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CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Cash

Declan’s hot breath caressed my neck as he spoke into my ear, and the last of my blood rushed south so fast my head spun.

I tried to keep my wits about me, but once Declan said he wanted this too, my brain shut off. My body vibrated with need, and sitting here shirtless while he put those work-callused hands all over me had been a torturous test of my self-restraint.

I fumbled with the button and zipper on my shorts, my hands shaking I was so worked up. This was Declan standing behind me. Declan, whose hands still stroked over my shoulders. Declan, who was always off-limits…

My pants opened, and I slipped a hand inside, grasping my cock with a low groan of relief. I hesitated a moment, enough sense restored to wonder if he really wanted to see me desperate and horny.

“Show me,” he said into my ear, making me shudder.

I felt his gaze burning down my exposed chest, over my twitching abs, to where my cock begged for release.

I tugged it out of my briefs, hissing as cold air met the moist tip. “What should I…”

“Just do whatever you’d do if you were alone. I want to see what you like.”

I licked my dry lips. “This may not last long.”

“There’s no timer running,” Declan said, sounding amused. “No one’s scoring you, Cash. Just do what you like. That’s what I want.”

Well, that was easy enough. I stroked my cock from root to head a couple of times, lifting my free hand to tweak my right nipple.

A small sound escaped me as pleasure ping-ponged between my dick and my nipple.

“You like that, huh?” Declan said. “Do it again, harder.”

“Fuck,” I whispered, obeying instantly as my blood burned hotter.

Declan’s hands moved into my hair, combing through it, tugging a little, adding fuel to my fire. He wasn’t touching me the way a typical lover might, but he was here with me. He wanted this too.

My pleasure was building too quickly. I eased off my stroking, dipping my hand down to roll my balls and tug at the sac.

“Are you still watching?” I asked, needing to know we were in this together.

“Yes, Cash. I see you.”

I glanced over my shoulder—needing to see him watching me. Our eyes met and held.

My hand sped up on my cock again as I bit my lower lip with a muffled groan.

Declan used his thumb to tug my lip free of my teeth, then caressed my mouth. “Let me hear you.”

The salt of his skin touched my tongue, and my climax slammed into me. I arched, giving a strangled cry, as my cock erupted in my hand.

Declan brought his mouth down on mine, kissing my trembling lips, his taste and scent adding to the overwhelming pleasure crashing over me.

It took me a few minutes for my brain to start firing on all cylinders. Declan ended the kiss but continued to run his fingers through my hair, soothing me as I came down from my orgasm high.

“Do you…” I half turned toward him. “I could do something for you, too.”

“You already have,” he said, fingers dipping down to stroke along my jaw. “This is exactly what I wanted.”

He touched me so gently, tracing his fingers over my eyebrows, down the bridge of my nose, and finally over my lips again. Somehow, those soft touches were more intimate than the kiss we’d shared while I was coming.

I kissed his fingertips, reveling in the closeness between us. His gaze met mine, full of a warmth I thought I’d never see there. Declan felt our connection, too.

“Let’s go over to the house,” he said, his voice husky. “You can clean up before you go home.”

I glanced toward the wall I’d been sanding. I tried to muster up the energy to go back to work, but my limbs were heavy and slow to respond.

“You’ve done enough work for tonight,” he said. “I’ll be here to help more tomorrow, too. I don’t want you killing yourself to get this done.”

I grabbed my T-shirt and wiped my hand clean. “I made a promise, Dec. I plan to keep it.”

He rounded the chair, giving me a hand up. “I know you’ll keep it. You don’t have anything to prove.”

Declan picked up our discarded dinner plates. I grabbed our beer bottles—mine nearly empty, and Declan’s nearly full—and followed him to the door.

We turned out the lights and locked the door, and I followed him to the main house in a daze. I wasn’t that shocked I’d put on a show for Declan—or that I’d come so hard I could hardly think straight. But the fact Declan had suggested it? That was surprising.

And encouraging.

Maybe there was a way for this to work between us. Maybe a relationship with him didn’t have to look like Brooks’ or Sawyer’s relationships to still be everything I wanted.

“Declan, about what happened?—”

“It was good, Cash. Let’s just leave it at that, okay? It doesn’t change anything. I’m still me.”

I caught his hand and raised it to kiss his palm. “And I like you as you are.”

He cast me a sidelong glance. “That’s possibly the orgasm talking.”

“No.” I shook my head. “I can give myself orgasms too, you know.”

His steps faltered. “I’m aware of that.”

“I’m just saying, it’s not the destination that matters to me. It’s the journey. And my traveling companion, of course.” I winked.

“Hmm.” He cast me a small smile. “Well, I, uh, like you too, but I really can’t promise more journeys like that.”

“I know.”

“Yeah?”

“I’ve been reading up on asexuality.”

“Really? What have you learned?”

“That you may experience little to no sexual desire for someone,” I recited from memory as we passed by the garden shed. “Or you may only experience it sporadically or in certain situations.”

“That’s about right. It’s not even something I understand, so I can’t imagine anyone else would.”

“They could try though.” I paused. “ I could try.”

“Cash, you’ve been around the block…around two hundred blocks of the sexual variety.”

