Page 31 of Playing with Desire

With Declan enjoying a round of bourbon with the guys, who he’d gotten to know better the previous weekend at Mac’s bachelor poker party, Summer gravitated toward her group of friends as she sipped her cocktail, her gaze lingering on Declan despite the conversation going on around her. It was like she was trying to soak up every last minute with him. She wanted to imprint that toe-curling smile of his to memory, along with his deep, sexy laughter. And the way he looked so relaxed and at ease, a marked difference from the more reserved man she’d met three weeks ago at The Players Club.

“Have you told him?”

Paige’s voice startled Summer out of her thoughts, and she turned her head to meet her friend’s candid gaze. The rest of the women continued chatting among themselves, and Paige deliberately inched them away to keep their conversation more private.

“Told him what, exactly?” Summer asked, not wanting to assume what her friend was asking.

Paige’s red lips pursed in exasperation. “That you love him, and don’t even try and deny it,” she said quickly, not that Summer would. “I’ve watched you these past three weeks at work and with Declan, and you’ve gone from a smitten kitten to a woman who has fallen hard and fast for him. It’s so obvious in the wistful, longing way you look at him and the excitement in your voice when you talk about him.”

Which made Summer wonder if Declan saw those things, too, but chose to ignore them because it was easier than accepting her love.

She took a drink of her cocktail, her gaze traveling once again to Declan. God, her heart even fluttered when she looked at him. “No, I haven’t told him. Yet.”

“I don’t know how he can’t realize how you feel,” Paige said with a shake of her head. “Unless he’s completely dense, as men tend to be.”

Summer laughed. “Or maybe it’s like that big elephant in the room that he doesn’t want to address or acknowledge.”

“So you plan to say something?” her friend prompted.

“Yes.” Even before Paige’s pep talk, Summer had made that decision. She couldn’t let Declan leave without him knowing how she felt. Even if it didn’t change anything between them, it was a risk she needed to take, or she’d regret it for the rest of her life.

The bride and groom finally joined the rest of their guests in the ballroom, and for the next half hour, everyone hugged the couple and congratulated them while they enjoyed a drink, too, before everyone sat down at their assigned seats for dinner to be served.

Since there were only forty guests, Mac and Stephanie sat at a bridal table with just the two of them, while others were seated at small tables of six. Declan and Summer were paired up with Dean and Jillian and Raina and Logan. Halfway through the delicious five-course meal that had been prepared by a Michelin chef, Dean addressed Declan.

“Aren’t you leaving for Fort Irwin tomorrow?” the other man asked him.

Declan wiped his mouth with his napkin after a bite of his tender beef fillet. “Yes. I need to be checked in by five in the afternoon.”

Dean nodded. “Be safe out there on your next mission.”

“I always try to be,” Declan said with a smile.

They ate a few more bites of their main entrée before Dean spoke again.

“How much time do you have left on this contract?” he asked curiously.

“Two more years before I reenlist.”

Dean met Declan’s gaze from across the table. “I know you said you were career military, but if that ever changes, for whatever reason, Mac and I want to let you know that we’d love to have you on board at Noble and Associates.”

The offer was sincere, and Summer cast a glance at Declan, taking in his surprised expression.

“Thank you. I appreciate that. Honestly, I’ve never thought about leaving before retirement. I love what I do. Danger and all.”

Summer’s stomach twisted with disappointment, which was a ridiculous reaction on her part, and she gently placed her fork on her plate, her appetite gone. She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting, though for a handful of seconds, she’d stupidly hoped he’d might consider the idea. But clearly, Declan was committed to the army in a way he’d never commit to a woman.

“I get it.” Dean’s tone was laced with understanding. “Just wanted to extend the offer so you know it’s there. You’d be an asset to our security team.”

Summer didn’t hear the rest of the conversation and didn’t want to. From across the table, Jillian gave her a gentle, sympathetic look, as if she was well aware of the heartache that Summer was feeling.

After the meal was finished, Summer excused herself to go to the ladies’ room, needing a few minutes to herself. She was thankful that no one followed her, and once she recollected her composure, she returned to the ballroom. The DJ was now playing music, and since Summer couldn’t find Declan with the lights dimmed, she instead watched the couples out on the dance floor enjoying themselves, including Mac and Stephanie. The fast, lively song segued into a slow one, and everyone paired off with their significant others to appreciate a romantic moment together.

“I need a dance partner,” Rick said, coming up behind Summer and surprising her as he grabbed her hand and gave her a playful twirl before adding a dramatic dip at the end. “Care to indulge me?”

She laughed at his flirtatious gesture, welcoming the lighthearted moment between them. “Look at you with your suave moves,” she teased him, grateful for a more pleasurable distraction from her doom-and-gloom thoughts. “Sure. Let’s dance.”

They joined everyone else for the ballad, and Rick pulled her close, with one hand holding hers and the other placed low on her back. Even though their bodies were aligned intimately, the embrace wasn’t deliberately sexual, but Summer couldn’t deny the subtle awareness that trickled through her. She might have fallen in love with Declan, but it was hard to forget how pleasurable it had been with Rick that night at The Players Club, too.

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