Devin’s own body was tense, her own breathing shaky. “Come on in. I’ll get you some ice…” she mumbled after a moment. Ronin followed her inside.
Getting ice was easier said than done. Devin’s hands trembled so bad she could scarcely remove the ice from the tray. Grabbing a damp kitchen towel, she wrapped up a few cubes and pressed them gently against Ronin’s clenched fist, then turned to grab more for his temple. The tension slowly began to ebb from Ronin’s shoulders and he sighed with a defeated groan.
“I’m sorry, honey,” he said. “I shouldn’t have hit him. He’s about half my size, and I could have really hurt him.”
“Ronin,” Devin murmured as she touched his left eyebrow with the ice. Ronin flinched at the contact, taking in a stilted breath. “Shit,” Devin whispered. “I’m sorry. That looks like it hurts.”
“Yeah, but I think I broke his fuckin’ nose. I may have just fucked up any hope that you’d ever work things out. You should be mad as hell at me.” Ronin closed his eyes and shook his head. “But I couldn’t let him say that fuckin’ shit about you.”
Devin looked up at him, visibly shaken, her eyes wet with tears. “Ronin, you think I’m worried about Jake being mad? Fuck him! Let him be as pissed as he wants.” Her eyes traced his features, her breathing steady. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Right now, I’m worried about you.”
Her empty hand curved up around his cheek as she gently touched his temple again with the ice. Ronin’s eyes were closed as he struggled to calm his agitation. Devin kept the ice pressed against his forehead, her breathing choppy. She sniffed back a tear, and Ronin’s eyes flashed open to focus intently on her. She began to tremble more forcefully, and she dropped the ice, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling his lips to hers.
Ronin didn’t hesitate for a second before he draped himself around her, his tongue meeting hers as she moaned into his mouth. His hands left a steady burn in their wake as they slid down her back and followed the curve of her ass. Gripping her soundly, he lifted her and wrapped her legs around his waist, pressing her up against her kitchen wall roughly and eliciting a deep and breathless moan. Devin’s heart raced and her pulse pounded with the weight of his hips grinding against hers, his painfully hard shaft almost bruising her with an erotic promise. His teeth nibbled their way down her neck, and this sent a tingling shiver through her as he turned and walked them down the hallway towards her bedroom. Devin pulled at his shirt in a frenzy, feverishly trying to get to his bare skin. They left a trail of clothing behind them as they entered her room—his shirt, her shoes, his hat, her shirt, her bikini top.
Ronin tossed her sideways on the bed so that only her torso and hips lay upon it, her legs dangling over the side. His hands quickly pulled down her zipper and slid her shorts down her legs, bringing her bikini bottom along with them. She lay naked before him, open and wet and waiting as he finally pulled off his swim trunks and nestled between her thighs. Roughly, his lips fell to her breast, closing around the aching nipple, pulling slightly as his hand kneaded her other breast. Devin’s eyes clamped shut at the sensation, her keening voice echoing through the room.
“Look at me, sweetheart. Eyes up here,” Ronin commanded on a harsh breath as he raised himself above her, aligning himself with her aching core.
Devin met his eyes, writhing with the desperate need coursing through her, clawing just above his hips to pull his full weight on top of her, her nails digging into his skin.
Ronin resisted her pull for a moment. “You’re with me, baby. When you’re with me, I want you to know it. Say my name, Devin.”
“Ronin,” she gasped as she felt the touch of his hard shaft pressing against her. “I’m with you, Ronin.”
“Don’t take your eyes off me.” And he slid inside her, feeling her sudden intake of air, but she kept her gaze locked onto his. “Don’t turn away. Oh, honey… oh, that’s… fuuuuuuck.”
Devin’s hands slid down to grab the edge of the mattress, steadying her hips to meet his thrusts, as she urged him to be forceful, rough. Ronin pulled her right leg up beneath his arm, gripping her thigh with bruising force as he slammed into her, sending luscious flares of rapture throughout her body. Her gasps became louder and his skin became flushed, beads of sweat forming a fine sheen on his face and shoulders. She tilted her hips and squeezed down on him, and Ronin groaned fiercely.
