Katia
I waited days for Devin to call.
“He doesn’t care about me,” I pouted to Anya. We were lounging in my living room, going over my plans for the next month. “If he cares about me, he would’ve called me.”
Anya rolled her eyes. “That’s not true,” she said. “How did things end? I mean, you didn’t really get to talk to him much when they got Ryan, did you?”
I shook my head, letting my perfectly-waved blonde hair fall in front of my face. “I couldn’t talk to him,” I confessed. “I was covered in bruises and cuts. And besides, those cops dragged me off before I had a chance to say anything.” I swallowed hard. Deep down, I was glad the cops had done something before I’d had a chance to embarrass myself further. I didn’t want to tell Devin how I felt, if only because I knew he didn’t feel the same way about me. Sure, we’d have great sex. But then he’d left me, and now he was avoiding me.
“I think he just wanted to get away from me, you know, a clean break,” I said carefully, reaching down for my cup of diet seltzer. “That’s how men are. They’re so noncommittal.”
“Call him,” she said with a sweet smile. “I know how you build things up in your mind, Katia. You always have to have the perfect man who’s a perfect gentleman. But Devin isn’t that kind of guy. And if you don’t tell him how you feel, you’re going to lose him forever.”
I licked my lips. Along with the rest of my body, they were finally starting to heal from Ryan’s assault. At the advice of the doctor in the emergency room, I’d started going to a counselor to deal with the “lingering trauma,” but aside from a few nightmares, I hadn’t really had anything too horrible to deal with. The bruises faded in a couple of days, the knot on my head drained down, and the cuts and scratches healed over in a remarkably short amount of time.
Oliver, my pug, darted towards me and barked. I grinned. “Hi, baby,” I crooned. “You wanna cuddle with Mommy?”
Anya rolled her eyes. “I’ll let you go,” she said, getting to her feet and wiping her hands on her round thighs. “I know you probably want some alone time with your baby.”
I felt a tug of anxiety on my heartstrings as I watched Anya gather her things.
“Hey,” I said softly. “Thank you. For– for everything.”
Anya smiled, looking pretty and ten years younger. She smiled back. “I love you, Katia,” she said. “Even if you’re a royal pain in the ass sometimes.”
I grinned, feeling much more like my old self. Just as I was about to get up to hug my best friend, my phone started buzzing on the table. When I saw that Devin was calling, my heart leapt into my throat.
“You’d better answer that,” Anya said slyly. “I know how you’ve been dying to talk to him and all.”
I giggled. “Go!” I yelled playfully. “Give me some privacy!”
# # #
Six hours later, I stood nervously in front of my full-length bedroom mirror, staring at the way the black cocktail dress hugged my body. It was something I’d bought a few months ago but had yet to wear, and I was still self-conscious of the way it pushed my breasts into a high cleavage.
Still, it was probably the best thing I had for a date with Devin at Marcus & Fine, one of LA’s newest and most expensive steakhouses.
Sliding into the backseat of a cab, I pulled a mirror out of my purse and glanced at my reflection. With my hair teased and slightly over my forehead, the last of my bruises was all but invisible. Inside, though, I was feeling more nervous than I’d ever felt in my life. More nervous than when I auditioned for my first pageant, and much more nervous than I’d felt when I’d gone in to my oncologist’s office to hear whether or not the leukemia had finally left my body.
Devin was sitting at a table in the back, looking incredibly handsome in a dark jacket with a dark t-shirt underneath. I instinctively grinned when I saw him.
Devin raised his eyebrows. “The lady arrives,” he said smoothly. He leapt to his feet, pulling my chair out in front of me. “Would she like to sit?”
“She would, indeed,” I said softly as I sat down on the smooth velvet chair. The restaurant was dim and intimate with roses and candles on each table. Even though the tables around me were filled with chattering couples, I still felt like Devin and I were alone together.
“So,” I said softly. “How are you?”
