Easy Melody(22)

“But not now.”

“Not now.” I shrug and lean my head back against the post, watching Declan through my lowered lashes. “Are you going to tell me what you were really thinking?”

“Are you going to tell me about your ink?”

I shake my head slowly, and he joins me, moving his head slowly back and forth while watching me with a soft smile on his full lips. The electricity between us is a living entity, crackling and popping. Can’t he feel it too? How could he miss it?

Finally, I stand and gather the empty pizza box and beer bottles and carry them into the house to the garbage. Dec follows me, but he’s a man of few words tonight.

He has something on his mind, but doesn’t trust me enough yet to talk it out. That hurts, just a little, but I understand it too. There’s still plenty I don’t want to talk about with him.

I turn to go back outside, and bump right into a solid six foot four inch wall of muscle.

“Sorry. I didn’t see you there.” I brace my hands on his arms to catch my balance and before I can back away, he reaches out and brushes his thumb over my lower lip.

“You have some pizza sauce here,” he says softly. But he doesn’t just wipe it away. Oh no, that would be too friend-like. Instead, he tucks his fingers under my chin, lifting my gaze a little higher, tilting my lips toward his. He’s leaning into me, and I’d bet all of the tea in China that he’s going to kiss me.

Please, God, kiss the f*ck out of me.

His warm fingers are burning my skin, his hazel eyes holding on to mine. I couldn’t look away if I wanted to. When his lips are mere inches from mine, he pulls in a long, deep breath full of regret, and backs away with the exhale.

“You’d better go,” he says softly. I lick my lips and blink rapidly, as if I’m coming out of a trance.

Without a word, I walk past him, but before I can get out of the kitchen, he says, “Callie.”

I glance over my shoulder, cocking a brow.

“Thanks for today.” He smiles softly. His body is still tight with lust, and I want nothing more than to run back to him and f*ck him, right there on the kitchen counter. Even if it is just a one-night stand.

Except, that’s not what I want. And that’s all he’d offer me.

Not good enough.

Instead, I nod once and walk out of the room, scoop up my handbag and beeline it to my car.

I don’t take a breath until I’m three blocks away.

“What in the hell just happened?”





Chapter Six



Declan

The door closes behind her, and it feels as if all the air in the room went with her. I lean my palms on the counter and drop my head. God, I’m such a f*cking idiot. I should have kissed her. I should have boosted her up on the counter, sunk to my knees, and ate her out for about an hour, and then I should have f*cked her for the rest of the night.

But what am I doing instead?

I’m missing her.

I sigh deeply as my phone rings in my pocket. I don’t want to talk to anybody. I should go in the music room and close up in there for the night. Playing soothes me.

But when I glance at the phone, it’s my baby sister Gabby.

“Hey, Gabs.”

“Hi Dec. I’m calling to invite you out for dinner on Sunday. We’re inviting the whole family. Y’all haven’t been out in a while, and Ailish is getting so big, and she misses you.”

“She’s an infant,” I reply, but can’t help but smile. “As long as she’s fed and dry, she doesn’t miss anyone.”

“Not true,” she says. “Say you’ll come.”

“I’ll come.”

“Good. Now tell me what’s wrong.”

I shake my head and pace the kitchen. “Nothing’s wrong.”

“Don’t lie to me, Declan Francis.”

“You sound like Mom.” I chuckle as I rinse a glass out and load it into the dishwasher.

“I’m a mom,” she reminds me. She’s the best f*cking mother there is. Her son, Sam, is smart and funny, and has had me wrapped around his little finger since the day he was born nine years ago.

And little Ailish is the sweetest baby ever born. Gabby and Rhys did a good job there.

“Talk to me. Is this about Callie?”

“How do you know about Callie?” I ask and resume pacing the kitchen.

“Beau told me,” she says cheerfully. “He says you’re deeply in love and that we can expect you to elope any day now.”

“Beau is delusional, and we should get him medical help as soon as possible.”

Damn brother.

“I figure the truth is somewhere in the middle,” she says. She always was a smart girl.

“I like her,” I confess softly. “I want her.”

“So what’s the problem?”

“I’m an idiot.”

“Duh.” I roll my eyes and try to figure out how much I want to tell her. But before I know it, I’ve told her everything, from the moment I told Callie I was taking her out to dinner, to the moment she walked out of my house not half an hour ago. Gabby is quiet the whole time, letting me tell the story.

“That’s it?” she asks.

“That’s it.”