Page 25 of The Devil and the Dancer
Gavin had been… amazing.
Her skin felt electric. Just the memory of his hands on her body made her flush with heat. He was a thorough lover, indulging in every taste, every curve and corner of her body. He was… slightly obsessed with her legs. He hadn’t pierced her skin, but her thighs and ankles had felt the blunt edge of his teeth. He’d devoured her and allowed her every liberty with his body too.
Months of wanting had given her plenty to imagine, and she had not been disappointed. His muscles weren’t the defined, gym-and-protein-shake variety she was so accustomed to with male dancers. The men she worked with had the bodies of Greek gods, but they were work instruments. Nothing about them was attractive to her.
Gavin was strong—preternaturally strong—but his body wasn’t made of hard lines. His skin was so pale he nearly glowed in the darkness. It was odd, but it was Gavin. Just the thought of him braced over her made Chloe smile.
She liked how his arms curved around her when he held her from behind and the contrast of his skin against hers. She liked the weight of his legs caging hers and the roughness of his feet when they tickled her ankles. He had several scars she wanted to ask about, one that looked like a bullet wound in his ass, and another few that marked his back and abdomen.
Even more than the sex, the tenderness after they’d made love was what stuck in her mind. He’d massaged every inch of her and run his fingers all over her body. Played with her hair—
“Ugh.” Chloe put a hand in the unwieldy mass of curls that probably resembled something between a clown’s wig and a tumbleweed. “That’s not gonna be fun.”
She refused to think about her hair. Not yet. Happy memories full in her mind, she put on some music and pulled the blankets up and over her deliciously well-used body.
Hours later, she heard her phone buzzing on the bedside table. The sun was shining directly through her window when she sat up and rubbed her eyes. Picking up her phone—and grimacing at the cracked screen—she saw a message from Arthur.
Whatcha doing today?
She texted back.Reading a new book.
Boring. Come shopping for fabrics with me.
She cocked her head and frowned. Typical Arthur.How is fabric shopping fun for me again?
I’ll make you something pretty! Shut up and come with me.
Chloe thought about Gavin’s advice. She could stay in and relax or she could go shopping with Arthur. Part of her desperately wanted to chill out and replay everything that happened the night before, but the other part of her—
Come. Shopping. With. Me.
—the other part of her knew Arthur would pester her until she went shopping.
Fine. But I need to condition my hair, so I’m not dressing up.
Whatever. I’ll look cute enough for both of us. Meet me at the bagel place at 10. Want. Coffee.
She sent a thumbs-up emoji and put her phone facedown. She needed to get going if she was going to meet Arthur at ten.
“Cara, play Happy Morning playlist.”
“Good morning, Chloe. Cueing up Happy Morning playlist. It is 8:46 a.m. You have no voice messages this morning. Do you want a summary of the news today?”
“Most definitely not,” she muttered.
“Very well. Playing Happy Morning playlist.”
The sounds of fast guitar filled the loft, followed quickly by an electronic beat that set Chloe’s heart beating faster. Music was an essential part of her life. She had playlists for everything: the morning, bedtime, practicing, stretching, grocery shopping. She was mentally composing a “Sex with Gavin” playlist in her head as she stepped in the warm spray of the shower. She wet her hair quickly and coated it with conditioner.
So much conditioner.
She was tapping her toes and moving to the beat when she remembered there was a huge, massive issue with going shopping with Arthur.
Gavin would be in the loft alone.
Was that okay? If they were at his place, she wouldn’t think twice about leaving him in the apartment while she went about her daily routine. Why did it feel weird leaving Gavin at her place on his own when he was locked in the light-safe room?
“Huh.” She blinked water out of her eyes. “I guess Iamfeeling territorial.”
