Page 18

Chapter eighteen

Noel

A jolt wakes me. I look around to find Declan sitting next to me. I’m usually terrible at sleeping on planes, but I don’t remember a thing about our flight. I must’ve crashed soon after we took off. Declan hands me a bottle of water, and I take it graciously.

We didn’t sleep at all last night. My body is sore everywhere, and my brain is still empty from so many orgasms. Declan knows my body better than I do, and it was euphoric to let him take control.

Between rounds, we talked. He told me he transferred my ownership of Isaiah’s investment account back to Isaiah. I was shocked that he had gone to Grant, but he left my former father-in-law in one piece.

Aside from looking at the potential expansion property, we plan to enjoy Nashville without the stress of the past week hanging over our shoulders. Traveling is something I love to do. It feels so good to be getting off a plane now, breathing in different air from a few hours ago.

Declan takes my hand as we walk through the airport to baggage claim. We find our things and go pickup the rental car keys.

Walking up to the black Tahoe, I ask, “Do you drive anything other than black vehicles?”

He gives me a sideways glance and grins, showing me one dimple on his stubble-covered face. “No. ”

I smile and shake my head. I get in while he puts the bags in the back. Instead of driving into downtown Nashville where most hotels would be, he takes us out of the city. We pull into the driveway of a cute little house.

“No hotel?”

“The way you scream? People would think I’m murdering you. We need privacy,” he says and gets out of the SUV to grab our bags.

My cheeks heat up. He’s joking. Right? Deciding to be a little quieter next time, I get out in time to follow him inside.

The house is nice and clean but pretty generic for a rental. I follow Declan into the bedroom to unpack some of my things.

He wraps his arms around me from behind as I set things on the bathroom counter. I look up at him through the mirror as he rests his chin on top of my head. The sight of us together has my heart fluttering. I’ve never seen us together before.

As if reading my thoughts, he says, “I’ve waited almost half of my life to see this.”

I lean my head back into his chest, not sure what to say. “We’re here now,” I say more to myself than to him.

Kissing the top of my head, he walks over to turn on the shower. He takes off his shirt, and I watch as his muscles work at the movement. When my eyes find their way back to his, he undresses me. His lips meet mine as his fingers work, and my hands explore the ridges of his abs on my way to the button of his jeans.

He lifts me up to wrap my legs around his waist as he carries me into the shower. Standing me under the water, he begins to wash my hair while I keep my arms wrapped around his middle. I close my eyes as he massages the shampoo into my scalp.

“Why did you stay in Birmingham?” He asks .

“It’s just how things played out,” I say.

“Hmm, you mean it’s what Nate wanted,” he counters.

Opening my eyes, I stare up at him.

“Not that it matters now, but we had a deal. Live in Birmingham but travel often. A compromise,” I defend myself, knowing he wouldn’t understand but trying anyway.

“Sounds fair. Where did he take you?” He asks.

“Declan,” I warn, pulling away from him and rinsing my hair myself.

He pulls me back, forcing my hands to his hips before continuing my hair.

“Oh, wait, Italy is the only place so far. It’s alright, sunshine. I’m going to make your dreams come true. Speaking of dreams, where would you live if you had no ties to Birmingham?” He continues to push.

“My life is in Birmingham,” I deflect.

“Answer the question,” he demands.

“I don’t know. This is where I want to be now. With you,” I answer honestly.

“You name the place, and I’ll put Velocity right in the center of the fucking town. With me is a given, but I know you don’t want to be in Birmingham.”

“I haven’t thought about leaving in such a long time,” I say, unsure.

“Then, start,” he says, like it’s so simple to uproot myself now that I’m established in a career. “I’ve taken you out of Birmingham, out of Alabama, even. While we’re here, think about what you want.”

He kisses me then gets out of the shower, leaving me with my thoughts.

Declan and I had so many late night phone calls when we were younger about getting out of Birmingham. Yet we’re both still firmly planted there.

We used to dream about living in the mountains of Tennessee. It’s hot enough in the summer to have a swimming pool but cold enough in the winter to snow. The best part was that it was far enough away that I couldn’t be under my parents’ control.

We were just kids though. We didn’t do any of the things we had planned together. Well, I guess that’s not completely true. Declan did.

He created a successful business like he said he would. But me? I love my job, but it isn’t my passion. I didn’t even get an art degree, and I never rarely visit studios anymore.

That’s what he sees. A girl who didn’t grow up to be what she had dreamed of becoming. I look at myself in the mirror, ready to accept his challenge. When I’m finished getting ready, I walk out of the bathroom to find Declan on his laptop at the desk in the living room.

