Extreme Devotion

by Kay Manis

  I smiled, finally pulling away, surprised I could make him come undone.

  I was his.

  He was mine.

  And for the first time in a long time, I truly felt alive.

  Chapter 4

  -RORY-

  I watched in silence as Hindley’s chest rose and fell as she slept. A pang of guilt hit my own chest.

  It was almost three in the morning. I’d kept her up half the night, ravishing her body. I knew I needed to let her sleep but my constant erection had other ideas.

  We were driving to San Diego in the morning to meet Matt, the Dipshit. The thought had my teeth clenching, and my dick softening. Why the hell was I so territorial with this woman?

  I stared down at her golden blonde hair scattered across my pillow. Her beautiful face laid nestled against my chest, one arm and leg wrapped around my body as if I were her lifeline. I smiled and sighed deeply, realizing she was mine. In my world filled with constant chaos, this felt right, she felt right.

  It was beyond me how anyone could have ever told this amazing creature she was lousy in bed. What a dumb fuck. Hindley was the centerfold of Sex on Wheels magazine.

  She hadn’t batted an eye when I pulled out the restraints. Hell, she’d actually looked honored when I asked her to pin me down. I had even shocked myself.

  I’d brought out the restraints to use on her, but somewhere in the process of hooking them up, I realized she needed reassurance from me. Giving up control of my body seemed like the best way to show her. And my God, had she taken advantage of my submission.

  Fuck me, but this girl could suck a mean dick. I’d never felt such ecstasy in all my life.

  Everything was different with Hindley. From every sexual adventure we had, to our walk on the beach earlier this evening, to just sitting and talking with her on the back deck, there was nothing I didn’t love about being with Hindley Hagen.

  Love?

  Whoa. No, no, no.

  Okay, so maybe not love but there was definitely something deeper with Hindley.

  My insecurities were fading. Hindley’s trust in me was something I never knew I needed in order to feel good about myself. But still, something tugged in my chest, reminding me I had a past that could ruin us both. That dark voice in my head reminded me she deserved better.

  Hindley stirred underneath me. As much as I wanted to sink deep inside her again, I remained still, allowing her to reposition.

  “Hey,” she whispered in a groggy voice, her sleepy gaze meeting mine. “What are you doing awake?”

  I twirled a piece of her hair around my finger. “I could ask you the same question.”

  Her hands rubbed against my chest and moved lower.

  I grabbed her wrist. “Hindley.”

  “Why?” she pouted.

  I bit back a laugh. She looked heartbroken…and cute as hell.

  “Because you have an early meeting tomorrow, well, today I guess. You need to sleep.”

  “Please.” She batted her eyes, breaking her hand free from my hold.

  I couldn’t resist. I pulled her body onto mine and sucked on that pouting lip.

  She deepened the kiss, her hands raking through my hair.

  I tried to pull back but she wouldn’t let me. This girl was freakishly strong. “Hindley,” I said as her lips pressed against mine.

  “Hmmm,” she moaned.

  That was all it took, hearing her voice, feeling the vibration against my lips. I flipped her over so she was underneath me, and lost myself in her all over again.

  Hindley jumped out of bed, her naked little ass walking confidently over to her suitcase.

  “What are you doing?” I pushed up on the pillows, drinking in every delectable curve of her body.

  She turned around, holding some type of book. Shrugging one shoulder, she batted her eyes.

  She was up to no good. But staring at her naked body—she was so fucking hot—it didn’t matter what she was doing. She could have been slaughtering a litter of kittens for all I cared.

  “Here,” she said, jumping back on the bed beside me and holding out the book.

  Oh, shit.

  A book.

  My heart raced with fear, but her excitement was infectious, and I couldn’t help but take it from her outstretched hand.

  She still sat gloriously naked, and I was having a hard time concentrating on anything other than her perky boobs and delicious mound, which had both been in my mouth only moments ago.

  My dick throbbed with an aching need.

  Down, boy. This was obviously important to Hindley. My needs could wait.

