Rachel stood at the entrance to the hallway, her back against the wall, her eyes closed.

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  She jumped, as if surprised to hear his voice, then quickly straightened. “I just came to get a glass of water. I was afraid I’d wake you.”

  “I wasn’t asleep,” Dec said.

  “I couldn’t sleep,” she murmured.

  She moved toward the end of the sofa, her hands clutched in front of her and her gaze fixed on the floor. She wore just her camisole and panties and he could see the soft outline of her breasts beneath the fabric. Dec couldn’t deny he wanted to take her into his arms and kiss her, to shelter the vulnerable woman he saw before him.

  When he held out his hand, he was prepared for her to refuse it. But then she slowly moved closer to take it and he knew what had been said earlier made no difference at all. She still wanted him.

  He pulled her down on top of him, stretching her slender body over his until he could feel every inch of her. Her leg slipped between his and he brought his foot up along her hip, bringing them even closer together. Rachel pressed her lips to his naked chest but before she could do more, he raked his fingers through her hair and forced her to meet his gaze.

  “Don’t mess with me,” he warned. “Either you want to be with me or you don’t.”

  “I do,” she whispered, an edge of desperation in her voice. She slid up along his body and kissed him softly. “I do want to be with you.”

  Her belly rubbed against his cock as she shifted on top of him and he felt himself growing hard. His need for her had always been consuming, but after this evening, Dec felt it even more deeply. He ached to bury himself inside her, to lose himself in her heat and damp.

  But Rachel had wanted to take things slowly and now he saw the wisdom in that. He’d make her want him as much as he wanted her. He’d drive her so crazy with desire that she’d have no choice but to continue seeing him once they’d returned to Providence. It wouldn’t be finished tonight. He’d make sure tonight was just the beginning.

  Dec drew her thighs up along his hips, then cupped her backside, running his hands beneath the silky fabric of her panties. The feel of her skin was amazing, perfectly soft and smooth. She sat on top of him and Dec pushed up to sit, his erection pressed against the warm spot between her legs.

  He kissed her breasts through the soft cotton of her camisole, holding her close as she arched back. And then, grasping the hem of her shirt, he pulled it over her head, revealing a body that grew more beautiful every time he looked at it.

  Rachel wrapped her arms around his neck as he gently brought her nipple to a peak with his tongue. When he’d done the same to both breasts, he trailed kisses back to her mouth. She left him breathless, teetering on the edge, and he was stunned at the power her touch held over him.

  Even the most innocent caress-a soft nibble on his ear, her nails raking down his back, her foot sliding down along his calf-sent desire spiraling through his body. And when he didn’t think he could take any more, he could. Dec was almost afraid to go further, afraid that the pleasure he ultimately felt would be so profound that it might ruin him for sex with any other woman.

  Right now, Rachel was the only woman he wanted and he couldn’t imagine it being any other way. Her pleasure was what he wanted to see, her surrender. He grabbed her waist and pushed her back into the pillows on the end of the sofa. Holding her arms above her head, Dec kissed her neck, her long, lovely arms, her fingertips. Then, he began a slow, sensuous trip lower, kissing and nipping and licking until he reached her belly. Hooking his fingers beneath her panties, Dec pulled them down and tossed them aside.

  He stared at her for a long moment, her body completely naked, flushed with the excitement of his touch. He’d always appreciated the special qualities of a woma
n’s form, the things that made it so different from his own. To his eyes, Rachel’s body was absolute feminine perfection, from her small but full breasts to her narrow waist to the gentle flare of her hips. Everything about her was designed to drive him mad with desire.

  His gaze dropped to the neatly trimmed patch of hair below her belly and he reached down and gently parted her lips with his fingers. A sudden cry erupted from her throat and she jerked in response to his touch.

  Already, she was hot and damp, as if prepared for him. But Dec had decided that they wouldn’t complete the act tonight. Tonight, she would have her pleasure. He dipped his head and ran his tongue along her tight slit. Her eyes flew open and she looked down at him as he settled himself between her legs, his tongue gently working her clitoris.

  She was sweet and damp and with every stroke of his tongue, Rachel grew more wild with desire. Her fingers twisted in his hair as she responded, giving him cues to what gave her the most pleasure. Dec brought her close several times, then backed off and let her relax.

  He’d never been quite so careful, so attentive to a woman’s responses. This was not just a prelude to his pleasure, this was meant to prove something to Rachel. He couldn’t be denied. He was the only man who could make her feel this way and she’d be silly to go looking for any other.

  He flicked his tongue across her clit again and again and she arched against him. But this time, when he sensed she was close, Dec decided to take her all the way. Gently, he began to suck and her immediate reaction was so strong that he knew he’d found the key to her release.

  A few seconds later, she stopped breathing, tensing, her fingers clutching at his hair. And then, in a heartbeat, spasms wracked her body. She cried out, repeating his name over and over as she came, writhing beneath his mouth until she was completely spent. Gasping for breath, she tugged his head away, then laughed in delight.

  There was no doubt in Dec’s mind that he’d pleased her. She’d want this again and again and each time, he’d make sure it was as good as the first. He slid up on the sofa, until he was stretched out beside her, gently caressing her belly until the last of her orgasm was spent.