“So, Marie,” Jade said. “Are you excited about the fund-raiser?”
“Yes, the ladies at the shelter have been working really hard on putting this together.”
Serena nodded in agreement. “They are an impressive group over there.”
“And Devon does such a great job with them,” Marie said with a sparkle in her eyes.
“Looks like Devon isn’t simply doing a great job at just the shelter,” Alicia said with a knowing smile.
“Did I hear my name?” Devon asked from the doorway. In his hands, he held a breakfast quiche with a southwestern flair.
The other men headed over to the table, and James said, “Man, they have been talking about all of us, more than likely. You know how women are when they get together.”
Jade stood up and crossed over to her husband and wrapped her arms around him. “Only good things, baby,” she said, then kissed his cheek as Devon set the quiche in the middle of the table.
Antonio wrapped his arms around Serena’s waist and kissed her neck. “Don’t believe that,” he said.
“Is that so, Mr. Billups?” Serena asked. “Why would we have anything bad to say about our wonderful husbands?”
He gently squeezed her bottom. “No reason at all, beautiful.”
Devon shook his head as he placed the serving utensils on the table. “All of you are sickening.” He pointed at Serena with a plate. “I don’t even recognize you anymore.”
She rolled her eyes and fanned her hand. “You’ll find out soon enough,” she replied, then cast a glance in Marie’s direction. Devon shook his head, but when he looked at Marie as she sipped her mimosa, he silently admitted that Serena might be right.
Chapter 19
By the time the group finished eating, the kitchen and waitstaff had begun coming in to start their shifts. Devon headed into the kitchen to give his sous-chef instructions for the lunch and dinner service and to prepare the day’s dessert. As he left the dining room, he winked at Marie and blew her a kiss. The smile she returned to him melted his heart. How had he fallen for this woman, a woman like no other he’d ever known, so fast? Maybe that’s why he’d allowed himself to be careless enough to make love to her in the shower without a condom. He wanted to brand her as his and be the last man she ever kissed or made love to. But was that what she wanted? Was Marie Charles really ready to give up the lifestyle that she’d become accustomed to? How long would it be before she was bored with just being simply his girlfriend?
“Chef!” Devon turned and looked at his sous-chef, who had obviously been talking to him for a while.
“Yeah?” he asked.
“Where is your mind?” she asked. Devon shook his head and stifled his smile. He had a reputation to keep in the kitchen.
“Dessert,” he said. “Today we’re doing a chocolate crème pie as our special, along with the other standards on the menu.”
She nodded. “What do you need from me?”
“Get the staff started on the prep work; I’ll finish up the filling and the chocolate lining for the pie crusts.”
He headed for the corner of the kitchen that had been dubbed the chocolate corner. Devon smiled as he began to mix the chocolate filling for the pie, the deep brown color reminded him of Marie’s smooth skin and how amazing it had been to lick sweet chocolate from that body. Devon didn’t want Marie to become another casualty of his father and his bitterness. He was going to have to force his father to stop meddling in his life once and for all.
After finishing the pies and placing them in the oven, he told his sous-chef how long the pies needed to bake and then headed into the dining room to find Marie. Alicia, who had been behind the bar serving drinks to a couple of customers, told him that Marie was in the office with Solomon and Kandace.
“Thanks,” he said, then headed in that direction. When he entered the office, the three of them were laughing and drinking more mimosas—well, plain OJ for Kandace. Devon shook his head and smiled at the irony of the situation.
“Hey,” Devon said. “Y’all are having a party and I’ve been slaving in the kitchen; what’s wrong with this picture?”
“There’s no party without you,” Marie said as she rose from her seat and crossed over to him. She planted a wet kiss on his cheek.
“Is that so?” he asked as he pulled her closer to him. Kandace smiled at the couple, happy that Devon had found someone special to share his love and his life with. But she was a bit worried that Marie would have to go against Devon Sr.
“Devon,” Kandace said. “Close the door for a second, we need to talk.”
Solomon shot his wife a perfunctory glance and she placed her hand on his knee. “Don’t look at me like that,” she said.
Devon closed the door and walked Marie over to the chair where she had been sitting. “What’s up?” he asked as Marie perched on his lap.
“If I’m overstepping, any of you can feel free to stop me,” she said, looking around at Solomon and Marie. “But, your dad has basically declared war on you through the media, and anyone can see that you and Marie really care about each other.”
Devon held up his hand, sensing where Kandace was going. “I will take care of my father. And while I appreciate your concern, you have your own life to worry about.”
“That’s very true,” Solomon said. “My son doesn’t need his mom getting stressed out.”
“Your daughter’s mother is just fine,” Kandace shot back. “Devon, we’ve been down this road ...”
“I was a lot younger and actually cared what he thought. Those days are over, and Solomon is right: Stressing about something that doesn’t concern you isn’t good for your baby.”
Marie stroked Devon’s shoulder. “Honestly,” she interjected. “If he wants a media battle, he picked the right person to fight with. I know how to work the press.”
Devon shook his head. “I’m not stooping to his level, and I thought you were done with stunts for headlines.”
