His to Protect: A Fireside Novel(28)

“Take me home,” I whispered, murmuring into Declan’s neck.

His fingertips pressed into my lower back before he stood up, gently setting me on my feet.

I didn’t know what I’d just said or done to cause the softened look in his eyes, but when his smile tilted at the edges and his lips brushed against my forehead, I realized.

“Okay, Trina. We can go home.”

Home.

That’s what I just called his house.

And he seemed to like it.

An hour ago, I’d thought that, more than anything, I wanted to be on my own, living it up in Blue’s beautiful shabby-chic apartment, but as Declan grabbed my purse and handed it to me, then slid his hand into mine, I realized that I’d been terribly wrong.

I didn’t want to be anywhere he wasn’t.

“Actually,” Blue said, interrupting whatever tenderness I felt passing between Declan and myself, “I think this is the perfect night to introduce Trina to the girls.”

Next to me, Declan sighed, and I tilted my chin to face him.

“What girls?”

“Yeah, a bunch of us always meet up on Thursdays, at least once a month, for girls’ night out. But tonight definitely calls for immediate girl time. We drink margaritas and eat our weight in nachos.”

“Sounds, um, fun?” It sort of did, but it didn’t change the fact that just minutes ago, I was shaking on the couch with Declan’s arms around me. I wasn’t sure tonight was the night I wanted to meet a bunch of Gabriella’s friends.

She laughed and reached out for my hand, then squeezed it. “I’m sorry. I know we don’t know each other at all yet, really. But when I was new to town, these girls reached out to me and took me in. I’d like to do the same for you. The girls are cool, honest. Well, except Paige. She’s a bit nutty, but the rest are normal.” Her face scrunched up and she shrugged before letting loose an easy grin. “Mostly.”

“Um. Okay?”

Declan’s arm squeezed my shoulders. His voice was deep, tinted with laughter when he said, “When I took off, Mac said he’d cover for the night, but I could always go back. Maybe you should go, Trina. Make some friends and forget about all this shit.”

“Yeah.” Blue’s eyebrows wiggled. “Plus, they drool over Declan, so you’ll be, like, the star of the night. They’ll want to know all the good stuff about him.”

Declan frowned. “Maybe it’s not such a good idea.”

Blue pulled me toward her, forcing me out of Declan’s hold, and wrapped her arms around my shoulders. “Oh, but it is. Because you’ll get to take her back to your place…and she’ll be all tipsy drunk.”

His lips twitched. “Point made. Just don’t tell Suzanne anything. The suspense will kill her.”

“You’re a lot nicer than you look, you big ol’ brute,” Blue scolded, wagging her finger at him, “but that’s just mean.”

Declan crossed his arms over his large chest and smirked.

“Suzanne?” I asked.

Declan rolled his eyes.

Blue giggled. “You’ll see soon enough.”





Chapter 16


Trina


Gabriella was right.

Her friends were not only incredibly welcoming, seemingly some of the friendliest people I’ve ever metwhich was saying a lot, considering I was from the South, where everyone was nice to everyonethey were also a little bit crazy.

As soon as Gabriella introduced me to the group, everyone treated me as if I had been meeting them for emergency girls’ nights out forever.

From Paige’s happy-go-lucky attitude, and from the things she said about her husband, I figured the girl believed Snow White was brought back to life with a kiss from her true love.

Chelsea was soft-spoken and kind, and Camden seemed to be the only woman who held herself back a little bit. Her deep-auburn hair was pulled back into a tight bun at the base of her neck, and even her straight-line skirt and professional blouse made her seem like she needed to loosen up a little bit. I liked that about her, though. I had never been an open book myself.

Suzanne looked at me all night as if she had a burning question on the tip of her tongue, but was waiting to ask it. As drinks were ordered, stories told, introductions made, and food delivered, it seemed like the wait was practically killing her.

Being thrown into a group of women who had known each other for years made me more nervous than the time I was at a fundraising dinner and met the president of the United States, three years ago.

Somehow, shaking hands under the watchful eye of Suzanne intimidated me more than shaking the First Lady’s under the discerning glare of Secret Service.

