Devil's Advocate

by Devil's Advocate (lit)

  “Your car was out front and you didn’t answer the doorbell.” The breeze picked up Blake’s dark hair and blew strands of it across his forehead.

  “You should’ve called.” Her voice faltered. The memory had shaken her, but not nearly as much as his presence did.

  “I’ve tried that. You don’t answer your phone either, at least not for me.”

  “Do you think maybe that means something?”

  “I don’t think you hate me as much as you want to.” His pale blue eyes held hers with an intensity she almost had to turn away from.

  “And what makes you so sure of that?”

  “I wasn’t the only one in your bed the other night, and there wasn’t much hating going on.”

  “I told you that was just sex.” Her eyes flitted to the concrete pavilion behind him, the mushroom and tan colored structure that blocked what would have been her million dollar view of the gulf.

  “That was more than sex even for me, sweetheart.”

  Heat curled in her womb and her breath quickened. She stood and reached for the sliding glass door behind her. “I’ve got work to do.”

  He grabbed the door before she could close it between them. “I want to know you. Tell me about what you do. Kara said you’re more than just an advocate for young adults who leave the foster care system. She said you’re the president of a foundation.”

  “When they turn eighteen and the government throws them out on their asses, I try to make sure they have somewhere to go for basic necessities and life skills,” she said. “Now you know all about me. Goodnight, Blake.” She tugged the door, but he held firm. Her heart pounded faster. If she didn’t convince him to leave now, she’d wake up next to him again in the morning, and that was not a habit she wanted to fall into.

  “I got an email about an AL.F.A.A. luncheon next week. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”

  “The luncheon, I know everything about. How you got the email, I have no idea. I didn’t invite you.”

  “The Rotary Club invited me,” he said. “Or rather the club was invited, and I’m a member, so technically I guess you did invite me.”

  She closed her eyes. “I’m trying to educate some of our local business leaders so that we can start to procure their involvement. Grady’s speaking to provide them with a personal perspective of how the foundation can benefit the community.”

  “Sounds worthwhile. Unfortunately,” Blake said, “I won’t be able to attend. I’m scheduled to be in court.”

  “Defending another criminal? How honorable of you.” She jerked the door again, harder this time, but it barely budged.

  “I represent individuals in court. I don’t decide their innocence, or lack there of, and I do find honor in what I do. But that’s not the real issue between us. You’re looking for excuses.”

  “We’re different kinds of people, Blake. We’re on different sides of the fence.”

  “What? You do good, and I don’t?”

  “I respect people enough not to treat them like objects I can win or lose in a game of darts,” she said. “And don’t try to tell me you’ve changed. You haven’t.”

  He blew a heavy breath between them. “Give me an example of how we’re different,” he said. “Truly different.”

  “I don’t go up to someone I haven’t seen in ten years and say I want to take them to bed.”

  “Maybe you should.” The devil leapt to his eyes, as a grin spread across his face. “You might get what you wanted more often.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him and tried not to let her gaze dip to the smooth skin exposed by his gaping collar. Arguing with him stirred something inside her, scrambled her emotions even more than they already were.

  “Say it now,” he prompted her with a devilish grin. “You do want to me in your bed, don’t you?”

  “No, I don’t.” She dropped her eyes, and there between two starched folds of white cotton, a wedge of tan, delicious man meat made her mouth water, and there was a lot more where that came from.

  “Not even if I talk a little dirty to you?” He took a step toward her. “Tell you how I want to pull you on top of me and feel you all hot and wet around me. Tell you how hard you make me, how sweet you taste in my mouth.” He reached for a strand of hair that hung along her cheek. “What if I told you I wanted to hold onto your perfect ass and sink so far into you neither of us can breathe?” He moved closer, so close his breath warmed her lips. And she could see the flecks of silver shimmer in the blue of his eyes. “We’re good together, Hay. You know how good we are.”

  She swallowed the desire that rose in her throat.