“I’d like to go to a museum today,” I say without waiting for him to stop typing.

He finishes up whatever he’s typing then closes the laptop before he looks up at me.

“Let’s go,” he says, grabbing the keys and walking out the door.

We find ourselves in an art museum, wandering around when my phone rings. Quickly silencing it, I see it’s my dad calling me. I show Declan, and his expression turns violent.

Grabbing my arm, he pulls me along with him to the stairwell close by.

“Answer it,” he grinds out, clenching his jaw.

“Hello, Dad,” I answer the phone, trying to keep my emotions out of my voice.

“Noel, where are you?” He asks without a greeting.

“Out of town. ”

“Mom said you ran out on her at lunch yesterday. I came to your office to discuss things with you myself as it was not her place to do so,” he says, sounding impatient and angry.

Declan steps into me, putting a hand on the wall above my head and taking the phone from me with the other. He switches the call to speakerphone as I lean against the wall, my head spinning.

“What do you want?” I stammer out.

He sighs into the phone. “Elle, I didn't want to trouble you with the details. Jeff and I just thought the two of you may find some comfort in your shared loss. Just two fathers not wanting their only children to be alone and grieving, honey. Your mother took things she overheard out of context,” he says.

Declan narrows his eyes at me. “Noel is far from alone or grieving,” he says, his voice low and threatening.

“Who is that, Noel?” My dad asks, yelling into the phone.

Declan chuckles darkly into the phone.

“Her past, present,” he draws out in a threatening tone. Then he pauses to search my face before saying, “and future.”

Fuck. My breath leaves my body in a rush of air.

My dad yells into the phone, but I don’t hear a word.

Declan ends the call and slips my phone into his pocket. While his hands are busy, I wrap mine behind his head to pull him down into a kiss. His arms find their way around my back just as I press my body against his. Our kiss deepens, blurring the world around us.

When we pull apart to look at each other, he stands to his full height again.

“It’s time you take me home to meet Mom and Dad,” he says .

“What? Declan, this is bigger than just introducing you to them. They’ve already made plans for me to marry Isaiah. We need to stay away from them all,” I protest.

“There will be no more talk about you marrying anyone but me,” he growls.

“Declan,” I gasp.

“That’s right, baby. My name is the only one that belongs on these lips.”

He kisses me hungrily, slipping his hand under my skirt. His hand grabs my pussy as he slides a finger inside.

“Does the idea of marrying me make you wet, baby?” He asks into our kiss.

I whimper, sucking on his bottom lip.

“Can you be quiet?” He asks.

I nod.

He smirks. “We’ll see.”

His slow movements turn violent. His fingers slam into me.

“Oh, god,” I moan.

He presses his free hand over my mouth, gripping my chin to keep me in place and quiet. My eyes widen as his lips trace down my neck. His hand is relentless. The heat pools at my core, and my hips move against him on their own.

“Come for me, baby,” he whispers.

His eyes meet mine. Brows pinched together. Lips parted. I could get off just staring at him. The orgasm unfolds, and I’m screaming into his hand.

“Good girl,” he says, voice dripping with desire.

He licks his fingers while he holds my stare. His hand slips from my mouth to my throat.

“Have you seen enough art today?” He asks.

I stifle a giggle and nod my head .

He smiles. “Come on before you get us kicked out.”

Declan found a liquor store on the way back to the rental house after dinner. We made drinks and got into the hot tub just in time to watch the sun setting behind the mountains. It’s so beautiful, and my soul feels at peace here.

“Can you believe we ended up here in spite of it all?” I ask, turning to look at him.

“I promised we would,” he says.

I smile and tilt my head. “I’m pretty sure that was just to get in my pants.”

“I’d prefer it if you didn’t even own pants,” he says, winking at me.

“Our lives could’ve been so different if my dad would have cared more about my happiness than money,” I say with regret.

He looks at the sunset again, the orange sky reflecting off the gold flecks in his brown eyes. Then, he looks at me with something sinister lurking just below the surface.

Alarm bells ring in my ears at his shift in mood, and I’m covered in goosebumps. He grabs my knees to pull me across the hot tub into his lap. His hard expression mere inches away.

“Noel, he’s a dead man walking.” His voice is low, dripping with rage.

“No,” I try to use the hardest voice I can muster.

His smirk doesn’t meet his eyes.

“Some part of you wants it, too. Don’t lie to me.”

I stiffen, searching his face.

“No,” I fail completely this time, and my voice is only a whisper.

