CHAPTER 21
Rayna
I worked my last shift and smiled as I walked to my car. We were packing tonight and flying out first thing in the morning. I trained Maria at her place the last night, looking at the beautiful Hispanic girl as I wondered if Declan would’ve fallen for her. She was sweet and feisty, making me laugh all night. She wanted to work from home due to a knee injury, and I thanked her before I left for covering for me. “Lana told me that you’re going away.”
“Long awaited vacation,” I nodded as she smiled. I didn’t want to tell her the details since it all sounded so wrong in my head. It didn’t feel that way when I was wrapped in his arms, though.
I started the engine of the car, driving towards the house that I now considered home, which was scary. I had just over two weeks left until James came home, but I’d made my decision there. The only thing I needed from the house was clothes since it was his castle and never mine. The possessions on the shelves meant nothing to me, and the pictures were the kind that I’d never want to see again. I liked Declan’s house, with its relaxed comfort and inviting feel. It was smaller than James, ’ but it held love there, love from both him and I that filled the air.
I drove to that house, wondering if James tried to call my old phone. I wondered if my parents tried to call it at all. Oddly enough, I didn’t feel any need to talk to any of them, pretending who I was and telling them what they wanted to hear. I had the attention of a man who knew the real me and seemed to love her, a thought that scared me. He told me last night with so much passion that he was in love with me and the way we made love on the couch, wild and needy, was a claiming. He claimed my body and made it his, and I loved every moment of it.
I loved him, but I couldn’t say that. I loved Declan too much to put him in the way of James misplaced jealousy when we came home. In France, we could be a couple in love, likely not known by anybody. They wouldn’t care who we were there, and I’d memorize every moment of the trip. I’d save it for the lonely nights that I would be dealing with when I came home, giving James time to calm down.
If he had called, he knew that I was missing. He might be on this already and searching for me. I winced inwardly as I realized that Declan probably used my name for the flight but hopefully nothing else. I’d had my hair done again recently in a darker blonde with vibrant purple ends, loving the small way that I could change who I was within a few hours.
Declan teased me, saying that it was like fucking a new woman in his bed. When he was behind me, taking me, his hands would grip my hair as he told me that he liked it. He asked me how often I’d be changing it, but sadly this was the last color that he’d see on me. I’d beg him to leave me alone if I needed to, hoping that our time together didn’t already seal his fate.
I walked into the house to find the kitchen empty but the smell of something cooking in the air. It smelled wonderful. I considered taking Declan up on his offer of buying me a house anywhere I had wanted for a second before I made my way to the bedroom. Declan was there, with an open suitcase on the bed as he faced his closet, wearing only a pair of soft, flannel pajamas. I watched him for a moment, thinking how gorgeous he was as I cursed myself for planning to leave him. Declan turned his head to look at me, a smile playing on his face. “Welcome to vacation, pretty girl.”
“Thank you. You look happy,” I observed as Declan nodded and held his hand out towards me. I strolled forward and moved into his arms to kiss him softly.
“So happy,” Declan assured me after the kiss as he smiled at me. “I have a chicken casserole in the oven. I figured we’d spend the night packing and trying to sleep some before the flight.”
“It smells so good,” I said as I kissed him again. I glanced at his bag, seeing it half-filled before looking at my new stuff folded up on the dresser. The lingerie was tucked into my suitcase that I‘d brought here, carefully wrapped and hidden. Declan told me that he had extra luggage if I wanted to use it and I’d accepted. There was a large bag beside him, all ready to fill up. I couldn’t wait.
We ate in the bedroom, stealing bites of the cheesy broccoli and chicken as we added things to the suitcases. I sipped wine as I planned in my head how I was going to organize this, settling on underwear first. I put the ones that he’d seen already in, adding the closed bag after as I felt his eyes on me. “What’s that?” Declan asked huskily as I giggled.
“A surprise,” I replied, laughing harder as his exaggerated moan. I threw some socks over the bag, in case we took any hikes or walks around, glancing at the shoes that were on the opposite end of the suitcase. I wasn’t a shoe girl like some of my friends, having just enough to be practical. I also had a foot condition that required me to spend a lot on shoes as it was, so I chose carefully.
