Surrendering (Surrender 1)

The song finishes and Declan turns me around to face Robbie. He’s holding a gorgeous four layer, red velvet cake with twenty-two candles. I lean over to blow them out and the room goes wild.

Even though I’m embarrassed as hell, I can’t be mad. I snake my arms around Declan and kiss him hard. He kisses me back with equal strength until Robbie clears his throat behind us. I pull away from him, but smile as he nips at my lower lip one last time. I give a small wave and walk back off-stage. There are catcalls behind me, but don’t turn around.

We cut the cake just as the band joins us. Everyone compliments them on the show and the crowd they brought in. Cooper tells us that there are a lot of old friends here. Finn starts serving drinks and we talk about the night so far. Kendall gets extremely animated when she tells the Sami story. Everyone explodes in to laughter when they hear about the expression on Sami’s face when Charlie told her that ‘Declan has improved his taste’.

“I certainly have. I freely admit that she was from the bottom of the barrel knowing what I have now.” He kisses the tip of my nose and smiles at me.

We all hang out a little while longer but Nate, Cooper, and Blake head out to the bar to see their old friends. I encourage Declan to go with them, but he insists on staying with me.

At two am, I finally call it a night. Even though Ella has been keeping him company for the last hour, Will looks relieved that we’re leaving.

Declan fits all the girls in his truck and Will offers to drive Kendall’s car back since she’s clearly drunk. Ella volunteers to go with him and I catch Declan shaking his head, but he doesn’t say anything.

On the way home, we torture Declan by singing every pop song that comes on the radio. He doesn’t complain once. He just holds my hand and drives.

When we get home, sleeping arrangements are made. Abbi gives up her room again to Charlie and Harper. Kendall decides to take the blow up mattress and Will takes the sofa.

I get Declan and I some water and start to say my goodnights. Abbi motions me back to the kitchen, “Rave, can you keep my brother holed up in your room tonight?”

“I think so, why?”

“Jimi is coming by and I don’t want to explain anything to Declan.”

“You got it, good luck!” I hug her and head to my room.

Declan is just getting out of the shower and has nothing but a towel wrapped around him. The skin on his chest that’s not covered by tattoos is pink from the hot water. I lick my lips thinking how sexy he is and get lost in my thoughts.

“Baby, you shouldn’t look at me like that with a house full of people.”

“I know, I was just thinking about how delicious you look.”

“I was thinking the same thing about you. Come here.”

I walk to him, noticing the growing bulge under his towel.

“Since I didn’t get to help you get dressed tonight, I want to help you get undressed. Turn around.” He lowers the zipper and the dress falls to the floor. I step over it and face him again. He’s staring at me speechless.

“Surprise, do you like it?”

“Fucking unbelievable.”

“Thanks, they were a present from your sisters.”

“Remind me to thank them later.” He wraps himself around me and carries me to the bed. He drops the towel and crawls on top of me with deep desire in his eyes. Propping himself up on his elbow, he runs his fingertips from my hipbone to my breastbone. My body aches for him. I arch into him, trying to find his lips. He leans in and kisses me softly, curling his tongue with mine in a slow motion.

“This was by far the best birthday I’ve ever had. Thank you.”

We spent the next hour wrapped up in each other. In the end, I had to use a pillow to drown out my cries.

Chapter 31

Atlanta

On Sunday, Robbie, Finn, Will, and I met with my dad. He told us he had broken into a server that was potentially passing trade secrets to a competing firm. The reason he had been so worried was because the trade secrets could have been seen as acts of terrorism; he wanted us watched until the CEO got his hands on the culprits. The two IT guys responsible for passing the info on were taken into custody. My dad’s name was never mentioned so Will was free after Sunday.

Daddy had accepted Declan, but he’s still super protective of me. He asks Declan and me to join him in his office. My mom is already there with her glass of wine and I’m nervous.

“Daddy, what’s going on? I thought things were fine.”