Chapter Twelve
Jessica let go of Devlin’s hand as he helped her into the covered carriage. The rain had dwindled to a light drizzle breaking the humidity, and in the summer in New York City, any day with no humidity was a blessing.
He settled in next to her and reached for the basket the driver held for them. Inside were two champagne flutes, a bowl of strawberries, sliced cheese and apples, and a loaf of crusty bread.
“This is perfect, Dev.” Jess sat back on the red tufted seat. “Even the rain is stopping for us.”
Devlin nodded to the driver and the man clicked his cheek for the horses to head to the park’s entrance.
“One more thing,” he said, taking a small box of chocolates from his pocket. “Queen Anne cherries. Their messy and sweet and their juice drips onto your chin when you bite them, kind of like you when I nibble between your legs.” He opened the box and lifted one of the candies to her lips. “Open for me, Jess.”
She smirked. “You sure you mean for the candy?”
“For now.” He glanced to the driver and the people jogging in the park before turning his eyes back. “You see those benches over there?”
She nodded, taking the chocolate from his fingers and plopping it in her mouth.
“They remind me of when I first noticed you at Langley.” He slipped his arm around her shoulders.
“You mean when you caught me embarrassed to high heaven because I was covered in whip cream?”
A grin spread across his lips. “You weren’t exactly covered, but hold that thought for later.”
“You’re incorrigible,” she said, giving him a playful nudge.
“It’s all part of my charm.”
Jessica laughed. “That’s debatable.”
“Anyway, I’d see you sitting on that same bench with your book every afternoon, even when it started getting cold. You’d cross your legs, showing off those gorgeous heels. It’s like you knew I was looking and you teased me unmercifully. Do you know how often I dreamt of you before we actually met?”
She looked across her shoulder at him. “Even with your no-attachment rule?”
“Hey, no-attachments did not mean celibacy. Tap and go. That was our modus operandi,” he said without apology.
Pursing her lips, she looked out her side of the carriage. “So why didn’t you tap and go with me, then? If you dreamt of me and you knew I watched you as much as you watched me, then I was an easy target.” She turned back to see his face.
“Because, even with that perfect set-up, you were different. I knew it then, and I know it now. Once this thing tomorrow is over, I want to see where this attraction takes us. It’s time.”
She looked at him, a small frown crinkling her eyes. “Time? What, like your biological clock? I’m sorry, my lover, but that excuse doesn’t apply to Y chromosomes.”
“See, now that’s what I adore about you,” he replied. “You are so quick and clever and you say what you mean and mean what you say. You don’t play games like the other women I’ve known.”
The steady clip-clop of the horse’s hooves slowed until the driver stopped beside a path that led to a pretty gazebo.
“What’s this?” she asked.
Devlin stood from the tufted seat and picked up the basket. “Where better to have a picnic on a rainy day?”
The driver opened the narrow scoop-edged door to the carriage and pulled down the folder step. Devlin climbed down first and then held his hand to help Jessica.
“Will the carriage wait for us?” she looked around for the main road out of the park as they walked at a fast clip to the gazebo.
“He’ll do a circuit and then come back to drop us at the Hayden.”
Brushing off his jacket, he took the blanket the driver handed him and spread it on the bench, putting the basket at the center.
“Sit. Let’s eat and that way we can either hit the planetarium as planned or go have a drink.” He gestured toward the bench.
Devlin took the champagne and popped the cork, pouring the two flutes full before putting the bottle on the bench.
“Here’s to rainy days and stars,” he said, holding a glass out to her.
She took the flute from his hand and touched his glass before taking a sip.
“Dev, you said other women. Was there anyone in particular?”
Glass halfway to his lips, he looked at her and then lowered his hand. “I thought so. But I was wrong.”
“Why? What happened? If you don’t mind my asking,” she prompted.
Devlin glanced out at the grass and the trees lining the jogging paths and the flowering bushes that lined the way.
