Chapter 2 

 

October 1st  

New York City 

 

A month after his father's death, Declan sat in the boardroom, watching the menacing grey fall clouds roll in. He sat thoughtfully, his fingers pressed firmly against his mouth. He hadn't expected things to get so out of hand during the meeting. He had made his decisions and was firm in his convictions. Then the other board members fought him, which he had half expected, just not to the extent that it did.  

He wasn't a businessman. He was a lawyer.  

He knew corporate law, in fact, which helped him in knowing his rights within the company. It didn't, however, help him in knowing the right moves when dealing with his father's empire. He wanted advice. He wanted to sit in his father's study, watching him as he sucked on his pipe with that glimmer in his eye when an idea was coming together.  

But his father was gone. He died from prostate cancer. Now Declan had to carry on in his place without that voice to push him into the right direction. Donating that money to Lakeside hospital was a selfish endeavor. He wanted to push them into furthering their cancer research facility, and he knew Lakeside could handle the plans he had for them. 

A knock from the door pulled him from the trance. He smiled warmly at Steve as he walked through the door. "So, did you calm down the herd?"  

Steve laughed, going to the bar and pouring himself a drink. "Oh, they'll be fine, Declan. They just have to test the waters with you a little. See how far they can push you around."  

"Yes, well, I wish they wouldn't. I don't have the patience for it." Declan stood up, walking to the bar to help himself to the scotch. "Do you think they'll ever get used to taking orders from a man young enough to be their kid?" 

"Listen... It doesn't matter if you're 28 or 58. They will fight you with everything they have because it's what they do." Steve took a sip of his drink, sighing as the liquid warmed his throat. "One day you will be 58 and you'll see what I mean."  

Declan grinned, "Talking from personal experience, I take it?" He nodded slowly as he refilled his drink.  

"So, do you plan on spending a lot of time in Boston with your new investment?"  

"No, not really. I mean... I guess a little bit of time here and there until I get the project underway, but then I'll be heading back here."  

"When do you plan on leaving?" 

Declan took a sip of his scotch. He needed to get out of town. New York didn't feel like home since his parents were both gone. Perhaps a change of scenery would help. "I plan on heading there in about two weeks. Stay a week or two... come back. Then I can travel there from time to time, keep track of what's going on."  

"Well, I tell you what... If you decide to stay there a little longer, I'll be here to keep things afloat, okay? I can understand when someone needs to get away for a while."  

He downed the rest of the scotch, placing his cup on the bar. The thought struck him, and a sudden wave of excitement rushed over him. He was desperate to leave. He smiled, "Well, that's good to know Steve, because I think I might just go on and head out tomorrow instead. You're right... I need to get away." 

 

2 weeks later 

Boston, Massachusetts 

 

Macie smiled and bounced eagerly at the bouncer, thanking him for letting them into the swanky bar. "Thank you so much!" She leaned in and kissed his cheek. She wasn't one to normally flirt with men, but she was desperate to get in the club, and she knew how to use her looks to get it. Again, it wasn't her first choice, but time was limited. 

The elite club called "The Blue Lotus" was dark, with blue accenting lights around the walls. The music was upbeat yet more of a soft background noise. Her friends, Cadence, Elise, Andrea and Sovanara came to stand beside her as they looked out to the hip, crystal-like atmosphere. Cadence cleared her throat, itching speculatively at her bobby pins, "Uh, Macie... What kinda celebration do you think we're gonna be havin'?"  

Macie tightened her chest, "Oh, Cadence, we'll be fine! Besides..." she wiggled her eyebrows mischievously, "This is where you meet the nice guys."  

All four of her friends looked at her curiously, "You're looking for a hookup?" Elise questioned her suspiciously. 

She shrugged her shoulders as she glanced around the room, "I don't know. Maybe."  

"Well... Let me just say this..." Cadence got closer, "Rich guys don't equal good guys."  

She rolled her eyes, pressing forward through the bar. "I'm fully aware of the fact that having money doesn't make you a good person." She pulled Cadence aside. "Okay, look. I need your help with this." 

