Without Doubt (10 page)

“
It actually makes you
look like you can’t get enough of your boyfriend. Besides, I can’t
really agree with the whole ‘been together for three hours’ thing.
Technically, we’ve been dating for months.
You’ve
just been in denial,” I say
just as I pull away from her delectable mouth. I know instantly
she’s going to get fiery about me referring to her being in denial.
I’m not going to lie—it excites me.

“
I wouldn’t say I’ve been
in denial…exactly. I told you from the beginning that I was
attracted to you and that you affected me. I just, I don’t know how
to do this, Declan. I don’t know how to have a mature relationship
with someone I care about deeply and I’m sort of terrified I’m
going to screw it up. There are so many ways I can screw this up.
We both saw my reaction to Rachel and that thing happens all the
time with you. You have girls wanting to have your babies every
single day. It sucks.” She looks down and her hair falls into her
face. She pushes it behind her ears and peeks up at me. “I’m out of
my element here, Dec.”

“
Wanting to have my
babies? Really? You aren’t going to screw anything up. I’m new to
this whole thing too, so we’re going to figure it out together, all
right? You’re staying here tonight, though; I don’t want you
driving this late after you’ve already fallen asleep once.” There’s
no way she can argue that and it doesn’t look like she even wants
to. “Hang on a sec, I’ll be right back,” I whisper across her lips
after she nods her head and her hot as hell blonde waves fall back
down into her face before I scoot her off of me and onto the
chair.

Even though I was madder than hell when all
that shit went down last week, I couldn’t forget that it was her
birthday. I knew at some point we would talk again and I wanted to
get her something. Something that would make her think of me every
day even if she chose Jackson (who I thought at the time was
competition) or if she continued to hide parts of her life from me,
which I was determined to uncover eventually. While I was in New
York, I picked up a Pandora charm bracelet. The sales lady said,
“Look, this bracelet here isn’t that expensive; it’s cheap really.
It’s sterling silver and it has this lovely Pandora snap clasp on
it and it’s less than one hundred dollars,” and I was thinking,
“Sold! That’s easy enough, wrap it up lady.” I know Ava, and she
would throw a fit I bought her anything extravagant. The eager
saleslady seemed really excited about it. I had told her I wanted
something meaningful, but I didn’t know how she would know this
bracelet would do the trick, and by the time we reached the end of
the showcase and she laid the bracelet out on the black velvet pad,
I was really confused. It was a silver rope with a couple knot
looking things on it. First of all, why the hell is this thing
going to cost me a hundred bucks, and second, why the hell is she
so excited about it? After I stared at it for about thirty seconds
and undoubtedly didn’t give her the reaction she was hoping for,
she starting pulling out trays of these colorful ball things. I
looked to her and shook my head like “nope, still not registering.”
After that, she starting asking personal questions about Ava.
That’s when it all went downhill—everything clicked and I caught
the bug. I got really fuckin’ excited about this damn bracelet,
which by the way, cost no where near “less than one hundred
dollars”—that was just for the plain rope thing all the balls go
on.

I grab the long, black velvet box with the
red bow on it from the family room and sit back down with a very
sleepy Ava. She cuddles up next to me again and without saying
anything, I just slip the gift onto her lap. Her head slowly turns
up to face me with her brows furrowed in honest confusion. She has
no idea why I would be giving her a gift right now. Just one more
thing to admire about my girl.

“
Happy Birthday,
Sunshine,” I whisper to her just before her sweet lips press to
mine.

Ava

I wake up instantly knowing where I am. I
have no disorientation, no confusion. I know I’m in Declan’s bed
and that I don’t think I have ever slept so well. I was a bit
nervous to go to bed with him after our heated moment in his
bathroom last night, but it wasn’t awkward at all. I can always
count on Declan for being straightforward.

