Page 64 of Resting Beach Face
We turned out the lights and locked the door, and I followed him to the main house in a daze. I wasn’t that shocked I’d put on a show for Declan—or that I’d come so hard I could hardly think straight. But the fact Declan had suggested it? That was surprising.
And encouraging.
Maybe there was a way for this to work between us. Maybe a relationship with him didn’t have to look like Brooks’ or Sawyer’s relationships to still be everything I wanted.
“Declan, about what happened?—”
“It was good, Cash. Let’s just leave it at that, okay? It doesn’t change anything. I’m still me.”
I caught his hand and raised it to kiss his palm. “And I like you as you are.”
He cast me a sidelong glance. “That’s possibly the orgasm talking.”
“No.” I shook my head. “I can give myself orgasms too, you know.”
His steps faltered. “I’m aware of that.”
“I’m just saying, it’s not the destination that matters to me. It’s the journey. And my traveling companion, of course.” I winked.
“Hmm.” He cast me a small smile. “Well, I, uh, like you too, but I really can’t promise more journeys like that.”
“I know.”
“Yeah?”
“I’ve been reading up on asexuality.”
“Really? What have you learned?”
“That you may experience little to no sexual desire for someone,” I recited from memory as we passed by the gardenshed. “Or you may only experience it sporadically or in certain situations.”
“That’s about right. It’s not even something I understand, so I can’t imagine anyone else would.”
“They could try though.” I paused. “Icould try.”
“Cash, you’ve been around the block…around two hundred blocks of the sexual variety.”
I cringed. “I wasn’t that bad, was I?”
Declan raised an eyebrow, and my shoulders slumped.
“Okay, maybe I was, but that’s in my past. I sowed my wild oats. Now I want something more.”
“Well, it’s a moot point,” Declan said as we reached the back door to the B&B, and he opened it for me. “I’m selling the B&B and leaving town anyway, so…”
I stepped into the kitchen, heading toward his quarters and hoping none of the guests were around to see me shirtless and smelling of cum.
I waited until we were safely closed into Declan’s private quarters before I said the words that were on my tongue.
“You don’t have to leave.”
“Cash…”
“You don’t,” I insisted. “Even if you sell the B&B, why can’t you stay in town and do something else? Go work at the library, or…I don’t know, become a groundskeeper since you love gardening.”
Declan chuckled, and I scowled. “Why is that funny?”
He cupped my face. “You’re just sweet, the way you’re such a dreamer.”
