Page 30 of Forever Yours

“I don’t think he’d notice.”

Devlin struggled in the dark then picked up her suitcase. “I might as well just take the whole thing, I never unpacked anything.” She stopped and threw a blanket over before they left, pulling the door shut.

“You old softie,” Gabe joked, taking her suitcase to carry upstairs.

“I’d like to think he’d do the same for me.”

As they ascended to the second floor their fingers brushed once, twice. He showed her to Sebastian’s room, opened the door and turned on the light, depositing the suitcase by the door. “A bathroom connects the rooms. You can go first, I’ll use it after you.” He waited for her to go in.Please, you have to be the one to leave first.

Devlin gave him a small smile, slipped through the door and closed it. He heard the click of the lock that signaled the definitive end to the evening.

Chapter Ten

Devlin awoke the next morning to the gray light of winter straining to break through the clouds. One look at the nightstand clock told her it was far too early for her to be awake. Her usual wake-up time was four a.m. and she was grateful that hour had long passed, but she could stand to catch a few more hours of sleep. She needed her wits about her for the long day ahead so she closed her eyes, willing herself to fall back asleep when the image of Gabe underneath her while she straddled him came unbidden into her mind.

Her eyes popped open, her skin flushing as she could almost feel the smoothness of his chest, his hands running up her sides to her breasts. Maybe she just needed a release then she could sleep. Her body had been strung tight like a bow since they’d made out in the old art gallery and last night’s sweet kiss hadn’t helped matters any.

She ran her hand down the smooth planes of her body, reliving what it had felt like, that night with Gabe, drawing on memories of him since they’d reconnected. Back then she’d felt frantic, not wanting to think about anything else in that moment. He’d tried to calm her, putting his hands on her hips to slow her movement, but her pace wouldn’t abate. She touched her clit in a lazy circle—he’d done this once he’d realized she wasn’t going to do anything but ride him hard and he’d used his fingers where they’d joined to give her the friction she’d strived for. It felt so good—a long moan escaped her lips—that night had been so good. She came in a long shudder, her fingers stilling.

She heard the faucet turn on in the bathroom and bolted upright. Her heart had been beating fast from her orgasm, but now it stopped.How long has he been in there?She hadn’t been loud, but she hadn’t been quiet either. Throwing off her covers, she slid out of bed and tip-toed to the bathroom, putting her ear to the door. The water shut off and silence permeated until the loud flush of the toilet made her squeak and jump back. She stood motionless, believing that standing still would erase the noise that just came out of her mouth, hoping he wouldn’t open the door while at the same time praying that he would. For a long moment she heard nothing, then the shower turned on.

She breathed a sigh of relief, glad he hadn’t come through the door, vulnerable after her release. She was going to work with Annabelle and Prudence today to go over her proposal and Gabe was going to do the same with Sebastian and Greyson. She had no more time for dalliances or make-outs or masturbating while dreaming of Gabe’s touch. The time to get down to business was now.

Devlin was making her bed when she heard the bathroom door open and close on the other side. She waited a few minutes before going in herself. The room was still steamy from Gabe’s shower, and she could smell his aftershave. She took a deep breath and noted his toiletries in a neat line on his side of the sink, feeling an intimacy with him that came with sharing this personal space. She felt her face heat, wondering again if he’d heard anything.

* * * *

Gabe turned on the shower, not paying attention to the temperature, and was doused with a spray of ice cold water. At this point he didn’t care, and let the water run over his body hoping to cool his burgeoning erection. He’d woken this morning already thinking about Devlin. He wasn’t sure he’d ever stopped—the night before, his dreams had been filled with her. They weren’t always erotic, but dreams of mundane daily life. From domestic tasks like making dinner or folding the laundry together while watching television, to her being in charge of her life, behind the counter of her shop, or in her office, on the computer, reading glasses perched on her nose while she did the books.

I’ve never been inside her shop.

He was puzzled at the nature of the dreams. The domesticity turned him on. The in charge boss lady turned him on. He was coming to realize that everything about her turned him on, even the parts of her he didn’t know, or that she’d tried so hard to keep hidden from him. He’d lain in bed until long past sunrise, the milky light of impending snow hiding the sun. When he decided he needed to get going for the day, he was sure that he had himself under control, that he’d get through the day seeing and being with Devlin without throwing himself prostrate at her feet, begging her to tell him all her secrets.

The simple act of entering the bathroom shattered his calm determination. At first he wasn’t sure what he was hearing. A low moan then a rustle of movement coming from Devlin’s room. Approaching the adjoining door, he put his ear to it and heard the unmistakable keen of a woman having an orgasm. A good one at that. He knew that sound—he’d been on the giving end of that sound.

Standing now under the shower, the sound of her coming pinged around him like a symphony. The cold water was doing next to nothing to deflate his libido, so he turned the faucet to hot. How the fuck was he supposed to get through the day now? His intimate knowledge of her was so far in the distant past that he was able to disconnect from it, but now? Now he wanted to knock down her door and continue whatever journey Devlin had just been on.This is pure foolishness. You don’t mix business with pleasure, no matter what.He finished in the shower, his anger at himself giving him just enough edge to get through the rest of his morning’s preparations without losing it.

Gabe followed the smell of freshly brewed coffee into the kitchen where Sebastian was sitting at the island, his back to him, looking like he was nursing a mug of the stuff. The open space was separated by the kitchen island with a large sectional and fireplace in the living room. Gabe wasn’t a big fan of the open concept layout, but it suited the cabin, since the fireplace helped to heat the main floor.

“Did the infernal woman make the pot, or were you able to figure it out?” Gabe asked, grabbing a winter-themed mug and pouring out a steaming coffee.

“What?” A perplexed look crossed Sebastian’s face.

“You called Annabelle an ‘infernal woman’ in your sleep last night after you told her to leave you alone.”

“How on earth would you know that I was talking in my sleep? And to piggyback off that question—I talk in my sleep?”

“You were passed out in Devlin’s room last night. I think you startled her.”

Sebastian ran his hand over his face, a yawn splitting his features. “I swear, last night was the first night since smartphones were invented that I wasn’t up until all hours going through emails or texts.”

Gabe grabbed a bottle of creamer out of the fridge and offered it to Sebastian. “You don’t seem like you take a lot of vacations.”

“No, running a company is a full time job and then some. Even when I’m not at work, I’m at an event or someplace with Wi-Fi so I’m always connected.”

“Spotty reception can have its perks.”

They turned when they heard voices approaching. Devlin and Annabelle walked in, Annabelle looking perfect as usual and Devlin freshly washed with mussed-up, damp hair. Gabe could smell her shampoo, hear the echoes of her orgasm.

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