Devin snorted. “Well, things are getting back to normal,” he said. “I fuckin’ miss your condo, though. That was a sweet place to crash for a while. My apartment doesn’t really feel the same.”
I smiled and blushed at the same time. As the waiter appeared to take our drink order, I grabbed the wine list from Devin before he could say anything.
“Ma’am?” The waiter glanced down at me with disdain. “Did you have a question?”
“No questions,” I said sweetly as I pushed the wine list towards him. “But we’ll take the second most expensive bottle of wine on the list.”
Devin snorted and the waiter threw him a quick glare before turning his attention back to me. “But, madam,” he said calmly. “You don’t even know which kind of wine that would be.”
I shrugged. “I don’t care,” I said sweetly. “I just know that it’s gonna be good.”
When the waiter had left us alone, Devin stretched. He raked a hand through his dark hair; I noticed that it wasn’t nearly as unruly as usual. I blushed at the thought of Devin taking more time than usual to get ready for me. Something about that idea turned me on more than I was willing to admit.
“So,” I said, scooting my chair closer to the table. The wine came, and I poured us each a generous glass, taking a sip of mine. The wine was a pinot noir, and it was delicious. I savored the way the rich, alcoholic flavor poured down my throat. It was almost enough to calm me, which is something I hadn’t felt since before The Incident had taken place.
“So?” Devin raised his eyebrows and eyed me. “What were you about to say?”
“I was just going to ask you how things were going,” I said softly. “But now I think that we need to make a toast. We have our drinks now,” I added meaningfully.
“Okay.” Devin and I clinked glasses. His dark blue eyes stared into my own, and I felt a small shiver of arousal crawling down my spine.
“So, what do we toast to?”
Devin grinned. “You always gotta put me on the spot with these hard questions,” he said softly. “But I think we should toast to you, Katia, for taking charge and clearing our name with the cops. And for being fabulous, no matter what.”
My cheeks burned bright red. For a moment, I couldn’t even meet Devin’s eyes. Then I clinked my glass against his and drank.
“You were cool, too,” I said softly. “You– you saved me, Devin.”
Devin shook his head. “I didn’t do a good job,” he said. “I really fucked up. It’s good you’re so strong, Katia. I know most women wouldn’t have been able to go through that and come out on top. But you…” he trailed off, shaking his head. “You’re a fucking champ.”
. “I know and modest, too,” I said laughing and cocking my head to the side.
“You’re incredible,” Devin said in all seriousness. He stared into my eyes. When I could no longer meet his gaze, I had to look away.
I sighed. “I– I don’t know, Devin. I just –I can’t believe you left me. I woke up, and you were gone. Why did you leave me?” I demanded.
He ran his fingers through his hair, which ruffled the parts he’d tried hard to tame, and he let out a sigh. “I was trying to be the hero. I thought that I could take care of Ryan in one night, and in the morning, all your problems would be gone. I knew that you would try to stop me if I told you that I was going.”
“I probably would have,” I said with a bit of shame. I rolled my eyes and took another long drink of wine. “I’m sorry for being angry,” I added. “I just think I lost my confidence, or whatever it was that I had beforehand. Everything’s changed.”
Devin snorted. He drained his wine glass and poured himself a refill, smirking at me the whole time. “Well, I talked to the rest of Wicked Bones,” he said. “And the other guys are with me, and they want to make sure that we stay as legitimate as possible. And Katia, that’s all thanks to you. If you hadn’t put in a good word for us, fuck, I don’t know. The cops would probably still be out there chasing me.”
I giggled. “I can’t believe they listened,” I said. “If I had a dollar for every guy who thought I was some actress instead of myself.” I rolled my eyes.
“Well, I’m glad they listened,” Devin said seriously. “I’m actually going into body-work full time now, and the rest of the guys are going to do security or guarding or work as mechanics. Guns and drugs are off the table,” he added. “And thank you, Katia. Without you, I wouldn’t have had the incentive to really tell them how things had to change.”
