WIFE FOR A PRICE

by Kathryn Thomas

  Devin pulled out, and then he thrust into her again. He was strong and forceful, and Camille moved her hips, inviting him in. Her eyes rolled back in her head, as she felt herself dripping wet. Devin pumped into her with increased speed, and she felt her body shake.

  His hands had come around her body to find her breasts. He squeezed her nipples and then held her breasts as he pushed into her. Camille moaned loudly, and her voice echoed off the walls of the basement. He was relentless, pushing and pulling and thrusting. Their bodies shivered and squeaked. She could feel him inside her, reaching her core, and stroking her where she needed to be stroked.

  “Devin!” she screamed his name, and when he placed his hands on her shoulders, she felt the pinch of his strength. He was pumping into her, over and over again and her legs were going weak. It was the kind of intense pleasure and pain that was too much for her. She knew she was going to cum; she was going to come hard. Her breasts were swinging, and Devin slammed into her.

  “Come for me Camille, come for me,” she heard him say, and that was enough for her to be pushed over the edge. Her body shuddered as she felt her muscles release. She could feel the juices squirt, and she tried to straighten herself, but he kept her down. Camille screamed, moaned and allowed herself to be deeply satisfied. His hands were still on her shoulders but were now moving slowly to the back of her neck, then the top of her head.

  “Good girl,” he murmured as her body began to relax. Camille was still shuddering from the force of her orgasm, while he remained behind her, still thrusting himself into her.

  Then it was his turn. He bunched up her curls into his fist and increased the speed of his thrusts. Camille moaned again as he pumped, quicker and more forceful. He was so much bigger than her, so much stronger, she felt helpless… like a toy in his hands. And she screamed along with him as he came inside her. She could feel him shoot, ooze, and dribble inside her. His body shook with the power of the effect he had on her, his hands tightening their grip on her hair as he pushed into her.

  Then he released her hair, and his hands traveled to the small of her back. She could hear him panting while he stroked her butt affectionately. Camille realized she was smiling. Her orgasms were getting more powerful every time she was with him, it was like she was a superhero from the comic books she read and wrote, and Devin Rock was the source of her energy.

  He pulled out slowly and slapped her butt. It pinched her skin, but Camille couldn’t help but smile. Devin Rock had just fucked her. All the women in the gallery, all those women who drooled over his photographs, including Evangeline… none of them had him inside them tonight. Only she did.

  “Don’t even think about putting your clothes back on just yet,” she heard him say when she slowly turned to look at him. Camille licked her lips that were dry now and smiled at him.

  “But shouldn’t I finish sketching you?” She asked as she watched him walk back to the spot he was standing at when she was drawing him.

  “C’mon, you can draw naked, can’t you?” He laughed, and Camille bit down on her lip.

  This man was making her head spin.

  Chapter Thirteen Devin

  She had seemed so innocent, like an untouched naive flower growing on the side of a mountain, Devin thought. He blinked his eyes in the dark and stillness of his bedroom. She probably was, as innocent as she looked, but where had she found the courage to ask him to strip for her? Where had she found the courage to scream his name while he pumped into her?

  Devin felt himself growing hard again, and he turned himself to the side, away from the peacefully sleeping face of Camille, so that he could stop thinking about her for one minute. But he couldn’t.

  She had sketched him, right before they fucked again, this time inside the pool. Devin smiled. She was unpredictable.

  The sketch blew his mind. She was more than talented and obnoxiously humble. He believed Camille’s art deserved to be showcased and applauded. Her quick sketch of him, interrupted by their fucking, was so good… what could she achieve without distraction?

  Devin could hear Camille’s soft breathing beside him. She had fallen asleep in his arms on the deck chair due to exhaustion. And then he had carried her to his bed. He couldn’t remember the last time he had shared his bed with anybody else, but Camille Griffin was something else.

  Devin sighed and then sat up in his bed. Try as he might, and he had been trying for quite some time now, he couldn’t fall asleep. He couldn’t stop thinking how beautiful Camille was, and how innocently she was getting tangled into his life. He couldn’t stop imagining what misfortune he might bring to her, how he might end up disappointing her, and his biggest fear was that he might end up exactly like his father.

  Camille sighed in her sleep, and Devin turned to look at her peaceful face. She was sleeping naked under the covers, and her face was calm and relaxed. She seemed to feel protected and safe in his presence. Devin clenched his jaws at the thought of that. He couldn’t keep her safe, he wanted to… but his life was too dangerous, he was too dangerous. And Camille had no idea.

  Devin got up from the bed and walked towards the balcony doors. He slid open the glass door and stepped out. The night air was cool, and it calmed him a little as he stood there thinking about her. She was a brilliant artist; the least he could do for her was offer her an opportunity. He wanted to, no, he needed to.

  His cell phone was on the coffee table in the balcony, and he grabbed it. Evangeline’s phone number was on the top of his call list, and he dialed. She answered only after a few rings, and she sounded like she had been awake as well. Her deep groggy voice was missing, and she almost sounded like she had been waiting for his call.

