Made to Love You

by Sheryl Lister

  “Devin, I don’t think… ooh.” He slid two long fingers inside her and his other hand snaked around her front to knead her breasts and tease the hardening tips. Robbed of all rational thoughts by the blaze he set in her body, she would agree to anything he asked…if she could talk. She writhed against the solid bulge, wanting and needing him to fill her.

  “Don’t you want me to touch you, kiss you, give you pleasure, make you come, then pleasure you all over again?”

  She was already on the verge of an orgasm and his words pushed her over the edge. She convulsed around him, gasping and trying to force oxygen into her lungs. Before she could recover, Devin lifted her leg over his and entered her from behind. Vivian arched and caught his driving rhythm as he pounded in and out of her until she screamed his name.

  Devin arched and cried out Vivian’s name, too, as his body shook and wave after wave of rapture washed over them. He held her close, whispering tender endearments she thought she’d never hear again.

  Gradually, their breathing returned to normal. Devin withdrew and rolled off the bed to discard the condom that she hadn’t thought about, but was relieved to see. She heard the water and guessed that he decided to shower, as well.

  He returned a few minutes later still naked and drying his hair. A few droplets still clung to his muscled frame and she wanted nothing more than to lick them off.

  “If you want to shower, go ahead. There’s an unopened toothbrush you can use.”

  “Okay.” She rose and walked past him, fully aware that his heated gaze followed.

  She showered quickly and brushed her teeth. Devin was sitting in the bed against the headboard when she came back and patted the space next to him. Vivian hesitated a beat then climbed in.

  Devin slung an arm around her shoulder and kissed her tenderly. “Now, that’s a proper good morning kiss.”

  “Devin, we need to talk. I need to tell you what else happened.”

  “We already talked about it,” he murmured, running his hand idly down her arm. “It’s in the past and now we have a chance to start over.”

  Vivian scooted away and pulled the sheet up to cover her naked body. “There’s more, Devin. And we can’t start over until you know all of it. I think we should get dressed.”

  His brows knitted in concern. “I’ll give you one of my T-shirts to wear since I sort of ripped the other one.”

  She slipped on the shirt he gave her, sat at the desk and waited while he put on a pair of shorts.

  He sat on the edge of the bed facing her. “Okay, Vivian, let’s talk.”

  She wrung her hands and bit her lip. “Do you remember when I told you my brother followed in my father’s footsteps?”

  He nodded. “But, that has nothing to do with you.”

  “It does when he’s stealing from your friends.”

  Devin sat straight up. “What are you talking about?”

  Vivian closed her eyes and forced the words from her lips. “He and his friends were the ones who broke into your home,” she said softly. When she opened her eyes, she was unprepared for the anger that radiated from him.

  He slowly rose to his feet and came to stand in front of her. “Your brother broke into my house?” His nostrils flared and a solitary muscle ticked in his jaw.

  “Yes,” she answered on a broken sob. “I didn’t know—”

  “Did you just find out?”

  “No.”

  “No? Then when did you find out?”

  “Devin, I—”

  “When did you find out?” he shouted.

  She flinched from the force behind his words. “About three weeks after the fact.”

  Devin paced in front of her then stopped abruptly. She saw the moment he realized the time frame coincided with when she ended their relationship. “That’s the reason. All this time.” He shook his head as if in disbelief. “You knew I was sick about that robbery. I could replace most of the stuff, but my grandmother’s jewelry, along with my sister’s paintings were stolen. I eventually got the ring, a bracelet and one of Janae’s paintings back, but the others…” He shook his head. “Those things can’t be replaced.”

  “I’m sorry, Devin. I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t know how.”

  “What the hell do you mean you didn’t know how? You’ve known for almost two years.” He held up two fingers. “Two years, Vivian! How hard was it? Yet, you’re telling me now. I can’t believe this,” he muttered, pacing again.

  “Devin, please.”

  “I called you for weeks after you left me, trying to get you to talk to me. Dammit, I trusted you, loved you, wanted to marry you. So, how did this work? You scoped out the houses and passed along the information to him?” Devin tossed out bitterly.

