My shirt is off within seconds, and my bra follows. Declan dips his head and takes one of my nipples fully into his mouth.
He swirls his tongue around the tight bud, and I clutch at his hair like a lifeline.
Then, I reach down to his shirt. I unbutton each button until I can run my fingers across his smooth, solid chest and muscled abs. And then, I keep going until I’ve unbuckled his belt and unzipped his jeans.
I carefully pull out his thick erection and run my hand down the length.
Declan groans. “Mia, Christ. That feels so good, darling.” He lifts me up so he can take off my jeans and panties.
Once I’m bare to him, he says in a raspy tone, “Let’s finish what we started this morning. Ride me, Mia.”
I grip his length in my hand and scoot higher until I’ve got the angle right. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
His eyes flash with heat. “I’ve been ready all day for this. You control everything. The pace, the depth, all of it.”
I stroke him a few times with my hand before guiding him inside me. I take him in slowly until I sink down onto him fully.
Declan’s eyes are on me. “Feels fucking amazing.”
“Put your hands behind your head,” I say when he reaches for me.
“Mia…” he says in a warning tone.
I lean forward and kiss him. “Let me do this for you,” I say. “You always have to worry about maintaining control so you can be focused and precise and perfect. You can’t let anyone down, ever, on the ice or off of it. Let me take over for a few minutes. Your only job is to feel.”
His eyes widen, and I catch the hint of fear. “Feel?”
“Yep. Let go completely.”
I start riding him in earnest, and he slams his eyes shut.
“Don’t,” I tell him. “Look at me, Declan.”
“Mia…” He opens his eyes.
“It’s okay to be vulnerable. No one’s judging you here. Give up the control, honey. You’re safe.”
I may be talking softly, but I’m riding him hard. I swivel my hips like pistons as I drag my fingers down his bare chest. His lips part, and he starts saying my name interspersed with other mutterings.
Cursing is followed by, “God, that feels so fucking good,” followed by my name again.
He urges me to ride him harder, and then he starts thrusting up into me from below.
And I let him take over.
I’m freaking exhausted, and I hang onto his shoulders as he takes us both over the edge.
I dig my teeth into his shoulder as I come, and he buries his head in my neck.
“Fuck,” he mutters as we both come down from the high. “Fuck.”
Yes, that was incredible. Like it always is with us.
But as I start to breathe normally again, the reality of what we just did hits me.
It’s dinnertime. But soon, it will be nighttime. What do we do—say good night and go off to our separate bedrooms?
“Mia.” Declan’s soothing voice is in my ear. “Don’t overthink this.”
“I’m not,” I say.
His throaty chuckle makes me smile.
“You are. And for the record, we’re sleeping together tonight.”
I whip my head up. “How did you—”
“I just did.” He kisses me tenderly. “Let’s make dinner here tonight.”
“Just the two of us?”
“Just the two of us. No cousins for once, and we’re meeting my parents tomorrow for breakfast. So tonight, just you and me?”
I smile. “Just you and me.”
Declan and I cook chicken and pasta for dinner. I also make a big salad, and for dessert, we share a bowl of ice cream.
“Sorry about my dad blindsiding us like that,” Declan says as we settle back on the couch and he takes a bite of ice cream. “In a million years, I wouldn’t have expected that.”
“I didn’t mind. I thought it was nice of him, to be honest.” I reach out and put my hand over his. “You looked a little shell-shocked by what he said.”
Declan flips his hand so he can run his thumb over mine. “That’s a good assessment. My dad isn’t known for his apologies.”
I think it over. “Maybe becoming a grandfather mellowed him.”
“That’s pretty instant mellowing,” he jokes.
“True. Maybe he senses you’re retiring.”
“It’s possible. He knows I’ve come close before, so it shouldn’t surprise him.” He gathers up our empty bowl and brings it into the kitchen.
As he rinses it out and puts it into the dishwasher, I fill up two glasses with water.
“You want a glass of water for the night?” I ask him.
He glances over his shoulder at me. “How did you know I do that?”
“I’ve noticed when we say good night that you do the same thing I do—you grab a glass of water. So, I figured I’d get both our glasses for us.”
He leans over and kisses my forehead. “Thanks, darling.”
Darling.
I could get used to this. All of this.
Declan turns off the main lights, and I follow him into his bedroom.
“Which side do you want?” I ask him as I hold out a glass of water for him.
“Either is fine.” He takes them both, puts one glass on the left nightstand, and walks over to put the second glass on the right one. “As long as you’re in my bed, I don’t care which side I sleep on.”
He slips his hands underneath my shirt and tugs the fabric up and over my head. “I should amend that statement—as long as you’re naked in my bed, I don’t care about anything else.”
I smile as I reach for his shirt. “Same here.”
As he pulls back the comforter and sheet and we fall into his bed together, I force any bad thoughts out of my head. Thoughts of how this is temporary, and how much it will hurt when it’s over. Because right now, I don’t care about any of that. The only thing I care about is the man in front of me. My husband.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Four weeks pass.
