Heart Lies & Alibis (12 page)

"Yeah, Hayes always had one rule – in order to maintain a strong cover, never have your picture taken by the media. I fucked that up royally today." He stalked over and grabbed his boots before returning to the kitchen chair.

I knew he was angry and worried but I had to reassure him he made the right decision when he rushed into that burning house. "But Declan, you had to rescue Ms. Thelma."

"I know. Of course I had no choice. And how the fuck was I supposed to know those damn news crews would be there so fast? But there they were and now my face is everywhere. This is bad Reagan. Really bad and I don't know what will happen. I'm actually afraid for the first time since I left Boston."

Wow. Now I was really scared too. "What will Hayes say?" I was almost afraid to hear the answer.

He was shaking his head as he pulled on his boots, cinching the laces with a furious tug. "I have no idea. I mean, he could decide it's not as bad as it seems. They didn't get to talk to me and they didn't offer many details of my life in that report. It might just blow over without too much damage. Or he could pull the plug on Houston. Move me somewhere else. Start me over as someone new if he deems the risk too big to stay here. I just don't know Reagan" His face looked grim and resigned. Things had gone from bad to worse in such a short time.

The second possibility Declan put forth drove my legs out from under me. I sat down hard in the kitchen chair as my mind spun with questions and fears. Declan might have to leave Houston? Leave me? What were we going to do?

"I won't know until I talk to him. I gotta go babe. I'll call you later." He brushed my lips with his and slammed out of the house. I could hear his motorcycle tear out of my drive. The wait to hear from Declan was going to be hell.

Declan didn't call for a few hours and when he did he sounded distracted. He didn't tell me what happened but just asked if he could come over and I readily agreed. He arrived a half hour later. I met him at the door with a big hug. I didn't realize how worried I had been until I was in his arms again. He looked emotionally tired but not as upset as I had imagined he would be if things had gone as we feared. Maybe the worst had passed.

We walked inside my family room and he sat on the sofa pulling me down next to him but he still had yet to speak. I was about to explode from anxiety. He was too silent for everything to be okay. "You can't keep me waiting Declan. What did Hayes say?" I watched his face for any indication of the news he was about to deliver.

"Not much. Why do you ask?" A look of innocent ignorance filled his face followed by a small smile. I knew he was teasing me but I needed to know what happened and my red-haired temper went into overdrive with his games.

I punched him in the arm in exasperation. "Declan!"

"Ow. No more kick-boxing classes for you. That hurt." He rubbed the spot.

I furrowed my brow in annoyance. "I'll do it again if you don't tell me what happened with Hayes. Stop playing around!"

He held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. Dang, you can be mean, lady." He grimaced at me, rubbing his arm again for added drama. Then his face broke into a wicked grin. "So Hayes thinks it is going to be okay. We watched the news stories together, paying special attention to what you could see of me and you can't really see my face as well as I thought. Hayes pointed out I look pretty different now than when I was in Boston, darker hair I cut in a different style, a bit more muscle to my body, that kind of thing so he believes I would be much harder to recognize." He flexed his arm while winking at me to demonstrate. I just rolled my eyes.

His face became a bit more serious for a moment. "Hayes says we need to wait and see what happens but for now I guess I'm staying put. Of course, if you keep hitting me like that I may ask for the move." He grabbed my wrists as I went to punch his arm again. We were both laughing before he pulled me onto his lap and was kissing me while I struggled to get my hands free. The struggle was short lived as I melted into his lips. At least this part of my life was still intact and happy, I thought dreamily. I had no idea how wrong I was about my assumptions and what was to come.

Declan and I spent the next few days getting to know each other even more intimately. We took it easy though, so we could allow him to recover from the smoke inhalation he suffered during the fire rescue. He was doing pretty well save a bout of coughing every now and then but I didn't want to take any chances.

Our time was evenly divided between his house and mine with separations only coming when he took a couple shifts at Sullivan's and worked late at home. I was handling my clients only through email, right now, as I wanted to avoid all contact with Thad and the law firm so I was at my house most of the time. My work situation wasn't ideal but it was all I could manage right now.

In spite of, or maybe because of, all changes to my life I had never felt so happy and was telling Grace as much on the phone one night while I waited for Declan to come over after his shift.

"Grace, it's crazy. I feel like I have known him forever instead of just a few weeks. He's smart and funny and pretty damn mind blowing in bed. And the more time I spend with him, the happier I feel" I was grinning like a fool while we talked. "There is the whole age difference thing but really, I'm starting to forget about it when we're together."

She laughed. "Thanks for sharing Reagan. I always love to hear the details of your sex life, as you know. All teasing aside, I am so happy for you. You deserve this girl. I do have one complaint though."

I stopped smiling. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Only that I haven't met him in person yet. Yes, I know I saw him at the bar the night you seduced him" she giggled "but I want to talk to him in person, see if he really is good enough for my best friend." I heard a muffled sound in the background like someone was speaking. "Elliott says he wants to meet him too." I grinned. Grace's husband had always looked out for me and it felt good to know he was still in my corner.

I sat back smiling again. "Thanks guys. Yes, I really want you all to meet too. How about we do brunch on Sunday? The Purple Rose Cafe around 11:30 sound good?" I was a bit nervous about everyone meeting but it was time. Grace and her family meant the world to me and now so did Declan.

"That sounds wonderful Reagan. We'll be there for sure. Now, this old lady needs to get to bed. I have a new client first thing tomorrow and I need some beauty rest. Sweet dreams, my friend, and give Mr. O'Shea a squeeze for me when you see him."

"I will. Goodnight Grace. See you Sunday."