  Vivian came to her feet swiftly. “No! I would never do something like that. Please believe me, Devin.” She reached for him and he threw up his hands and took a step back. “Devin, I love you and I’m sorry. I really wanted to tell you, but my brother—”

  “Enough.” His thunderous expression stopped her midsentence. “I don’t want to hear anymore. You don’t know the meaning of love. We don’t have anything else to talk about. I’m going to leave. Don’t be here when I come out.” He spun around, went into the bathroom and slammed the door with enough force to rattle the balcony doors.

  Vivian’s shoulders slumped and silent tears fell from her eyes. She had known he’d be angry—and he had every right to be—but she thought he would at least hear her out. She removed his shirt, folded it neatly and left it on the bed. Retrieving her scattered clothing, Vivian dressed. She opened the door, glanced once more toward the bathroom then, with a sigh of regret, stepped into the hallway. Today, she could care less about how she looked—wrinkled clothes, bruised lips, hair all over her head and eyes red and puffy. The only thing she wanted was to crawl into bed and stay there. She had contemplated knocking on the bathroom door, but understood that Devin had not only slammed the door physically, but symbolically. She’d lost him for good.

  Devin stayed in the bathroom until he heard the soft click of the door closing. He couldn’t take being in the same space with her. The tightness in his chest hadn’t eased, neither had his anger and disappointment. He drew in several slow, steady breaths in an effort to calm down, but it didn’t help. How could the woman he thought he loved keep something so serious from him? He’d had no idea what he expected Vivian to say, but her knowing who had broken into his home never crossed Devin’s mind. How many other men had she done this to? He would have never figured her for a thief, but now didn’t know what to think. You know she would never be party to something like this, his inner voice countered. But it didn’t matter. Even if she wasn’t part of the robbery she knew about it after the fact and withheld the information. She’d broken his trust more than once and he couldn’t be with a woman like that.

  He canceled out on going sightseeing, knowing he wasn’t fit for company. Devin decided to stay in his room and take advantage of room service while he sat on his balcony. At midnight, Devin hadn’t moved from his spot on the balcony where he’d been sitting for the past three hours. Though he didn’t think he could sleep, he dragged himself inside, crawled into bed and lay staring at the ceiling. An hour later, sleep still eluded him. He knew he needed to sleep, if only for a little while, to escape the pain rebounding in his chest. He closed his eyes and memories of Vivian flooded his mind—seeing her for the first time in the gym trying to keep her baggy shorts up, kissing her under the stars on the beach, laughing while she ate her pizza backwards, and hearing her scream his name as they made love over and over again.

  Devin groaned, rolled to his side and forced the images away. He dozed off only to awaken hard and aching, reaching for Vivian and calling her name. He flipped the covers off and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Bracing his elbows on his knees, he buried his head in his hands. He didn’t think he could possibly feel worse pain than the day Vivian broke things off the first time, but he was wrong. Dead
wrong.

  The sun had already started its ascent, heralding the beginning of a new day and a new week. Devin gave up all hope of sleeping and decided to go for a run. After hitting the bathroom, he pulled on a pair of shorts, socks and his running shoes, grabbed the room key and left. While the resort offered a state-of-the-art fitness center, he opted for the beach.

  Down on the beach, a few other people had the same idea. Devin started a slow jog along the water’s edge and increased his pace until he found a steady rhythm. Usually, running helped to clear his mind. Today it did nothing. The sun hung high in the cloudless blue sky and more people ventured out onto the beach to enjoy the available water sports. He pushed himself and kept running to the point of exhaustion. Devin slowed to a walk then dropped down on the pristine sand. He braced his hands on his bent knees and stared out over the water while waiting for his heart rate to return to normal. No matter how long or fast he ran he couldn’t outrun his feelings. Despite everything she had put him through he still loved Vivian. He wondered how long it would take him to get over her this time.