Solomon pointed toward the door. “That’s our cue to leave,” he said to Kandace. She frowned briefly, but deferred to her husband’s suggestion for them to leave.
Once they were alone, Devon tilted his head and looked at Marie, as if to say, “Well?”
“Listen,” she said. “I’m not saying go tit for tat with your father in news stories and things of that nature. No stunts, just you finally letting people know about the work you’re doing at the shelter. This will take the focus off the nonsense your father is spouting.”
Devon shook his head furiously. “I’m not exploiting my work at My Sister’s Keeper.”
“It’s not about exploitation. This will bring more attention to the fund-raiser, which may result in more money for the shelter. In this world of blogs, twenty-four-hour news cycles, and your own celebrity, you can’t ignore this.”
He wanted to argue and say that she was wrong, but he was sure that Marie was right. After all, she wasn’t just a party girl; she did work in public relations. Devon chewed his bottom lip and squeezed the bridge of his nose. “I really hate this.”
“What do you hate most?” she asked, treating him as if he were a client. “Because you’re going to have to control the story, decide what you will and won’t talk about. I can come up with some talking points for you, call some reputable reporters, and ...”
“Wait, you’re not doing anything. I want you as far away from this as possible.”
Marie hopped off his lap and stood beside the chair with her hands on her hips. “And why not? This is what I do and I want to help you.”
“If you want to help me, just be here for me. I don’t want you to work for me, I don’t want you close enough for my father to touch you and hurt you.”
Marie dropped her defenses, but she still wanted to do more than stand beside him and smile like a politician’s wife at a press conference. “Well, are you going to hire a PR staff to help you?”
“Sure,” he said. “How about your partner, because I know you’re no
t going to stay out of this.”
She closed the space between them and hugged him tightly. “You’re a smart man.”
“And I always fall for your type,” he said. “Hardheaded woman.” Devon kissed her softly with a slow burning passion that made her shiver. Her mouth was sweet like the drink she’d been indulging in. The taste of her, coupled with the feel of her hot hands stroking his back, made him hard as a brick. Before they got carried away, Devon pulled back from her. “Let’s go back to my place,” he said.
“Mine’s closer,” she replied breathlessly.
“Then that’s where we’re going.” The couple rushed out of the office and dashed out the back door.
Devon was almost reckless in the way he sped out of the parking lot heading to Marie’s. His want for her nearly overpowered his common sense, and she didn’t help matters by stroking his thigh and licking her lips as they rode. The torture ended quickly as they arrived at her place. They hopped out of the car, and looking around the empty parking deck, Devon decided he wasn’t going to wait for a taste of his woman. He pressed her body against a stone column and kissed her with a hot urgency that shook her to the core. A soft moan floated in the air from deep in her throat as he sucked her bottom lip and gripped her waist. Had he had his way, Devon would’ve ripped her clothes off and buried his hardness inside her right then and there, but the sound of a car alarm interrupted them.
Releasing her mouth, he stared at her flushed face. “We’d better go inside,” she breathlessly said. Devon nodded, unable to speak. The couple practically ran to the elevator, and once they were inside, the owner of the car, who’d stopped them from getting too carried away, joined them. He smiled at Marie and nodded a respectful acknowledgment to Devon.
“Nice weather we’re having,” he said as he pressed the button for his floor.
“Yeah,” Devon replied, holding Marie a tad closer to him. She gasped when she felt his erection against her behind and warm breath on her neck. Noting what was going on with the duo, the man didn’t say another word. It seemed as if the elevator moved slowly up to the third floor, where the man was going. When the car finally came to a stop and the doors opened, the man tipped his imaginary hat to Devon and Marie. “Be safe,” he said before the doors closed. As bad as he wanted to kiss her, touch her in her most sensitive spots, Devon held back for two reasons—cameras and the possibility of another passenger getting on to the elevator. That was publicity neither of them needed. For now, he was content holding her against him, teasing her neck with the tip of his tongue, and feeling her round bottom pressing against his erection. They were driving each other crazy and Devon couldn’t wait to be alone—away from electronic eyes—with her.
Finally, they made it to Marie’s floor. It took them less than five seconds to rush to the door. Devon took Marie’s keys from her hand and made short work of unlocking and opening the door. Once inside, he kissed her the way he’d wanted to in the elevator—a lot of tongue, hot and wet. He slipped his hands between her thighs, stroking her until he could feel and smell her need. The perfume of her sex turned him on like a light switch. Breaking off the kiss, Devon said, “I’m going to make you come right here, before I take your clothes off.”
“Oh, really?” Little did he know, it wasn’t going to take much effort to do that because his kiss had nearly brought her to the brink. Devon stroked slow, then fast. Her lips puckered as he extracted more of her desire. She thrust forward, mirroring his hand motion. “Mmm,” she moaned. Devon closed his mouth around her neck, licking, sucking, and kissing until her moans reached a fevered pitch.
“Tell me what you’re feeling. Talk to me, Marie,” he commanded.
“I–I feel good. I’m coming for you.”
