Page 62 of The Wiener Across the Way

For months my fears had been about whether I could even write songs anymore. Without the music, what was I?

I’d left all those questions unanswered and did everything I possibly could to make sure I never found out. Because I was sure it would be the end of everything. My hopes and dreams, my career, my life, the world.

I knew I had anxiety about my career that bordered on unhealthy, but it had served me for a while. I hadn’t seen how much I’d let that mindset bleed into everything else. Including my love life.

No wonder I was a wreck.

While Declan was so sweet and sexy and had set up everything to take care of me like no one else ever had, he couldn’t fix me. Only I could do that.

I had to quash the fears that were no longer serving me. I would start with the one right in front of me. It was the scariest of all because it meant more than my career or fans or livelihood. If I couldn’t face this fear, I could do anything.

It started with asking the same what if...

What if I let myself fall in love?

The best way to face that fear was let it happen and see what came of it. Although, to be fair, it was a little too late, because as much as I’d tried to stop it, I’d fallen for Declan Kingman. I was irrevocably in love.

I think I might have been since the moment we met.

Declan was kissing me with more passion than I even knew existed and I never wanted him to stop. I pushed one of my hands into his hair and wrapped my legs tighter around his waist. He groaned in a way that I was sure meant he was going to die if he didn’t get more of me. Or maybe that was just what I wanted. Right, that was definitely what I wanted.

I broke the kiss just long enough to make sure he knew. “More, Declan. I want more of you.”

“You can have all of me, Kelsey.” He pushed me up against the base of the enormous tree that smelled like Christmas in July. Sunshine and fresh air and pine and butterscotch. I was about to give myself the best kind of present.

A surge of courage coursed through me. With every breath, I inhaled the scent of possibility, of a love that had the potential to heal all my wounds. My heart raced with anticipation, knowing that this moment was about more than just physical desire. “Yes. I want that. I want all of you. Make love to me. Right here, right now.”

Declan’s eyes held a deep intensity as he whispered against my lips, “Are you sure, Kelsey? Once we cross this line, there’s no going back.”

I met his gaze and spoke from my heart. “I’ve never been more sure about anything. You’re everything I need right now.”

A smile that was more dirty and naughty than before tugged at the corner of his lips, and he gently brushed a strand of hair away from my face. “I want to be the man who gives you everything you need.”

He ground his hips against me and buried his face in the crook of my neck like he had before. I could feel the heat and steel in his jeans and my eyes rolled back in my head. “Don’t tease me, Declan.”

With one fell swoop he turned and went down to his knees, laying me down on the blanket he’d spread out for our picnic, still between my legs. “I’m going to do a lot more than tease you, babe. But first I need us both very, very naked.”

“Woof, woof.” Pooh rushed over, her little butt waggling and licked Declan right on the lips, and I think she may have gotten her tongue up his nose.

He shook his head and made a face but laughed too. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you, little girl. But it is not your turn for snuggles.”

“I think she’s jealous I’m getting all your attention.” Pooh was cute and adorable and the love of my life, but right at this moment, I wished we’d left her with Penelope. I wasn’t sharing his attention. Not now that I knew how much I actually wanted and needed it. But what were we going to do with her?

I was not tying her up. Sigh. I guess we’d have to postpone until we could get back to the cabin and feed her or something to get a little alone time.

Declan stretched one arm out and flipped open the lid of the picnic basket. He riffled around inside for a minute and then pulled out a ball that looked like it was made out of strips of fabric. “This should keep you occupied for a while, pupperina.”

He gave the ball a short toss, so it landed under the next tree over, and Pooh went racing after it as fast as her short little legs could go.

“Not that I doubt your prowess, but it might be hard to get naked and have some fun while also playing fetch. But that might just be me.”

“Oh no, that will keep her attention while we... have some fun.” He nodded his head toward Pooh, and she was doing her best to tear the fabric apart. After just a second, a treat popped out, and she happily munched on it, then went back to work looking for another one. “There’re at least fifty cheese and peanut butter nuggets in there. I expect it will give me enough time for at least two or three orgasms.”

Clever man. “Two or three of mine or yours?”

I was teasing, but he got this profoundly serious look on his face and leaned down to nip at my ear. Which had my insides going all squishy and wiggly. Then he whispered, “Sweetheart,when I make love to you, you will always come first, last, and a few times in between.”

Was that even possible? Like outside of a spicy romance novel? I’d been lucky to get to come at all, unless I helped a lot, with other men I’d been with.

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