“I might have a few of those as well,” Declan hinted as I turned my head to look at him curiously. He winked and continued packing as if he’d said nothing unusual. I had this fleeting image of him on some beach, on his knees with a ring in his hand. That was the proposal every girl dreamed of as opposed to the news over dinner that I was marrying James. The large engagement ring was given to me as an afterthought on the holidays, more show behind it than meaning.
I brushed the image out of my head as I focused on clothes. I packed a few pairs of jeans, some shorts, and casual shirts that could make up a series of outfits. I also packed the sundresses I’d bought as well as skirts to go with the shirts as well as a couple more formal dresses. I didn’t know what he had planned, but from what Declan had shown me so far, he was a romantic man.
I sealed my shampoo and conditioner into bags, along with the extra toothbrush Declan bought me. I brought minimal cosmetics since I knew that we’d be outside in the sun and I wouldn’t need them.
Declan and I took a break to wash the dishes, kissing several times before we finished and went to bed to make love. I knew that’s what it was, well-aware that I had never done this with any man before. It was beautiful, no matter if it was slow or rushed. I hated walking away from it in what seemed like a few short days.
We slept for about four hours before getting up to go to the airport, taking a shuttle as we both sipped coffee. We had several hours on two planes in which we planned to sleep, just waking up enough to check in with our tickets. I smiled as we completed every step and found some seats to wait to leave, sitting apart as we smiled at one another. First class was not new to me, but I’d traveled so little that I felt like a child. We settled into the comfortable seats, tucking blankets over ourselves as we held hands and got comfortable.
I slept and read on my Kindle during the flight while Declan took care of emails on his phone on his breaks from sleeping. We still cuddled under the blankets unless we were eating, loving the hidden closeness that we could achieve this way. He told me that he was tempted to get a private plane for the trip, but knew that I’d kill him.
We landed nearly a full day later, ready to move and settle in our room. I didn’t walk as much as I should have on the plane and felt like I could walk all the way to the hotel as we made our way to the baggage claim.
Once I saw the black car that was going to take us, I changed my mind. It was luxurious and sleek, making me smile as Declan took my suitcase and led me towards it. I slipped into the back, noting the privacy glass as the driver loaded our bags into the trunk. I stared out of the window as we drove, wrapped tightly in Declan’s arms. We were miles away from home, and I felt it as my body relaxed against him. It was beautiful here, taking in the cities with their old architecture and postcard beauty as I smiled and tried to snap a few shots from the car. It was a couple of hours in the car, and I took in the lush, green hills and flowers as we moved closer to the coast, mesmerized by the beauty.
I was also all too aware of Declan’s presence beside me, feeling his hands touch me everywhere as I struggled not to climb into his lap. There was a moment during the flight when it was dark that he slipped his hand between my legs under the blanket, under the leggings and underwear to find me needy and wet for him. His fingers worked their magic as I kissed him to keep quiet as I felt my release through my entire body. He excused himself to use the restroom, making me confident that he was going to jerk himself off before going back to sleep. I grinned and thought about everything that I was going to do to him when we were in France.
Here in the car, I unzipped his pants and wrapped my mouth around his cock as he slipped his hands into my hair. He was thick and hard, filling me to the point that he nudged my back throat. I was used to this and moved harder as he grunted and moaned my name before he came deep in my mouth.
We focused on the passing scenery for the remaining short drive, relieved when the driver pulled up to the beautiful building that housed our room. Declan slipped him some bills as I watched and checked us in as the pretty women behind the counter took him in. Declan was gorgeous and confident, oozing alpha male out of his pores as I felt my heart tug in my chest. I didn’t want to let him go when we left here. Based on the way that the girls were looking at him regardless of my presence or not, he’d be snatched up in a moment.
We took the elevator to our room, and I walked right to the windows to look over the blue ocean. It was stunning, and Declan wrapped his arms around my waist as he asked if I’d like to shower with him before taking a walk down there. It was time for dinner soon, and we decided just to keep it easy tonight, eating in the room and getting some sleep in a real bed. I smiled and walked through the spacious living area, down a hall where there were two rooms off to the left with an ocean view. Declan picked the last one, and I gasped as I walked inside, clutching his hand. The bed was a King and faced a wall of windows, displaying the same view as the living room. There was a door leading to a balcony that had table and chairs and even a grill. An ornate fireplace was against the left wall with a large television hanging on the wall just beside it. It was gorgeous, and I noted the door just to the right of the bed as I licked my lips and felt tears in my eyes. “Declan, it’s amazing. It’s too much,” I whimpered as I turned into his arms.
