Story of Us

by Jody Holford

  “He might not have been a forever guy in the past, but it’s no secret he wants more. His thoughts on love and marriage have changed over the last year or so, and when you walked into his life, it was like he knew what he was waiting for,” Megan said.

  “And, since we’re sharing, I’ll be honest and tell you, I felt a lot like Declan used to,” Stella said. “Before I came home, I fell for a guy who asked me to marry him just so I’d stay at his animal clinic. He had no desire to marry me.”

  Sophia’s jaw dropped open. “That’s awful. I’m sorry.”

  Stella nodded, and Meg gave a sad smile. “She felt about love the way the Grinch felt about Christmas,” Megan said.

  Stella laughed, and Sophia couldn’t help but join in, thinking of the Dr. Seuss reference she’d made toward herself earlier tonight. Was it wrong to find comfort in the fact that Stella—who was smart, independent, and beautiful, a woman to be admired—had also fallen for false promises? That Sophia wasn’t the only one. But there was so much more to her story.

  She wanted so badly to believe what Megan was saying. “It’s a lot to ask. He’d be taking on someone else’s child.”

  Megan nodded as if she understood completely, and Sophia realized she did.

  As if reading her thoughts, Megan smiled. “Charlie is part of Adam. I love him every bit as much as if he was my own. I mean, I’ve helped raise him since he was two, and the thought of leaving him when I gave my notice was horrible. I was dreading it. People adopt and foster all the time. It’s not unreasonable to think that Declan will love the baby as his own. And he’s fantastic with kids.”

  She didn’t need to be sold on Declan’s attributes. If she were honest with herself, she was already half in love with him. Whether that was left over from childhood crushes or in part because he’d been so amazing with her since she’d come home, she wasn’t sure. But tonight, when he stayed, when they were finally, and truly, together, she’d know.

  “Sorry. We’re intrusive and nosey,” Stella said with a laugh.

  “Not at all,” Sophia said, setting her plate on the coffee table. “It’s nice. I forgot how much I missed having sisters.”

  “They’ll come around,” Megan said.

  Sophia smiled, but said nothing. What could she say? As she’d told Declan, there was only one thing in her life right now that she was one hundred percent sure about. Wanting him in her bed.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Declan stuck around after Charlie had gone to bed and Megan came back from Sophia’s, pretending he didn’t want to rush out the door. Wiping his palms on his jeans, he checked his phone and sat up.

  “I’m going to get going,” he said, trying for a nonchalance he did not feel.

  “But it’s early,” Adam said, a knowing smirk on his face.

  Megan was sitting there, snuggled into his buddy’s side, so Dec resisted the urge to flip him off.

  “Leave him alone, sweetie,” Megan said, grinning up at him.

  Declan detoured around the back of the couch then pressed a kiss to the top of Megan’s head. “Thanks, Meg. You’re definitely his better half.”

  She laughed and looked up at him, tipping her head back. “He knows that.”

  Adam kissed his wife and stroked a hand down her hair before he stood up. “I’m okay with it.”

  “See you, Dec,” Megan called as they walked out of the living room toward the front door.

  As Declan pulled on his shoes, Adam crossed his arms over his chest. “Before you go, do you want to talk about anything? Need any pointers or advice?”

  Laughing as he leaned his ass against the door to tie his shoe, he shot Adam a glance. “From the man who took five years to get the girl? No thanks.”

  Adam chuckled. “Fair enough.”

  Straightening, he smiled at his friend. “Might need a beer, though, if I mess this up.”

  Adam nodded, dropping his arms to his sides. “I know where to get it if it comes to that. Somehow, I don’t think it will.”

  Appreciating the vote of confidence, Declan clapped him on the shoulder and gave him what basically amounted to a shoulder bump. He hadn’t been nervous about sex in a long time. This was different in every way and not just because she was pregnant, but because it was Sophia. He wanted her more than he’d ever wanted a woman. But it was so much more than physical, it scared him a little. Not the sex, though he’d read up on how to make things more comfortable for her and if it was even safe. The fact that his head and heart were so tangled before they’d even taken this step made him realize how much he could lose.

