He sighed. "It's still really early, so try to get some more sleep."
"I'll be fine. You can go now." I tried pulling back, acutely aware we were way too close, but he refused to let me go.
"I will once you fall asleep."
Since arguing was way too much effort, I closed my eyes. Surprisingly, Declan's muscular arms wrapped around me eased the tension in my body. He wouldn't let anything hurt me; he'd proved that already.
I closed my eyes and let his steady heartbeat lull me back to sleep.
After listening to the raging storm howling around the hotel all night, the silence that greeted me when I next opened my eyes had me confused. Then I realized Declan was still lying next to me, and I'd curled into his muscular frame like a lovesick koala.
My robe had loosened while I slept, the top half now gaping open, leaving my breasts squished against his chest. His verynakedchest.
He'd half turned toward me in his sleep. One arm nestled my head, and the other looped over my hip, our legs entangled like vines.
Attempting to extricate myself would wake him. I couldn't decide whether him waking to find me curled around him was more embarrassing than lying here pretending to be asleep.
There was no way out of this. No way to recover from the absolute shame of sleeping with another Kelly brother.
If Ronan and Conal saw me now, they'd be furious. And rightly so. What kind of woman beds one pair of brothers and then, a week later, ends up in bed with a third brother?
My heart pounded in my chest as various scenarios played out in my head, each one more horrifying than the last.
What the fuck was wrong with me? Why did I keep making dumb decisions? I had to get away from here. Out of this bed and away from the man who had the power to ruin me.
I'd already fallen hard for Ronan and Conal and been hurt in the process. My bruised heart wasn't resilient enough to cope with more pain. Declan didn't want me. He'd made that quite clear. Sure, he'd fallen asleep in the same bed, but the poor man had been exhausted. I could hardly blame him.
No, this was my fault. My inner slut must have subconsciously pushed me toward him while we slept.
I eased my leg from under his, taking care not to dislodge the comforter. Next, I lifted his ridiculously heavy arm and exhaled in relief when he rolled onto his back, still asleep.
Gods, he was beautiful. Broader than the twins. An older, more mature version of them with additional stress lines around his eyes. He'd inherited his father's strong nose and jaw, whereas the twins favored their mother's more delicate features.
Declan had her eyes, though. Amber flecked with gold, rimmed by thick, sooty black lashes. He'd allowed his hair to grow longer over the last few months, long enough to curl over the nape of his neck. I itched to run my fingers through it. Was it as soft as it looked?
But now was not the time to swoon over this gorgeous man. If I didn't move right this second, he'd wake, and then I'd have to face my shame head-on.
I slid across the mattress, grateful it was firm enough not to bounce under my weight. Declan grumbled some nonsense in his sleep but didn't stir. Before my luck ran out, I crept into the bathroom and closed the door with a faint click.
The realization I had absolutely nothing to wear hit me hard. The horrible dress from the club lay in a puddle of fabric on the floor. No fucking way was I wearing that monstrosity again, which left Declan's clothes.
I glanced around and spotted a carry-on bag by the vanity unit. It held a change of clothes, some joggers, and a loose hoodie. They'd do. I pulled on the joggers, silently cursing at how big they were on my much smaller waist. Still, it was better than roaming around naked, so I'd take it as a win.
The hoodie wasn't so bad. It hung over me like a sack, but helped hide my boobs. My hair was beyond help, so I dragged it back and secured it with a hair elastic.
After washing my face and using a complimentary toothbrush, I carefully opened the bathroom door.
"Going somewhere, princess?"
Declan stood glaring at me with his arms folded across his chest. Instead of meeting his eyes, which looked like they might smite me into a pile of ash, I focused on his chest. Only my gaze inevitably slid down and ended up resting somewhere around his abs. Then a little lower. Which was ahugemistake, with a strong emphasis on the huge.
The thin cotton pants he wore hid nothing. He might be furious with me right now, but at least one part of him was semi-awake.
"I…I…" Ugh. Why did he always leave me tongue-tied like a stupid teenager with a crush?Oh wait. I was that girl.
"Let me guess. You figured you'd duck out before I woke up."
"Um…" Yes, that was the plan. Kind of.
