"Long awaited vacation," I nodded as she smiled. I didn't want to tell her the details since it all sounded so wrong in my head. It didn't feel that way when I was wrapped in his arms, though.
I started the engine of the car, driving towards the house that I now considered home, which was scary. I had just over two weeks left until James came home, but I'd made my decision there. The only thing I needed from the house was clothes since it was his castle and never mine. The possessions on the shelves meant nothing to me, and the pictures were the kind that I'd never want to see again. I liked Declan's house, with its relaxed comfort and inviting feel. It was smaller than James, ' but it held love there, love from both him and I that filled the air.
I drove to that house, wondering if James tried to call my old phone. I wondered if my parents tried to call it at all. Oddly enough, I didn't feel any need to talk to any of them, pretending who I was and telling them what they wanted to hear. I had the attention of a man who knew the real me and seemed to love her, a thought that scared me. He told me last night with so much passion that he was in love with me and the way we made love on the couch, wild and needy, was a claiming. He claimed my body and made it his, and I loved every moment of it.
I loved him, but I couldn't say that. I loved Declan too much to put him in the way of James misplaced jealousy when we came home. In France, we could be a couple in love, likely not known by anybody. They wouldn't care who we were there, and I'd memorize every moment of the trip. I'd save it for the lonely nights that I would be dealing with when I came home, giving James time to calm down.
If he had called, he knew that I was missing. He might be on this already and searching for me. I winced inwardly as I realized that Declan probably used my name for the flight but hopefully nothing else. I'd had my hair done again recently in a darker blonde with vibrant purple ends, loving the small way that I could change who I was within a few hours.
Declan teased me, saying that it was like fucking a new woman in his bed. When he was behind me, taking me, his hands would grip my hair as he told me that he liked it. He asked me how often I'd be changing it, but sadly this was the last color that he'd see on me. I'd beg him to leave me alone if I needed to, hoping that our time together didn't already seal his fate.
I walked into the house to find the kitchen empty but the smell of something cooking in the air. It smelled wonderful. I considered taking Declan up on his offer of buying me a house anywhere I had wanted for a second before I made my way to the bedroom. Declan was there, with an open suitcase on the bed as he faced his closet, wearing only a pair of soft, flannel pajamas. I watched him for a moment, thinking how gorgeous he was as I cursed myself for planning to leave him. Declan turned his head to look at me, a smile playing on his face. "Welcome to vacation, pretty girl."
"Thank you. You look happy," I observed as Declan nodded and held his hand out towards me. I strolled forward and moved into his arms to kiss him softly.
"So happy," Declan assured me after the kiss as he smiled at me. "I have a chicken casserole in the oven. I figured we'd spend the night packing and trying to sleep some before the flight."
"It smells so good," I said as I kissed him again. I glanced at his bag, seeing it half-filled before looking at my new stuff folded up on the dresser. The lingerie was tucked into my suitcase that I‘d brought here, carefully wrapped and hidden. Declan told me that he had extra luggage if I wanted to use it and I'd accepted. There was a large bag beside him, all ready to fill up. I couldn't wait.
We ate in the bedroom, stealing bites of the cheesy broccoli and chicken as we added things to the suitcases. I sipped wine as I planned in my head how I was going to organize this, settling on underwear first. I put the ones that he'd seen already in, adding the closed bag after as I felt his eyes on me. "What's that?" Declan asked huskily as I giggled.
"A surprise," I replied, laughing harder as his exaggerated moan. I threw some socks over the bag, in case we took any hikes or walks around, glancing at the shoes that were on the opposite end of the suitcase. I wasn't a shoe girl like some of my friends, having just enough to be practical. I also had a foot condition that required me to spend a lot on shoes as it was, so I chose carefully.
"I might have a few of those as well," Declan hinted as I turned my head to look at him curiously. He winked and continued packing as if he'd said nothing unusual. I had this fleeting image of him on some beach, on his knees with a ring in his hand. That was the proposal every girl dreamed of as opposed to the news over dinner that I was marrying James. The large engagement ring was given to me as an afterthought on the holidays, more show behind it than meaning.
I brushed the image out of my head as I focused on clothes. I packed a few pairs of jeans, some shorts, and casual shirts that could make up a series of outfits. I also packed the sundresses I'd bought as well as skirts to go with the shirts as well as a couple more formal dresses. I didn't know what he had planned, but from what Declan had shown me so far, he was a romantic man.
I sealed my shampoo and conditioner into bags, along with the extra toothbrush Declan bought me. I brought minimal cosmetics since I knew that we'd be outside in the sun and I wouldn't need them.
Declan and I took a break to wash the dishes, kissing several times before we finished and went to bed to make love. I knew that's what it was, well-aware that I had never done this with any man before. It was beautiful, no matter if it was slow or rushed. I hated walking away from it in what seemed like a few short days.
We slept for about four hours before getting up to go to the airport, taking a shuttle as we both sipped coffee. We had several hours on two planes in which we planned to sleep, just waking up enough to check in with our tickets. I smiled as we completed every step and found some seats to wait to leave, sitting apart as we smiled at one another. First class was not new to me, but I'd traveled so little that I felt like a child. We settled into the comfortable seats, tucking blankets over ourselves as we held hands and got comfortable.
I slept and read on my Kindle during the flight while Declan took care of emails on his phone on his breaks from sleeping. We still cuddled under the blankets unless we were eating, loving the hidden closeness that we could achieve this way. He told me that he was tempted to get a private plane for the trip, but knew that I'd kill him.
We landed nearly a full day later, ready to move and settle in our room. I didn't walk as much as I should have on the plane and felt like I could walk all the way to the hotel as we made our way to the baggage claim.
Once I saw the black car that was going to take us, I changed my mind. It was luxurious and sleek, making me smile as Declan took my suitcase and led me towards it. I slipped into the back, noting the privacy glass as the driver loaded our bags into the trunk. I stared out of the window as we drove, wrapped tightly in Declan's arms. We were miles away from home, and I felt it as my body relaxed against him. It was beautiful here, taking in the cities with their old architecture and postcard beauty as I smiled and tried to snap a few shots from the car. It was a couple of hours in the car, and I took in the lush, green hills and flowers as we moved closer to the coast, mesmerized by the beauty.
I was also all too aware of Declan's presence beside me, feeling his hands touch me everywhere as I struggled not to climb into his lap. There was a moment during the flight when it was dark that he slipped his hand between my legs under the blanket, under the leggings and underwear to find me needy and wet for him. His fingers worked their magic as I kissed him to keep quiet as I felt my release through my entire body. He excused himself to use the restroom, making me confident that he was going to jerk himself off before going back to sleep. I grinned and thought about everything that I was going to do to him when we were in France.
Here in the car, I unzipped his pants and wrapped my mouth around his cock as he slipped his hands into my hair. He was thick and hard, filling me to the point that he nudged my back throat. I was used to this and moved harder as he grunted and moaned my name before he came deep in my mouth.