“Hmm... which hurt, the breasts or you still inside me? Because I have to tell you that whichever one you’re talking about, I really did like it, and I love what you do to me.”
Shaking his head, he sighed and tried to pull out, but she clung tighter, and he sighed again as he looked down at her with obvious frustration. “Miranda, it’s not okay. Your breasts are one thing, but being inside you is something else.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. You smack my ass and you tease my nipples until they hurt. How is being inside me and it hurting any different?”
“For fuck’s sake, Miranda, I cannot believe you just said that. You were terrified that first night we made love. You thought you were frigid throughout a six-year marriage because the first time you had sex the bastard made you feel pain in your pussy. There is a huge fucking difference between a few slaps to your ass and making it so that you do not want my cock inside you after I have hurt you.”
Pulling him down with one hand, she stroked his tight lips with the thumb of her other hand. “Declan, that was in the past. You have made it so what happened that first time is a distant memory, a bad dream. My body knows it’s you every time and loves your touch. I can’t even believe that as often as we make love and you touch me throughout the day, when I sleep you are in my dreams, fucking me hard and then slow and then gentle and then out of control all over again. Please, don’t let that hold you back from making love to me the way we both need it.”
With a heavy sigh, he rolled to his side and pulled her into his arms and onto his chest. “All right, my sweet Miranda, I cannot deny you what you want. Tell me, my sweet, what you want, when you want it, and I will give it to you. Every time, no questioning you, my love.”
Miranda snuggled into him. She loved it when he held her on his chest and she could feel his heart under her ear. They were that way for a long time, and then his hand began to play in her hair and she remembered. With a kiss on his lips, she got on her knees and licked him clean of their juices. He hardened in her mouth, and with a devilish grin she stopped. A smack of her ass rang out through the room, and then another, and she took him back into her mouth. Hands went into her hair and held her while he fucked her mouth, until he came. A soft kiss on the tip and she moved back to lying on his chest.
“I can’t believe I didn’t know you have a gym down here. I hate working out, but I’d love to just watch you.”
“I’m pretty sure neither of us would last long if you did that. You have no need to work out. Your body is perfect just the way it is.
“I hate to tell you this, and it feels like it ruins the moment, but your brother is in jail and he’s likely to be there for a while. He robbed a jewelry store with a gun out in Vegas. He’s looking at ten to fifteen years.”
She froze at his words, and as she took it in, she could only shrug. “Is it bad that I’m not heartbroken? I can’t say I’m surprised, sad a little, maybe but I think a part of me always knew he would end up that way. How did you know?”
“I hear things. People know he owes me money. The same people know you’re his sister and that you’re with me.”
Miranda moved away from him then and began looking for her clothes. It was weird, the idea of people in his world as far away as Las Vegas knowing about them. Then again, it was silly for her to think that way. Several times during the weekends they had walked hand in hand along the streets of Chicago, and often been greeted by people who obviously knew and respected his position. Twice, they had eaten at one of the pubs he ran, and everyone there had eyed her curiously, while at the same time being extremely polite. She found her skirt, and was buttoning it back up when he stopped her.
“What’s the matter?” He had put his shorts back on.
She shook her head as she turned away and found her blouse. She didn’t know herself. “Nothing. So what’s for dinner tonight?”
Declan turned her around, his hand gentle but firm on her a
rm. He cupped her chin and brought her to face him. He growled low, from deep inside his chest. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
As she looked into his eyes, the answer was there, but she couldn’t tell him, and the pain of knowing that caused her to burst into tears. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m just more upset about Peter than I thought. It just kind of hit me.”
Gone was the command, pulling her into his arms, he ran a hand up and down her back. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I’ll get him a good lawyer. I can call around and find the best for him.”
“No! Declan, no more bailing him out. He screwed up and now he has to pay the price. Please don’t pay any attention to me. It’s almost that time of the month. I’m just hormonal.” Burying her face in his chest, she was unable to look him in the eye as she lied to him. She didn’t love him. She couldn’t love him, not this fast, not so much it felt like she would explode with it. This was lust. This was mind-blowing, never-felt-before lust that was making her feel this way.
Who wouldn’t imagine themselves in love with someone as gorgeous, kind, and generous as Declan? There was also the not-so-small fact he had been the first and only man who had ever made sex feel so good for her. She had to get control of herself. Eventually, he would grow tired of her and move on. When that time came, she would be free of all those fears that had kept her from men in her life, and just maybe she would move on. There would be another man who could make her feel like this. Miranda shuddered at the thought of another man touching her the way Declan did, and Declan felt it.
“Are you sure? I don’t want you to look back with regret.”
Nodding as she swallowed past the lump in her throat. “I’m sure.”
“Okay, it’s your call. Let’s share a shower and we can get changed and go out for dinner. What do you say?”
Wiping her eyes, she nodded. “That sounds good to me.”
Chapter Nine
Their walk along North Broadway was leisurely, and Miranda enjoyed the feel of her hand in his. A dress in the window caught her eye, and she thought she was quick to let her eyes go back to the street, but Declan saw her interest and pulled her into the small boutique after him.
“Declan, no. It’s beautiful but I can’t wear it.”
“What do you mean you can’t wear it? That’s just silly, sweetheart.”
A sales assistant was there to greet them, tiny and slender, with a short pixie cut and looking about eighteen. She reminded Miranda of Tinkerbell. “Hi, how can I help you today?”