“Oh, honey. Uuuhhhh, like that…” Ronin breathed. “So good. So hot…”
His right hand slipped down to where they were joined, his fingers circling her clit, a slight pressure alternating with a firm one. Devin cried out as she felt a surge of intensity rapidly build, felt herself tensing in anticipation of the pleasure to come. Ronin kept his eyes locked with hers as he pushed her forward towards a blissful release, stroking her inside and out until her body jolted and shook. Unable to keep her eyes open any longer, Devin closed them tightly as color burst across her lids, a flash fire ripping through her soul, and Ronin let go of his own release with a guttural cry and collapsed upon her tremulous body.
“Say my name, Devin,” he breathed against her neck, sliding up to whisper against her lips. “Say it.”
“Ronin…” she rasped, and repeated it again and again. “Ronin… oh God, Ronin…”
My Ronin… she wished in the deep recesses of her mind.
“My Dev…” she thought she heard him faintly whisper.
The night filtered in through Devin’s open window. The soft, sweet smell of sunflowers floated through it into the room. Both of them should have been exhausted, but the newness of this intimacy was a stronger pull, leaving them insatiable. Kisses and touches led to more, and in the aftermath of more came renewed kisses and touches… and then more. And so this cycle continued long into the night.
“I can’t seem to stop touching you… to stop wanting you,” Ronin murmured against her ear, and Devin giggled softly. “Tomorrow is going to suck.”
Devin gently sighed. “If I was a better person, I’d leave you alone so you could go home.” The shadows danced along the walls of the darkened room, and a slight glimmer of moonlight filtered in just enough to make out the firm muscles of Ronin’s bare chest. Her hand traced an imaginary pattern through the coarse hair that dusted across his skin.
“Why?”
“It’s selfish of me to want you here. You have to get up in, like,” she glanced at her iPhone on the dock by her bed, “three hours. You’ve got some long busy days ahead of you. You need your sleep.”
There was only silence for a moment, and then she suddenly found herself flipped to her back, Ronin’s knee pushing her legs apart as his weight settled between her thighs.
“Fuck sleep. I need you way more than I need sleep,” he murmured as his lips closed over hers with renewed vigor, his hands dancing across her skin.
Chapter 18 – A Wild Goodbye
The days were growing cooler. August was quickly slipping away and Joanie was leaving for school in the morning.
It was the perfect excuse to try a new drink.
“Tequila,” Amy smiled gleefully looking at the items Devin laid out on Joanie’s counter, “triple sec, and… honeydew melons? Jesus Christ, Devin. Where do you come up with these things?”
“I keep telling you—Cosmo. Cosmo is all about sex tips and cocktails,” Devin grinned wickedly.
Amy and Devin had been helping Joanie pack for school. She’d been living with her older sister for the past couple months, and, since Joanie didn’t have much, she wasn’t taking much, with the exception of a lot of clothes. Devin had never seen so many clothes. The boxes were piled haphazardly by the back door. Devin eyed them and thought of the small dorm room Joanie would be living in.
“Jeez, Joanie, are you going to be able to fit all that in your room?” she asked skeptically.
“Well, since I won’t have your shit taking up all the space, I should be okay.”
Devin sheepishly looked down at the ingredients on the counter, moving the bottles around n
ervously. “You’re gonna make me feel bad for that forever, aren’t you?”
“Devin, seriously. It’s okay. You’re doing the right thing. If you’re not ready to go, there’s no reason to torture yourself with all that shit. Chances are, I won’t ever even see Jake and Melanie, but you never know. With your luck, you’d end up in the same fuckin’ class. I think you need a clean break, and this will do just that for you.” She smiled knowingly as she pulled the smoothie-maker to the edge of the counter. “Besides, now that you’ve got things going with Ronin like you do…” she trailed off.
“Joanie,” Devin interrupted, “I’m not sure what’s going on with Ronin. We’re just… I don’t know.”
“Fuckin’?” Amy offered as she sliced the honeydew melon into chunks, dropping them into the blender.
Joanie burst into gales of laughter. “Yup, that would be what they’re doing. Often, too. Like frickin’ rabbits!” She looked back at Devin with a knowing smile. “But, I kinda think there’s something more to it than that.”