“He derailed the life you wanted for yourself. ”

“No, Declan, no,” I’m shaking now.

“He signed you away to marry a complete stranger and is ready to do the same again.” His anger is stronger than I’ve ever seen.

“That won’t happen this time. I can’t lose you to this,” I plead.

“Shh. Nothing will ever keep me from you again.” His expression smooths as his hands roam up my body.

He lifts me to suck on my nipple. My protests die on my lips. He stands, pulling me out of the water. The cool night air meets our wet bodies. I gasp at the sudden change, and he covers my mouth with his, stepping out of the hot tub and bringing me inside.

He sits on the couch and reaches for a blanket to cover us. I pull away from our kiss to hover over him. The hiss he makes when I grab his dick heats me to my core.

His hands find their way to my hips under the blanket. He doesn’t force me onto him. Instead, his mouth explores my body while he holds me steady.

He tears his eyes away from watching his tip rub up and down my slit to look at me. The intensity of his stare does nothing to prepare me for his words.

“You’re not a prisoner in that ivory tower anymore, Noel. I’m going to tear it down brick by brick. It will be as though it never existed. Now show me what you will do with your freedom,” he says in a deep, rough voice.

My insides melt at his dark promise. The delicious offer to let me have him however I choose has my imagination running wild with possibilities. I stand, letting the blanket fall to the ground. His abs tense as his hips tilt forward, and he slowly strokes himself as he looks over every inch of my body.

“Lay down,” I say.

He does as I say, and the power high courses through my veins .

I kneel on the couch just above his head, taking in the sight of this strong, beautiful man laying down for me. When my eyes find his, I see he’s staring at my pussy hovering above his head.

I inch forward to hover above his mouth, my heart pounding. I’ve never done this before because I was always too embarrassed to ask for it. With Declan, I know he wants me just as I am.

“You want me to eat this pussy?” He asks from between my legs.

I don’t answer at first. The words stick in my throat. I lean over him, placing my hands on either side of his hips. Dipping my head down slightly, I suck on the tip of his cock.

“Yeah, sunshine. Take what you want,” he breathes out in whispers that I feel against my wet pussy.

His hands wrap around my thighs. “Own it. Run the fucking show, baby girl.”

I lower my mouth until he’s in the back of my throat, and I use my hand to cover the rest of him.

“You like my cock in your throat,” he says, lifting his hips to shove himself farther in. “I love fucking your mouth.”

My hips wiggle, and I moan around his dick as he pumps into me.

“Your pussy is soaked. Don’t you want to sit on my face?”

Yes! I squeeze his cock harder and drool runs out of my mouth.

“Noel,” he growls, his fingers digging into my thighs. “Sit the fuck down.”

I can’t hold out any longer. I lower myself onto his waiting mouth while I continue to suck and deep throat his cock. He growls into me as he covers me with his tongue, and the sensation has me crying out around him .

His hands wrap around my hips to pull me down harder on his face. I notice his pace matches mine, so I pick up the pace to see if he follows. When he does, I play with him until I find the right pace for me.

He inserts a finger to touch my sweet spot as I ride his tongue. When I grab his balls, he moans into me. I feel myself building, but I want more of him.

When I sit up to move, he holds me down onto his face. I try to lift off of him, but his hands don’t give.

“I want to ride your cock now.”

He immediately releases me with his hands, but doesn’t stop licking me until I move.

I crawl down his body to hover over his cock as he holds it in his hand.

“Take it, baby.”

I take it in my hand, and he lets go. His hands tickle my back as I lower on top of him.

“That’s my girl. Fuck me. Show me what you like,” he pleads, his voice husky with desire.

I start to move, grinding into him. Leaning back, I rest a hand on his stomach, and he grabs my arm to hold me in place.

“You’re so good,” he breathes, grabbing my hip with his free hand.

I guide his fingers to my clit. He reaches lower to wet his fingers with my arousal, then circles my clit as I rest my hand on top of his to feel him pleasure me.

My insides are clenching around him as I pick up the pace and bounce on him.

“Goddamn, Noel. Use me, baby,” he says between breaths.

I completely lose myself on top of him.

“Oh, Declan, come with me,” I yell out .

“Fuck,” he says, grabbing my hips to move me at his speed when my orgasm steals my rhythm. Then, he’s pulsing hard inside of me as he comes, too.

He sits up, wrapping his arms around my front to hold me in place. A giggle slips out as I try to catch my breath.

“Did you have fun using me?” He whispers against my back before he bites it.

