Wholehearted (28 page)

“Declan! Are you doing anything now? Would you mind coming over? We’ve tried everything and she just won’t stop screaming.”

“Uh… Sure.” Declan hesitated. “Lucas is with me.”

“Oh,
oh
,” Mack said, understanding dawning on him. “Okay, then. I’m sure we’ll figure something out. Have a good night and say hello to Lucas for me.”

“Will do, boss. Good luck!”

“Thanks, I’m gonna need it.” And with that, all Declan heard was silence.

“What was that all about?” Lucas asked once Declan had tucked his phone back away.

“Mack and Oliver adopted a baby girl. Possibly the loudest baby girl on the planet, but she’s a cute little thing.”

“Wow, really? That’s so great. They wanted you to go over there?”

“Yeah, they’re having some trouble getting her to settle down. I guess I have more experience with kids than they do. I babysat a lot for my sister when Dylan was a baby and I picked up a few tricks.”

“Well, let’s go see them, then,” Lucas said, as if any other option would be completely insane.

“But….” Declan stammered, needing to feel Lucas naked and happy in his arms, and Lucas wanted to go change diapers?

Lucas chuckled. “I’m kidding. But I do wanna meet the baby. Tomorrow?”

“Yeah, tomorrow,” Declan agreed.

They were finally home, Lucas back where he belonged. As much as Declan wanted to get Lucas into the house, the car ride home had been nice. They had held hands, content with the simple contact.

They went inside, the house looking the same as it had the last time Declan had been there, but it felt different somehow. They weren’t even through the foyer yet, and it already felt fuller, more vibrant. Lucas did that. He transformed the house from a box with a roof into a sanctuary of domesticity where they could live happily ever after. They would too, live happily ever after. Declan would make sure of that.

He wasn’t going to let anything come between them again.

Declan closed the door behind them, sealing them away together. They needed that time to reconnect, to relearn each other all over. Declan looked forward to it.

He pulled Lucas into his arms and kissed him soundly on the mouth. Lucas instinctively opened for him, sliding his tongue along Declan’s. They walked back to their bedroom without breaking their kiss.

After falling into bed together, they took their time removing clothing and relearning each other’s bodies. Declan hadn’t forgotten a single thing about how Lucas looked and how he responded to each touch, but it didn’t hurt to be reminded.

He kissed along his jaw, loving the rasp of stubble against his lips. He continued down, pressing his lips against the steady pulse at the side of Lucas’s neck. Lucas moaned softly and leaned into Declan, sifting his fingers through Declan’s hair and along his shoulders.

Declan continued down, finding Lucas’s nipple, licking softly at it and sucking gently until Lucas was squirming beneath him before switching to lavish the same attention to the other side.

Lucas slid his hands around Declan’s arms and pulled him back up to meet his mouth, bringing the hard lines of their erections together where their hips met. The slide of skin felt wonderful. They rocked together, just enjoying the feeling of each other. Declan thought he could stay like this forever, just touching and kissing and enjoying the man beneath him.

Lucas wiggled, shifting to lean over the side of the bed. Declan took the opportunity to lay kisses along the scar that had formed where the knife had gone in. He’d almost lost this man, not once, but twice. His hands tightened around Lucas as he held on. Then Lucas rolled to face him again, pressing a foil packet and a small bottle into his palm.

Declan looked down at Lucas, the question “Are you sure?” asked silently with one look.

Lucas nodded. “Need to feel you, Declan. Need you inside me. Show me….”

Declan kissed him, tilting up enough to tear open the foil packet, roll the condom down and slick himself up. He poured more lube onto his fingers, pressing one against Lucas’s entrance. He massaged gently, coaxing the tight ring of muscle to relax before gently pressing one finger inside.

Lucas hissed softly against the breach, but before long was canting his hips gently against Declan’s hand. Declan added another finger, stretching Lucas out, determined not to hurt him. The urgency that had abandoned them all day was now back. Declan wanted inside Lucas’s body, to claim him and drive him over the edge with pleasure.

He slowed himself down, reminding himself that they had all the time in the world for this. He crooked his fingers forward, finding the tiny bundle of nerves deep inside Lucas that made his eyes squeeze shut and his thighs shake.

“Now, Declan. Please,” he begged, his hands clutching at Declan’s shoulders.

Declan fastened his mouth over Lucas’s, swallowing his cries as he positioned himself and pressed steadily in. Wet heat surrounded him, pulling him deeper inside Lucas’s body.

This wasn’t the first time he and Lucas had made love, but it felt a little like a first: a new beginning. He set a slow pace, tilting his hips and changing the angle.

“Oh God, Declan… right… right there. Oh God, please, do that again.”

Declan withdrew, pushing back in painfully slowly, wanting to draw out Lucas’s pleasure and drive him absolutely insane with it.

“Declan, please… some… ugh… so much… please.”

Lucas was losing his capacity for language and Declan was not far behind him. He shifted, trapping Lucas’s leaking erection between them. Sweat and precome gathered, slicking the way for Lucas to come closer and closer to tipping over the edge.