  Who was he kidding? He’d never gotten over her. Never stopped loving her. And wouldn’t. Nothing she could ever do would change that.

  A wave of fatigue washed over Devin. Maybe now he would be able to sleep. He pushed up from the sand with a groan. He hadn’t pushed himself this hard in a long time and every muscle in his body ached. He trudged through the sand back to the lobby of his building and hit the elevator button. Devin closed his eyes, rolled his head around his shoulders and rubbed the back of his neck. He froze mid-stroke. He’d recognize that scent anywhere. Opening his eyes again, he slowly rotated and his gaze collided with the last woman he wanted to see. Vivian. She had noticed him at the same time and her steps visibly faltered. She stared up at him with regret lining her features. Her red-rimmed eyes mirrored the same sadness he felt. She took a step forward and opened her mouth. Devin spun around and jabbed the elevator button again. Twenty-four hours ago he couldn’t get enough of this woman. Now, he couldn’t get away from her fast enough. He knew he loved her, but part of him still felt betrayed. For that reason, alone, he couldn’t face her.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Vivian watched as Devin stepped into the elevator. She had wanted to say something, anything, but the death glare he shot her way kept her jaws locked tight. She waited for him to turn around, but he remained with his back to her until the elevator doors closed. She’d thought she was all cried out, but tears filled her eyes again and she clenched her teeth and willed them back.

  “Girl, he looks about as miserable as you,” Mariah said with a shake of her head. “If that’s not a sign that the two of you belong together, I don’t know what is.”

  “It’s kind of hard to belong together when one person hates the other. You know, I think I’ve changed my mind about going out.” She had spent all yesterday crying, devastated that he hadn’t listened to the entirety of her confession. This morning Mariah had convinced Vivian to go sightseeing in the hopes it would lift her spirit. Initially, Vivian thought it might help, but after seeing Devin decided that staying in the safe confines of her room was a much better idea. She would have everything she needed—a great view, room service, her iPad…and no chance of running into Devin. Perfect.

  Mariah hooked her arm with Vivian’s. “Oh, no you don’t. You are going out today. I let you have your pity party yesterday because, frankly, you needed one. We both did. Today, we’re going to the Bellefield Great House and Gardens and experience some of this beautiful Jamaican countryside. It’s Monday—a new day, a new week—and a good time for a fresh start. The change in scenery will take our minds off all the drama for at least two or three hours. So, come on.” She tugged on Vivian’s arm and steered her in the direction of the hotel’s entrance.

  Vivian glanced over her shoulder once more at the closed elevator doors and followed Mariah. Once en route, the further away from the resort they got, the better she felt. The drive took less than half an hour and Vivian could only stare when she climbed out of the taxi.

  “Wow. It’s beautiful.”

  “Yeah. For real,” Mariah said.

  They joined some other guests and toured the plantation, stopping first to watch the process of making cane juice into wet sugar. They enjoyed sampling the freshly squeezed juice and nibbling on raw sugar cane. The next stop was the Sugar Mill built in the late 1700’s and, of course, more samples.

  “It’s a little early for rum, don’t you think, Riah?” Vivian asked when Mariah took one of the samples.

  “Eleven-thirty is close enough to noon. Besides, it’s only enough to taste.”

  She nodded, picked up a cup and lifted it in mock toast. “You only live once.”

  “Yeah. But since you didn’t eat much yesterday or this morning, I suggest you only live a little, as in one or two sips. I don’t plan on carrying you out of here.”

  Vivian smiled and cautiously took a small sip. She grimaced. “Whoa. This stuff is strong. And that’s why I restrict myself to fruity cocktails and wine only.”

  Mariah laughed. “Girl, put that cup down.”

  She discarded the cup and followed the group to the Jerk Pit where a man demonstrated how to make the jerk seasonings. “Hey, I didn’t know this seasoning originated with Taino Indians,” Vivian said, reading a posted sign. “The Maroons perfected it and used it primarily with pork to help preserve the meat. Fascinating information.”

  “That’s why I wanted to come here. There’s so much history. Are you going to taste it?”

