by Helen Hardt
“Devon?” he called, praying she was still there.
“Sorry to intrude.” She peeked around the corner. “I was hoping to be out of your way before you got back. A room has come open. I wanted to make sure you got your room back.” She leaned over and placed her makeup bag in her backpack.
“Why are you leaving?” Mike demanded.
“That was the arrangement. Our lie would end after the last dance.”
“Was it a lie, Devon? Was this, what we shared, a lie?” He shoved his hands in his pockets to make sure he didn’t touch her, because right then he wanted to pull her into his arms and prove to her there was something between them.
“From the very first day, you viewed this as a fake engagement, so of course it was a lie to you.”
The hurt in her eyes almost gutted him, and he wanted to wipe the pain away.
“This wasn’t a game to me, Mike. This was real. My feelings for you are real. And I don’t want to play games anymore.”
“I need you to stay.” He clenched his fists, his mind racing to find the right words. “Please, Devon. Please stay.”
“Why?” she asked, the edges of her mouth turning downward. “Because you need me to help you solve a problem at work?”
“No.”
“Because you need me to fend off more newspaper reporters?”
“No.”
“Then why, Mike? Why do you want me to stay?”
She gazed at him, but he couldn’t figure out how to put it into words.
Devon was different. She made him a better person. A better man. She laughed at his flaws but never made him feel flawed. She supported him in his work but never demanded more than he could give. And when she lay beneath him, she completely made his mind explode and then go still and quiet in a way he’d never experienced. She was more than simple words could express.
“I don’t know why. I just do.” He shrugged, hoping his answer was enough.
“I came by a little after dawn this morning to talk to you, but you weren’t here. Where did you go?”
“I’ve been walking.” He took a few steps closer. “You didn’t come back to the room last night.”
“No. No one knew where you were. You’d disappeared. Everyone assumed you were working. Kayla went to Brandon’s room last night. I used her bed so you wouldn’t be disturbed.”
“When you didn’t come back, I…”
“What? You what, Mike?”
When he didn’t answer, she grabbed the handle of her suitcase. “Never mind. Have a good life, Mike Lewis. I hope your product launch goes well.”
“Wait, Devon.” Mike reached for her arm to stop her. He closed his eyes and swallowed his fear. “Yes. I’ve been avoiding you, but not for the reasons you might think.”
“Then why? I need to know.” She clutched the suitcase handle and her knuckles turned white.
“Every time I’ve gone down this road, it hasn’t turned out the way I planned.”
“What road, Mike? You’re not making any sense.”
“I‘m in love with you, Devon,” he blurted out.
Her mouth fell open, but no sound came out. She pulled her arms inward. “And how is that a bad thing?”
He glanced at her and then sank down on the couch. “The last two times I’ve felt this way, it turned out my feelings were one-sided. You had a crush on me when you were in college, but you don’t really know me. Sure, you’ve read articles about me, but that’s not the true me either. You love the fantasy the media makes me out to be.”
“You’re wrong, Mike.” Devon walked back into the sitting area. “I know you. The real you. When you weren’t aware of me, I was watching you. You love to play video games, and you hate to lose. You hate wearing business clothes”—she held up her hand to stop him from speaking—“and I know this because in every press conference or interview you’ve ever given, you keep pulling at the collar of your shirt. Also, you’d like to have a dog, but you don’t adopt one because you feel you wouldn’t have time to walk or take care of it.”
When he opened his mouth to ask something, she pointed at his phone. “You have a labradoodle as a screensaver.” She sank down on the couch beside him. “And I know you’re a good man because I’ve been able to see you through your mom’s, dad’s, and even Kayla’s eyes. She adores you, even if she won’t admit it.”
He leaned in closer. “Maybe you do know me.”
“Yet I still don’t understand why me loving you scares you so.”
“Because when I love someone, I feel consumed. I can’t help it. After last night, I stayed away to get control of my emotions, but I can’t. I tried.”
“Loving someone doesn’t have to be painful. Look at Kayla and Brandon. Look at your parents.”
“That’s the point. I want what they have. Twice I believed I’d found it. But it turned out the women didn’t want me. They wanted my bank account.”
Devon pushed away from the couch and walked over to the desk in the room’s corner to rummage through the drawers.
“What are you doing?”
She pulled out a pad of paper and a pen from the drawer. “Found it.” She scribbled something on the pad of paper, tore off the top sheet, then walked back and handed it to him.
The precise handwriting had a slight right slant and feminine curls. The note was dated and read, “From this day forth, I will not accept any compensation, in any form, from Mike Lewis that he doesn’t freely give. In return, I promise to do everything in my power to make him happy.”
Mike choked and his eyes turned glassy.
“I love you, Mike, and I believe you can love me if you would just trust in us. If what’s holding you back are fears about whether I love you and not your money, there’s your answer.” She took his hand in hers. “I’m a smart woman. I don’t need your money, because I can—and do—make my own. What I do need is your love.”
