Page 96 of The Sweetest Devotion

A lazy haze coasted in Keith’s eyes and I felt the atmosphere shift.

His rough palm cupped my jaw as he ran his thumb across my lips. His dark eyes were glued to the movement, lost in concentration. In another moment, he dipped his thumb into my mouth. Instinctively, I sucked on it, slow, feeling my thighs clench when he pulled it out.

Keith watched his thumb escape my mouth, but not before I flicked my tongue across it first. He removed his thumb and ran it across my lip again.

His eyes found mine.

“I want to, you know,” I said.

“I know,” he said.

Keith stepped closer, holding on to my waist as he leaned down and pressed his lips to my shoulder.

Oof.

Tender. His lips grazed my skin and his five-o’clock shadow scrubbed the surface next.

Aching. I was aching for this man. I wanted it all. His touch. His kiss. His feel. Everything.

But he gave me nothing as he reeled back and stepped away. “I’ll kiss you when it’s time to say goodbye.”

A sadness formed in my belly at the idea. A bittersweet kiss that would be.

“Okay,” I said. “Let’s hop in the shower.”

Keith backed off as he picked up my shirt and bra. “You go first. I’ll clean up and wait my turn.”

“Really?”

He held his hand out for my remaining articles of clothing. “Too tempting, and I’m not a fan of condoms and water.”

I almost wanted to tell him one wouldn’t be necessary since I was on the pill, but that was a level of closeness we didn’t need. One that would destroy what little line we had left.

I let it go and shimmied out of my panties and handed them over.

There was a ticking clock above our heads and there was nothing neither of us could do about it. With or without that gaudy ring on my finger, I was marked for another man whether I liked it or not.

Keith knew it, and so did I.

But that didn’t mean we couldn’t get our fill of each other before the end.

“I know I’m cuddly, but I promise if we go to bed together you won’t fall in love with me,” I teased.

A ghost of a smile had a corner of Keith’s mouth twitching. “You stay on your side and I’ll stay on mine.”

“Deal!” I jumped at the opportunity.

Keith snickered as he took my clothes and left me alone to shower.

I went into his standing shower and closed the door behind me. Alone with my thoughts. Just me, myself, and I.

That Case song came to mind, making me sad. I never wanted to miss him. I wasn’t prepared for the day that I would. For the day we would inevitably say goodbye.

18

She didn’t listen.

I only agreed to go to bed with Kennedy if we stuck to our sides. I even lingered in the living room after her shower, going and taking my time to do her laundry. By the time I’d run the dryer, smoked a cigarette out back, and took my own shower after cleaning the kitchen, she was still up. As tired as she was, Kennedy waited for me to come to bed.

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