Claimed - a Portwright Book

Chapter Six: Sophie

We'd had a great night. Well, I'd had a great night. I may have had a few too many drinks, but the three of us had sat and chatted and gamed and laughed. Well, Callum and I had done most of the laughing, but Declan's deadpan interjections were enough to set us both to laughing most of the time. His increasingly heated gazes certainly hadn't helped my excited nervousness.

And the fact they'd both loved my Bolognese made my day...night...whatever.

I'd called bedtime when Callum had fallen asleep on the couch and I didn't know what time Declan had gone to bed, if he even had.

The next morning, I got dressed and found them both asleep on either couch and decided to make coffee.

While I was debating whether or not to wake them up to ask them how they had theirs, I heard Declan's voice, still rough with sleep.

"Mornin'." Oh, that voice did something to me. Goose bumps skittered across my skin and I hoped I hadn't gone red. Again.

"Morning," I said, turning to smile at him. I pointed to the coffee machine, a question on my face.

He nodded. "Please. Black. Strong. No sugar."

"Callum?" I asked him as I set to it and he leant back against the counter next to me.

He ran a hand through his hair, then crossed his arms and blinked sleepily – God, what I wouldn't give to wake up next to him. "Uh... White. Two sugars."

I nodded and we stood in silence for a bit. My arm brushed his as I reached for another mug and we caught eyes. He still looked half asleep, but there was a heat in them I thought might set me on fire. I gave a small smile and got back on with it.

"I need to sort some shite today."

I nodded again. "Okay..."

"Will ye be okay alone?"

I looked up at him quickly. "You know, I did survive before I met you." I indicated down my body. "Alive. Healthy."

He ran his hand through his hair again then pulled his t-shirt over his head. "Gorgeous. Moot."

I was staring at him like nobody's business. Talk about gorgeous. "Uh... Right..."

He gave that rough chuckle and ran a hand over the stubble forming on his jaw.

I pulled myself together. "Why moot?"

"Because ye did meet me, Sophie-girl. Everything's different now."

I obviously had it bad for the guy. I was sure I heard something in his voice that suggested everything was different for him too. But surely not. He might give me that look now and then, but he'd made serious eyes at Petra too and I assumed he didn't really want to sleep with her. Flirtatious was obviously just a Martin Boys' natural state, like resting bitch face.

"Sorry, it's very distracting, the whole shirtless thing. Are you dragging me somewhere else today, or what?"

He shook his head. "Not today. I'll get someone to come and check on you." Something about his gaze was heated, but soft. "Sophie–"

We both looked down as my phone rang. I gave him an apologetic smile.

"Hello?" I answered it, supressing the tingle as Declan's hands went to my hips and he moved me out of the way to finish the coffees.

"It's your mother," was the terse response.

I huffed a laugh. "I know, I have caller ID. What's up?"

She sighed like I was a hardship. "I didn't want to bother Tina or Nicole. But there's been an issue with the flowers that we need to sort."

"My sister can surely fix her own flower problems?" I asked, trying to hide the smile I knew she'd hear in my voice.