  “What is this?” I asked, studying the book.

  She pointed to the word on the cover. “Can you read the title?”

  I knew the letters. J-O-U-R-N-A-L, but I didn’t know what it spelled. Embarrassed to admit it, I quickly shook my head in shame.

  “Hey,” she said, slipping a finger beneath my chin and raising my head.

  I stared down at the mattress between us.

  “Rory,” she said quietly.

  Slowly, I lifted my gaze.

  “I’m just asking you a question, to find out where to start, with your reading, I mean. I want to help you, but I have to know what words you know and what words you don’t. I’m not judging. I’ll never judge you, Rory. You know that.”

  She sounded sincere, but I was having a hard time believing her words.

  “Rory.”

  “Hmm.”

  “You trusted me enough to tie you up and have my way with you, didn’t you?”

  I lifted my head.

  She was smiling, holding back her laughter, I could tell. Unable to stop herself, she burst into laughter and I couldn’t help but join her.

  I stroked her cheek. “That has to be one of the sweetest sounds I’ve ever heard.”

  She leaned her face into my touch.

  My heart ached for some unknown reason. Who the hell was I kidding? I knew the reason. Hell, I could even spell it. L-O-V-E. I just didn’t want to say it out loud.

  “This is a journal,” she said. “You know, to write down your thoughts and ideas, your hopes and dreams.”

  “Um, Hindley, I don’t know how to read.”

  “I know.” She shrugged as if the fact were nothing.

  “So that means I don’t know how to write either.”

  “I know.”

  “No offense, but what the hell am I going to do with a journal?”

  “You’re going to write in it.” She smiled with such a look of confidence that I almost believed I could write in this damn thing.

  Did I even want to? Probably not. I’d found it was always best to keep my thoughts to myself.

  “You’ve survived in a world of words through pictures, right?” she asked.

  I studied her, my brows furrowed. Where was she going with this?

  “You told me you can tell a can of dog food from a can of soup because of the pictures, right?”

  I nodded, still not understanding what she was talking about.

  “Then that’s how you’ll learn to read.”

  Feelings of inadequacy washed over me as the abusive words of my childhood echoed through my mind.

  She placed a hand on my leg. “Rory, stop.”

  I flinched.

  “You can’t put yourself down when we’re doing this, do you understand?”

  “I don’t think I can do this, Hindley.” I placed the journal to the side, and stared anywhere but at her.

  She opened the journal to the first page. “Here.” She pushed the journal back toward me. “What does that say?” She pointed to the page.

  There were typed and handwritten words.

  I stared at the page, unable to read them, I was a fucking idiot.

  “Rory,” she pushed me.

  “I don’t know, Hindley. I can’t fuckin’ read it,” I half shouted. “Are you happy? Is that what you wanted to hear me say again? I. Can’t. Fucking. Read! Is that clear enough?”


  I shoved at the covers, trying to quiet the memories assaulting me, the taunting words of every person who’d called me an idiot, a moron, a half-wit, a dumb-fuck, or worse.

  Hindley’s arms wrapped around my shoulders and she pulled me back toward the bed with her super-human strength. “Stop,” she whispered in my ear. “Just stop it, right now. You’re none of those things, all right.”

  How did she know where my mind was going?

  The same way I could hear her thoughts. We were connected on a level neither of us understood.

  Maybe she could help me.

  She extended her arms from behind me and held the journal open in front of me while her chin rested on my shoulder. “Try to read this,” she said. “If you can’t, it’s fine. I need to know where to start. Eventually, you’ll get there. We’ll get there.”

  We’ll get there?

  What the hell did that mean?

  My illiteracy had been a battle I’d fought on my own for so long that the idea of someone else wanting to help was as confusing as my illiteracy itself.

  Knowing Hindley would never relent, I grasped the journal from her hands and held it in my lap. I studied the words, surprised that I knew some of them.

  “It says, ‘To,’” I said.