Cadence lifted a brow, "Why do I sense a plot afoot?"  

"Because there is. Earlier tonight, when Elise was helping me with my makeup emergency-- " Macie looked over to see Elise laughing loudly with their friend, Andrea. Her short, bleached hair wild with natural waves fell gracefully along her soft jawline as she enjoyed the conversation. She deserved better than to pine after a man who clearly didn't want her. "--she started asking me about Lincoln again." 

"So? She still cares about him Macie. And he still cares about her." 

"He told me that he cares about her well-being, but he doesn't want to be with her." 

Cadence scowled at her. "Really." It wasn't a question, and her scornful look left Macie itching to get away from the topic. "He didn't say that, Macie, and you know it. You are so blind when it comes to Linc. You just follow him like a lost puppy."  

Her mouth dropped open, "I do not!"  

Cadence rolled her eyes, "Girl, you broke up with Eric because Linc said he was an arrogant ass and he didn't want you to date him!"  

"Well, he was arrogant."  

"And for good reason, Mace. He was fucking hot and he had a good job. Linc was just jealous because you were spending more time with Eric and not enough time with him." 

Macie shook her head and laughed awkwardly, "That is so off base, K." She turned and looked at her friend. "Our relationship is not like that. It's purely platonic." 

"I didn't say it wasn't, Macie." Cadence argued, wrapping her arms across her chest and tapping her manicured hand impatiently on her bicep. "But he also doesn't like to share you."  

Macie pulled herself higher, trying to ignore the truth. She knew that Lincoln didn't like to share her. And she always felt guilty when she was in a relationship. She felt as if she had to show Lincoln that she loved him by giving him as much attention as he needed. But Cadence was right. Eric wasn't the first man to be pushed aside because of Linc, because of her guilt at not giving him enough attention and love. "I don't know how to break the cycle, K. I've spent so much of my life trying to make him happy, to show him love that I don't know if I can stop. I don't want him to think I don't care about him anymore." 

"Oh for the love of Christ, Macie!" Cadence threw her hands up in the air, catching the attention of their other friends. "You need to stop letting him control your decisions. Starting right now, you need to start thinking about yourself. It's getting annoying."  

With that, Cadence ran her hands down her outfit, trying to smooth away the agitation. She cleared her throat, turned around and smiled at the other girls before turning back to Macie with a natural, excited smile. "Okay, so where do we start on this search, captain?" 

"How about we get some drinks and go dance? We need to wind down a little bit, ya know?" Cadence smiled wickedly before nodding and turning towards the bar.  

After almost downing the entire first drink, Macie headed out with her friends onto the dance floor. She was bouncing around as she held her hand out to Elise. Macie twirled her around as their hands made contact. She laughed, twirling around herself before Andrea came around behind her and made a Macie sandwich. She laughed even harder, her face hurting as she turned to her side to hip bump her friends. She looked out to the table that sat closest to the dance floor and almost fell over with surprise.  

Big glacial-blue eyes stared at her, a strong masculine jaw twitching as a seductive smile slid across those full flips. She tried not to stare at him, to continue dancing with her friends, but the way in which he fit that slim blue suit, that thin seafoam green tie tucked in perfectly under the jacket as he leaned back in his chair was enough to make her weak in the knees. Her gaze kept falling back to him, especially as he started to stare her down. He propped one leg up on the other as he continued to lean back. He looked like he had just stepped out of a fashion magazine, and the man was staring at her like she was a cut of expensive meat.  She could honestly say that she was not expecting to see a man like that! Incur   

Declan was beginning to regret agreeing to drinks when he saw her.  

He sat amongst a group of pretentious, bigheaded old men with far too much money to blow. They reeked of whiskey and Bengay. He had secretly hoped that the other two men that were around his age would level out nicely against their outdated ideas and beliefs, but their brown-nosing abilities were far beyond his grasp. Their laughter began grating on his nerves on a far deeper level than he had anticipated.  

