“Abby, I know what you’re saying is true, but what kind of man would I be if I let the woman I love lure a killer? I couldn’t live with myself.”
“I couldn’t live with myself if he hurt you while I stood by and did nothing.” Exasperation filled her voice.
His heart filled with warmth. Devlin wanted to grab her up in his arms, to hold on to her for dear life and never let her go. “You don’t need to protect me, Abby.”
“Yes, I do, and I intend to do it despite your stubbornness. I’ll be dressed up, too.” She tapped a finger against her lower lip as a serious expression covered her face. “I’ll need to wear a costume that won’t conceal my identity from him. We’ll make sure the deputies and police officers are close by at all times and that we’re familiar with their disguises.” Abby touched Devlin’s arm and gazed up at him. “Besides, what are the chances that Victor won’t recognize you, his only son? Do you really believe he won’t be able to tell we’re in love? That alone will give us away.”
“It’s too risky. What if something goes wrong? What if the cops can’t protect you?” He poked a finger in the middle of his chest for emphasis. “What if I can’t protect you?”
“I understand how you feel, I really do, but I’m going to tell Sheriff Dutton that I’ll do it.” Stubbornness laced Abby’s firm voice.
Devlin slid his hands down her arms and clasped her fingers. He brought them up to his mouth and kissed her palms. He looked into her eyes; he studied the delicate curve of the shell of her ears, the sweep of lashes around her eyes. “Abby, listen to me. I couldn’t stand it if something happened to you. I never, in my wildest dreams, thought I would ever find someone like you, someone who would actually love me. And there is no damn way I’m going to let you go through with it.”
Abby smiled, moved closer to him, and put her arms around his neck. She rested her head on his chest and placed a hand over his heart. “I don’t know what I would do if something happened to you.”
Her softly spoken words swirled through him like a long, warm ribbon. No woman had ever offered to protect him. He was a big man, and this little British woman intended to slay the dragon for him.
“If I couldn’t feel your heart beating, listen to its rhythm, I don’t think I could go on.” Her husky voice broke with warmth and concern. She brought her head up and looked at him, but kept her hand over his heart. “Dev, in just a few short days you’ve changed my life. You’ve given me my life, and no madman is going to take it away from me.” Her tone rang with calm assurance. “You haven’t thought about yourself. I love you for wanting to protect me, but you’ve forgotten about how I feel.”
Her words surprised him. “I haven’t forgotten how you feel. I know you’re scared and ‑‑”
“No, that’s not what I mean.” She touched her hand to his cheek. “Have you ever thought about me protecting you? I don’t want anything to happen to you.” Abby gestured toward the kitchen door. “That doll is as much about you as it is about me. He may be after me, but he did that to get to you. And it’s working. Don’t you think for one minute that he’s going to give up. No matter how much protection you or I have, he is going to keep coming until he finds a way to get to us. He won’t quit.”
“I agree, but that doesn’t mean you have to assist directly in bringing him down.”
“Yes, it does. This is the perfect opportunity. Just think about it a minute. After this weekend, he could be back in the institution -- for good this time -- and we could get on with our lives.”
He knew she loved him, but would she want to stay here on this small island and live with him, be his wife? “Are you going back to England once it’s all over?”
“Do you want me to?”
“You know I don’t.”
She smiled. “Then why not just come out and ask me?”
· * * * *
The sheets felt cool against her back. By the time they reached the bed, he had stripped off her robe until she lay naked in his arms.
Devlin stood over her and shucked out of his jeans. His throbbing erection sprang from his nest of dark curls.
He pulled her to a sitting position so her legs wrapped around his waist. Her breasts rubbed against the hair on his chest. Warm. He felt so warm, his muscles firm.
Her nipples responded in kind to the stimulation. She felt them tighten, and instinctively she massaged them against his skin. Devlin held her face between his hands and started kissing her. Feather-light kisses at first, a press of lip, a nibble, a bit of tongue. Then gradually he deepened the kisses and sucked her lips into his mouth, licking the corners, teasing her with his tongue, but pulling back when she tried to move closer.