  Declan stood at the bottom of Sophia’s steps for a long minute, staring up at the glow of the kitchen window.

  “It seems we’ve switched places. You need help making a decision?” Sophia said from behind him.

  Declan whirled around and smiled at the sight of her all bundled up in an oversized fleece hoodie, lounge pants, and a toque. How the hell was that sexy?

  “What are you doing?” He reached for the little tassel on the top of her hat and flicked it to the side, grinning at how cute she looked.

  “I was putting out the garbage. What are you doing? Rethinking your life choices?”

  He chuckled and gestured for her to go up the stairs first. Nope. The second he saw her, his jumbled thoughts and tangled heart slid perfectly into place. “Not at all. Just overthinking.”

  She glanced back. “That doesn’t sound like the Declan James I know.”

  At the top of the steps, he turned to her. “Correction: doesn’t sound like the man you’ve believed the rumors to be.”

  She smiled at him, letting them both into the house. Going to the sink, she washed her hands. He removed his coat and shoes, and the air thickened around them with too many feelings and unsaid words. Declan had never known want like this. Want that was layered with so many other things.

  Sophia dried her hands, her movements measured, and then came back, removing her toque. Static made her hair stand out from her head, and he smiled at her, smoothed it down.

  “Not exactly the lingerie models you’re used to, I know,” she said with a laugh, following the path of his hand trying to tame the fly-aways.

  He had been with a lingerie model, actually. Not that he’d tell her that. But she had nothing on Sophia because there wasn’t all of this…excess feeling that consumed him.

  “You’re perfect,” he whispered, slipping his hand down her shoulder, over the bulky sweater, to her hand. He laced their fingers together.

  “Are you staying?” He didn’t miss the hopefulness in her tone and her gaze, and he promised himself, right then, that he’d always give her what she needed. Whatever she needed, no matter what it cost him, and he knew that was what separated her from every other woman.

  “Absolutely.” He wanted to say for good, but he wouldn’t rush. He knew she was nervous, too.

  Her hands were a bit clammy, despite the chill in the evening air. Her eyes wouldn’t stay still; they roamed over his body repeatedly, and her breath came in short bursts.

  Without a word, she turned and led him to her bedroom, much as she had the other night. Declan felt as if he was dreaming this moment, the slow, subtle sexiness of it.

  When she reached her room, she dropped his hand and dimmed the light, letting it work with the moon shining through the blinds to cast a glow over them. Sophia pulled her lip between her bottom teeth and started to lift her sweater. His mouth actually fucking watered. Stepping closer, he stopped her and grinned at the suspicion in her gaze.

  He lifted one hand to her forehead and smoothed the frown line then wondered if every inch of her skin was equally smooth.

  “I want to,” he said.

  With a smile so brilliant it lit him up inside, she lifted her arms over her head in permission.

  Slowly, his fingers trailed under the sweater, along her silky, heated skin as he lifted the garment. When he tugged it over her head, they both let out a sharp breath. The swell of her breast
s pushed up against the deep violet-colored, satiny bra. Running a finger along one swell, letting it dip down and over the other, he tracked his own movement. When he glanced up, he saw Sophia watching, too, and both of their breaths accelerated.

  He’d been reading a lot about pregnancy and couldn’t help but ask, “Are you…are they sensitive?”

  She nodded, her gaze hooded, her eyes darker with desire. Declan’s pulse sped up, and he willed himself to go slow, to stretch the moments out. This time would be special for both of them. This was the first time he’d slept with a woman knowing he wanted her to be the last.

  Moving his hand up to her jaw, he let the other sift through her hair. “You’re so gorgeous. So incredibly sexy.”

  Her eyes darted down to his chest, and with a nervous laugh, she said, “I’ll enjoy having you think so for now, I guess. Pretty sure that’s about to change.”

  “Nothing could change that.”

