by Stacey Lynn
I rolled off her, and brought her with me. She gasped in surprise and then straddled me. My hands wrapped around her back, and I slid one hand up to her neck and pulled her against me.
“You taste me,” I said, our lips almost brushing against each other’s. “Then you ride me.”
Her eyes lit up with excitement and I pushed my head back into the pillow, letting out another groan. I didn’t give her time to think of an excuse not to, or a reason why I might not have wanted this.
I pulled her toward me and pressed her mouth against mine, sliding my tongue inside her mouth, and rocking into her to show her that the idea of her having her way with me was the biggest damn turn-on I’d ever felt.
Then I lay still while she explored my body.
Her lips brushed against my skin, following the trails and dips of my abs. She pressed her soft lips down the length of my arms before tasting me right above my hip bones.
With every brush of her lips against me, my skin burned until I thought it would combust.
My fingers curled into the sheets beneath me, as I forced myself to allow her this control. To give her what she wanted.
I let loose a groan when she wrapped her lips around the tip of my cock for the first time. The pleasure was so intense it was almost painful.
And when I finally yanked her off my dick, set her on top me, and then watched as she sank herself down onto me, I was certain there would never be a woman more perfectly made for me.
We came together, her fingers clinging to mine on the bed, and our shouts were explosive enough to be heard throughout the entire town.
I didn’t give one single fuck.
When we exhausted ourselves, I held her in my arms until she fell asleep.
I fell asleep with a smile on my face because I had been right. Tomorrow morning, her swear jar would be overflowing, and it was worth every single fucking dollar to shout and curse and groan while I let her have her wicked way with me.
Chapter 18
Trina
Had to get to the restaurant for deliveries.
Don’t leave the house or unlock the door for anyone.
Call me when you wake up.
Last night was perfect.
~D
I pressed the flimsy, wrinkled receipt to my chest and sighed.
His commands and bossiness would bother me if I didn’t know they came from a place of concern and caring, instead of a desire to rule over me.
At my feet, Boomer curled up on his side and sighed.
I did the same thing, burrowing back under Declan’s covers, but reached for the cellphone.
I had an order to follow.
And I had learned last night, that while he gave me a semblance of control with our bodies but still continually told me what to do and how good it felt once I did it, when Declan ordered to me do something, there was always pleasure at the end of it for me.
—
“I hope the photos turn out well,” I said, turning toward Jorge Rivera, the photographer Camden had talked into doing the fireman-calendar photo shoot on short notice.
He was a five-foot-five-inch gay man whose partner worked at a small accounting firm with Camden. He worked at an investment firm, but was trying to begin his own photography business, so he was hoping this calendar brought him attention and clients.
He had even volunteered to do the shoot for free in order to build his portfolio.
When I met him earlier and asked if he was certain he didn’t want to be paid, he placed his hand on my shoulder, grinned, and said, “Honey, please. I get to look at wet, half-naked men all day. That alone is payment enough.”
And really…he was right.
Because the day had been full of wet, half-naked men draped all over one of their smaller engines, which was parked in front of the restaurant. Traffic on Main Street had been slowed down for hours.
Fireside Grill hadn’t received a single complaint.
They had, though, had a lot of people coming in, after stopping by to watch the shoot. Inside, we had half-off appetizers and beer, and it surprised me how many women had taken a look at the attraction outside, then headed inside to cool off with a beer and a side of potato skins.
Apparently staring at half-naked men made women thirsty as well as hungry.
“These photos will be spectacular,” Jorge said, looking through the viewing lens on one of the three different cameras he used for the shots. Before the restaurant opened, he had even gotten a bunch of photos inside Fireside Grill, which made the servers giggle with amusement. It also made Declan scowl, every time he caught me looking.
It was business.
Mostly.
Some of the men were attractive.
But none could hold a candle to Declan and his body, which I’d become very accustomed to over the last week.
“How long until you can get through edits on them?” I turned to face Jorge, forcing myself to stop looking at the firefighters as they threw T-shirts on over their rippled muscles.
He clicked through a few more photos, smiling wider with every click. “By the end of next week.” He turned to me and smirked. “Something tells me I won’t be able to stop thinking of these men…err, photos…once I get started.”
I laughed with him and reached out to shake his hand. “Thanks again for making this so successful. If you ever need a reference, let Declan know and I’m sure he’ll give you a great one.”
“No problem.” He crouched down and began packing up his camera equipment, which I took as my cue to leave.
“Excuse me,” a woman called out as I opened the door to enter Fireside. “Ma’am?”
I turned around and found a woman walking quickly toward me, waving something small in her hand. “Hi,” she said, a bit breathless when she reached me.
I let go of the door and stepped out of the doorway. “Hi. Can I help you?”
Her eyes went to the firemen behind me and back to mine. “I hope so. I’m Kate and I’m in the process of opening up a baking shop just a few businesses down from here. Are you the woman who organized this shoot today?”
“I am.” I held out my hand for her to shake. “Trina Winston.”