“Dev, stop teasing me.”
“I like teasing you.” He trailed kisses down her neck to her breasts. His hot breath wafted over her nipples, and she desperately needed him to kiss her there, but he rubbed his lips around them.
He kissed the sides of her breasts, the delicate skin underneath, but avoided her nipples. “God, you taste so sweet here.” His tongue licked her skin and his lips nipped at her breasts, sending fingers of lust down into her groin.
A soft red haze settled over her brain. She opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling. Shadows flickered, and she felt like she was floating on a cloud with nothing but the sun’s warmth touching her body.
Only the sun was Devlin. No matter how much she urged him, he made her wait until she couldn’t stand it anymore.
“Dev, please.” His tantalizing male scent grew stronger; the whiff of soap, the spicy aroma of his skin tickled her nose and stirred her desire to a fevered pitch.
He lifted his head and peered deeply into her eyes; his sexual magnetism closed around her, over her, inside her. “Soon.”
Her fingers sought out his hair, his shoulders, and his neck while he continued his sensual assault on her breasts. Her patience morphed into impatience, then into desperation, until her nipples ached. Badly. The pain was exquisitely sweet.
Finally, blessedly he closed his hot, wet mouth over her.
Firmly.
She arched her back and her neck as a rough gasp scraped from her throat. He sucked first one nipple then the other into his mouth and ravaged them with his tongue. She felt her nipples prod and press against his mouth, wanting more.
Devlin lifted his mouth from her breasts, and she felt the cool air blow over her damp skin. “Better?”
“Yes. Now it’s my turn.” Abby found the spot beneath his ear and kissed it, laved it with her tongue, then tasted his neck in open-mouthed kisses.
She swirled her tongue inside his ear and pulled the lobe into her mouth. The taste of him infused her like a dense fog and stroked the love she held inside her.
Abby stuck her tongue into the hollow of his throat and smiled in satisfaction when she heard him groan. She worked her way down his warm, muscular chest until her seeking tongue found his nipples. She raked them lightly with her teeth, then drew them into her mouth.
She felt his hand kneading the back of her neck; she heard the thumping of his heart in his chest and tasted the glistening film of sweat that beaded his skin. Her head spun with thickening desire.
Abby swept a hand down his abdomen and felt the strength there. She wrapped her fingers around him and felt his lifeblood pulse into her hand. She looked up at him. “Lie back for me.”
His eyes made a quick study of her face. “Abby, are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Devlin lay back on the bed with his knees bent and his magnificent arousal rigid between his legs. Abby took her time and drank in the sight of him.
She wanted to memorize every inch of his body, every nuance of emotion. Slowly, she kissed and suckled her way down.
He groaned and his hands clenched the sheets in tight fists. Devlin arched his neck, and she watched him swallow hard.
“Abby. Abby. Oh, God, that feels good.”
She felt a rush of female satisfaction, of control over the man she lov
ed. She had never thought she was very good in bed, but with Devlin she put aside her inhibitions and enjoyed her sexuality.
But most of all, she wanted to give him as much pleasure as he had given her.
When she took her mouth away, he pulled her close and feasted on her. “I can taste my body on your tongue.” He kissed her again and let his hands roam. Abby ran her hands around his sides and caressed his fanny. She rubbed her mound over him, trying to guide his penis inside her.
He flipped her over onto her back. A devilish grin creased his mouth. “Oh, no. Not yet. It’s payback time.”
Devlin started at her forehead, planting kisses over her face, her eyes, the underside of her jaw, where there seemed to be a bundle of nerves that he stroked to life with every touch. Sensations jumbled together, raced down her neck, and suffused the lower half of her body.
He spent some time working on her mouth until she thought the desire she felt for him would overwhelm her. His kisses fired her blood, made her want. Oh, how they made her want. More. And more.
