Declan

Chapter Ten

Lexi~

Declan's 6:30am alarm came way too early the next morning.

Reaching back behind him he hushed the shrill siren from his phone and returned his arm to its rightful place around Lexi. Nestling his face into the crook of her neck, Declan pressed his body into hers. Unable to disguise her satisfaction, she leaned into his embrace.

"Mornin," he said with his face still buried in her neck. The gravel in his voice vibrated against Lexi's soft skin and sent a trail of goosebumps down her neck and arms. A soft moan was the only response her body could produce.

"I'm going to hit the gym," he said as he gave her one last squeeze and got up out of the bed.

She rolled into the vacant spot left in the bed and stretched her arms and legs.

"I'll go with you," she grumbled trying to wake herself up enough to be functional.

"Yeah?" Declan said with a surprised smile.

"You seem surprised," Lexi said, pretending to be offended.

"I just didn't take you for a gym rat, that's all," he said with a mouth full of toothbrush.

"I mean I don't usually go this early..." her voice trailed off as she rummaged through her bag for her workout clothes and shoes.

Seeing Declan in his gym shorts and cut off shirt made Lexi's mouth water. Every time she looked at him she found something new to admire. Today she was fixated on the trident tattoo on the side of his neck.

Unable to stop her own hand she reached up and grazed it with her thumb as she passed him on the way to the bathroom.

"I like this," she hummed as she brushed the pad of her thumb across his inked skin. The gesture stopped Declan in his tracks causing him to turn and face Lexi, pinning her between himself and the closet door. He braced his weight on the door with his hand and towered over her as he spoke.

"You do, huh?"

"Know what it means?" he asked as he turned his head to the side giving her a better look.

"Navy?"

"Yes ma'am. It's a Seal Trident."

"Nate's got something kind of similar on his calf," she said as she gazed up at him.

"But I like yours better."

Declan lifted his head to let out a deep chuckle.

"Well I'm glad you like it," he said as he stepped out of her way and allowed her to enter the bathroom.

Lexi's smile faded slightly as she changed clothes and thought about Declan's words from the night before. She loved that he wanted to take things slow, but how slow was he expecting them to move? He hadn't even kissed her yet despite multiple opportunities and feelings of doubt starting to creep into the corners of her mind. Shaking her head to try and physically remove the poisonous thoughts, Lexi righted herself before leaving the bathroom.

"You ready?" Declan asked at the door.

"As I'll ever be," she replied as she grabbed her phone.

Declan held the door open with his arm making it easy for Lexi to walk underneath it.
"Merci," she replied with a smile and a curtsey as she passed under his arm and out into the hallway. Declan's big bellowing laugh settled deep into Lexi's soul. It was starting to become one of her favorite sounds.

*****

The hotel gym was large, but relatively quiet. There was a weight room lined with treadmills on one side and two large studio classrooms for exercise classes on the other side of the hallway. The exercise classes seemed to be a much more popular choice than the weight room at 7am.