  “Hello, darling,” she said, and Devin rolled his eyes. He didn’t have any more patience for Evangeline, not for the games she always played.

  “Were you sleeping?” He asked in a whisper, yet knew full well that Camille couldn’t hear him.

  “Not with you, unfortunately.” Evangeline gave a high-pitched laugh, and Devin breathed in.

  “I wanted to check with you. I’m planning an art show, for someone, for a friend, at your gallery,” Devin said, pacing across the balcony. Evangeline was quiet on the other end, and he wondered if she had figured out who this artist friend was.

  “Evangeline?” He urged and heard her sigh loudly.

  “Of course, anything for you, darling. But I will obviously want something in return.” She had dragged her words out lazily. Devin crossed his brows and clenched his jaw.

  “What do you want in return, Evangeline? I’m willing to rent the gallery and pay money for it. What more can you possibly want?” He threw the words at her through gritted teeth and realized then that he had been gripping the railings of the balcony tightly with his fists. His knuckles had gone white. He let go, trying to calm himself down.

  “I don’t want your money, Devin,” Evangeline replied in her usual seductive voice, and Devin snapped again.

  “If you’re thinking we can go back to being what we were before, you can forget about it. I’m not asking for a favor, I’m asking as a business booking,” Devin threw back, and he sensed a shift in Evangeline’s voice when she spoke again.

  “You really know how to test my patience, don’t you? Just because you know that I’ll agree to anything you want,” she said in a shrill clipped voice, and then she hung up before he could respond.

  Devin stared at his cell phone and placed it back on the coffee table. He was willing to deal with Evangeline’s drama just so that Camille could get a shot at displaying her art. He was willing to do that for he was willing to do anything for her.

  In the dead of night, when the grounds around his house were locked up and still, Devin heard the rumblings of motorbikes, not very far away.

  He looked out into the dark, but couldn’t see any lights, nothing that would indicate a location. He gripped the railings of the balcony and strained his eyes to look, but he couldn’t see anything. But he could hear the bi
kes still. It was quite clear that someone was still following him.

  Devin turned to look at Camille sleeping on his bed through the glass sliding doors. She had turned towards him, and her eyes were shut and peaceful. Devin thought she had never looked more beautiful. Her hair was in disarray and had fallen over her face. Devin was sure now that he would do anything for this woman. He would protect her from everything that she didn’t even know about.

  Chapter Fourteen Camille

  Camille blinked her eyes open to rays of light pouring in through the lace curtains of Devin’s bedroom. She jerked and sat up in bed, disoriented a little for a few moments before realizing where she was. His bedroom was large, oval shaped and as well decorated as the rest of the house. The sheets she had been sleeping on were a deep, rich purple satin, and Camille ran her fingers over it to feel its smoothness. Then she smiled.

  As she looked around, she found a fluffy white dressing gown neatly folded and left on a chair next to the bed. She swung her legs over until her feet touched the ground and realized when the covers slipped away that she had been sleeping naked all night. She knew Devin had slept beside her as the other side of the bed was still warm where he had left, and she could smell him in the room. Camille grinned as she stood up and reached for the dressing gown.

  She tightened the cord around her waist and ran her fingers through her hair. She didn’t need to look into a mirror to know that her hair and her face was a mess, and she didn’t want to see her makeup running. But instead of looking for a bathroom, Camille went looking for Devin.

  She left the bedroom and the smell of eggs being fried wafted up over the stairs at the end of the landing. Camille smiled again; he was in the kitchen.

  She walked slowly down the stairs and followed the smell of eggs until she found herself walking into the kitchen. Devin was standing over the burners, flipping them in a frying pan, and all his ten dogs were in a circle around him, blocking his path.

  Devin hadn’t heard her come in, and Camille stood at the door watching him. His back was to her, and she could see the width of his shoulders, the muscles under his shirt, his narrow waist, and his muscular legs in a pair of jeans. She enjoyed watching him and wanting him in silence. She couldn’t believe how lucky she felt.

  Eventually, she cleared her throat. The dogs and Devin turned to look at her. He grinned and turned off the burner.

  “Good morning sleepyhead. Take a seat here at the table,” he said, preparing two breakfast plates for them. Camille smiled and tugged at the sleeves of the dressing gown before she proceeded to take a chair at the table. It was an airy, open-plan kitchen with lots of beautiful natural light. Just the atmosphere alone was enough to make her happy; Devin’s presence only made it more worthwhile.

  “Sorry about your clothes. Your shirt is ripped. You can borrow one of mine for the day if you like,” Devin added, walking over to the table with the plates. Camille bit down on her lip, nodded, and stared at the food. She hadn’t realized how hungry she actually was.

  He had fried two eggs each and made them a stack of pancakes with maple syrup dripping off the edges. Camille licked her lips and looked up at him. He was watching her closely.

  “And you can cook?” she remarked, reaching for the cutlery that he had already arranged for her on the table.