After I called Marla to check in with her
and Harper, Declan and I went upstairs to get ready for bed. He
gave me some of his clothes to change into while he took a shower.
I was already in bed dozing off, trying to keep my heavy-lidded
eyes on my newest addition dangling from my wrist when he crawled
in next to me and pulled me over to snuggle up next to him. There
was no discussion about having sex, although I really wanted to. I
knew I wasn’t ready to go there yet, despite me practically
attacking him earlier. Let’s jut call that a lapse in judgment
driven by extreme desire for a man who has been so close for so
long yet still so far away. Apparently he knew that too.

Declan’s not in bed with me and I don’t know
where he went so early, but I take the time to let everything sink
in.

I’m in Declan James’ bed…I have a boyfriend,
who is Declan James…I am stupid happy right now! I finish that
thought, kicking my feet and punching my hands into the mattress
like a little girl who was just told she was going to Disneyland.
Not my finest moment, but that’s okay with me. I rarely get to let
loose and be 23 or…three, in this particular case.

I pull all of my excitement and happiness
back to a controlled level and hop out of bed. After brushing my
teeth and hair, I head downstairs in Declan’s pajamas. I smell
freshly brewed coffee and go straight to the kitchen.

Inside the immaculate kitchen, which is
approximately the size of my entire apartment, I find Greyden.
Greyden is beautiful and has such a mystery about him. I’ve come to
realize he’s a great friend to Dec. He’s very responsible, works
really hard, something to do with finance, believe it or not,
doesn’t have a girlfriend, and doesn’t want one. I see him with a
lot of girls, Allison is the one who comes around the most when
they come to the bar, but it doesn’t matter which girl is on his
arm or in his lap that night, he’s always very respectful to them.
Well, okay, as much as one can be to girls that give themselves in
such a way I guess.

“
Good Morning!” I announce
as I sit down at the breakfast bar. I must have been quiet since he
snaps around at the sound of my voice.

“
Hey! How’d you sleep?” he
asks sincerely before a frown overtakes his perfect features.
“Never mind, don’t answer that.” Greyden quickly turns back around
to start the blender.

I laugh wholeheartedly as he shakes his
head. I could have answered easily enough without the sexual
innuendo he obviously expected.

“
Coffee?” he shouts over
the noise.

“
Please. Where’s Dec?” I
feel so much better after he showed no antipathy towards me like I
feared he would.

“
He’s out on a run. He met
with Bailey early this morning before she drove out to her dad’s in
Gilroy, so he shouldn’t be too much longer,” he answers as he
slides a cup of coffee over to me.

Silence descends as I drink my coffee and he
drinks his smoothie and works on his laptop. He wears glasses, the
thick rimmed rectangle kind that one would consider nerdy, but they
don’t look anywhere close to nerdy on Greyden. On Greyden, I am
convinced everyone, even straight men, would consider them
extremely sexy.

“
Your glasses suit you.
You should wear them more often,” I say to him as I watch him
working diligently.

“
And lose my badassery?
Nah, I’m good.” A small smirk plays at the corner of his
mouth.

“
You never know, it may
actually attract a girl worth your time and not some gold-digging
bimbo.”

Greyden lets out a booming laugh and shakes
his head. “Ava, it may do you some good to actually think before
you speak!” He’s still laughing as he wraps his arm around my
shoulders and messes up my hair.

“
And lose my smartassery?
Nah, I’m good,” I tell him as seriously as possible, giving him an
exaggerated wink.

Just then, a very sweaty, very sexy Declan
comes strutting into the kitchen and I can’t help having thoughts
of wrapping my body around his. He’s shirtless and wearing a smile
that just melts my heart. He said he would get to me and he didn’t
lie. He got to me and now I can’t seem to get enough.

Declan comes up to me on the opposite side
of Greyden and gently pulls my chair away from his friend.
Greyden’s arm falls down and he gives Dec a surprised sort of look.
I turn my head back around to my guy, who smiles and kisses me
possessively.

“
Good morning, Sunshine.”
He kisses my lips one more time before spinning around to pour his
smoothie.

“
Hey! Did you find a
jealous streak while you were out on your run, you ass?” Greyden
asks in a confused yet amused tone. He’s glaring at Dec’s muscular
back, although I’m sure he’s not at all acknowledging his muscles
the way I am at the moment.

