Текст книги "Easy Melody"

Автор книги: Kristen Proby

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Текущая страница: 5 (всего у книги 14 страниц)

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 fucking 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 fucked 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 fucking 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.”

“I really think you need to talk to her. Tell her how you’re feeling.”

“She’s decided that we’re friends, Gabs. And the thing is, she’s an awesome friend. I enjoy her. She’s smart, we laugh, we have a good time together.”

“But you want more.”

I take a deep breath. “I want more. I don’t know where it will lead, but I want more.” There’s a pause on the other end of the line. “Are you sniffling?”

“It’s just so great,” she says with tears in her voice. “I was beginning to wonder if you’d ever find anyone, and you have.”

“I’m not proposing.”

“No, but this is the first time I’ve ever heard you this smitten with anyone.”

“Men don’t get smitten.”

“Yes they do.”

“No. They don’t.”

“Hold on.” She doesn’t even bother to take the phone away from her mouth when she calls out to Rhys, her husband. “Babe! Declan says men don’t get smitten, but they do, right? That’s what I thought. Rhys is smitten with me,” she informs me.

“Of course he is. He wants to get laid tonight.” I laugh, only slightly uncomfortable at the thought of my baby sister having sex.

“My point is, just talk to her. Tell her how you feel. Maybe she feels the same way, but doesn’t want to tell you.”

“I’m scared,” I admit. “If I tell her I want more now, she could pull the rug out from under the whole thing, and then I lose her altogether.”

“You could lose her anyway,” she says softly. “But you never know if you don’t try.”

“Thanks, baby girl. I’ll see you on Sunday.”

“Bring Callie!”

“Too soon. Bye.”

I hang up before she can argue further and march into the music room.

I need to play.

***

Here goes nothing.

It’s still early in the evening, but it’s not a typical busy night, and I’m hoping I’ll be able to get Callie alone, even if it’s just for a few moments so I can talk to her. I don’t want to wait until later tonight to walk her to her car.

I walk in and sigh in relief. It’s slow in The Odyssey, with just a few tables occupied, and a couple of guys at the bar. The roof is closed, which tells me it’s been mellow all day.

Perfect.

As I walk toward the bar, I see Callie at the far end talking to a tall suit-type who’s handing her flowers.

“Oh, Pete, you didn’t have to do that.” She’s smiling as she buries her nose in the blooms.

“Well, dinner out just hasn’t worked out, so I decided to come to you.”

Who the fuck is this?

“We’ve both been busy,” Callie says as she shifts her gaze and finds me standing not far behind Flower Boy. Her eyes widen and her cheeks pinken. I stand firm, cross my arms over my chest, and watch unapologetically.

Mine.

“I know things ended between us a long time ago,” the dude continues, “but I’ve never forgotten you, Cal. Let me take you out, like old times.”

Fuck that.

“Callie,” I say, my voice calm but firm. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Adam can get you a drink. We’re having a conversation,” Pete says, obviously pissed at being interrupted.

I bet he’s been practicing his speech for a week.

“Now,” I say simply.

“I’ll be back,” she says to Pete, then walks around the bar and motions for me to follow her. As soon as we’re in her office, I close the door and move her against it, caging her in.

“Is he who you want, Callie?” I’m panting, adrenaline taking over. Callie’s blue eyes are wide and pinned to mine. She’s gripped on to my shirt over my ribs, holding on tightly. “Say he is, and I’ll leave right now.”

She blinks once, then again.

“That’s what I thought.” I plunge one hand into her soft hair, fist my hand in it and tilt her head back, and kiss her. Hard. She moans, long and deep, pulling me to her with those hands, and I’m lost in her. Our tongues explore each other, and then I nibble the corner of her mouth and kiss her softly. “I’m tired of trying to keep my hands off of you,” I murmur, my lips still against hers. She’s hitched one mile-long leg up around my hip, and my cock is hard and pulsing against her. “I know you just want the friend thing, but damn it, Calliope, I don’t.”

Her eyes widen, and when she would speak, I cut her off. “No, this is my turn to talk. If you want to waste your time with the douche with the flowers, fine, it’s none of my business, but I can’t watch it. I’m sorry, I can’t just hang back and be your friend when I want you so badly I can’t breathe. Yesterday was the best day and the worst, all at the same time because I had you with me, but I couldn’t touch you.”

