Page 11 of Bear With Me
Declan doesn’t have anyone.
“No, never. I like my space, remember?” he says and clears his throat. “So, what brings you to the wilds of Indiana?”
“My parents were killed in a car accident last year. My grandmother lives here and smoothed the way for my brother and me to attend Hastings-Albrect.”
Declan reaches across the table and takes my hand. I’m going to need to be careful or holding his hand is going to become my new favorite thing. “I’m sorry to hear that, Sullivan.”
I offer him a wobbly smile. “Thanks. It gets a little easier every day.”
“Time helps, I imagine. And dinners with your newest friend.”
This time, my smile is genuine. “Definitely.”
Though I’m hoping to convince him to be more than friends.
* * *
“Now where are you taking me?”
I haven’t been on very many dates and none of them had ever impressed me as much as the little Italian restaurant that Declan took me to. After Antonio brought us our food, we spent the next two hours talking abouteverything. I can’t remember the last time I ever felt so comfortable with another person. It doesn’t hurt that he makes my body hum with the simplest of touches.
We finished our meal and Antonio cleared away the plates and brought us cheesecake. As we nibbled on the decadent dessert, strains of music floated over the air as Antonio sat at a piano in the corner and began to serenade us in Italian. Needless to say by the time dinner was over, I practically floated out of the restaurant. Declan led me to his truck with the promise that the night was only just beginning.
“To my place,” he says, flipping on the turn signal.
“Um, your place?” I ask. “Confident, aren’t you?”
He flashes me a smile and pauses at a deserted stop sign to cup my cheek with his free hand. “Much as that intrigues me, it’s not what you think.”
“Really?” I scoot over to his side and fit my body against his. After the past two hours, I need to put my hands on him or I’m going to burst into flames.
He accepts my kiss at the next stoplight. “I can’t wait to get my hands on you either.”
By the time we get to his house, I’m fidgeting in my seat, and rubbing my thighs together to stave off the ache. I can’t quite seem to keep my hands to myself. They trace the lines of ink on his forearms and squeeze his knee.
He helps me out of the truck and my body slides down his before my feet touch the ground. We seem to have used up all of our words during dinner because I can’t focus on anything other than his lips.
Declan moves closer, pressing me against the side of his truck. I bring my hands up to his shoulders and my head falls back. The hands at my waist bring our bodies together. At the first brush of his lips, I gasp and then his mouth covers mine and my mind goes completely, blissfully blank.
The kiss isn’t wild or overwhelming. It’s just the light brush of his lips against mine, but nothing—nothing—has ever felt so good. He brings one hand up to push back the hair from my face and I find myself leaning into his touch. When the hand on my hip pulls me more fully against him, I go weak at the knees.
When we part, I can’t seem to catch my breath. If it weren’t for the solidity of the truck behind my back, I very well could have sank into a puddle at his feet.
“Wow,” I murmur without thinking.
Declan nips at my lips again and my eyes flutter closed. He steps back, breaking the kiss, and cool air comes between us. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
I blush. “Or you could forget that I said it completely.”
“Not a chance, beautiful. C’mon, I’ve got something else to show you.”
After that soul-shattering kiss, I will pretty much follow him anywhere. He takes my hand and leads me past his cabin and shed to a trail in his backyard which leads into the woods. Visibility is essentially nonexistent so I grasp his hand more tightly.
“You’re sure this is okay?” I ask.
“Absolutely. If it makes you feel any better, I know these woods like the back of my hand. I promise I’ll keep you safe.”
“My life is in your hands, so I’m going to hold you to that.”