Page 71 of Gray Area

He cuts me off with his mouth, and our hands can’t get the clothes off of each other fast enough. We make it to the bed and I straddle Declan as he sits and holds me to him, and I sink down, taking his hardened shaft in my wet and waiting pussy.

And then we just freeze. We both stop and absorb the feel of us being connected to one another, time standing still. We start to kiss each other slowly, and Declan moves my legs towrap around his waist. Sliding his rough palms over my ass, he squeezes and moves me over him. We move leisurely, feeling each other and just being one. I feel my orgasm building in my belly, and Declan must sense it too. He moves his hand between us and puts just the perfect amount of pressure and movement on my clit, making me fall apart with pleasure.

“Oh God, Vivian, I love watching you come. It’s the fucking sexiest thing I have ever seen,” Declan says, his breath coming faster.

“I love you, Declan,” I say against his lips, and he smiles as his own pleasure barrels through him.

“I love you, Vivian,” he repeats as he releases into me.

We fall together on the bed and lie in each other’s arms. “Does that mean you’ll stay?” Declan asks, and I just laugh at him.

“No getting rid of me now,” I tell him. I lay my head on his chest and succumb to sleep, and I pray that I never wake up from this dream.

Chapter 40

DECLAN

The weeks go by like a fucking fairy tale. I’m not sure if this is how they traditionally pass, but I feel like I am living in a Valentine’s Day card. And before I know it, it’s mid-May, the class that I met Vivian in is ending, and I am happier than I have ever been in my life.

I have never had this feeling of wanting to be with someone all the time. In fact I can’t even stand to be with myself half the time, but I can’t get enough of Vivian. I love to be with her, and when I’m not with her, I’m distracted by thoughts of being with her. It’s something that my brothers have become very irritated with and point out to me as often as they can. But even they love Vivian and have taken her in like one of us, so they have no room to talk.

My Dad gives me knowing glances all the time, and sometimes he even looks a little sad. Like he’s remembering the time he had with my mom. If he felt like this with her and then lost her, I’m amazed he survived her loss. But he did, and he has started his new MS treatment, a trial drug, and it’s going well. He hasn’t told my brothers yet, something I am constantly on him about since he is doing so well.

Vivian has finally left her backpack unpacked since the day I put her clothes in the drawer for her. In fact, she stores it empty in our closet now and uses just a small purse when she goes out. I encouraged her to get her first credit card to build credit, and she has decorated our apartment little by little. She glows, and the pride in my body at the fact that I helped her get here and she is mine is just ridiculous.

I’m dropping her off at work currently, one of my least favorite things. I hate that she works nights; I want her home and in my bed every night. She leans over to kiss me goodbye, and I grab her chin to keep her to me. “I want you to quit this job,” I say to her and she rolls her eyes.

“I need a job, Declan,” she says, in a way that makes clear she is tired of repeating herself.

“I’ll give you a job.”

“Yes, a woman who is paid by her boyfriend is a sugar baby, Declan. I will not be your sugar baby,” she reminds me. We’ve had this conversation a lot.

I sulk and kiss her again, then watch her walk into the building before making my way back to meet my dad at home. He’d texted me and asked me to meet him there just as I was bringing Vivian to work.

“Hey Dad,” I say, entering his office.

“Hey.” He motions for me to take a seat across from him. He looks rough, and I haven’t seen him this way in a while.

“What’s wrong?” I demand. “Are you not feeling—”

“I found out about Eric Runge.” My Vivian happiness bubble pops just like that. I had pestered my dad for weeks about that man, but then I had gotten busy with work things and slowly taking on more of his businesses and, well, just distracted by Vivian.

“And?” I ask as anger threads up my back.

“He’s dead, Declan.”

“When?”

“His body washed up on Horseneck Beach this morning, gunshot in his chest,” he tells me.

My stomach clenches with a crazy feeling. First there was Eddie, trying to get us involved in a drug war, and then he showed up dead. We still hadn’t heard any more about that or who he might be working for. Then this guy who is a known for-hire prick lights Vivian’s building on fire, and he too washes up dead on a local beach.

“I think this is my fault,” my father finally says, bringing my entire attention back to him.

“Your fault? Dad, how can any of this be on you?”

He closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. “It was all supposed to be perfect for you boys,” he says, and I think I hear a slight quiver to his voice.

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