Chapter 46: Forty Six

The weather favored us. The Sun was out and it was a little windy. I had my window down on the long, winding highway and could feel the air hit my face as we zoomed down. I knew the lake house would be beautiful because even the way down there was so lovely. Lush green trees on both sides. We had even spotted two bunnies trying to cross the road.

Declan had one hand on the wheel, the other resting low on my thigh, his sunglasses perched on his nose as the late afternoon sun poured through the windshield. It made the angles of his jaw look even sharper. The car smelled faintly of citrus and cedarwood, of him, and the windows being down were just enough for the breeze to tousle his hair.

“Are you sure you packed enough?” he teased, glancing sideways at me. “That suitcase could fit a whole second person.”

I smiled. “I like options. What if the weather turns? What if we go hiking? What if your lake house has ghosts and I need a backup outfit to run for my life in?”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “It’s a lake house, not an old mansion.” He paused, “We can go to the haunted house next time.”

“That’s not a nice thought, plus, maybe there won’t be a next time and you’re kidnapping me,” I pointed out, sipping from the iced coffee we’d picked up an hour ago.

He cracked a smile. “Ah, you know my plan,” he squeezed my thigh, “But you’d love that, wouldn’t you?”

I pressed my legs together at the insinuation. He caught that. I saw a smirk appear on his face momentarily.

“I know I told you you could study there,” he said, “But you’ll have to forgive me if I end up keeping you in bed all day.”

I pouted, playfully. “You don’t want me to do well?”

His hand travelled up my thigh. “Open,” he said softly. I shook my head no, teasingly. His eyes had a glint in them that made my blood rush. He grabbed my thigh and pushed my leg open. His hand came to rest possessively near my core, his grip tight, fingers digging into my flesh. I sucked in a deep breath.

“I should have made you wear a skirt,” he muttered under his breath. “But it’s alright, I’ll just keep you naked at the house the entire time.”

“I’ll get cold,” I teased.

“Not when I have you pinned under me, dove.”

His eyes were on the road, but he kept looking at me every few seconds. I unbuttoned my pants, and looked at him. He swore under his breath, but his hand made its way inside my pants, over my panties, where he pressed over my clit. My hips bucked under the pressure, and he chuckled lowly.

He continued playing with my clit, his fingers dipping low, pressing my panties to the side and slowly entering me. I moaned with pleasure, shifting to accommodate his fingers better. “You’re not going to cum right now, baby,” he said, as he continued slow movements with his fingers, “I’ll make you cum at the house, with me inside you.”

“Then stop this,” I whispered. He smiled, his fingers somehow digging in deeper. I breathed deeply, pleasure building inside me, right on the edge, when he pulled out. He brought his fingers to my mouth. “Suck.” He commanded. I listened.

It took me a few moments to recover. While I drank water, Declan drummed his fingers on the steering wheel in rhythm with my indie playlist humming softly through the speakers.

After a few miles, he said, “You know, I used to hate going to the lake house.”

That surprised me. I turned to look at him. “Really?”

He nodded. “When I was a kid, it felt like exile. My parents would drag us out there every summer. There was no TV, no internet, just so much quiet. I thought it was the worst thing imaginable.”

“And now?” I asked gently.

“Now I think it might be the only place where I ever really learned how to breathe.” His voice was softer now, almost reflective. “It’s where I started reading philosophy, where I learned to cook, where I realized I didn’t want to become my father.”

That last line hung between us for a second.

“What’s he like?” I asked.

Declan let out a slow breath. “Sharp. Cold. Ambitious in a way that felt like suffocation. He wanted me to study finance, go to Oxford, join the company, marry someone with a trust fund. I didn’t do any of those things, so... let’s just say we don’t talk much.”

I reached over and rested a hand lightly on his knee. “I’m sorry.”

He glanced at me, his eyes soft behind the sunglasses. He lifted my hand from his knee, brought it to his mouth, kissed the knuckles softly. “Don’t be. I’m not.”

I smiled faintly, my heart tugging a little.

“Is that why you became a professor?” I asked. “To spite him?”

He laughed under his breath. “At first. But eventually, I just… loved the work. The research. The writing. Teaching.” He looked at me again, more serious now. “And then, one day, you walked into my class and made it very difficult to stay focused.”

I rolled my eyes, blushing. “You’re incorrigible.”

“And you’re really fucking distracting.”

We pulled off the main road a little while later, the landscape growing more lush and wild. The trees arched over the road, darkening it slightly, and soon, I could see the glimmer of water in the distance.

As we approached a wooden gate and Declan keyed in the code, he said, “I haven’t brought anyone here in years.”

My eyes widened. “Oh?”

He shook his head. “This place feels too… personal. I guess I just didn’t want to share it. Until now.”

The gate creaked open slowly, revealing a long driveway and the outline of a beautiful, rustic house tucked against the edge of the lake.

My chest tightened, in the best way. It was so beautiful. So lovely.

“I’m honored,” I said quietly.

Declan parked and turned off the engine. We sat there for a moment, not rushing to get out.

“I know things are messy,” he said. “And complicated. But I want you here, Willow. Not because this is a vacation or some escape, but because you matter. You always have.”

My heart felt full to the brim, and I smiled, unable to stop myself. “I’m glad I came. Thank you for inviting me.”

“Come on,” he said, getting out. “I’ll show you where I learned to burn toast at age fourteen.”

I laughed, stepping out into the clean air. Everything smelled green and fresh and heavy. The lake sparkled under the afternoon sun. For a moment, it felt like time had slowed down. Like maybe, just maybe, we could leave the realities of life behind, at least for a little while.

Inside, the house was a blend of old wood, stone, and warmth. It was so well lit. The sun streamed in from every possible place. The windows were huge, letting in the lake view like it was part of the furniture. Everything felt lived-in but well cared for, the kind of place that held a thousand memories in every part of its being. From the floorboards to the antique furniture. I looked at Declan. I could imagine him here as a kid. Playing, growing up. A cute little boy with the bluest eyes.

Declan dropped his duffel bag by the door and motioned toward the huge kitchen. “You hungry? I stocked up.”

“I could eat,” I said, taking off my sneakers and wandering toward the window. The lake shimmered just beyond the trees, calm and blue, like something out of a painting.

Declan came up behind me, wrapping his arms loosely around my waist. “You good?”

I leaned into him. “Yeah. Just… this place. It’s peaceful.”

He kissed the side of my head. “That’s why I wanted to bring you. I thought you could use some peace. Do you like it?”

“I love it,” I said honestly.

“We can come here again.”

We unpacked together, Declan showing me around like a shy kid giving a tour of his favorite treehouse. The bedrooms were cozy, all pine and soft linens, and there was a loft with a dusty old telescope and piles of books in every corner.

“I used to come up here to escape my family,” he said, brushing a hand over the arm of a leather armchair. “Now I want it to be something else. A beginning, not an escape.”

I looked at him, my heart beating fast. “A beginning?”

He nodded. “Yeah. With you.”

He bent down to capture my mouth in a soft kiss, his mouth moving softly against mine. “I hope you know, Willow,” he spoke softly, “I mean this. All of this.”

I wanted to say so much. Ask so many questions. Instead, I smiled, kissed him, and said, “Okay. Show me where the wine glasses are.”