When his words sank in, I looked up.
“You love me?”
“Yes, I love you.” He leaned down and kissed me, pouring all of his emotions into the kiss. Everything he struggled to say. Because like me, Declan Kelly was emotionally stunted and had daddy issues. But I knew now that maybe,just maybe, we could build something together.
“I think I love you, too,” I confessed when we finally broke apart. My toes curled in the cool sand, and I remembered I’d dropped my shoes at some point. Damn. They were Eden’s shoes. Oh well. It served her right for not telling me the guys were coming.
“You think?” Declan arched one eyebrow and smirked. “Do you need some extra persuasion, princess?”
“Where are you staying?” We’d not talked much on the way back to the house, but Declan held my hand most of the way. It helped settle my chaotic emotions. Calm my inner voice that whispered this was all a dream, and the moment I woke, Declan would be gone again.
“The pool guest house.”
“I’m surprised Thea agreed to let you stay here.”
Honestly, the fact she hadn’t murdered the guys on arrival surprised me. There had been much talk of torture, maiming, and dismemberment in the days following Eden’s spilling of my secrets and the horror of my subsequent confession.
But I didn’t blame Eden. It was my own damn fault for letting her ply me with alcohol. She’d sensed I was holding back and needed someone to talk to. If it had been anything else, I’d have confided in Thea, but I knew she would lose her shit about the guys. Or Saoirse, except she’d gone silent.
Eden seemed like a better choice when the need to talk about it overwhelmed me. Only Eden had proved less of a vault and more of a sieve.
Lesson learned.
“She said if I hurt you again, I’d better keep one eye open at all times.”
I snorted with amusement. “Sounds like my sister.” Before Declan could open my door, I hopped out of the monster SUV.
“I’ll leave you to, um, catch some sleep,” I said, feeling super awkward now we’d arrived back.
“No.”
“No?” When I dared look at him, he stood scowling at me.
“You’re not going anywhere, princess.”
“Damn right, she’s not,” Ronan grumbled as he stormed over, dressed in nothing but a pair of low-slung, very faded jeans.
Yeah, the temperature had barely dipped below 25 degrees, even though the sun had set, but still. Seeing him shirtless wasn’t helping with my blood pressure.
Before I could utter a protest at their over-bearing ways, Declan carried me over the deck toward the guest house. I briefly contemplated screaming for help, but then decided it wasn’t worth triggering a war between my sister, her husbands, and my boyfriends.
At least I assumed they were all my boyfriends now. I guessed I was about to find out.
62
Verity
The door to the guest suite slammed shut in our wake, sealing me in a room with two feral men. I gulped. The space was open plan, with a small kitchen area and comfortable seating. To the left, two bedrooms, and to the right, a luxurious bathroom. This was usually where Eden stayed, but I could tell from the absence of clothing, makeup, and hair products that she’d moved out.
Yet another reminder she’d known in advance the guys were coming.
The bitch.
But I couldn’t stay mad at her for long.
It was impossible to remain mad at Eden. The woman was glitter and fairy dust personified. I often wondered why she and my sister were friends, given they were like night and day, but had given up asking.
“Undress our girl,” Declan barked as he sank down onto a chair like a relaxed lion surveying his savannah kingdom.
