Chapter 34
Despite our decades-long friendship, I still don’t know how to read Declan. Not in certain situations. But our girl can. Thank fuck, because the two of us are pretty terrible at this whole communication thing.
I never would have guessed Declan was nervous. Or insecure.
But as we finish dinner, I can’t help but replay a comment Melina made about Declan using the ropes to ease his anxiety.
He’s always been quiet, and the broodiness set in when we were in college. So I’ve always just accepted that it’s who he is. Is it possible that he’s broody and quiet because he’s anxious? Because he doesn’t always know what to say?
I guess I’ve noticed that when he’s in control, when he’s comfortable, he’s more open. At least with me.
Mel seems to know what he needs without words, though.
Surprisingly, their connection doesn’t make me jealous. I’m thankful for it. Because around her, he’s comfortable enough to accept the man he truly is, and apparently that man wants to kiss me.
So yeah, I’m not jealous at all. I’m fucking ecstatic about the possibility of learning more about my best friend.
“I’ll clean up. You two go get in my shower.”
I startle at Declan’s command, even as Mel laces her fingers with mine and guides me toward his room.
“He needs a few minutes to himself,” she tells me as we approach Dec’s bedroom, once again proving my theory.
“Oh yeah? And what are we going to do while he does that?” I tease, trying to relax.
Mel glances back at me with a wicked smile. “Whatever we want.”
I pause at the threshold. I’ve never been inside his bedroom before. Walking into his personal space now feels like a monumental feat.
Mel doesn’t stop. She doesn’t even slow. Of course, she’s probably already been in here.
Has she slept beside him in this bed?
I take in the king-size bed. Is it possible that it’s bigger than a king? I swear it’s larger than my bed at home. The dark navy comforter is folded down and made as if a drill sergeant inspected the room this morning.
A gray lamp sits on each dark-wood nightstand flanking the mattress. The ornate headboard is a dark wood as well. Above it, a large picture of the Mount Hope Bridge at night, lit up in red, white, and blue—as it always is on the Fourth of July in Bristol—hangs.
Finally stepping into the room, I head straight for the picture window. Outside, the yard is well-manicured, with a large arborvitae separating it from the water, allowing for complete privacy.Exclusive © content by N(ô)ve/l/Drama.Org.
As I take in the scene, one Declan must see every night, I take a long breath in and let it out, feeling my nerves settling.
My mind turns to the many nights we’ve sat in that backyard at the teak table, or around the fire pit, beers in hand, bullshitting. I guess I’m the one typically doing the bullshitting. Declan’s additions to the conversations typically involve grunting in acknowledgment of something I’ve said.
What is it about him that made me fall so hard?
There’s no explanation for the way my heart picks up the minute he walks into a room. The way my eyes search for him when I know he’s near. How I breathe easier when I’m in this town, in this house, in his proximity.
But that’s not giving him enough credit.
Declan showed up at my house the night my dad died and never left. Physically, he went home, of course—though he often stayed all night. But even then, I knew he was only a phone call away. That he’d show up in a heartbeat if I needed him.
That’s always been Declan.
He’s the steady one. The strong one. My rock.
I startle when slender arms wrap around my waist and squeeze.
“Shower is warm.” Mel presses a kiss to the space between my shoulder blades.
I spin and take her cheeks in my hands. “You are perfect, you know that?”
Head tipped back, she gives me a knowing smile. “No one’s perfect, Cade.”
Angling closer, I press my lips to hers. When I pull back, I keep my focus locked on her eyes. “You are. For us. You always know what we need. Space for Declan, time for me. Your hugs. You just…” My throat goes thick with emotion, making it nearly impossible to get the words out.
She blinks up at me, patient, not rushing me or filling the silence.
“You complete us,” I breathe out. “Tonight wouldn’t be happening if not for you.”
