Page 46 of Devotion

“Because it’s… it’s not about me.” I have to bury my face in the covers again so I can let out a loud, shameless cry of pleasure. From nothing more than one of his fingers inside me. “It’s not supposed to be about… about me.”

“That doesn’t make any sense. You can’t stop yourself from getting turned on.” He’s withdrawn the one finger and joined it with a second. He’s thrusting more purposefully now. “So you got aroused just from doing me?”

“Y-yes,” I admit. “I didn’t… mean to.” There’s so much moisture in my mouth I have to suck it back to keep from drooling. I’m whimpering almost constantly now as the speed and force of his pumping increases. “But I can’t help it.”

“Of course you can’t help it. You shouldn’t have to. That’s the most ridiculous rule out of all the ridiculous rules in this place. Fuck, you’re sexy as hell like this. Look at you. So turned on you’re trying to fuck my hand.”

I am. My bottom is rocking back toward the pumping of his fingers. Then, before I know to expect it, my pussy clamps down tightly around the penetration in fast spasms of release. I try to muffle my sobs of pleasure in the bed, but I’m not entirely successful.

He keeps pushing against the contractions until they’ve finally worked their way through my body. I gasp wetly as he strokes until my body is completely still.

Then he pulls his hand away. “There,” he says, giving me a little pat on the bottom. “Now you should feel better.”

I giggle, half thrilled and half embarrassed. I straighten up and rearrange myself so I’m sitting on folded legs, facing him. “You’re really not mad or upset?” I ask, searching his expression so I can make sure he’s not lying to me.

“Of course I’m not,” he tells me gravely.

I nod, relieved because it’s so clear he means it. “Okay. Thank you. Can I finish up the massage?”

“Yes. Please do.”

Relaxed and more physically sated than I can ever remember being, I massage his chest, arms, neck, and head. Like yesterday, he lets go so deeply that he drifts off to sleep after mumbling that I should wake him up in an hour because he’s got a lot of work to do today.

Gabriel wasn’t supposedto have any meetings today, but he gets summoned into a discussion in the president’s office justafter noon. When he returns, he’s holding a package wrapped in brown paper.

“Did they give you a present?” I’ve never seen him bring back a package like that before.

“No. This was just delivered. I ordered it a while ago.” He looks uncharacteristically stiff as he comes over to my window alcove. “It’s for you.”

I put down my knitting and drop my legs to the floor. “For me?”

“Yes.” After a brief hesitation, he thrusts it at me. “I got it from the same antique dealer who got me your music box.”

My mouth has dropped open for a moment before I summon the sense to close it as I reach for the small package. “But why?”

He frowns. “Because I thought you would like it. Why else?”

His gruff tone is enough of a clue for me to stop questioning the gift. I carefully pull off the neatly wrapped paper and lift the lid off the box.

Inside is an antique pendant on a chain. The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life.

“It’s a cameo locket. From around the same time period as your music box.”

There are raised wildflowers of ivory on a pink oval background, surrounded by silver sculpted into delicate coils and curls.

“It’s beautiful,” I whisper.

“It’s a locket, so it opens up.”

Very carefully I find the tiny latch and open the front. Inside, there’s a small space, but it’s empty. “What do I put here?”

“Whatever you want. People used to use it for snips of hair from people who died or photographs of loved ones.”

“Oh.” I finally manage to wrench my eyes from the pendant so I can gaze up at Gabriel. “I love it. I can’t believe you got it for me. So I should wear it around my neck?”

“If you want. You don’t have to.” He’s trying for his normal brisk manner, but he looks kind of edgy. Like the same kind of emotion shuddering inside me is shuddering inside him too.

“I want to.” I give the lovely carved wildflowers of the cameo a quick caress before I move my hair and then unhook the chain. I’m trying to latch it again at the back of my neck when Gabriel steps over to do it for me.

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