That was when he saw her; the blue light of the bar dancing softly against her blond hair as she swayed and bounced to the upbeat music . It was a much-desired diversion; a much appreciated one, at that. Her tight, cream colored skirt was just above the knee, with a blue, free flowing halter top that stopped just at the hem of her skirt. Although the lighting probably made her skin a little darker than it actually was, he knew she had a soft tanned glow. Her smiled stretched those full red lips and he could picture her on the cover of a magazine with the way her face lit up with that small gesture. She was the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen. Then her eyes met his. They were cast deep into a shadow, but he could feel her eyes upon him, assessing him. He sucked a breath in deep, refusing to turn his head. He allowed a smile to encompass his face as he leaned back to take her in. This woman, he had to meet. 

 

 

 

Chapter 3 

 

The women stopped dancing after the song was over, heading towards their table in an attempt to make it back to the bar. His gaze held hers and he felt a part of him jerk with anticipation. Jeff Moyer had pulled him from her gaze with his whiny girl-call. "Well, isn't this a nice surprise! Usually it's just a bunch of stuffy businessmen in here. Didn't know we were gonna run into a couple of angels!"  

Declan rolled his eyes at Jeff's lame attempt at catching their attention. All of the women, including the sexy blond he had been eyeing, stopped. They all turned to him, and for a second, he thought they were going to actually take the bait. Then he heard something; it was a laugh that warmed his gut and sent shockwaves through his limbs like a lightning bolt. He turned, her smile stretching along her face as her eyes squinted with amusement. "That was a horrible line!" Her voice squeaked through her stretched mouth like a whistle. 

"You're right." Declan commented abruptly, "It was." Declan wanted her attention back on him, away from Jeff.  

Her tall friend interjected, "Oh, I've heard worse, trust me!" She sat down beside Jeff, turning the charm on as she crossed her legs toward him. Her cinnamon colored skin seemed to glow under the blue lights and her body arched to accentuate her breasts. "I'm Cadence. And please, don't use those lame lines on me. They're not needed."  

She held her hand out as Jeff accepted it willingly. His grin widened as he looked at her with admiration. "Nice to meet you, Cadence." Declan shook his head, knowing full well that Jeff would probably sleep with her. Then he thought of that blond, and he found a sudden burst of desperation to find her and kiss her.  

The rest of her group pulled chairs up, except for one, which stood to the side with her. They whispered back and forth for a moment, neither of them obviously getting the answers that they wanted. He watched them curiously for a while, wishing he could be behind her, smelling her, feeling the heat of her body.  

As they argued, the older of his group chose to head out, leaving the younger men to entertain their new guests. That was when the redheaded woman sat beside him. "A bit of the quiet type, huh?"  

He was pulled from his thoughts, "Sorry, just... observing." He turned his gaze to the beautiful blond he was intrigued to meet. "So... who's that?"  

She sat up straighter, "Oh..." He cringed inwardly. He hadn't meant to make her feel bad. "That's Elise and Macie. Elise is the short-hair brunette with the chunks of blond, Macie is the long blond hair." He turned back to her, watching as she anxiously readjusted the napkin. 

"Sorry, I just thought I recognized her." It was a lie, but he did it for her; to keep from ruining the rest of her night, truthfully.  

Her smile brightened up a little, still looking at her napkin curiously. "It's okay." She eyed him for a moment, "I kinda noticed you staring at her before I got over here. I was just hoping I could distract you."  

He laughed, "Was I that obvious?"  

She nodded, "A little bit." Her eyes glanced to Macie, "Want me to introduce you?"  

"Yes." The answer was almost immediate. He wanted to meet her more than he had wanted to meet anybody in his entire life.  

She apparently noticed his eagerness, as she had laughed almost instantaneously. "Okay, then, let's do this!" 

 

Macie groaned with frustration as Elise made excuse after excuse. 

All she wanted was to get Elise into a different direction. She really needed to let go of Lincoln, but it didn't look like it was going to happen. "Honey, he's moving on! You need to move on, too!"  

Her eyes dampened, "What do you mean? Is he seeing someone else?!"  

She face-palmed herself, wishing Elise would understand. "That's not what I'm saying, I just... he's got other things going on right now."  

