The Escort(26)

We focused on the passing scenery for the remaining short drive,  relieved when the driver pulled up to the beautiful building that housed  our room. Declan slipped him some bills as I watched and checked us in  as the pretty women behind the counter took him in. Declan was gorgeous  and confident, oozing alpha male out of his pores as I felt my heart tug  in my chest. I didn't want to let him go when we left here. Based on  the way that the girls were looking at him regardless of my presence or  not, he'd be snatched up in a moment.



We took the elevator to our room, and I walked right to the windows to  look over the blue ocean. It was stunning, and Declan wrapped his arms  around my waist as he asked if I'd like to shower with him before taking  a walk down there. It was time for dinner soon, and we decided just to  keep it easy tonight, eating in the room and getting some sleep in a  real bed. I smiled and walked through the spacious living area, down a  hall where there were two rooms off to the left with an ocean view.  Declan picked the last one, and I gasped as I walked inside, clutching  his hand. The bed was a King and faced a wall of windows, displaying the  same view as the living room. There was a door leading to a balcony  that had table and chairs and even a grill. An ornate fireplace was  against the left wall with a large television hanging on the wall just  beside it. It was gorgeous, and I noted the door just to the right of  the bed as I licked my lips and felt tears in my eyes. "Declan, it's  amazing. It's too much," I whimpered as I turned into his arms.



"Nothing is too much for you, Rayna. When will you see that?" He asked  me as I fought the crying jag that was coming on. He sensed it and led  me carefully into the bathroom and sitting me on the counter as he  turned on the shower. I looked around, seeing that the bathroom was  fantastic as well. The shower was massive with water coming down from  several places, and it included a huge tub as well. There was even a  small fireplace in here. I looked up as he approached me again, slipping  down to help him remove my clothes before he took his own off. I  stepped under the water, feeling the heat ease into my skin and into my  sore bones as I closed my eyes. "This is the best thing after a long  flight. It'll ease all the aches and pains for you, and we can even nap  before we eat. You're a whole world away from LA."



"Yes," I murmured as I felt his hand slide up to cup a breast. I  hardened against him immediately, and he pinched me gently. I wanted him  in here, and he pressed against me as I moaned. "Declan, I … I need you."  I turned to face him, kissing him hard as he tugged me against him. We  made love against the tiled wall, my back hurting with the force of it  as I cried out his name. I imagined a life where we could do this freely  anywhere we wanted, openly loving each other and creating a new life. I  came with him as I wished for the birth control to fail for one moment,  knowing that it would further James' anger and could never happen. He  held my ass as he stilled, grunting my name breathlessly before telling  me how much he loved me.



I opened my mouth to speak, the words on the tip of my tongue. I loved  Declan madly, but I didn't want him to know that since it would break  his heart more when I left. We finished the shower, smiling before we  dried off and I walked over to the windows. The sea was just outside,  and I could see a hint of the private beach the resort offered as I  looked down to the right. I cracked open one of the windows to let in  some of the fresh air, breathing in deeply. "Is this real?" I asked  softly, trying to figure how I ended up here.



"It's very real," Declan replied as he walked over to look out. "I  stayed here for a work thing years ago, and I've been crazy about it  ever since then. I knew that it was where I would be bringing you the  moment you mentioned a vacation." He rubbed my bare shoulders and smiled  as I glanced at him. "Feel like you want a nap? It's not always easy  sleeping on a plane."                       
       
           



       



"Particularly when someone is manhandling you during said flights," I  teased as he kissed my damp hair. "I guess it might be a good idea. We  can have some dinner and just stay in tonight."



"That's the plan," Declan said as he took my hand and led me to the bed.  We both dropped down, naked but for our towels, as he looked me over  slowly. "You are so damn beautiful, Rayna."



He held me as I fell asleep, my body pressing against him without  thought. There was so much peace and love in this room, and I woke up  smiling, my legs tangled with his. I rose first, looking outside before I  went to use the bathroom and fix my messy hair into a loose ponytail. I  went to my suitcase in the living room and pulled it back to the  bedroom before I got his, smiling as he blinked when I came back into  the bedroom.



CHAPTER 22



Declan





I woke up slowly, seeing her bringing one of the suitcases into the  bedroom. Rayna was wearing one of the robes from the bathroom, and her  hair was pulled up, but she looked happy. "Morning," I joked as she  smiled at me and lifted her suitcase to the top of the big dresser. "Did  you get both bags?" She nodded, and I whistled. "That's my bad ass."



"Mine is probably heavier than yours," she joked as she pulled out some  denim cut off shorts that made my mouth water. Rayna found a red shirt  that she held up, nodding to herself as she set it on top of the shorts.  I sat up to stretch, feeling her gaze move to me as I moved. I loved  that she always watched me. I pushed the sheets back and stood naked as I  walked over to my own luggage and tossed it easily on the bed.



"Walk on the beach, dinner, and another walk?" I asked as she nodded,  figuring with one look out of the window that we had a few hours until  sundown. I wanted to see the sun go down every chance that we got  because it was always beautiful and just a hint different each time. I  pulled out some board shorts and a t-shirt before slipping into them and  found the shoes I'd worn for the flight.



She looked incredible in the shorts that weren't so short that I'd have  to watch every man around us, but enough to be sexy. Under her shirt,  she wore a thin lace bra, and she grabbed something from her bag and  slipped it into her pocket as I cocked a brow at her. "Old phone. It's  going into the ocean," she told me as I smiled broadly. "Old life."



I grabbed the key to the room and slipped it into my pocket before  taking her hand and leading her to the door. We went down in the  elevator and left the lobby to take the steps towards the beach. It was  long and gorgeous with soft sand, and clear blue water and Rayna gasped  as she stepped onto it. We made our way to the soft waves lapping  against the shore, slipping off our shoes to kick them up where they  could wait for us. There was another couple at the other end that had a  little girl running around them, making us both smile. We went the other  way, clasping hands and strolling together to some rocks as I watched  her stare at the water. The temperature was perfect, and a light breeze  blew around us, ruffling the purple ends of her hair as she laughed.



Rayna walked onto the smooth rocks that hung over a part of the beach  where the water gathered around it in harsher waves. She pulled out the  old phone and looked out over the Mediterranean Sea before throwing it  forcefully into the deeper water. She looked so focused, and I watched  her as she mouthed some words and sadness crossed her face for a moment.  It had to be hard letting go of a life that you know no matter how  awful it was. I couldn't understand why her parents wouldn't support her  but that was their choice, and I'd do everything in my power to let her  know that I did. She leaned her head back and took a deep breath before  jumping down from the rock and running into my arms. "Hi," I said,  embracing her tightly. "You okay?"



"That felt good," she murmured as she pressed her face into my chest and  linked her arms around my back. We stood there like this for a few  moments before turning to continue down the beach, turning around when  we both started feeling hungry. I knew there was a casual cafe in the  resort unless she wanted to eat on our balcony, and we held hands as we  walked and she looked around.



"Where do you want to eat?" I asked her once we were closer to the  hotel, keeping my voice gentle. I knew that she was going through a lot  emotionally and didn't want to antagonize her, thinking how any of my  friends would tell me that I was insane for getting myself in this  situation in the first place.



Maybe I was, but I loved her. I knew that I had the means to help her,  willing to in any way. "Something easy at the cafe? I just want a burger  or something."