I nodded. “So you’re going to be working as a body guard again?”
Devin nodded. “Some girl, the daughter of the former mayor, she thinks she needs help. So I’m going to be moving into the apartment over her garage to keep an eye on things for a few days.”
I couldn’t help it, but I felt my eyebrows go up in the air. Suddenly, my mind was filled with horrible thoughts. What if Devin decided he liked this girl better than me? I knew exactly who he was talking about, too. She was young and very pretty. She’d already had dozens of boyfriends, and I knew that she’d like a guy as hot as Devin to watch over her. Probably a little too much, I thought as my eyes narrowed in jealousy.
“What?” Devin frowned. He took a sip of wine. “Aren’t you happy that I’m not a criminal anymore? Shit, Katia, part of the reason why I’m doing this is for you.”
I stared at him. “I don’t even know what that means,” I said. I set my wine down. The alcohol was starting to make me feel a little hot and fluttery inside.
“It means that I want to impress you,” Devin said patiently. I licked my lips, not believing his words until he stretched his hand across the table and laced his fingers with mine. When he squeezed my hand, I finally looked into his blue eyes.
“You mean that? You won’t get all crazy over this new girl?”
Devin snorted. “She’s a child,” he said. “I like you, better.”
I love you, I almost said. The words were on the tip of my tongue. I swished them around in my mouth, staring at Devin and wondering if he felt the same way. After all, there wasn’t much he was getting from me anymore. I wasn’t paying him, and he’d even said that he was trying to impress me. So, what was I waiting for?
“So, again,” Devin said wearily. He grabbed my glass and refilled it to the brim. “Thank you, Katia. For saving my reputation and the reputation of my club. I really owe you.”
“It’s not a problem,” I said softly. “I love you.”
Devin stared. As the blood drained from his handsome face, I felt my heartbeat race in my chest.
“I love you, too,” Devin said. He squeezed my hand. “Is there anything I could do to thank you?” His voice was husky and deep. Just listening to him sent frantic, delicious shivers down my spine.
“Well,” I said softly. “There’s one thing.”
# # #
Twenty minutes later, we were in the back of a cab, kissing passionately. Devin wrapped his arms around my neck and pulled me close, trailing hot kisses down my neck and breastbone until I was moaning with pleasure. As he slipped his fingers over the bodice of my black cocktail dress, I wriggled under his touch, desperate for his fingers to touch my bare skin.
“Hey,” the cabbie snapped from the front seat. “What the fuck is going on back there?”
Devin and I burst out laughing. I sat up, straightening my dress and smoothing my hair.
The ride back to my condo was torture. I kept staring at the handsome angles of Devin’s face in the low light of the streetlamps. As the cab rolled through the hills of LA, I thought about everything that had changed over the past couple of months. I’d gone from a silly, selfish, spoiled girl into a real woman. A woman who wasn’t afraid to admit her feelings; a woman who cherished and reveled in the idea of being in love.
But as soon as the cab pulled into my driveway, that love turned to lust. I grabbed Devin and kissed him passionately in the driveway, laced my fingers with his, and led him quickly up the drive. Inside the condo, we were kissing madly. Devin pushed me against the wall of the foyer, nudging my head back and nipping at the soft skin of my neck, as I moaned and ground my hips against his pelvis.
Devin reached down and wrapped his strong hands around my thighs, pulling my legs up and around his body. As we moved together in a slick, undulating rhythm, I let out a wild cry of pleasure.
Devin groaned. He bucked his hips, and I could feel his massive erection through his trousers. As he scooped me into his arms and carried me back into the bedroom, I closed my eyes and let my body relax fully. I wasn’t afraid, or anxious, or even worried that someone was watching us. Ryan was in jail, and my lawyer told me that there was a very good chance he’d go away for at least ten years.