I cry out at the pain and try to move away, but he holds me to him.

“I’m not done with you.” He slips out from under me, and flips me over. He pulls me to the edge and looks down at me, licking his lips.

“Don’t move.”

He walks down the hall, turning lights off as he goes. It’s too dark to see anything now, so I listen for him to come back. My eyes begin to adjust to the darkness when I hear his footsteps coming closer. Turning my head to the side, I see him walking toward me.

Once he’s standing in front of me, I can see he’s holding a box and has something draped over his shoulder.

“What’s in the box?” I ask.

He opens it, takes something out, then tosses it away. I hear the vibration before I feel it. Without a word, he rubs the vibrator over me then slips it inside. It’s thin on the inside and clamps down over my entire pussy.

“What-?” I ask and start to pull myself back from the edge, but his hand slaps down onto my thigh to keep me there.

“Who do you belong to?” His voice is all gravel now.

I swallow and try to steady my breathing as my attention is split between the vibrator and the monster I just unleashed.

He uses his foot to push my ankles farther apart one at a time and asks again with a growl, “Who do you belong to? ”

“You.”

“Mine.”

He slips the rope from his shoulder, using it to wrap my hands together in front of me. Then, he kneels and picks something else up off the floor. He holds it up between us.

“It’s time I show you what that means.”

I whimper and move my hips, trying to make contact as he leans over me.

“You’re a greedy little thing, aren’t you?”

He chuckles as he puts something in my mouth. My tongue circles around the rubber ball, and my eyes widen as he wraps a strap around my head.

I try to speak, but it’s just sound. Oh, god.

He pinches my nipples hard, and I cry out around the gag.

“Good. I don’t need your words, but I love the way you scream.”

He lifts my arms over his head and picks me up from under my legs so that my knees are bent over his elbows. Kissing and nibbling my neck, he carries me over to the table in the dining room. Sitting me down on the edge, he leaves my arms around him and uses his hand to guide his cock inside of me.

The vibrator continues to pulse over my clit as he fucks me slow and hard. The slide out allows me to feel him teasing me from the inside out while the sudden reentry of his cock has my body clenching around him involuntarily.

“I’m going to choke you while you come this time,” he says as he wraps his large hand around my neck.

He squeezes harder than I expect, and I start to breathe heavier through my nose and shake my head at him. When he doesn’t loosen his grip, I try to scream at him.

“You can breathe,” he says without letting up.

I realize he’s right, but my head feels fuzzy. I slap at his hand to let me go .

“I’m going to fuck you into oblivion. You’re so fucking close. Enjoy the fucking high,” he demands.

The room around me starts to spin as his words sink in. The threatening tone of his voice seeps into my skin burning everything it touches. When his words reach my core, I explode around him.

“That’s it, baby, yes,” he praises.

Color bursts behind my eyelids as the orgasm rips through me. He loosens his grip around my neck. The blood rush causes a throbbing sensation in my head as my body continues to shake from the second orgasm.

One arm holds me upright while the other lifts my arms. He lays me down and shoves both arms above my head.

“Hold the table.”

I do as I’m told and wrap my legs around him, pulling him into me.

“You are fucking perfect,” he says, trailing his hands down from my elbows to my hips.

I whimper around the gag. It’s harder to swallow with it in my mouth, so I turn my head to the side to keep from choking on spit. He lifts my legs over his shoulders and kisses the inside of my lower legs as he moves inside me again.

My hands grip the edge of the table to hold myself in place. My hips are lifted above the table to him. He works into a faster pace, and reaches down to click the button on top of the vibrator still in place. It’s now on a lighter setting to balance out how hard he is fucking me.

“Are you about to come again already?” He asks in surprise.

I realize he’s right. My insides are coiling up again. The heat slowly builds with each thrust. I moan into the gag, liking the way it fills my mouth. Circling my tongue around it, I feel myself at the edge .

He moves his hands to my hips, tilting them. My legs fall around his arms, but he holds my body so that he’s pounding into that sweet spot pushing me over. The thunder of this orgasm rolls over me, and I’m choking on my own spit between screams.

“My girl loves it rough. My perfect fucking girl,” he breathes out, losing control. He pulls out fast. His come lands on the side of my face and down my body.

When he’s finished, he takes the vibrator out and throws it on the table. Then, he pulls on my arms, throwing them over his head again to pick me up. My head rests on his as he kisses my forehead, walking us through the house to the shower.

After he unties me and removes the gag, we shower and crawl into bed. He pulls me into him and kisses my shoulder before I fall asleep in his arms.