Page 179 of His Virgin Romance Series

“She knows about your lifestyle?” I asked.

“She does,” Devon nodded. “And she was a little… ambivalent at first. But I’m easing her into it. I think she was more scared about having her kids exposed to such a rough way of living.”

“She has kids?” I asked.

“Two,” Devon replied. “A son and a daughter. Mika’s four and Chrissy’s five. Their father left them high and dry right after Mika was born. Jessica’s raised them by herself from the very beginning. Her mother helps a lot, but she’s done most of the heavy lifting on her own.

“Sounds like a tough chick.”

“Definitely,” Devon nodded, and I noticed how his eyes brightened when he spoke about her.

“I’d like to meet her one day,” I said. “No pressure though.”

Devon smiled. “First, we find Walter Black,” he said. “Then I’ll make introductions.”

I nodded, satisfied with that promise. “So… do you think you’ll marry this girl?” I asked.

Devon hesitated for a moment. “I never thought about myself as the marrying type. It’s not always conducive to this kind of lifestyle.”

“Lonny’s married,” I pointed out.

“Lots of the guys are,” Devon said. “Well, maybe not a lot… but a decent amount comparatively. It can be done… I just, it takes a very specific woman to sign on for this.”

I nodded. “True.”

“Jessica is… very important to me,” Devon said. “And I do hope we have a future, but… it’s complicated.”

I sighed, as I thought of my own complicated personal life. “I get that,” I nodded, with sympathy.

“So… what’s the deal with you and Ryder?” Devon asked.

I hesitated, taken off guard with the question. “I… um… what… there’s no deal with Ryder and me,” I said, tripping over my own words so much that it didn’t sound convincing at all.

“If you remember, I walked in on the two of you making out the first night we brought you here,” Devon reminded me.

I groaned. “We weren’t making out,” I said defensively. “And that was… taken out of context.”

Devon laughed. “Can a kiss be taken out of context?”

I sighed. “It’s complicated.”

“Obviously.”

“He’s completely wrong for me,” I said, trying to convince myself at the same time. “In every single way, and the two of us definitely don’t have a future together… not that Ryder even wants a future with me.”

“But you do?” Devon asked.

“What?”

“You just said that Ryder doesn’t want a future with you,” Devon pointed out. “You never mentioned yourself.”

“Didn’t I?”

“Nope.”

“Well I meant to,” I said quickly.

Devon was looking at me pointedly, and I could tell that he didn’t quite believe me. “I’m attracted to him, ok?” I said. “I don’t want to be, but I am. But I was attracted to Walter, too, before I realized he was a complete and total psychopath. I need to stay away from men who are bad for me.”

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