Declan and I have sex every night.
And sometimes mornings.
I’ve pretty much moved into his bedroom, and I only go into my room to pick out clothes for work.
We still eat dinner frequently with his cousins, but we also take time for dinner alone now.
And we visit Cam and Savannah and their new baby often.
Libby’s the sweetest baby in the world, and watching Declan with his niece is a gift.
I take so many pictures when we visit that Cam jokes he’ll have to come to me for the best photos of his daughter.
As far as Declan and I and our no-strings sex promise…well…
I’ve fallen so hard for him I’m pretty sure I’ll be devastated when we divorce.
But I’m trying to remain in denial, an effort made more difficult thanks to my best friend.
“You know you’re in love with him,” Jamie Beth says as we watch Declan skate across the ice in front of our seats. “At least admit it to me.”
Jamie Beth and I are at tonight’s game early, so early Declan’s out on the ice in just a t-shirt and pads, taking a few practice shots.
“I won’t even admit it to myself,” I say. “Why would I admit it to you?”
The Wild Kings finished the regular season in first place, and they won their first three playoffs series.
I’ve been to every home game. The Kings have crushed their opponents, and Declan’s been an unstoppable force on the ice. Tonight is the first game of the finals against the New Orleans Fire. It’s a best of seven series, with the first two games here in Montana.
“These games are taking a toll on my stress levels,” I say to Jamie Beth as Declan waves to me and exits the ice for the locker room. “Each time the Kings finish a series and I think I can relax, Declan tells me they’re on to the next series.”
But all of the anxiety is worth it. Because Declan’s worth it.
And Jamie B
eth is right—as much as I try not to say the ‘L’ word to myself, I do love my husband.
Declan
I’m amped for the game. I’m amped for the series. This is my last chance to win it all as a player, and I want to give my team everything I have. I got banged up in the last series, and my shoulder’s definitely been better, but I know I can gut it out for one last run.
I have to.
“You ready?” Jared holds up his gloved hand.
I bump his glove with my own. “No mercy tonight,” I tell him. “I know you’re playing against your brothers, but…”
Jared laughs. “That fact motivates me more, man,” he says. “We all love to beat each other. Max and I want this one bad, believe me.”
“Good to hear,” I say. “You two will have one up on Liam and Hunter if we win, right?”
“Yeah, we will,” Max says as he joins us at the door leaving the locker room. “So let’s go do it.”
I know Mia’s watching me as soon as I enter the ice. I raise my stick in her direction before the puck is dropped to start the game.
And then, the clock starts on the last series of my professional hockey career.
Tonight, I’m feeling it. I’m the only guy on the team who’s been to the finals before, and I can sense my teammates need some encouragement.
“Arch! Is that the way you do it in college?” I bark at him when he lets a Fire defender take the puck away from him. “Focus!”
I skate the length of the ice and scoop the puck out of Hunter Storm’s grasp. “Mine tonight, Storm,” I trash talk him as I fire the puck to Jared, who skates over the blue line and then finds an open Max.
He flicks his wrist, and the puck bangs into the goal.
“Way to go, Max!” I shout.
One to nothing.
And we’re just getting started.
I score my second goal midway through the third period.
And I do something I’ve never done before. As the Fire call timeout, I go to the bench and throw on my skate guards before I walk into the stands.
She’s sitting in the VIP seats behind the bench with Jamie Beth and my parents, and all my cousins.
“Declan, what—” she starts to say.
I lift the helmet on my visor and cut her off with a hard kiss on her mouth.
Dropping the puck into her lap, I wink at her. “See you after, babe.”
I can hear my dad chuckling as I walk back down to the ice.
We win game one, four to nothing.
“This was a good win, men,” Coach Tucker says in the locker room afterward. “But we’ve got a long series ahead of us, okay? No resting on our laurels. No going out partying all night. Stay focused. Stay determined. We’re not done yet.”
“We’re just getting started,” I say as Coach signals me to wrap things up with the guys. “Let’s show up for practice tomorrow ready to go. Great job tonight. Let’s go, Kings!”
“Kings!” Everyone shouts before breaking for the showers.
After a shower and about a dozen interviews, Arch, Tex, and I leave the locker room by the back door.
We run into Jared and Max chatting with their brothers in the private hallway. Like the three of us, they’re all wearing suits although Liam’s tugging at his tie like he wants to rip it off. Normally, we would never see the opposing players in the middle of a playoff series. But the Storm brothers are tight, and nothing’s going to stop them from visiting with each other.
“Hey.” I shake hands and half-hug Hunter and then Liam.
All four Storm brothers are great players, but Hunter’s on another level this season. He just found out he won league MVP, an award I came in second for this year.
“You won it twice before,” Hunter reminds me with a grin. “Time for somebody new.”
I don’t want to tell him how right he is, that after this series, I’m making way for a lot of new guys with my retirement.
Instead, I congratulate him and ask him and Liam how they’re doing.