  “Be honest with yourself,” he said, his finger caressing her cheek. “What do you want right this second?”

  “So what if I want to sleep with you, it doesn’t mean I’m going to do it.

  His mouth met hers with a fever, and every ounce of control she had been determined to muster, slid out of her on a wet wave of heat.

  God, he was Satan incarnate and she couldn’t get enough of him. He walked her backward across the living room, his mouth never leaving hers, and stopped outside her bedroom door to back her against the wall.

  Blake could almost feel himself tumble head over heels into her, and willed her to follow him, to put the past behind them and to just ride this consuming attraction to wherever it might lead. He’d gotten plenty of ass in his life without putting a bit of his heart on the line. But Haylie owned him. She always had.

  Her body wound around his. She lifted her leg, pressing her heel into his lower back. His dick strained to get inside her. His hips responded, pumping against hers, moving as close to her as their clothing would allow.

  She whimpered, arching her breasts into his chest and clasping his shoulders. Her head tilted back, inviting him to taste the heated pulse of her neck as he worked the buttons of her blouse until it hung loose. He pressed his tongue to the pale pink patches of lace that covered her breasts then pinched the clasp centered between them. The cups of her bra fell away. Her breasts swayed slightly, pushing his dick harder.

  Her soft flesh filled his hand, and sent a tremor rocketing through his balls that left him incapable of thinking beyond the moment, of worrying for another second that he was pushing for too much too fast. That she didn’t want him as much as he wanted her.

  He backed away, just enough to drag her blouse and bra over her shoulders and drop them to the floor. Her shaky breath and the step that brought her closer to him answered any reservations he might have had. She didn’t want any distance between them, and knowing that lodged a knot in his throat he had to swallow back down.

  Her mouth covered his as she tugged his shirt from the waistband of his pants and worked one button after the other until his bare chest was flush with the softness of hers.

  Any man would fall to his knees for her, and he’d always known how lucky he’d been when she was his, when he had her heart and her body to call his own. She found the zipper hidden in the fabric on her hip and slid it down, letting her skirt fall in a puddle at her high-heeled feet. A swatch of pale pink lace was the only thing standing between him and heaven. He eased her panties down her thighs and pulled a condom from his pocket before he reached for his belt.

  She plucked the foil package from him and ripped it open with trembling fingers. He wasn’t sure if she shook from fear or restraint, either way his heart thumped hard. She wanted him. He stepped out of his pants and backed her to the wall.

  With a stroke that nearly leveled him, she rolled the latex onto his cock. His fingers wove with hers and he raised her arms, pinning them gently above her head.

  He’d spent ten years believing he’d never find this connection again. And he wasn’t fool enough to think he would get her out of his system tonight, or any other night. If anything, the more he had her, the more he’d want her. She had notched a space deep inside him where no one else would ever fit.

  His eyes met hers and for a split second he thought h
e saw a familiar connection. But too quickly, she let her lids fall shut.

  He tugged her hair, pulling her head back and gently forcing her to look him in the eye again. “Do you know what you do to me?”

  A rosy flush covered her chest and her nipples stroked his chest with every fall of her breath. He lowered himself to his knees and kissed her hip. His tongue swelled with hunger. He gripped her ass, and swallowed hard to get control before he pulled her down to the floor and ended this sweet torture for both of them. He traced the faint line of her hip bone with his tongue and sucked gently on the softer skin below her abdomen. She squirmed against the wall, tilting her hips, offering him more of her.

  Short gasps shot from her lips and she buried her fingers in his hair.

  He raised one of her thighs to his shoulder. Using her back against the wall for leverage, he buried his face in her pussy teasing her with his tongue, grazing her with his teeth. Short, high-pitched moans erupted above him. She gripped his hair harder and writhed against him.

  He pulled back and looked her in the eye. “Tell me you want me or I’ll stop right now.”

  She shook her head. “Don’t stop.”