Devin had been trying not to overanalyze this new twist in their friendship, and this was not helping. She concentrated on carefully measuring out the liquor and dumping it into the blender with Amy’s honeydew. “Fuck off and grab some ice, Joanie,” she muttered.
“No, really. I think Joanie’s onto something,” Amy piped in. “I’ve known Ronin for over ten years, and I’ve never known him to be, like, all serious with a girl.”
Devin looked over at Amy with a strange light in her eyes. “What about Kim?” she asked softly.
Amy froze for a minute, then tossed the honeydew rinds in the trash. “Well, Kim was… He was, um… crazy about Kim from the first time he saw her. I didn’t hang out with them much back then, but I still heard shit from Shane.” Amy grimaced. “And he was pretty fucked up when that went south. He kinda went all man-ho for a while, slept around a lot, like he was trying to exorcise a demon inside him.” Amy leveled her gaze on Devin. “But, Kim was… different. I only met her a couple times, but I thought she was one hellacious bitch. Phony as all heck, too. All make-up and fake tan and streaked hair. She wasn’t anything like you, and he certainly wasn’t like he is with you. With you…? I don’t know. He smiles. He laughs. He’s… happy.” Amy smiled softly at her friend.
Devin chewed on her lip, fingering the buttons on the blender thoughtfully. She looked up at Amy and shot her a reassuring smile, one that she didn’t really feel from the heart. “It’s early. Who knows what’s going to happen. Up until a few months ago, I thought I’d end up marrying Jake.” Devin picked up the bottle of tequila, opening it up and tipping it towards the blender.
“Dev, we’ve got the booze in there already,” Joanie said.
“Needs more,” Devin responded, pouring a liberal amount into the already heavily potent mixture. Placing the bottle back on the counter, she clicked on the smoothie-maker, effectively halting any more conversation about Ronin.
About Ronin and her.
About Ronin and Kim.
“Cheers,” Devin giggled as the girls clinked their glasses together one last time. This was officially the last batch of the honeydew margaritas. “Here’s to Joanie’s last night in town! May she get laid often and well at college!”
“Good grief, Devin,” Joanie laughed. “But, yeah, thanks!”
The faint sound of a pickup could be heard in front of Joanie’s building, then the sound of large, heavy feet climbing the steps. The door opened, and in walked Ronin and Joe.
“Evenin’ girls!” Joe smiled widely. “Ready to go?”
Ronin’s eyes immediately locked on a quite intoxicated Devin as she leaned up against the refrigerator in the kitchen, licking the taste of tequila off her lips. His gaze became hot as her tongue glided out. Her mouth fell open slightly, and she felt warm and tingly inside.
“Joe,” Amy was saying, “where’s Matt? He was supposed to be with you.”
“He’s on his way, brat,” Joe replied. “Likely getting a speech from your big brother about the proper way to treat his baby sister.”
“Dammit, Joe! What the hell? Why didn’t Shane ride with Ronin!? He’s gonna end up scaring Matt away, and I’ll never get to know him,” Amy whined as she headed outside to wait for her overly protective brother and her newly rediscovered crush.
“Like I had a choice,” Joe laughed, following her outside as she pounded down the wooden stairs. “Your brother is in super-big-brother mode all of a sudden, and there’s no way he was going to bring Matt along tonight without a chat.”
The bickering faded from Devin’s awareness as she stood leaning against the refrigerator totally focused on Ronin. His eyes bore into her sending a thrill through her. Her lower lip caught in her teeth, and he shuddered with a low groan.
“Ummm,” Joanie murmured, watching them both closely, “I think I’m gonna head outside, too.” And she slipped out the door.
Ronin’s eyes fell to watch subtle rise and fall of her chest against the scoop neckline of her shirt. Devin could see the heat flare in his eyes, weakening her knees and making her flush.
“Hi, honey,” he growled as he took a few steps farther into the room.
“Hi,” she purred back.
He leaned against the sink directly across from her in the small galley kitchen. Only a foot or so away. The air around them seemed to crackle with the energy that bounced between them. Neither spoke for a moment, each waiting for the other to talk. To move. Anything.