Mel slides her teeth over her bottom lip. “I’ve never felt more like myself than when I’m with the two of you. Maybe it’s selfish, wanting you both—”
Shaking my head, I slide a thumb along her cheek, relishing the smoothness of her skin. “No more selfish than me wanting you both. Can you feel the way I’m shaking? My body is vibrating with want, knowing he’s on the other side of that wall. We need him. And I’m okay with admitting that.”
“Just remember, this is a big step for him,” she reminds me. “He cares so deeply for you, but he’s going to get things wrong.”
Like earlier. That’s what she’s referring to. How we handled the fight in the bar. How I lashed out at him for not being ready.
My insecurities got the best of me, and I projected. It was unfair of me, but the idea that he was embarrassed by us hurt.
“I’m going to get things wrong too,” I admit.
She pops up on her toes and brushes her mouth over mine. “We’ll go slow, then. No rules, no expectations.”
I smile against her lips. “You never did like rules, Trouble.”
“True.” With a wicked chuckle, she slips her tongue into my mouth. She undoes my pants and slowly undresses me. All the while, we’re a mess of hands and teeth and tongues, dropping clothes throughout Declan’s neat room as we kiss.
“He’s going to lose his mind when he comes in here,” I say, pushing her into the now steamy bathroom. Grabbing her by the thighs, I lift her into my arms and step into the oversized shower.
She grinds against me with every step I take. Fuck. It takes everything in me to not push inside her. To not take her against the wall of his shower, fucking her roughly until she cries out on my cock, loud enough that Declan can’t help but come watch us dismantle his carefully crafted plans.
Though Mel did say no rules, so keeping ourselves entertained while we wait for him isn’t out of the question. I’m squeezing her ass, rubbing her over my cock, ready to thrust into her, when the bedroom door bangs against the wall, startling us.
“Don’t worry, I’ll clean up in here,” Declan hollers.
Mel buries her face in my chest, laughing.
Need courses through me, heavy and all-consuming. “Think I can get you off before he finishes putting away our clothes?”
Eyes flaring, she rotates her hips against me, moaning as the head of my cock slides against her clit. “Bet you we both can.”
Bucking against her, I press her against the wall. Then I use my grip on her hips to slide her up and down my shaft, watching as she massages me with her clit.
“Yes, Cade, right there.”
Maybe it’s the unknown, all the possibilities, the way my mind is running rampant, but we’ve barely fooled around, and already, I’m close to losing it.
The sound of Declan opening and closing drawers and walking around his room only adds to the excitement. A thrill shoots down my spine at the idea that he could catch us at any moment. My body buzzes as I consider what type of punishment he’d dole out.
Would he spank Mel?
Would he spank me?
My cock swells at the thought of Declan forcing me to turn around. My breath hitches when I imagine the moments of anticipation while I wait for his hand to meet my ass.
Biting down on my shoulder, Mel grinds against me. Then she’s crying out and coming apart in my arms.
“You’re going to pay for that orgasm, sweetheart,” Declan says as he steps into the shower behind me. His tone is all stern daddy, the sound of it, along with his proximity, making my ass clench. “And you—” He grips my shoulder, and then he’s close, the heat of him radiating, his presence overwhelming me when I’m already so close to coming all over Mel’s stomach.
Heaving in a harsh breath, I peer over my shoulder. Fuck, he’s close, his mouth mere centimeters from mine. Water from the rain shower above us streams from his dark hair, dripping across his eyebrows and past his rugged nose, landing on his parted lips as he runs his tongue across his teeth.
“You’re going to pay for making me want you. Making it impossible to think about anyone but the two of you since the minute you brought Melina into my home, gave her my tequila, and then let her sit on my cock.”
My knees wobble, and my heart stumbles, but somehow, I manage to tease him. “Your cock?”
The way Declan arches his brow, as if he’s unimpressed by my denial, has me ready to blow. In bed, I typically prefer to be in charge. In control. But there isn’t a world in which Declan will allow that, and fuck if that thought doesn’t make my insides molten.
“Pretty sure she was riding my cock, Dec. Like she did just now when she came all over it.”
