He laughed harshly. “I must be worse at asking you out than I thought if you didn’t even notice.”
Her face colored. “Of course I noticed.”
“Could have fooled me.”
The words stung. “Why did you stop asking me out?”
He gave her an incredulous look. “Why do you think? Because I finally figured out you were never going to say yes.”
Kendra remembered all those times he’d asked her out and she’d blown him off. Her heart hurt to think about it. God, she’d been such a fool. “I know it won’t help to say I’m sorry, but I am. I was stupid. Really, really stupid.” Tears blurred her vision and she blinked. “Crappy timing, huh? I finally get my head screwed on straight enough to realize how stupid I was, and you decide to move on.”
He draped his arms over his knees. “Yeah, well I may have decided it was time to move on, but that doesn’t mean I was able to.”
Her breath hitched. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that I’m still hung up on you,” he muttered. “I don’t know why. Maybe I’m a masochist.”
Hope surged inside her. Could there still be a chance for them? She pushed herself up on her knees and moved a little closer to him. “Maybe because you knew I’d come around.”
Declan raised a brow. “Come around?”
He wasn’t going to make this easy on her, was he? Not that she blamed him.
“It took me a while—okay, years—but I’ve finally realized the man I’ve been looking for my whole life has been right here in front of me the whole time,” she said softly.
Declan didn’t say anything, and as the silence stretched on, she thought he wasn’t ever going to. But then he reached out and gently cupped her face in his big hand. “You don’t know how long I’ve waited to hear you say that. What made you figure it out?”
She smiled. “I guess I was just waiting for you to sweep me off my feet and steal me away to the perfect romantic locale.”
Declan chuckled at her lame attempt at a joke, but there was still a sadness in his eyes. As if he was afraid to open up and let her in for fear of being rejected again.
Kendra covered his hand with hers. “Declan, I’ve spent more time with you in the past three days than I have in the past seven years. You’re exactly what I’ve always wanted in a guy: brave, strong, warm, gentle, caring…romantic.”
He looked embarrassed. “I don’t know about the romantic part.”
“Well, I do. And you are.” Her lips curved. “And, if you don’t mind me saying so, you’re damn easy to look at—especially sitting there in just your underwear.”
He laughed, and if possible, looked even more embarrassed.
“Can we put the past seven years behind us and start fresh?” she asked. “Forget about Marissa and Clayne, and all the times you asked me out and I said no?”
She knew neither of them could forget it entirely, but if he could forgive her for all the wasted time, maybe she could forgive herself, and they could both move forward.
Declan didn’t answer. This close to him, it was impossible not to focus on his lips. Knowing there was never going to be a better time than right now, she leaned closer, fully intending to kiss him before he could stop her.
She never got the chance. He moved faster, his mouth closing the distance between them and coming down on hers.
The kiss was soft and tentative at first, seeking confirmation. She gave it by sliding her fingers into the thick tangle of hair at the back of his head, pulling his mouth against hers harder.
The tentativeness disappeared and Kendra almost gasped when she felt Declan’s warm, wet tongue slip into her mouth. He threaded a hand in her hair with a soft, sexy growl. Her whole body hummed with pleasure. She was pretty sure she’d have found goose bumps on her arms if she’d checked.
This was what had been missing with Clayne and every other man she’d ever been with. That zip—that spark—that convinced her she was finally with the guy she was meant to be with. The realization was so sweet, she almost cried.
Declan must have felt her surprise because he pulled back to give her a worried look. “Is everything okay?”
She laughed. “Everything is perfect. I’m just mad at myself for waiting this long to kiss you.”
Heat flared in his eyes, warming her all over. “Then I suppose