“Nothing is too much for you, Rayna. When will you see that?” He asked me as I fought the crying jag that was coming on. He sensed it and led me carefully into the bathroom and sitting me on the counter as he turned on the shower. I looked around, seeing that the bathroom was fantastic as well. The shower was massive with water coming down from several places, and it included a huge tub as well. There was even a small fireplace in here. I looked up as he approached me again, slipping down to help him remove my clothes before he took his own off. I stepped under the water, feeling the heat ease into my skin and into my sore bones as I closed my eyes. “This is the best thing after a long flight. It’ll ease all the aches and pains for you, and we can even nap before we eat. You’re a whole world away from LA.”
“Yes,” I murmured as I felt his hand slide up to cup a breast. I hardened against him immediately, and he pinched me gently. I wanted him in here, and he pressed against me as I moaned. “Declan, I…I need you.” I turned to face him, kissing him hard as he tugged me against him. We made love against the tiled wall, my back hurting with the force of it as I cried out his name. I imagined a life where we could do this freely anywhere we wanted, openly loving each other and creating a new life. I came with him as I wished for the birth control to fail for one moment, knowing that it would further James’ anger and could never happen. He held my ass as he stilled, grunting my name breathlessly before telling me how much he loved me.
I opened my mouth to speak, the words on the tip of my tongue. I loved Declan madly, but I didn’t want him to know that since it would break his heart more when I left. We finished the shower, smiling before we dried off and I walked over to the windows. The sea was just outside, and I could see a hint of the private beach the resort offered as I looked down to the right. I cracked open one of the windows to let in some of the fresh air, breathing in deeply. “Is this real?” I asked softly, trying to figure how I ended up here.
“It’s very real,” Declan replied as he walked over to look out. “I stayed here for a work thing years ago, and I’ve been crazy about it ever since then. I knew that it was where I would be bringing you the moment you mentioned a vacation.” He rubbed my bare shoulders and smiled as I glanced at him. “Feel like you want a nap? It’s not always easy sleeping on a plane.”
“Particularly when someone is manhandling you during said flights,” I teased as he kissed my damp hair. “I guess it might be a good idea. We can have some dinner and just stay in tonight.”
“That’s the plan,” Declan said as he took my hand and led me to the bed. We both dropped down, naked but for our towels, as he looked me over slowly. “You are so damn beautiful, Rayna.”
He held me as I fell asleep, my body pressing against him without thought. There was so much peace and love in this room, and I woke up smiling, my legs tangled with his. I rose first, looking outside before I went to use the bathroom and fix my messy hair into a loose ponytail. I went to my suitcase in the living room and pulled it back to the bedroom before I got his, smiling as he blinked when I came back into the bedroom.
CHAPTER 22
Declan
I woke up slowly, seeing her bringing one of the suitcases into the bedroom. Rayna was wearing one of the robes from the bathroom, and her hair was pulled up, but she looked happy. “Morning,” I joked as she smiled at me and lifted her suitcase to the top of the big dresser. “Did you get both bags?” She nodded, and I whistled. “That’s my bad ass.”
“Mine is probably heavier than yours,” she joked as she pulled out some denim cut off shorts that made my mouth water. Rayna found a red shirt that she held up, nodding to herself as she set it on top of the shorts. I sat up to stretch, feeling her gaze move to me as I moved. I loved that she always watched me. I pushed the sheets back and stood naked as I walked over to my own luggage and tossed it easily on the bed.
“Walk on the beach, dinner, and another walk?” I asked as she nodded, figuring with one look out of the window that we had a few hours until sundown. I wanted to see the sun go down every chance that we got because it was always beautiful and just a hint different each time. I pulled out some board shorts and a t-shirt before slipping into them and found the shoes I’d worn for the flight.
She looked incredible in the shorts that weren’t so short that I’d have to watch every man around us, but enough to be sexy. Under her shirt, she wore a thin lace bra, and she grabbed something from her bag and slipped it into her pocket as I cocked a brow at her. “Old phone. It’s going into the ocean,” she told me as I smiled broadly. “Old life.”