"Like what?!"  

"If he wanted you to know, he would have told you, Elise!" 

She pressed her hands on her hips, "It thought you were my friend." 

"You are both my friends and I..."  

A tap on her shoulder took her from the conversation. She turned around, meeting those starry blue eyes she had been fixated on when she was dancing. Her heart did a somersault, but she did her best to remain calm. Now was not the time to engage in her own needs. She needed to help Elise.  

Her friend, Andrea, stood beside him, smiling contagiously. "Hey, Macie... Sorry to interrupt. I just wanted you to meet..." Andrea turned toward him, "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name." 

Macie interrupted, "Nice to meet you, but I'm in a very important conversation right now, and..."  

Elise turned to walk away, "No, I think we're done here."  

"Elise, Stop it! You can't expect me to betray one friend for another. That's preposterous." She sighed as Elise stomped away.  

"Don't worry, she'll get over it. She's just a little emotional." Andrea suggested, patting Macie on the shoulder. 

Macie turned to her, "She thinks she's in love with him, Andrea." 

"Maybe she is, Macie. Why do you keep trying to convince her she's not?" 

Macie ran her hands through her hair, "Because she's miserable, Andrea. She's so hung up on him that she won't move on, and I just want both of my friends to be happy, that's all."  

The man beside her cleared his throat, "If it's matters of the heart, let me just say... It's never as easy as you want it to be. It's always complicated. Just let her move on in her own time. She'll get there faster if she's not being pushed."  

She licked her lips thoughtfully, "Yeah, maybe you're right." Macie turned back around as she watched Elise fly through the double doors like a tornado.  

"I'll go get her, Macie." Andrea patted her on the shoulder one more time before walking past her. 

"Thanks." She stood there, watching as Andrea bounced through the bar towards the door. "I should follow."  

"I take it you're friends with her ex?" 

Macie turned toward him, "Yeah, why?" 

His smile was honest yet refrained. "Listen, if you're friends with her ex, that means you're in the middle, which is the last place you want to be. She doesn't see you as the friend that can console her; she sees you as the friend that can get her back with him. You keep putting yourself in the middle, and he moves on, she's gonna see you as being the one to blame. Trust me."  

She couldn't help but smile, "Wise and sexy... Deadly combination." As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted it. "I mean..."  

He grinned, "I'm flattered. Especially from someone like you." She felt herself redden with his sultry voice before he cleared his throat. "Mind if I buy you a drink?"  

"I would love that." 

 

Declan couldn't believe his luck. 

He was dreading his night only half an hour before, yet there he was, enjoying drinks with the most gorgeous woman he had ever met. Her laugh was contagious, her amber eyes intoxicating. He watched as her mouth moved fluidly through the words. He quit listening to the story, more interested in watching her. He wanted to know her, inside and out. Perhaps it was the drinks, perhaps it was her, but he was feeling an uncontrollable desire to kiss her. The more her lips moved, the more he wanted to touch them.  

"Then Cadence comes over to my parents' house the next day and my mom stares at her, just glaring hard, and she goes 'So I hear you're the one I should thank for that pink stain in the back of my van.' You should have seen the look on Cadence's face!" Macie laughed louder, squealing with joy.  

He laughed with her, finding the story amusing but not near as amusing as watching the animated woman in front of him. Macie. Her name was as adorable as she was.  

They both sobered, Declan inching closer. "Are you always this happy?" he asked as he grazed the top of her hand with his fingertips.  

She cleared her throat, "I try to be." She sat there, stiff, watching his fingers graze her skin. She bit her bottom lip, clearly trying to suppress a smile. She turned her eyes to him, "What about you? You seem... thoughtful and passionate. Do you consider yourself to be happy?"  

"I try to be." Her own words came back at her, causing her to laugh again. "So what makes you so happy?" 

Her brows furrowed thoughtfully. "I guess I just don't want to waste my life dwelling on what could have been or should have been. I try to focus on what I can do today and tomorrow to make myself and the people I care about happy."  