  “Tell me.” He brought one hand between her legs and dipped his fingertips into her wetness before entering her just enough to massage the sensitive nerves at her entrance. “Tell me you want me. You can’t pretend you don’t.” He slipped one finger deep inside. She cried out, and tightened around him, angling her hips for more. He inserted another finger and rocked his wrist, pushing deeper, withdrawing almost completely before pushing deeper still. “If you don’t say it right now, I’m going to walk out of here and never come back.”

  Her body pulsed around his fingers. “I want you. Please. I want you so much.”

  The pain in her eyes almost doubled him over as he helped her settle her legs on the floor. It killed her to admit the truth about him, and he must have been some kind of ass to ever tear her apart that way.

  Her ankles wobbled slightly in the high heels still strapped to her feet, but he held her steady as he stood, then took her face in his hands. “I’m sorry, honey. I’m so sorry I hurt you.” He lifted her legs and settled them around his waist.

  Haylie could barely breathe. The sincerity in his eyes clenched her heart and the tenderness of his kiss brought tears to her eyes. Swamped her with more emotion than she thought she’d ever feel again, she held onto his shoulders for dear life. He entered her, cautiously at first, and then with the strength and intent of an ox. She felt weightless, supported between one wall of sheetrock and another of muscle, bone, and heated flesh. He knew exactly what she needed, driving deeper as she threw her head back and gasped for air. Despite the softness she’d seen in his eyes, there was nothing gentle about the way he took her. His words were explicit, sexual, not packed with promises she didn’t want to hear, just full of what she he could give her right then, in that moment.

  “Oh my God,” she cried as she fisted around him and her body exploded in a series of spasms. She let loose a scream that would wake the dead, and poor old Mr. Dodson, next door. Sweat trailed between her breasts, probably from Blake, although both their bodies glistened from exertion. He slowed, drove the next handful of strokes deep, and with a final push slapped both palms to the wall as his body erupted and his muscles quivered. His heart pounded beneath her hands and a smile snaked across his face.

  “Remind me to drop by more often.” He massaged her breast and planted kisses along the side of her face.

  Haylie lowered one leg feeling for the carpet with the tip of her toe. Before she could set her foot down, he scooped an arm around her waist and carried her to bed. In the dark room, he removed her shoes, stopping to kiss each ankle before climbing into bed next to her. Beneath the sheets, he traced her ribs with his fingertips and pressed his lips to her shoulder. The loving tenderness settled deep in her chest and almost brought more tears to her eyes. Everything about his body next to hers felt right. She rolled into his arms and buried her face in his chest. She just wanted to hold onto this moment before it faded away and reality set in.

  The phone next to her bed shrilled.

  “That’s not me. You’d better answer it,” he said.

  She held him close for a long minute before reaching for the handset. “Hello?”

  “Haylie?” Maureen Monroe’s voice strained with an edge Haylie recognized immediately.

  She moved further away from Blake, taking the sheet with her. “Mom, what’s wrong?”

  “Your father ...”

  “I don’t want to talk about him.” A tremor settled in Haylie’s arm. “I’ll call you later.”

  “Wait!” Maureen’s raised voice reached her daughter’s ears even as the phone traveled the short distance back to the nightstand. “Your father wants to see you.”

  Haylie dropped the phone into the cradle before she could hear another word. Her hands trembled and she closed her eyes as Blake’s hand circled her waist. He pulled her back against his chest and wrapped her in his arms.

  She stiffened against him, knowing he wouldn’t let this drop without pushing for an explanation. “You better leave,” she said. The tremor that took her originated so deep in her core, it threatened to shake her apart at the seams.

  “Talk to me. Tell me what that man did to you.” His voice vibrated close to her ear. His unyielding hold on her tightened. “You can trust me, honey.”

  She didn’t answer. He’d heard her mother’s shrill voice, and he knew she refused to discuss her father. Years ago, he had tried to convince her to talk to him about what made her write Carl Monroe out of her life forever. That wasn’t going to happen. Not then. Not now.