Devlin’s lips worshipped her breasts, and he suckled her until her nipples were tender and throbbing. He moved his mouth over her stomach, slowly, his breath warming her already hot skin, fanning the passion until little flames ignited all over her body and the heat grew to a heavy ache between her legs.
He explored the inside of her thighs with a sweep of his tongue, a delicate bite. He straightened one leg, then the other, and kissed the backs of her knees. That one gentle, sexy act nearly pushed her over the edge.
Before she could catch up with him, his breath blew over her mound. Probing fingers of desire swirled, gathered, and beat violently in her blood. She grabbed at his shoulders, urging him upward.
“Dev, I need you inside me. Now. Please.” She hardly recognized the sound of her own voice. She had never wanted a man so much in her life.
His hands parted her curls, and he rubbed the tip of a callused finger over her. She arched her back and fought against climaxing without him inside her.
“Let it go. Let me feel you come.”
“No, not without you.”
His mouth ravaged and persuaded until she teetered right on the edge. Light from the fire made his skin look golden, his hair so black it appeared blue, and the glow of the flames played through the strands. His eyes were intensely green, greener than she’d thought possible. The pupils expanded until nearly all of the green in his eyes disappeared.
All the while, he watched her. “Look at me, Abby. Don’t turn away. I want to see everything you’re feeling. I want to know the exact moment you fall apart.”
Then Devlin plunged inside her. She felt the tip of his penis nudge her womb; she felt the strength of him massage every part of her femininity. Every stroke encouraged her to let go; every kiss was an alluring request for her to ride the wave, to allow him to toss her over.
A jolt of pleasure swept through her veins. The rush of heat and the quick, hard rush of orgasm had her lifting her hips to get closer, ever closer.
She felt him go rigid inside her, felt his body tense and listened to the sweet sound of his moan of ecstasy as he yanked her out into the velvet darkness.
Abby snuggled against Devlin’s side. He lightly stroked the tips of his fingers up and down her back, his breathing easier now, but sweat still dampened his skin. The covers bunched at the end of the bed. For the moment, all was right with their world.
“I could use a shower.” Devlin kissed the top of her head. “Care to join me?”
She smiled and let a strong wave of love roll through her. “Hmmm, yes, as a matter of fact. Will you wash my back?”
“I’ll wash more than that.” He chuckled and climbed from the bed. “I’ll get the water hot. Come on.” He gave her a light pat on her fanny.
“I will. I’d just like to lie here a minute.”
Abby sprawled in the bed until she heard the rush of water and the opening and closing of the shower door, indicating Dev was inside and waiting for her.
Her body tingled in all sorts of interesting places. The flavor of Devlin’s kisses still lingered on her tongue, and the smell of him rested on her skin. She wasn’t as sore tonight as she’d been the day before. She grinned and enjoyed the wicked thoughts dancing through her brain. Dev wasn’t the only one who could enjoy a body slick with water.
She felt the arousal climb as she thought about having Dev love her in the shower again. She wanted it fast and hard this time. No slow seduction. Just a wet, greedy mating.
Abby rolled out of bed and headed for the shower.
Chapter Fourteen
The following morning, the day of the festival arrived sunny and bright. A gentle breeze blew over the island, ruffled the leaves of the trees, and whisked through the grass.
Abby watched Devlin as he dressed in his Musketeer costume, complete with sword and plumed hat. She sat on the bed, her robe wrapped loosely around her.
He slipped on the white shirt with billowing sleeves and caught her looking at him. “I could use some help over here.”
Abby grinned. “That’s what you said a few minutes ago, and I ended up helping you right out of your clothes.”
Devlin looked down at the shirt, frowned, then cut his gaze over to her. “The buttons are really small.”
Abby laughed. She scooted off the bed and walked over to him. His shirt was already buttoned. “You tricked me.”