  Words wouldn’t prove to her what touching her would, so Declan pressed a kiss to her jaw, both hands moving down her body with deliberate slowness. He inhaled the scent of vanilla when he nuzzled her neck and thought there was nothing that ever smelled better. He wouldn’t be able to disassociate the fragrance from the delicious taste of her skin. Letting his teeth scrape gently across her collarbone, he felt her shiver against him but knew she wasn’t cold. His lips curved against her delicate flesh.

  She was so sassy, driven, and take-charge in most situations that it felt like an incredible gift for her to let him lead like this. He was pretty certain she’d tell him if she wanted something different. She wasn’t shy. But for now, he’d relish the sharp, uneven breaths and the way her body trembled, telling him she wasn’t disappointed.

  “Your shirt, Dec.”

  Leaning back, he grabbed a fistful of his sweater over his shoulder and yanked it off, tossing it somewhere on the floor. He couldn’t take his eyes off Sophia. Much like he had, she brought her hands to his chest, but instead of using one finger to tease, she pressed her palms flat, spreading her fingers and sensation in one move. His muscles bunched, and his blood roared in his ears. Clenching his jaw, he made himself be patient so she could explore him as he intended to do to her.

  “You’re perfect,” she whispered, giving his words back to him before pressing her lips against his pec, right over his heart. She lingered there, her tongue darting out like a shot of fire, and his stomach tightened. Brushing her nose through the light dusting of chest hair, she made a humming sound of pleasure that vibrated against him.

  He squeezed her arms, unsure of how long he could draw this out. Maybe they should go fast the first time and then slow things down. No. This is Sophia. Worth the wait. He wrapped his hands around her wrists and stepped slightly away. She glared at him and made him laugh.

  Dropping her hands, he tapped her nose with his index finger. “So impatient.”

  “I feel like I’ve been waiting since I was sixteen,” she said. A sexy smirk tilted her lips up.

  “Jesus, babe, don’t say that. When you were sixteen I was trying to pretend you weren’t even female.”

  She laughed but went silent when he dropped to his knees in front of her. He liked the way her lips formed a small O and her eyes went impossibly darker. Her hand went to his shoulder, and her nails scraped gently against his skin. Running his hands up the length of one leg, stopping short of where her thighs met, he did the same to the other leg, only stroking down this time.

  “Stop teasing, Dec.”

  Both hands on her hips, he sat her on the bed. “That’s part of the fun, Sophe.”

  When she sat, they were closer to eye level, and his never wavered while he slipped her socks off. Pressing his thumbs into her arches, everything in him went still when she gave a deep sigh of pleasure.

  Fuck. Just from touching her feet. Maybe he would have a foot fetish after this. No. Just a Sophia fixation.

  Once he’d taken both socks off, he pulled her up again then pressed his mouth to her belly. Her hands played in his hair.

  With gentle kisses, he moved his lips across her barely rounded stomach. “You’re so beautiful, Sophe. I can’t wait to watch your body change.” Words he never thought he’d think, never mind say to a woman. But it was true.

  Gripping her hips before she could make a sarcastic comment, which she was clearly about to do, he looked up at her, loving the way her hair curtained her face, falling in a soft waterfall of thick curls.

  “Don’t,” he said.

  “What?”

  “Dismiss what I feel. I know it’s a lot and it’s fast, but I won’t ever say what isn’t true, Sophia. You’re amazing, and I’m in awe of you. And you’re so hot it literally brought me to my knees.”

  She laughed softly and brushed her fingers through his hair. “I feel like you’re too much of a reward,” she told him.

  Still running his hands up her legs, over her ass, down and across her stomach in an endless movement, the restlessness building inside of him, he arched one brow, seeking an explanation.

  “I’ve done so many things wrong, and still, here you are. With me. I don’t feel like I deserve you.”

  “You’re wrong.” It was that simple, and the thickness in his throat made it difficult for him to say more.

  He peeled the lounge pants from her hips and, as he had with the sweater, let his fingers trace a trail down her skin. He’d never been so enamored by a woman’s skin, but hers was a delicacy. He was about to comment on how sexy her black underwear was, the way it cut high on her thighs and left just enough to the imagination when she ducked her chin. He didn’t expect shyness when she’d been so bold about wanting him.

