I was so lost in my thoughts that I jumped when Devlin squeezed my hand in his. I turned right into that potent gaze. He thumbed my palm, sending shockwaves across my entire nervous system. “You look stunning, Coralie,” he murmured.
“So do you,” I remarked as my eyes drifted across that massive chest. The memory of his sculpted body was imprinted on my brain. What I wouldn’t give to rip that expensive shirt right off of his body that very instant just so I could see it… touch it… taste it again.
The corner of his mouth tugged in an amused grin. He knew the kind of power he had over me now. He kept my champagne glass full all the way to Vegas, with his hand on my thigh, those fingers spread apart possessively, dangerously near the part of me that ached and throbbed for him. It was the most delicious tease since we couldn’t do anything with Lucy and Gus sitting right in front of us.
That didn’t stop him from drawing sensual circles against my thigh under the table, which made me even crazier for him. I needed him alone. Like, yesterday.
Thanks mostly to the booze we were landing before I knew it. The original plan was that we’d share a limo to the hotel, but Lucy had another trick up her sleeve. She had hired a second limo just for Devlin and me, so we could have a little privacy on the way to the hotel.
Actually, she probably wanted privacy herself. She and Gus hadn’t been apart for more than a weekend in more than two years. I knew that this self-imposed celibacy only made them hotter for each other.
It struck me suddenly that soon their sex would take on a whole new meaning, just like everything else. It wasn’t just scratching the proverbial itch. They would soon join together, heart, mind and body. And someday it would even result in the creation of a whole new life, forging them together forever as a family.
The thought kind of took my breath away.
Devin and I piled into our private limo, where more champagne waited. The dark tinted glass afforded us privacy, and Devlin promptly took advantage of this by taking me into his arms for a hungry kiss.
“I’ve been waiting to get you alone,” he murmured against my ear. “God, you look so fucking sexy. I’ve been hard all the way to Vegas.” I knew that this was part of the required dialogue, so part of me accepted it as insincere flattery until he took my hand and brought it into his lap, providing evidence that he spoke the truth.
I shuddered against him. I could almost feel him inside of me. I suspected that he had branded me for life.
He pushed me back against the bench seat as he ravaged my mouth in an impatient kiss. I moaned as I pulled him down against me with an unexpected urgency. I knew I’d fuck him right here in this limo if time allowed. I had never wanted anyone as much. When his hand disappeared under my dress, I spread my legs. I had wanted him to touch me since I first saw him at the airport. His frustrating tease over more than two hundred miles only made the ache worse.
I scooted down into the seat so he could grab my underwear and slip it off right under my clothes. He grinned before he sniffed them deep and tucked them away in his pants pocket. “You’re not going to need these the rest of the night,” he announced. His fingers danced up my quivering, bare thigh. “Wherever we go and whatever we do, I want to stand next to you knowing I could bend you over and fuck you whenever I want.”
I shivered at the thought. “Do it now,” I pleaded. I wasn’t sure how far away we were from the hotel, but I did know if I didn’t feel him inside of me, I’d likely shatter into a million pieces from all the anticipation.
He wore that damnable smirk as he shook his head. “Uh uh,” he said. “We’ve got all week. And I’ve got big plans for you, darlin.’” I pouted instantly, and he chuckled as he bent forward to tug at my protruding bottom lip with his teeth. “But how about a preview?”
I gasped as his fingers landed almost square against my throbbing clit. Before I knew what was happening, he sped up his fingers, circling that tiny nub quickly, with just enough pressure to make me squirm in the seat. I cried out as he took me almost from zero to sixty within seconds, with just the right amount of pressure, and the quick agility of his fingers.
Yep. Devlin Masters was #DefinitelyMagic.
He watched my face as he fingered me. “You’ve been waiting all week for this, haven’t you?”