  “Things don’t go away because you ignore them,” Blake said.

  She crossed her arms over her breasts and rubbed the chill bumps from her arms. “Please just go.”

  Outside, a car door slammed shut in the parking lot, and the breeze off the gulf clacked the vertical blinds that hung alongside the slider.

  He buried his lips in her hair. “Fine. Don’t talk to me, but I’m not going anywhere. Except to lock the doors.”

  After he locked the house, he settled into her bed again and pulled her close. “If I really thought you wanted me to leave, I would.” His broad hand cupped her neck. “Whatever your father or anyone else has ever done to hurt you, I wouldn’t do it. Not intentionally. And I think you know that about me.”

  He kissed her goodnight, then rolled over and took more than his half of the covers with him.

  She stared at the ceiling. A devil lay in her bed. Carl Monroe lurked God knows where. And she knew whose side her mother was on without having to hear it again with Blake lying next to her.

  She brushed Blake’s shoulder with the back of fingers and snuggled into the warmth of his body. She couldn’t deny how much safer she felt tucked in next to him. Not that she would keep him around to ward off fear of her father, or for any other reason. But for tonight, maybe it wasn’t so bad to have him there.

  * * * *

  Haylie came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel and found Blake sipping coffee at the kitchen counter, his suit jacked folded over the back of a barstool and the paper open in front of him.

  “I’ve got to get to the office,” he said. “I left some coffee for you.” His stool scraped the floor as he folded the paper and stood.

  “You’re not going to shower?”

  He caught her bottom lip in his teeth and nibbled gently. “Thanks for the toothbrush. I’ll hit the gym at lunch, and get cleaned up then. This morning I’m going to let myself be distracted by the smell of you all over me.”

  “Animal,” she said as warmth wound like a vine through her chest and sprouted roots in her belly so deep she knew she’d never dig it out.

  “Just the way you like it.” He wrapped her in a bear hug and set her on the counter, positioning himself between her thighs.

  She locked her ankles against the back of his thighs and stared i
nto the most beautiful blue eyes she’d ever seen.

  “If you don’t answer my calls,” he said. “I’ll think you just want me to come over.”

  He had pushed his way back into her life, but whose fault was that? Going to bed with him and curling around him like kudzu the morning after only left him with one impression.

  He picked his jacket off the barstool and motioned toward the paper. “There’s an article on page three about sex offenders. Your dad’s mentioned.”

  Haylie froze.

  “I guess you know he’s out,” he said.

  “I don’t have a dad.” She adjusted her towel and jumped to the floor. “You’d better go. Traffic from out here will be hell in a few minutes.”

  “Navigating my own streets? Should be fun.” He planted another quick kiss on her forehead before he left.

  Haylie’s stomach muscles clenched so tight they hurt. Carl Monroe had made the paper. Everyone who didn’t already know what kind of monster had created her would know now.

  * * * *

  Grady reached for the last piece of pizza in the box. “Want to split it?”

  “It’s yours.” Haylie carried her plate to the sink and tossed a half-eaten slice into the trash. The pizza landed on the morning paper smearing cheese and pepperoni grease across the headlines.

  “Have you seen the figurine I keep in my room?” She braced herself for his answer. If he hadn’t seen it, someone else had been in the house. If he’d taken it for drug money… She stopped before she let her thoughts wander that far. Grady wasn’t a thief.

  Grady dug his cell phone out of his jeans and flipped it open, halting a rap rhythm mid-beat. “Talk to me. Alright. Seven o’clock.” He clapped the phone closed without a goodbye.

  “Plans tonight?”

  “Just gotta run out for a minute. And I don’t ever go in your room. Is that figurine thing missing or something?” He shoved the wedge of pizza in his mouth and closed down on a bite that could have choked a horse.

  “I’m sure it’ll show up. Ashlyn said you’ve been helping out down at the shelter.”