“Think about what? We have to tell them who we are. We have to come out in the open, publish our books under our own names. Country Crowns is good, it’s brilliant… it’s getting noticed.” Shayna suddenly shook Camille by her shoulders, and the two girls started laughing with excitement again.
“But what if it gets too much to handle? Maybe it was a good idea to publish under pen names. Do you really want all that fame?” Camille asked, and Shayna nodded her head vigorously.
“Of course I do! I want the fame and the money and the recognition. Camille, we have to tell them who we are. This is the chance of a lifetime - what we’ve been waiting for. We have to grab it and just… just go with it!” In her excitement, Shayna knocked a stack of books off the counter top. Camille shook her head indulgently and then walked over to help her friend pick them back up.
“What is holding you back, Camille?” Shayna asked in a quieter voice now. Camille ran her fingers through her curls and tucked a few strands behind her ears and shrugged her shoulders.
“I just want to be absolutely sure that this is the right thing to do. I want to make sure that our audience accepts us, and that our lives don’t change because we start publishing under our real names,” Camille said, stacking up the books. When she looked up, Shayna was staring at her.
“Are you kidding me? Our lives will never be the same again if our books are a success. Isn’t that what you want anyway? Our lives are boring, Camille. It’s time to take ownership of our talent,” Shayna threw back, straightening up and dusting her short denim skirt. Camille followed suit and smiled. She trusted Shayna’s decision and her instincts. It was time to come out and face the limelight.
“What are you wearing by the way?” Shayna asked, suddenly interrupting her thoughts. Camille looked down at herself, remembering now that she was wearing one of Devin’s shirts.
“Are you wearing his clothes?” Shayna’s mouth hung open in mockery.
Camille felt her cheeks blush, and she turned away from her friend. “Yeah… He ripped my clothes off me,” she confessed, and Shayna broke into another fit of giggles.
Chapter Fifteen Devin
They were taking a break, so Devin hopped off his bike and walked over to the side of the ravine to light a cigarette. The sun was setting, and there was an orange-red glow on the horizon, which made the desert sand around them shine to a brilliant, glittering gold. Devin took in a deep breath, a mouthful of smoke from the cigarette, and thought about how he wished Camille could see the beautiful desert terrain.
He could feel his shoulders ache. They had been riding for at least four hours non-stop now, and there were so many more miles to go. Mr. Janson was a good customer, loyal. He always hired Devin and his club to create a convoy for him when he was making road trips across states. Mr. Janson was loyal to Devin because he never asked any questions. He never wanted to know why Mr. Janson, the multi-millionaire owner of some of the best Las Vegas casinos, never traveled by air. Devin didn’t ask what he was providing Mr. Janson security against. He only gathered his best-trained men and they rode in silence around Mr. Janson’s car across states and then back again, prepared to fend off any attack that he might face. Nothing had happened yet.
“Hey, Devin. Mr. Janson says we have to get back on track in a few minutes,” he heard Mario’s voice behind him. He breathed in another mouthful of smoke, the cigarette end burnt to a bright orange, and then he dropped it to the dusty ground.
“Sure,” Devin replied without turning to look at his friend.
“Five minutes, yeah?” Mario said and then Devin heard his retreating footsteps.
Devin crushed the cigarette with his heavy duty riding boots and dug his hands into his pockets.
He couldn’t stop thinking of Camille. It had been three days since he last saw her when she was sleeping in his bed, when she had drawn a sketch of him, and when he had made her breakfast. All he could do was think about when he might see her next. There was no going back now; he had promised to see her again when he went back. It was too late to back out, even for her own good.
His cellphone in his pocket vibrated, and Devin reached for it. It was an unknown caller, and he answered the call gruffly.
“Hello, Devin,” he heard the dry deep voice of an older man at the other end of the line. He instantly recognized the voice. It was Jimmy Figueroa, the leader of The Choppers.
“Hello, Jimmy,” Devin replied, whipping around to make sure that nobody from his club was close enough to listen to the conversation. He didn’t want anybody else to hear because he didn’t want anybody else to react.
“I hear you’ve been well, Devin,” Jimmy said, but there was laughter in his voice, and Devin gritted his teeth.
“What do you want, Jimmy?” Devin asked, clenching his fists and trying to keep his emotions under control.
“I just want to talk Devin.” Jimmy gave a loud laugh. “Why are you getting so worked up?”
Devin unclenched his fists and looked out towards the darkening horizon to steady his breathing.
“You’ve been following me. Threatening my friends. I don’t have any reason to talk to you. Now fuck off before I find you and crush you and make sure you never walk again. Stay away from me,” Devin growled into the phone and then hung up before Jimmy Figueroa had a chance to respond.
He muttered under his breath and waved at Mario who was waving at him to come join their convoy again.
Devin gritted his teeth as he walked towards them. He couldn’t believe that Jimmy Figueroa had actually had the nerve to call him.
