Page 25 of A Cowboy's Claim
Yeah, no. “What’s this?” she asked as she took the whatever it was he handed her. Turned out it was one of the cards that Madison had given them. “You still want to do the cards?”
He left his boots by the tailgate and settled his bulk beside her, moving a few pillows into better positions. “The entire evening wasn’t a terrible idea. I just think there were some people there that were up past their bedtime or needed to check their manners.”
“Thank you for not giving any etiquette lessons, no matter how much they deserved it.” Sydney turned her attention to the card in front of her, pulling the ones out of her pocket as well. “Very well, let’s have some meet-and-greet practice.”
“Fuck that. Let’s just get to know each other better.”
He sounded as if he’d had enough, and she didn’t blame him.
Out of all the Skye brothers, Declan was the one who kept the most to himself. Walking into a setting with all those strangers must’ve been pretty overwhelming. “Sounds good to me. First question from me. Out of all the official holidays, which one do you like the most, and which one would you toss out the window?”
“I like Thanksgiving.” Instant response, firm and solid. “Not so much because of the historic reasons, but it’s gotten to be more meaningful the older I’ve gotten. It’s important to be grateful and give thanks for the things we have while we have them. We never know how long we have with people, so the reminder to actually say we love them—it’s a lesson I really learned.”
God. She could relate to that. Both the fact that people could be gone in an instant and appreciating them while they were there. “I intensely dislike Valentine’s Day,” Sydney informed him. “Sharing we care about friends is important, but not because there’s a capitalistic, Hallmark-created holiday. I wish it would vanish.”
Declan look thoughtful. “Sadie loved all holidays. but she thought like you that it wasn’t about what you could buy. She took a great deal of delight in making things. She wasn’t good at all of it, but the gifts were always put together with love.”
He’d mentioned Sadie more than he had in the entire year she’d known him. “People like that are special. I adore how Petra is constantly looking for the perfect candle. Or how Tansy knows each of our favorite treats, and they magically appear on the days we’re feeling shitty.”
“I get a kick out of how Tansy gets revenge when you do something to piss her off.” Declan brushed his thumb over the back of Sydney’s knuckles, and she suddenly realized they were holding hands. “Jake said something about the proper way to make lasagna, and to this day she deliberately mucks it up. It’s still tasty as hell, and I could eat a pound of it by myself, but it was something stupid about the layers of cottage cheese instead of ricotta or hell if I know what. She puts the dish on the table and watches him gobble it down, and then she grins because she made it wrong and he loves it.”
“Tansy is a bright star in our universe,” Sydney said seriously.
Declan eased back on the pillows, his fingers stroking up her arm and over her shoulder to pull her shoulder strap back into place. “I’ve never seen that dress before. It’s pretty.”
His fingers traveled up farther. Stroking her neck, across her cheek. He traced his thumb over her lips, gaze fixed firmly on her, following every touch, every caress.
When he slid his hand to the back of her head and tilted her face upward to him, she followed his lead. She leaned into his kiss, curled herself up against him. Rested one hand on his chest where the beat of his heart thumped against her palm.
The kiss deepened, and Sydney gave in. She offered herself up to his control, to the tease of his tongue against hers. When he pulled her across his body, she let her thighs fall open so he rested intimately between her legs.
Kisses teased down her neck, followed by the straps of her dress being pushed aside. Declan nipped along her collarbone, down to the front of her bra to the exposed hollow between her breasts.
“Tell me you want me,” Declan whispered urgently.
“Yes. I need you.”
He pushed off her bra straps, exposed her breasts, and then his mouth was on her. Nipping, teasing, sucking until she squirmed. She drove her fingers into his hair and tugged him from one side to the other whenever the ache became unbearable.
A series of curses escaped her lips as he slid under her, tossing the layers of her skirt aside and hauling her forward until his mouth landed on her pantie-covered sex.
“Declan.” She moaned as he jerked aside the gusset and swiped his tongue between her folds, landing unerringly on her clit. With both his hands clasped on her ass, she couldn’t move. Not that she wanted to, trapped in place by pleasure and the promise of a mind-blowing orgasm.
Cool air swirled over her naked torso, and she cupped her breasts, pinching her own nipples as Declan did his best to drive her wild. He speared his tongue deep, then slid a hand under the layers of her skirt to rub her clit with raw determination.
Release hovered, but the need to give to this incredible man made her push herself off him enough to twirl and undo the button on his jeans.
“I was having fun,” Declan complained.
“You’re about to have more fun,” she countered.
It was the work of a minute to get him to shove his jeans and briefs far enough down to release his cock. It snapped upright, eager and ready.
Sydney pulled a condom from her pocket and rolled it on him, grinning as Declan’s curses became more creative than coherent.
“You better plan on hopping on my cock right here and now, or I’ll flip you over and fuck you boneless.”
“Promises, promises,” Sydney gasped as she straddled him. She notched the head of his cock between her folds and slowly sank down, pleasure rippling up her spine.
