I brush the soft petals along my lips, close my eyes, and picture my dad. My purity. My salvation. My prince. I wonder if my father sent Declan to me. If this is his gift to me. The good after all the bad. Declan used to scare me. He used to remind me of Carl with his forceful nature, his leather belts, and his affinity for tying me up. But when I started to see beyond that to the core of who he is, he reminds me of my dad. Because I can now look at Declan and see that, he too, is my purity, my salvation, my prince. Even down to the creases in the corners of his eyes when he smiles and the stubble along his face. My dad used to sing to me, and now I have Declan who hums gently into my ear when I’m scared or sad. The ways he soothes me is reminiscent of the things my father used to do.
I try not to think about having to go back to sharing a bed with Bennett. This whole thing with Declan, and the knowing that I can never truly have him, is just another reason to hate Bennett even more.
Needing to move and distract myself. I gather all the flowers and take them to the kitchen. Grabbing a stack of white bowls from the cabinet, I fill them with water and place the blooms down in them to float aimlessly and scatter the bowls throughout the loft.
Their scent envelops every room by the time I have taken a shower and gotten cleaned up and dressed for the day. I decide to go ahead and call Bennett since it’s after five o’clock there and he should be heading back to his hotel with Baldwin. Our call is the typical, and after we talk for almost an hour, we hang up.
Things are going to get tricky for a while because Bennett informs me that his schedule is about to free up on his travel, meaning he’s going to be home on a more steady basis. The thought of having to leave Declan’s bed to spend the nights with Bennett is depressing. I didn’t know I needed the comfort as much as I do, and Declan gives it to me perfectly and in a way that Pike could never completely fill for me.
Not wanting to dwell on having to leave tomorrow, I busy myself and decide to surprise Declan by attempting to cook for him. I go to the office and start surfing the internet for an easy, burn-proof recipe. His scent is encased within his leather chair, and I can’t fight the sadness that finds my heart as I sit at his desk, in his office, surrounded by everything Declan. I find a pasta dish that seems like something I can manage and quickly print it off so that I can get out of here because I desperately need some fresh air.
I bundle up and make my way to the market. Needing the assistance of one of the workers to find a few of the ingredients, I check my list, and when everything I need is in my basket, I make my purchases and head out.
“Surprised to see you on this side of town,” I hear a familiar voice call out, and when I close the trunk, I’m greeted by Richard’s snide smile. My heart jumps, and being caught off guard ignites a fire up my neck. Thank God for winter and concealing scarves.
I quickly collect myself, going into my well-crafted act, saying, “Richard. I could say the same about you. What brings you to River North, or, better yet, a grocery store of all places?” turning the question around on him.
“My attorney’s office is here. Had a meeting I just got out of and needed to pick up some formula for the baby.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be in Dubai with Bennett?”
“Had to come back early,” he snips before going back to his original question, “What are you doing here?”
“I’ve been cooped up for far too many days and needed a drive, so I thought I’d spend a few hours roaming some of the galleries,” I tell him, figuring it was a good enough lie considering River North is known for its trendy array of art galleries.
“And yet here you are, buying groceries,” he snarks. “Finally figuring out what it means to be a housewife?”
God, he’s such a womanizing dick.
“As if any of my doings are your business, but since you seem so concerned with my takings on of wifely duties, yes, I thought I’d try my hand at cooking since I’m growing tired of Clara’s freezer meals.”
“Hmph,” he remarks, eyeing me suspiciously.
His doubting look pisses me off, and when I move to walk around him and open up the car door, I ask, “Is there anything else you’d like to question me about?”
“Jacqueline said she’s stopped by your building a couple times since Bennett’s been gone. Said you haven’t been around much.”
“Tell Jacqueline that I have a life and things to do, and if she’d like to schedule time together, then she best call or text me instead of making random drop-ins only to find that I have other obligations that call me away from home,” I snap, trying to cover for my lack of presence on my side of town.
He nods with a look of spite before commenting, “I’ll be sure to relay your friendly message.”
“You do that, Richard.”
Getting into the car and closing the door, my heart pounds with anxiety, wondering what the fuck Richard is really doing on this side of town, because I already know that we share the same attorney, and he isn’t located in River North.
I drive back towards Declan’s loft, all the while looking in my rearview mirror to make sure Richard hasn’t followed me. When I’m sure that no one is watching, I turn into the parking garage and park in one of Declan’s assigned spots. Turning the car off, I lean my head back, pissed at myself for being so careless. But that quickly morphs into being pissed that I have to be so guarded. That I’ve created such elaborate lies that they can’t simply be washed away. I’m in way too deep for any possibility of that.
I think about Pike and everything he’s sacrificed for me. Everything he’s given up for the past few years while I work this con. And as I sit here and start to doubt what we’re doing, the guilt of what that would do to Pike surfaces. I can’t pull out of this that easily anyway. I’m married. If I walked away—disappeared—Bennett would come looking for me. He loves me too much and it would devastate him to lose me. But it’s not Bennett that I care about—it’s Declan. And how do I find my way out of this without revealing all of my wicked deceit to him. No one would be able to look past it or forgive me for what I have already done. The only option I see right now is to keep doing what I’m doing and cherish every last second I have with him before Pike and I flee.
I GIVE THE sauce a quick stir after Declan calls to let me know he’s on his way. So far, I’ve managed not to set the smoke alarm off in my quest to cook dinner. I walk over to the wine cage and select a nice white to go with dinner and place it in the fridge to chill.
When Declan arrives a while later, I laugh at the shocked expression on his face as he enters the loft and sees me in the kitchen.
“What are you up to?” he says inquisitively.
“What does it look like?”
“Well, you should be naked and on your knees, but instead, you’re cooking. Which I hope you’ve alerted the fire department to be on standby,” he chuckles as he rounds the bar, moving close to give me a hug.
I swat his arm, saying, “I’ll have you know that I’ve yet to burn anything.”
“Is that so?” he mocks as he grabs my wrist and yanks me with force against his chest, giving me a sexy smirk.
“Yes. That’s so.”
His mouth instantly finds my neck, licking its way up to my ear where he gently nibbles on the lobe, causing a rush of goosebumps along my arms. I shiver in his hold, and he growls in pride at my body’s response to him. I sling my arms around his broad shoulders when he reaches behind my thighs and lifts me up, setting me on top of the counter. With my legs wrapped around him, I feel his cock harden against me as he stands between my legs.
“Just know, next time I say I want you on your knees, you better be on your knees. I won’t punish you for your disobedience though, because I love that you cooked for me,” he says after kissing me thoroughly.