I grabbed the key to the room and slipped it into my pocket before taking her hand and leading her to the door. We went down in the elevator and left the lobby to take the steps towards the beach. It was long and gorgeous with soft sand, and clear blue water and Rayna gasped as she stepped onto it. We made our way to the soft waves lapping against the shore, slipping off our shoes to kick them up where they could wait for us. There was another couple at the other end that had a little girl running around them, making us both smile. We went the other way, clasping hands and strolling together to some rocks as I watched her stare at the water. The temperature was perfect, and a light breeze blew around us, ruffling the purple ends of her hair as she laughed.
Rayna walked onto the smooth rocks that hung over a part of the beach where the water gathered around it in harsher waves. She pulled out the old phone and looked out over the Mediterranean Sea before throwing it forcefully into the deeper water. She looked so focused, and I watched her as she mouthed some words and sadness crossed her face for a moment. It had to be hard letting go of a life that you know no matter how awful it was. I couldn’t understand why her parents wouldn’t support her but that was their choice, and I’d do everything in my power to let her know that I did. She leaned her head back and took a deep breath before jumping down from the rock and running into my arms. “Hi,” I said, embracing her tightly. “You okay?”
“That felt good,” she murmured as she pressed her face into my chest and linked her arms around my back. We stood there like this for a few moments before turning to continue down the beach, turning around when we both started feeling hungry. I knew there was a casual cafe in the resort unless she wanted to eat on our balcony, and we held hands as we walked and she looked around.
“Where do you want to eat?” I asked her once we were closer to the hotel, keeping my voice gentle. I knew that she was going through a lot emotionally and didn’t want to antagonize her, thinking how any of my friends would tell me that I was insane for getting myself in this situation in the first place.
Maybe I was, but I loved her. I knew that I had the means to help her, willing to in any way. “Something easy at the cafe? I just want a burger or something.”
“Perfect, baby.” She looked at me as I spoke, her eyes full in the late afternoon sun. Hadn’t I called her that already? We made our way to the door, walking inside as I asked for a table for two with a smile. It felt good to not be tethered to my laptop or phone, though I knew I’d check it later. We were taken to a table that overlooked the beach, ordering ice water as Rayna picked up her menu. She quickly decided on that burger while I went with a club sandwich, ordering from the waitress as she brought our drinks.
“They all look at you the same way,” she said as she sipped the water and watched the woman walk away.
“How’s that?” I asked with laughter in my voice. I liked jealous Rayna a little bit, though I didn’t understand her insecurity as I looked at her flawless face across the table.
“Like they wish I weren't here,” was her response as I let the sound out of my throat.
“They can wish it until their dying day, but I love you. Only you.” I reminded her as she blushed and pressed her lips together. I noticed that she hadn’t said it back to me, but I understood that. She didn’t seem the type to just tell anybody that and I wanted her to say it with true meaning in her voice. I felt it every time that she looked at me, as well as every time that she was in my arms. Rayna feared everything that was happening, but she was here with me and at my house before this. She brought a suitcase to my house, which told me a lot. I was willing to wait for her to tell me that she loved me, but she was going to hear it every chance that I had to say it to her.
“French women are so beautiful, though. They look like supermodels,” she remarked as I smiled at her.
“You’ll see all kinds of people here, Rayna. This is a popular place for tourists, and we can even take the train to Italy if you’d like. There’s a lot to see,” I offered as she nodded. “You don’t see the way that people look at you, do you?”
“No. How?” She asked with wide eyes. I hadn’t been out with her in public a lot back home, but the few times that I was men looked her way. Hell, even women did. Here, every guy that we passed turned to look a little longer. I knew her hair was bright, but it wasn’t so unusual that nobody had ever seen it before. Rayna was just naturally beautiful in that girl next door way. She was my beautiful angel.
“You are a stunning woman, Ray. Those blue eyes shine, and when you smile, you light up a room.” I couldn’t believe that she’d never been told this before. “You are beautiful effortlessly, and that’s a hard thing to do.”
Our entrees arrived, and we ate eagerly, thankful for anything other than airplane food. The food tasted great as we discussed plans for tomorrow and even later tonight, one of which I knew was taking Rayna in our bed with the ocean air filling the room. I couldn’t wait to have her somewhere without limitations after the flight and the quick shower sex. It was fantastic, but I needed some time with her body, kissing those sweet lips as she moaned against me.
