Chapter 10
Devon
She was determined to dislike me, but even the most determined people could be worn down. I’d acquired a good number of companies over the years where I was told there was no shot in hell they’d sell, but they did. When I set my mind to it, they always bowed to my desires.
Abigail Whitney would be no exception.
Besides, I’d seen the look in her eyes when she didn’t think I noticed her staring. She’d tried to cover it. It was only glimpses here and there, but she was attracted to me. It was only a matter of being patient.
Tonight wasn’t going to be anything extravagant. I didn’t want her to think I was attempting to show off or buy her affections. So I was keeping it simple. Walking into my closet, I grabbed a pair of jeans that were neatly hanging inside and a plain grey t-shirt.
Quickly dressing, I raked my fingers through my damp hair and peered at my reflection in the closet full-length mirror. Not bad. The t-shirt accented the color of my eyes which I’d been told were one of my best features.
Leaving my bedroom, I knocked on Abigail’s bedroom door. She didn’t answer. Not giving it any thought, I opened the door and cursed. In the middle of the room, her back to me, with nothing on but her underwear and a pair of headphones, was Abigail.
I should have closed the door and walked away, but fuck, she looked sexy in a pair of boy shorts swaying her hips in time with the music. Normally, the girls I dated were waif-like. But not Abigail. I wouldn’t go as far as to call her fat, but she was a little on the chubby side, with an alluring curve to her hips. It was unfortunate that women thought they needed to be 100 pounds to be attractive. Abigail was a prime example that you could be a larger girl and be as sexy as hell.
I could see myself grasping her hips and pounding my dick in her from behind. The thought made my cock jerk in my pants. Luckily for me jeans were much better at disguising an erection than regular trousers.
What I should have done was back away and close the door behind me, but instead I stood there like a fucking peeping tom, staring at her. Just when I gathered the strength to close the door and give her privacy, she spun around and gasped, her dark eyes growing wide. The phone she was using to listen to something slipped from her fingertips and fell to the floor at her feet.
“Devon! What the fuck?”
~*~ TT ~*~
Abigail
What in the hell was he doing? He was standing there staring at me with this shit-eating look on his face. Normally, I’d have been embarrassed, but not this time. Instead, I was outraged. Just because we had this agreement and this was his house didn’t mean that he could just walk in on me!
Looking down at my phone, I groaned. It had shut off and a chunk of glass had chipped off the corner. I suspected it may be broken. I’d just bought the damned thing. I was planning on getting a good case for it but hadn’t had the extra money yet.
“You made me break my phone!” Bending down, I scooped it up and attempted to turn it on. It wouldn’t. Damn, damn, damn. I couldn’t afford a new one, I’d saved money for several months to be able to get a nice phone that did everything for myself.
“Technically speaking, you’re the one that dropped it.”
“Because you were playing peeping tom, staring at me while I was getting dressed! Ever hear of knocking?”
“I didn’t think...” He shifted from foot to foot, looking increasingly nervous.
“Why in the fuck did you come in?” I continued to play with the phone. Nothing I did worked.
“Look.” He took a step into the room, holding up both hands in surrender. It would have been amusing had I not been so damned angry. “We’ll get you a new one while we’re out tonight. It was my fault, and I apologize. Could we please chalk it up to a lack of judgement?”
Placing the iPod on the dresser, something new occurred to me. I was standing in the middle of the room in only my panties with one of the hottest men I’d even met slowly advancing on me as if I were a lion needing to be tamed.
As much as I wanted to cower and cover myself from his eyes, which had given me and up and down numerous times already, I refused to allow myself to back down. I wasn’t going to be intimidated by him, or show him weakness in any form.
Instead, I planted my hand on my hips and gave him a dirty glare, allowing the anger over the intrusion to wrap me like a security blanket. “How about instead of advancing on me, you back up and close the door so I can get dressed?”
Devon froze in the spot. For the first time since I’ve met him, he seemed a little frazzled and unsure. “Sure, yeah. I’m sorry about –” He sighed, raking a hand through his hair. “Never mind.”
I waited until he left before taking a deep breath and collapsing onto the bed. After a moment, I sat back up and went to my closet. He’d been wearing jeans and a t-shirt, so I figured it was safe to assume this was going to be a casual date. Pulling on a pair of jeans, I grabbed a red tank top and silver hoop earrings to finish the minimalistic ensemble. As I left me room, I pulled my hair into a ponytail, wondering what he had in store for us tonight. Maybe Coney Island, I loved Coney.