“I love you,” Devin whispered. He nipped at my earlobe, and I cried out. The sensation of his hot breath and tongue on my skin was almost too much to bear. I twisted in his arms, tangling my hands in his dark hair and pulling his face close to mine. As we kissed, our tongues danced delicately inside of my mouth. The taste of wine and cigarettes in Devin’s mouth sent my level of arousal skyrocketing up to the starry sky, and I threw my head back and growled with lust.
“Come here,” I whispered. Scooting back on the bed, I spread my legs and slid a hand down my body. Devin’s eyes were glued to me as I threw my head back and arched my back, letting my fingers wander over my body. My dress clung to my skin as I slipped my hand between my legs, spreading them wide so Devin could see how aroused I was.
“God, Katia,” Devin panted. He crawled between my legs on his knees and rested his big, brawny hands on my thighs. “You’re so hot,” he growled. I shivered as I felt his breath on my bare legs. Devin lowered his face to my thighs and began licking the soft skin. It tickled, and I moaned again. As Devin pushed my hand out of the way, he slipped two fingers inside the sodden silk of my panties. I groaned and rubbed my crotch against his hand, desperate for more of the wicked pleasure he was granting me with every passing second. Devin slid a finger inside of me and gently wriggled it back and forth. He pushed the crotch of my panties to the side and lowered his head to my crotch. When I felt his hot breath on my soaked labia, I let out a wild cry of lust.
Devin’s tongue on my clit was heavenly. I bit my lip and purred as he swirled his tongue around my clit in slow, torturous circles. The feelings of pleasure swarming through my body were almost too much to bear, and I tugged at his scalp as I ground my hips against his face.
Devin pulled away from me just as I was about to come. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and yanked the top of my dress down. My breasts popped out, and he began caressing my stiff nipples with his fingers. As I reached out for him and pulled him close, Devin tumbled on top of me and pinned me to the bed. The pressure of his muscular body against mine was exquisite, and I held my breath as I slid my hands under his shirt and stroked his silky skin. Devin growled as I tugged his shirt off and tossed it to the side. I sucked in a breath, staring at him. He was so perfect. His muscles were gleaming and tensed. Tracing a finger over the tattoo on his pectorals, I used my other hand to beckon Devin closer. He crawled on top of me, shoving his hips against mine.
I wrapped my legs around Devin’s waist and ground my crotch against his body. The pressure on my clit felt incredible, and I closed my eyes as tiny sparks of fireworks exploded behind my eyes.
“God,” I groaned. “Please, please, Devin!”
Devin growled. He reached down and tugged my dress over my head, throwing it to the side. With one hand, he ripped my panties off of my body. Now that I was naked, I loved the feeling of his trousers between my legs. There was something both lewd and sensual about being naked when my partner was clothed, and I moaned as Devin trailed a hand down my body. He pinched my nipples, making me cry out in pleasure mingled with pain.
With trembling hands, I unfastened the snap of Devin’s trousers and began tugging them down his narrow hips. As always, he wasn’t wearing any underwear. His cock sprang free. I grinned, then rose up on my haunches and pushed Devin over onto the bed. He returned my smile. As I got closer, I licked my lips and stared down at him. He was the most beautiful man I’d ever seen, especially when he was naked.
“I missed you,” I said softly as I crawled between Devin’s legs and wrapped my hand around the base of his cock. As I began to stroke Devin’s manhood with firm, slow movements, Devin groaned. His eyes rolled back in his head and he arched his back, shoving his cock further towards me.
“I can take a hint,” I teased. Leaning down, I slowly took the head of Devin’s cock into my mouth and began to suck. As I traced the tender underside of his manhood with my tongue, Devin jerked and jolted on the bed. He groaned as I took him all the way down my throat, moving my hand up to meet my mouth and ensuring that his whole cock was covered with my ministrations.
“I can’t take it anymore,” Devin growled. I didn’t listen. I wrapped my tongue around the head of Devin’s cock and swirled like I was sucking the world’s most delicious ice cream cone. I loved the taste of him and moaned softly as he groaned and shifted him into my mouth once again.
