Page 54 of Stolen Sun

“Got it. Later,” he says and hangs up.

Downing the rest of my water, I walk down the hall to wake her.

My bedroom is still dark as night thanks to blackout curtains, so I prop them open to help her along. She’s almost completely uncovered, spread out across my Alaskan king bed. Her honey and chestnut curls fan out across her pillow. The room smells of her soft, vanilla scent.

Sitting in a chair across the room, I decide to wait a little longer. After last night, I’ll be damned if she goes back to her own house. Even though Isaiah agreed to work with me, I don’t trust him not to take advantage of the situation. Conner’s desperate to keep his money, and she’s only ever been a fucking pawn to him. Isaiah stands to gain a lot by taking his offer.

Noel could take things one of two ways this morning. She’s either going to distance herself and stick to her plan of handling shit on her own, or she’s going to wake up resigned to letting me deal with it.

Personally, I hope she chooses to fight. Not that I will let her handle any of it on her own, but she needs to find her voice in all of this. I want him to pay in blood for keeping her from me and threatening my family, but I won’t take away her opportunity to fight her own war.

The light filters in through the blinds, landing on her face. I’ve imagined this moment for years. Since I was sixteen falling asleep to her voice on the other end of the phone, I imagined how she’d look when she woke up from our first fuck. Years haven’t changed my obsession with her. I may have chained her up last night, but I’ve been wearing her chains far longer.

She moves, and the light is now directly on her eyes. They flicker open a few times. When she keeps them open, she lays perfectly still looking up at the ceiling. Finally, she sits up. She looks at me, smiles, and stretches. That’s whenI see the pain flash across her face. She stops mid stretch then lowers her arms back to her sides.

“Good morning.”

She swallows hard. “Good morning,” she says cautiously as the memories of our night seep in.

I stand slowly then stalk toward her, limiting the time she has to make up her mind about this plan of hers. She maintains eye contact as I close in on her, and right before I get to her I see her decision flash across her beautiful face.

Her sweet smile doesn’t touch her eyes as she takes my outstretched hand.Lie better.

“Sleep well?” I ask, brushing my thumb under the corner of her eye.

She blushes as I help her out of bed. “What time is it?” She asks then reaches for her throat.

“Come on. Coffee will soothe your throat,” I tell her, trying to hide my smirk as she wobbles to get dressed.

Her eyes question me, and her cheeks flush.

“Don’t be embarrassed. Your screams are my new favorite sound. I heard everything you don’t want to say in them,” I stare into her eyes, searching into her soul for what I know she’s already buried back down deep.

I kneel to kiss her thigh and help her into her shorts. After I’ve buttoned them, I look up at her from my knees. They say eyes are the windows to the soul, and hers are burning with desire.

“Do what you think you need to do, sunshine. As long as I know your fire burns for me, I will do the same.”

She remains perfectly still, trying to decide how to respond. I stand and take her hand to lead her into the kitchen, not bothering to wait for a response.

She sips her coffee slowly, and I take the time to send some texts and emails.

“Declan, I have to ask you something,” she says, clearing her throat.

“Anything.”

She pauses, trying to find the right words. “How many women have you brought into that room?”

Looking for a fight, I see. I chuckle. “That room is my home gym, Noel. You’re the first to ever be in my house.” I smile.

The dumbfounded look on her face has me chuckling again.

“Why do you have handcuffs and a chain in the ceiling of your gym?” She asks, heating up because her easy way out didn’t work.

“The chain is my spot when I lift, but the handcuffs I did buy for you,” I explain, watching her face redden and her eyes flash.

“Why?”

Licking my lips, I smack them together. “If you’re restrained, you won’t be able to get away from me again.”

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