“Declan—”

“I want to talk with you, learn you, lose myself in you. All of those things. And I don’t have any experience in that shit, but damn it, I want it with you. Because those little things, Callie? The talking as I walk you to your car, or laughing with you as we demo my house? Eating pizza on the porch? They aren’t little things to me. I’ve never done that with any other woman that I’m not related to by blood. I never wanted to.

“Until you, and it’s confused the hell out of me. All I want is a chance to start this over with you. We did it all backwards, and that’s on me. I get it. But damn it, let me try it again, because if you don’t, it’ll be the biggest regret of my life.”

Her mouth opens and closes, as though she doesn’t know what to say first. But finally she says, “Pete’s waiting.”

Well.

I guess I know where she stands.

I back away, untangle my hand from her hair and walk away, not looking back, through the bar and out into the dark evening.

I poured my heart out and she chose someone else.

Fuck.

***

The music is loud, but not loud enough to drown out my thoughts. Boy, did I blow it. I’m a grade-A asshole. I had the chance to have something really great with Callie, and I messed up so bad that all she sees when she looks at me is a friend, and she’s sweet on the moron with the flowers.

Probably because he’s nicer to her than I ever was. Although he looked pretty smarmy to me.

Not my problem.

I sigh and rub my hands over my face. It’ll be fine. It’s not like I don’t have plenty of women in my life that are more than willing to have a good time.

But I don’t have the need to confide in any of them. To listen to them talk about their day, or watch football with them.

No, they’re pretty much only around for one reason, and until a sassy blonde walked into my life, that was fine with me.

But now, it just doesn’t seem like enough.

The doorbell rings. I scowl and stay where I am, hoping they’ll go away. I’m definitely not in the mood for company.

But it rings again, and then again, and I can’t stand it anymore. I stomp through the foyer and yank the door open, shocked as fuck to see Callie standing on the other side.

“Hi,” she says softly.

“You’re working,” I reply, hating the cold in my voice.

“I left.”

I nod and watch her, not inviting her in. “What do you need?”

She winces and I immediately feel like an asshole. “I don’t need anything.” She shakes her head and frowns and I let my eyes rake up and down her. She’s in a ripped Metallica T-shirt and a denim skirt with the same black heels she wore to the football game.

I shouldn’t have looked.

“Can I come in?” she asks.

I push the door back and step aside, gesture for her to come in, then lead the way back to the sitting room I’d been crashed in when she arrived.

I turn the music off, bathing the room abruptly in silence.

“I’m sorry,” she says.

“For what?”

“Earlier. Can I tell you what you saw?”

“I’m not slow, Callie. I know what I saw.”

“Look.” She squares her shoulders now and lifts her chin. There’s the girl I know. She’s determined, and I have a feeling I’m in for quite a show. “I know what you saw, but you don’t know how I feel about it.”

“How do you feel, Calliope?”

“Bulldozed,” she says and paces around the room. “I feel fucking bulldozed.”

God, she’s magnificent. The way her legs move as she walks, the strength in her arms, the determination on her face.

“Pete is an old boyfriend from high school. Until two weeks ago, I hadn’t seen him since I was eighteen. Now he suddenly thinks that we should get back together.”

My jaw tightens at the thought, but I don’t interrupt.

“He showed me two houses, and that was it. And I’m pretty sure one was involved in the slave trade.”

“Excuse me?” My voice is deceptively calm.

“He sells real estate,” she says, waving that aside as if it doesn’t matter. “He asked me out twice, and I didn’t go. And I don’t even know why I feel like I need to defend myself or explain myself to you, but damn it, I do. So I am.”

She turns to me now, her blue eyes on fire, and she’s never looked sexier.

“He shows up tonight and hands me flowers, and before I could say anything to him, there you were, in all your sexiness, and I was just… thrown.”

“What happened after I left?”

She bites her lip and looks down at her hands, but I catch her chin in my fingers and tilt her head up to look at me. “What happened, Callie?”

“I gave him back his flowers and said thank you, but I’m not interested in dating him.”

“Why?” I’m whispering now as hope surges through me. Her eyes drop to my mouth. “Why, baby?”

“Because the little things aren’t little to me, either. And I didn’t know—”

“Don’t stop now.” I smile and cup her cheek in my hand, while the other brushes through her soft hair.

“I didn’t know that the little things were so big until you.”

I take a deep breath, so fucking relieved. I tip my forehead down to hers and close my eyes, reveling in the feel of her against me.

