Page 85 of The Sweetest Devotion

It was strange how I missed him. Deep voice, angry face, rough hands, demanding sex…Keith Avery was giving me a schoolyard crush. How dangerous.

I couldn’t be loyal to him, but still, it felt all things wrong to have my fiancé touch me in territory I’d left open for Keith.

Shutting my legs, I sat up straight and pushed the skirt of my dress down, ridding myself of Cain’s hand. “Guess we’ll have to see.”

He snickered and leaned away. “Don’t start something you don’t intend to finish, Wife.”

Noted.

“The next time we’re together, I’d like to do it alone in my home,” Cain said. “No Beans. No Vino.”

Alone. In his home.

“Will…will we be living there when we get married? Do I have to leave my penthouse?” The idea made my heart drop. As if I’d be leaving the freedom of my home to go to my new prison.

“We can cross that bridge when we get to it,” Cain said with a shrug. “I live in a high-rise, so it’s nothing to swap.”

Donald came carrying a large serving tray on his shoulder. He bent down before setting my plate of pizza in front of me and Cain’s cod with the side of penne pasta.

I wasn’t hungry. I wasn’t comfortable. I wasn’t okay.

But as I looked at my fiancé who stared at me with a warmth I didn’t deserve, I put on a fake smile and adjusted.

16

My workday was finished,and for the first time in a while, I wasn’t interested in hanging around the garage.

“Spend you some time with that pretty little thing you had in here,” Uncle Rod had suggested as I crossed the garage floor for the shop entrance upon clocking out.

Kennedy.

I was trying not to think about her in my free time. Of course, everywhere I went now was stained with the evidence of her. Rod’s office, my home, and now Sonny’s Kitchen. Still, I tried to ignore the idea of her as I let my uncle’s words go in one ear and out the other.

In another moment, it was an easy feat as I set eyes on a familiar face.

Eden.

She noticed me as I noticed her. I was cool with a nod of my head in greeting as I was on my way out, but Eden cut into my path leaving me coming to a stop in front of her. Now that she was on her feet this time, I didn’t miss that I easily had a foot on her.

She was standing there in jean shorts, a yellow tube top, and a gold chain around her slim waist. On her feet were a pair of yellow fur slides.Half of her hair was up in a ponytail, secured by big white hairballs. It all only served to add more to her youthful appearance.

Eden smiled up at me after taking me in. “Yeah, this fits you.”

“Hey, what’s up?” I greeted her.

Jake was at the counter, doing his best to steal glances at Eden on the low.

Couldn’t exactly blame the guy, she was incredibly pretty, and her outfit only gave way to her curves.

I brought my attention back to the girl in front of me, the girl oblivious to my coworker’s wanton gaze.

“I was ridin’ with a girl from my job and her car started actin’ funny.” Eden gave an indifferent shrug. “So, she pulled in here and they’re checkin’ it out.”

In the background I spotted another woman, one wearing a purple T-shirt as a dress with sneakers. She was on her cell phone, and judging by the tone of her voice, the way she was moving her hand as she talked, I could tell she was chewing some poor guy out.

I got back to Eden and bobbed my head. “Hope it works out.”

She looked over her shoulder, frowning briefly as she watched her friend continue to argue. “Yeah, thank God I brought a book.”

---