Finally, Devin reached down and placed a hand on my shoulder. As he pushed me away, I fell back on my hands and knees. Devin’s hands were instantly on my body, pushing me down on my stomach. I moaned as I felt his fingers trace down my spine and then between the cheeks of my ass and force my legs apart.
“God,” I moaned into the pillows. My whole body was buzzing and singing with arousal, and I wanted Devin to plunge deeply inside of me and stay there forever. This is perfect, I thought. Just me and Devin, forever. That’s all I need, and all I want. I’m completely satisfied.
“I’ve thought about your every day,” Devin growled. He crawled between my spread legs, steadying himself with a hand on my hip. I arched my back, spreading my ass and raising my pussy up for Devin. I was so wet that I was leaking juices onto the bed, and I groaned when Devin slid a finger into my soaked cunt and pulled it out again, making me quiver with want.
The head of Devin’s cock pushed against me, and I raised my hips again, shoving back, desperate to be taken. As Devin plunged inside of me, I cried out into the duvet. Devin grabbed a fistful of my ass in one hand and began pumping into me slowly. As his cock slid in and out of my soaked pussy, I let out a cry of delight. Devin’s other hand tangled in my hair and he pulled my head back, grinding and thrusting against my body as he pulled me towards him with each delicious stroke of his cock.
“God,” I moaned softly. “Devin!” I screamed his name into the duvet over and over. As Devin slid a finger between the soaked cheeks of my ass, I moaned softly and blushed when I felt his fingertip slide over my puckering asshole. It felt dirty, taboo. As he slid his finger around the sensitive skin of my ass, I groaned and shoved my hips against Devin’s pelvis. His cock was buried inside of me to the hilt and he squeezed my ass, groaning loudly with his own pleasure.
A sheen of sweat had broken out over our bodies and we moved slickly together, like a sensual machine. Just when I felt my orgasm building inside of me, Devin pulled out.
I gasped as Devin grabbed me by the hips and forcefully flipped me over onto my back. I groaned as he slapped my inner thighs, spreading my legs. When he slid inside of me, I threw my head back and closed my eyes. Devin impaled me deliciously, sliding in and out of my body and holding himself up with one hand on my hip. He lowered his face to my chest and began sucking and licking at my stiff nipples, driving me into a frenzy of delight.
“I’m gonna come,” I moaned softly, wriggling and rolling around on the bed underneath my lover. “I can’t wait, Devin!”
“Come, baby,” Devin grunted. Sweat dripped off his forehead and landed on my bare breasts as his thrusts grew more intense with each passing second. I stared into his blue eyes, feeling more naked and exposed than I’d ever felt in my life As Devin’s cock began to pulse and twitch inside of me, I felt my pussy clamp down again and again with delicious pleasure. As my orgasm tore through me, I let out a wild cry of unbridled lust.
Finally, the shockwaves of desire passed through me and faded away into a delightful lull. Devin slid out of me, flopping down on the bed beside me and wrapping an arm lazily around my waist.
“Hey, Katia,” Devin whispered in my ear. “I’ve got something to ask you.”
I frowned and pulled away. “What could you possibly want to talk about after that?” I whispered softly. “Aren’t you satisfied for now?”
Devin grinned. “Will you be my date to Anya and Troy’s wedding?”
I was so startled that I gasped. “What?”
“Anya and Troy’s wedding,” Devin repeated. “Will you be my date? Yes or no?”
I pouted. “Yes,” I said. “But I’m so mad that she didn’t tell me first!”
Devin grinned. “Don’t say anything,” he said, pulling me close and tucking my hips under the silk sheet. “But he’s gonna ask her tonight. I know she’s gonna say yes, so I thought I’d get a head start and ask you before any of these other Hollywood assholes get around to it.”
My smile was so wide that it hurt my face. “Of course,” I whispered softly. “There’s no one I’d rather go with.”