His thoughts drifted immediately to Camille. Now that she was a part of his life, all this wasn’t just about him, it was also about another person. His life, this life, had always been a dangerous one. But Devin had never worried about the consequences before because he didn’t particularly care about his own safety. But now there was Camille.
The Choppers had already visited Camille at the store, so they knew her whereabouts. They knew she was connected to him; which would make her a liability.
Devin clenched his fists again, enjoying the sharp piercing pain of his fingernails digging into his tough skin. He wanted to draw blood. He wanted to punch something, kick someone.
“You alright there, Devin?” Mario asked when he came into earshot of the club.
Devin tried to force a grin on his face and nodded. “Let’s go,” he said, swinging his legs over his Harley and fixing his helmet on. At least he was going to be able to ride away - ride away from his thoughts. Maybe this time out from Camille would be a good thing, he thought as he started up his bike. Perhaps this was what she needed; maybe she would even change her mind. If she decided that he brought too much baggage with him for her to be in a relationship with him… he wouldn’t struggle against her decision.
But one thing he was sure of was that he wasn’t strong enough to push her away. Even though the best decision, for her own safety, would be to do just that. But he needed her too much - he craved for her touch, missed watching her laugh, and wanted to feel her soft bare skin under his fingertips… Camille Griffin was too perfect, too innocent, and too beautiful for him to just give up. But what would be the right thing to do? Wasn’t he just putting her in more danger now? Wasn’t she just asking for trouble?
Chapter Sixteen Camille
Camille was nervous. She had spent the past two hours deciding what exactly she was going to wear. Devin had texted her the previous night to say that he was back and given her the address of his office to meet him there. It had been over one week since she last saw him, and she hadn’t been able to get him off her mind.
She was standing in front of her full-length mirror now, wondering if this outfit would do. She had picked out a short blue dress that showed off her curves. It barely reached mid-thigh and had short sleeves. Her heels were black and high. For her makeup, she had gone with a more natural look, and lip gloss instead of lipstick. Her hair was the usual halo of thick tight blonde curls.
Camille checked her watch again; it was nearly time to go. She gave herself the once over and decided to leave. It was too late to change again anyway. She picked up her purse, locked her apartment, and made her way downstairs with a maddening beating heart.
Camille caught herself smiling when she settled into the driver’s seat of her car. She was smiling because this was the moment she had been waiting for all week. There were times when she had nearly given up hope of ever hearing from Devin again. She was convinced that this was Devin’s way of putting distance between them. And then he had texted her. Exactly a week later like he had promised her he would, and since then Camille hadn’t been able to stop smiling. No matter what Shayna thought of him, and no matter what her gut instincts told her, Devin made her feel good and safe. She may not know enough about his life, but she knew that he made her head spin in a good way, and she was satisfied with taking it slow.
Camille drove with the music playing on full blast in the car. She remembered that he had mentioned there would be a surprise waiting for her when they met next, but she didn’t care about this surprise anymore. Not as much as she cared about seeing him again. Her heart was beating out of control from the excitement.
Devin had mentioned in his text that the address was that of his office, but when she parked outside the building, she realized that it was more of a clubhouse. She smiled again thinking that Devin Rock was always full of surprises.
Camille got out of her car with her brows crossed with curiosity. The lights in the clubhouse were all out, and it looked like there was nobody there. She grabbed her purse, slammed the car door shut, and started walking towards the entrance. With each step, nervousness returned to her bones. Was this all some kind of joke? Had Devin forgotten about their date? The place looked deserted.
“Hello? Devin?” Camille said in a loud whisper. She could feel the goosebumps on her flesh as she took small nervous steps towards the front door, and when she finally reached it, she knocked.
Silence. No footsteps, inside or out. Camille bit down on her lip and pushed the door, and surprisingly it swung open. There was more darkness inside as she peered in, afraid to go any further.
“Devin?” she said a little softer this time, more to herself. She suddenly felt very afraid and clutched her purse to her side. When there was still no sound, Camille took a few steps inside. It was pitch black, and she had no idea where she was going. Devin had forgotten about her. He had forgotten about the date.
A sudden light blinded her, and Camille screamed with fright and covered her eyes with her hands.
“Surprise!” she heard his voice booming around her, and Camille gingerly dragged her hands away from her face to find that she was standing in the middle of a large hall, which was now illuminated with bright disco lights that were rotating on the ceiling.
Camille’s mouth dropped open, and she could still feel her body shake from the shock of it all, and from the fact that she had heard his voice but hadn’t caught sight of him yet.
“Devin?” She called out his name again, and that is when the music came on. It was loud, all around her, through hidden speakers… and the tune was an old country love song. Camille grinned; he hadn’t forgotten her.
“You look beautiful, Camille.”
She whipped around to find Devin walking towards her. He seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.