“I don’t know where this is going—” My voice is a hoarse whisper. “—but I want to find out.”

“Me too.”

My hands glide down her back to her ass, and I grip the globes and lift her easily. “Wrap your legs around me.”

I head for the stairs, moving fast, making her giggle. “What was wrong with the parlor?”

“Nothing, and I’ll have you there eventually, but once we get started, we’re not going to stop for quite some time and I want you to be comfortable.” With my eyes locked on hers, I push inside my bedroom. But instead of taking her to the bed, I brace her up against the back of the closed door and hike her skirt up over her hips.

“It’s so convenient that I don’t wear underwear,” she pants as her hands gather my shirt and urge it over my head.

“Thank you,” I say with a smile and I just can’t stand it anymore. It’s as though my lips haven’t touched hers in years as I take her mouth with mine, kissing, licking, biting. My cock is ready to burst through my jeans, but I don’t want to move from this spot. She’s grinding against me, with her legs locked around me like a vice, her hands are in my hair, gripping at my shoulders, scratching down my back, as if she doesn’t know where she should touch first, and I love every bit of it.

“In me,” she says, her voice heavy with urgency.

“I’ll get there.”

“Declan.” She frowns, but I smile and nibble my way down her neck.

“Yes, sugar, that’s my name, and I’m the one in control here. I’m going to fuck you blind, but I’m going to do it in my own way on my own timeline.” I bite her collarbone, and then growl in frustration because she still has too many clothes on, so I spin and carry her to the bed and strip her down as she manages to help me out of my jeans and makes my eyes cross as she jacks my cock.

“Put your hands on the headboard.” She’s on her back now in the middle of the bed, and if she keeps touching me, this will be over way too fast.

“I want to touch you.”

I cock a brow. “I didn’t ask.”

She cocks a brow right back at me, which makes me want to bark out a laugh, but I keep my face sober, watching her until she complies, holding on to the headboard.

“Keep them there.”

“Yes, sir,” she says primly.

“I’ll spank you for that,” I mutter and let the smile show when she replies with “I hope so.”

I take a minute to just take her all in. She’s spread before me like a feast, and I’m going to fucking devour every inch of her.

I start with kissing down her chest and over to each nipple, making them hard and wet, then blow on them. Callie squirms under me and sighs in delight.

“So responsive,” I whisper before placing wet kisses down her belly, gently tugging on the navel piercing with my teeth. I spread her legs wide and grin in satisfaction at the sight of her perfect, glistening pussy. “You’re already wet.”

“Are you sure?” she asks. “Maybe you should double check.”

“I am a thorough man,” I reply and settle in to taste her. I lick her from anus to clit, and back down again. Her hips buck and she grabs my hair in her fist. I back away and glare up at her. “I said keep your hands above your head.”

“Right, like I can do that when you’re doing that.”

“You can do it.” I wait until she complies and then I dive back in. I pull her lips into my mouth and fuck her with my tongue, then lick my way up to her clit and sink two fingers inside her.

“Fucking hell!” she cries out, thrashing on the bed. Her body is flushed and tight, her belly moving up and down as she chases her release.

Suddenly, I flip her over and slap her ass, and with her up in the air, I bury my face in her again, licking, biting, sucking, until I feel the muscles inside her convulse around my fingers. She cries out, the words incoherent, and rides the wave as far as it’ll take her, until she collapses, ass in the air, panting and purring in my sheets.

As she calms, I reach for protection and drag my fingertips up and down her legs, and then just to stir her up again, I lick her from clit to anus and rise up on my knees, guide myself inside her and cover her with my body, bracing myself on the headboard above her, pounding her in earnest.

“Holy shit,” I growl when she tightens around me. “That’s right, baby, come for me again.”

Her back bows, her hands fist in the sheets, and she comes so fucking hard she almost pushes me out. I plant my hand on the small of her back and push against her, letting her milk my cock with her strong muscles, and I’m completely lost to her.

I come hard, shivering, sweating, my mouth pressed to her shoulder. As I breathe through the orgasm and come back to my senses, I wrap my arms around her and lay us on our sides, tangled up in each other.

Mine.

Chapter Seven

~Callie~

Mine.

He said it last night, whispered it actually, as he wrapped himself around me and settled us both in to catch our breath. I’m not sure if he intended to say it out loud.

Not that it matters.