“
Nope. What was so funny?”
Dec isn’t fazed at all by Greyden’s comment.

“
Greyden
thinks—”

And I’m cut off by Greyden once again
laughing and trying to tell his side. “Dude, your girl just spits
shit out of her mouth!” he explains around the cup that’s resting
at his lips.

“
Hey!” I cry, sort of
shocked that he’s talking about me as if I’m not even
here.

“
I know. It’s sexy,
right?” Leave it to Declan to turn this conversation right on
around, making me come out on top again.

Greyden shakes his head and laughs lightly;
he’s obviously used to Declan’s antics concerning me by now.

“
So, I got a phone call
this morning. And Sunshine,” he says in a fairly stern voice,
“I
need
a yes
from you.”

I have no idea what he’s talking about. As
much as I would love to be able to just say yes, I know that some
of the things this man asks of me are simply impossible. “I would
love to give you a yes, Dec, but I first need to know what it is
you’re talking about.” If I answered yes without knowledge of the
question first, I could be committing to a trip to Beliz or
agreeing to move to New York with him. There’s no telling.

Greyden is still wearing his glasses and
sitting in front of his computer just watching us. I’m sure he’s
anxious about what Dec’s talking about also.

Declan sighs and takes a large drink of his
smoothie before coming over and lifting me up onto the counter. He
pushes himself in between my legs and I wrap them around his waist,
tracing my fingers up his hard stomach muscles, over his bare pecs
and around his neck. He dips in and kisses me sweetly. “I have to
go to Vegas in a few weeks.” He kisses me again and my heart sinks
a little. I didn’t like him leaving to New York before we were a
couple, and now, well, now I hate the idea. “And you’re coming with
me, Ava. No arguments.”

I go to speak but he covers my mouth with
his and his tongue starts stroking mine. I’m lost; I know I’m
supposed to be arguing but right now, I can’t for the life of me
remember why I can’t go. I faintly hear a chair scrape across the
floor and Greyden going on about something but I can’t focus on him
until Declan finally releases my mouth.

“
When? When do we get to
go to Vegas? Dude!” Greyden shouts excitedly. “Get off your girl
and give me some damn information! I’ve been dying to get to Vegas
all year!”

“
It’s just for the
weekend. We can get a sitter for Harper or…shit, we can take her
and a sitter with us if you want. Just say you’ll come. Please,”
Declan whispers against my lips, his eyes boring into
mine.

“
I want to go! Me!
Greyden! Dude, when. Are. We. Going?” Greyden asks again, but this
time he’s tapping Dec on the shoulder like a pesky
child.

“
Okay,” I agree quietly.
“I have no idea how I’ll swing this, but I don’t want you to leave
me again so soon.” I reach out just a little and kiss him on his
smiling lips.

“
Yeah? You’ll go?” Declan
whispers, kissing me much harder when I nod my head. “C’mon, I need
a shower before we start our day.” He holds me tight and pulls me
off the counter.

I’m not ready to untangle my legs from him
yet, so I don’t, and he just carries me up to his room like
that.

“
Shiiiit!” Greyden yells
from the kitchen.

“
On the fifth! Friday to
Monday!” he shouts to Greyden as he ascends the stairs.

His skin is hot and he smells like a sweaty
man, and although it’s not his typical captivating scent, it still
draws me closer to him. I plant a kiss just below his ear and
decide I really want a taste of him. I kiss him in the middle of
his neck below his ear and drag my tongue up to his earlobe to nip
at him. Declan groans just as we approach his room.

I am crazy about this guy;
he is everything that’s right for me, and I would probably do just
about anything for him. But that…that sweaty, salty skin that isn’t
sex sweat (there
is
a difference) isn’t what I was hoping for.

I’m thrown down onto the bed and I’m still
trying to swallow that taste out of my mouth when Declan climbs up
over my hips and straddles me. “How’d that taste?” he says with a
knowing smirk playing on his lips.

“
Not like I thought it
would,” I admit just before I scrunch up my face in
embarrassment.