But those first few minutes of introductions quickly led to margaritas by the pitcher, nachos by the platter, and conversation that quickly dissolved into laughter. It was a friendly atmosphere I hadn’t experienced since college.

When I mentioned my marketing and promotion idea about having a firefighter calendar shot on the Fireside Grill property, inside and outside, both Paige and Suzanne jumped in and explained that their husbands knew several men who worked in the department, and they’d be all for it. It took less than ten minutes for them to make some phone calls and plan a date. The only thing that remained was finding a photographer, but Camden spoke up and said she might know someone willing to help on our tight budget.

I had never known such a supportive group of women, not to mention completely hysterical.

I was loving it.

“So what’d you think about the apartment?” Chelsea turned to me and said as she set her glass down on the tabletop.

Blue had mentioned that I was staying with Declan for a while, but hadn’t explained why, for which I was grateful. But I saw the questioning look in all the other women’s eyes as Chelsea asked the question.

“It’s really beautiful.”

“But?”

I chewed on the inside of my lip, debating how much honesty I wanted to spew forth with a group of women I liked, but didn’t really know. Besides, some of them, Suzanne in particular, seemed a bit possessive about Declan in a way that confused me. From what I’d already learned, she’d been married since right after college.

“But I like being at Declan’s.” The tequila in my drinks must have loosened my lips.

At that, Paige giggled, Blue grinned, Chelsea and Camden smiled, but it was Suzanne who leaned in from across the round table, her hands braced on the tabletop.

“Finally!” she exclaimed. “Now we’re getting somewhere with you.”

My head jerked back in shock and Blue’s grin turned into a laugh. “Declan tried to warn you about her.”

“I don’t get it.” I shook my head and looked at everyone at the table with wide eyes.

Paige and Blue laughed harder.

“You’re staying with Declan. The man of all men. And you’re considering leaving that hunk alone at night? You’re either crazy or stupid, and you don’t look dumb, so you must be insane.”

Suzanne’s tirade made my eyes widen further, and before I could say anything, although for the life of me I couldn’t find words to say, she continued. “If that man wanted me with him, no way would I be walking away.”

“You’re married,” Camden chided her, but even I could see the playfulness in her rich-green eyes. “Happily married, remember?”

“Suzanne forgets everything when Declan is around,” Chelsea supplied, teasingly.

“Um.” I took a drink of my margarita.

“Do you like him?” Suzanne asked.

Next to me, Blue snickered. “You should see the way they stare at each other.”

“What?” I turned my head toward her.

She rolled her eyes. “Come on, you look at him like he’s your real-life hero, and he looks at you like he’d be willing to step in front of a grenade if it’d keep you safe.”

“Yes!” Suzanne shouted. “That’s the kind of guy he is. Exactly, and with his looks…and come on…that body, you have to like him.”

“Have you been with him?” I asked, my brow furrowing.

At the question, the entire table burst out in laughter.

Suzanne lifted her hands, palms out. “No way. I’ve known Dec since we were kids. Lucas is it for me, as in it for me, but I’d be blind if I didn’t notice how incredible Declan has turned out to be, and not just his body, but in the kind of guy he is. Lucas is amazing. Protective and kind and sexy as hell, but Declan…that man is on a whole other level of awesomeness.”

“You’re sort of freaking me out,” I replied.

Her words also confirmed the kind of guy I had already assumed he was.

“So tell us, then,” Chelsea said, cutting in. She pushed a hunk of blonde hair behind her ear and smiled. “What’s going on with you and why wouldn’t you want to stay with him?”

I paused for a moment, trying to decide again how much honesty they could handle, when Blue whispered, “We might be loud and crazy, but I can guarantee you that these women will never speak a word of anything you say to anyone else. You can trust them.”

I blinked rapidly, my eyes stinging a bit from the kindness they were showing me. “I just recently left my husband who hit me,” I admitted softly.

Harsh inhales of breath echoed around the table and I found it difficult to lift my eyes to meet their gazes. Regardless, I soldiered on.