Declare (Declan Reede: The Untold Story #4)

by Michelle Irwin

  With a sigh on my lips, I ran my hand along her thigh on the outside of her dress. I brought my mouth back to her throat before turning her around to face me again. I kissed her hard, forcing my tongue into her mouth. She responded, returning every ounce of passion I gave her. It was almost surprising that we didn’t rip our clothes off then and there. God, I wanted to.

  After the song ended, Alyssa backed away, panting slightly. Her eyes held the promise of a long night to come.

  I turned away from the crowd so I could adjust the now-painful lump in my pants.

  In the two seconds I was turned around, Alyssa was whisked away by Jade and Ruby for something or other I didn’t understand—although I was certain I had heard the words “Jager” and “bombs” used repeatedly in their conversation.

  I turned around to mingle some more and came face to face with Curtis.

  “I know what you’re trying to do,” he said in a gravelly growl.

  “I’m not trying to do anything.” I shrugged innocently.

  “It’s bad enough to know that you two are married now, I don’t need to be subjected to displays like that one.”

  I rolled my eyes at him. “Alyssa is my wife. I will touch her where I want, when I want, and how I want.”

  “Even against her will?” He had seized onto my words and bent them to his own requirements.

  I scoffed. “If she’d asked me to stop, I would have. I mean, I don’t know what you think you were watching, but that was hardly ‘against her will’.”

  “I was watching you use my daughter as a pawn against me.”

  I grew angry. “Fuck, Curtis, not everything in this world is about you.”

  “Are you denying it?”

  “I just wanted to fucking dance with my wife, is that all right with you? Or do I need to get a signed permission slip even though she is a grown-arse woman?” I was beginning to shout. Obviously, it caught my father’s attention from the corner of the room because he came barrelling up to us.

  “Curtis, you need to lay off Declan!” he snapped.

  “God, Dad, just leave it,” I warned. I didn’t need his lame-arse protective bullshit now, especially when I didn’t even understand why he was at my wedding at all.

  “Maybe if you’d set a better example of treating people with respect, we wouldn’t be here right now,” Curtis snapped back.

  “How dare you! You know nothing about what I have taught Declan.”

  “I know enough police to be able to look at the evidence in question and make informed judgements.”

  “Please, guys.” I forced myself between the two of them. “Knock it off, you’re causing a scene.”

  “I’m just telling Curtis here that he should get over it.” Dad crossed his arms.

  “Get over it?” Curtis fumed. “You weren’t the one who had to force-feed their child after their heart had been broken. Who had to wake at three in the morning to check on them and make sure they hadn’t done something stupid. Who lay awake until all hours of the morning, every single day, listening to the utter heartbreak of their daughter who sobbed herself to sleep. Who had to help his grown daughter do the simplest things—like shower and change. You have no idea what Ruth, Josh, and I went through to look after Alyssa during those first few weeks after the breakup. You will never understand.”

  “So tell me,” I whispered. Everyone had hinted at Alyssa’s pain, but having Curtis spell out why he was so angry at me so plainly hit hard. Had I really left Alyssa in that much agony? And that was all before she’d found out about her pregnancy. “Help me understand.”

  “What?” he exclaimed in surprise.

  “Tell me everything she went through. I want to know.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I want to know. I want to know everything about Alyssa. I know you don’t believe me, but I love her. I don’t want to skip over the bad stuff. I want to know it all,” I answered honestly. “And I want to never do it again.”

  “I don’t . . .” Curtis sighed. “I don’t know if I can go into all the details.”

  “I’m not going to force you to. I just want you to know that I’m not going to ignore what happened, I’m not trying to, and I don’t expect you to just get over it.”

  I glared at my father; I couldn’t believe the things that he’d said. I was furious that he was even trying to defend me when he didn’t understand—when he was a big part of the reason that I’d run in the first place. I turned my back to him, facing Curtis. I heard Dad huff and ignored him as he stormed off.

