you?”
Yeah, pretend that’s all about the book, Ward.
“No, I didn’t,” he said, and she could hear him smiling. Like he’d won something. “I used to bag all of them. Decided to stop about six months ago. That’s a big question, though, Mol. You ready to give me a big answer in return?”
Molly swallowed. In the span of less than twenty-four hours, she had been convinced she was going to die, she’d been saved by the one man who could make her feel…well, the way she felt right now, in his arms, she’d been kissed, she’d partied with a rock star, and now she was facing some difficult truths about herself and what she wanted.
“Maybe we’ll save that for your first interview,” she said. “But what Brian did tonight, even not knowing… Do you think you’ve ever done that?”
Declan was quiet. He squeezed Molly a little tighter, and she felt his chin on the top of her head. When he spoke, he sounded different. Pensive. Humbled.
“I must have,” he said. “Back when I still… Yeah. But I don’t think it’s that different from normal people, you know? Maybe just with the volume turned up. People come in and out of each other’s lives all the time and have no idea of the damage they do, whether they mean it or not.”
Molly turned in his arms, needing to see his face, to confirm the gut feeling she got about what he’d just said. And even more, to see whether not Declan Donovan, the guy who kept secrets, would let her see what he was feeling.
He did. He didn’t tell her more, but he let her see that, whatever it was, it hurt him. The light was bad out there in the parking lot, but he didn’t shy away, and she could see the pain in his eyes. That there was some wound there, something that wouldn’t heal, something that he carried with him. Was it Bethany? Was that what had happened six months ago in Philly?
But Ian had said that Declan hadn’t cared when Bethany started to date Soren. There had to be something more. Something deeper…
“Declan…”
“The bus is here,” he said gently. How had she not noticed a freaking tour bus drive into the parking lot? Molly swore. She could actually lose time with Declan. “You can interview me tomorrow. Tonight let’s just watch This is Spinal Tap and go to sleep.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“You have your own bunk,” he said, tightening his arms around her with a smile. “You come near my bed, and you won’t be doing any sleeping.”
A few things happened after that. After coming aboard to find Brian shame-faced and sorry, and everyone so welcoming that it felt like a family already, after all they’d all been through together, Molly noticed when Declan suddenly stressed out and reached for his phone. The lines didn’t leave his face until he’d checked it and evidently saw what he needed to see, and she realized that this was why he’d noticed her stress about getting in touch with her sister. There was someone Declan worried about, too.
And then while watching the movie, Molly fell fast asleep on Declan’s chest, waking only when he kissed her forehead, picked her up, and carried her to her bunk.
chapter 12
Molly dreamed of Declan.
She was backstage, waiting for him, wondering when he would be done with the show, if he would be with someone else. So sure he would rather be with his fans, with all those other women, that nothing she felt with him could be real; he wouldn’t ever choose her. But then he surprised her. She didn’t know how, but she knew it was him suddenly standing behind her.
It was his hand on the small of her back.
His hand that went farther now, no longer gentle, groping her ass, pushing between her legs…
His hand that held her still, his hand that reached around, found her breast…
She moaned, and then they were back in the office at Volare, and she turned to face him and her clothes were gone. Just…gone. She didn’t know how, but he had done it. He’d taken them. She heard that growl,
Yeah, pretend that’s all about the book, Ward.
“No, I didn’t,” he said, and she could hear him smiling. Like he’d won something. “I used to bag all of them. Decided to stop about six months ago. That’s a big question, though, Mol. You ready to give me a big answer in return?”
Molly swallowed. In the span of less than twenty-four hours, she had been convinced she was going to die, she’d been saved by the one man who could make her feel…well, the way she felt right now, in his arms, she’d been kissed, she’d partied with a rock star, and now she was facing some difficult truths about herself and what she wanted.
“Maybe we’ll save that for your first interview,” she said. “But what Brian did tonight, even not knowing… Do you think you’ve ever done that?”
Declan was quiet. He squeezed Molly a little tighter, and she felt his chin on the top of her head. When he spoke, he sounded different. Pensive. Humbled.
“I must have,” he said. “Back when I still… Yeah. But I don’t think it’s that different from normal people, you know? Maybe just with the volume turned up. People come in and out of each other’s lives all the time and have no idea of the damage they do, whether they mean it or not.”
Molly turned in his arms, needing to see his face, to confirm the gut feeling she got about what he’d just said. And even more, to see whether not Declan Donovan, the guy who kept secrets, would let her see what he was feeling.
He did. He didn’t tell her more, but he let her see that, whatever it was, it hurt him. The light was bad out there in the parking lot, but he didn’t shy away, and she could see the pain in his eyes. That there was some wound there, something that wouldn’t heal, something that he carried with him. Was it Bethany? Was that what had happened six months ago in Philly?
But Ian had said that Declan hadn’t cared when Bethany started to date Soren. There had to be something more. Something deeper…
“Declan…”
“The bus is here,” he said gently. How had she not noticed a freaking tour bus drive into the parking lot? Molly swore. She could actually lose time with Declan. “You can interview me tomorrow. Tonight let’s just watch This is Spinal Tap and go to sleep.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“You have your own bunk,” he said, tightening his arms around her with a smile. “You come near my bed, and you won’t be doing any sleeping.”
A few things happened after that. After coming aboard to find Brian shame-faced and sorry, and everyone so welcoming that it felt like a family already, after all they’d all been through together, Molly noticed when Declan suddenly stressed out and reached for his phone. The lines didn’t leave his face until he’d checked it and evidently saw what he needed to see, and she realized that this was why he’d noticed her stress about getting in touch with her sister. There was someone Declan worried about, too.
And then while watching the movie, Molly fell fast asleep on Declan’s chest, waking only when he kissed her forehead, picked her up, and carried her to her bunk.
chapter 12
Molly dreamed of Declan.
She was backstage, waiting for him, wondering when he would be done with the show, if he would be with someone else. So sure he would rather be with his fans, with all those other women, that nothing she felt with him could be real; he wouldn’t ever choose her. But then he surprised her. She didn’t know how, but she knew it was him suddenly standing behind her.
It was his hand on the small of her back.
His hand that went farther now, no longer gentle, groping her ass, pushing between her legs…
His hand that held her still, his hand that reached around, found her breast…
She moaned, and then they were back in the office at Volare, and she turned to face him and her clothes were gone. Just…gone. She didn’t know how, but he had done it. He’d taken them. She heard that growl,
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