He nodded. "That's amazing. And what kind of things do you do to make people you care about happy?" 

She turned to him, allowing their legs to mingle together. Declan swallowed hard, trying not to think about what was between those legs, and tried focusing on her mouth. That wasn't helping much, either, as she licked them thoughtfully. He pulled his pelvis back further into the barstool, wishing he hadn't opted for the slimmer look of his suit. "I do a lot of things to make people happy. It just depends on what they mean to me." He cocked his head to the side, giving her a curious smile. She replied with a bite of her lip. "I mean, my little brother, I play video games with him. That's how he likes to bond. My sister likes to shop. I eat anything my father concocts because he enjoys feeding people. My mom and I sew together, but mainly just costumes." 

"Costumes?" 

She inched closer, "Yeah, I do these plays for the kids at the children's hospital. Just a little something to brighten their day." 

"That's very sweet of you." 

She moved close enough so that their knees touched, "So, if I cared about you, what would I do for you to make you happy?"  

Her voice was thick and suggestive. He groaned before he could think better of it. He leaned forward, capturing her lips with his. She tasted like amaretto and cherries. For a moment, her lips stiffened with surprise, then softened just as fast. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in harder. Her mouth parted, allowing him access, her tongue as eagerly searching him as he was her.  

She felt like magic in his arms. He could feel their bodies melting together as the kiss lingered and he never wanted it to end. He had never kissed a woman with this kind of passion. True, he'd had his share of heated kisses, but nothing like what he was sharing with Macie at that moment. She pulled back, her eyes dark with desire, "I'm sorry, I don't normally do this. It's probably the alcohol. I'm usually pretty controlled... with guys I mean... not that I've been in this situation that often, I just..."  

"Stop talking." He didn't want to talk. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to touch every part of her body, kiss every inch of her skin. He didn't want to ruin the moment with getting to know each other.  

As his hand began to explore the delicate folds of her blouse, she pulled back again. "Probably not a good place to do this... I mean... "  

She looked around, his mind racing back to the bar. "Yeah, you're probably right." He looked around the area, eyeballing the bartender who had stepped to the side. The middle-aged man simply smiled as he continued wiping the counter down.  

Declan didn't want the night to end. He wanted to kiss her again, to feel her under his grasp. "Hey," he pulled her in, his mouth inches from hers. Her breaths were erratic, the air moving sensually against his lips and he knew she was just as aroused as he was. "Let's find some place more private, huh?"  

Her eyes darted around anxiously. For a moment, he thought she was done; that she was going to stop the most magnificent moment of his life. Then she smiled. It was the kind of smile that could melt a man's heart or turn it to steel. That instance, he felt his heart dwindling to a mere puddle before she responded. "I would love to." 

 

It wasn't like Macie to be so careless.  

Normally she would kiss, fondle, but never follow a man back to his hotel room. She would get a man's number after a good make-out session but never muster up the courage to actually call the number. There was a feeling she got around this man that she couldn't quite place. When he asked for a more "private place", she hadn't expected him to have a hotel room next door. Especially not one that probably cost more for one night than her parents paid a month for their mortgage. As she walked in, she stumbled in its magnificence. The main room had elegant gold and blue couches strategically turned towards the balcony. The gold and crystal chandelier twinkled enchantingly above them. He stopped in the middle of the room, the light bouncing off the crystal, causing twinkles of light to dance off of his body. His suit was a brilliant blue, with a peaked lapel as dark as the night. His seafoam tie still stood out brilliantly against the off-white shirt underneath, and it helped to create a sense of awe about the man.  

She wasn't used to seeing men like him. She saw men like him online, in movies, sometimes in the heart of Boston, if she was ever so inclined to go down there. But never had she seen a man like him, standing in the penthouse of an upscale hotel, calling her to him with an outstretched hand. She sucked a breath in deep and walked towards him. He put his hand along the small of her back while guiding her to another door. Goosebumps erupted when his hand touched the bare skin of her back. She wanted to shiver at the touch, to pull away at the sheer magnitude of sensuality she was feeling, but the thought of breaking the contact was insane.  