Except, I’m not sure how I feel about it. And frankly, after a night of some of the best sex I’ve had in… ever, I guess it means I’m okay with it.

Because I definitely feel pretty possessive when it comes to him too.

But now it’s the morning after, and historically speaking, we’re not good at this part. Is it going to be awkward? Is he not going to call for a week again, and then act affronted when I’m mad?

Ugh, this part sucks.

He’s not wrapped around me anymore. Thankfully, he’s the same as me in that the snuggles are nice for about three minutes, and then it’s time to roll away and sleep in a position that isn’t as hot as the devil’s house. But the sweet thing is, even in sleep, he keeps tabs on me. His hand on my arm, his foot on my calf. He’s always touching me in some way.

And I like it. It makes me feel safe. I don’t remember the last time someone else made me feel safe. Even my own father loved me, but I didn’t ever dare let my guard down with him.

With Declan, I sleep like a baby. Of course, that could simply be exhaustion.

The man knows his way around the bedroom. And the bathroom and the stairs, if memory serves correctly.

I grin and stretch¸ look over my shoulder at the man himself, then slip from the bed and hunt up my clothes, scattered about the room. The sun is up, but just barely, bathing Declan’s bedroom in that early morning glow.

I pull my bra on, and am just slipping my shirt over my head when I hear, “Where are you going?”

“Home.” I grin at him as push my hands through my hair, shaking it out. “Sorry I woke you.”

“I’m not,” he replies and sits up. His hazel eyes, heavy with sleep, narrow on me as I wince. “What’s wrong?”

I’m sore from you fucking the living hell out of me all night long. Not that I can tell him that. “Just stepped wrong,” I reply, hearing the lameness with my own ears.

“Thanks for—”

“Maybe you should—”

We both speak at the same time, then smile. “You go,” I say.

“Stay,” he simply says and slowly crawls out of bed, gloriously naked, and walks to me. I can’t stop my eyes from roaming up and down his lean, tall body. His tanned skin is smooth over lean muscles, his arms tattooed.

“I can go home,” I murmur, but Declan reaches for me and pulls me against him. His hand slides from my neck to my ass, where he grips onto me firmly.

“I’ve never asked anyone to stay before¸” he whispers, then kisses my forehead. “I’m asking you, Calliope, to spend the day with me.”

“I really should—”

“Let me put it this way,” he interrupts and kisses, then bites my lower lip. A moan escapes my lips, damn him. “I’m telling you to stay.”

“You’re bossy,” I whisper.

He simply grins and waits for me to reply, pulling my shirt over my head.

“Since you’re undressing me again, I guess I’ll stay.”

“Good.” He kisses me hard and deep, and I’m suddenly naked again and being led to the bathroom. “You have a shower, I’ll bring up breakfast.”

“Breakfast in bed?” I ask with a laugh.

“The best way to eat breakfast,” he confirms, kisses my nose and then he’s gone and I’m left standing, naked as the day I was born, in the middle of his old bathroom. I turn a circle, taking in the vintage—another word for old—fixtures and tile. This space was probably last renovated in the fifties. I can picture it in my head, the way it should be, with updated double sinks and countertops, subway tile in the shower.

Let’s face it, I’m itching to get my hands on Declan’s house. And it has nothing to do with the man himself, and everything to do with the magnificence of this space.

Okay, it has a little to do with Declan.

My shower is quick. I don’t have to wash my hair, thank God, because that’s a project. I examine my skin, and grin when I see fingerprint bruises on my thighs, where he held my legs up so he could feast on me for what felt like an hour.

The man has mad oral skills.

Then again, so do I, and he hasn’t given me much of an opportunity to show those off yet. That’s going on today’s agenda.

I smile as I finish drying off, hang the towel, and walk out of the bathroom to find Declan sitting on the bed, a tray before him, and the remote to the television in his hand.

“You look all soft and pink and… happy,” he says, tilting his head to the side as he takes me in.

“I’m all of those things,” I reply and climb on the bed to sit next to him, my back against the headboard. “What’s for breakfast?”

“Cereal,” he says proudly, gesturing to the Fruity Pebbles and a carafe of milk on the tray. “And coffee.”

“Yum.” Is it possible that we both love kids' cereal for breakfast? Because if so, I’m marrying him right now.

If I planned to get married, that is. Which I don’t.

“Are you just humoring me?” he asks as he engages Netflix on the TV.

