Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 86364 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86364 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
Declan cleared his throat as if he’d just realized what he’d admitted to me. “The point is, I believe we have become friends, and I believe in helping my friends. You need help, and I can provide that with ease.”
“Thank you.” I took a deep breath, trying to organize my thoughts to add more, but everything was racing around in my head, fractured and disjointed. It all felt too big, too much. I released the air locked in my lungs and said the one thing I could. “Thank you. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t called.”
“You would have figured it out.”
I was shaking my head as I spoke. “Everything has been a disaster since Molly died. I know nothing about taking care of a baby. The only time things felt a little smooth was when my parents were in town, and my mom was helping with Joy. I wasn’t terrified that I was screwing her up every second she was awake. Molly left Joy in my care, not because I’m her biological father, but because she trusted me. Yet, now I’m homeless. I’ve lost her things. The things that Molly picked out for her. Gifts from her parents. I’ve lost all my art, my clothes. On top of the fact that I’m utterly useless.”
“Stop,” Declan snapped in a louder voice. My entire body jolted, and I sat up straight. “You don’t know what you’ve lost yet. The most important thing is that you and Joy are safe. Many things are replaceable, and there’s still time for you to make more art.”
“You’re right. I’m thinking…maybe…I should head back to Arizona. If I’m close to my parents and the rest of my family, I’ll have people who can help me with Joy. At least until I get better at being a dad.”
“I don’t think it’s wise to make any big life-changing decisions right now. You’ve been through a lot of heavy, stressful events. Stay here for a while in the peace and quiet. Recuperate. Get some rest, so you can be sure that you’re making decisions with a clear head.”
What Declan was saying was smart and very logical, yet I couldn’t stop the bitter laugh that escaped me. “Rest. I feel like I’ve barely slept in the past two weeks. I’m running on adrenaline and fear. My body is exhausted, but my brain is wired with nervous energy.”
Declan stood over me, his frown growing fiercer. As I was coming up with something to brush off his concerns, Declan nodded.
The taller man reached down, grabbed my wrist, and pulled me to my feet. The heat of his hand burned my skin, but there was something so calming about his touch. Something familiar when the whole world seemed wrong. But he didn’t stop there. Still holding my wrist, he dragged me across the room to the en suite bathroom. With his free hand, he flipped on the light to reveal pristine white walls with subtle touches of black tile and brushed-nickel fixtures.
“What are you doing?” I demanded as he pulled the door nearly shut. Declan left it open enough to hear my daughter if she stirred.
“I’m going to make you come.”
A choked sound erupted from my throat as my body forgot how to breathe. Had he lost his mind? Maybe I’d misheard him. But there was no chance to ask. His mouth descended on mine, stealing away my ability to speak or even think.
The burning touch of his lips and the sweep of his tongue shoved away the few thoughts I’d cobbled together. In all the months we’d spent together, we hadn’t taken a lot of time to kiss. The most productive thing we’d done with our mouths had been some cock sucking.
But I was starting to wish we had kissed more. Declan Foster claimed my mouth as his own personal property and settled in like he planned to build a home. And there was nothing I could do about it. Fuck. Who would want to? My body melted into his bigger frame, and my brain shut off all but the most basic functions.
I kissed Declan with everything I had, not caring how we’d gotten to this point. It was the first time in so fucking long that something felt good. That the pain in my chest was no longer choking me, and panic didn’t swamp me. With one kiss, I believed everything was going to be okay.
Declan’s hands wandered down my body, massaging away the tension from my shoulders and back. They dug deep into the tissue of my ass until I moaned into his mouth. One hand slipped between us and cupped my growing hard-on through my shorts. I hissed in a mix of pleasure and pain as I broke off the kiss.
“We can’t.”
“Why?”
I could only stare at him in dumbfounded shock. “My daughter is in the next room.”