Incapable of speech beyond a few grunts, I nodded. My hips bucked against his hand. I wanted him so bad it nearly brought tears to my eyes. My fingers dug into his back. “Fuck me, please,” I finally managed to beg, but he shook his head.
“All night long, I want you to think about what I’m going to do with you later. Imagine what it’s going to feel like when this is my tongue,” he suggested with a shameless grin.
I cried out. “Oh my God. Devlin.”
“That’s right, baby. Say my name. Tell me who you belong to for the next seven days.”
God, it was all I wanted. I knew it the minute I booked our “date.” For one week, I was his and he was mine. That’s how it worked. When he slipped a couple of fingers inside of me, I was done for. I came so hard I had to bite my lip to hold back a scream.
He rewarded me with yet another deep kiss. “That’s my girl,” he breathed against my lips. “But next time I want you to scream. I want you to let the whole world know I’m fucking you.”
I shuddered against him. “Next time?”
He pulled his fingers from between my legs, and then stuck them into his mouth to suck whatever juices he had captured right off of his fingers. “Like I said. You belong to me, Coralie. And I get to take what belongs to me. Any time. Anywhere.”
I nearly evaporated right on the spot.
I still had trouble walking when we made it to the hotel, where we joined Gus and Lucy at the registration counter. A concierge gave us the VIP treatment, which wasn’t surprising considering the amount of coin we were dropping on our little vacay. They set us up in a couple of specialty suites, including a honeymoon oasis where even more champagne waited, along with a caviar plate, a cheese plate and an array of chocolates, including chocolate covered strawberries, to welcome us to the hotel. In Lucy’s and Gus’s regal suite, every room was filled with colorful hydrangeas in crystal vases.
They insisted we join them for hor d'oeuvres, since it was such an impressive spread. I wanted to chase Devlin all the way to our more modest suite, just to get him alone. He stood so close to me I could practically feel his heart beating. Occasionally he would brush against me, accidentally on purpose, to let me feel how excited he still was.
I wanted him so much I was a jangle of nerves. I felt like a junkie in need of my next fix. But we weren’t there solely for that. We were there to celebrate my best friend’s wedding, so I smiled and tried my best to be patient.
Devlin wasn’t going to make it easy for me. From that look in his eyes to the smell of his cologne, everything about him was driving me crazy. When I passed where he sat in one of the two accent chairs in the living room of the suite, he swiftly spun me onto his lap so I could feel his hard bulge against the swell of my hip.
“You’re incorrigible,” I teased, but I didn’t bother going anywhere.
“What can I say?” he countered as his hand slid up my knee. “You’re a bad influence. Such a naughty girl. What am I going to do with you?”
I leaned closer to whisper in his ear, “You’re going to fuck me.”
I felt his cock jump against me. “You have no idea,” he promised with a grin.
I had to take a deep breath and turn back to the cheese plate before I made him make good on that promise.
Lucy plopped herself down in front of the baby grand in her magnificent suite, and proceeded to pound out the most off-key rendition of chopsticks I had ever heard. It made all of us groan, but she didn’t care. Finally Devlin edged me off of his lap.
“I’m sorry, Lucy. I can’t let you do that to that beautiful instrument.” He waved her away before he took his place on the bench.
“You know how to play?” she asked with an arche
d eyebrow.
“I’ve tickled a few ivories,” he assured as he sent me a naughty little wink. He then cracked his knuckles, tossed back his hair placed his hands over the keys.
I don’t know what any of us were expecting him to play, but I am fairly certain none of us expected him to launch into a classical piece, Pachelbel’s Canon in D. The more surprising part was how well he played it. He started slow, to create the atmosphere, allowing the music to lift us all on this swell of emotion he created with each note. This was more than a rehearsed piece of music. This was a song from his soul. And it was simply beautiful.
Lucy, Gus and I stared between ourselves in stunned disbelief. Of all the things I expected to learn this week, finding out Devlin Masters was some kind of piano virtuoso was nowhere on the list. It shamed me instantly. I had begun to see him as one-dimensional because that was the nature of his business–but that was not the whole of the man. Not by a long shot.
