“Relax. I’ll go, and I think if by kids you mean hormonal young adults, then yes, I know my instructions.” I salute her then leave, heading straight inside.
I need air. Which makes no sense, as I’ve been outside by the lake for a good hour, but I need air free from Declan and the worddating.
I don’t want confirmation that this guy has no plans to ever settle down, and I sure as hell don’t need to hear about his dating history. Nor do I want to talk about my current lack of love life with him in attendance.
When I arrive in the kitchen, I blow out a breath and take a moment, pausing with my hand on the handle of the freezer. I remind myself that I knew what I signed up for on that night with Declan; it’s like a freaking mantra in my head every time he enters my brain, which is a lot.
It was only one night.
Opening the freezer, I grab the boxes of ice cream sandwiches, and I have to smile to myself. This house is, literally, hangout central, and I don’t even want to know what Connor is going to try when his parents are away for their babymoon.
I set the boxes on the counter, then go back to grab another that was stuck in the back of the freezer. Closing the freezer door, I jump when I find Declan leaning against the counter with arms crossed.
“Came to give you a hand,” he states with a sly smirk.
Rolling my eyes, I stack the boxes. “No, you didn’t. You probably excused yourself to use the little men’s room with no intention to do that, and instead, you came to find me. Alone, for that matter.”
“One, ‘little’ and me don’t go in the same sentence, you know that. Two, you’re right.”
My hip dips out, and I lean against the adjacent counter while our eyes meet to linger for a few good seconds. We both have wry smiles on our faces as we stew in the fact that we did something so very intimate, because no-strings or not, history is something we now have.
“What do you want, Declan?” I sigh, with my half-stretched smile not fading, and I glance out the floor-to-ceiling windows to confirm that nobody is taking notice that we’re inside.
“Did you keep the card?”
I shrug my shoulders. “It wasn’t recycling day.”
“Meet me every day this week at my hotel room.”
My eyes shoot in his direction to find that he is dead serious.
“W-what?” I stutter.
He steps slowly once, twice, I lose count, but his hands land on either side of me to trap me between the counter and his body, causing a tingle to spread through my veins.
“We can repeat last time, enjoy the connection we have, have a little fun.” His voice is low, and feeling his breath so close makes me weak in the knees.
“Ah, so this is your crazy suggestion that I should agree to?”
He threads his fingers into my hair by my ear. “A card with flowers is an extra touch, right?”
I laugh under my breath at how unbelievable he is, but at least he has me smiling. “I’ve never sent a guy flowers as a thank-you for sex. Not from me directly. I’m sure a few of my customers had me doing that. Normally, it’s the guy sending flowers, though.” I raise a brow at him.
“We don’t do conventional.” He smirks.
“No. You just proposition me inside my brother’s house, which is a bold move. He may kill you one day if he ever finds out. Speaking of which, there are like baby monitors everywhere in this place,” I whisper loudly in absolute amazement at his bravery.
Declan’s fingers tap my hips as his eyes dip low to watch. “Living dangerously doesn’t scare me.”
“Clearly.”
“What do you say, Vi? Tomorrow is Sunday, I know you’re off. The sign on your door told me.”
Geez, he’s been thinking about this all afternoon.
My mouth opens, but I’m mute.
“I’m sure you have lunch breaks where you need a little more excitement than catching up on the gossip at the general store,” he adds. “Or are you hoping for the sheriff to sweep you off your feet?”
