Page 34 of Always Be an Us

"Thank you but you didn't have to do that. And...maybe I wish you hadn't." But also, selfishly, I'm glad he did.

"Why not?"

"It's hard for me to accept charity."

"Who says it's charity?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Why else would you pay the hospital bills for a girl and man you barely know?"

He sighs. "Maybe I'm just a nice guy. So what? That's supposed to be a good thing. Consider it thanks for putting up with my daughter."

"That was no chore, and you know it."

Declan reaches out and picks up a strand of my hair, tucking it behind my ear. I lose track of what I'm saying. With his hand trailing down my cheek it’s impossible to think much less speak.

"I'm the selfish one," he says. "I did it because I wanted to. Because I couldn't stand to see you cry."

The last word leaves his mouth in a whisper, and my mouth drops to lips that get closer and closer until they press softly against mine.

All the pressure sitting inside me explodes. I let it all out in the kiss, the passion, the fear, the relief.

My heart stops in my chest when he hoists me up against his desk.

Suddenly, I'm soaring somewhere in the clouds. Declan's kiss transports me there, the slow exploration of my mouth something I’ve never experienced.

I’ve kissed men before but never with that gradual intensity as they ate at my lips. I’ve never felt like someone was breathing me in before, inhaling me like the oxygen they needed to live.

Until now.

His hand is at the back of my neck, holding me in place as he dominates my mouth. His tongue masterly moves against mine, coaxing it into a dance. I try to keep up, meeting his tongue, tasting his masculine essence. I try to ignore my racing heartbeat and the heat gathering between my legs as I groan into my mouth.

"Not enough." He tears back and suddenly whispers against my lips, as he steps in between my legs.

I get the brush of hardness against my thigh.

It drives everything up a notch.

It occurs to me that this is happening so fast, and everything is spiraling out of control.

The thought comes to me again, that perhaps this is the goal of it all. Maybe Declan did pay my grandpa’s hospital bill just to fuck me as a result.

He thinks I owe him this.I should push him away, put a stop to this. I need to show him that I have more self-respect than that, that I can’t be bought.

But then his tongue curls around mine and he moans in my mouth. I stop thinking entirely.

Chapter Ten

Declan

God.

God.

Why the fuck does she taste this good?

My hands tremble as they hold her in place for more of my kisses. I'd nearly managed to convince myself that I was imagining it, that kissing Emma couldn’t possibly have felt as good as I thought it did.

But then here we are, with her taste slowly driving me mad.

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