Page 37 of Temporarily in Love

“I better get going,” Declan said. “Avery gets mad when anyone’s late. The only time I get out of it is if I’m working. She’s already texted me three times that I need to be at dinner tonight.”

I smiled. I had liked Avery already, but even more now. She probably saw that Declan and Nolan were workaholics and wanted them to have family time. I admired that about her.

“I better go too. I’m staying with my parents while I’m in town. I have a lot of work to do to find a new website designer.”

“Oh. I can do it,” Declan offered.

“No, Dec. You’ve already done the first site.”

He rolled his eyes. “Which I did in high school. I made the brewery’s site. I can fix it and give you full control.”

“Really?”

He nodded.

“I’ll pay you,” I said firmly.

He shook his head. “Nope.”

“Dec, let me give you money. It’s going to be a full revamp.”

He sighed.

“Oh my God!” my sister cut in. “Stop talking about work and invite her to dinner already!”

Declan grimaced.

Brian laughed. “Get out of here, you two kids.”

I rolled my eyes, but we took our pumpkins and walked out of their kitchen.

“Use protection!” Kelsey yelled from the kitchen.

Heat colored my face at her implication, but Declan chuckled beside me as we walked outside to our cars. Then I remembered my car was still at my parents’, because Kelsey was going to drive me back after we got home from pumpkin picking. I didn’t want to walk over there carrying this pumpkin. It wasn’t a long walk, like ten minutes maybe, but carrying something heavy would be a pain in the butt.

Declan put his pumpkin in his car and ran a hand through his hair nervously. “Listen, I—”

“Can you drive me home?”

“Oh, sure,” he said, but he frowned and looked disappointed.

“What’s wrong?” I asked as I put my pumpkin in the backseat with his and got into the passenger seat.

He went around to the driver’s side and started the engine. “Do you want to come for dinner?”

“I don’t want to impose.”

I was pretty sure Nolan hated my guts, so I didn’t want to sit across from him while he glared at me throughout dinner. He told me to stay away from his brother, so he’d probably be pissed if I showed up at his house.

“Avery makes a ton of food, and I want you to come.”

“Okay.”

He turned to me and gripped my jaw in his big hand. “Then I’m gonna take you home and tie you up again.”

I gulped and felt heat pool low in my belly. This Declan was so different from the shy boy I fell in love with at sixteen. Before I could say anything, he slanted his mouth on mine. I melted into his kiss and let him angle my head to get better leverage as he kissed me roughly. He kissed me like a man starved, like kissing me was his way to salvation. I slid my hands behind his neck and let him slip his tongue into my mouth. I let him overtake me in the best way possible.

I was panting and out of breath by the time he pulled away. His glasses were askew, but he fixed them quickly and adjusted himself in his jeans before he pulled his car out of his parking spot.