He gathered her into his arms. “Uh-huh. Any objections?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Good.” Devlin laid his mouth over hers and kissed her until her brain began to fog and her toes curled into the carpet. When he lifted his head, he grasped her hands, kissed first one palm, then the other. She looked up into his eyes and let the love she saw there pour through her.
“I love you, Abby.” She knew without a doubt that she would never tire of hearing him say those words. “I’m going to take care of you tonight and always. I’ll meet you on the dance floor, okay? The sun should just be setting by the time you arrive with the sheriff.”
“I’ll look forward to it.”
· * * * *
After Devlin left for the festival, Abby took a quick shower, then laid out her costume. She wrapped her hair around her head as best she could, then put on the tight-fitting harlequin cap. A tassel swung jauntily from the top.
Abby walked back into the bedroom and over to the bed where she’d laid out her costume.
Something cold and metallic dug into her toes when she stepped up to the side of the bed. She lifted her foot and looked down at the floor.
The overhead light glinted on a delicate chain of gold sticking out from under the bed. Abby leaned over and picked it up. She blinked at the object she held in her hand.
Miranda’s bracelet.
Was this Miranda’s blood? Mr. Carstairs had told her that a chopper had picked her up and whisked her away. Had she been hurt along with J.D.? Had Devlin kept it from her because he didn’t want her to worry?
He had protected her since she’d arrived on the island, and he’d taken gentle care of her when she’d been pushed that night into the street. Was he trying to protect her yet again? There was only one way to find out.
She picked up her costume from the bed, put it on along with a pair of black slippers and her fanny pack with the Taser inside, and headed downstairs to meet the sheriff.
· * * * *
Lights had been strung through the beech trees on the village green. A bandstand had been set up, and several musicians were connecting speakers and testing the sound.
The scent of food wafted past Abby’s nose. There was a hum of excitement in the air as the villagers finished up the final preparations for the festival. Otis had gone to his booth to check on the jambalaya he’d started cooking early that morning. A couple of boys made a beeline for the sponge-throw booth.
Abby saw Devlin dancing with a tall woman with long gray hair hanging down her back. The woman said something, and Devli
n threw his head back and laughed.
She smiled and started toward him.
· * * * *
Devlin saw Abby out of the corner of his eye when she walked onto the dance floor. He held out his hand and smiled at her. She was dressed as a harlequin in a bodysuit with diamond shapes all over it in red, white, and black. The suit molded to every curve of her body -- a body he knew intimately now.
Abby took his hand, but there was an expression of concern in her eyes. Something was wrong, and it was more than just the danger that possibly lay ahead this evening.
He turned to his dance partner. “Lois, this is Abigail Chapel. Abby, this is Lois Greene.”
Lois was at least five-foot-ten, mid-sixties, and thin as a rail. She wore a flesh-colored costume, à la Lady Godiva, and had fit her body into a stuffed horse. Her legs stuck out of the bottom of the horse so she could walk around, while a pair of fake legs straddled the horse’s back. Her gray eyes sparkled as she held out her hand for a handshake.
Abby took her hand. “Nice to meet you, Lois.”
“I’m happy to meet you.” She touched Abby on the arm and leaned closer to her. “We’re having a little barbecue next weekend. If you’ll still be on the island, we’d both love it if you and Devlin would come.” Lois laughed. “I’d better go find my husband. I promised him the next dance.” She wandered off, the horse’s tail swishing this way and that behind her.
Dev turned back to Abby. “Dance with me.”
Twinkle lights and Japanese lanterns had been strung from poles around the dance floor. The quartet played “Pennies in a Stream.”
The sun, a ball of orange, dipped below the horizon, and the stars were winking into view in a clear sky. A breeze ruffled a few strands of Abby’s hair that had escaped her cap.
Around them danced George and Martha Washington, the Riddler, two kings, and couple of butterflies.
“We’ll dance later. I need to talk to you about something.”
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