  “I understand why you are pissed off at me,” I said to Curtis. “Really, I do. I get it. If someone fucked with Alyssa, or Phoebe . . .” I growled. “I would fucking rip them a new one.”

  Curtis chuckled before quickly stifling it, obviously not wanting to appear on my side.

  “I’m not asking for you to forgive me for what I’ve done,” I continued, rolling with the momentum of the small piece of goodwill I felt from him. “I’m just asking you to give me another shot—to try to make right what I fucked up. That’s what Alyssa has done.”

  Curtis regarded me carefully.

  “It doesn’t fucking matter to me,” I said. “I’m a big boy, and I can handle your hatred. Fuck, I’ve had worse, but don’t you think it’d be easier on the girls—hell, on everyone—if we could just get along?”

  He hummed but didn’t say anything more.

  Alyssa came back over to us, giggling her head off. Whatever Jade and Ruby had done with her had clearly pushed her over some edge and now she was drunk.

  “You two aren’t fighting again, are you?” she asked, pointing her finger between Curtis and me.

  I stifled my grin at her playfulness and shook my head. “Us? Fight? Never!”

  Alyssa snorted. “You two hate each other.”

  “That’s not true, love,” I said. “I don’t have a problem with Curtis . . . he has a problem with me.”

  “For good reason,” Curtis added gruffly.

  “For good reason,” I agreed.

  Our eyes met briefly, and I felt the chasm between us shrink—just a little.

  “Just so you know . . . I want you in me all night long tonight,” Alyssa murmured in my ear. Her intent may have been to whisper, but it came out more like a yell.

  I tried not to grin at the look on Curtis’s face as her words sunk in.

  From then on, the night couldn’t end fast enough for me.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: FIRST NIGHT

  ALYSSA SOBERED UP a bit as the night wore on. By the time it started to wind down, she was only a little tipsy.

  We said our farewell to everyone in a unique twist on the receiving line. The emcee gathered all the guests into a large circle and we had a few minutes one-on-one with everyone as we made our way around the circle, kissing one another when our paths intersected.

  For our goodbyes, Alyssa and I had selected songs that would reflect the positivity we felt about our marriage. We hoped that it would help everyone realise we were happy and allow us to move on to the next phase of our lives without the baggage of their disapproval.

  Each person had at least a few words of encouragement as I greeted them. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Alyssa. Just before we intersected, the song changed and by the time we came to each other the lyrics were telling us not to be afraid. I wasn’t now.

  There was nothing I wanted more than to spend the rest of my days with Alyssa.

  Finally, the party wound down and the last few guests left. Alyssa tried to find Ruby for a final farewell and thank-you, but was told she’d already left for the evening. The last of the stragglers were being led out by the hotel staff, so Alyssa and I were free to go whenever we wanted.

  Grinning widely, I grabbed Alyssa’s hand and led her to the elevators. I chuckled as I realised how eerily similar it was to the first time we’d stayed at the Suncrest Hotel together—right down to the room card burning a hole in my tuxedo pocket. Only this time, there were no ner
ves, only anticipation.

  The elevator doors opened and, hand in hand, Alyssa and I stepped into our future.

  Before the doors had even slid shut, we attacked each other. The short trip to our floor was almost torturous after the hours-long seduction we’d already experienced. However, it was long enough for Alyssa to undo my tie and rake her hands through my hair to pull my lips against hers.

  When the elevator dinged at our floor and the doors opened, I swept Alyssa up into my arms and carried her down the hallway toward our room. I set her on the floor long enough to negotiate the door open then picked her up again to carry her across the threshold.

  “Mrs. Reede,” I whispered reverently. I couldn’t comprehend or contain the love and excitement that threatened to burst from my chest at the mere utterance of those words.

  Her lips crashed into mine, and she began tugging on the buttons of my shirt. I could see she was eager for more, for us to lie skin to skin, and I was willing to oblige. But I wanted one thing first.

