I don’t ask Hailey for more details about her past relationships. Frankly, they don’t matter one iota to me because after just one week of intimacy with this woman, I can tell you there’s no way in hell I’m ever letting her go.
Thoughts of fear and uncertainty went out the window by day three. She’s what I want for both meandSailor.
And I’ll take things at whatever pace she wants to go at, so long as I don’t have to ever give her up.
She thinks about what I said for a minute before a mischievous smile blooms across her face. Setting her plate down, she pushes up to her knees and faces me. “Oh, yeah?” shetaunts. “But what if I want to show you how a woman treats a man?”
Her hands move to my belt and she looks up at me from under her lashes, and I know in that moment I’m well and truly fucked.
There’s no way I’m not falling for her at a much faster rate than what’s probably acceptable, but apparently that saying rings true: when you know, you know.
Grabbing her backside in both hands, I yank her toward me, forcing her to collapse onto me, and we roll backward, my back hitting the blanket on top of the soft earth. Her hair floats down around us, her eyes burning with desire.
Before I pull her to me for a kiss, I state with certainty, “Then I guess we’ll both have a very happy life together, sweetheart.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
“So how was it?” Hartley asks over her steaming mug of coffee the second Declan shuts the door behind him as he leaves for work.
We got back from Fox Den Ranch early this morning, trying to beat the morning commuter traffic. Declan needed to get to the stadium before noon, anyway.
My eyes meet my sister’s from across the island. Leaning against it with my mug in my hands, all I can do is bite my lip. I know I’m blushing—as usual—I can feel the heat of it.
“Hailey Nicolette Shea. Tell meeverything.”
So I do. I tell her about the drive and the picnic. Watching the sunset while we lay in each other’s arms. Skinny dipping in the moonlight. Our skin covered in gooseflesh after we got out of the water. The body heat we utilized to warm up.
I spare no detail for my sister, and after I’m done, I definitely feel like I overshared.
With her jaw slackened, Hartley stares at me for a few minutes, wide-eyed. Then, she gives a frustrated sigh. “I need a new man.”
“Break up with Owen,” I volley immediately. I’m not a fan of the smug bastard who treats my sister like shit half the time.
“It’s not that simple,” she argues. I narrow my eyes, judging her because, as her sister, I’m allowed to.
I’m not sure what’s not simple about it, but I won't press further. Instead, I ask, “What time do you want me to drop you off at the airport?”
The thought of her going home so soon makes me sad, but I’m grateful that she took the time to make this quick trip happen. Declan doesn’t have many options when it comes to help with Sailor, so when he wanted to get a babysitter so we could go out, he was at a complete loss.
“Maybe in about an hour and a half?” She shrugs, then takes a sip of her coffee.
“Alright.” I set my mug down after chugging the rest of the lukewarm drink. “Let me get Sailor ready, then. It takes about an hour to get to the airport from here, so we should get on the road soon.”
“Okay,good girl, whatever you want.” Hartley leans her elbow on the counter and places her chin in the palm of her hand, batting her eyelashes at me.
I’ll regret telling her about discovering how much praise turns me on for the rest of my life.
Tossing a crumpled up paper towel across the island, I flip her the bird.
“Love you, sissy!” she calls out to me, laughing as I walk away.
Our airport goodbye is full of tears and several warm hugs, with promises of seeing each other soon. Hartley promise’s she’ll beback before turning to walk through the automatic doors that lead into the airport.
It hurts watching her go, and by the sad look on Sailor’s face, I know I’m not the only one who wants her to stay.
Seeing Hartley twice in the span of a week renewed a joy within me I’d been missing, but I desperately wish my sister would just move to Bridge Point.
As it is now, I don’t see myself moving down south again—certainly not at the rate things are progressing with me and Declan.
