Page 132 of Oh, Puck!
I pull into the circular drive between Beck's Bronco and Mason's Audi, then kill the engine.
Josie stares at the house. Then at me.
"Declan Morrison. Why are my worldly possessions at your house?"
"Come inside."
"Declan! What are you doing?!"
I pile out, and whisk around to her door, opening it and helping her down the step. "Just… Come inside for a minute. I have something I want to show you."
"Something to show me?" She cocks a brow as her feet hit the ground. "The last time you said that, I ended up with a vibrating butt plug and a years supply of glow-in-the-dark lube."
Jesus Christ.
The image of her bent over my bed resurfaces, the low buzz of that toy buried inside her while she begged me to fuck her harder.
My cock thickens against my zipper just from the mention of it.
"Oh yeah."
I step into her space, close enough that the heat coming off her body seeps through my shirt. Her chin tilts up, that green gaze holding mine without flinching.
She's not embarrassed. She's never embarrassed.
That's what gets me every time… this woman standing here in the California sun, reminding me I'm the one who spent an hour memorizing every sound she made while I worked that plug in and out of her tight little ass.
"That was a pretty good night," I say, voice low, letting my eyes drag down the curve of her neck. "If I recall, you came so hard you tried to bite through the pillow."
Her lips twitch. "Worth every penny it cost me to replace them."
We laugh together as I lead her inside, and the great room is flooded with light. Diego has the glass panels folded back so the whole house breathes ocean air, and the second he hears us, Biscuit comes skidding across the floor.
His whole back is half wagging, one ear up, one ear flopped, and he detours directly to Josie because the traitor made his allegiances clear months ago.
"Hi, baby, hi—" she drops to scratch his ears, "—did your dad kidnap me? Blink twice if he's done the same to you. Oh, yes he has. Yes he has."
"Miss Josie!" Diego's voice sails down from the second floor, followed by Diego himself, dust cloth in one hand, pressing the other to his chest like he's receiving a royal visit. "Oh, thankGod. Tell me it's today. Is it today? I've been keeping that room dust-free for two years like some kind of shrine attendant and if he's chickened out again I am QUITTING—"
"Diego." I hiss across the room at him, cutting hard daggers so the bastard doesn't give me away.
"I said nothing. I saw nothing." He evaporates toward the kitchen with the speed of a man who intends to eavesdrop from a better angle.
Josie straightens up slowly. "What room, Declan? What is Diego talking about?"
I take her hand and lead her up the stairs, past the second floor, past my room, past Beck's disaster zone and Mason's window seat, all the way up to the third floor of this enormous mansion.
Her eyes take it all in and my heart starts pounding as I show her to the door at the end that has stayed shut since we moved in.
"Declan… why are we up here?" Her voice has gone quiet. "None of you use this floor. Beck told me it's cursed. He said, and I quote, 'that's the adult room, we don't go in the adult room.'"
"Beck's an idiot." My hand's on the knob, and my heart is doing something absolutely unacceptable behind my ribs. "None of us ever took it because it's the biggest room in the house. It also has the best view. So… It's sat up here empty for two years because—" and here's the part I rehearsed in the shower and it still comes out rough, "—because taking it feltpermanent. Like admitting you're actually building a life that means something instead of just crashing somewhere between games."
She looks at me and narrows her eyes. "And you came to Beachside specifically tonotdo that."
"Exactly. Then I met you and fell in love, so…"
I push the door open and step back, letting the room do the rest of the talking.