  “Yes,” she said triumphantly, squeezing my shoulder.

  I studied the rest of the words. “Does that say, My Skater Boy?” I asked in disbelief.

  “That’s right.”

  She sounded so excited, it pushed me to go on. “To my Skater Boy,” I continued. “From.”

  “Um hum,” she whispered in my ear.

  I knew the second word, ‘girl’, but I wasn’t sure what the word before it was.

  “Just read what you can, Rory. It doesn’t matter if it’s right or wrong. And if you can’t, tell me and we’ll work on it. Together.” She kissed my cheek softly.

  Together. She’d said it before.

  I felt infused with a confidence I’d never known before. Hindley believed in me, and that was enough.

  “I know that says ‘girl’,” I said, pointing to the second word.

  “Good, yes. It’s girl.”

  I sat quietly, studying the text.

  Hindley came to sit beside me on the bed. “Have you ever heard of context clues?” she asked, staring up at me. There was no judgment, only compassion.

  I sagged in relief, surprised at how fearful I’d been of her judgment. “No,” I said.

  “Good.”

  “Good? How is that good?”

  “It’s good because you’re not judging yourself.” She smiled. “You’re telling me the truth. You’re trusting me to not judge you, and that’s where we start.”

  I let her words sink in. I had to trust her if I wanted her to help me learn to read. I had to stop thinking she would desert me if she knew how stupid I was.

  “Stop, Rory,” she said softly, admonishing me again.

  “Stop what?”

  “I can see when you go to the dark side, when you start doubting yourself, thinking that I’m better than you, or that you’re beneath me. It’s not true. But until you realize that, there won’t be much room for success.”

  I squeezed the back of my neck. “Look, Hindley, I’ve tried this before. So many people have tried to help me read, but it’s never happened.”

  “I’m not going to teach you to read, Rory,” she said confidently.

  My brows puckered in confusion as I stared at her. She was so matter-of-fact about this idea of helping me.

  “You already can read,” she said. “All we’re going to do is build your vocabulary through different means.”

  “What, through flash cards?” I snorted.

  “Maybe,” she said with defiance. “If that’s what it takes.”

  She was serious.

  But I couldn’t take her seriously. Not when she was sitting next to me, completely nude.

  “I’d love to believe you, Hindley, but honestly, I can’t hear a word you’re saying. All I can think about is how hot you look sitting here butt-naked, and how much I want to throw you down and fuck you into seventh heaven.”

  She burst out laughing so hard, I thought she was going to fall off the bed. “Okay, I think I understand that.” She pushed off the bed.

  She tried to walk away but I grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back. Turning her to face me, I pressed my lips to her stomach then lifted my head to stare up at her beautiful face.

  She was smiling, the glow from the moon outside illuminating her body, casting her in a magical light. She was a goddess. My goddess.

  “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are, Hindley?”

  She dug her fingers in my hair, massaging my temples with her thumbs. “With you, I feel beautiful.”

  I hated that she didn’t believe in her own beauty, but I understood her doubts. With her, I felt smart, whether it was true or not.

  Without another word, she pushed away and disappeared into my closet. Before I could follow her, she reappeared in the doorway, wearing one of my ratty skateboard T-shirts. The hem hung down to her mid-thigh.

  My dick twitched. Naked, micro-mini skirt, shorts, jeans, or one of my raggedy old T-shirts, Hindley Hagen looked delicious in everything she wore—but even better wearing nothing at all.

  “I don’t think covering up with one of my old T-shirts will help me much, Hindley.” I smiled. “You look even hotter now.”

  She smiled proudly as if unused to being complimented for her sexiness.

  How could she not see how gorgeous she was?

  “May I also suggest you put on some shorts, Mr. Gregor?” She nodded toward my mid-section. “You’re very distracting as well. Your dick should be catalogued as a weapon of mass destruction.”

  I bellowed with laughter. She was becoming so bold, and I loved it.

