"But I —"
"Do it, Leah. Please," he said, whispering the last part like a prayer.
I stood at the edge of the bed and removed my pajama pants and panties before turning around to see that Declan had removed the rest of his clothing. Depressed or not, there was nothing better than seeing him like this. I was starting to believe he could heal all my wounds with one touch.
"Come here," he said softly.
I went without hesitation. I kneeled on the bed to meet him in the middle. His hand slipped slowly around my waist, and he bent down to kiss my collarbone, giving me chills.
"Turn around," he whispered.
I did as told, turning in his arms, so my back was pressed against his front. Both still on our knees, he positioned us on the bed, so we were facing the floor-length mirror sitting in the corner of my bedroom. His hands gripped me tighter against his body, and his fingers dug into my hips as his eyes found mine in the reflection.
"Do you know what I see right now?" he whispered.
Unable to speak, I just shook my head.
"Perfection. I see absolute perfection."
My breath faltered as he pulled me down onto his body, filling me completely in one stroke. My head fell back onto his shoulder as I savored the feel of our bodies connecting. As many times as we had come together, every time felt like the first time.
We moved together, slow and without urgency. His hands slid up and palmed my br**sts, and our mouths found each other, our tongues mimicking the sensual rhythm our bodies were making. When I felt that familiar tightening in my core, Declan broke our kiss.
"Look in the mirror. I want you to see yourself when you unravel in front of me."
Looking at our joined bodies moving together in the mirror was the most erotic thing I'd ever seen, and it sent me over the edge immediately. My body broke apart in Declan's arms, and he followed behind with his own release. His hands gripped my flesh tightly as he came deep inside me, trembling, while he called out my name.
I sagged against him, looking at our glistening bodies in the reflection of the mirror. He leaned down and kissed my collarbone again.
He whispered in my ear, "See. Perfect."
I nodded, and he held my chin again, bringing my attention back to his handsome features.
"It's time to let this go, Leah. You are so much more than your past."
One last tear trailed down my cheek as we settled back onto the bed, holding each other like before. This beautiful man had told me I was perfect. He hadn't told me he was sorry, and he hadn't blown smoke up my ass, like most people would. He'd held me as I'd cried and told me I was perfection. I was the exact opposite, but hearing his determined words as he'd made love to me had made me feel close to it.
As I drifted off to sleep, the last image I saw was my mother's headstone, and I knew I wasn't going to let anything go until I visited the one man who might be able to give me some answers —my father.
Chapter Nine
~Declan~
"Goddamn it, woman! Why the hell is your front door unlocked again?" I bellowed as I walked into Leah's townhouse.
It was around noon on Saturday, a week after discovering Lilith Morgan's headstone. I'd like to say that Leah had returned to normal after that night we'd shared, but there were still times when I could see the sadness in her eyes. I knew one night wouldn't heal her, but damn if I didn't want to erase it all for her. I hated seeing her in pain, and I only hoped time would heal what her parents had put her through.
"I left it unlocked for you," she answered, coming from her bedroom. She was wrapped in a towel, still wet from the shower.
"You mean to tell me that you were just taking a shower in an unlocked house?"
She shrugged. She just looked at me and f**king shrugged, like it was no big deal. She turned back around in her teeny-tiny towel, swinging that sweet ass behind her, as she retreated to her room.
Following, I exploded into a rant. "You drive me batshit crazy sometimes. We're stopping by the hardware store on our way out. You're going to get me a key, and from now on, you're going to keep that door locked. All. The. Fucking. Time."
"You're bossy today." She smirked while opening the top drawer of her dresser to retrieve a lacy pair of panties.
Coming up behind her, I pressed my body against hers, letting her feel exactly what the sight of her in that towel did to me.
"I just don't want any pervy men coming in here."
"Besides you?" she mocked.
"Exactly —hence, the key. Besides, you like me bossy," I countered.
I bent down to kiss the damp skin of her neck, and her head fell back onto my shoulders. I slipped my hands under the towel, pulling it apart, and it fell to the floor.
Keys could wait an hour...or four.
Suddenly, she turned in my arms and gave me a pointed look. "No."
She tried to look serious, but her slight grin had me laughing.
"No? Really? This again?" I faked a sigh.
"You're going to make us late."
"It's a Christmas tree farm. It's not like we have an appointment. We don't, do we?"
She laughed as she bent down to pull the panties up her legs. I had to shift in my jeans to accommodate the bulge she'd created.
"I still can't believe you've never bought a live tree," she said, shaking her head. "And no, we don't have an appointment, but if we don't hurry, they will close."
"It's the middle of the day," I half-whined, trying to pull her closer to the bed with me.
Laughing, she resisted my advances. Then, she continued to pilfer through her drawers before pulling out dark slim jeans and a tan-colored sweater.
"It will take an hour to get there, assuming traffic isn't bad," she explained.
She swatted my hand away as I tried again to make a pass at her.
Grinning at our little game, I asked, "Why are we driving an hour out of the city when there are Christmas tree lots on every street corner?"
"Because, city boy, those trees have already been cut. Going out of the city, into the country, and chopping down your own tree? That's Christmas to me."
Pulling her close to me, I tilted her chin, so I could see those crystal blue eyes. "Well then, let's go get you a Christmas tree."
~Leah~
"Oh! Turn here!" I exclaimed.
Declan took a sharp right onto the gravel road. "Are you sure?" he asked, briefly glancing my way with one raised eyebrow in disbelief.
"Yep. Positive."
"That's what you said the last four wrong turns, you know," he teased.
We had been lost out in the middle of nowhere for about thirty minutes. Siri had no idea where we were, and Google Maps seemed to be sending us in circles. The Virginia countryside was a virtual black hole to technology. I didn't have a map, and there were no signs. When we had seen the creepy scarecrow for the fourth time, we had known we were totally screwed. It would have been miserable with anyone else, but with Declan, it was just another outing. He didn't care that I'd gotten us lost. He'd just laughed every time we'd ended up at the same place where we'd started. He'd pointed out various land markings with a promise that he'd make a fire and build shelter if we never saw civilization again. My hero.