Declan’s steady rhythm became choppy, his concentration lost to the ebb and flow of sensations pouring over him. He tried to hold off, to make it last, but then it didn’t matter. Lucas cried out his name and arched against him, heat spreading between them. The feeling of Lucas’s orgasm shoved Declan right over the edge after him, and he came, rush after rush deep inside Lucas.

Declan collapsed on him, kissing the saltiness of Lucas’s skin as they panted together, breathing in and out in opposing rhythm. Declan carefully pulled out of Lucas and discarded the spent condom before he rolled back and pulled Lucas against him. Lucas tilted his head, finding Declan’s mouth, kissing him as they came down together, settling in against each other.

A
LOUD
ringing woke Declan from a dead sleep. It had been the first time in almost a month he had slept peacefully. He shifted, feeling the warmth of Lucas’s skin against his as he searched blindly for the phone.

“Hello?” he croaked, his voice rough from sleep.

“Good morning, Declan,” a cheerful female voice cooed.

Declan searched the back of his mind for where he knew that voice from, but his brain was cloudy and addled from multiple orgasms and doping comfort.

“It’s April Reese,” she said, her tone shortening as she lost patience. “I’m calling to let you know that the defense has changed their plea on Mr. Matvey in light of the DNA evidence that they found on the Orion. He has chosen to plead guilty on all charges in exchange for a downgrade of those charges from hate crime to aggravated assault. He’ll get the maximum sentence of ten years in prison as well as a hefty fine. The others will have restraining orders placed against them prohibiting them from coming within one hundred yards of Mr. Hale. All seven men will be responsible for damages to be paid to Mr. Hale. We are working out the final details, but I wanted to give you an update on where things were going.”

Declan was lost for words yet again. On the one hand, he was elated that Matvey was owning up to what he had done, and that he would pay for the pain he had inflicted upon Lucas. On the other, ten years and a fine didn’t seem adequate compensation for what Matvey had put Lucas through.

“Thank you, Ms. Reese.”

“You’re welcome, Declan. Oh, and can you please let Lucas know as well? It’ll save me an extra phone call,” she said, laughter in her voice, as if she knew Lucas was sleeping peacefully next to him.

Declan hung up the phone and placed it back on the bedside table. Lucas let out an annoyed groan and burrowed into Declan’s side. “That was the lawyer?” Lucas asked, the blankets he’d pulled over his head muffling his words.

“Yeah,” Declan said, pushing the covers back and pulling Lucas up to meet his eyes. “She was calling to tell me that Victor changed his plea. He’s going away for ten years. It’s over.”

Lucas’s eyes widened, his eyebrows elevating in surprise. “Really?”

“Yeah, Luc. It’s done. Everything is going to be okay. You don’t have to worry about him, or anyone else hurting you, ever again. I swear it.” He stroked Lucas’s hair and kissed him gently on the lips.

“I know,” Lucas said. “I love you, Declan.”

“I love you, too.” Declan kissed him again, pouring all the love he possessed into that kiss, showing Lucas how much he meant it.

Dough Ingredients:

• 1/4 ounce package yeast
  
• 1/2 cup warm water
  
• 1/2 cup scalded milk
  
• 1/4 cup sugar
  
• 1/3 cup butter or shortening
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 egg
  
• 3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
  

Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:

• 4 ounces cream cheese
  
• 3/4 stick of butter
  
• 1 cup powdered sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• 1 tablespoon bourbon or to taste
  

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water, and set aside. In a large bowl, mix together the milk, sugar, melted butter, salt, and egg. Add 2 cups of flour, and mix until smooth. Add the yeast mixture. Mix in the remaining flour until the dough is easy to handle. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for 5 to 10 minutes. Place in well-greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size, usually 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
   
2. Once doubled in size, punch down the dough. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface (roughly 15 x 9 inch rectangle). Spread melted butter all over the dough. Mix the sugar and cinnamon, and then sprinkle over the buttered dough. Sprinkle with walnuts, pecans, or raisins (optional). Starting at the longer side, roll the dough and pinch the edge together to seal the edges. Cut into 12 to 15 slices
   
3. Coat the bottom of a baking pan with butter, and sprinkle with sugar. Place the cinnamon roll slices close together in the pan, and let them rise until dough has doubled (about 45 minutes).
   
4. Bake at 350
   o
   F for about 30 minutes, or until nicely browned.
   
5. For the frosting, allow butter and cream cheese to come to room temperature. Then beat all ingredients together until smooth.
   
6. Spread over top of the cinnamon rolls, and enjoy!
   

C
ATE
A
SHWOOD
wrote her very first story in a hot pink binder when she was in the second grade and found her passion for writing. Her first successful foray into romance writing came five years later when she wrote her best friend, who was experiencing a case of unrequited love, her own happily ever after.

Cate’s life has taken a number of different and adventurous roads. She now lives a stone’s throw from the ocean, just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia with her husband and two cats. Her life is filled with family and friends, travel, and, of course, books.

Cate loves to hear from readers. You can find her at:

Website: http://www.cateashwood.com
Blog: http://cateashwood.blogspot.ca/
E-mail: [email protected]
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