It’s another late Friday night spent at the Lane house, but honestly, I don’t mind. I knew exactly what I was getting into when I took the job, and I’d rather be here than in my outdated condo alone. Their house has become familiar to me in a way I never imagined it would.
My fingers know exactly where each and every light switch is without thought. My belongings, such as my purse, and my shoes, have designated spots. I find myself positioning my shoes next to Declan’s in the entryway. It’s both terrifying and comforting to say their house has become my home away from home.
Now, Sailor’s fast asleep, and I went into a bit of a cleaning frenzy earlier, after turning in the last of my weekly coursework and discussions.
“Hey,” Declan greets when he makes it inside, quietly shutting the door behind him. The glow from the paused movieilluminates his features as he gives it a glance, no doubt trying to see what I’m watching.
A shiver runs through me from the timbre of his voice, and I’m captivated for a moment before I remind myself to speak, not just stare. “Hey. How was your day?”
Without turning the lights on, he drops his bag, and in a few strides, sinks onto the plush cushion beside me. He stretches his legs out in front of him, and wastes no time scooping up a handful of popcorn. The move feels so intimate, like we’re a couple who’s been together for years.
“Long. Sailor good today?” he asks before popping some of the salty snack into his mouth.
Pinching the soft fleece of the blanket, I roll it around between my fingers, avoiding Declan’s gaze. “She’s always good.”
The way my heart is beating, I fear it might actually explode. I don’t need to look up to feel his eyes on me. And I don’t need his hands on me to remember the searing heat of his touch.
It’s borderline pathetic how much I’ve thought about him since that encounter in the kitchen a couple days ago.
But I can’t help it. I want to feel him again. I want more of his hands on me, caressing my skin in a way that makes me tremble. I want to feel himeverywhere.
With Declan's eyes trained on me, his voice vibrates with intensity when he says, “Because she loves you.”
My skin pebbles with goosebumps. There’s something in his tone that makes me wonder if… No, maybe I just want there to be.
“I’m very lucky my landlord connected us. I love watching Sailor.”
And I mean that with my entire heart. That little girl has me wrapped around her finger.
With the same deep timbre that drew me and sent a shiver through me a second ago, Declan says, “You both deserve the world.”
Butterflies explode in my stomach. I’m at a loss for words that I’m willing to speak aloud. My eyes drop to his lips and I find myself wanting to toss the popcorn bowl to the ground and crawl into his lap. I can’t help but wonder if he’d let me.
It’s hard to know.
Declan glances at the TV again, pulling me from my errant thoughts. “I’m going to go shower. Feel free to hang out until your movie’s done.”
With a simple sentence it feels like he just took a Sharpie to reinforce that hypothetical line.
Time for me to leave.“Oh that’s okay!” I say as nonchalantly as possible, trying to keep my emotions out of my already shaky voice. Declan pushes to his feet, and I move the popcorn bowl while unfolding my legs from the pretzel they’re in. “I just started it. No big deal.”
My heart beats erratically with the need to flee even though he literallyjusttold me to stay because if he wanted me here, wouldn’t he stay and watch it with me?
As I lift my blanket, Declan puts his hand over mine, stopping it midway. His touch freezes me, and the look in his deep brown eyes is gentle as he says, “Stay. Watch your movie. I’ll be right back.”
A light squeeze on my hand has me sucking in a sharp breath before he releases it and reaches for the remote. With the click of a button, he brings the movie back to life and tosses it onto the spot he occupied on the couch.
Then, without another look in my direction, he heads toward the stairs.
The air whooshes out of me the moment he’s out of view. Trembling, I try to focus on the actors on the screen, but for thenext twenty minutes the only thing I can think of is the man upstairs, naked in the shower.
His words.
Those looks he gives.
His touch.
It feels like something is shifting between us, and I’m more confused than ever. Surely, this is all in my head. I’ve seen a picture of Sailor's mom. I’mnothinglike her.
