Burnt by Natasha Thomas

of condoms and asks me if I think we should get you some more. She then proceeds to tell me you’ve got a whole bunch in the drawer beside your bed, so you must like them because you have tons.”

    Spluttering on his beer Dec looks at me with a mixture of surprise and amusement. More amusement than anything else though.
    “Fucking hell. That girl. I swear nothing is sacred anymore. What’d you tell her?”

    “I told her that we’ll leave buying them to you. Just in case you have a special type that are your favourite.” I can’t help but continue my giggles.

    “Jesus fucking Christ. She’s going to kill me Kendall. I don’t know whether to laugh at the shit that kid comes out with, or fucking cry half the time.” I know the feeling.

    “Laugh. Definitely laugh. Lexi cracks me up Declan. You’re so lucky she is like this. I couldn’t have dreamed up a better match for you.”

    Shaking his head he concedes the point.
    “No. Me neither.”

    Finishing our beers in silence I hop up and pull out my phone to check the time. I’m usually never in bed before one-AM because of the hours I work, it means I more often than not get home late seeing as most of the guys that come in are night-owls, or preoccupied during the daylight hours. My shifts start at eleven-AM, and can run as late as eleven-PM, sometimes midnight. If it’s a busy day full of walk-ins, or I’m booked out with appointments midnight is more likely. In a town of only twelve thousand being booked out isn’t as uncommon as you’d think.

    Seeing the clock flash eleven-thirty-PM I turn to address Declan,
    “I’m going to have to hit the hay. If Princess Lexi is going to be waking me at some ungodly hour I have to get my beauty sleep.” Calling to Abel so he can be let in, and settle himself on his bed by the front door, I swear I hear Dec mutter ‘You don’t need to get any more beautiful’ under his breath. I don’t acknowledge it. I never do. I’ve heard him say things like this before. They’re barely loud enough to hear, but I hear them all the same. I know Declan is attracted to me. That’s never been up for debate. The look in his eyes every time he sees me. The hungry looks he thinks I don’t see when I bother to do myself up for a night a Rough Shod have alerted me to it. What I don’t know is if this is because I’m a woman and his marriage is a shit fight, or if it’s because I’m Kendall. The Kendall he’s known and grown up with all his life. Sometimes I wish I knew the answer. Most of the time I think it would only hurt me more if it isn’t the one I want to hear. So I push it aside and try to forget about it.

    Standing, Declan makes his way into the kitchen depositing his empty beer bottle in the recycling bin on his way past, and heads for the front door. In passing he says,
    “I’ll be back around eight in the morning if that’s okay to pick up Lexi. You sure you’re right to get her ready for nursery?”

    “Of course Declan, she’ll be ready when you get here. Goodnight Dec.” Walking him to the door is bitter sweet. While there’s nothing I’d like more than to ask him to stay. For him to take me to bed. Make love to me. Even just hold me for a while. I know I can’t, and I wouldn’t anyway. There is however one positive about watching him leave. It means I can go to bed and take care of the ache between my legs. I can dream of a times things could have been different between us. Always look at the bright side when there’s nothing else but rain uncle Pipe says.

    Opening the door and stepping out Declan turns to wish me goodnight.
    “You too sweetheart. Sleep well yeah?” It’s not a question. It’s a statement.

    Not wanting to miss out on giving his usual goodbye Monty squawks out, “Bye fucker. Bye fucker.”

    Laughing as he mounts his bike, throwing one long muscled leg over and riding away will always make me hot. It also makes me sad in equal measure. Declan’s gone again. As always. At