I asked for some cake to go for dessert so we could sit on the beach and watch the sunset, making Rayna smile. The waitress brought it in a purple box after I paid and tipped her generously and we walked back on the sand and found a place to sit.
We ate the rich dessert in the orange and purple rays of light, snapping pictures in between bites. It was always beautiful but seeing Rayna enjoying it with an easy smile on her face in that light took my breath away. I snapped a photo of her licking some frosting from the corner of her lips, and she glanced at me before I pulled her against me. I snapped one of the both of us smiling, and she stared at it for a long moment. “Text that to me,” she said with a hint of pain in her voice, looking at me.
I did, and we finished watching it, sitting there until the dark of night fell around us. Our cake was gone, and we made our way to the room slowly, feeling our energy fading. Once we were there, I saved the picture on my phone for the background as she grinned and walked out on the balcony. “Did you see the coffee maker in the tiny kitchen? We can sit out here and drink it tomorrow morning,” she told me as I walked out behind her. It was cooler out now, and I draped a blanket around her shoulders as she relaxed.
“I did. That is a requirement for hotels. I don’t always feel like going to the lobby for my caffeine,” I told Rayna as she shifted in my arms.
“How often do you stay at hotels like that?” Rayna asked as I considered laughing at her. I traveled a lot for work, and the rooms weren’t always like this.
“More than you think,” I assured her as I kissed her hair. “When you travel a lot for a job, it isn’t fun like this. It’s business, making a room just a room.”
We stayed out there as long as we could handle the dropping temperature, looking at the stars and the moon. Once inside, I looked around the living room and took in the television and the fireplace. “Movie in here or the bedroom?” I asked her as she nibbled her lip and looked at me. Rayna dropped the blanket on the couch and walked barefoot towards the bedroom as I followed her, unable to do anything but that. She had the television on, and I made a small fire there just because I could, leaving the window cracked for some air as long as I could stand it.
I walked to the bed where she had the remote, lifting my shirt off before I dropped beside her. Rayna had removed her shorts but still wore the shirt as I leaned in to kiss her neck. “Hi,” she whispered as my lips drew her skin between my teeth, making her shudder.
“Hello, beautiful,” I responded as my hand wrapped around her waist slowly.
We ended up making out with her on my lap, missing the entire random movie that was playing on HBO. Our clothes slowly slipped off, since we both knew that there was no hurry tonight or even in the following few weeks. I pushed her to her back and kissed down her neck, over her nipples before sucking one into my mouth. Her thighs were damp, and I felt her heat against my leg that was pressed between us for leverage, making me want to drop between them and take her with one hard thrust. I told myself to slow down as I tasted her sweet pink bud with a groan.
I moved down her stomach and kissed the skin just above her dripping pussy before moving down to lick long and slow. She was so sweet, and I cleaned all of her before I found her clit and teased it ruthlessly until she was begging me to fuck her. She came against my tongue first with a scream before I moved over her and lined my cock up with her pussy. “Do you want me?” I asked her hoarsely as she nodded vigorously. “I am going to fuck you on the French Riviera, baby.” I moved inside of her as she dropped her head back. Fuck, she felt good. I moved in and out of her, lost in Rayna’s body as our moans mixed in the room. This bed, this room, this life…it was perfect. “Rayna…oh God.” I shot deep inside of her as she screamed my name. She came a second after me, clutching my shoulders tightly as she rocked with me, desperate to drag out the feeling.
“This is the best feeling I’ve ever had,” she said as we lay on our sides, staring at each other. The room was lit with the orange flames and the forgotten television, and I tried to see her better.
“I agree,” I told her as she leaned up to kiss me. We turned towards the large screen and cuddled together, falling asleep to it until I woke up to use the bathroom a few hours later. I turned the television off and crawled back into bed with her, pulling her warm body close.
The bed was as comfortable as the one I had at home, and I sank into it as I kissed her hair. I drifted back to sleep and woke up with the sun shining outside of the window. I stretched and looked at her slowly, peaceful in her sleep as I grinned. I wanted to wake up with this woman for the rest of my life.
I got up to use the bathroom again and went to make some coffee, as happy as I’d ever been. I took one cup and went out to the balcony to look at the picturesque view slowly, taking it all in. I reminded myself to check some emails for work before we started the day, but didn’t move.