  “Stop,” I whispered into her mouth before putting her back onto the ground again. I circled around her slowly, taking in the magnificence that was Alyssa in her wedding dress. I stopped when I stood directly in front of her, and reached out for her hand. She complied willingly, and followed my slow backwards steps. I silently led her to the couch and motioned for her to stop. I sat in front of her, taking another moment to drink her in with my eyes.

  “There’s something I want to do before we get undressed.”

  She tilted her head in question, but I was sure she’d catch on soon enough. We’d had hours of foreplay during the reception, so I was sure neither of us needed more. I raised my arm toward her slowly before trailing it down the length of her dress to the floor. The material was soft and smooth beneath my fingers, but I knew her skin would be softer and smoother still. I curled my hands underneath her dress before running my fingers back up along the length of her leg. My other hand made short work of the buttons on my tuxedo pants and I lifted my arse just high enough to push all the clothing off the lower half, down to my knees. I reached for Alyssa’s panties and pulled them off swiftly, leaving her deliciously bare under her dress.

  She took the lead then, planting one knee on the couch to the left side of me and guiding her hips over mine. My fingers traced small patterns on her arse as she lowered herself onto me. I closed my eyes and hissed at the feeling of relief that washed over me as I buried my cock deep within her.

  We moved together slowly, alternating between staring at each other intently and kissing each other tenderly. It wasn’t rushed; instead, I enjoyed every sensation. Even though I was desperate for her, I was certain we’d last for a long time. While we moved, I committed the image to my mind. I couldn’t get over how fantastic she looked while fucking me in her wedding dress.

  AFTER THE session on the couch, which was over much too quickly for either of our liking, Alyssa led me into the bedroom of the suite where I had stripped her slowly. The pace was more due to all of the buttons and fasteners on her dress and underwear than any desire on my part to go slow. I was more than ready for round two.

  When I had Alyssa naked aside from her jewellery and garter, I peeled my own clothes away piece by piece. Alyssa watched me appreciatively while removing the diamonds and gold that seemed to be dripping from her and put them all away in their proper cases. Then she held out her hand, complete with her new gold band, and led me into the bathroom.

  I helped pull the metal from her hair—I still remembered the booby trap that had awaited my unsuspecting hands the night of our formal—before helping her into the shower.

  We caressed each other under the cascade of water provided by the large, ceiling-mounted showerhead. The water caused Alyssa’s make-up to run, so I grabbed the face cloth and gently wiped at her cheeks and mouth. She pouted her lips as I ran the cloth over them, and it was too much temptation for me. I dipped my head down to meet her mouth, hoping desperately to convey my passion with the right combination of lips and tongue. It was like a private code only we knew.

  I stepped back from her and blew out a breath. She grinned wildly up at me, and I knew she was feeling all the same things I was. Effectively nothing had changed from a week before, and yet everything had. We would still be living together just as we had been. Only now it would be as man and wife.

  I handed Alyssa the face cloth, and she swiped at her eyes a few times until all the black was gone.

  “There’s the woman I love,” I murmured, touching one finger to her chin.

  “Was my make-up that bad?” she joked.

  “No, definitely not. But you don’t need all that goop on your face to be beautiful.”

  She smiled at me before turning the water off.

  We slipped into the large, fluffy white bathrobes provided by the hotel and stepped back into the bedroom, completing the few tasks that needed attending to before we could devour each other. As we moved around one another wordlessly, we watched each other hungrily—both eager for the moment we would begin our seduction anew.

  Once the urgent tasks were seen to, it was like a siren went off to say that it was time to come together again. We raced at each other so quickly that it was almost as if a starter’s gun had been fired. Bathrobes were discarded with reckless abandon, limbs tackled each other for dominance, and mouths moved steadily along skin.

  No matter how much I had, I wanted more.

  No matter how much skin I touched, it wasn’t enough.

  When we were done—not satisfied because being fully satisfied was impossible when it came to Alyssa—we fell asleep wrapped together.

