Smiling still, he tilted my chin up as he craned down and pressed his lips to mine. I wrapped my arms around his chest, wanting to stay in this moment of bliss and euphoria for as long as I had it.
Declan looped an arm around my back and tugged me with him as he dropped to the bed beside me.
His arms stayed around me, and his lips stayed on mine.
For a moment, only a brief moment, I closed my eyes and thought,I could stay here forever.
CHAPTERSIX
DECLAN
Collapsing to the bed, struggling to catch our breaths, a quiet laugh escaped me.
Fuck, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had sex that great. I wasn’t a stranger to hookups, and nine times out of ten, it was a good time. I always made sure my partner got off, and that generally gave me the drive to let loose and do the same.
But damn, this hadn’t felt like a one-night stand. There was the passion of the first time with someone, obviously, but it’d felt similar to how it had with my ex.
Maybe that wasn’t the best comparison.
It wasn’t literally like it’d been with her, but it was just as intimate. There hadn’t been any awkwardness. The way Brooke’s skin brushed against mine was new, and exciting, but it also felt sort of… cozy, despite how intense and exhilarating it’d been.
“That was…” Brooke murmured.
“Ah-fucking-mazing?”
She laughed, lying her head against my bicep as our eyes met. Her fingertips grazed the few hairs along my chest, blue eyes sparkling in the glow of the streetlights out the window. “That’s one way to put it.”
“Is that not how you would put it?”
“No, it’s not.”
I tucked a messy red curl behind her ear. “And how would you put it?”
“Toe curling.” A big smile edged up her cheeks, and I tilted my head to the side in question. She laughed. “Romance novel joke. Ignore me.”
“Hey, I’m familiar with romance novels.” I turned onto my side. “I want in on the joke.”
“Oh, yeah? Who’s your favorite romance author?”
“Diana Gabaldon.”
Her brow arched. “Quick response.”
“‘Cause I didn’t pull it outta my ass.” I laughed. “She’s a great writer.”
“A little flowery for me.” She squinted slightly. “But in that case, you should be familiar with toe curling.”
I laughed. “Who’s your favorite?”
Brooke’s smile widened. “You can’t ask a librarian who her favorite author is. I’d feel like I was cheating on one of them.”
“We’re talking romance authors—not all authors.”
“Ah, true.” Her eyes drifted over the room for a moment, deep in thought. Cheeks flushing, smile spreading through them, her eyes came back to mine. “Always been a big Jane Austen fan. Do you like Jane Austen?”
Walked straight into that one.
Letting out a quiet laugh, I rubbed my thumb along the back of hers. “I’ve read her books so many times now that I kinda hate them. My mom’s an Austen aficionado though.”