She stepped through the door, taking a moment for her eyes to adjust. She felt his hand leave her back and felt instantly colder because of it. The room was cast in dark shadows, alive with his presence and the promise of what was to come. The white flower and sandalwood scent of his cologne wrapped around her like a blanket as he walked past her. She breathed it in, willing herself to remember it for eternity. 

She heard another door open, then a light rushed through it. It wasn't enough to brighten the entire room, but it was enough for her to see around her. She smiled at the disheveled look of the room. He had a couple pairs of gym shorts and tank tops tossed in a heap on the floor. Beneath one of them, she could see what looked like some red boxer briefs. She shimmied with excitement and amusement as he hurriedly tidied up his pile of dirty clothes. "Sorry, I wasn't expecting to have company." He didn't make eye contact with her as he spoke, leaving her smiling wider at his anxiety.  

 She turned away from him, giving him some privacy as he collected his things from the floor. "That's okay. I'll just wait in here." She bit her lip as the words left her mouth. She glanced at the bed, turning swiftly to the desk to avoid contact with it. Even with all the beauty that the rich cherry wood desk provided, the bed continued to loom over her. Its high ominous posts and its overstuffed white satin comforter begged her to dive into its arms. 

"Wine?" She turned from the dark cherry desk, meeting his gaze. He was quite the magnificent specimen, if she did say so herself. She stared at his at his mouth, wanting nothing but to kiss him. She wanted to feel those lips on her skin again, but her hands took control. It was involuntary, as they moved along his jaw line to his chin. The softest hint of stubble grazed the pads of her fingers. It was welcoming, the feel of masculine roughness. Her breathing quickened as her fingertips reached his lips. His nostrils flared as she fingered the soft skin. 

"I don't need wine," she affirmed as she moved in closer. She wanted to kiss him, to taste the whiskey on his lips again, but she hesitated. Was she being slutty? She probably was. What would her friends say if they found out? She pulled back, running herself into the desk behind her. The lamp rattled, ready to fall over. He reached out instinctively and grasped it, pressing his body against hers as he did so. Inches away from each other, the intensity was so strong, it shocked her. She wasn't used to feeling this strong about anyone. Then she realized, that was why she wanted to leave. Because she wasn't sure what she was feeling or why. "I should probably go." She didn't attempt to move away from him. She didn't really want to leave. She wanted him to kiss her, to take her into his arms and show her the passion that lingered in his gaze, but how intense would the passion be? Could she handle it? She felt moisture pooling between her legs, causing a shockwave through her body to come out as a soft moan. 

He smiled, his hands meeting her hips, "I don't think you want to leave."  

She swallowed hard, trying not to smile. "Oh really?"  

He pressed his long hard body against hers, "Yes, really."  

His mouth met hers with a ferocity that she had never experienced. It was an earth-shattering kiss that knocked her off of her feet. She kissed him back, her arms wrapped around his neck as he hauled her up onto the desk. She ignored the sound of things breaking as her legs met his waist.  

She ripped the business suit from his shoulders, pushing it to the floor. His mouth moved to her throat as her hands fumbled with the buttons on his shirt. She was relieved of the duty, as he ripped the buttons from the shirt persistently. The popping sound of the fabric as the buttons flew away made her shiver with excitement.  

He moved his hands under her shirt and pulled it over her head to discard it with his own clothing. She stopped for a moment, realizing she didn't have a bra on. A guttural noise came from his throat as his mouth latched onto one of her breasts. She threw her head back, crying out in ecstasy as his hand slid up her leg to her panties. She wanted to scream his name as his hand slid underneath the silky fabric. She searched for the sound of his name on her lips. Then the realization came to her; she didn't know his name.  

She tried to come to grips with reality as his hands and mouth explored her. "I... I don't, um... I don't know--" She gasped as he teased her,"-- your name. I don't know your name!"  

He smiled as his mouth continued to move, "My name is Declan Andrews." His lips continued to move along her skin as her mind figured out his name.  

She smiled as he slid a finger inside of her. "Oh, god!"  

