Page 7 of Slow and Steady


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For Declan, Sage and Blake’s faith in him was a blessing and a curse. At the moment, it felt more like a curse. Declan wished he was better at setting boundaries. He would ask Sage to dial his expectations back just a touch or give him a chance to enjoy a conversation without wanting to run from the room.

“Come on, Dec,” Sage insisted, but Declan shook his head.

“We’ve gone out for pizza a few times and we had fun at the wedding. And we text each other a lot, but I think we’re just friends.”

Sage cleared his throat loudly. “I saw that kiss,” he reminded Declan.

“Fuck!” He whispered as he hopped to his feet and headed for the wooden box on the bookshelf. Sage kept his joints in there and told Declan to help himself, but he chickened out again. “It was a really hot kiss and I was really drunk.” He swore as he turned away from the bookshelf and stormed back to the chaise. He still couldn’t believe the things he’d said to Atlas.

They danced together twice, just as the party was winding down. It had taken most of the night and a little too much champagne for Declan to get up the nerve to ask Atlas to dance. Atlas’s cheeks had an adorable pink tint because he’d been drinking scotch with Paul, Lane, Wilder, and Denver. His hands wandered as they swayed together, strumming Declan’s spine, cupping his ass, and sifting through his hair. He had Declan completely at his mercy, absolutely aching and so ready.

Declan was devastated when the song ended and they parted, but Atlas snatched his hand and reeled him back in as soon as the next song started. “I’m not ready to let you go yet,” he panted against Declan’s ear.

“You can have me for as long as you want,” Declan replied. He still didn’t know where he’d gotten the nerve, but that wasnothingcompared to what happened next.

Kat announced that the band would be playing their last number and thanked everyone for joining them to celebrate Blake and Speed’s nuptials.

“I’ll walk you back to your place,” Atlas teased, taking Declan’s hand again.

It was like walking on clouds as Atlas led Declan to his RV. Rows of the luxury vehicles had been provided for Blake and Speed’s out-of-town guests. They had been talking and flirting for weeks and Declan was nearly out of his mind, he wanted Atlas so badly. But it also feltrightas Atlas backed Declan against the side of the RV and captured his lips for a slow, thorough kiss. He made Declan’s toes curl and it was enthralling, feeling Atlas’s body pressed against his.

Atlas had traded his simple black suit and black tie for a soft blue suit and he looked like he’d walked right out of Declan’s wettest dream. Atlas skipped the tie and left the collar and the top buttons on his shirt unbuttoned. It was perfectly suitable for a casual country wedding. But Declan couldn’t take his eyes off of Atlas; he had to be the hottest man at the reception. And that was a hell of a feat to pull off inthatcrowd. The gentlemen from Lake Cliff and Blackhurst were all gorgeous and Kat was a knockout, but Atlas was obscenely sexy.

And his hands had wandered again, kneading Declan’s back and ass as they kissed and ground against each other. Their tongues thrust in time with their hips, both of them hard and hungry as they clung to each other in the dark. Declan gathered his courage as he sucked on Atlas’s lip and made his move.

“Want to…?” His voice had cracked but Declan persisted. “Want to…come inside?” Dear God, he’d meant it in thedirtyway and was just about to tell Atlas when they heard footsteps approaching.

“I think it’s this one,” Ezra said as he came around the corner with Sage, then gasped. “Sorry! We were looking for my husband,” he explained quickly.

Atlas laughed it off as he released Declan. “We haven’t seen him, but I think you’re two rows that way,” he said, pointing in the other direction. Ezra and Sage apologized again and quickly took off. “I should probably go too,” Atlas said with a heavy sigh.

“Why?” Declan protested, then bit down on his lips.

“I was hoping you’d let me kiss you, but I don’t want to rush this. This is…uncharted territory for both of us and literally everything in your life has changed in the last few months.”

“For the better, though!” Declan argued and felt even more desperate and awkward. “Everything’s great now,” he added with a breezy smile.

Atlas chuckled softly as he pulled Declan close. He pressed a kiss to Declan’s lips, then tipped his chin back so Atlas could find his eyes. “I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. Let’s keep working on that and see where this goes when we’re not drunk on champagne and high on fairytale wedding fumes.”

“I guess… If that’s what you want.” Declan didn’t do a very good job of hiding his disappointment.

“It’s not,” Atlas said, sounding disappointed as well. “But it would hurt if this turned out to be a mistake and you stopped returning my messages and started avoiding me when I visited Lake Cliff.”

“Oh.” What else was Declan supposed to say? He suddenly wanted Atlas even more. But he’d be hurt too if Atlas stopped calling and texting and if he started avoiding Declan. It took several glasses of champagne and two sultry slow dances to accept that Atlas was truly attracted to him. Declan hadn’t thought ahead and worried about would happen if he blew it and the sex was terrible. “I guess that makes sense.”

“I’ll see you in the morning.” Atlas kissed Declan again. But this time, his lips were tender and clinging. It was sweet and a touch reverent until Atlas eased out of Declan’s arms with another heavy sigh.

Declan gave his head a hard shake returning to Sage’s study. He let out a long, loud groan, attempting to expel the memory. “I think I’ve been friend zoned,” he told Sage, earning a wry snort.

“I don’t think so and I know exactly how I’ll prove you wrong.”

“No.” Declan shook his head and finally put his foot down. Sort of. “I don’t know what you have planned but pleasedon’t.I made such an ass out of myself in Sparks, I was so desperate. Let’s be happy that Atlas is still talking to me.”

That got a dubious look from Sage as he came around the desk, wiping his hands on a towel. “He looked pretty desperate too,” he said, heading for the wooden box on the bookshelf. He selected a joint and lit it, taking a long pull. He pointed it at Declan thoughtfully before smoke plumed out of the side of his mouth. “He called and asked when Jeremy was getting back. Atlas is coming on Wednesday for FBI business, but I invited him to brunch this weekend. I told him to make sure he was off the clock and to dress for a run. Let’s see who he decides to chase.”

“What do you mean?” Declan asked, but an awful sense of foreboding grew in his gut as Sage grinned around the joint.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got a pair of running shoes I’ve never worn that should fit you.”

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