I cringed. “I wasn’t that bad, was I?”

Declan raised an eyebrow, and my shoulders slumped.

“Okay, maybe I was, but that’s in my past. I sowed my wild oats. Now I want something more.”

“Well, it’s a moot point,” Declan said as we reached the back door to the B&B, and he opened it for me. “I’m selling the B&B and leaving town anyway, so…”

I stepped into the kitchen, heading toward his quarters and hoping none of the guests were around to see me shirtless and smelling of cum.

I waited until we were safely closed into Declan’s private quarters before I said the words that were on my tongue.

“You don’t have to leave.”

“Cash…”

“You don’t,” I insisted. “Even if you sell the B&B, why can’t you stay in town and do something else? Go work at the library, or…I don’t know, become a groundskeeper since you love gardening.”

Declan chuckled, and I scowled. “Why is that funny?”

He cupped my face. “You’re just sweet, the way you’re such a dreamer.”

“Maybe you should try dreaming a little more.”

“Maybe I should,” he murmured before drawing away. “You can use my shower.”

I bit down on the urge to invite him to join me. That wasn’t going to happen. Declan had made it clear tonight was good, but a repeat was unlikely.

“Thanks,” I said, taking the towel he held out. “I’ll be quick.”

“Take your time. You can use my shampoo and body wash.”

He retreated, closing the door. Apparently, he’d gotten his fill of watching me. The memory of his gaze so intent on me while I jerked off for him was damn near enough to get me hard again.

I rinsed quickly, taking the time to wash with Declan’s shampoo and body wash, which smelled like eucalyptus and rain. When I got out, I dried and pulled on my briefs and shorts. I couldn’t bring myself to put on my filthy shirt, so I left the bathroom topless.

Declan sat aside the crossword puzzle book he was working on and got a shirt from his closet for me. It was white with blue words that read, Shore Daddy .

“Really?” I asked, smirking at the shirt.

“My sister thinks she’s hilarious,” Declan said. “You can keep it.”

I snorted. “Yeah, I bet. I’ll tell everyone my daddy Declan gave it to me.”

“On second thought…”

He tried to grab it back, but I danced out of his reach and tugged it over my head. “Nope, it’s mine now.”

He sighed and rolled his eyes heavenward as if I tested his patience. That was legit. I tested a lot of people’s patience.

Declan gestured to the couch. “Want to sit? I, uh, can get you another beer unless you need to get home?”

I’d planned to work late anyway, so I wasn’t in a rush. “I can have one more.”

He nodded and left to get it from the kitchen. I wasn’t sure what we were doing, but I was curious to see where Declan led me.

I sank back on the couch, spreading one arm out along the back of it. When he returned, he sat beside me, rather than in his armchair. In front of my arm.

Which basically demanded I put my arm around him, right?

Declan grabbed the remote and clicked it on. A show about baking came on, with the contestants engaged in some sort of creative cake challenge that involved making things like house cats and fairytale castles out of sponge cake and moldable chocolate.

It was all beyond my skills, though I was sure Ash would love to give it a go.

Declan sat back, and I lowered my arm slowly, giving him time to move away. When he didn’t, I rested it over his shoulders.

“Want to cuddle?” I asked, half expecting him to run.

Instead, he sighed and curled in against me, resting his head on my shoulder. My heart damn near burst with happiness.

This was what Declan needed, I realized. My body might crave the endorphin rush of orgasm, but he craved closeness and affection—and damn if I didn’t love that too.

I wrapped my arm tighter around him and held him closer, dropping a kiss on his head. “This is nice.”

“Yeah,” he said, sounding drowsy. “Just one episode to relax, then you can go.”

“Mm-hmm. Whatever you want.”

We cuddled for two more episodes, until my arm was going numb from being in the same position for too long, but damn if I’d have moved for anything.

Eventually, Declan dragged himself upright. “Do you want to sleep here? I mean, on the couch.”

“Your couch is comfortable, but no, I should go.”

“Do you want to take my pickup?”

I blinked. “You’d let me do that?”

“You’re coming back tomorrow anyway, right?”

“Yes. My shift at the resort starts at eleven, so I’ll be here around six in the morning.”

“Then take it.” He went to a hook by the door and grabbed a keyring. It included keys to the B&B property. He didn’t bother to remove any of them. “I don’t want you walking home late at night.”

“That’s sweet, but Swallow Cove isn’t exactly dangerous.”

He gave me a flat look. “I didn’t say it was dangerous. I just think you need to get some rest.”

I grinned. “Like I said, sweet.”

He rolled his eyes and pushed me toward the door. “Okay, enough. Get going.”

“Do I get a kiss goodnight?”

He hesitated.

I tapped my cheek, and he blushed adorably as he leaned in and pressed his lips to my jaw. “Goodnight, Cash,” he murmured. “Don’t get used to it.”

I grinned. “Oh, I would never presume you were a Shore Thing, Daddy.”

He shoved me out the door and slammed it in my face, but I heard his laugh on the other side. I smiled to myself as I let myself out of the B&B and headed to the garage where he kept his aunt’s antique pickup.

I didn’t know what I was doing with Declan, where we were going, or how we’d even get there. But I resolved to enjoy the journey—wherever it might take us.