“I think I’m more of the behind the scenes kind of girl. I just love when an idea forms in my head. The movie starts playing out almost too fast for me to jot down.” Mallory admitted, feeling the fire inside of her that sparked up whenever she talked about her passion in life.
“I feel that way when I play too. It’s like a high that you can’t get enough of, isn’t it?” De clan mused out loud as she nodded before glancing at her at a stoplight. “I was thinking of a pub for some fish and chips. Does that sound good?”
“Perfect.” Mallory responded, mesmerized by the way his cheekbones sloped down his face to his full lips. He was a big guy and muscular to boot but his face was gorgeous and he was making her move away from the business type that she’d seemed to date since school started. They drove into the better part of Carmel and he parked effortlessly on the curb and smiled at her before he opened his door and walked around.
“It’s a perfect time for a late lunch.” De clan told her as he pulled her door open and leaned in to help her out.
“I agree.” She was captivated by the way that he looked at her as she took his hand to get out of the low vehicle. Heat slid up her arm as they made contact and forced her eyes to his as she took a slow breath.
Declan was everything that Mallory should stay away from but she found herself stepping closer to him as he closed the door behind her.
CHAPTER TWO
They were seated immediately once he walked up to the hostess stand, set apart from the rest of the tables in a cozy corner by a fireplace. He joked back and forth with the waitress as she took Mallory’s order of coffee and his tea, apparently being a regular. Mallory didn’t miss the look the pretty brunette gave her when Declan wasn’t looking but she let it pass as she leaned back against the chair. This wasn’t a date and it was nothing to even worry about yet. The look her gave her as he leaned closer suggested otherwise and she dragged her tongue across her lip as he watched her closely. “How long have you played rugby?” Her voice was soft as she tried to keep it from shaking.
“Since I was a boy. I’ve always loved sports but rugby was it for me as far as any type of future. I’m a center and I love the fast pace of the game.” She could see herself in his face when he talked about it, the passion making his eyed shimmer as he seemed to lose himself in the thought. “I came two years ago to come to school here since my best mate Rory ended up moving here with his family years ago. I’d already lived here for a few years and played but he talked me into joining him and I got to be good friends with coach, so I’m helping out.” The faraway look crossed his eyes again as Declan sipped the water in front of him. “He lost his family recently…a break in at their home. I don’t even know of he’ll be back anytime soon.”
“The Pebble Beach one a couple of weeks back? I heard about that but I had no clue that it was part of our staff. That’s so sad.” Mallory told him as he nodded, remembering reading that a woman and her five-year-old twins were murdered in the incident.
“A man loses that and he’ll never be the same. That’s everything. Not that I was ever close with either of my parents. They worked in the family investment company back home and liked the money more than they liked being a family. I lived with my grandparents most of the time, though he was head of the company.” De clan told her as she frowned, taking back any bitter thoughts that she might have had earlier about him. All of the pretty cars in the world couldn’t replace a family, though Mallory lived with her best friend’s parents while they were both going to school. Hers had died when she was thirteen and after being moved around to uninterested family members, Mallory ended up with Rayna’s parents. They loved her and took care of her as good as they did their own kids.
“I live with my best friend and her family. I lost my own parents years ago and they offered while I went to school. The other family members didn’t want a kid around.”
“I’m sorry about that, Mallory.” Declan pushed his hair back with one hand with a tense look on his face.
“Do you live with anybody here?” She asked him, wanting to hear that he had someone there so she wouldn’t be any further tempted to lose herself in his world.
“No. I have a small place near the beach but I live there alone. Rory has a girlfriend who he lives with so I decided to just stay on my own.” Declan replied as she felt her willpower breaking apart within her body.
The girl brought their food to the table, barely looking at Mallory as she placed a platter of fish and chips on front of her that De clan had insisted that she order. She leaned down to place his just in front of him, practically shoving her big breasts in his face. Mallory sipped her coffee as she observed the way he leaned back away from her and cleared his throat as he glanced at her with a dark look in his eyes. “Thanks, Brittany. That’ll do it.” His tone was polite but cold as the waitress stepped back and stared at him for a moment before glancing at Mallory with a dismissive look before she stomped away from the table. “Fucking hell. I’m sorry about that. I made a mistake with her when I first met her and she won’t let it go. I’ve never brought a girl in here before and I didn’t think she’d lay it on so thick.” De clan looked down at the plate for a moment before he took a bottle from the table to shake over the fish before he added some fresh lemon juice.
“Did you say that you’ve never brought a girl here?”
“Not on a date or just to eat. I tend to just hang out with the team or on my own. Girls are…casual to me.” He said the words with a frown as he took a fry and bit into it. “I know how that sounds but it’s always been about sports for me, Mallory. Women were just a bonus of sorts.”
“Why me?” She asked him as he stared into her eyes through long lashes searchingly for a long moment.
“When I saw you stumble and caught you in my arms, I knew that I never wanted to let go.” Declan tried to explain as she picked at her fish with her fork awkwardly. “You smelled good and you felt good. It just kind of hit me so suddenly and then I realized that you might feel the same way. I’ve seen girls get nervous around me…chatty. I’ve seen that a lot but it was appealing with you. I can’t explain it. I just had to spend some more time with you.” He shook his head and took a sip of his tea. “I’m making you nervous.”
“I have never had a guy like you interested in me before. That’s all.” She forced a bite of the crunchy fish between her lips and chewed it slowly as she sighed happily. “This is so good. I have never even seen this place.” How could she, living on a tight budget with her very part time freelancing that she did for a little extra money?
“I’ll show you all of my places. I’ll prove to you how interested I am in you.” Declan told her, leaning over his plate to lock his gaze with her eyes.
She looked down at the table as she started to eat, nervous but too hungry to ignore this plate of food in front of her. Apart from some of the dinners that Mary cooked, this was some of the best food that she’d ever had.
He took her back to school after they’d lingered over the meal, seeming to understand that she wasn’t ready to go back to his house quite yet. There was a part of her that wanted him more than she’d wanted anything but her heart told her to wait and see what this settled into.
The kiss that he gave her before she left his car almost made her waver from her decision, just a brush at first before he was melting her from the inside with the way that he claimed her. Declan knew that he had her in his grips and the kiss just sealed the deal as he pulled away to her breathing heavily.
CHAPTER THREE
Mallory drifted to her faded blue Sportage as he waited to make sure she got inside safely with his number in her phone and a text that he’d sent to give himself her number. She started the engine as she leaned her head against the steering wheel for a moment to draw air into her chest in deep breaths, attempting to break the spell that he’d put on her.
Declan still sat beside her and she lifted her face to glance over shyly. Mallory waved as she backed out to head to Rayna’s house on the outskirts of Monterey. Her father did well in the insurance business while her mother ran an art gallery but they weren’t too close to the beach at all. She looked in the rear view mirror at a light as she wondered what his house looked like and if she could see the water from his bedroom.
Jesus, the idea of being in his bedroom made her press her thighs together. Mallory pulled forward with a start as the light turned green and made her way through the streets until she was turning into the long driveway and parking behind Rayna’s red Tercel. She got out and trudged up the steps to the front door before she opened it to smell lasagna with a frown. Normally she loved this for dinner but she was both full and a bit sick from being so nervous. “Hey Mal!” Mary called out from the kitchen cheerfully as Mallory smiled. “Hungry? Ray’s just taking a shower before she eats.”
Mallory hung up her keys and walked across the sunken living room to peek in at the pretty blonde. “I ate out today, actually.”