“Kate. Kate Simpson.” She shook my hand and held up a business card. “I talked to a few other women around here earlier today. I think…Chelsea, she said her name was. Anyway, she mentioned that you were in charge of this and some new promotions for Fireside Grill.”
“Yes, that’s me. How can I help you?”
“Well I was wondering if you and I could meet sometime in the next week or so. My shop is opening in mid-November and I’m trying to find some new ideas to market to the area. Is that something you’d be interested in? Or have time for?”
My eyes widened as I held her business card in my hand. I had to make a conscious effort not to crumple it in my palm. “I’m sorry,” I began, and watched her excitement diminish. Darn it. “I’d love to, I would. But I don’t exactly have an office or a company. I’m just doing this to help out the owner.”
“Oh.” Her expression fell further before perking up. “Well, I’d hire you anyway. Or maybe you’d be willing to sit down and talk with me? Point me in the right direction? I had a firm all hired, but they’ve been lagging on their deadlines and promises, and I’ve been sinking money into something that just hasn’t worked out. Like I said, I open in a few weeks and I’ve been flipping out.”
I was too overwhelmed to think straight, but even so, ideas for a bakery immediately began percolating in my mind. “Why don’t we get together later in the week. Meet for lunch here, maybe?” I nodded toward Fireside Grill. “I’m here most of the time working with Declan. We can talk about what you’re looking for, and I can let you know if it’s something I can do. In the meantime, I’ll spend time researching some PR firms with decent rates and reviews so I can have some other options for you.”
“Thank you,” she gasped and clasped her hands together. “Can we do lunch on Wednesday?”
“Perfect. Thank you, Trina. Honestly. And I swear, I’ll pay you what I’d pay anyone.”
I smiled politely. She wouldn’t choose me. I just did this as a favor for Declan to help him out, but I was in no position to start my own firm or anything like that. “We’ll talk about it Wednesday.”
“Sounds like you’re starting your own business.” Declan’s voice behind me made me jump. I spun on my heels until I was facing him.
“How much of that did you hear?”
He shrugged and slid his hands into his pockets. I watched the movement, unable to look away.
If I wasn’t touching him, or he wasn’t touching me, I wanted it to be happening.
I almost pouted when his fingers slid into his pockets and not to my waist.
His chuckle told me he knew what I was thinking, and he leaned in, bending down until his lips were at my ear. “You just had my hands all over you this morning, and you already want more?”
A week ago, I would have blushed furiously at the suggestion.
But I’d learned a lot in a week. Mostly that Declan seemed to like me however I came. I was also learning to shed my skin of insecurity.
“I can’t help it,” I whispered, taking a step toward him and setting my hand on his hip. “I like the way you touch me.”
He growled into my ear and pulled me to him, giving me exactly what I wanted.
“What’d that woman really want?”
“I thought you heard everything.”
“Enough to get the idea. Not enough to know who she is.”
His eyes lifted and he watched Kate as she walked away. We hadn’t heard anything more from Kevin in the last week, and Tyson had been calling in favors as much as he could. But considering who Kevin was, and who his dad was, Tyson had to be particularly careful not to arouse any more suspicion than necessary. However, the fact that Kevin hadn’t shown up made me hope that he couldn’t find me. I also hoped he wouldn’t be able to find me before I filed divorce papers, which I was planning on doing early next week.
It was time to stop hiding and start moving on with my life.
“She’s opening a bakery next month and has had some problems with the people currently doing her marketing. She wants to talk to me about ideas. Chelsea talked to her earlier today.”
“Sounds like a great opportunity.”
I shrugged in his embrace. “It could be fun, but I’m not looking to do anything. It’s not like I really can right now, anyway.”
“Maybe not now.” He pulled back and ran his hand through my hair, pushing it off my shoulder and down my back. “But maybe like Jorge with his photography, it could be a good way for you to get some clients if you do decide to go that route once you’re settled.”
A frown twisted my lips. I liked working with Declan in the office and on the floor when I was needed.
I liked waking up with him, spending my day with him, and then going to bed next to him. But maybe he didn’t feel the same. Maybe he wanted some distance between us. Which made sense.
Just over a month ago, we were strangers. Now we were together practically every hour of every day.
“Maybe,” I muttered, feeling a bit deflated as I considered this possibility.
Declan reached out and cupped my cheeks with his palms, forcing me to meet his gaze. “Why are you frowning?”
I opted for honesty. Declan liked it when I was upfront with what I wanted—in bed and out of it. “I’ve been having fun being here with you and helping you.”
A puff of breath left his lips and he gripped me more firmly before pressing his lips to mine. “How is it possible,” he said when he pulled back, “that you keep getting more perfect for me, every single day?”
I smiled before I realize I was doing it. Those flutters that tended to hit my stomach when Declan was around were alive and strong.
“I want you to do what you want, honey, regardless of what that is. You want to stay at Fireside, build this with me, I want that. You want to spread your wings and do your own thing. I’ve got your back one hundred percent. This is your time to figure out you…we’ll figure out us together.”
