After transferring Axel's car seat from my car to this insanely tall truck-while listening to Declan attempt to make conversation with my four-year-old-I finally click my own seatbelt in as he puts the truck in drive.
"So, what's good around here?"
"Uh, Starbucks?" It comes out as a question.
"Really?"
"All the local coffee shops go out of business after being open for a few months." I shrug as I mess with the loose string on my jeans.
"Well, I know a really good place then but..."
"But?"
"It's in the city." He must see the skeptical look on my face because he immediately starts to talk me into it. "It's amazing. And not super busy at all. Trust me. They have the best Americanos I have ever had."
I glance back at Axel in his car seat.
"Come on, it's a Friday. Have a little fun."
"I don't know..." I twist the string on my pants back and forth in between my thumb and forefinger.
"How about this, if you don't like it, you can pick out some girly, sweet Frappuccino from Starbucks for me to drink instead."
This is tempting. Too tempting.
"When was the last time you did something fun?"
His words hit me like a damn Mack truck, and suddenly I'm fifteen years old and back in high school. "How come you never do anything fun?" Darren had asked.
I've always been one to give in to peer pressure which is why I'm going to say I said, "Sure, let's do it." Instead of admitting the real reason: Declan James's car smells amazing and he's insanely beautiful.
"Atta girl." The praise goes straight to my core and I slowly cross my legs. "Hey, Axel,"
"What?"
"What's your favorite song?" He asks and I find myself biting back a smile.
"Um... Move it, move it!"
I chuckle. "The song from Madagascar."
"I fucking love that song," Declan says before clapping a hand over his mouth. "Sorry, didn't mean to say that." The words come out muffled and I giggle-like a freaking school girl in knee-high socks. He hands me his phone with a music app open and I find the song before clicking on it and it starts playing.
Declan turns the volume up before he and Axel start singing. I'm taken by surprise at how much Declan is getting into it. And the worse part is? I can't stop myself from laughing. Like chest pain, gasping for breath, tears in your eyes laughing.
Declan looks over at me with a grin. "See? You're having fun already."
Big and Chunky by Will.i.am from Madagascar 2 starts playing next and Declan turns the volume up even more. I realize he has subs in the back of his car when the bass starts rattling the water bottle in the cup holder between us. "Awe shit man," Declan says before his eyes widen. "Shit, sorry. Oh my God."
When Moto Moto starts singing, Declan deepens his voice and leans over, singing in my ear. "I like them round, with something, something."
I purse my lips together and squeeze my thighs together. Declan notices my flushed demeanor-and probably my face-and pulls away with a wink.
He hits a button on the steering wheel and the song changes.
I blink at the stereo a few times until my mind registers that Declan listens to Rihanna.
"What? Surprised?"
I nod, unable to form words.
"Shut up and Drive is one of my top hype songs. Also S&M."
"Of course the song about sex is."
"Kinky sex." He winks again and my cheeks flush what I'm sure is cranberry red.
"Shut up." I stare out the window as we pull onto the interstate.
"And drive, drive, drive." He sings and I hide my smile with my hand. I feel a large, calloused hand wrap around my forearm and force my hand away. "Quit doing that, okay?"
"Sorry." I shove my hands under my thighs.
"You gotta pretty smile sweetheart, quit hiding it." He says with a boyish grin, dimples appearing on both cheeks.
"Does that grin really work in the game of seduction?"
"Every time, baby." He says, staring back at the road.
My stomach twists at the pet name. "Again, that really works in the game of seduction?"
"Mama, I hungry."
"We're going to get food right now, baby," I tell Axel as I turn in my seat and look at him.
"When?"
"In like five minutes," Declan answers and I turn back around.
"One... Two..." I purse my lips together as Axel continues to count. "F-free... Four... Five. We here!"
"Not quite, dude," Declan says quietly and I chuckle.
"Look Mama, geese!" I look back to see Axel pointing to the window. He looks at me with a proud grin, which I return.
Declan drives around the city a little bit before getting off at an exit ramp. "It's just at the corner of this block." He pulls into a spot along the curb and throws the truck in reverse to parallel park.
Once the ignition is off I jump out of the car and gawk at his perfect parking job. After a few minutes, Declan comes walking around the truck with Axel in his arms.
"How did you? What- I can't even parallel park this good on a bicycle!"
"If you have trouble parking a bicycle, then maybe you should go back to Driver's Ed. Or better yet, get you some training wheels." He pats the top of my head and I push his hand away. "Come on, Miss Grumpy Pants." I huff.
Declan sets Axel down on the slushy ground, and I reach down and take ahold of his little, gloved hand. I look back up to Declan to find he's put a pair of Tom Ford glasses on.