  She smirked and stepped closer. “I’m not sure I can sit next to you naked in all your glory without wanting to fall to my knees to show my appreciation to the maker of the universe for your physical beauty.”

  Oh, fuck yeah.

  Ever since I’d discovered those sassy blue toenails that first night I’d undressed her comatose body, I’d known Hindley Hagen had a kinky side. Today she’d proved it.

  I jumped off the bed and grabbed her ass, knowing she was gloriously naked under my shirt. I lifted her off the floor and wrapped her legs around my waist.

  My mouth crashed down on hers and desire coiled tight in my body, threatening to explode. Backing her up, I pinned her against the wall with more vigor than I’d intended.

  “Ouch,” she grimaced, rubbing the back of her head.

  “Sorry,” I whispered against her neck as I rubbed against her, my dick working its way inside.

  “You don’t have a condom on, Rory.”

  I could barely make out her words, my body was throbbing so hard with need.

  Condom. Condom. Condom.

  “Oh, shit,” I muttered. “Condom.”

  She slid down the wall as I released her.

  “Hang on.” I rushed back to the bedside table, pulling out a packet and ripping it open. Rolling it on as quickly as possible with my fumbling hands, I turned to recapture the woman who drove me crazy with need.

  My heart caught in my throat when I saw her leaning against the wall.

  She stared at me, her brown eyes dark with desire as she slowly dragged my T-shirt up and off her body, revealing pure perfection underneath.

  She flung the shirt to the side and extended her arms, jutting out one hip in the most alluring pose I’d ever seen. I wanted her more than my next breath.

  “Goddamn, Hindley, what you do to me. You’re so fucking—” There were no words to describe how beautiful she was, inside and out.

  “I’m so what, Rory?” she purred.

  I rushed to her, scooped her up in my arms, and wrapped her naked legs around me again.

  “So fucking delicious I can never get enough of you. I’m addicted.” I sl
ammed into her, driving her body into the wall, my desire forced higher by her guttural moans. Our hips moved in unison, lighting up every nerve ending. We were one, made to fit together. Perfectly.

  “Oh my God, Rory,” she murmured in my ear.

  My dick thrust harder with each cry. This woman drove me to climax faster than anyone I’d ever known.

  Part of me was disappointed that I couldn’t make this experience last longer, for both of us. But I was shallow, a selfish dick to the core. I wanted my release, and with Hindley Hagen it was nearly impossible to stop myself anytime I was inside her.

  “Hindley, come on, baby.”

  “I’m there,” she whimpered. “Oh, God, Rory, please.”

  With one last thrust, our bodies tensed and trembled with release. I clutched her closer as she finally stilled against me.

  I’d never experienced joy like this before.

  Being buried deep inside Hindley and sharing the ultimate peak in physical connection was unbelievable.

  For the first time in my life my world was perfect. I was exactly where I’d always dreamt of being—in the arms of someone I trusted with my life, and my heart.

  Hindley calmed me, body, mind, and soul, and I knew in that moment that I would never let her go.

  Chapter 5

  -RORY-

  Sensing we would get nowhere in bed, Hindley pulled her shirt back on. Once I’d found a pair of lounge pants to cover me properly, as she’d put it, she dragged me downstairs to the living room

  “You’re a tactile learner,” she said, sitting on the couch. “Do you know what that means?”

  “No.” I sat beside her, surprised I wasn’t embarrassed to admit my ignorance.

  “Thank you for being honest and for not judging yourself.” She leaned over and kissed my cheek.

  “Don’t start, Miss Hagen. Just because we’re not in bed doesn’t mean I won’t ravish you like the vixen you are.”

  “Okay, sorry.” She smirked. “I just can’t resist you sometimes.”

  “Believe me, the feeling is very mutual.”

  “So, anyway.” She pushed away from me, crossing her legs and squaring her shoulders. This was teacher Hindley. “A tactile learner means you need to incorporate every sense you have in order to learn new skills. Take skating, for instance. You didn’t learn to skate by looking in books, did you?”