Reverence (4 page)

DEVIN

Certain I would go blind if I stared at the torn shreds Nina had sent me that once resembled the contract on the land, I pushed the paperwork into my trashcan. I had a consult in twenty minutes and my head was pounding. What in the hell was she thinking? She’d made it clear she wanted to be free of me and the only thing tying us together was this last shred of business. Fear crept through me as I thought of the possible repercussion of her action. For a brief minute, it was accompanied by a glimmer of hope. Did she still want me in her life? Was this an attempt to prompt me into badgering her some more? I took a shot of whiskey to even the scales of last night’s binge, followed by a thorough teeth brushing and topped it off with a fresh tie.

Sitting behind my desk, I clicked on a picture I’d kept with me¸ the last shred of evidence I had left that Nina was once mine. It was the night she told me she loved me. She was covered in a sheet with just fucked hair and looked absolutely beautiful. She was talking to me when she saw me position my camera on my phone and smiled. I loved everything about that photo. There was nothing between us then, nothing holding us back from simply being us. No rules to adhere to. She was mine and I was irrevocably hers.

She’d told me she loved me. I hadn’t said it back.

“Mr. McIntyre, your two-thirty is here.”

“Thank you, send him in.”

I spent the majority of my meeting zoning out as my client spoke, thinking of all the ways I’d had Nina: angry, submissive, subdued. I missed her.

I ended my meeting knowing I wasn’t doing either of us justice and handed over a large homework assignment of investments to research to keep him stifled until we could reschedule. My head wasn’t in it. I was going home. I pulled out of the garage, feeling like utter shit as memories swirled around in my head. Her smile, her laugh, her lips, the way her mouth opened slowly into a perfect ‘O’ before she came. My need was insatiable for her and it was only getting stronger as she grew more distant. I passed the exit home, opting to drive. After our sailing expedition, I purposefully scheduled her next appointment for a week later, hoping she was the one who didn’t cancel.

“I wasn’t sure if you would call,” she said, walking in to admire the room again. I noted to give her the name of my decorator.

“I didn’t, my PA called yours,” I replied as she rolled her eyes.

“Fascinating, but why am I here?”

I sat back in my seat, taking in her perfectly fitted, white designer dress and silver dipped shoes.

I. Had. To. Fuck. Her.

“I wanted to see you,” I said simply, offering no more explanation.

“I see.” Her brows knit in confusion. “Well, how good of you to interrupt my work week to be so selfish. Have you had a good look?”

“Take off your panties,” I said, moving back in my chair so she could see the bulge in my pants.

She gawked at me.

“I’m very serious, Nina. Take off your panties.”

She didn’t move, but simply stared at me. “I’ll be a good boy and take you home to fuck you properly. I’ve just imagined you in my office with your skirt up for so long, and your pretty cunt shiny and wet in my face. I really want to make this fantasy a reality. So please, for me, take off your panties.”

Her breathing stretched throughout the room, sucking all the air out of it. The electricity crackled between us as she walked over to me. I stayed seated as she slowly slid her skirt up, revealing that she had none on.

It took everything in me not to touch her. I watched her vibrate as she looked down at me. She was perfectly waxed, smooth and silky. I could smell her arousal.

“Tell me what you want,” I said, moving my hand to touch her as she leaned forward in anticipation.

“Devin, please,” she begged as I watched her shake in front of me.

I slowly pulled down her skirt as she glared at me and pushed my intercom.

“Ana, I’m gone for the day.”

“Yes, Mr. McIntyre.”

I turned to Nina, who stood confused. “Let’s go.” I guided her to the elevator and down to my Audi. She didn’t say a word as I drove like a bat out of hell through downtown, which was damn near impossible, and pulled up minutes later at my house. She didn’t bother looking around her as she followed me inside. She was as narrow sighted as I was.

In the last year, I had discovered more about her than her ex-husband was probably aware of. A few office meetings had turned into long lunches. I knew her tastes and food fetishes. I knew the name of her senior prom date. I also knew about her parents never-ending feud and her money hungry mother. I’d even been introduced to her brother Aaron briefly while he was passing through. She’d made it a point for us to meet, which I found flattering. She wanted to let me in. I wanted be in. And so I never let on differently.

What I didn’t know was what it was like to be inside her, and that was about to change.

I led her to the kitchen where I grabbed a few water bottles out of the fridge and then held her hand as we went upstairs, leading her into my sanctuary.

“I warned you I wasn’t gentle,” I said, setting the bottles down on the night table. She nodded. “I need to hear you say it,” I prompted, keeping myself far enough from her to stop.

“I understand,” she said, a small amount of fear in her voice.

“You will do what I ask, when I ask it of you.”

She nodded slowly, pulling her dress up again, this time up past her breasts and over her head before tossing it on the floor. Her breathing picked up as I watched her. Her nipples peaked under her bra as I walked over to her.

“What do you want, Nina?”

