Page 15 of A Cowboy's Claim
What he did instead was something he’d been longing to do, but it never seemed as if he could. Not when they very clearly established their sexual interactions as bedroom romps that led to screaming orgasms.
He kissed her.
It was a bid to distract her mind from the chaos and anger. Get her shoulders to ease and the tension in her body to loosen its grip.
Okay, he wasn’t a perfect gentleman. He undid the buttons on her shirt and slipped her bra open, so that as they kissed, he got to drift his hands all over her soft skin. Got to cup and play with the full handfuls of her breasts.
He nibbled on the spot under her ear that made her squirm.
She shifted, gyrating over him. She rubbed their groins together to try and take the edge off, and he let her use him until her fingernails dug into his shoulders. Until she gasped into his mouth, the movements of her hips unsteady and out of rhythm. He clasped his hands on her hips and dragged her up, increasing the pressure, increasing the tempo.
Sydney sighed. “Declan.”
Her body quivered, and her head landed on his shoulder. She squeezed her thighs tight then let go.
There wasn’t an ounce of stress left in her. She wasn’t watching, she wasn’t in control. She gave it all up and let him be there for her. It was probably the most intimate moment they’d ever had, in spite of mostly wearing all their clothes.
The quiet enveloped them for a moment before she shifted over him. She lifted her head and offered a satisfied smile. Her fingers drifted in a gentle stroke over his shoulder. “Did you want to meet tonight?”
Every fucking night. Every fucking minute.
Instead, he shook his head, kissing her tenderly one final time. “Promised my brothers I’d spend the evening with them. If I’m meeting with you later, I’ll be so distracted they’ll win a shit ton of my money.”
“We can’t have that,” she teased. “Thanks for the listening ear and the timely intimidating presence. Thanks for being awesome.”
He stared at her face for a moment. He wanted to be the man to put this expression on her face all the time. “You make it easy.”
Sydney gave him a final shining grin, and they both headed to their vehicles.
When they hit the main road, Sydney turned toward town, and Declan turned toward High Water, eager to get to the next part of his day. He had a specific agenda in mind that involved a tracking program, his phone, and a lesson with their resident hacker, Petra.
He had, after all, asked Sydney’s permission. Now he needed Petra’s tech skills to pull off the most considerate kind of stalking.
4
With Declan spending the evening with his brothers, Sydney realized it might be the perfect opportunity to steal some time with her girls.
Sydney: Hey, ladies. What are the chances I can entice you to join me for the evening? Bring Jeffrey if you’d like, Tansy.”
It didn’t take long before she got responses.
Petra: Perfect idea. We’ll bring a salad if you can whip up your artichoke dip and nachos.
Tansy: What she said. Excited to come over, but without the Jeffster. My parents have been begging for a chance to spoil him with some dedicated grandma and grandpa time. After the way he was cozying up to my dad at the bookstore the other day, I think he’s ready.
Sydney: Then I’ll see you all when you get here.
Didn’t take much work to prepare. The little house that she rented on the edge of town was a two bedroom. The location was convenient to both the clinic in town and the highway to access the rest of her reluctant patients. The place wasn’t much to look at, but it had a big enough living space that Sydney had squeezed in three couches—more than enough for a full-on sprawl session with friends.
She took a few minutes to apply an extra layer of makeup. It wouldn’t stop her friends from seeing the damage that had happened, but as long as it wasn’t right there, staring them in the face, she might get a few less obsessive complaints.
She stepped back, eyeing her work. The bruising was masked, but the puffiness gave her away. So much for flying under the radar.
She was going to hear an earful over this one if Declan hadn’t already informed them of the mishap.
With the dip in the oven to heat, Sydney made herself a drink and stepped onto the front porch, staring toward the mountains and the sun that was still high in the sky this time of year.
Such a pretty place. She was glad that she’d come to Heart Falls, but she had to admit the regrets over what couldn’t be were growing.
