Poppy

At about two o’clock Thursday afternoon, I dragged myself into the house, calling out, “I’m home Grace. I’m going to die now.”

“Okay, honey, I’ll raise you from the dead in a few hours.”

“I appreciate it.” I smiled, letting myself into my room and virtually falling onto my bed. I was done. Officially done done. My thesis had been turned in (a week ago), my finals had been slogged through (I had no idea how well I’d done, but I felt confident), and now it was just a matter of dying for a few hours. I wanted to be well-rested for Devon who was arriving tomorrow, and since I’d barely slept all week, tonight was the night to make up for that.

Grace knocked on my door, but I groaned, ignoring her. Another knock sounded and I called out, “I’m too busy dying to answer, Grace. Either come in or go away.” I dropped my face back in my pillow as I heard the doorknob turn and footsteps walking slowly toward me.

After that, all hell broke loose as a large hand pressed on my right butt-cheek and squeezed, and I was so freaked out, I flipped over and shoved a foot into the stomach of whoever was in my house.

And I kicked them hard, jumping up onto my feet (on top of the mattress), ready to fight.

“Fuck! Poppy! It’s me,” Devon snapped, his arms wrapped around his waist as he bent over and attempted to catch his breath.

I gasped, covering my mouth with my hands as I lowered myself to my knees. “Oh my god, Devon, I’m so sorry!”

I shuffled toward him, but he held a hand out to stop me. “Give me a second, baby.”

“Are you okay?” I whispered, biting my lip.

He focused on me with watery eyes, nodding. “Pretty sure you ruptured my spleen, but otherwise, yeah, I’m okay.”

“I’m so sorry, honey,” I whispered. “But maybe don’t surprise me in the future? I don’t really like surprises, to be honest.”

“Message received,” he said, rubbing his chest. “Where the hell did you get reflexes like a cat?”

“Hatch wanted me safe, so he gave me some self-defense lessons. Grace too.”

“Mission accomplished.”

I waved my hands. “Come here so I can make sure you’re okay.”

He sat gingerly on the bed and I pushed up his shirt, kissing the red spot on his upper abdomen. “Wow, I really got you, huh?”

“I’ll live.” He hooked an arm around my waist and tugged me onto his lap, kissing me deeply.

I slid my hands into his hair and smiled against his lips. “Hi.”

“Hi.” He grinned stroking my cheek. “Surprise.”

“It’s an awesome surprise... in case you were wondering,” I said, and kissed him again. “What are you doing here? Besides bleeding internally.”

“Badger’s out of his coma and Hatch and Mack are handling some of the more... ah...difficult negotiations, so I have the whole weekend with you.” He cocked his head. “Unless you’d rather I leave.”

I held him tighter. “Don’t even think about it, mister.”

He burrowed his face in my neck and kissed me just under my jaw. “You smell amazing.”

“You are obviously demented,” I said. “I smell like lectures and desperation.”

Devon chuckled. “Well, lectures and desperation smell good on you.”

“How are you?” I cupped his face and stared at him, memorizing every crease. “Really?”

He smiled. “Good now.”

I kissed his cheeks, then hugged him tight. “I missed you so hard.”

“Same, baby.”

“Are you hungry?”

“Starved.”

I met his eyes again. “Do you care if we order pizza? I’m wiped.”

“Oh, for food,” he retorted. “Sure, pizza’s good.”

I squirmed in his lap and kissed him again. “You can feast on me after dinner. In fact, I’ll need you to take care of that right after we eat.”

“Can’t wait.” He rose to his feet, me still in his arms, and set me down, kissing me again before he slapped my ass and followed me out of my room.

Grace stood in the kitchen sipping out of a bottled water while staring at her phone. She glanced up when we walked in and smiled. “How did the surprise go?”

Devon rubbed his chest and I grimaced. “Hatch’s self-defense classes for the win.”

Her mouth dropped open. “Seriously?”

“In my defense, he did try to play grab-ass before I knew it was him,” I said.

She cocked her head. “So, if I came in and played grab-ass with you, I’d find myself on the floor?”

I waved my hand dismissively. “No, you have carte blanche to grab my ass anytime, Gracie. You know that.”

“No, she doesn’t,” Devon countered, wrapping an arm around me from behind. “I don’t share.”

“Sorry Grace.” I grinned, sliding my hands down my hips. “This is off-limits.”

“Damn it,” she breathed out her hand going to her forehead for a dramatic pose.

“Devon’s paying for pizza,” I said. “You in?”

She shook her head. “Can’t. Got the showcase next week, so I need to stay lean.”

“Oh, right, sorry. I forgot.”

She shrugged. “No big deal. I’m actually heading to the studio for a bit. Will and I are going to go through our routine.”

“How far’s the studio?” Devon asked.

“Not far. Less than a mile away.” He frowned, but she shook her head and pushed away from the counter. “Nope. You’re hers, not mine. You don’t get to be all overprotective and shit.” She grabbed her keys and dance bag and hugged me. “Have a good night. See you later, Dev.”

