Page 40 of Declan
After going back into the bathroom, I turned on the shower and waited for the water to warm before stepping into the tub.
Sex with Kyler had been incredible. No, more than incredible, it’d been powerful. He’d had a subtle confidence to him that appealed to me, and when he’d radiated shyness, it’d called to a protective urge inside my chest, one that made me want to wrap him up in my arms and never let him go.
The paper man had been consumed by the flames.
And he was reborn from the ashes.
That’s how Kyler made me feel. When I’d told him he’d set me on fire, that’s what I’d been referring to. Burning wasn’t nearly as terrifying as it sounded. I wasn’t sure where to go from there, but I didn’t want to lose that feeling.
I didn’t want to return to the emptiness from before.
Standing in the shower, I stayed longer than was needed. I washed my body and hair and then just stood there, letting the hot water seep into my muscles. My orgasm had loosened me up, but my shoulders were tight again. I closed my eyes and remembered how Kyler looked when he came.
Fuck, he was beautiful.
Never had I wanted to please a person more than when I’d been inside him. Probably why I’d thrown caution to the wind and fucked him into the mattress, not concerned with being quiet. Anyone walking by the door would’ve heard. Yeah, it’d been risky, but I hadn’t cared at the time.
Poor Gideon.
His room was on the other side of the wall the bed had been banging against. If he didn’t know for certain I was gay, he more than likely did now.
The thought made me sharply exhale. I’d suspected for a while that he knew the truth about me, but it still made me feel like I was going to throw up.
Which was a clear sign that I wasn’t ready for the world to know the truth. If I had a mini-heart attack just from thinking that my bodyguard knew, there was no way I was ready for anyone else to know.
I shut off the water and wrapped a towel around my waist before stepping out. My reflection greeted me in the mirror, and I slowly turned my head, scrutinizing my appearance. Short brown hair, green eyes, and a face that people said was handsome.
I didn’t see the man they saw, though. No, I saw a man who couldn’t accept himself. Someone who got lost in the characters he played, because it meant he could be someone else for a while.
I hadn’t grabbed clothes before showering, so I walked back into the room with the towel around my hips and went over to the dresser.
“Damn,” a croaky voice said from behind me. “It’s not fair how sexy you are.”
Turning, I looked at Kyler on the bed. His back was against the headboard and the sheet was pulled over his lap. His naked chest was perfect; muscled but not overly so. Freckles marked the skin there, too.
“You’re not so bad yourself,” I responded, dropping the towel. His eyes roamed my body, and mine stiffened in response. I put on a pair of clean boxers before walking over to him and pressing a light kiss to his lips. “You hungry?”
“Mhm.” He nodded. Before I could walk away, he wrapped his arm around my neck and pulled me down on top of him. “Sausage sounds good.”
I’d never met someone before who made me laugh as much as he did. His good looks had first drawn me to him, but as I spent more time with him, I was finding he was more than a pretty face. He was charming and funny, compassionate and a little shy.
“Maybe later,” I said and kissed him again. Though it was difficult, I managed to pull away from his sweet mouth and get off the bed. “What sounds good to you? Pizza? Preferably something that can be delivered.”
“Pizza is always good,” Kyler answered, putting his arms behind his head. “Just don’t order it from the place on Zero Street. Their pizza is nothin’ but grease and broken dreams.”
I snorted a laugh and grabbed my phone. “Thanks for the heads up.”
After Kyler told me the type of pizza he liked—cheese with extra sauce—I called in the order and told them to deliver it to the hotel lobby. I then texted Gideon.
Me:Hey, I ordered pizza. Got a supreme for you and a cheese for us. Can you go down and get it?
Gideon:Of course.
The dots that signaled he was typing something kept popping up, and I waited for the text to come through. But it didn’t. Whatever he’d wanted to say, he must’ve decided not to send it.
“So,” Kyler said, sitting up straighter and crossing his legs. The sheet barely covered his arousal. “Can I ask you something?”
My back was to him, and I was thankful for it because I was certain he’d see the unease on my face otherwise.
