“I want you to know that you can trust me,” Declan says, his hands trailing down to the small of my back, “Not just with this. With everything. With you, Kassie.”
“I want to trust you,” I whisper, “I’m pushing myself to trust you. But it’s hard, Declan. I need you to be patient with me.”
“Of course,” he says, his voice low and gruff.
“And I need you to be as open with me as I am with you,” I add, resting my hands on the hard panes of his chest.
“I...can do that,” he says, looking at me intently, “I can try. I’m no more accustomed to letting people really know me than you are.”
“I guess we’ll just have to teach each other,” I smile, letting my arms slip up around his muscled neck.
“I don’t know about you,” he says, wrapping his arms firmly around my waist, “But I’m not too interested in dinner, anymore.”
“How funny. Neither am I,” I smile.
As I look up into Declan’s vibrant blue eyes, a wash of understanding crashes through my body. This is really happening. I’m about to put myself in this man’s hands, give myself to him in that way I never have before. I feel his thick, taut body hard against my own. There’s raw power rippling through him, just beneath the skin. I want to know that power, feel it run through me. He’s the one. And tonight, he’s all mine.
“I’m going to need you to kiss me now,” I whisper, leaning into his embrace.
He brings his strong hands to my face, his sculpted features intense and sure. I can feel the unstoppable desire in his gaze, the sheer strength of his passion. And it’s all for me.
“Good thing,” he growls, lowering his lips to mine, “Because anything else would be a filthy lie.”
Declan catches my lips with his, our mouths meeting at last. I open myself to him, welcome his strong tongue as it glances against my own. The taste of him sends my senses spinning as I run my fingers through his thick dark curls. Daringly, I catch his bottom lip in my teeth, tugging ever-so-gently. He sucks in a huge breath, pulling me tightly against him. I grind my hips against his and feel him, hard and long against me. His growing desire can barely be contained by even the most well made suit, it seems.
“Let’s go,” he says, letting his hands glide over the firm rise of my ass, “I think it would be poor form for me to fuck you right here on the table.”
Speechless, I simply step back and take his hand. Declan leads me away from our secluded little garden, back through the darkened maze of the hotel, and out to the front steps where our limo is still waiting. I slide into the private back seat, knowing full well that I won’t be able to wait until we get back to the hotel to get my hands back on Declan. I all but pull him in after me, and we take off through Vegas like a shot.
“Come here,” I gasp, finally making good on my desire.
I press Declan’s shoulders back against the leather seat, straddling him. My skirt bunches up around my waist as I bring my lips to his neck. I kiss him deeply as his hands run down the length of my eager body. His fingertips find the tender skin of my thighs, gliding upward toward my sex. A low moan escapes my throat as he goes on, letting his fingers brush against the thin panel of fabric between my legs. I’m already wet for him, and he groans as he feels it.
“Can you even know how much I’ve wanted this?” he growls, trailing his fingers along the length of my slit, “How much I’ve ached to know how you feel? How you taste?”
I bring my hands to the staggering rise in his pants, running my fingers down the length of him. He arches his back against the leather as I stroke him—our hands on each other’s bodies, just where we’ve been dying to feel them most.
“You’re not the only one,” I tell him.
We manage to pry ourselves off each other as the limo rolls to a stop in front of our building. I smooth down my skirt and will my breath to even out as the driver opens our door. I step quickly into our building, flashing Franklin a smile as I pass by on Declan’s arm.
“You two back already?” he asks.
“We’re light eaters,” Declan replies, hurrying me into the elevator. I spot Franklin shaking his head with a knowing smile as we disappear into the car.
As we’re whisked away from the ground, Declan wastes no time. He pushes me up against the wall of the elevator, bringing his mouth hungrily to my throat. I close my eyes in bliss as he trails his lips down along my neck, my collarbone, my chest. He’s just about to reach for the zipper of my dress when it suddenly occurs to me—there’s another secret that I haven’t shared with him just yet.
“What’s wrong?” Declan asks, “You’ve just gone sheet white.”
“It’s...Well...” I stammer, resting my hands on his broad shoulders.
“You can tell me, Kassie,” he says, cupping my chin in his hand, “Full disclosure, remember?”
“Right,” I nod, “OK. The thing is...I’ve sort of been lying by omission. About my romantic history, you could say.”
“Go on,” he says, nodding interestedly.
“I haven’t been shy about messing around with guys in the past,” I say quickly, “But for all of my casual hookups and everything...I’ve never properly...Um...”
“Are you saying...?” Declan trails off, his eyes wide.
“I haven’t actually had sex before,” I say with one of my nervous laughs, “I’m a virgin, Declan. If we sleep together tonight...it’ll be my first time.”
A long moment of silence passes between us. Declan simply takes me in, his eyes fixed on my face. Just before my mind tips into the mire of self-consciousness, he presses his lips to mine. His kiss is deep, searing, full of something far stronger than lust, and every bit more intoxicating. I blink up at him as he pulls away, overcome with the sudden depth and ferocity of his desire.
“I promise you,” he says, his voice rasping, “I will make this exactly what you want it to be. I’m honored to be your first, Kassie. Let me show you how incredible it can feel, being with another person like this.”
“Show me,” I breathe, “I want you to.”
The elevator doors whisper open, and Declan all but carries me onto the landing. I move to the door of my suite, nerves and eagerness making my fingers tremble. But Declan catches me by the wrist and draws me back.
“If you don’t mind too much,” he says, slipping an arm around my waist, “I’d like to show you my place.”