“Nope, I love this stuff.” I pour myself a heaping bowl and settle back to munch. “Is this your favorite?”

“One of them.” He takes a bite and flips through movies. “My very favorite is Cap’n Crunch.”

“That stuff will tear the roof of your mouth up.”

“And yet it’s so delicious, we eat it anyway.”

I nod. “Oh! That one!”

“It’s a chick flick,” he says, moaning in agony. “Are you going to make me watch it? What about Pulp Fiction?”

“Never seen it,” I reply. “I want the romance.”

He blinks, sizing me up. “If you watch Pulp Fiction, I’ll watch your girlie movie.”

“Deal. Mine first.” I pour more cereal and settle in next to Declan as the opening credits begin. “This is nice.”

“Cereal and Netflix?”

“Yeah.”

He smiles and nods, kisses my forehead and opens his mouth, waiting for a bite of mine. I spoon some into his mouth. “Yours is better than mine.”

“It’s the same as yours.”

“Better,” he says with a shake of his head.

***

“Are you sure about this?” I ask him the next afternoon as we drive out of the city toward the Bayou. Declan decided this morning that I was going with him to have dinner with the family. I’ve discovered that once Declan gets his mind set on something, talking him out of it is futile.

I admit, I’m curious to meet his family. I mean, it’s not really that big of a deal. There will probably be a few other people there, and I can hold a conversation with just about anyone.

“I’m sure,” he replies lazily and lifts my hand to his lips. “They’re not scary.”

“I’m not scared,” I reply. Much. “It’s just a bit early to introduce me to your family, don’t you think?”

He slides his gaze over to mine, cocks a brow, then returns his attention to traffic. “What do you think?”

“I guess you wouldn’t have invited me if you didn’t think it was a good idea.”

“Exactly. You know me well enough by now to know that I rarely do anything I don’t want to,” he says and kisses my hand again. “Have you been out here before?”

“No.” I shake my head and gaze out at the trees, the swamps. “It’s so different out here.”

“You grew up here and never took a trip out to the Bayou?”

“That’s right.” I wrinkle my nose. “Are there ‘gators out there?”

“Most likely,” he says. “I promise not to toss you in with the ‘gators.”

“Gee, thanks.”

We settle into a comfortable silence, listening to satellite radio. We sing along to songs we know, and Declan shares stories about some of the musicians he’s met.

“So you used to do studio work in Memphis?”

“Yes, ma’am.” He nods. “Still do, sometimes.”

“That’s awesome, Declan.”

“I prefer to perform live.” He turns off the main road and points to his left. “There’s the inn.”

“Wow.” I’ve never seen anything like it. It looks like something out of a fairy tale. Huge oak trees form a line with a brick path between them toward a large, two-story mansion with a deep front porch and a welcoming red door. “You grew up here?”

“In the summers,” he confirms. “We stayed in the city during the school year. My youngest sister, Gabby, made it into an inn about four years ago.”

“It’s beautiful,” I murmur as he pulls in to the driveway leading to the house. There are other buildings on the property, and from what I can see, gardens bursting with a riot of color. But it’s the trees that have me transfixed. “These trees have to be hundreds of years old.” To say they’re massive is an understatement. They more than dwarf the house, and several of the long limbs are so heavy they rest on the ground.

“That they are,” he replies with a smile, parks next to a row of cars that I assume are guests of the inn, and turns me to face him. “If at any time you’re uncomfortable, or if you just want to leave, you say so and we’ll go.”

“Declan, it’s a couple of people who happen to be related to you. I’ll be fine.”

He frowns. “It might be more than a couple of people.”

“Let me guess, all of these cars don’t belong to people staying at the inn?”

He shakes his head. “Gabby doesn’t have guests on Sundays. You’ll be great. You’re used to dealing with strangers.”

Yeah, but I’m not fucking the strangers’ relative.

But rather than say anything, I smile and push out of Dec’s car. He takes my hand when he joins me and leads me around to the back of the house. “Kitchen’s back here,” he says with a smile.

The smells coming from the house are amazing. “Do they hire someone to cook?”

“Hell no. Mama and Gabby do the bulk of it, but the rest of us pitch in too.”

I didn’t know real family dinners like this existed. I thought it was made up by Hollywood and romance novelists.

I take a deep breath as Declan reaches for the door, and then suddenly I’m led into a large, beautiful kitchen that is near to bursting with people and a dog that is currently leaping, trying to get the piece of meat that a little boy is holding high for him.

