When we’re alone, Declan bends down slightly, wrapping his strong arms around my waist. “Stay the night tonight.” He scatters kisses across my neck, and I loop my arms around his.
I shiver in his embrace, pins and needles covering me from my head to my toes. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“I can’t think of anything better except for maybe having a moment alone right now.” His nose brushes against mine.
“Mmm,” I hum. “That would be nice.”
Our mouths meld together, falling back into a rhythm that’s already becoming second nature, but within a few seconds, Sailor’s footsteps pad down the hallway. Declan groans loudly as we pull away.
“Daddy, I’m hungry,” she reminds him, rubbing her eyes as she comes into view. Poor girl is exhausted. She didn’t nap at all on the plane, and it’s been a long day.
“All right, princess, let’s get some dinner in you. Early bedtime tonight.” From over his shoulder, he winks at me, and that sweet feeling of anticipation trickles through my system.
As we walk into the kitchen, I hear the vibration of Declan’s phone again. This time, though, he doesn’t take it out of his pocket, and he simply squeezes the side of it through his pants, effectively silencing it.
With a fleeting look, he shrugs. “Addison.”
Was she who called earlier, too? She’s Sailor's mother. Of course she’s going to reach out periodically. I know that.
But still, there’s a worry I can’t explain that takes root in the back of my mind, and dread forms a knot in my stomach that I promptly try to ignore.
Dinner is a delicious medley of roasted vegetables, paired with rosemary and parmesan chicken that he obviously wentthrough a lot of trouble to make. There’s a comfortable silence at the table when we all devour our food, the flavors exploding on my tongue with every bite. I moan appreciatively—everything this man cooks is divine.
Beneath the table, Declan puts his hand on my thigh and squeezes tightly. He leans into me, and whispers, “Stop teasing me with your moans, sweetheart. I’m glad you like my cooking, but the only whimpers I want to hear from you are when my tongue is deep in your?—”
“Daddy, I’m all done!” Sailor interrupts, shoving her plate away.
“Dammit,” Declan mutters beneath his breath.
Sailor hops out of her chair. “I go play now?”
Laughing, I turn to the girl who just interrupted what could have been some intense blushing on my part.
“Alright, you can be excused,” Declan tells her, and she runs off toward her playroom again.
He groans deeply again. “Is it bedtime yet?”
“You’re the boss,” I lift my shoulders in a playful way, “you tell me when to put her to sleep.”
“The sooner the better.” He glances at the clock on the stove. “I guess it’s still kind of early.
I scoop the last bite of food into my mouth, chewing it quickly. When I’m finished, I drop my napkin next to the plate. “I’ll go give her a bath. Leave the dishes in the sink, I’ll do them when I finish with Sailor.”
“No way. You don’t have to do both.”
“It’s fine! You cooked. I don’t mind.”
“Hailey.” His voice is firm. “You’re not a housekeeper, you’re my…” he stops, hesitating.I’m your what, Declan?“I got the dishes, thank you for bathing Sailor.”
My hand cups his cheek as I lean down to kiss him, wordlessly. When I walk away, he grabs my wrist and quicklypulls me backward. I land on his lap, and he buries his hand in my hair and kisses me harder.
Breathless, my lips feel swollen when he finally lets me go, and as I walk out of the room, I give a quick glance at the clock again.
One more hour until Sailor goes to bed and Declan and I can finally be alone.
“She’s out,” Declan lets me know as he joins me on the couch after tucking Sailor in for the night. It’s been about thirty minutes since he went to her room, which tells me he was suckered into reading a few books before bed. He stifles a yawn and leans his head against the back of the couch, rolling it to face me.
“Declan, I’ve been thinking…” My thoughts trail off, stomach lurching as I swallow down the words I don’t want to say.