"No, Declan." She laughed at his surprising humor.  

Through the haze of lust, she thought about the name that had a familiar ring to it.  

He picked her up, carrying her to the bed. He slid her silkie underwear off as his mouth explored her, inching towards that center of heat. Still, there seemed to be a warning bell going off in her head, a need to stop and pay attention but his hands and mouth were playing tricks with her capacity for thinking of anything but having him inside of her.  

She heard him slide his pants off, and she pulled him to her. She wanted to feel him in her hand, in her mouth. Everywhere she could get him. But yet, that voice kept trying to interrupt the moment. She growled at the incessant voice in her mind.  

"Shit." He moaned as she slid her mouth onto him. He was large, so thick she knew it would hurt her jaw, but she didn't care.  

He maneuvered her until he could latch onto her, pressing his mouth against her clit. He flipped her until she was on top of him and she felt herself surge harder.  

And then that damn voice again. Why wouldn't it leave her alone? She had the man's dick in her mouth, and all she kept thinking about was his name, and some underlying importance to it.  

"His name is Declan Andrews. And no, you're not going to kick his ass."  

She sucked a breath in deep, her mouth still filled with the length of him.  

Declan Andrews. Oh god! Declan Andrews. I know that name. Oh my god!  

She sat up, "Oh my god, Declan!"  

He removed his mouth from her lower lips. "I love the way you say my name." He ground out before slapping his face back against her.  

She was on the verge of an orgasm. She was about to have an orgasm on top of Lincoln's brother's face! She slid off of him fast, trying to catch her breath. She didn't know what to do. Was he the same Declan Andrews? Declan wasn't exactly a popular name. She had to find out. She had to figure out if this was Lincoln's brother, but how? And now wasn't exactly a good time to ask as his hands slid up her thigh. She tried to ignore the hard-on that was mere inches from her, "Um, I... I probably shouldn't be doing this. I have to start a new job in the morning."  

He paused and she tried not to look into his eyes. "I'll set an alarm." He slid his hand up until it slid inside of her.   

She felt her legs parting instinctively. She gasped, pulling away from him. "No, I really should be going."  

"No, you really shouldn't." He reached out and touched the top of her foot, the only thing close enough for him to touch. Then he sat up in the bed, fully naked and reached for her. 

She had to figure out if he was Lincoln's brother. Her mind running to Linc helped her to focus her attentions. "Where do you live?" He wasn't listening to her. He was focused on feeling her, instead. "Aren't you from New York?"  

He stopped, and she could tell he was trying to focus, "Yeah, how'd you know?"  

Crap. "Your father died recently, didn't he?"  

The mention of his father was a cold shower to his libido. She could see an iciness envelope him. He pulled back from her, stepping out of bed. "Yeah, he did. And let me guess, you remember me from the papers?" He shook his head as he started looking for his clothes.  

She never kept up on the rich and famous, but she couldn't let him know that. She couldn't tell him the real reason that she knew that. "Yeah. The, um... Internet. Your father was Theodore Andrews?"  

He seemed instantly agitated. "Great. I meet a girl I think is too good to be true, and it turns out she is." He stood up, reaching for his shirt, "What was your plan? Get knocked up and take me for everything I have?" 

 

Declan felt stupid. 

How could he have been so naïve as to think that she wanted him for more than just his money? That's all any girl ever wanted. He found his underwear and slid them back on. 

"How dare you! I am not that kind of girl!" She stood up, stepping fast to stand beside him. "I didn't even know your name until a few minutes ago! And you think I'm just here to have sex and get knocked up? I'm not that desperate buddy!"  

He had a hard time holding onto his anger with her standing in front of him nude. "So then what does it matter where I'm from or who my Dad is?"  

He saw her eyes twitch as she thought about his question. He was a lawyer. He knew when someone was trying to concoct a lie, and she was working hard at it. "I... I'm a nurse. I just got a job as an oncology nurse in a local hospital. Your father died of cancer. It's kind of in my field."  

Even she didn't seem convinced by her story. "You're a nurse? Where?" His question was more accusatory than curious, and she knew it, too.  

