Page 82 of Fireworks & Forehead Kisses

Ashley Thompson was my wife in name only. We were married with benefits, at least for tonight.

29

ASHLEY

A ringing noiseintruded into my blissfully half-awake state of fuzzy consciousness. I tried to ignore it but could not block it out. My eyes fluttered open, and as I acclimated to my surroundings, the first thing that came to the forefront of my awareness was that there was something very hard and thick pressing against my back. There was also something heavy draped over my waist. Declan’s arm was wrapped around me; his hand was on my stomach.

Before I was able to register anything else, the ringing noise I was hearing stopped and then started again. As soon as it did, I realized my phone was ringing. I started to slide out from beneath Declan’s grasp, but he tightened his hold. His hand began to slip lower down my belly between my legs.

“Declan,” I patted his arm. “My phone is ringing. I need to get it.”

He released me with a frustrated sigh, indicating he was not happy about the interruption. I liked the fact that he wanted to keep me in bed.

I stood and crossed the room, hurrying as I went, feeling slightly self-conscious that my bare ass was on display, not thatit was anything Declan had not seen up close and personal. Still, this would be the first time he saw it in the daylight, not in the forgiving hue of candle or moonlight. When I reached my bag, I rummaged through it and pulled out my device to see I had five missed calls from Skylar and four missed calls from Hank.

“Shit!”

“What’s wrong?” Declan asked from behind me, but I ignored him as I called my sister back.

It rang twice before she answered. “My water broke. We’re at the hospital.”

“Fuck! Okay, I’m sorry. I’m coming. Don’t have the baby until I get there!”

Skylar chuckled. “Okay.”

“I’m serious. Cross your legs if you have to. I love you.”

“Love you.”

I disconnected the call and turned around to tell Declan I needed to go. He was already out of bed, pulling up his boxer briefs.

“What hospital is she at?” he asked.

“It’s um…in Savannah. You can just take me home and?—”

“I’ll take you to the hospital.”

“You don’t have to do that.” I shook my head as I rushed to the bathroom where I’d left the overnight bag he’d packed for me. “You can just drop me off?—”

“Get dressed,” he ordered.

I didn’t have time to argue with him right now. I’d argue with him once we were in the car. There was no way I wanted him to drive me thirty minutes to the hospital just to drop me off. That was ridiculous. I would take my car.

After a quick trip to the bathroom, I came out dressed in the clothes he’d packed for me. When I did, I saw he was already dressed and waiting by the front door. I assumed he must have used the powder room to freshen up because he looked veryfresh. He was wearing a t-shirt and jeans, and his stubble had grown into a sexy five o’clock shadow that made me really wish we’d gotten to spend more time in bed this morning so I could maybe get a little five o’clock shadow burn on my inner thighs.

Neither of us said a word as Declan put our bags in the back and then opened the passenger door for me before getting in the driver’s side and driving away from the cottage where we’d spent our wedding night. The entire scene had me feeling things I had no business feeling in our arrangement. It was such a simple occurrence, him putting our luggage in the back, then opening my door and heading out after spending a night away. There was nothing particularly spectacular, unique, or special about it. But maybe it was because it was so simple that it felt so significant.

As we headed toward town, I wasn’t sure what to say to the man who I’d spent disliking and fantasizing about for the past six months—the man who I had married and then slept with. We weren’t friends. We weren’t co-workers. We’d had a one-night stand, and now we had a marriage of convenience with a ten-week expiration date…so yeah. What did you say to such a person? Small talk seemed too trite. Deep conversations seemed too personal. He didn’t exactly strike me as having a big friend group. Would he even want to be friends after this? Were we friends now?

“What hospital is she at?” Declan pulled up the navigation, and I couldn’t help but notice how big and masculine his hands were as he touched the screen. The memory of him touching me with those hands sent a shiver rushing through me.

I swallowed and tried to get myself under control. “You can just take me home?—”

“What hospital?” he repeated in the authoritative, commanding tone that my body responded to. Well, parts of my body, anyway. They were the parts that had my ovaries turningover the help wanted sign to position filled because they found exactly who they wanted for the job.

“Do people always do what you want?” I asked, already knowing the answer. Declan Wolfe was used to getting his way in business and his personal life.

The corners of his lips curled.

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