Declan

Chapter Nine

Lexi~

Declan had ordered a pizza and sat next to her on the bed as they finished eating. Lexi couldn't shake her feelings of vulnerability, like she was exposed or being watched. She found comfort in Declan's closeness and he had clearly picked up on that. He never left her side and maintained constant contact with her in some form which warmed Lexi's heart.

Lost in her own thoughts she wrestled with the notion of telling Declan about Asher. Once he had that information she knew the entire trip would turn into a man hunt. Declan, Nate and the rest of the team for that matter wouldn't rest or enjoy themselves for the remaining five days of their trip.

Sensing her internal struggle Declan attempted to lighten the mood. He took his phone out and started laughing at some of the pictures that Claire had posted of the group on social media. He leaned back on his elbows as he thumbed through the pictures on his phone, tilting it toward Lexi so she could laugh along with him.

He had scrolled all the way back to the beginning of the night and stopped on a picture of Lexi and Claire in hotel robes with face masks painted on.

"Now this right here is gold," Declan said with a laugh as he admired the two women with green clay caked onto their faces. Lexi snatched the phone from his hand instantly.

"Jeez! Nothing is sacred to Claire. Everything ends up on Instagram," she said with an annoyed laugh. She flipped through the rest of the pictures to make sure there weren't any more embarrassing surprises for Declan to see.

Her heart stalled as she thumbed to the next picture.

It was a picture of Lexi and Claire getting ready for the evening. Lexi was holding a blush brush against Claire's skin pretending to apply make-up and Claire was holding a perfume bottle pretending to spray Lexi. Vanilla perfume.

There it was.

Lexi let out a shaky breath at her realization.

I let him get to me again. Asher was never at the club he was just trolling my Instagram. Again. I played his stupid game and let him win.

Shaking her head in disbelief and disappointment in herself Lexi let out a laugh as she handed the phone back to Declan.

"Everything okay?" he asked sensing the tension she was holding.

"Everything is perfect," she said as she leaned back and settled in close to Declan's side.

All of the anxious tension she was holding seemed to seep out of her the longer she laid with Declan. She relaxed every muscle in her body one at a time and allowed herself to fully loosen her tightly knotted nerves.

The rise and fall of his chest was soothing and he kept a firm grip on her holding her flush against his side as he started flipping through the tv channels.

All was right in the world again as her lids became heavier with each blink.

*****

An hour had passed and Lexi's eyes shot open when she heard a knock on the door. It was after midnight and they hadn't ordered anymore food. Maybe she was hearing things.

Declan was sleeping with the remote on his chest and one arm up behind his head. She hated to wake him, but when she heard the second knock, she didn't have a choice.

"Dec, wake up," she whispered close to his ear.

His eyes slowly blinked open and a smile spread across his face as he pulled her in close and inhaled her scent. As much as she loved his response to seeing her, she needed him to know someone was at the door.