~*~ TT ~*~
Devon
“Devon Townstead taking the train, I never imaged I’d see that,” Abigail teased as we rode headed towards the center of Chinatown.
“Why not? What do you see me as, some stuck up snob too good for the train?”
The train brakes squealed as it came to our stop. We waited for the anxious passengers to exit before tailing behind, just as the doors began to slide shut behind us.
Her cheeks grew an alluring shade of rose and she shrugged. “I never said that.”
“You were implying it.”
We made our way up the stairs, and as we surfaced, we were hit by the rancid smell of garbage. Shit, garbage day was tomorrow in this area. I hadn’t even thought about that.
“So which way?” she asked as we reached the top and took a moment to get our bearings.
“Well, I’m actually quite hungry. Not as much as I was before, considering the smell, but still, hungry. Where would you like to go to eat?”
She crinkled her nose up as she looked around us. “Little Italy?”
“Okay. We can do that. It’ll be a little bit of a walk.”
“That’s the whole point of the date, right?”
“You’ve got me there. We can browse as we make our way to that district.” We began heading our way towards the Little Italy neighborhood. Taking a shot in the dark, I took Abigail’s hand as we walked. I half expected her to pull it out of my grasp, but she didn’t. We were making progress; maybe she’d come to like me after all. Like was a far cry from love, but we had to start somewhere.
“Hey. Pssst.” We both looked to our left to see a slender Asian lady approaching us. She continued in a hushed voice. “Are you looking for Gucci. Maybe Louis Vuitton. Come with me.” She motioned for us to follow her down an alley. When we didn’t follow she came back. “What do you need? I’ll give you good price.”
Abigail looked at me, grinning. Was she seriously interested in a knock-off?
Hell, no. “Thank you, but we’re not interested.” I began walking tugging her behind me.
“Thank you, though,” I heard her call to the lady behind us.
Cocking a brow up, I stared down at Abigail who was chuckling. “I love the scalpers, it’s so New York.”
“It’s illegal.”
“It is. But let’s be honest, anyone that can afford the real thing will buy it from a legit source. No one that buys from these people would ever be able to afford buying from the luxury names. This is one of the few instances where the companies don’t get hurt by forgeries.” She continued. “I’m not necessarily saying that it’s right or that I’d buy from them, but it’s New York. These vendors on the street, selling fake bags and watches and souvenirs, are all part of the city’s charm.”
I wasn’t sure if I was buying her explanation, but at the same time, I did see her point. New York cab drivers. Street vendors. Street acts. Lights and all-night access to activities. It was all a part of what made New York one of the greatest cities in the world.
We rounded the block only to stop short. There were two police vans parked on the side of the road, with the side walk blocked off. Officers were carrying garbage bags full of something.
“They were selling rip-off bags,” I heard someone say.
“ - And officers raiding shops that sell fake bags.” Abigail shrugged. “It’s all part of the charm of the city.”
Laughing, I tugged at her hand and we crossed the road. “Don’t forget when it comes to pedestrians, green means walk, yellow means walk fast, and red is only a suggestion.”
She laughed along with me as we reached the other side of the road. She had the most delightful laugh, and when she looked up at me, her entire face was lit up with happiness and excitement. It was a nice sight to see her happy and carefree like this. Even nicer still to think that she might be warming up to me.
Maybe I had been missing something, living my life as I had been. I never really did dates. Not really. I always had someone to attend events with, and sometimes I’d take women out to dinner that would inevitably end up with us in bed together. But I didn’t really do dates or wooing women.
Had I been cheating myself out of something special?
“There’s a place just a couple of blocks from here called Frankie’s. If you’ve never gone there, you’re missing out. They have an amazing lasagna. And pizza. Ohmygod, the pizza is insanely good.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever been there.” Maybe as a child. But it had been a long time since I’d just roamed around Manhattan, enjoying the city. I wasn’t about to admit it to her though.
“Then you’re in for a treat.”
We continued walking in silence. It was nice, one of those comfortable silences. I’d heard a while back that you know you’ve found someone special when you could walk together and share silence. I looked down at her; she was smiling as she looked around us, drinking in our surroundings. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she was a tourist. She was different – special.
“It’s just up here a little bit,” she stated without missing a step, pulling ahead of me a little.
And then it appeared, a little restaurant on the corner with outside dining. There were only a couple of tables available, so she picked up the pace pulling me along with her.
“You’re in for a treat, Mr. Townstead.”