  “It’s all an illusion. Don’t blame me if none of this is edible,” Devin said with a laugh and walked back over to the kitchen counter to pour some coffee into two mugs.

  Camille had already dug in, and when the sweet doughy texture of the pancakes hit her taste buds, she closed her eyes and moaned.

  “This is gorgeous. Where did you learn to cook a breakfast like this?” She asked, with food still in her mouth. Devin came back to the table with the coffees and placed a mug in front of her.

  “My mother. She was an excellent cook.” He pulled out a chair beside her. His dogs had all congregated around him again, and he tore a few pieces of the pancakes and started flipping them over to his dogs. Camille giggled and tried doing it herself. The dogs wagged their tails and were drawn away from Devin and towards her immediately.

  “I had a wonderful time last night, Camille,” his voice interrupted her, and she looked up at him. He was serious. Camille nodded and smiled.

  “I had a lovely time too, Devin,” she replied, a sudden dread filling her bones again. She was worried that he was going to tell her suddenly that he didn’t want to see her anymore and that a night like this couldn’t happen again. Why would a man like Devin want to be with her anyway?

  “I’m going away on a trip,” Devin said, and the smile on Camille’s face disappeared. Here it was, he was about to tell her that he wouldn’t be able to keep in touch with her. She didn’t say anything, so he continued.

  “Only for a week though. I just don’t want you to worry if you don’t hear from me for a few days,” Devin explained, and to her surprise, he reached for her hand and patted it. Camille stared at him.

  “Sure,” she said, trying to hide her nervousness.

  “I’ll have a surprise waiting for you when I meet you again.” Devin had a twinkle in his eye and Camille tried to read his face. He still looked calm and relaxed; he trusted her. But she couldn’t trust him entirely. She couldn’t be completely sure that she would ever see him again. But she smiled anyway. She wasn’t going to make him think that she doubted him.

  “I look forward to it,” Camille said and chewed on another mouthful of her pancake again.

  ***

  “What are you doing here?” Camille asked when she entered her comic bookstore. She had tried to unlock the door but found it already unlocked. Shayna was standing behind the counter, bagging a few books for a customer.

  “It’s eleven Camille. I guessed right - that you wouldn’t make it in time to open up the store,” Shayna said, accepting the cash that the customer handed to her. Camille waited for the guy to leave before she walked over to Shayna, unable to hide the smile on her face.

  “Did you spend the night at Devin’s then?” Shayna placed her hands on her hips. Camille nodded and bit down on her lip.

  “He is seriously amazing. I even sketched a portrait of him,” Camille replied, walking around the counter to go stand next to her friend. Shayna rolled her eyes, and then looked excited again.

  “Hey, you got a call this morning at the store. Thankfully I was here to receive it.” Shayna said while Camille started arranging her accounts books. She turned to look at Shayna with her brows crossed.

  “Someone called the store? Nobody ever calls the store.” Camille dropped her hands to the side. Shayna nodded her head excitedly; she looked like she was bursting with some sort of secret she had forced herself to keep.

  “What did they want? A book order?” Camille asked, studying Shayna’s face carefully.

  “No. They were looking for the store owner because they wanted to be put in touch with the author or authors of Country Crowns .” Shayna clapped her hands and jumped up and down with excitement. Camille’s eyes widened, and she smiled broadly.

  “What? Why? Who were they?” Camille asked, but Shayna was still too giddy, and she needed to calm down first before she could explain anymore.

  “I don’t know. They didn’t say. He said that he would explain it directly to the author,” Shayna told Camille with her hand on her heart.

  Camille could feel her own heart beating fast, how was this all happening? Was it just a coincidence that ever since Devin Rock had walked into this store, her usual boring life had suddenly taken an exciting turn?

  “So what did you say, what did you do?” Camille asked her friend.

  “I gave them your number. I didn’t tell them your name, of course, but I gave them your digits.” Shayna was still excited and fumbling up her words. Camille’s smile grew.

  “Oh my goodness! What do you think this means?!” Camille shrieked, and Shayna shrugged.

  “Maybe it’s our big break? I don’t know? I guess we’ll just h
ave to wait and find out. Oh my God, Camille, I’m so excited!” Shayna jumped and hugged her friend tightly. Camille hugged her back, and they were both giggling like teenage girls.

  “This could be big, Shayna. This could mean anything. Or it could mean nothing,” Camille said, stroking Shayna’s back.

  “I want it to be big. I want it to be huge news. I want to be famous Camille! I want people to know about our books.” Shayna was jumping again, and Camille started laughing.

  “We have to take it slow there, Shayna. We have to decide first if we are going to reveal our true identities.” Camille had started pacing the floor of the bookstore now. She was thinking hard, trying to make sense of it all.

  “What are you talking about? Of course we have to reveal our true identities! What is the point otherwise?” Shayna squealed, and Camille held up her hand.

  “Let me think, Shayna. I have to think.” Camille told her, and Shayna came up close to her face.