  “Sure. Why not?”

  Mariah made a face. “It apparently has the scotch bonnet pepper in the mix, and that’s one of the spicier peppers, sort of like a habanero.”

  “True, but it’s mixed with other stuff like onions, garlic and thyme, so it shouldn’t be too bad. You’re the one who wanted to come. Don’t be a party pooper.”

  “Fine,” Mariah grumbled. She made sure to get just enough to taste. “That’s hot,” she said, waving her hand in front of her face.

  “It is pretty spicy,” Vivian agreed. “But it has a little bit of a sweet taste, too.”

  The plantation portion of the tour ended with tastes of desserts, all containing coconut. Then they had a guided tour of the Great House and lunch beneath a three hundred year-old Guango tree.

  While eating, Mariah said, “You mentioned something about Devin not letting you tell the whole story. I figured he might be a little upset about you knowing your brother broke in his house, but didn’t he understand you were trying to protect him and keep yourself out of jail?

  Vivian set her fork down and blew out a long breath. “That’s the part I didn’t get to. Devin was so mad, he wouldn’t listen to anything I had to say after finding out I kept the information from him for two years.”

  “You have to tell Devin the rest. Make him listen.”

  “I tried to tell him the rest, but he wouldn’t listen. And you saw him earlier. The man hates me. He’s not going to listen to anything I have to say.”

  “Make him listen, Viv. Remember when that guy in the bank tried to give us the runaround about our loan? Who pursued him and made him listen? You. If you can convince a loan officer to give a six-figure loan to two women with a dream, you can get the man you love, and who still loves you, to sit for fifteen minutes. Devin does love you. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so hurt.”

  “I don’t know, Riah.” Vivian really wanted his love, and would give anything to have him not hate her. Even if it meant settling for the dreaded “friend zone”.

  “You have to. You owe it to yourself, and to him.”

  “Maybe,” she murmured. This trip to paradise had turned out to be more like a trip to hell. She’d lost a best friend and the man who owned her heart. She had nothing left to lose.

  After seeing Vivian, Devin had come back to his room to shower, with plans to head downstairs for a late breakfast. But he scrapped those plans in favor of room service. Again. Just the
sight of her dredged up every painful emotion he had experienced in the last twenty-four hours, like ripping the scab off an old wound. Why couldn’t he stop thinking about her, about them together? The room phone rang, interrupting his thoughts.

  He tensed, fully expecting to hear Vivian’s voice when he answered, but relaxed upon hearing Marcel’s.

  “Hey, man. You’ve been pretty scarce. I thought you were going with us yesterday.”

  “Something came up.”

  “Something or someone?” Marcel asked with a chuckle.

  “Both. What’s up?”

  “Jason and I are going down to shoot some hoops and maybe grab a bite to eat afterwards. You in?”

  “Yeah.” Devin couldn’t hide in his room forever. And he typically faced his problems head on. This time should be no different. If he ran into Vivian again, he would deal with it. “What time?”

  “Meet us at the courts in ten minutes. Tony’s supposed to be making an appearance. But who knows how long he’ll be around. Sam has had him locked up for three days and he’ll probably start having withdrawals ten minutes out of her sight.”

  He laughed. “Sort of like you were when you and Toya got married.”

  “We’re not talking about me. Later.”

  Devin chuckled again and hung up the phone. Immediately, his mind went back to Vivian and how content he had been staying “locked up” with her all day and night. His groin stirred faintly in remembrance. He muttered a curse, snatched up his room key and strode out of the room. Downstairs, he exited the doors to the beach area at the same time a woman entered.

  “Oh. Hey, Devin.”

  He groaned inwardly. “Hey, Mariah.” He held the door and made a move past her, not wanting to hear any pleas she came to make on Vivian’s behalf. But she made no attempt to walk through.

  Her eyebrow lifted. “You look as miserable as Vivian.” She gave him a once over. “Or worse.”

  He folded his arms and waited.

  “I usually don’t stick my nose in other people’s business—”