Kate Hoffmann - Declan

Rachel had made an unofficial study of girls who had names that ended in “i” and she’d come to the conclusion that they were usually blonde, gorgeous and possessed a larger than average pair of breasts. She stared down at her own chest and sighed. She liked to think of herself as sexy, but next to girls like that, she paled in comparison.

Rachel set the black book back inside then pulled out a string of condoms. At least he was prepared, she mused. But had he put those in the nightstand just recently or did he keep a steady supply on hand? Rachel had never asked him about past girlfriends or lovers. In the beginning, it hadn’t been any of her business and now, it didn’t really matter. She was the woman in his bed, the woman he wanted here.

She closed the nightstand drawer and curled back up beneath the covers. Closing her eyes, she listened to the sounds of Dec moving around downstairs and she smiled. Once again, he’d made sure she was safe. As long as she was with him, nothing could hurt her.

THE HAND CAME OUT OF nowhere, clamping down on her mouth. Rachel tried to open her eyes. Maybe they were open and it was just so dark she couldn’t see. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t scream. The hand blocked whatever sound she tried to make.

Twisting against the grip, she fought frantically for air, but it was no use. She felt herself blacking out and rather than experiencing a sense of release, her panic only increased. This was how she was going to die, suffocated, second by second, losing her grip on life. She’d nearly resigned herself to her fate, ready to let go.

And then suddenly, the hand was gone. Rachel bolted upright and gasped for breath, her heart slamming in her chest. He was there beside her and with a soft cry, she scrambled across the bed to get away.

He reached out and grabbed her hand. “Hey,” he said softly. “It’s all right. You were having a bad dream.”

The soft light from the hallway illuminated his silhouette and for a moment, Rachel thought the panic would overwhelm her. But then she recognized Declan and her pulse began to slow. Emotion surged inside her and she fought back a wave of tears. These wide swings between utter fear and blissful safety were beginning to wear her down.

Dec drew her into his arms and pulled her back down to lie beside him, gently stroking her back and kissing her face. “Better now?” he asked.

She nodded, nuzzling into his warm, naked chest. Rachel lay there for a long time, listening to the strong rhythm of his heart and letting his strength seep into her. She wanted this closeness. In truth, she needed to feel closer.

Pushing up on her elbow, she stared down into his face, the features just visible in the dim light. He watched her silently and without thinking, she crawled on top of him and began to move. Her hips rocked up and down against his crotch and Dec moaned, arching into her body as if inviting her to continue.

There was no conscious decision to seduce him, just an unspoken agreement that this was the time and place. She felt it, in her soul and deep inside her body, an undeniable need to ease the ache there. She had to have him-now, not later. Bending forward, Rachel slid down over his hips, moving lower and lower until she straddled his thighs.

He was already hard, the outline of his erection evident beneath the soft cotton of his boxer briefs. Rachel rubbed her hand back and forth over the ridge and Dec moaned, twisting beneath her touch. His eyes were closed and she knew he’d have a hard time fighting the pleasure she was giving him.

She pulled the waistband of his boxers down to reveal his hard cock. Wrapping her fingers around it, she slowly began to stroke him. But it wasn’t enough to just touch him, she needed to taste him as well. Taking the tip into her mouth, Rachel flicked her tongue over the head of his penis. She seemed to connect with all the right nerves because Dec jerked beneath her, then moaned again, softly whispering her name.

She took her time pleasing him with her mouth and he grew even harder, his erection straining against her hand. Rachel grabbed the boxer briefs and pulled them off, sliding down with them until she reached his feet.

Grabbing his foot, she pressed a kiss into the curve of his instep, then moved to his toes. But when she took his little toe into her mouth and began to suck, Dec pulled his foot away. “If you do that, I’ll come right now,” he warned her.

Rachel laughed softly, then crawled back on top of him. “Have I discovered a weakness?”

He reached up and brushed the hair away from her face, groaning as he tugged her head back. “You’re my weakness,” he said, his voice ragged.

Bending toward him, Rachel kissed him, lingering over his mouth the way she lingered over his penis. “I need you,” she murmured. “I need to feel you inside of me.”

Dec smoothed his hand over her cheek, turning her face until he could see it more clearly in the dim light. “Are you awake?” he asked.

Rachel nodded. “Yes. I know what I’m doing.”

“Are you doing this because you’re afraid and you want me to make you feel safe?”

“I’m doing this because I want you,” she replied. “Nothing more.”

Dec pulled her back down into another deep kiss, his mouth capturing hers, plundering hers with his tongue. “I want you, too,” he said, a desperate edge to his voice. “God, I want you so much it scares me.”

Rachel reached for the hem of her pajama top and tugged it over her head, then tossed it on the floor. She’d always let her partner take the lead in the past, believing that men gained more pleasure from controlling their partner in sex. But tonight, she felt as if this was her awakening, a time to take what she needed.

Dec reached up and cupped her breasts in his hands, teasing at the nipples until they were hard peaks. They’d waited so long for this that she’d expected this moment to be frantic and wild. But instead it was quiet and gentle, two people intent on savoring every sensation.

Rachel slid her legs along his, until she lay on top of him. His penis pressed against her belly and she rubbed against it, rising up every now and then before dropping down again. Though it was such a simple act, it made Dec even more aroused and he clutched at her backside, urging her to move at his direction.

“I’m so close,” he said. “From the minute you touched me, I felt like I was nearly there.”

Rachel smiled. “I’m glad I have that effect on you.”

“Oh, you do,” he murmured. He reached down and slid his hands beneath her boy shorts, bunching the lacy trim in his fists, then slowly worked them down her legs. A few moments, later, they joined his boxer briefs on the floor.

The feel of their naked bodies stretched out together set every nerve in Rachel’s body tingling. His hands skimmed over her backside, then up to her shoulders and back again as he kissed her. It was good that they’d waited, Rachel mused. Though it might have been a wonderful physical release a few days ago, Rachel felt as if they’d somehow grown closer since then.

She brought her knees back up around his hips, letting his cock nestle between her legs. And then, she drew forward and he was probing at her entrance. Rachel held her breath, enjoying the feel of him nearly inside of her.

“Oh, God,” he murmured. “Don’t do that to me.”

But Rachel didn’t listen. She slowly lifted herself up on her knees, then sank down on top of him. He slid inside her, inch by inch, but before she could bury him completely, Dec grabbed her hips and stopped. “We should use a condom,” he said.

“Umm,” Rachel murmured, her mind focused on the feel of him inside of her. “All right. That would be good.”

Dec gently lifted her up, then twisted beneath her to grab a condom from the bedside table. He struggled to tear open the plastic packet and when it finally did, he gave it to her to smooth over his stiff shaft.