Declan watches my face as the employee shows us one ring after another. They all start to blur together after looking at so many, but then I see it.
It’s pink and huge with twinkling little diamonds surrounding the center pink diamond and trailing down the band.
“Ah, excellent choice. This is our cushion cut pink diamond. Very fitting for Valentine’s Day,” she says as she takes it out for me to try on.
I hold my breath as Declan slides it onto my finger. He smiles down at my hand.
“A perfect fit,” he says.
“It’s too much,” I try to argue, but he shakes his head.
“It’s perfect. We’ll take it,” he tells the very excited employee.
He pays in the blink of an eye, sliding a plain silver band onto his hand as we walk out of the store onto the mostly deserted sidewalk.
He takes my hand, admiring the diamond that’s now on my left ring finger before he tightens his grip and takes off again for The Mob Museum and doesn’t let go even after we’re inside.
It’s cool to learn about mobs and organized crime, and we talk about some of the exhibits as we head out to grab lunch. We check out the aquarium inside the Mandala Bay Resort next, and talk about our favorite attractions there, and about the time we went to the zoo while in middle school.
By the time we leave, the sky is starting to get dark and Declan leads me over to the restaurant inside Mandala Bay.
We grab a quick dinner, laughing over dessert before Declan pays and we head back out onto the strip.
“What now?” I ask him as we head toward the Luxor.
“Well, we can hit up a casino or check out a show,” he suggests.
“What kind of show?” I ask with a smile.
“Whatever you want,” he says, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear with a sweet smile.
I pick Cirque du Soleil and sit riveted in my seat as the acrobats twirl and bend in their bright outfits.
I can’t stop talking about it as we leave and Declan grins, seeming to enjoy listening to me go on and on about it. We walk past some place called The Sugar Factory and he tugs me inside, buying me a giant milkshake and some macaroni and cheese bites.
It’s delicious, but I love just spending time with him even more, relaxed and hanging out. He’s so attentive and charming.
We walk along the strip next and I ask him to stop outside the Bellagio Hotel so that I can watch the fountain show again. He agrees right away and I love that, too. He seems all too happy to give me anything I might want.
It’s intoxicating.
He wraps his arms around my curvy waist, burying his head in my neck as I stare transfixed at the fountain.
He trails kisses up my neck, nibbling on my earlobe and driving me wild. My body reacts and I find myself grinding my ass back against him. His cock is rock-hard and I moan as I move against him.
As the water goes higher and the music grows louder, I turn in his arms and rise up on my tiptoes until my lips meet his.
His fingers dig into my hips and he holds me flush against him as his tongue pushes past my lips and into my mouth.
His tongue meets mine right away and we both groan as we attack each other.
I’m wrapped around him, practically climbing him like he’s a tree, and I love it. Declan doesn’t seem to mind too much, either. Not if the way he’s pulling me closer, grinding against me as we get lost in each other, is any indication.
I lose track of time and don’t know how long we make out before the sound of applause reaches me.
For a second, it feels right. This kiss is so amazing that we deserve a standing ovation.
Then reality sets in.