“C’mere,” Ronin quietly commanded.
Devin stood straight, pulling her body from the fridge. One small step, then another. Ronin’s hand slid across her hipbone, circling around to rest on the curve of her backside. A little pressure had her soundly flush against him. Her hands began at his thick forearms, lightly dancing up to rest on his pectorals and grazing the solid muscle that lay under his shirt. Devin’s breathing became audible, heavier. She licked her lips and slowly brought them to the smooth skin at the base of his neck. Her tongue flicked against the hollow between his collar bones, and her fingers clasped his shoulders with an anxious grip.
Arching over her, Ronin’s hands grazed the skin where her shirt ended and her skirt began, low on her hips. She felt tiny hairs rise all over her body at his touch, and she gently nipped the skin on his neck.
“Fuck,” Ronin breathed, and slid his hands down to the back of her thighs, lifting her against him as his weight slammed her back hard against the fridge. The contents inside clinked and rattled with the force of their bodies. His mouth swooped down onto hers, and he ground his hips against her in a sudden torrent of fervor. Devin’s hands slid up his neck to rest just below his ears, her thumbs brushing against the scratchy day’s growth of hair. Her tongue darted into his mouth, twisting against his, running along his teeth.
Devin’s head fell back as he nibbled his way along her jaw to her earlobe, pulling the soft skin into his mouth and suckling lightly before snagging it between his front teeth. Devin felt a sharp flash course through her, a titillating pull, and she sighed loudly.
“God, Ronin…”
Ronin’s lips again locked onto hers, and she was lost in him as he devoured her. The slam of the screen door barely penetrated her sensual fog. Amy’s amused words barely reached her ears.
“Jeez, you guys. Let me at least get some beer out of the fridge before you guys start going at it.”
Ronin stilled for a moment, then lowered Devin’s feet to the floor, pressing his forehead up to hers for a moment while he caught his breath. He shut his eyes tightly.
“Give me a minute, small-fry,” he muttered.
“Dude, I just wanna grab a beer,” she retorted.
“Fuck,” Ronin whispered as his eyes opened to see Devin peeking up at him through heavy lids. Her own breath came in sharp gasps, and she felt a tremor rip through him as she caught his gaze. “I’ll be outside,” he breathed.
“Okay,” she whispered back.
His hand slipped around the back of he
r head as he caught her lips for one last quick, firm kiss, and then he was out the door.
Devin’s eyes clenched shut, and her head fell back to the fridge. She took a deep breath, trying to calm and cool herself. Remembering Amy standing there, she slowly opened her eyes and looked over at her friend’s wide-eyed expression.
“Wow,” Amy gasped.
“Wow,” Devin agreed. She inhaled deeply and held it in her lungs before forcefully expelling the air.
“Devin,” Amy said quietly with a devilish smile, “you little ho.”
“Fuck off… you trowel…” Devin grinned back breathlessly.
For her last night in town, Joanie wanted to go to the bar to listen to the live band and shake her booty long into the night. Boring Greg the Accountant had proved just too boring, and she was ready to make the rounds, dancing with every cowboy in the place until last call of her last night at home.
Ronin barely left Devin’s side, holding her close against him, literally growling at any other guy who meandered anywhere near her, much to Devin’s amusement. It was as though he was staking his claim.
He held her on the dance floor as the band played, his breath fanning the fine downy hairs of her neck as he curved into her. His lips nipped at the sensitive skin below her ear. His hands intermittently held her tightly and skimmed her back, setting Devin on fire. Her body had in no way come down from the passionate episode in the kitchen earlier, and she was thoroughly drenched with a frenetic intensity. The touch of Ronin’s hands on her back, skimming under the edge of her shirt. The smell of his skin filling the air around her. The taste of his lips as he kissed her long and hard on the dance floor.
Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore. She pulled back a little and stared up at Ronin with a fiery wildness burning in her eyes. Sliding her fingers down the heavy muscles of his arm, she grasped his hand and turned, pulling him along behind her to the back door. Ronin followed without urging, brushing up against her as she paused to push open the door. The fingers of his hand slid along her hip, slipping into the waistband of her skirt and gripping her hip bone as he lightly kissed her neck.
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