13. Ayla

Chapter 13

Ayla

I knew I’d made a mistake the second I shut the door. I’d never been afraid to go after what I wanted. What I wanted was to drag Declan into my house, straight up to my room, and rip off his clothes. I knew he wanted it, too. But, of course, he was a gentleman, just like I knew he would be. Even though he never said it, I knew he was waiting for me to make the first move.

Even though it was dark outside, it was still early in the evening. I hung my purse on the back of one of my kitchen chairs and grabbed my phone out of it before heading upstairs to my bedroom. If I wasn’t going to be having fun under the sheets with Declan, then I might as well spend it reading, which was typically what I did every night anyway .

Once upstairs, I changed out of my dress into my favorite plaid pajama shorts and a T-shirt. Thunder rumbled outside, and a flash of lightning lit up my room through the window. Summer storms in Alabama can be pretty intense sometimes.

I grabbed a blanket off my bed and turned on the small lamp by my window seat. Reading during a storm was my favorite, especially if it was a mystery novel. It always set the mood perfectly.

As soon as I opened my book, a text came through on my phone. I was hoping it would be Declan, but it wasn’t.

Linda: Hey, darling. I need you to do something for me.

She never asked for favors, so her text intrigued me. I typed back a reply.

Me: What’s up?

Linda: I need you to search through Declan’s kitchen drawers until you find his grandmother’s coconut cake recipe.

My mouth dropped as I stared at her text. Was she being serious?

Me: I have never been inside of his house! How am I going to do that?

Linda: It’s only a matter of time. I heard through the grapevine how close you two were tonight walking through town with your ice cream.

Shaking my head, I had to smile at that. The woman had eyes everywhere.

Me: I’ll try to get it.

Linda: Try hard. I need it before next Wednesday. He literally said it was in one of his kitchen drawers. Should be easy to find.

That woman was going to get me in trouble. Then again, if I got caught, Declan would understand. He knew how crazy Linda was. However, I was surprised she didn’t just sneak into his house and get it herself. If I failed, I had no doubt she’d find a way.

Groaning, I opened my book and started to read, only I couldn’t focus on any of the words. All I could think about was how I was going to invite myself into Declan’s house and sneak into his kitchen alone.

More thunder rumbled in the sky, and I could feel the vibrations through my seat. It was going to be a doozy tonight. Instead of trying to read, I opened my blinds and turned off the lamp. The lightning looked like glowing veins as it spread across the darkness above. My mom always warned me about being near windows during a storm. She especially hated it when my dad would take me outside on the porch so we could watch the rain fall and dance in it. He was the reason I loved dancing in the rain.

The rain started off slow but only for a few seconds before it turned into a downpour. It hit my window, running in rivulets down the glass as if it were a race. The sound of it pounding on the roof, along with the wind, was so thunderous I was shocked the weather service hadn’t alerted my phone of a potential tornado.

Leaning my head against the window, I looked out at the lake and how the water rippled and swished around like tiny waves. A part of me wanted to go out and dance in the rain for old time’s sake. If I was at my parents’ house, my dad would’ve already dragged me outside. It’d been years since we’d done that together.

The wind died down after a few minutes, but the rain continued to pour. I was just about to open my book when something caught my attention. A light in the back of Declan’s house had turned on, casting a glow across his deck. It wasn’t bright, but it was bright enough for me to see him standing out there. He was as still as a statue while the rain beat against him. He was barefoot in only a pair of shorts. The only movement I could see from him was his chest heaving up and down.

Something was wrong.

An undeniable urge rippled through my chest, demanding that I go to him. I rushed down the stairs and out the front door. Bits of grass clung to my legs as I raced through his yard toward the back. All I knew was that I needed to help him.

I made it to the deck, but Declan’s eyes were closed. There was pain on his face, but it wasn’t like he was battling something physical. It was as if it was coming from a war within his soul.

I called out to him, but he didn’t respond. The sound of the downpour was so loud it had to have muffled my voice. Slowly, I made it up the deck stairs and reached out to touch his shoulder. His eyes flew open and he gasped, grabbing my wrist so fast that his movements were a blur.

It scared me and I instinctively stepped back, but he pulled me closer.

“Ayla, I’m sorry,” he said, his grip loosening but still holding onto me .

There was so much agony on his face that it broke my heart.

I gently pulled my wrist out of his grasp so I could touch his face. “What are you doing out here?” He shook his head, his gaze instantly dropping to the ground. “Tell me,” I demanded. “I just want to help you. Don’t you remember what we talked about at dinner?” His crystal blue eyes lifted to mine and I continued. “We talked about trust and honesty. You have to be able to trust me and tell me things. This won’t work if you don’t.” I held his face tighter and kissed him. His arms circled my waist and he deepened the kiss, his lips like fire against mine. The rain did nothing to cool them down. He pulled away first, his breathing deep and ragged. The way he looked at me with such raw passion made me tremble.

“I’m going to ask you again,” I said, moving closer. “What are you doing out here?”

He looked up at the sky and closed his eyes as the rain pelted against him. “It was raining like this the night my brother was killed. Our mission was to go after the Deluca brothers.” Declan opened his eyes and looked at me. The rain had started to calm down. “I was stationed at a building across the street while Elijah was in the alley. When the Delucas came out the back door, they somehow knew we were there. The second I saw Joseph Deluca draw his gun and aim it at my brother, I focused on him and fired.”

My stomach clenched at the thought of him being there and witnessing his brother’s murder.

Declan blew out a strangled breath. “I wasn’t fast enough. Both weapons went off at the same time. Joseph killed my brother and I killed him. The mission failed.”

My eyes burned. “And you blame yourself?”

He shook his head and shrugged. “Everyone tells me it wasn’t my fault. But I keep thinking that if I was faster, Elijah would still be alive.”