Then she was gone.

I turned in his arms and grabbed his cut. “Resist the urge.”

“To do what?”

“I don’t know, call someone to follow her, jump on your bike and follow her... or something.” I leaned up on my tiptoes and kissed him quickly. “We’re in one of the safest areas of Atlanta. It’s good.”

He sighed sliding his hands in the back pockets of my jeans. “Okay, baby.”

I smiled and grabbed my phone off the counter, staying connected to him. “What do you want on your pizza? You gonna mix it up tonight or are we going with pepperoni?”

“Pepperoni’s good.”

“Well, I’m getting jalapeno and bacon.”

“Knock yourself out, baby.”

I cocked my head. “You promise you’ll still kiss me after I eat it?”

“Yep.”

“You hate jalapenos.”

“Didn’t say I was gonna kiss your mouth, Poppy.”

I shivered, licking my lips. “I think maybe you should kiss me before and after.”

“I can do that,” he said. “Make the order and I’ll give you a couple of orgasms before it gets here.”

I stayed attached to him as I ordered the pizza, then he threw me over his shoulder and hauled me into my bedroom. I smacked his butt as we walked down the hall and laughed as he dumped me onto the bed, hovering over me. “How many do you want?”

“Twelve.”

“Okay, baby, I’m gonna have to bring my A-game.”

I nodded as I ripped of my shirt. “Yeah you are.”

He kissed me again as he unzipped my jeans, then he slid his hand inside, under my panties, and between my legs. I squirmed at his touch, his hand cupping my mound. “Open, baby.”

I shifted so he could slide his hand further between my legs and then he slipped a finger inside of me and I whimpered. He pushed off the bed, leaning over to tug my jeans down. “Lift.”

I lifted my hips and he pulled everything off and then kissed his way up my legs. Gripping my thighs gently, he settled his face between them and kissed the top of each. “Fuck me, I’ve missed you.”

“Devon,” I rasped as his mouth covered my core. I slipped my fingers into his hair as he gently sucked my clit and I couldn’t stop myself from bucking against his mouth. This made him grip my thighs harder to keep me in place, but it did not make him remove his mouth. I let out a quiet squeak as his tongue slipped inside of me, then his fingers. His mouth went back to my clit as he pumped his fingers inside of me until I screamed his name as I came apart.

He didn’t give me much time to revel in my orgasm as he pulled off his shirt, unbuttoned his jeans and pushed them down his hips, then yanked me to the edge of the bed so he could slide into me. I wrapped my legs around his hips, drawing him further inside of me, and arched up as he buried himself deeper.

He set his hands on either side of my waist and kissed me as he slammed into me again and again, and I gripped his biceps as my climax built. “Now, Dev.”

He kissed me again as my walls contracted around him, but again, he shifted and I wasn’t able to revel because he was building me up again. His hand went to my breast and he rolled my nipple between his fingers and I fisted my hands in the comforter as he played my body like a fiddle.

“Oh, god, yes,” I breathed out, his hips tilting so his dick reached deeper... right in that spot. “Dev!” I squeaked and exploded... again. “Ohmigod.”

He gave one more thrust, then he kissed me and rolled us so we were still connected but facing each other. He grinned, stroking my cheek. “Three down... nine to go.”

“I think that last one counted as two.”

Devon chuckled. “God damn, I love riling your body up.”

“You’re very good at it.”

He kissed me, then gently pulled out of me and headed to the bathroom... just as the doorbell pealed.

“I got it,” he said, and chucked the towel he’d just dried his hands on in the corner (not in the hamper, grrrr), then tugged on his jeans and walked out of my room.

I stayed where I was.

Because I couldn’t move.

Because my man killed my vagina.

“Pizza’s here,” Devon called.

I sat up slightly. Maybe I could move for pizza. It was the planet’s greatest food, after all.

“Babe?” Devon called out again.

I flopped back down. Nope. Not even pizza could get me off this bed.

“Are you dead?” Devon asked now closer.

I rolled my neck to look at him and smiled. “Yes.”

He pushed away from the doorway and settled a knee on the bed before crawling to me. “You want food? Or more of this?” he asked, sliding his hand between my legs.

I arched into him. “More of this,” I rasped. “Definitely.”

He slid off the bed and removed his jeans again, then kissed me. “On your knees.”

I stretched a little and then rolled onto my stomach and pushed myself up onto all-fours.

“How hard, Poppy?”

“So hard.”

I was rewarded with him slamming his cock into me without foreplay.

“Yes,” I breathed out.

“Work your clit, Poppy.”

Anchoring myself with my left arm, I reached my right hand between my legs and fingered myself as Devon kept me from falling over as he buried himself once, then twice, then moved faster and faster as he “riled me up.”

“Don’t come,” Devon ordered.

“Oh, god,” I rasped.

“Swear to Christ, Poppy, I’ll stop.”

“I...” I pulled my hand away trying to keep my body from exploding.