I studied him as he played, as if watching someone else entirely. He held the proper posture, his back strong and straight, striking a commanding silhouette in front of the grand piano. His dark hair tickled his neck near the collar of his shirt as he subtly tossed his head in an unconscious response to the music. Those incredible eyes closed, losing himself in the piece as his strong fingers confidently struck every key. It was clear with the emotional depth he demonstrated in this impromptu performance that he was more deeply faceted than I had previously thought.
I had to wonder what other things he had to show me.
We were speechless when he was done. It took a full second or two for us to applaud, after which he said, “I really should get around to taking lessons someday.”
We all laughed. “Where did you learn to play like that?” Gus asked.
He offered a humble shrug as he fiddled through a melody. “My mother insisted. She was an artist, so she decided her kids needed to be creative whether we liked it or not.”
“You’re very good,” Lucy told him as she walked over to join him at the piano, leaning against it to watch him play. “Seriously, that was amazing. Maybe I should have hired you to play for my wedding.”
He laughed. “You couldn’t afford me,” he said with a wink. Lucy laughed at his joke. I didn’t.
“So what other songs do you play?”
Another shrug. “This, that and the other. Everything really.” He started to slowly play a popular Beatles tune that was fitting for the occasion. When he began singing “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” Gus and I joined Lucy at the piano so we could all sing along. It was a rousing little number that made Lucy clap her hands with joy. “Now you have to sing one for CC!” she announced before she plopped me down on the bench beside him.
He studied me for a moment, pursing his lips as he contemplated what song to sing. Finally his fingers landed lightly on the keys. I recognized the Bruno Mars song immediately as this gorgeous guy proceeded to sing to me how amazing and perfect I was, just the way I was. That he sang it well only ensured I’d never forget being serenaded like this for the rest of my life. I knew that he probably learned that song as a tool of his trade, to make all the ladies weak in the knees when he sang, so they’d feel even more wanted and desired.
That he sang about my eyes and not my boobs was a nice touch. “Always choose the one who notices your eyes,” Lucy had told me, which was good advice for a regular date, but didn’t really apply to a paid one.
It was still nice to hear, though, especially when he sang it right to me. When he punctuated the song with a slow, tantalizing kiss, I almost believed him.
Lucy clapped her hands together. “Okay, enough of that. We have tickets to Cirque du Soliel in,” she referred to her watch, “an hour and a half. If we want to grab dinner first, we should probably do that now. I’ve already made reservations downstairs.”
The restaurant set a romantic atmosphere with dazzling views of dancing fountains and the spectacular Las Vegas strip. We all squeezed into a cozy red velvet booth as we enjoyed a first class meal that included more caviar and champagne, as well as critically acclaimed French cuisine. After dinner, we strolled across the street for the exciting water show that combined daring acrobatics with beautiful artistry. We were ushered to our VIP box suite, with our own cocktail service and an array of concessions. Devlin fed me chocolate truffles as we guzzled even more champagne.
Thanks to booze and the privacy of our suite, we all indulged a little light petting while we watched the eye-popping surrealist show with sensual music and awe-inspiring feats of physical agility and strength. Despite how daring he could be Devlin’s hand didn’t make it that far up my thigh, but just knowing that it could, and there was no underwear there to impede his progress, made it even sexier. We were all flying high by the brilliant conclusion of our show.
I was drawn tight as a fiddle by the time we hit the casino, where Lucy insisted we inaugurate our special trip with a waltz with Lady Luck. As we took over an empty blackjack table with a $25 limit, I was stunned to see Devlin pull out wads of his own money to play.
But I supposed anyone who could make five figures in a week could afford to bet a hundred dollars a hand.
Even more impressive was how many chips he kept piling up. “You’re very good,” I leaned close to tell him. “I didn’t realize you were such a card shark.”