He squeezed her hand, holding on tight while a thousand different emotions dizzied him as he fought to breathe deeply.
“From the first day you showed up in our room at Yale I’ve had a crush on you,” Devon said.
“And here I was, thinking you were indifferent to my charms.” Mike’s chuckle died after a few seconds and the room settled into an awkward silence.
“I’ve never been indifferent. I had a complete fantasy world built around you, but there was only one problem.”
“Kayla,” they said together.
Devon nudged him. “But now she’s married, and I don’t think she would mind. She even hinted as much. I know she wants us both to be happy.”
“I did promise to never date one of my sister’s friends…but that was a long time ago.” He smiled. “You know what would make me happy right now?”
“What?”
“You naked in that bed. I want to show you how much I love you.”
She pulled back. “Is that so?”
“Yep. Last night was amazing, but I think I can beat it.”
She stood and backed away. “Really?” She took another step and kicked off her shoes. After another step she unbuttoned her jeans and rolled them over the curves of her hips. “Then get over here and prove it.”
“Devon? I’m out of condoms.”
“Your point?” She tugged her shirt over her head. “I love you, and you love me too, but you need time for me to prove I do really know and love you. I get that. I’ve always believed that if two people truly love each other, they can always work things out.”
He expected fear to freeze his feet to the floor, but right now what he wanted was Devon in his bed. He stood and pulled off his shirt. “So you want kids?”
“I’ve always wanted at least two, maybe more.”
11
A shiver rolled up the length of Devon’s spine while Mike’s warm, wet tongue tangled with hers. With her eyes half open, she splurged, eating up his attentions while he gripped her shoulders and plunged deep inside her. His eyes darkened with desire.
“I can
feel you’re almost ready to explode,” he whispered against her lips before blanketing her face with kisses.
Mike ran a hand down her bare back, his tongue still dancing with hers. Devon’s entire body was electrified, and she arched up to meet his touch.
His mouth came down hard on hers. And she grabbed his ass, pulling him deeper, deeper, while his grip tightened around her shoulders to hold her steady as he pumped hard. She curled her legs around his back and butt and pulled him even closer.
“Mike. I need you, right now,” Devon groaned.
“Patience, my dove.” He trailed kisses down her neckline, sucking and kissing each spot.
A soft moan escaped, signaling the swell of her orgasm.
He licked and fondled her nipples, attending each one as Devon threaded her fingers into his hair.
“Mike, please?” she begged and spread her legs wider to give him a hint.
Drunk with love, she clawed at his back with love and lust, throwing her head back, her eyes closed. She wanted this man.
“Fuck me,” she demanded, as his hips continued to thrust and she fought to regain the breath he’d pounded out of her. Her heart hammered. He pulled out, reached between their sweaty bodies, and plucked at her sweet spot. She bucked against his touch while he kissed his way back down to capture her nipples again. With one hand dancing inside her and the other hand cradling her breast, he was driving her higher, and higher, until she could feel the scream rising from her belly. She was swamped, aware of nothing but him, as their bodies melded together.
Then he paused, trailed kisses from her breasts down to her belly, and then licked his way back up. Oh, he was such a tease.
“I enjoy seeing you squirm,” he whispered. “I think you might be ready now.”
Devon let out a moan, unable to articulate a response. He entered her again slowly, pushing even deeper.
“Do you like this?” he asked.
“Yes. Oh! Yes!” She blurted out each word between gasping breaths.
He slipped his fingers down to touch her clit, and she twitched, crying out in a half sob of pleasure as he touched delicate, aching flesh with fingers sifting between her golden curls. He changed the angle of his thrusts, and she gasped, a mindless utterance, then shook with orgasmic spasms. He continued rocking her world, taking her higher and higher until he reached his own peak with a groan and a final thrust.
He pulled her against him and rolled them to their sides, both still panting.
“Holy shit,” she sighed.
“My thoughts exactly,” he mumbled. “Let’s take a shower.” He patted her butt and rolled out of the bed, heading for the bathroom.
She enjoyed the backside view as her breathing leveled, and the sound of water hitting ceramic tiles echoed from the next room. Easing out of the bed, Devon forced her still-wobbly legs across the soft wool carpet and the tiled bathroom floor, finally swinging the glass door open and stepping into the steamy chamber. Mike gazed at her breasts as he lathered his hands with soap.
Without waiting for him to respond, she gave him a sloppy kiss while she wrapped her hands around his cock and massaged him, reveling in his already reawakening reaction. Breaking the kiss, she smiled at the sight of his erection pressed against her belly. She lowered to the tile bench and pulled his hips closer, tasting him.
A soft moan escaped him while she bobbed her head, driving his cock deeper into her mouth and throat. He turned the shower to a soft rain setting and let the water add to the sexy sensory assault while his moans echoed around the bathroom.
Mike tucked his hands under her arms and lifted her to her feet, turning her to face the wall. With one hand cupping one of her swinging breasts, he parted her thighs, bringing his hard cock to the entrance of her pussy and pushing inside her. She arched her hips back to give him unrestricted access.
