Chapter Ten – Devon
Devon rolled over, patting the bed as he looked for Rose. When he didn't feel her, his eyes cracked open. Bright moonlight streamed in through the window, silhouetting the form of his mate as she gazed outside. He slipped from the bed and padded over to her. When he wrapped his arms around her, she leaned back against him with a sigh.
"Trouble sleeping?" he asked.
"No. Jamie woke me up a while ago, and I just wanted to watch the moon for a while. It's so pretty, don't you think?"
Devon looked up at the pearly white orb and nodded. The moonlight bathed everything in a silver glow, illuminating the small acreage that they were now the proud owners of. Getting out of the city had been good for all of them, but especially Jamie. She was no longer cooped up inside for most of the day and had started her first attempts at shifting recently. They were even going to get a puppy soon.
"Devon?"
"Yes?"
"I want to have a baby. Your baby." Rose turned to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I know Jamie is still young, and. I think I'd like to wait a little bit so Jamie can have more one-on-one attention at this age, but I want to have more children. Four, or maybe even five."
"Five children?" Devon chuckled, amused at the number. Rose never did anything halfway. He nodded. "Five sounds nice. I was an only child, I wish I could have had four siblings. But don't you think it's time to come back to bed?
Rose sighed and nodded. She let Devon lead her back to the bed they shared, and they climbed under the blankets together. Devon pulled her close against him, loving the way she fit in his arms. It hadn't been any sort of conscious decision for her to start sleeping in the bed with him.
After Percy's attack, Rose had had nightmares, and they'd started dozing together on the couch. Rose told him that when they slept together she didn't get nightmares, and so they moved to the bed. Devon thought that maybe there should be a little more production about it, but it just felt so right and natural that sort of thing wasn't necessary.
It had been like this for a few months now.
There had been some legal entanglements with Percy's death, given the arrest that had happened, but once the cops actually listened to him and Rose–helped along by the lawyer that he hired–it was determined that this was one of those cases where the law had failed to protect its citizens. Those cops who had refused to listen to Rose's complaints about Percy before he got violent were an internal investigation.
It turned out that what Percy had told Rose was the truth. He did have a brain tumor. A psychologist that they talked to about it theorized that the tumor was the cause for all of Percy's behavior before his death. The threat of imminent death made him cling to the thought of what he had when he was healthy–Rose. It also exerted enough pressure on his brain that it changed his personality enough to make him buy that gun. The psychologist was convinced that if Rose had gone with him to the hotel room, Percy would have killed the both of them. He wanted her to suffer; that was why he turned the gun on others instead of her in the lobby. He would have shot her before he shot himself if Devon hadn't been right there. The thought still made Devon's blood run cold.
But that was in the past, and Devon, Rose and Jamie were happy being together as a family. Devon grinned as he slid his hands up under Rose's shirt. Her skin was warm and soft and he leaned in to nibble at the back of her neck. As odd as it was, though they had been sleeping in the same bed for months now, they'd never actually gone further than some heavy petting… Rose always drew back, and while she didn't say why, the fact that she wasn't comfortable going all the way was something that Devon accepted.
That didn't mean he didn't want more, though. Just that he was willing to wait to get it.
Rose moaned as he traced his hand down her curves to slip between her legs, probing against her clothing. She pressed herself against him, making a pleasant buzzing start in his center. "Don't you think we should go back to sleep? You have to work early tomorrow morning."
Devon glanced at the clock. "I'd have to be up in two hours anyway. If I try to sleep now I'll just end up in the wrong part of the sleep cycle when I get up… unless you want to sleep."
"I'll let you know," she moaned.
"Remember we're going out for dinner tonight. Maybe you can go out today and buy yourself a new dress."
"A new dress? But I already have a lot of pretty clothes."
"I know. I just want tonight to be special."
Rose wiggled her rump against him, making everything tighten inside of him. Devon gasped in delight, searching for her waistband. She slid her leg up his thigh to give him better access. His heart pounded with excitement. Maybe this time… He buried his face into her neck, eagerly nibbling at her. Rose jerked and gasped under his ministrations.