Chapter 11
Abigail
The night had been amazing, exceeding my expectations. I was somewhat disappointed when the train stopped at our destination and we stepped off just a couple of blocks from our building. Who would have thought walking around the districts could be so fun? As promised, Devon had replaced my broken phone with a brand spanking new one. He insisted on getting me the very best one that he could. Samsung had just released a new model a few days prior and it was now in my hand. I’d protested, saying I didn’t need the best just a replacement, but I was discovering there was no talking him out of something he had set his mind on.
“This was a really fun night,” I commented. “It’s been a while since I’ve explored the city.”
“Life has a tendency to get hectic,” he replied. “What tourists find fun and wondrous, we take for granted. I don’t take advantage of this great city near often enough.”
He’d held my hand most of the night, and while my initial reaction was to reject it, the truth was, it felt good. It had been way to long since I’d had a man hold my hand, or listen to my mindless chatter, or buy me presents. It had been a long time since I’d been held or felt like I was cared for.
Devon was making me feel that way. And it was a very dangerous thing to feel for him. This was only temporary. He was a boyfriend with an expiration date, gone at the end of the month. I had to remember that.
“What’s the matter?” he asked as we ascended the stairs of the train station, pulling me from my thoughts.
“Nothing.” I shook my head, my ponytail slapping me in the face due to the motion.
“You’re lying.”
We reached the top of the stairs and exited into the cool night. The air was a lot less rancid since garbage day wasn’t for a couple of days in this area.
We began walking towards our building as I thought hard about what to say next. Did I really want to open up to the man who was with me on a wager? I’m sure he had no intention of opening up to me.
“Look, Abigail.” He stopped, spinning me around so we were face to face. “I’m not the enemy here. Just because we have this bet doesn’t mean I can’t also be your friend.”
“Ya, but you don’t do friends, do you? You do fuck buddies. You do one-night stands with no commitment.”
“I’m perfectly capable of being with a woman and not fucking her. So what if I have the ability to not confuse lust with love? It makes things a helluva lot simpler.”
“That’s the difference between you and me though. To me, sex and making love is one in the same.”
“It doesn’t have to be.”
I released his hand and shook my head. We’d never see eye to eye. After two dates, I was already starting to fall for his charm. I was a stupid, stupid girl, and seriously too old to be falling for a player. It wasn’t even a matter of the money. I already had a verified five hundred grand in my bank account – it had taken me quite a while to register that much money was mine – but this was a matter of principal.
“It’s getting late. We should get back.” I continued to walk without him. It took a moment before I heard his footsteps behind me rushing to catch up.
“You know,” he called after me, “that’s not fair.”
“What’s not fair?” I called over my shoulder, not slowing my pace.
“Your way of thinking about something is right, and if someone else has a different belief then it’s wrong.”
“I never said that.”
“You did.”
“No, what I said was my personal viewpoint on it.”
“Your viewpoint that you expect others to have. We’re getting off topic here anyway, seriously off topic.”
We came to Devon’s building and entered. Instead of going to the main elevators, we turned left through a door marked Private leading to a private elevator on the right of the main lobby that went up his penthouse.
I couldn’t access the elevators, since Devon was the one with the key. On the days that I was there to clean his place, I had to track down the guards, and once they checked my credentials, they’d allow me up.
He stepped forward and swiped his card in the reader. It beeped, and the doors slid open granting us access to the elevator. I stepped in, with him following suit.
The ride up was more than a little awkward, neither of us speaking.
“Can we just forget this conversation ever happened and get back to having a good evening together?” he asked breaking the silence as we reached the floor, the elevator dinging and doors sliding open.
I sighed. I had been having a good time. Maybe I was getting in the way of myself. Did I really have to be combative? There’s no reason why I couldn’t just enjoy the month while not falling for him. Women did it all the time. I’d just have to think of him as a friend. There was no law that said we couldn’t continue to be friends after this was all done and over with.
We stepped from the elevator and made our way across the foyer and upstairs before I finally spoke. “Okay. Maybe you’re right.”
“Whoa, wait.” Devon stopped me on the staircase with a hand on my arm. “Are you actually apologizing to me for something?”
The expression on his face, an expression of mock disbelief, made me laugh despite myself. “We have different views on a lot of things. Neither one is right or wrong, they’re just different.” Admittedly, a part of me was still adamant on how I felt about him and his nonchalant views on sex, I just wasn’t going to admit that to him.
He clucked his tongue off the roof of his mouth, studying me with those captivating eyes. His eyes seemed to pierce through my armor, melting my resolve. Surely, this is how it happened to all women in his stable; they took one look into his eyes and melted. “So, truce, we can enjoy our time together. Win or lose?” He extended his hand to me.