As always, Devin Rock looked scorching sexy. He was in his usual leather jacket and jeans. His hair was neatly swept to the side, and his eyes, even in the multicolored lights from the disco balls, shone and sparkled as he came closer.
“You gave me a fright, Devin,” Camille said, still clutching her purse with both her hands in front of her.
“I’m sorry, I just wanted to give you a grand entry,” he replied as he approached her.
They stared at each other and smiled. It was just as she had imagined it; he made her feel instantly warm and safe. He reached for her face and cupped her cheeks before she leaned in and kissed him. She couldn’t wait any longer. This kiss was slow and soft, unlike all their previous ones. This was a loving kiss, gentle and long.
“I missed you, Camille,” he said when she pulled away from him for breath.
“I couldn’t wait to see you again,” Camille breathed, and he stroked her cheeks with his large rough thumbs. She wanted to be closer to him; she wanted their bodies pressed together.
“Come dance with me.” Devin suddenly grabbed her hand and led her to the center of the room. Camille was laughing, at the absurdity and surprise of the whole night. He stopped and turned to face her again. She felt him wrap his arms around her waist and pull her closer to him. Camille instinctually wrapped her own arms around his neck, and they were taking small slow steps together, perfectly aligned and coordinated with the music and each other.
Camille laughed again, and Devin smiled. They were swaying to the slow music, gently drifting across the floor, and Camille laughed because this was the last thing she had expected to see Devin doing. Slow dance to a love song.
“How was your trip?” She asked him.
“It was good, but I was tortured by thoughts of seeing you again.”
Camille blushed. He always knew just what to say to make her blush. He pulled her closer and now she could feel her breasts squeezing against his rock solid chest as they danced.
“I can’t imagine you listening to a song like this,” Camille said, leaning in close to his ear.
“How boring would life be if I was predictable?” Devin joked, and she laughed again.
“Don’t get me wrong, I like this cheesy side of you.” She dared to look directly into his eyes. Devin moved suddenly, dragging her in a few quick steps until she felt her back hit the cold marble surface of a bar counter.
“You think this is cheesy? I can get cheesier than that.” Devin said gruffly, and before she knew what was going on, he had lifted her by the waist and placed her on the top of the counter.
Camille was laughing until she felt his large warm hands caress the inside of her legs and travel all the way up her thighs. He was parting her legs. Camille’s breath caught in her throat, as she looked into his eyes in the dim light of the room. The smile and the laugh had disappeared from her face. The anticipation of what was going to happen made her heart beat faster. She had been yearning for his body for all these days, and now it was finally happening.
Her dress had ridden up and bunched up at her waist, as Devin used his hands to part her legs wide. Then, he crouched down in front of her, and Camille bit down on her lip.
“Devin,” she breathed his name, and he shushed her. His head was at level with her laid out body, and she was supporting her torso with the strength of her folded elbows.
“Just relax, Camille. Just enjoy this,” Devin said, and she let her elbows go so that her back now rested fully against the cold counter. Her body was burning up, it was like her skin was on fire, and Devin touched her at her wet center, slowly pulling her panties clear.
Camille moaned when she felt his forefinger stroke her. She was already wet, and he was looking at her. But she couldn’t look back, so she threw her head back and closed her eyes. And then she felt the wetness of his thick tongue. Camille shrieked with delight when she felt him stroke her with his tongue, slowly and gently, at first, and then in sudden quick bursts.
He was pinning her down with both his hands while she wriggled with the sensation. He was sucking, licking, and stroking her wet pussy while her body writhed from pleasure. Then he inserted two fingers in - they easily slid into her - while he kept his mouth focused on her clit. The sensation blew her mind and Camille screamed repeatedly. She was close to cuming; she could feel it rising up, her hips rotated furiously, and she clutched his shoulders and screamed.
“I think you’re ready now,” she heard him say, but it barely registered in her mind. It was only when she felt his throbbing dick slide inside her that she realized what he had meant by that.
Devin Rock
was inside her. He had raised himself above her, still holding her down with both his hands while he pumped into her. Camille was too far gone; too close to the edge to be able to resist him anymore. Her body shuddered, and she felt herself soar. She screamed as she came against his body, with his dick deep inside her, thrusting into her. She could see him smiling, focusing on her face, and he kept going until she finished cuming.
He increased his speed and kept thrusting while her body went limp from exhaustion. She traced the muscles on his arms with her fingernails, leaving a trail of goosebumps on his skin.
“Camille, you are so sexy,” Devin groaned before she felt him explode inside her. He kept pumping into her still, and she kept moving under him. She watched him cum, releasing everything, and losing all his inhibitions as he just simply oozed into her.
What was it between them that they couldn’t spend a few minutes alone in each others company without just ripping their clothes off? Was Devin some kind of drug for her? He was irresistible. She had never experienced anything like this before - this hungry need that only his body could quench in her.
WIFE FOR A PRICE Page 27