He laughed. “I used to deal, actually. When I first moved to Vegas, it was the first job I got. I guess you could say it led to everything else.”
My eyebrows arched. Yet another piece of the puzzle slid into place. “Sounds like an interesting story. Maybe you could share it with me one day.”
He grinned. “Maybe.”
Instead of indulging me, however, he spent the better part of the next few hours teaching us the finer points of blackjack. Luck was on our side; we were all up when we finally decided to call it a night. Devlin cuddled me close as we walked behind an equally cozy Lucy and Gus, heading back to our hotel across the street.
When we reached the lobby, she turned back to face us. “Don’t have too much fun tonight. We have a lot of stuff to do tomorrow. We’re meeting with the wedding coordinator at noon, and I have to stop by the bakery at some point.” She turned to Devlin. “You and Gus need to be at the tux shop by eleven to get fitted.”
He saluted her. “Aye, aye, captain!”
She grinned as she cuddled closely to Gus. By the time we hit the elevators, I knew that all of us couldn’t wait to “officially” start our time alone as couples. Gus and Lucy stepped inside the first car heading up, but Devlin pulled me back so they could have the space all to themselves.
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” she advised with a wink.
“What does that leave?” he shot back, still in character as an old school buddy from back in the day.
“Absolutely nothing,” she answered with a smirk. The door closed behind them.
Devlin cuddled me close. “Did I ever tell you how much I like your friend?”
I laughed. “Everyone does. She’s the life of any party, down for anything, all the time. In fact, if it wasn’t for her, I’m not entirely sure I would have hired you.”
He locked his hands behind my waist, brushing his hardening body against me. “Remind me to thank her.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I already did.”
His mouth landed on mine for a deep, urgent kiss, as if he didn’t give one damn if anyone else saw. I felt his body respond, and my knees wobbled as I swooned against him.
When the elevator bell dinged, I practically threw him inside. It had been a great night, but it was definitely time to get our special party started. Devlin must have felt the same way, because we were alone in the car, he pushed me up against the wall, his hand between my legs in an instant. “Devlin!” I protested with an embarrassed giggle as I looked around for security cameras.
“Anytime, anywhere,” he reminded. He then proceeded to make me come hard by floors 3, 15 and 27. I could b
arely walk by the time the doors finally opened and we walked the remaining distance to our private room. I gazed up at him with dazed eyes as he fit the key in the lock. It made me feel far drunker than I had felt all night despite the river of alcohol I’d consumed. Indeed, it might have been the champagne catching up to me. But it was probably the multiple orgasms. Either way, the night was off to a promising start.
After he opened the door, he turned to me with that heart-stopping look in his eyes. He pulled me to him, taking my breath away before he planted yet another scorching kiss on my mouth. “Are you ready, Coralie?” he murmured against my lips, tugging and toying with them between his teeth.
“For what?” I asked breathlessly, though the question was moot. I would have done just about anything at that point. I needed him so bad it hurt to breathe.
“The best fucking week of your life,” he answered before he swept me into his arms kicked the door shut behind us.
CHAPTER NINE
My suite was not as opulent as Lucy’s and Gus’s, but it didn’t really need to be. I wasn’t there to celebrate the first days of wedded bliss, so I didn’t need the grandeur and the romance of a majestic suite. I just needed a private room where I could do unmentionable things with a willing partner, far away from the prying eyes of a judgmental public.
If I hadn’t paid five figures for said partner, I might have been okay in some generic room with a heart-shaped bed, a hot tub and hourly rates, which is what any room would have felt like anyway given the sticky specifics of paying for sex. Knowing this, I opted for a little romance, with a one-bedroom suite that resembled a cottage tucked away in the French countryside. There was fabric on the walls, dramatic drapes over the windows and silk curtains draped around the headboard of the bed. Yet another bottle of champagne chilled in an ice bucket on a large glass table in our spacious sitting area.
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