  Declan rose from his knees and stretched his legs. Sophia ran her hands over his sculpted stomach, her fingers tracing the ridges, and her eyes wandered up to his chest but still didn’t meet his gaze.

  “Look at me,” he whispered, waiting until she did. “You deserve everything.”

  With a slow nod, she held his gaze and moved her hands to his belt, pulling it open and releasing the button on his jeans in seconds. His breath caught as she eased down his zipper, and he quickly shucked his jeans, tossing them somewhere near his sweater.

  Sophia gave a soft cry of surprise when he scooped her up in his arms. She laughed and wound her arms around his neck.

  As he lay her down on the soft light blue spread, he kissed her as if he’d had to go forever without her unique taste. He couldn’t get enough, and her mouth was every bit as eager. Their bodies pressed together, only scraps of fabric keeping them from melding completely into each other. Every soft spot of Sophia’s felt like it was made for him. Their bodies aligned as though they’d just been waiting for the right counterpart.

  This is what it feels like to be lost and found at the same time. She was consuming him. She ran one foot up the back of his calf as he freed her mouth so he could lavish her with soft kisses along her neck, over her collarbone, lower. With her other foot, she did the same to his other calf, her hands stroking up and down his back in a fevered frenzy that drove him nuts. Jesus. He felt like he could fall apart just from her touch.

  “I want you,” he whispered as he nipped at her earlobe.

  She pushed against him, locking her ankles in the small of his back, digging in. “I’m right here. I’m yours.”

  Damn right she was. And he’d make sure he’d never give her any reason for that to change. She took his mouth this time, tracing his lips with her tongue, and his control shattered.

  “I need you,” she whispered against his mouth.

  He smiled, leaning back slightly. “I’m right here, baby. I’m yours.”

  Satisfaction gleamed in her eyes, and he knew it was reflected in his. And it was only just the beginning.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Sophia wondered if her heart rate would ever settle to a natural pace again. Will you ever feel normal again? She didn’t think it was possible. Her life could now be split into two categories:
before Dec and after. Because there was no doubt, she was forever changed.

  It wasn’t just incredible sex. She’d known it would be good. Stories of his…abilities had been gossip fodder for years. Like other coming-of-age rituals, girls talked about whether or not he’d done all of the things they’d heard of. Was he really as good as they’d all heard? Uh, that would be an enthusiastic, cartwheel-turning, yes. But it was more. It was the way he’d held her gaze and her hands, creating an intimacy that had surpassed anything she’d ever known. The way he read her body and her mind like he was fluent in both.

  He eased back, pressing kisses along her forehead, running the tip of his nose down the bridge of hers in a gesture so sweet it would have knocked her feet out from under her if she hadn’t already been on her back. Declan gazed into her eyes as he brushed sweat-dampened locks of hair behind her ear.

  “You okay?”

  Filling her lungs with the air she’d deprived herself of just to get more kisses from him, she nodded and exhaled.

  One side of his mouth quirked up. “You sure? You look a little…dazed.”

  How could he even speak? Maybe this was normal for him. Maybe this feeling, this overwhelming need to crawl inside of him and nestle in, was completely typical. But not for her.

  “Sophe?”

  “There are no words,” she said, her words uneven.

  Declan rolled to his side and turned her to face him, capturing her hands between them. “No words bad?”

  Seriously? Declan James has insecurities? “You’re joking, right?”

  His eyes darted down. “Not entirely. You’re not exactly quiet, so I’m pretty sure you enjoyed yourself, and I sure as fuck did, which I thought was obvious, but you look… I don’t know. Forget I said anything. I don’t know what the hell I’m talking about.”

  For some reason, Sophia started to giggle. She pushed him onto his back so she could prop herself up on his chest. His fingers tangled in her hair immediately. Like she was his anchor. Good God. If she was, the man was sure to drown because most of the time, she felt like a shipwreck.