"At Lakeside, if you must know! Why, are you gonna look up my credentials or something?" She reached down, grabbing her clothes. She slid her flesh colored panties on. She shoved her shirt on over her heard inside out and sat on the bed.  "I can't believe that I saw anything inside of you other than a pompous rich boy!" She slid her skirt on violently, standing quickly to adjust the formfitting fabric. 

Declan moved in closer, "Oh, you think I'm pompous? You don't know the first thing about me other than lies you've probably read online, and you're gonna have the audacity to judge me?" He wanted more than anything to tell her. He wanted to tell her that he had just donated money to Lakeside, and that he was overseeing her lovely Oncology department, but in the heat of the moment, he chose to keep silent. He wanted to see the look on her face when she saw him at her work.  

She grabbed her shoes and purse, heading for the door. "You know what, Declan?" She stopped as she reached the doorknob. She turned, glaring at him from across the room. "You judged me pretty quickly, too. So don't act like you're any better than I am. And I know a lot more about you than I care to know. Have a good life!"  

With those words, she huffed her way out of his room. He stood there for a moment, remembering her. She was rather lovely, in a sweet and innocent sort of way. Declan sighed, "I guess I'll see you at work, Macie." 

 

Macie was so angry she was shaking. 

She was a good person! How dare he act like she wasn't. She bounded through the doorway, her hands tightly fisted with rage. He was the one that pushed his own flesh and blood away like garbage. She embraced Linc as if he were her own brother, and Declan wanted nothing to do with him. Despite what he may try to portray, he was a selfish, arrogant rich boy.   

"Where the hell have you been?" Cadence walked up, eyeing her curiously. "You weren't answering your phone."  

Macie tried to think fast, wanting a good lie to hide the truth; that she fell for that guy instantly only to find out he was the half-brother of Linc's that wanted nothing to do with him. "I was getting some fresh air. I guess my phone was on silent."  

Her eyes narrowed as she looked Macie up and down. "Did you take your clothes off while you were out there getting fresh air?"  

Her mouth opened offensively, "No! Why would you say that?"  

"Because your shirt's inside out." 

Macie looked down, "Shit." She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream and throw a three-year-old hissy fit right in the middle of the club. Instead, she turned around and headed straight for the bathroom.  

And of course, Cadence followed her. "Okay, you cannot walk back into this club with your clothes on inside out and expect me not to be curious! You gotta spill it, Mace."  

She flew into the bathroom which was surprisingly empty. "I went back to that guy's hotel room."  

"What?!" Macie didn't turn as she slid her shirt off. "Macie, are you serious? You go girl!"  

"No, it's not a 'you go girl' kind of moment."  

She turned to face Cadence as she slid her top on right side out. Cadence looked at her with a frown, "Aww, was he little? Not good in bed? What?" 

"He's Lincoln's brother."  

That succeeded in sobering her friend. "The brother? The one that sent him a letter at the end of last year's school term that almost cost him his degree?" Her skin reddened with fury. "Do you remember which hotel room it was?"  

Cadence turned around, heading towards the door. Macie went after her, pulling her back into the bathroom. "No, Cadence, don't!"  

She swirled around to glare daggers into Macie. "Don't? Don't?! You don't want me to go over there and kick his ass for what he said to Linc?" 

"No, I don't. Because, believe it or not, Lincoln loves his brother, even if he never met him. You know that. He wouldn’t be so upset over his brother’s rejection if he didn't care. And he would be irate if he found out that you did something to his brother."  

She could see the wheels turning in her head, and although Cadence tended to let her emotions get the better of her, Macie knew she was beginning to understand where she was coming from. "Fine." She proclaimed through pressed lips. She lifted her finger to point at Macie sternly, "But if I ever see that son of a bitch, I am not going to hold back." She paused and thought about it. "Verbally, at least." 

"Thank you, Cadence."  

Cadence rolled her eyes and turned around, "I need another drink. And possibly get laid." She flew through the door and headed straight for the man she had been talking to earlier.  

Man, this night had not turned out the way she had hoped.