  I held Alyssa tightly under my arm as she murmured in her sleep, muttering repeats of all the things she’d said during the day. Our wedding day. I could hardly believe it had come and gone already, and now she really was mine.

  I thought back over the event and realised I wouldn’t change a thing. Despite the shittiness and fuckery of the speeches, it all ended exactly where I’d wanted it to. I twisted out of Alyssa’s grip a little before turning over to hover above her. She looked peaceful as she slept soundly with a grin on her face. A slight sheen of sweat coated her naked body—no doubt a result of our hours spent together before falling in an exhausted heap.

  God, I could take her again. I was ready, aching for her. It would have been selfish to wake her up and demand more attention. I nuzzled against her side and softly kissed her neck. She murmured in her sleep and rolled closer to me.

  I stroked one hand along her side, trailing my fingers over her body. She tilted her hips up to meet mine.

  “Lys,” I whispered as I moved my kisses down to her chest.

  Her hands moved to my hair, drawing my lips closer to her skin. I risked a glance up at her face and caught her smiling sleepily at me.

  “Anyone would think you’re ready to go again,” she said with a chuckle.

  Fuck, sometimes being selfish was totally worth it.

  Although that didn’t mean that I wouldn’t make it worth her while.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: EXPECTING

  “GOOD MORNING, SLEEPYHEAD.” Alyssa greeted me with a cup of coffee in hand, sitting on the couch almost precisely where she’d fucked me for the first time as my wife. She was wearing the bathrobe again and her hair was wet. She’d obviously been up for a while and had showered while I was sleeping in. “I ordered breakfast. It just arrived.”

  I thanked her as I leaned over to kiss her before helping myself to a plate of bacon and eggs from the room service trolley.

  “Sleep well?” she asked, unable to wipe the grin off her face.

  I nodded as I chewed my breakfast through a wide smirk of my own.

  She watched thoughtfully as I ate.

  “What’s on the agenda today?” she asked as I finished off the last few mouthfuls. She reached forward to place her cup back onto the trolley, showing off a significant amount of thigh and boobs.

  “I suppose staying here and fucking l
ike animals is out of the question?”

  She laughed.

  I raised my eyebrow at her to let her know that I wasn’t joking. Even after our effort last night, I wasn’t nearly finished celebrating our marriage.

  She stood and walked over to me before placing my plate back onto the tray. She rested her legs on either side of mine and positioned herself onto my lap. “We can’t do that all day.”

  “We can try.” I kissed her neck slowly, feeling myself growing harder against her.

  A knock on the door startled both of us, and we jumped to our feet. Being the most dressed of the two of us, even though I was only wearing shorts, I stood to answer it while Alyssa ducked into the bedroom.

  Mum and Phoebe stood waiting outside the door. “Hey, baby!” I said, scooping Phoebe into my arms.

  “Morning, Daddy,” she said, rubbing her eyes as if she’d not long woken up.

  “I’m not interrupting, am I?” Mum asked.

  I shook my head. She was, but I wasn’t about to let her know that.

  “I come bearing news,” Mum said. “Where’s Alyssa?”

  The bedroom door opened again. I looked over and saw Alyssa stepping out wearing a loose-fitting sundress. “I’m here. What is it?”

  “It’s Ruby,” Mum said, her face breaking out into a grin. “She went into labour last night, but we didn’t want to disturb you two until we absolutely had to. She’s at the hospital as we speak.”

  “Oh, my God,” Alyssa exclaimed. “Oh, my God!” She looked over to me. “Declan—”

  “I know,” I interrupted. “Go finish getting ready, and then we’ll go.”

  “Do you want me to watch Phoebe a little longer?” Mum asked as Alyssa disappeared back into the room.

  I nodded. “That would be great, if you don’t mind. It’ll be one less thing for Alyssa to stress about. I know this visit isn’t going to be easy on her.” I was just hoping for a perfect outcome for mother and child, but positive or negative, it wasn’t going to be an easy day for Alyssa.