asked.
“Suzy—” Gray began.
Declan surprised them all when he threw his head back and laughed. Giving Gray a sympathetic look he said, “Man, I bet you never know if you’re coming or going. Hell, I can’t even decide if I’m in love with your wife or if I want to push her off a tall cliff.”
Far from being offended, Gray laughed too. “I see you understand my life perfectly. It only gets harder to answer that question, believe me.”
Suzy put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes. “Hellooo, I’m standing right here you know. If you guys are finished with your male bonding, I’d like to have my hot dog before I starve to death.”
Gray put his arm around Suzy, giving her a look that made Ella go weak in the knees. “Alright, baby, let’s go feed you.”
Suzy gave her a little shove into Declan’s side as she was walking off, whispering to her, “At least make it to second base tonight.” She could tell by the look Declan shot her that he had heard Suzy’s comment as well.
“Would you like to go to a movie or something, Ellie?”
Considering for a minute, she said, “We could go back to my place and watch something.” She would much rather curl up next to him on her couch than be packed into a theater with a bunch of strangers.
Declan shifted uncomfortably before saying, “I don’t know . . . I’m really not sure we should be alone at your place yet.”
Hurt, Ella asked, “Why not?”
“Because, at some point, I would have you on your back with my hand up your dress.”
Ella’s eyes widened and she whispered, “Ohhh. I’d um . . . like that.”
Declan groaned as if he were in pain. “Oh God, Ellie, don’t say stuff like that. I’m barely hanging on to the whole Mr. Nice Guy thing.”
She put her hands on his chest and gazed up into his eyes. “I don’t want you to be the nice guy. I’ve waited too long already. I want this Declan and I don’t want to wait any longer.”
“Ellie . . .” he warned, “don’t say that. We need to take this slow. I’ll take you home and we can watch a movie. I can do this, but please don’t repeat what you just said to me again, unless you really mean it.”
When she opened her mouth to repeat it, he clamped his hand over her lips and shook his head. “No, Ellie. I don’t want to get arrested on the boardwalk, and I damn sure don’t want Suzy and Gray to have a front row seat to the action. If you need to say sexy things like that, make sure it’s not in a public place.”
Looking around at the families with young children, Ella blushed a bright pink and said, “I see your point. I’ll try to do a little better next time.”
Declan wrapped his arm around her and kissed her on top of the head. “Good girl. Now let’s go home and please keep your hands to yourself.”
Ella chuckled, “I can’t believe the bad boy of Danvers is telling the church girl of Danvers to keep her hands to herself. No one would ever believe it!”
Declan smirked, “Bad boy, huh? Well, then by all means let’s not tell anyone. I apparently have a certain reputation to maintain.”
Smiling to herself, Ella thought that didn’t even skim the surface of all of the things that people had speculated about him. Of course, he would probably be thrilled to know that all of the girls thought he would be outstanding between the sheets.
Nah, he doesn’t need to know that.
***
When they arrived back at her apartment, Declan was thrilled to see the movie
Die Hard
in her video collection. “Don’t tell me your parents bought you this movie for Christmas,” he joked.
“Um . . . are you kidding? I can assure you that my parents don’t even know who Bruce Willis is and they sure aren’t going around repeating the line, “Yippee-ki-yay, mother . . .”
Looking strangely proud of her, Declan said, “Even though you couldn’t finish the ‘mother’ part, I’m still impressed and turned on, all at the same time.”
“Thanks, I
“Suzy—” Gray began.
Declan surprised them all when he threw his head back and laughed. Giving Gray a sympathetic look he said, “Man, I bet you never know if you’re coming or going. Hell, I can’t even decide if I’m in love with your wife or if I want to push her off a tall cliff.”
Far from being offended, Gray laughed too. “I see you understand my life perfectly. It only gets harder to answer that question, believe me.”
Suzy put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes. “Hellooo, I’m standing right here you know. If you guys are finished with your male bonding, I’d like to have my hot dog before I starve to death.”
Gray put his arm around Suzy, giving her a look that made Ella go weak in the knees. “Alright, baby, let’s go feed you.”
Suzy gave her a little shove into Declan’s side as she was walking off, whispering to her, “At least make it to second base tonight.” She could tell by the look Declan shot her that he had heard Suzy’s comment as well.
“Would you like to go to a movie or something, Ellie?”
Considering for a minute, she said, “We could go back to my place and watch something.” She would much rather curl up next to him on her couch than be packed into a theater with a bunch of strangers.
Declan shifted uncomfortably before saying, “I don’t know . . . I’m really not sure we should be alone at your place yet.”
Hurt, Ella asked, “Why not?”
“Because, at some point, I would have you on your back with my hand up your dress.”
Ella’s eyes widened and she whispered, “Ohhh. I’d um . . . like that.”
Declan groaned as if he were in pain. “Oh God, Ellie, don’t say stuff like that. I’m barely hanging on to the whole Mr. Nice Guy thing.”
She put her hands on his chest and gazed up into his eyes. “I don’t want you to be the nice guy. I’ve waited too long already. I want this Declan and I don’t want to wait any longer.”
“Ellie . . .” he warned, “don’t say that. We need to take this slow. I’ll take you home and we can watch a movie. I can do this, but please don’t repeat what you just said to me again, unless you really mean it.”
When she opened her mouth to repeat it, he clamped his hand over her lips and shook his head. “No, Ellie. I don’t want to get arrested on the boardwalk, and I damn sure don’t want Suzy and Gray to have a front row seat to the action. If you need to say sexy things like that, make sure it’s not in a public place.”
Looking around at the families with young children, Ella blushed a bright pink and said, “I see your point. I’ll try to do a little better next time.”
Declan wrapped his arm around her and kissed her on top of the head. “Good girl. Now let’s go home and please keep your hands to yourself.”
Ella chuckled, “I can’t believe the bad boy of Danvers is telling the church girl of Danvers to keep her hands to herself. No one would ever believe it!”
Declan smirked, “Bad boy, huh? Well, then by all means let’s not tell anyone. I apparently have a certain reputation to maintain.”
Smiling to herself, Ella thought that didn’t even skim the surface of all of the things that people had speculated about him. Of course, he would probably be thrilled to know that all of the girls thought he would be outstanding between the sheets.
Nah, he doesn’t need to know that.
***
When they arrived back at her apartment, Declan was thrilled to see the movie
Die Hard
in her video collection. “Don’t tell me your parents bought you this movie for Christmas,” he joked.
“Um . . . are you kidding? I can assure you that my parents don’t even know who Bruce Willis is and they sure aren’t going around repeating the line, “Yippee-ki-yay, mother . . .”
Looking strangely proud of her, Declan said, “Even though you couldn’t finish the ‘mother’ part, I’m still impressed and turned on, all at the same time.”
“Thanks, I
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