"Tonight should be special, then?" she asked. "I mean, you want tonight to be special?"
"Yeah. You realize it's our five-month anniversary since we moved out here?"
Rose responded with a moan, and Devon started moving her pajama pants down off her hips. Her hands found him. He let out a mighty moan and jerked hard against her, causing the whole bed to tremble beneath them. Rose giggled.
"If you want tonight to be so special, then maybe we should save this for then, instead of doing it right now."
Devon groaned in disappointment. He stroked her a couple more times before he withdrew. "If that's what you want."
Rose rolled over, putting his arms around his neck. She kissed him gently. "You really do want tonight to be special. Why, are you going to propose?"
"Uh…" Devon realized too late that she was joking. In the moonlight, he saw her eyes widen.
"You are?"
Devon winced and nodded. "Yeah. That was the plan… Actually, that's still the plan. You're not allowed to say yes or no or see the ring until—"
Rose threw herself at him, rolling him over onto his back. Her mouth caught his hard. He chuckled at her passion, grinning. She straddled his hips, grinding herself hard against him. Already semi-aroused, everything was kicked up another notch. He wrapped his arms around her waist, crushing her against him, and Rose moved to his neck, eagerly kissing and sucking at his skin.
Well, I think I know what her answer is going to be.
The shifter rolled her over, the bed wobbling dangerously under their movements, and pinned his mate beneath him. Rose's eyes sparkled as she gazed up at him, her hands twisting into his hair. He returned to her mouth as he explored her body with his hands. When he found her breasts, he moaned and ripped open her pajama tops. The buttons hit him on the chest, but he ignored them, moving down to feast on her beautiful body. Rose shivered beneath him, moaning.
"You're fixing that," she said, pulling him closer. "Later."
"Of course."
Her fingers dug into his shoulders as he moved his hand down between her legs again. He loved the way she shivered at his touch, the way her hips rolled up towards him, begging for more. He loved the way she gasped out his name, and the sweet taste of his skin while he kissed between her breasts. But most of all he loved the smile on her face, the pure love radiating from her eyes as she gazed down at him.
"How did I ever get so lucky?" he whispered, removing her pants to have better access to pleasure her properly. "You are the most amazing, wonderful, compassionate, sexy, beautiful, kind-hearted—"
"Don't lay it on too thick. I'm already taking off my clothes."
Her back arched and her shoulders shimmied from side to side as he adjusted his strokes against her. Her jaw hung open a little, her eyes sliding closed. Devon's own body ached with need as he watched her, filling to the brim with a desire to be as close to her as possible. He checked to see how ready she was and grinned when he found her perfect. He kissed her once more as he removed his pants. Her hands found him, and he let her work her to readiness before he laid over her again.
Both of them cried out, clutching at one another, as he entered. Devon kissed her gently, giving her a moment to adjust to him–but apparently, she didn't want to wait. She planted her feet onto the bed and brought her hips up hard. Devon gasped, then laughed and joined her rhythm. The pace was impossible to keep up, but he ground his teeth and tried, their bodies slick with sweat, writhing together as the heat built between them.
Soon it was too much to hold back; as Rose bucked and screamed beneath him, Devon was drawn with her to climax. His body jerked and writhed from side to side before he collapsed. He heard Rose's labored breathing and was just able to make himself to roll off her.
They lay there, hands twined, for quite some time before Rose stirred. She pushed herself to her elbow and smiled at him. "Well. That was an experience."
"A good one, I hope," Devon said, suddenly worried. "Did you—"
"I loved it." She kissed him. "I love you. I don't know why I waited for so long… I can't wait until tonight when I can tell you yes."
Devon chuckled. He pulled her against him and kissed her again. He glanced at the clock. "Look at that… we still have an hour left… want to go again?"
Rose gave him a wicked grin and straddled him. "My turn."
Devon was all too happy to let her give him what she wanted. He smiled as the heat began building again. He had a lifetime of this to look forward to… and it could only get better from here.
*****
THE END