My mouth went dry, and I licked my lower lip as I accepted his hand giving it a half-hearted shake. We stood there a moment, staring at each other, neither of us speaking. Just when I attempted to pull my hand from his, he pulled me into him. Surprised, I fell forward, melting against him.
His body was so hard, and he smelled like a spicy musk aftershave – a welcome scent, considering what we’d been walking past for most of the evening. I tensed, looking up at him. Our gazes locked, and a wave of anticipation raced through me. I wanted him to kiss me; I’d wanted that all night, no matter how much I’d denied it to myself. But to kiss him could possibly be the equivalent of opening Pandora’s box.
“I think…”
I didn’t get a chance to finish what I was saying. He lowered his head, his lips ghosting across mine, as his hands slipped around my waist and pulled me closer. The tension within me deflated. I slipped my hands to his shoulders, fisting the material.
I wanted to deny the kiss. I knew I should pull away, at all cost. But I didn’t have the mental strength or resolve to do it. Instead, I kissed him back. I allowed myself the luxury of his lips, moaning as the kiss deepened, our tongues exploring each other’s mouths.
He was amazing kisser. Hot damn, he was incredible. The kiss sent shivers through me, quaking my core. As his hands slipped lower on my waist to my ass, cupping the cheeks, the realization of what was happening was like a splash of cold water over my head.
“Wait, no!” I pushed out of his embrace and stared at him. “This shouldn’t be happening.”
He seemed unperturbed by my distress. If anything, he looked amused, but didn’t say anything. I think I would have preferred he make some asinine comment then to stand there smiling that cocky smile of his. That damned, sexy as hell, cocky smile. His smile was saying what his lips wouldn’t: I’m winning.
“I should check on Isabella, this is the second night in a row that I wasn’t home to tuck her in,” I said, turning from him, and didn’t look back as I raced the rest of the way up the stairs.
~*~ TT ~*~
Devon
I softly chuckled as she took off, escaping the uncomfortable situation – well, uncomfortable for her. I was having a great time. I was getting through her barriers. Perhaps I jumped the gun a little bit by kissing her. Patience wasn’t my strong suit.
We’d see how tomorrow played out when we took Isabella to the basketball game. Her child was cute and very straightforward – much like her mother. She was like a miniature version of Abigail, both in looks and personality. Isabella would be a little hellcat when she got older – a serious heartbreaker.
Heading into my bedroom, I closed the door behind me, stripping out of my clothing as I made my way to the bed, tossing each piece into the hamper. Most articles of clothing made it in; one stray sock missed, but it hardly worried me.
I was about to slip into the bed, sans clothing, as I normally did, when it occurred to me that I had a child in residence currently. I doubted she’d walk into my room, but I wasn’t about to take that chance. Naked, my semi-hard dick bobbing with each step, I made my way to my walk-in closet and grabbed a pair of flannel pajama bottoms. Stepping into the pants, I pulled them up as I re-entered the bedroom. This was the first time in years that I’d worn anything to bed.
It would have been nice to have fucked Abigail tonight. God knows my dick was aching for it. If she held out too long, it was going to be a wickedly long month. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d gone more than a few days without fucking someone. Even when I wasn’t meeting new women, I had a phone filled with numbers of previous conquests who’d drop everything they were doing to come by.
Pulling the blankets back, I slipped into bed and settled onto my back, flicking the overhead light off from a switch beside the bed. Closing my eyes, I tried to fall to sleep, but after twenty minutes, I realized that it as an exercise in futility. Abigail was in my head and refusing to leave. At the half-hour mark, I groaned in frustration as I sat up and turned the light on. Opening the drawer of my night-side table, I pulled out a novel. It was a horror novel I’d started close to a year ago. I’d been halfway done for roughly six months.
Opening to where I left off, I began reading, the words and storyline unfamiliar with me, but beginning to come back as I got a chapter or two in. After several chapters, my mind was finally able to free itself of thoughts of the vixen down the hall. Satisfied, I rolled over and placed the book back into the drawer and once more flicked off the light.
Just as I was closing my eyes, I heard the door creaking open. I’d have to get those hinges looked at.
“Devon?”
I didn’t respond right away.
“Devon, are you awake?” The door opened a little further, wide enough so that I could see Abigail’s silhouette in the doorframe wearing a camisole and boxer shorts.
My cock, which had just died down, rapidly began to swell again. Well, fuck me. I’d have to masturbate when she left. I swear to god, if I hadn’t know better, I’d have thought she’d planned to torture me tonight.
“Devon?” She entered the room on tiptoe, though after calling my name several times I’m not sure why she’d attempt to be quiet now.