“Samuel Beauregard, take Derek outside, or you’re grounded from the computer for a week!” a petite brunette yells.

“That’s Gabby,” Declan says. We still haven’t been spotted by the crowd of people. “She’s Sam’s mom. Her husband, Rhys, is the guy holding their daughter, Ailish.”

My gaze moves from the beautiful woman to her husband sitting at the breakfast bar with an adorable baby.

“You’re here!” Sam exclaims and hugs Declan around his waist. “And you brought a lady!”

The room hushes as everyone looks over at us. Declan ruffles Sam’s hair.

“I can’t get anything past you,” he says, then takes my hand and squeezes reassuringly. “I hope it’s okay that I brought a plus-one.”

“Of course it is,” Gabby says and smiles as she wipes her hands on a towel and walks over to us. “Welcome. I’m Gabby.”

“Callie,” I reply and shake her hand, certain I’ve met her before.

“I’ll introduce you to everyone,” Gabby says as she slips her arm through mine and skillfully guides me away from Declan. “This is our mama.”

“Pleasure,” I say and smile at the lovely woman with eyes the same as all of her children.

“Oh no, child, the pleasure is all mine.”

“This is my oldest brother, Beau.” Beau is sitting next to Rhys, his eyes assessing but friendly. “And my husband, Rhys, is next to him, with our little one.”

“She’s precious,” I reply and grin when Ailish leans over for me to take her, which I readily do. “Aren’t you, princess?”

“She likes you.”

“I like her too.”

“The guy with his nose buried in the redhead's hair is my brother Eli, and that’s his girlfriend, Kate. Charly’s chopping the collard greens.”

“I’d come shake your hand, but I’m a mess,” Charly says with a smile. “But it’s nice to meet you.”

“And this is Savannah, Declan’s twin sister.”

My eyes immediately find Declan’s. “Twin? That’s great. Nice to meet you, Savannah.”

“Call me Van,” she says and shakes my hand. The Boudreaux are a beautiful bunch of people, and they’re obviously surprised that Declan brought me.

“So am I the first?” I ask the room at large.

“First?” Van asks.

“The first girl that Declan has brought to family dinner.”

Beau laughs while the others simply smile. “You know him pretty well already,” Beau says.

“It was just a hunch.” I kiss the baby’s cheek and take a deep breath, enjoying her baby smell. “And you’re the most precious thing in the world.”

She grabs my cheek and giggles.

“How old is she?” I ask.

“About five months,” Gabby replies and takes her daughter from my arms. “And thanks. We think she’s pretty great.”

“My shoes!” Charly exclaims, pointing at my feet.

“Excuse me?” I glance down at my favorite red heels.

“You’re wearing my shoes!”

“I knew I recognized you!” Gabby adds with a smile. “Charly owns Head Over Heels in the Quarter.”

“The fabulous shoe store!” I nod enthusiastically. “I love that place.”

“I sold you those shoes,” Gabby says.

“Since when do you sell shoes?” Rhys asks with a frown.

“It was a long time ago,” she replies, waving him off. “And they still look amazing on you.”

“They’re my favorite.”

“I have all the new fall shoes in,” Charly says as she finishes chopping the greens. “The girls are going to come by after closing next week. You should come too.”

“Oh, I couldn’t—”

“Yes. You could,” Van says with a wink. All of the Boudreaux are bossy. But I grin and nod.

“You’re right. I could.” I glance at Declan, to make sure this doesn’t make him uncomfortable, but he just smiles and kisses my forehead as he passes by and hugs his mama.

“How can I help, Mama?”

“You always ask when it’s all done,” she says and shoos him away. “You’ve done that since you were a boy.”

“I have to warn you,” Beau says. “Declan’s not a great cook.”

I simply nod and smile as I remember having cereal in bed just yesterday morning. “I’ll take that under advisement.”

“Hey, stop trying to scare her off,” Declan says and slips his arm around my shoulders.

“It’ll take more than bad cooking to do that,” I immediately reply.

“He’s also not good at laundry,” Eli adds.

“That did it.” I move to walk out the door while everyone else laughs, but Declan catches my arm and twirls me back to him, plants his lips on mine, and right here in front of his mother, lays a kiss on me that makes my toes curl. “Okay.” I swallow. “I guess that makes up for the laundry.”