I made my way back upstairs to the master. I surveyed the project I had been working on before Grace called, namely clearing my life of all connections to Thad, and I wanted to get back to it. I was packing boxes of stuff – clothes he had left, mementos I no longer wanted, anything and everything that reminded me of him really. I needed him out of my life once and for all and the sooner it happened the happier I would be. I was looking through some old photos when I came across one that made me pause for a moment as a flood of memories tumbled through my mind.

It was a picture of Thad and I on the day I graduated from law school. We had been dating over a year by that point and the look on my face showed I was head over heels in love as I stood beside him smiling from ear to ear. It was a great day to begin with but it was made all the better when Thad proposed later that night over dinner. I was so happy to say yes. He had been a different man then, kinder, gentler, and more fun and we had enjoyed simply being together on most days. I tried to remember back to the moment when everything started to change. I sighed stuffing the photo back in the box. Maybe I had just been in denial about everything from the beginning. Maybe our life hadn't really been as happy as I remembered and maybe I should have known everything would eventually fall apart. I just didn't know anymore.

A knock at my front door pulled me from my sad trip down memory lane and I hurriedly stuffed the box of photos back on top of the closet shelf before hurrying down to let Declan in. He swept me into his arms as soon as I opened the door, making me giggle like a schoolgirl as he twirled me around in a bear hug. He set me down and planted a kiss on my lips.

"Hello beautiful girl. It is so good to see you." He gave me another kiss. "And I have been waiting to do that all night."

I laughed again. "Well, hello yourself. I missed you too. How was work?"

He grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "The same as usual. Lots of young ladies in the bar tonight though, so I had to make a crap load of cosmos and other pink drinks. They tipped well so I really didn't mind." He winked.

"I just bet they did and through no encouragement from you, I'm sure." I pretended to narrow my eyes in jealousy but he knew I wasn't mad. I knew from experience Declan was a world class flirt, well versed in making the female bar patrons drop their money without hesitation. I also knew many of them would have willingly dropped more for him, such as their phone numbers and panties, but he never let it go any farther than innocent banter. I still felt a little insecure about our relationship but Declan had shown me, in many ways, he only had eyes for me.

His eyes locked on mine and I could a look of desire filling the gray-blue pools. "Now darling, I can't be unfriendly. And you know I save all my best stuff for you anyway." To demonstrate he pulled me in for another kiss, this one deepening quickly to scorching levels. He backed me against the wall, his hands sliding enticingly over my body until I was nearly panting with desire. It didn't take us long to scramble up the stairs to my bed. One thing was for sure, all that flirting Declan did at work got him primed to show me a very good time when he came home. A very good time indeed.

The aroma of French roast coffee pulled me from the depths of a deep sleep. I stretched my arm out, reaching for Declan, but finding cool empty sheets instead. I sat up and looked around my bedroom just as he pushed the door open carrying two mugs of the delightful beverage that had awoken me. He paused on the threshold for a moment, a large smile filling his whole face.

"Now that is an image I like to see in the morning, especially in bed."

I shook my head in mock exasperation. Declan was constant with his compliments and I tried to pretend they were unnecessary or annoying but secretly I loved them. Thad had never been so generous with his words.

I reached out for the mug. "Coffee. Please." I smiled sleepily at him.

He handed me a cup before he sat on the edge of the bed drinking his own. I groaned with pleasure at the first sip.

I leaned back against the pillows so I could admire Declan as he continued to drink his coffee. He was only wearing a pair of jeans and he looked sinful in the morning light. His dark hair was still tousled from sleep, his eyes were slightly hooded as he worked to come fully awake, and his lips cried out to be kissed. I felt myself getting aroused as I looked him up and down. I didn't remember having a libido like this even in college. It was like we could never get enough of one another. And Declan's youth ensured his stamina was almost endless, as he had proven the night before. I smiled remembering the various ways we had pleasured each other until the early morning hours and knew exactly how I wanted to spend this morning.

"What are you smiling about pretty lady?" Declan asked pulling me out of my sexy reverie.

I shrugged. "Just thinking about last night." I looked at him over the rim of the mug as I took another drink. His face lit up as a sexy smile spread from ear to ear. Apparently he was having some nice recollections himself.

"Oh you were?"

I nodded. "Yep. In fact, I was trying to remember exactly what you felt like inside me but I seem to be drawing a blank. Maybe you could refresh my memory?" I smiled innocently at him while I watched his eyes darken immediately with desire.

He was already putting his coffee down and pulling mine from my hand. His lips were on mine before I could say anything else. And then he was kind enough to give me an encore performance of the night before.

Our coupling was fast and dirty and he had me orgasming before I barely knew what was happening. I liked that our sex life had developed so many different expressions in our short time together. Sometimes we would make love for hours, with gentle touches and intimate moments, other times we barely got our clothes off, fucking against his front door on more than one occasion. This relationship was like nothing I had ever known and Declan seemed as taken with it as I was.

I wished we could stay in bed all day but it was time Declan to finally meet Grace and her husband Elliott and I was nervous. I loved being with Declan but was still not entirely comfortable with other people's reactions to our relationship and though Grace knew nearly every detail of our time together already because she had never actually met Declan I wasn't sure exactly what to expect when they met. Her opinion was one of the most important in the world to me and I wanted things to go well. Worrying about Grace's reaction would turn out to be the least of my problems.

Chapter 9

We were set to meet for brunch at 11:30 and I had taken forever getting ready so we were almost late. Again. This was becoming a habit I had never had before, mostly caused by our inability to get out of bed or keep our hands off each other. Eventually we made it out the door. As we walked to my car and I tossed him the keys with a smile.