"What's your opinion on scones?" Declan asks as we walk down the street.
"Honestly?" We come upon a puddle of melted ice and lift Axel up by his arms and step over it. He giggles loudly. "Never had one."
Declan's head snaps in my direction and I stifle a giggle at his baffled expression. "I'm buying you every scone in the case."
"I'm not allowing that, but, I'll try one scone if you want."
"Deal."
*
After Declan quite literally shoved me out of the way so he could insert his credit card before me, I take Axel's hand in mine and go find a free table in the corner.
"Here Bubba." I hand him the juice box that now has a straw in it before resting my chin on my fist. I cross my ankles under my chair and look out the window.
"Here." A paper coffee cup with a lid is placed on the table in front of me, before a small brown pastry bag.
Declan sits in the chair across from me, beside Axel.
"Can you tell Mr.Declan thank you?" I tell Axel as I pull the blueberry scone out of the paper bag.
"Thank you!" Axel grins up at Declan.
Declan smiles and ruffles Axel's hair. "You're welcome, little buddy."
I grunt before smoothing out Axel's wild curls with my fingers. "Do you know how difficult it is to tame this lion mane?"
Declan just chuckles before blowing on his coffee. "Maybe he should get a haircut then."
I gasp and brush my fingers through Axel's hair again. "And cut off these luscious curls that I was not so luckily blessed with? Never."
I pull the chocolate chip cookie out of the other bag and break off a piece. "Here Bubby." Axel reaches his hand out and takes the cookie from my hand before shoving it in his mouth and chewing loudly. "Bub, you gotta chew with your mouth closed."
Axel looks up at me and swallows. "Phone?"
"Not right now," I tell him, breaking off another piece of the cookie. He frowns. "Later."
"Axel, do you go to school?" Declan asks, thankfully distracting him from the no-phone situation-probably without even realizing it.
Now that Declan has his coat off, there's nothing covering the tattoo peeking out of the collar of his henley, creeping up his neck. I noticed the few on his hands back at school, and now I'm really starting to wonder how many he has. Most guys that have hand tats have at least full sleeves up their arms. I don't have anything against tattoos, it just usually isn't my type. Then again, neither are famous hockey players.
It's been so long since I've dated that I don't even know what my type is anymore. I haven't even been on a date since... since Darren. And that was at least five years ago.
Tip for all my high school girlies: don't date your high school boy-best friend when you get to college, because he will knock you up and then leave. But if you do and your situation is completely different from mine, that's cool too.
Declan finishes his first scone and goes for another. "Don't tell my nutritionist that I'm eating these."
"You have a nutritionist?"
"Oh yeah. Athletic diets are taken very seriously."
"I honestly thought that was just football. NFL always seems so much stricter than other sports." I admit.
"They definitely are. But that doesn't mean other sports aren't strict either." Declan tells me and I nod in understanding. "I'm also supposed to be eating less steak and more seafood. But like hell am I giving up Filet Mignon. Or Ribs." He groans as he pats his stomach.
I dust my hands off on my jeans as Axel finishes his cookie, then I finally try this Americano that's supposedly the best one ever.
The coffee hits my tongue and I fight the urge to moan. "Okay, this is amazing."
"I told you!" Declan says as he pulls out his phone. "Sorry, give me a sec." He types something quickly before slipping his phone back into his pocket. "You don't have plans tonight, do you?"
I shrug. "Was just gonna watch a movie with Ax or something."
"Oh, cool."
"Why?" He's up to something. I can tell by the sly grin forming on his face.
"That's for me to know, and you not to worry about."
"Declan, come on."
"Awe, is someone not very spontaneous?" He pushes his bottom lip into a pout. "Well, I am the epitome of it so, get used to it."
A hold my hand up. "Hold on, this isn't going to be a recurring thing."
"Sure it is. I'll be at Sterling Heights every Friday afternoon, sweetheart."
I roll my eyes at the thought, but mentally I already can't wait till next Friday.
"Hey Axel, you want to go to a real-life hockey game?"
My head snaps in Declan's direction. "What?"
"There are two open front seats right across from the visitor's bench and they're all yours."
My jaw drops. "You can't just give us tickets."
"Why not? I'm a star defenseman and alternative captain. Plus we get a certain amount of free tickets anyways. I hardly ever use mine so, you're coming. End of discussion. Oh, and I didn't entirely know what size you wear so I got you a men's medium. And then I got the little guy a bigger size so he can wear it longer."
My brow raises. "Wear what?"
Declan flashes me that panty-soaking grin, dimples and all. "Jerseys."