“I lost my brother in Afghanistan ten years ago. I was active military then as well and she decided she didn’t want any part of being a military wife.” He shrugged. “To be honest, it was the best bullet I’ve ever dodged. She didn’t really love me, nor I her. We were…convenient.”
She opened her mouth to ask another question, but he held up his hand. “Nope. My turn. How long have you been in the States? You said you were a barrister in London. Why’d you leave?”
“I signed up for Military Legal Services after I was admitted to the bar and paid my dues. I worked for MLS for a while and then Penelope immigrated to the States. By then our parents were dead and Granddad was so frail, it was only a matter of time.
“Once he passed, I wanted to be close to my only remaining family, so I put in for a transfer as an international legal liaison. I was originally assigned to the Judge Advocate General’s office. That was eight years ago.”
He sipped his champagne, listening. “I mentioned my gran earlier. You’re not the only one with such a small family. She’s all I have left as well.”
“This girl, this convenience. How does something like that come about?” she questioned. “I’ve heard of marriages of convenience, but that’s usually for people with money or for political alliances.”
He shrugged. “We were together for so long, marriage seemed like the next logical step. I vowed then never to choose something because it’s easy. Hence the no-attachment thing. That was more Teddy, though. He was there for me when it all blew up.
“I took losing my brother very hard, and then when Monica walked out.” He looked at her. “I left the Marines when my tour was up and joined the CIA as an asset. Let’s just say Ted threw me a lifeline and I took it. He made sure I didn’t do anything stupid, like get myself killed.”
“Then I can forgive the stupid things that come out of his mouth now that I know he’s got a soft white underbelly. Like a cuddly pup that bites because he doesn’t know better and can’t resist.”
Devlin coughed, draining his glass. “Ted? Cuddly? Oh, man I am going to have fun with that when I tell him.”
She slapped his shoulder lightly. “Bloody hell, you won’t. At least, not until after our assignment.”
They ate, talking for another half hour or so until they saw the carriage approach. The driver waved to them and they packed up, sprinting through the rain as he stopped to pick them up.
They settled on the red velvet seat again with the basket on the floor. Devlin slid his arm around her, and Jessica rested her head on his shoulder.
“So, the planetarium, then?” he asked.
She nodded. “Yes. Definitely. It’s a great place for a first date, especially since it’s rather private.”
“Private?” He chuckled. “Isn’t it a public theater?”
“Yes, but it’s never packed like the movies. In fact, any time I’ve gone, it’s never been more than half full. We can tuck ourselves away in a corner and really enjoy ourselves as if we’re under the stars for real.”
He ran finger over her cheek. “You’d like that. Lying under the stars for real.”
“Who wouldn’t? Actually, my dream encounter is to see the aurora borealis. I’d love to see the cosmos up close like that, with the heavens dancing.”
The driver pulled out of the park and turned onto Fifth Avenue, stopping in front of the Museum of Natural History. Devlin got out and paid the man, then held his hand up to help Jessica from the carriage.
“What about the basket?” she asked, looking behind at the floor.
“The carriage company provided everything, including wrapping the leftovers and delivering them to our hotel for later,” he replied.
With a grin, she stepped down, jumping a little so Devlin had to catch her quickly.
Keeping her arms around his neck, she kissed him. “That was wonderful, Devlin. Thank you.”
He grinned, tucking her under his arm as they turned for the planetarium’s entrance.
“Just wait, Rachel. I’ve got some pretty incredible fireworks planned in the sky inside.”
“Rachel,” she balked, pulling back some.
Smirking, he pulled her even closer. “Yup. Like Rachel and Ross and their first date at the planetarium.”
She laughed out loud. “So, the big bad wet work asset watched Friends?”
He shrugged. “We all have our secret guilty pleasures. Watching Friends is just one of mine.”
“Oh,” she smirked. “And what’s the other?”
He stopped short and pulled her around to face him. His eyes darkened as he slipped his hand down to cup her ass, pressing her against the hard length behind his zipper. “You,” he whispered against her lips. “Now, let’s see how private a dark corner we can find, because I want to eat you out until your back arches and your body spasms under the stars.”