“You can’t let the what-ifs haunt you for the rest of your life,” I murmured, wishing I could take his pain away. “Elijah wouldn’t want that for you.”

A laugh escaped his lips, but it was sad. “No. He’s probably wishing he could kick my ass right now.”

I laughed with him and hugged him, resting my head on his shoulder. Thunder rumbled above and more rain started to fall. I didn’t want to let him go, and I wasn’t about to leave him for the night.

“I think I know what you need,” I said into his ear, whispering the words.

I stepped back and looked into Declan’s eyes. His lips dropped to mine, and his gaze darkened with desire.

“What do I need?” he replied, his breath warm against my face.

It was a bold move, but I was going to do it.

I moved away from him and lifted my T-shirt over my head, exposing my breasts. “You need new memories of the rain,” I claimed, moving closer again. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing my body against his.

Declan held me tight, his hands gripping the waistband of my shorts. “What do you want to do?”

I bit my lip. “I think you know.”

He kept his eyes on mine as he lowered my shorts and underwear to the ground; they were already soaked from the rain.

His cock was hard beneath his shorts, and I desperately wanted to feel him inside of me.

“Are you sure about this?” he whispered, his voice a mixture of want and apprehension.

“Yes,” I said firmly, meeting his gaze. “I need this. I need you. Right here in the rain is what I want.”

His hands trembled as they traced the lines of my body, sending shivers down my spine. I could feel his heart beating wildly against my chest, matching the rhythm of my own .

With one last glance into his eyes, I reached down and unfastened his shorts, revealing his erection, standing tall and proud. I wrapped my fingers around it, and a low groan escaped his lips.

“I want you inside me,” I whispered, my voice husky with desire.

Taking my hand, he pulled me to him and lowered us down to the ground. The deck was cold against my back because of the rain, but Declan’s warmth immediately made everything burn. His lips instantly found mine, along with his tongue as he tasted and explored every inch of my mouth.

His hungered blue gaze penetrated me deeper than anything I’d ever felt before. It was intense to the point it was almost scary. There was passion in those eyes; lust, angst, and above all . . . desire. I felt it in his touches, in his kisses, and I reveled in it.

Declan lowered his head, kissing his way down my neck until he got to my breasts. The moment his lips closed over a taut, sensitive nipple, I immediately cried out in ecstasy, yearning for more.

“You taste so fucking good,” he moaned, sucking me as hard as he could.

I knew I would have marks from his lips and teeth, but it didn’t matter; it felt too good to care. He then trailed his hands down my stomach, making me shiver, before cupping me in his palm and slipping a finger inside of me. When I arched my back, he chuckled and pushed in another finger.

“I love touching you like this. I can feel you tightening all around me.”

“It’s because I’m going to come if you keep doing that,” I breathed as he picked up his pace.

“Then let go for me, Ayla.”

Almost instantly, my insides lit up like fire and I trembled as my release hit me hard and swift. His heated gaze made it so much more enjoyable, and mixed with the rain falling down his smooth, tanned skin it was erotic. I wanted more and Declan knew it, but there was something on his mind by the look in his eyes.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I just want you to know that I’m good, but I should probably go inside and get a?—”

Shaking my head, I placed a finger to his lips, already knowing what he was going to say. “There’s no need,” I said, sliding my finger away and replacing it with my lips. I pulled back and smiled at him. “I’m on the pill and I’m clean as well. But if you want to go inside to get a —”

He crushed his mouth to mine, silencing me. “If we’re good, I’d rather feel all of you. ”

Just hearing those words made me feel like I could orgasm.

“We’re good,” I murmured breathlessly. “I’m so ready right now.”

The laugh that rumbled from his chest was sexy as hell. “So am I,” he replied, kissing me again. “So am I.”

Slowly, he spread my legs with his knee and lowered himself on to me, cupping my face with his hands and gazing down at me as he placed his lips on mine. He teased me by circling his hips, grazing his cock along my opening and entering me with just the tip. I moaned, wanting more, and he immediately complied, going deeper and deeper until he was fully inside of me.

Wrapping my legs around his waist, he held me tight with one arm behind my head while he used the other to freely roam down my body, squeezing my breast and rolling my nipple between his fingers. He groaned and thrust harder, this time replacing his fingers with his lips and sucking greedily.

“I could do this all night. You feel so damn good.”

That made me smile. “Same.”

He caressed his hand down my thigh and gripped it firmly, lifting my leg higher on his waist so he could go deeper. The pleasure and pain of him pushing in further made me scream, but it was muffled by his lips silencing me. I bit him in return, making him growl, and sucked his bottom lip hard while he penetrated me with wild and passionate thrusts.

“I know you’re close, Ayla. I want to feel it,” he demanded.

Tightening around him, I let my orgasm build and rocked my hips along with his, knowing my release was just on the surface. By the sound of the deep groan in his chest and the feeling of his cock pulsating and throbbing inside of me, I knew he was close. I wanted to hold off a little while longer to enjoy the torture, the way it felt as the orgasm built . . . but I couldn’t.

“Declan,” I rasped, “Harder.”

Doing as I asked, he pushed harder. I immediately gave in to my release, screaming out my pleasure. It was even better when Declan took my nipple in his mouth and bit down while he finished inside of me.

Trembling from the aftershocks of his release, Declan lifted up on his elbows and smiled, his body shielding me from the rain. “Now that was fucking hot. ”

I smiled up at him, loving that he was still hard between my legs.

“Yes, it was,” I agreed. “Do you think we should take this inside now?”

Declan grinned. “Oh, yes. And thank you for giving me a new memory of the rain. I needed it.”

I cupped his face in my hands. “Happy to help.”