Page 79 of Beautiful Chaos

At least he isn’t one to doubt my words. “She looks just like the twins,” he points out.

I nod. I had a feeling that’s what was weighing on his mind. “It’s part of what drew me to her, but I would have been impacted by any baby in that situation.” Rowan looking like my sisters isn’t why I fell in love with her, isn’t why I saved her. Every baby and child deserves a chance, to have a protector. To live. Her looks just shook something loose in my heart that had been tied up for a long time. She could have been the twins’ opposite in every way and I still would have fallen in love with her.

“You didn’t birth her?” I can’t blame him for his surprise. She truly looks so much like I did when I was younger, what the twins looked like.

“No blood relation at all,” I admit, holding up my hands. “Trust me, I looked. Even had our blood tested.”

“That’s insane,” he stammers. “She reminds me so much of Harlee. It almost hurts.”

A tear slides down my cheek. “They would have made great aunts.”

Tears shine in his eyes, my pain reflected in his features. The only person left alive who misses them like I do. Who loved them like I did. “They really would have,” he agrees, the tears spilling free to run down his cheeks. He clasps my hands and both our tears silently drip and splash against our skin as we silently mourn the girls.

It’s a few minutes later when he chuckles. “Do you remember the first time they borrowed your makeup?”

A laugh eddies up out of me, almost against my will. “They looked so cute, I couldn't even be mad.”

He grins. “Oh, I remember. You could never get mad at them. No matter how ridiculous their antics got.”

A new sensation rises up in me, an unfurling of a new leaf as I share the good times with someone who remembers them as fondly as I do. It feels good. But all of a sudden exhaustions swamps over me like I’ve run a marathon.

Declan appears out of nowhere, materializing at my side. “Bed time, pretty girl.” He picks me up in his arms like he would grab Roe and I roll my eyes. “There are guest rooms if you want to stay the night,” he offers to Charles. “We need to finalize travel plans tomorrow anyway.”

I don’t know what surprises me more, that he offered or that Charles accepts it.

“Take her to bed,” Noah says from where he sits behind a computer. “I’ll show Charles to a room.”

Lifting my head off D’s shoulder, I watch as Noah doesn’t tear his eyes away from the screen in front of him. “Not coming to bed?” I already know that answer, but still have to ask.

He shakes his head. “I want to get started on organizing everything we discussed today. There’s a lot of information to wade through.”

I open my mouth to offer to help, but Noah is already waving me off. “You need sleep,” he says firmly. It’s hard to even remember the time when I was the one primarily behind screens. Luca and Kade ran the front of everything, minus the few jobs Kade and I would run together when stealth was required.

Declan squeezes me in warning, cutting off my argument before I make it. This is their way of taking care of me. A defeated sigh escapes me, but I concede, resting my head against his shoulder. He smirks as he carries me over to Noah, who kisses my forehead before Declan carries me out of the room, through our office, and down the hall toward his bedroom.

“Where is everyone else?”

Declan shrugs, jarring my body a little bit with the movement. “Not sure about Luca, but Ryder and Kade went to the fights now that they have the all-clear and were going to check on Rachel afterward.”

He pushes into the room and slowly drops me to my feet, our bodies sliding together perks me up. His devilish smile tells me everything I need to know about that move. His hands fall to my waist and his fingers tickle the sensitive skin there as he sits down on the edge of his bed and pulls me between his legs. One hand releases me only to trail up my back and through my hair, giving me a scalp massage that makes me moan.

His chuckle sends a rush of pleasure through me, the sound husky, full of promises and desire. “I’m proud of you, pretty girl,” he whispers in my ear a moment before pulling me against his soft and demanding lips. He doesn’t give me a chance to question what I did to earn his praise and I open for him willingly, loving the teasing way he runs his tongue over my lips before beginning to explore my mouth. I forget all about my question anyway.

Declan’s kiss takes my breath away, leaving me panting and desperately wishing for more even as he puts everything into this kiss. My fingers lock in the fabric of his shirt, trying to pull us closer than we already are. Nothing is ever enough with them. No matter how much they give me, it only makes me crave them more.

He hums against my lips before putting just enough space to answer the question I never got around to asking. “For the way you’re letting us take care of you.” His lips caress my own with every word. Delight trickles through me and it dawns on me that Roe and I aren’t so different after all. My men are the first people in my life who have really shown me what it means to be loved, cherished, taken care of. I soften to him and his kiss becomes more demanding, hungrier. The teasing and tantalizing is gone, replaced by something much hotter, much fiercer. A passion and a love that could consume me.

It’s so rare for us to just kiss and makeout like this without taking it any further. It’s nice while at the same time excruciating. It makes me feel safe, closer to him. Brings the affection and love to the forefront of my mind with every tantalizing stroke of his tongue. But it makes me burn with lust, ready to beg for more. Beg for everything.

I push to get closer, trying to crawl into his lap, but his hand on my waist tightens, keeping me in place. I’d pout, but my lips are fully preoccupied with the way Declan is ravaging them. A small gasp slips through my lips to his when a new pair of lips find my neck.

Hot, wet, commanding.

Declan’s kiss becomes even harder.

A dark chuckle knocks me off balance. “If you didn’t want to share, you should have closed the door.” Luca’s low growl in my ear reverberates through me, making my body pulse with need and anticipation.

Declan breaks our kiss and smirks at him over my shoulder. “Maybe it was an invitation.” His hand leaves my hair and wraps around my throat, the barest touch without any real pressure. My mouth parts in surprise and my eyes grow heavy with desire. “Pretty girl looks beautiful under me, but I’ve come to learn how she looks even better between us.”

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