Back to You (6 page)

By the time we pull up to the rental, Mia’s awake and stretching, causing her tank top to creep up and reveal the smooth, tanned skin of her stomach. Yeah, I still notice things like that, especially since I intend to explore lots more of my wife’s glowing skin this week.

I put the car in park, and pinch her on the waist, sending her into a giggle fit. “I can’t believe you let me fall asleep. I’m the worst copilot ever.”

Pawing her like a horny teenager dying to round the bases, I joke with a wink, “I can think of a way for you to repay me.”

“Not even here a full minute and you’re already at it. Are we even going to leave this house once or do you plan on keeping me locked in the bedroom the whole time?”

Now, that sounds like the perfect way to spend an entire week, but I know Mia wants to actually see the sights of Newport, so maybe I’ll let her out once or twice.

Pulling her toward me with my hand at her nape, I nip her bottom lip and poke my tongue through when she opens her mouth with an adorable gasp. I feel her smile against my lips as her hands make their way into my hair. She tugs as we make out in the front seat without a single ounce of shame.
Love it!
What a way to start this vacay.

Mia pulls away, leaving me still hungry for more. “As much as I’d love to take you in the backseat and blow your—”

My eyes go wide as I look at her and then the back seat and back to her again.

“I was gonna say your mind, Dec. Blow your mind.”

“You had me at blow, babe.”

“I’m sure I did,” she laughs, “but it was a long ride. I have to pee and I want to see the house. We didn’t come all this way to have a make out session in your car, did we?” She flips down the visor to look in the mirror. “And I’m a mess. Lovely.”

I watch as she fixes her smudged lipstick and redoes her ponytail. She could never be a mess—she’s fucking gorgeous. “Babe, look at me.”

With one more swipe to her lower lip, she flips the mirror closed, smacks her lips together to spread that sticky gloss shit and finally looks at me. “Yes, darling?”

“I have one rule for this trip. You think you can agree to that?”

She tilts her head and drums her fingers on her thigh. “Depends on what it is. Because I’m not walking around naked all week. I didn’t spend a whole day packing all those clothes for nothing.”

Taking her hands in mine, I stare into her big brown eyes. “The only rule this week is there are no rules. We have nothing holding us back—no kids, no responsibilities, nothing. We’ve come a long way since… since all that shit that I’d rather not mention, but by the time we pull back into our driveway and hug our kids next Monday—we’re gonna be okay, baby. I promise we’re gonna be okay.”

Her eyes start to water and I immediately regret bringing up the past and the idea of fixing things. But I want her to be herself—her old self—again. I want her to know she can talk to me, tell me her fears, express her concerns, get it all out. If she can’t do that with me who can she do it with? Besides Grace, I’m her person, she has to know that.

“I know, Dec. I know we will be. Hell, we
are
. We’re fine. I mean, we’re here, aren’t we?”

I know what she means, but being here and being back together is only half the battle. In order to come full circle, for her to truly come back to me, we need to hash it the fuck out for once and for all. I don’t tell her this though. Not now. She’ll clam up and be guarded and we don’t need to spend our first night here like that. Tonight we relax, unwind, rekindle. Tomorrow we talk. “Yes, we’re here and there’s no place I’d rather be. So let’s go inside so I can show you around and then get you naked in the hot tub.”

“Now you’re talking, Mr. Murphy.”

“Amendment to my no rule rule,” I blurt out when she calls me that. It’s always been a turn on.

She looks at me, confused.

“Keep calling me Mr. Murphy.”

Her head falls back as she laughs. “You’re so weird. I forgot you like that.” She straightens up and then turns serious, flipping her long ponytail over her shoulder. “Strip and meet me in the hot tub in ten, Mr. Murphy.”

See… sometimes playing by the rules can be a lot of fun.

Of all the damn times to have one of
those
dreams, it had to be while Declan was awake to witness it. I hope to God I didn’t talk in my sleep!
Oh, shit!
Did I say anyone’s name? I couldn’t have… he would have said something to me. Or woken me up. Besides, Noah wasn’t alone in this one. Declan was there too. And just like in real life, I made the right decision. I chose him. My husband. The man I want to spend the rest of my life with.

So why can’t I stop feeling bad for the way I left things with Noah? I have zero regrets. Zilch, nada, not one single iota of remorse, but I still hate that I broke his heart. It’s not like Noah’s a bad guy. That would have made the whole thing a lot easier. But he was nothing but good to me and I dragged him into the middle of my marital problems, strung him along, and then tossed him aside. What a bitch. He probably hates me. That’s why I’m having these dreams over and
over… it’s the universe shoving karma down my throat and telling me to choke on it.

“Mi, babe, have you seen this sick view?” Declan sings as he wanders around the house, as excited as a pig in shit.

He’s so flipping adorable. He’s put everything into making sure I’m okay—that we’re okay. I just don’t have the heart to tell him that I’m still shook up by it all. I guess I’ll have to either come clean and bare my soul—he’ll understand, I know he will—or learn to live with the guilt. It’s probably what I deserve anyway.

