Page 90 of Try Me

“How was the commercial?” he asked.

The question threw her for a loop. She’d nearly forgotten about the commercial with everything else that had happened. Suddenly exhausted, she realized what a long day it had been.

“It was good,” she said. “They said I was a natural.”

Declan beamed. “You’re going to be a huge star.”

Pearl took a deep breath and steeled herself to the effects of Declan’s megawatt smile. “We need to break up,” she said.

“Yeah, well, I’ve been thinking about that.” He bent his head to kiss her neck, finding just the spot that sent an arrow of desire shooting through her. “The thing is, I don’t want to.”

“We have to,” Pearl said, pressing against Declan’s chest for space.

“When you’re famous, are you going to make me wait in line for your autograph?”

She pushed against him again. “Declan. Try listen.”

He growled and bent down to scoop her into his arms. “I love it when you talk Pidgin.”

“If you don’t do it, I will,” she said.

Declan put Pearl on her feet, leaned down, and cupped her face in his hands. “You won’t,” he said.

He sounded so sure of himself that Pearl doubted herself for a moment. Would she? She had to, didn’t she?

“I can’t give up my dreams.”

“I’m not asking you to give up your dreams,” he said, frustration lacing his voice. “I want those dreams for you even more than you do. I’m only asking you to let me be a part of them.” He kissed her slowly, tenderly. “I love you,” he said.

Pearl’s heart softened as she looked up into his eyes. Then she remembered the photo of him and that princess, and the one of him and the Hollywood starlet locked in an embrace.

“Did you say that to Evelyn, too?” she asked. “Or Claudia?”

Declan swore softly. “Never. You’re the only woman I’ve said those words to in my life.”

He pulled back and looked into her eyes. The pale blue of his irises were rimmed with a dark circle of navy blue, so beautiful. Pearl reached up to feel the smooth skin of his jaw.

He lowered his head to her ear and whispered, “Remember what I told you on the helicopter?” He bit gently on her earlobe, then laved it with his tongue. “Remember what I promised to do?”

“Yes,” she said, breathless. He made her lose her mind.

“Do you want that?” he asked.

His hand cupped the back of her neck, and he began to knead the tension from her stiff muscles. It had already been such a long day, and they hadn’t even gone to dinner. Pearl leaned into Declan, letting him take care of her. She wanted everything.

“Do you want my mouth on you?”

She sighed, going boneless against him. Her brain could no longer come up with protests when his hands felt so good.

“Say the words, baby. Say you want me. I need to hear you say the words.”

Pearl turned her face to his and kissed him, showing him that she wanted him.

He tore his mouth from hers. “Say it,” he growled.

Pearl’s hands linked behind his neck, fingers delving into his hair. “I want you,” she said, expelling the words on a long sigh.

He bent down and scooped her up in his arms. “I’m going to have you screaming my name in a few minutes.” Lowering her onto the bed, he stood between her legs and removed one sandal at a time, tossing them to the floor. “Get naked,” he said, reaching for his belt buckle.

“We’re going to be late,” Pearl said, but her fingers went to her buttons, and she began to undo them.

“Yeah,” Declan agreed. He unzipped his pants and stepped out of them. “Very late.”

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