“Jared and Max told me about you ID’ing that asshole.” I shake my head. “I’m sorry it took so long to put him away.”
“Hey, the good news is it’s finally done.” Liam crosses his arms over his chest like the conversation is over.
“Congrats on your marriage, man,” Hunter says as he punches me lightly on the arm.
“Thanks,” I say.
“You seem happy,” he says. “Still scary as fuck on the ice…”
Jared snorts.
“But happy,” Hunter says.
“I am,” I say.
And I can’t wait to see Mia tonight to celebrate our win. I also have something important to tell her, and I hope she’ll be as excited about the idea as I am.
Mia
“Best sex in the history of sex,” I state breathlessly as I collapse onto Declan’s bed.
Declan kisses my bare breast and shifts off of me so he can lie next to me. “Every time with you is the best, Mia.”
“Do you think we’ll celebrate every time you win?”
“Let’s see,” he says teasingly as he turns me so we’re spooning, my back to his chest. “We have every time so far.”
“But we’ve also had sex when you’ve lost.”
“Shh. Let’s forget we ever lost.” Declan kisses my hair. “Thanks for coming tonight. I know you have your big spot tomorrow on Chronicle Montana. I’m already planning to catch a glimpse during practice.”
“My dad’s recording it, and believe me, he’ll be sure to make you watch it over and over. And you don’t have to thank me for coming. I love cheering you on.” I can feel myself starting to get sleepy. “I didn’t expect the puck, though.”
I feel another kiss on my head. “I didn’t either. But I like surprising you. And I like kissing you goodnight, too.” He leans forward and plants a soft kiss on the side of my mouth. “I want to fund your foundation.”
I flip around so fast I nearly bang heads with Declan. “What?”
“If you want to be partners, I’d like to fund your foundation to help abused and abandoned horses,” he says.
“But don’t you need to invest a lot of capital in the Kings to become a minority owner?”
“Yes, but that money’s from a separate account. I also have an account that I use to allocate money to charities. But this would be different. This would involve setting up a new foundation in your name or your company’s name, for starters, whichever way works.”
I inhale. I never considered just how much money Declan must have earned during his long career. “Declan, this is an amazing gift you’re offering me.”
“Do you accept it?” His gray eyes lighten the way I’ve learned they do when he’s feeling vulnerable.
I kiss his cheek and then throw my arms around his neck. “Yes, I accept. Thank you so much.”
He kisses me before I turn back around and we spoon again.
“Goodnight, darling,” he says.
“Goodnight, Dec.”
And as I drift off, I swear I hear him say, “I’d like to kiss you goodnight forever, Mia Wild.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Declan
Mia’s spot on Chronicle Montana takes place right before practice, so I can’t be there to cheer her on backstage.
But I’m not about to miss it. I dress for the ice but then take a detour rather than heading to the rink. Some of my teammates, because they’re nosy fuckers, follow me into the film room, where I flick on the flat-screen TV.
I stand in front of it and watch my wife nail her interview.
“Mia looks great,” Jared remarks as he stands next to me. “Not nervous at all.”
She does look great. She’s wearing the same suit she was wearing the night we met. She told me it’s her good luck suit.
I didn’t ask her if that was just because of me or another reason, but I choose to believe I have something to do with it.
“Our motto is that no rancher or cowboy should have to sell if they d
on’t want to,” Mia says to Angie as they sit across from each other in black chairs. “No one should be forced to leave their land and sell it to developers. We help the owners come up with creative ways to thrive in today’s economy and changing times.”
My chest swells with emotion, an emotion I can’t get a hold of right away.
And then I realize what it is.
I’m fucking proud of her.
“She does good work.” Max punches my arm.
She’s talking about her foundation now, the foundation we just decided to start together.
“So you and your husband will be co-founding this then,” the interviewer confirms.
Mia blushes. And then she giggles. “Yes. Our first venture together. Well, our second, because I guess our first was getting married in the first place.”
I smile at the television like she can see me watching her.
Because I may not know everything that’s going on in my wife’s head. Okay, I probably know very little, but I didn’t misread that.
Mia Carroll Wild just blushed when she talked about her husband.
“Holy shit.” Jared whistles. “Your wife sure has the hots for you, Dec.”
Arch chuckles from behind us. “That’s typical newlywed love, you fucker.”
Not for us. For Mia and me, nothing about our marriage has been typical.
The interview comes to a close, but I keep the television on, hoping to catch one last shot of Mia before the show signs off.
“Hey, guys.” Maren, the coach’s assistant, steps into the room. “Coach wants you to shut the damn TV off and get on the ice.” She grins as she imitates Coach’s gruff tone.
“Hey.” Max crosses the room to Maren. “What are you doing after practice?”
Jared and I look at each other in surprise. Max usually avoids talking to Maren whenever she’s around.
She blinks at Max. “Same thing I always do after work. I’m picking up Ty from daycare and heading home.”
“Let me take you both out for a meal,” he says.
Declan (Wild Men Book 8) Page 17
