His laugh is broken. “That was hers. It’s the only thing she managed to keep from him. It’s locked until I’m twenty-five or graduate. He’s been using the threat of it as a leash for years. He only cares about control. Funding. Power. He’s not losing any of it without blood.”
I reach for him before I can overthink it.
My hand slides over his fist. Slow. Soft. A choice.
He freezes. Not because he’s scared—because he’s shocked. Like he never expected me to touch him first.
“Talia,” he whispers.
“You’re nothing like him,” I say quietly. “Nothing.”
His fist uncurls under my touch, palm opening, fingers brushing mine like he’s memorizing the moment.
The air between us changes. The grief is still there, but something else rises to meet it.
Heat. Need.
He leans in a fraction.
Just a fraction. And that’s all it takes for something inside me to break open.
I lift my hand and cup his jaw—slow, reverent.
He inhales sharply, eyes darkening like a storm rolling in.
“You make me feel safe,” I whisper.
That’s all it takes.
He moves—not fast, not greedy, just sure—closing the distance between us. His forehead touches mine. His hand slides to the back of my neck, fingers threading gently into my hair.
My breath stutters.
His does too.
We sit there for a long second, just breathing the same air, the weight of the confessions settling around us like dust.
Then I tilt my chin just an inch.
An invitation. A yes.
And Declan kisses me.
His mouth crushes mine, hot and desperate. A low groan vibrates in his chest. I open for him, and his tongue sweeps inside, tasting me, claiming me.
Heat pools low in my stomach, heavy and aching.
My fingers curl into his hoodie, pulling him closer. His other hand settles on my hip, fingers digging in, pulling me until I’m straining against the console.
When he finally pulls away, he rests his forehead against mine again, breathing hard, voice wrecked. His eyes are blown wide, dark with a hunger that matches my own.
“Talia,” he whispers. “Tell me what you want.”
I don’t hesitate.
My hand slides from his jaw to his neck, feeling the pulse hammering there. I pull my hand back and reach into my pocket.
I pull out my key card.