“Come for me now, babe,” he gritted out as he gave her one last, deep thrust, keeping his cock buried inside her while they both exploded. “I need you.”
He kissed her on the neck and then the lips while he cuddled her against him. “Devon, you’re The One. How could I have been so blind?”
“You’re not blind, just absent. It’s hard to see someone who lives in Hartford when you live in Philadelphia.”
He turned her around to look in her eyes. “And that’s going to be a challenge for you, isn’t it?”
12
Mike awoke to find Devon still cradled in his arms, her hair spread across his pillow, her hand gripping his arm like she, too, wanted to hold tight and never let him go. He smoothed the hair off her beautiful face as she stirred from sleep.
“How is my morning dove?” He kissed her forehead.
“I think I’m in heaven.” She stretched, her toes reaching for the end of the bed before she again snuggled up against him.
“I can relate to that.” Mike drew circles on her shoulder with his finger while he thought some more. “I’ve been thinking.”
“Oh, no. I don’t like the sound of that. What have you been thinking?”
“I need someone like you, someone who can problem-solve and spot issues before they become problems.” He rested his hand on her hip.
“Someone like me.” She rolled onto her back.
“Come work with me, Devon.” He took her hand and held it against his chest. “Let’s put our efforts together and help others live a better life.”
“Let me get this straight. You want me to quit my job, move to Philadelphia, and work for you?”
“Not for me, with me. There’s a big difference.”
She curled her arms into her chest and tucked her hands underneath her chin. “That is not a good idea.”
“Why not?” He kissed her hair and pulled her closer.
She didn’t pull away. “Because what if you change your mind about us?”
“I won’t,” he said.
She tensed under his hand. “If not for your sister’s wedding and my fast problem-solving abilities, we might not even be together,” she teased. “Admit it…just yesterday you had misgivings about this relationship.”
“True, but now I realize we’re just wasting time, and I don’t want to waste any more. I want to be with you, Devon. Let’s work together to build something amazing.”
Her eyes sparked. “Does building something amazing include building a family?”
“If you’re asking if I will support you and our child, the answer is yes.” Excitement surged through him. “You’re very important to me, Devon. I would love any child of ours.”
She snuggled deeper into his arms, throwing a leg over his hip. “Do you think your parents are going to be okay with us being together?”
“Why wouldn’t they be?”
“Being Kayla’s friend is one thing. Becoming a family member is a completely different story.”
He understood she might have insecurities stemming from her single-mother upbringing and his family’s lavish lifestyle, but his parents wouldn’t see Devon as anything else other than the kind, generous, smart, gorgeous woman she was. He wasn’t worried about others’ pettiness, and neither should she be.
“Plus, I don’t know about you giving me a job.” Her tone was calm, but that calm was what bothered him.
“Please don’t talk yourself out of moving to Philadelphia. It’s a nice place to live with plenty of museums, arts fairs, and it’s just a train ride to New York. We can catch some shows.”
“Maybe I should keep my job, earn my own way. I wouldn’t want you to second-guess the reason I took a job at your company.”
“But my company needs talented people like you,” he added with a thrust of hope. If she decided to keep her Hartford job, he feared the distance between them might cause issues.
He needed to act fast.
“Tell you what. There’s an innovation engineering role my vice president of operations just created. And trust me when I say it’s a juicy offer. The person who gets the job will work with a team of engineers who will have
access to all the latest technology and get to create the next best thing on the market. I won’t have anything to do with the hiring. The VP of engineering is brilliant, and she only hires the best.” He touched her nose to get her attention. “And you, my dove, are the best.”
“Even if I got the job, there’s another problem.”
“What’s that?”
“I have an unbreakable rule. I don’t date people I work with. It just leads to problems.”
“But you’re a problem-solver. I’m sure we can come up with a compromise.”
She buried her face against his chest, and he couldn’t see her eyes. He tightened his grip around her shoulder.
“You are an intriguing woman. You know that, right?” He nudged her head closer with his arm so he could feel her lips on his skin.
“Intriguing? How?” She tilted her head back, her wide eyes glinting in the light.
“There are women who would jump at this offer. The position comes with status and a nice salary, but I get the impression you would turn the job down just so we can continue dating.”
“I told you the truth when I admitted to loving you. I have secretly loved you for a very long time, Mike. You and your family are more important than any job.” She looked away. “I’m tired of struggling alone. If two people are truly together, there’s nothing they can’t accomplish.”
“You wouldn’t be working for me directly. Managers dating direct-report employees is prohibited. I am not excluded from those rules.”
She pushed out of his arms and sat up. “See? Even your human resource team agrees with me. Dating at work is not a good idea. I appreciate the intention, but the solution is flawed.” She shrugged, and tears welled in her eyes.
“However.”
She turned to look at him, waiting.
“There is one more option.” He tugged her tighter against him.
“Which is?” She wiped her nose with the edge of the sheet.