Devon squeezed my ass and I was done. Luckily, he was too, and pulled me up so my back was to his chest as his cock pulsated inside of me. He wrapped one arm around my waist and held me tight as he kissed the sensitive spot behind my ear. “Fuckin’ perfect, baby.”

“Yeah, that was so... amazing.”

He lifted me so he could slide out of me, then stretched out on the bed and pulled me over his chest. “Do you know how much I love your body?”

I kissed his chest. “Back atya.”

“Got any clue how much I love you?”

I smiled up at him. “Yes, because I love you even more.”

He kissed me gently, then set me aside. “Okay, that’s four, but I seriously need somethin’ to eat or I won’t be able to keep up.”

“Fine. You may eat.”

He chuckled, climbing off the bed and pulling his jeans back on. I donned a robe and followed him out to the kitchen where we ate, then he spent a few hours, giving me eight more orgasms before we fell asleep wrapped up in each other.

* * *

Friday morning, I was awakened when my phone buzzed on my nightstand (and it was officially still morning, which kind of pissed me off, because I was actually allowed to sleep in). “Hello?” I whispered, not wanting to wake Devon.

“Miss Wallace?”

“Yes.”

“This is Agnes Lithgow from the Atlanta Psychiatric Journal, and we wanted to let you know that your study on alpha males has been accepted for publication. You’ll see it in the March issue.”

I sat up. “I don’t understand.”

“What would you like to know?”

“Ah... well, I didn’t realize it had even been graded yet... and, uh, also, I didn’t submit my thesis to the Atlanta Psychiatric Journal.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Let me find out who did.”

Devon’s hand snaked around my waist and he tugged me over his chest while Agnes Lithgow checked her records.

“Miss Wallace?”

“I’m here.”

“Your professor, Dr. Samuels, submitted it.”

“Seriously?” I tried to sit up again, but Devon held me tight. “But I just turned it in a few days ago.”

“We have an early copy without your conclusions here, but Dr. Samuels sent the final and it was approved for publication.”

“Oh my god,” I whispered. “That’s amazing.”

“I have a few things for you to sign, so I will mail those to you today, if that’s acceptable.”

“Oh, yes, thank you.” She confirmed my address and then hung up, and I stared up at Devon. “I’m being published.”

“I heard,” he said. “Congratulations.”

“Why do you look like you just ate something weird?”

“Do I?”

“Yes. You do.” I sat up on my knees. “Spill.”

“Remember when I said Doc reads all those medical journals?”

I bit my lip and forced back a laugh. “Oh.”

“Yeah, exactly. Oh.”

“He won’t know—”

“Poppy, your name will be on the article. I can guarantee he’ll order at least ten copies of the magazine.”

“Journal.”

“Journal. What-the-fuck-ever.”

I frowned, pissed that he was making my victory all about him. “Do you want me to call them back and tell them not to publish it?”

“Babe.”

“Fuck you, Devon.” I slid off the bed and walked into the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind me.

“Poppy,” he called through the door.

“I need a minute, Devon.”

God, I was so mad!

He knocked, and said, “Babe. Open the door.”

“No.”

“You don’t open this door, Poppy, I’m gonna break the lock.”

I rolled my eyes, but I reached over and unlocked it. He pushed it open and stood against the jamb, crossing his arms. “I’m sorry.”

“What exactly are you sorry for?” I asked as I turned the shower on.

“For rainin’ on your parade,” he said.

“Swell.”

“Babe, will you look at me?”

I faced him, but didn’t move, so he closed the distance between us. I held up my palm and gave him warning scowl. “Devon.”

“Poppy,” he mimicked. His arms slid to my hips and he tugged me forward. “That was a dick move.”

“Ya think?” I crossed my arms so he couldn’t pull me closer.

Devon raised an eyebrow. “I’m tryin’ to apologize here... you really gonna keep yourself closed off to me?”

“I’m not ready to stop being mad at you yet.”

“Fair enough,” he said, leaning forward to kiss me quickly. “I’m really proud of you, baby, in case that wasn’t clear earlier.”

I softened... sort of.

“I’m sorry I was a dick, because I think you’re amazing,” he continued. “If Doc and the club give me shit about my code name, I’ll own it, because my woman gave it to me and she’s a fuckin’ badass.”

I flopped against him, wrapping my arms around his waist. “Okay, I’m done being mad at you.”

He chuckled, holding me tight. “You forgive me?”

“Absolutely.”

“Thought that would take a lot more groveling.”

I leaned back to meet his eyes. “I could stay mad at you if you want to grovel some more.”

“No, this is good.” He grinned, kissing me sweetly. “Shower, baby, I’ll make us breakfast.”

“Put some pants on before you go out there. I don’t want to have to kill my best friend.”

“Killjoy,” he retorted, and kissed me again.

I climbed into the shower, a smile on my face. I loved how Devon was always willing to admit when he was wrong... and I especially loved how I didn’t have to spell out exactly what he needed to apologize for. He was smart and I appreciated that about him.