Page 5 of Stealing Forever

“It was. Pretty sure you two shouldn’t be allowed to bake again. If this is what happens when there are cookies, I can’t imagine what the kitchen would look like if you girls baked a cake,” he teases, and I almost drop the plate in my hand. This is a side to Declan Lane I’ve never seen before.

Setting the plate in front of him, he grabs a warm chocolate chip cookie, and I shrug. “You won’t be saying that after you taste my cookie.”

Once the words leave my mouth, I realize I could have chosen better ones. And Declan must realize that, too, because he chokes on said cookie, coughing aggressively.

Heat instantly rises in my skin, embarrassment taking root throughout my entire body.

For several awkward seconds, we simply stare at each other. Then the bastard startslaughing.

Kill me. Just kill me now.

Spinning as quickly as possible, I busy myself cleaning up the last part of the kitchen by crumpling the used parchment and throwing it away, then sliding the baking sheet into the drawer under the oven. Declan’s hot gaze follows me throughout eachmovement—Ifeelit, and if I had the ability to melt into a puddle and evaporate, I would. Or I could live out my days as a puddle, too.Anythingwould be better than feeling this heat slither up my neck and onto my face as Declan’s hot gaze bores into me. I don’t dare turn around and show him how embarrassed I truly am.

I got to get out of here.

“Okay, well, I’ll leave you to it!” Springing into action, I toss the towel onto the counter, mentally calculating how quickly I can make it to the front door.

“Hailey, wait.” Declan’s still laughing, and even though now my back’s to him, I scrunch my nose and wave my hand in a weird and hasty departure.

Next to the door, I’m practically falling over as I bounce on one foot, tugging my sneaker onto the other. As I lose balance, my palm slams into the wall.

“Get home safe.” Declan’s low timbre sneaks up on me from behind, and I suck in a breath. He’s so close, I can feel the heat from his body and his breath as it dusts the back of my neck.

For a second, I think he’s about to wrap me in his arms, and I forget how to breathe. All I can do is stand still. I squeeze my eyes shut, and wonder if he can hear the gallop of my fight-or-flight heart.

Then, like a movie being unpaused, everything around us snaps back to reality—the blare of the show Sailor’s watching, her adorable laugh, the ringing of Declan’s phone in the kitchen.

He reaches around me, and twists the doorknob before moving his hand to grip the door, holding it open for me.

Blowing out a shaky breath, I glance up at him from over my shoulder. The look on his face is inexpressive—maybe even a little bored.

My heart sinks.

“Thanks,” I mutter, then grab my purse from the bottom shelf of the entryway table and hightail it out the door.

Once I’m in my car, I glance back at the house to make sure Declan is out of view, then slam my head against the headrest. “Stupid, stupid, stupid.”

Squeezing my eyes shut for a second, I scoff at myself, shaking my head.

You won’t be saying that after you taste my cookie. You utter freaking moron.

Even in the darkness of my car, embarrassment heats my cheeksagain.

After I’ve given the engine a few minutes to warm up, I make the drive back to my townhouse, about twenty minutes away.

Bridge Point has bloomed over the last few years, going from a city in need of a serious glow-up to a popular destination, its biggest draw being Coit Stadium and the Bears moving in. Having Ridgewood as a neighbor helped too, since the university brings over the college students.

Which is what brought me to town last year. I needed a change of scenery from Southern California, and decided to pursue my masters in education at Ridgewood U. I landed in Bridge Point simply for the slightly more affordable housing, then decided to do this semester fully online.

It’s better that way, considering my new position with the Lane family.

Oh, God.

My mind floats back to the look on Declan’s face.

Pressing my twin sister's name on my car’s screen, the phone begins to ring obnoxiously loud through the speakers, assaulting my eardrums until she answers.

“Hey,” Hartley greets me. Just hearing her voice sends calming frequencies through my body. I miss her so much.

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