Mel whimpers against me, pulling Declan’s attention to her.
Glaring, he grunts. “Then she has a mess to clean up, don’t you, sweetheart?”
Heart pounding, I survey Mel, searching for signs of how she’s feeling.
Her pupils all but eclipse her irises, and her chest is heaving, like this is her greatest dream. “My pleasure,” she purrs as she uses her hold on my neck to pull herself closer so our chests are flush.
Then, over my shoulder, they’re kissing, and he’s pressing against me from behind, wrapping his arm around my side and pulling her in tighter. Like this, I can feel every ridge of his body. From his muscular chest to his firm abs to the thick cock Mel loves so fucking much.
There’s no stopping my body’s instinct to roll my ass against his length. He groans against Mel’s lips, and then he’s pulling his mouth from hers, cuffing my neck, and pressing his lips to mine.
I’m so stunned, it takes me a few seconds to do anything but stand there and keep Mel pressed against the wall. I’m still holding her up, but he’s cocooning the both of us with his strong arms.
And holy fuck, Declan is kissing me.
His lips are rougher than Mel’s, but his movements are gentle to start. But when I run my tongue against the seam of his lips, he ruts against my ass, making it clear that he likes what’s happening. He opens for me, and as we explore one another’s mouths, Mel wiggles free from my arms. Once she’s steady, I release her and allow Declan to spin me and press me against the wall—which is cold as fuck compared to his warm body—and then he’s diving in for another kiss.
It’s rough, the way we’re going at it, rubbing against one another while we war for control. His fingers tug on my hair, my hands find his hips and we grind against one another. It feels so fucking good. His lips on mine, his breath, his pounding heart. Declan yanks back, and for a second, my heart sinks. But then he’s pulling Mel toward us and grabbing her chin, his eyes blazing.
“Clean him up for me, sweetheart.” He presses his lips to hers and wraps his fingers around my cock.
The groan that slips from my throat is nothing short of animalistic. “Fuck, Dec.”
We’re all transfixed on the way he strokes me. He thumbs my head, then releases me and holds his thumb up to Mel’s lips. Without hesitation, she sucks him clean.
He cups her shoulder and urges her to her knees. With his other hand, he squeezes my cock. Then he’s guiding it into her warm mouth.
I stare, slack jawed, in ecstasy.
“You are such a good girl,” he murmurs as he strokes her cheek. “Sucking my cock like that.” He turns to me, wearing a challenging frown, daring me to defy him. “Tell her, baby. Tell her how good she’s doing.”
Jaw clenched, I focus on breathing through my nose and holding myself back from exploding. This moment is perfect. Declan is fisting my cock while Mel sucks me down. The way he watches me like he can’t wait to send me over the edge, like my pleasure is his pleasure, is the hottest thing I’ve ever witnessed.
And fuck, he called me baby.
It’s nearly impossible to speak, but I manage to force the stilted words out. “Y-you’re perfect. Like always, Trouble.”
Mel looks up at me, eyes full of liquid heat. She’s loving this just as much as I am.
“And whose cock is she sucking?” Dec’s tone is condescending. Why the fuck is it so hot? If this is how it feels when he owns me, I’ll give him the reins from here on out.
I drop my head back against the tile, my body racked with tension as I stave off my orgasm. “Yours.”
The smile that lances his face is exquisite. Angling in, he presses his mouth to mine again. He forces his tongue between my lips, and as I reciprocate, licking into his mouth, he sucks hard. And, holy fuck, I come without warning. Declan inhales my cries while Mel swallows me down. Neither relents until I’m spent. Until my legs shake and Dec is holding me up against the shower wall.
Once he’s sure I’ll remain upright, he scoops Mel into his arms and murmurs in her ear, telling her how good she did, how proud he is of her. He pulls her in and kisses her, instantly whimpering. Tingles creep up my spine as he dives in for another taste of her. Because it’s not just her he’s tasting. It’s me, and he fucking loves it.