I was left breathless, but not incapable of moving, so I rolled to my toes and kissed him, showing Declan how much I appreciated not only his faith in me, but in whatever we were building. “Same goes for you, Declan. I’ve got your back, always.”
“Good.” He pulled back and wrapped his hand around mine and pulled me inside. “Now let’s get you inside and away from all these men who have been drooling over you all morning long. They stick around here much longer and I might end up on the front page of the news in a way that wouldn’t be good publicity for Fireside.”
I snickered at his deep, irritated voice and followed him inside.
—
A breath escaped me as I walked into Fireside Grill with Declan behind me.
A warmth I had never felt before permeated me, spreading throughout my body as I looked at the small crowd of people at the bar, all welcoming me with warm, friendly smiles.
I shivered from the sudden heat in my body.
“You okay?” Declan asked, his hand firm on my lower back.
I peeled my eyes off the people at the bar and looked up at Declan while he guided me forward, a deep line between his brows. Then I looked back at everyone who’d been around for most of the day.
Tyson and Blue were standing in the center. To Tyson’s left, I saw Aidan and Derrick, and to Blue’s right, a small circle of women—Chelsea and Camden, along with Paige. Suzanne had to spend the afternoon with her husband’s family celebrating his parents’ fortieth wedding anniversary, but even without really knowing Suzanne, I knew that had she been able to make it, she would have been here completing my new group of friends.
Unshed tears glistened in my eyes as I inhaled a shaky breath before expelling it slowly.
I’d never had this.
I’d never had friends who would spend an entire day doing nothing but hanging out and being supportive. And, yeah, I knew Paige was here for the man candy, Camden probably because they dragged her along, and Chelsea because she was super sweet and kind. And the men were here for Declan, their friend for several years, but the other reasons didn’t matter.
What mattered was that they were here. Supporting him. Supporting me.
I’d never felt anything so beautiful.
My feet paused and I faced Declan again, allowing thankfulness to shine in my enamored expression. “Thank you,” I whispered with a choked voice. “I’ve never had this. Never had friends and this kind of life. Thank you for giving that to me.”
Declan’s gaze went to his friends—our friends—and then returned to mine. That line between his eyes disappeared and several more appeared at the edges of his eyes as they crinkled. He laughed softly and pulled me to him, brushing his lips across my forehead and then down to my ear. “They’re not here for me, honey. They’re here for you, because you’re you.”
A full body tremble rolled through me. I took a moment to let that soak in.
Was it possible these people were all there because of something good I’d given them—after only a few meetings, at most?
My chin quivered and I pressed my forehead to his chest, allowing him to wrap his arms around me.
“Come on.” He curled his hands around my shoulders and pushed me away from him, reaching out to tip my chin up. “Let’s go celebrate a good day and pray like hell this brings in some money.”
I looked around the restaurant and saw the tables packed with customers, mostly women, and laughed. “I think it’s working already.”
He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and spun me toward our crowd of waiting friends. “Let’s fucking hope so.”
“That’s another dollar.”
“I don’t give a shit.” I looked up to see him grinning. He flashed
me a wink before he led me toward the bar and had Charlie hand me a glass of white wine.
I sipped it slowly while the girls came and congratulated me on what appeared to have been a successful day for the restaurant. I got sucked into conversation with everyone, and didn’t think anything of it when I saw Tyson pull Declan off to the side and begin speaking to him in a hushed voice no one else could hear.
I was sure it had something to do with me.
Possibly Kevin. But I didn’t want to think about him today, refused to allow him to spoil a good afternoon spent with even better people, so I turned away and found myself face-to-face with Aidan and Derrick.
They were almost mirror images of each other, with their square jaws and tall frames. Though he was only thirteen, I could already tell that Derrick was going to grow up to be just as tall, if not taller, than Aidan, who was clearly over six feet. Their black hair was exactly the same, as was the friendly sparkle in their rich-brown eyes.
“Hi,” I said, jumping slightly. I hadn’t realized how close they were to me until I almost smacked Aidan in the chest with my wine glass.
His gaze moved from somewhere over my shoulder to meet mine. “Looks like you had a good day today.”
I shrugged, still unfamiliar with having this many compliments tossed in my direction. “We’ll see if it brings repeat business, I guess, but it was fun.”
He nodded as if he understood, and his eyes returned to someone behind me. I didn’t have to look to know who he was looking at.
I sipped my wine and tilted my head to the side. “Been on any more dates lately?”
He coughed and shook his head. One hand scrubbed the back of his neck. “Ah, no.” He blinked and dipped his chin. “That’s not a frequent thing for me, Trina. I want you to know that.”
“It’s none of my business.”
“No, I suppose it’s not.”
“However.” I grinned slyly. “If you’re interested in one of my new friends, then I can promise you that not only will I not tell her how we truly met, or what you were doing that night, but that it makes me feel good to know that she’s not interested in a player.”