That was music to Devon’s ears as he pulled down her romper, dropped to his knees, and pushed her panties to the side and lapped her sweetness as if he were receiving sustenance from her. Marie’s knees went weak as his tongue stroked her throbbing bud. She was going to come again or pass out on the floor.
After getting his fill of her essence, Devon scooped her into his arms, kissing her again, offering her his tongue and a chance to taste herself. Marie shivered as his tongue twirled around hers. Every pore, every nerve, and every fiber of her being was open and standing on end from his touch. The desire to have him between her thighs and touching her in all the right places made her ravenous, sped up her heart beat, and all she could do was squeeze his shoulders. “Need. You,” Marie moaned, her words dripping with sex.
Devon bounded up the stairs to Marie’s bedroom and laid her on the bed. She snatched her panties off, tossing them aside like an afterthought as Devon unbuckled his belt and pulled his pants off. Marie smiled at the erection poking through the opening of his boxers. Her mouth watered in anticipation as she slid closer to the edge of the bed. Placing her hand against his stomach, she stopped him from joining her on the bed.
“What you did to me downstairs was almost cruel,” she said, bringing her lips closer to his hardness. She gave him a quick lick and then said, “I think it’s time for some payback.”
Taking the length of him into her mouth, Marie unleashed a torrent of moans from him. As she took him deeper inside, she nearly brought Devon to his knees. She was licking him as if he were a chocolate lollipop, and Devon felt as if he were about to explode. Mustering a minute bit of strength, he pulled back and asked if she had a condom. Marie opened her nightstand drawer and fumbled around for a condom. Once she found one, she handed it to Devon.
He quickly tore the package open and slid the sheath in place, and then climbed into bed. Devon dove between Marie’s thighs, joining with her as she clamped her thighs around his waist. “Oh, you feel good. So hot, so wet.”
“Love me,” she cried, digging her nails into his shoulder as he pumped into her. She rolled her hips like a salsa dancer as they fell into a dance that was part lambda and part stripper routine. Devon nibbled her neck and ground against her, then he rolled over, holding her hips as she mounted him. He gazed at her, transfixed by the look of bliss on her face and the way her breasts jutted upward. This woman was his chocolate addiction, the one he wanted to wake up with every day for the rest of his life. He leaned forward, licking her nipples until she cried out in ecstasy. She tightened herself around his penis and Devon exploded, filling the condom with his ejaculation, and Marie collapsed against his chest.
Devon held her tightly, kissing her neck gently as she shivered like a kitten. She drifted off to sleep, and moments later, he joined her in a restful slumber. Neither of them let go of each other while they slept; their heartbeats seemed to synchronize as they rested.
When they woke up three hours later, Marie was starving. “It’s a good thing you’re with a chef, huh?” Devon said as he yawned and stretched his hands above his head.
“It is,” she said with a smile.
“What do you want to eat? Or the bigger question is, what is in your refrigerator?” Devon asked.
“Umm,” she said. “Maybe we need to take a trip to Trader Joe’s.”
“But before we go,” he said, grabbing a hold of Marie and pulling her against his chest. “I want to take a different kind of trip.”
She tossed her leg over his hip, giving him direct access to her hot valley of desire. “I definitely want to enjoy this ride.”
Chapter 20
Over the next three weeks, Devon and Marie turned their attention to the fund-raiser for My Sister’s Keeper. Shay had been working with Marie’s company and had saved enough money to pay a security deposit on her apartment. Marie had helped Shay find another part-time job with an advertising agency in South Charlotte that needed an assistant.
Since Marie had virtually disappeared from the headlines and hadn’t had any more legal problems, and the district attorney declined to bring charges against her, things had been smooth as silk. She and Devon spend most of their days at the shelter and many nights in bed.
On this Monday, when Marie
woke up, she had an appointment with her probation officer. “Do you want me to drive you to the court house?” Devon asked over coffee at Marie’s condo. She shook her head as she sipped her coffee and reached for a mango-infused biscuit that Devon had prepared.
“I wish I could simply skip this meeting, but the sooner I go and turn in my hours, the sooner I can get over to the shelter.”
Devon crossed over to the sink and dropped his empty cup in, then he returned to the table and kissed Marie’s cheek. “Do you think you can pick up the programs and donation cards from Kinko’s before you come in?” He looked down at her feet and shook his head at the four-inch snakeskin heels she wore. “And change your shoes.”
Marie stuck her leg out and held her foot out. “These are actually sensible heels. Notice the rounded toe,” she said as she waggled her foot back and forth.
Devon grabbed her foot and removed the shoe, massaging her foot, inching up her ankle, spending time around her calf and stopping at her knee. Marie moaned in delight until she glanced at the clock on the stove. “Damn it,” she groaned.
“It is getting late,” he said before kissing her knee. “And you don’t need any trouble with your probation officer.”
“He hates me, and I think he’s hoping I’m going to mess up.”
Devon folded his arms across his chest and shook his head. “You do realize that he doesn’t get to deal with convicts like you all day,” he said with a wink. “Some of them are actually mean, don’t do as they’re told, and are probably pretty ugly. Then there’s you, sexy, smelling good, and beautiful. It’s not you he hates, it’s the job.”
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