I walk out of the ultra-modern bathroom (which is not at all what I expected for a beach house in Newport), trying to keep my nerves at bay while scoping out what will be our digs for the next week. “Baby, this place is incredible. And
huge
! We could have stayed somewhere smaller.”

Dropping one of the carry-ons on the tiled floor, Declan runs over to me and scoops me into his arms. “Nothing but the best for my beautiful wife. You deserve this.
We
deserve this.”

Sure, lay it on thick, buddy. Make me feel worse.
I mean,
why
do I deserve any of this? I gave up on my marriage and nearly tore my family apart… all to fulfill some fantasy and live out a dream. I deserve nothing of the sort. I deserve to be alone.

Registering my thoughts, Declan stares into my eyes. “Get out of your head, Mia. I hate that you’re beating yourself up. I know that’s what you’re doing.”

Without even trying to hide it, I back away, searching his eyes for an answer. “How? How can you read me so well?”

“Because I know you, better than you know yourself. I’m not a dumb man—”

I tilt my head, and narrow my gaze. His act of dumbness is what made me flee in the first place, not that either of us could forget.

“Okay,” he continues, “I’ll rephrase that. I’m not
always
dumb. I know you’re in a weird place. I know it’s hard to just go back to being normal when so much has… shifted. That’s why we’re here. Not tonight, maybe not even tomorrow night, but you and I are going to sit down and let it all out. There are things you need to hear and things you need to get off your chest. I’m not afraid anymore. I can’t stand seeing you like this—so at war with yourself. We
both
did things we regret and have to live with. We can choose to let those mistakes break us or learn from them and move the fuck on.”

Okay, maybe he’s not so dumb. Staring into his always mesmerizing blue eyes I’m astounded by his strength, his willingness to put the past in the past and make us whole again. “You’re one amazing man,
Mr. Murphy.
How did I get so lucky?”

Declan leans in, nipping my neck between his teeth. “You’re about to get even luckier,
Mrs. Murphy.
”

His lips trail soft kisses from the sensitive spot behind my ear, along the curve of my shoulder, stopping with a tiny bite just at the tip of my bare skin. I can’t suppress the giggle that escapes me as I let my worried mind just live in the moment. “I love you, Dec.”

“I love you too, baby,” he says, with his face half buried in my cleavage. “Now, can I show you the hot tub or can I take you right here in the living room? No kids… lots of options.”

What a wonderful sound. “Right here works.”

“Right here works.”

What a wonderful sound.

I’m done asking for permission, this chick is mine. Hooking a finger under the straps of her tank top, I ease the tiny ties over her shoulder, tilting to bring my lips to her bronze skin.

Her head falls back as I feather kisses down her neck while sliding the top down her torso. With the cotton bunched around her middle, my hands reach around her small frame to unhook her bra. She lifts her arms so that the lace just trickles away, freeing her still-perfect-after-two-kids tits. God, I could stare at her for hours. She’s still as breathtakingly beautiful as she was that first time—my first time, my
only
first time.

I hate to spoil a moment like this with unnecessary words, but they’re aching to be said. She needs to hear them. “You’re so fucking beautiful, Mia.
My
Mia. I love you so much.”

Breathing heavily, her hands in my hair, she whispers, “Oh my God, I love you, baby.” Her voice drips with hunger. She needs this.
We
need this. To be together, connected, without reservation.

Like an eager teenager, I feel the need to be hasty because my dick is in tremor mode just dying to be inside her. But at the same time, I want to take the time to enjoy her—all of her. We have all the time in the world to explore each other all over again. I intend to take full advantage of that. And I certainly don’t think she’ll mind the attention.

I take her by surprise and she gasps as I scoop her into my arms to bring her to the couch. She hooks her arms around my neck, giving me access to her bare breasts. Leaning down, I take one in my mouth, my tongue circling the tight bud of her nipple.

She moans against my neck, her fingers tracing circles on my shoulders. When we get to the couch, I contemplate dropping her out of my arms onto the plush cushions and ripping her pants down to dive right the fuck in. But hearing the soft kitten-like purrs in my ear—I want to turn my kitten into a tiger and I know exactly how to make her roar.

She lies there patiently waiting, letting me admire the view. I smile as I shimmy her top down her legs and then caress her smooth skin on the way up to unbutton her shorts. She inclines her hips so that I can remove the skimpy denim. “I’m loving the Daisy Dukes, but it’s time to ditch ‘em.” I chuck them behind me and hover over her almost completely naked body.

A genuine smile spreads across her face, brightening her features—she’s relaxed and happy. It’s doing the trick! Ten minutes in and my plan is working. Now to go to town. I inch down to trace my tongue along her luscious smile. She parts her lips and my tongue darts in and out of her mouth slowly.

“You’re a tease, Mr. Murphy. You have me where you want me… now take advantage.”

“Oh, I plan to, baby. But there’s no rush. I want to take my time and enjoy
all
of you.”