“Everything,” she answered honestly. I took her mouth with such intensity she had to brace herself on my arms to keep from falling. I kissed, licked, and sucked until her entire frame leaned into me for support. She needed air and I gave her none. Turning her body, I pushed her onto my bed. She fell, her legs spreading as she pulled herself up on her forearms, watching me. I undid my tie as her gray eyes pooled with desire. I knew that hunger. I matched it and far surpassed it.

“Spread further, let me see that beautiful cunt, Nina.”

She spread wide, tilting her hips up as she opened for me. I slowly pulled of my tie and then swatted her center with it, making her scream out. She bit her lip, her eyes watering and looked up at me with confusion and fire. I knew it was in there somewhere. Undressing, her eyes widened and then lingered on my hard cock.

She was impressed. She should be.

I stroked it for her, letting her see all of me, as she’d let me explore her with the same hungry eyes. Crawling on top of her, I felt her gasp as I nudged her entrance. I towered over her, my arms separating our bodies, but our centers aligned perfectly. “Don’t look away from me. I want to see your eyes when I fuck you,” I ordered. Her perfect lips parted as she panted and lifted her hips up, begging for me. “Just the tip,” I taunted as I fisted myself and offered her an inch. Her tight, wet pussy accepted it with ease as she bucked her hips, begging for more as I left just an inch inside her, coating her folds with her own slick heat. I moved back and forth, slowly fucking her with the head of my cock until she writhed and began to beg.

“What do you want?”

“Your cock, all of it, ple—”

I slammed into her all the way to the hilt while her eyes met mine and she screamed out in praise. I pulled out slowly, fucking her again with just the tip. Her face burned with desire as she looked up at me.

“Devin,” she pleaded, bringing her legs around my hips to pull me down as I hovered.

“I’ve wanted this a long, long time, Nina. I need to know you’ve wanted it too.”

“Fuck.” She writhed underneath me in frustration. “From the first day, Devin. Please, fuck me. Please!” I slammed into her again, then pulled almost entirely out. The feel of her was weakening me, but I wanted her desperate, hungry, and for only me. Right before she started to beg again, I thrust, once, twice, and she clenched around my cock, exploding around me in all her beauty, keeping her gaze on me and her mouth parted with her scream.

She gave me her whole orgasm without me having to ask.

She was fucking perfect.

I grunted through my need to let go, fucking her hard and gripping her legs around me, lifting her to sink in deeper. She moaned and scratched my skin, a plea for more as I pounded deep into her soaked sex. I raced my climax and won, drawing several more screams and moans from her before finally pulling out to spill all over her perfect tits.

Not bad for a Wednesday at three in the afternoon.

I’d say that’s a good fucking day, Devin.

I reached between Nina’s legs, drawing out another orgasm as she murmured to me through small gasps.

Pinching her sensitive clit, her body shot up and I stilled her with one hand on her chest while I tortured her with the other.

“Devin,” she whispered, bringing my attention to her mouth. I slid my drenched fingers into it and watched her suck them. I was hard again but wanted to let her rest. I had far more planned.

I kissed her thoroughly and pulled away. She sat up, pulling the sheet around her.

“In this bed you remain naked,” I ordered. She dropped the sheet with a shy smile. She lay back on the pillow, staring at the ceiling as I offered her water. Her breathing was heavy. It was then that I knew she was nervous.

“Can I be honest with you?” she asked, turning to look at me.

“Aren’t you always?” I said with a smirk, taking a long pull of water.

“That was incredible,” she whispered, taking slow inventory of my body. “If you only have one speed, I like the setting.

“I don’t disagree,” I chuckled, putting the water on the night table. I pulled her on top of my chest and took a nipple into my mouth.

“Am I sporting a sex afro?” she said, unsure, running her hands through her hair, ignoring the effect of my mouth. I let go of her nipple and howled with laughter. I felt the same tug I’d grown accustomed to when I really looked at her. She had a small mole that she covered with makeup next to her nose that I first notices that day on the sailboat and could clearly see it now. I stroked it with my finger and she turned her head.

Wiping the mascara smudge underneath her eye, I brought her nose to mine. “You look perfect.”

“Liar,” she whispered as she tried to dismount me.

“You have no reason to be nervous, Nina.”

I looked up at her as she tried her best to relax. She couldn’t do if for herself, so I decided to help her out twice, once with my tongue, the other with my cock. She knocked out swiftly after her fourth screaming orgasm.

Those screams justified my need of her.

I was, after all, a closer.

NINA

AIDEN:
Dinner?

NINA:
I’m all yours.

AIDEN:
I’ll make sure of it.

He gave me an address and I looked it up. It was a private country club close to my home. Standing in my closet in a daze, I realized I didn’t know how to continue the budding relationship between us without being deceitful. I’d given Taylor the info on the two men and was assured I would know something before the night’s end. I would have to tread carefully until I knew more. I picked a sleeveless tan and teal silk dress whose name brand I didn’t give a shit about. I was sure it was expensive, but with Aiden, I didn’t have to worry about appearances or wearing last year’s fashions.

With him, I could be anyone I wanted. This was new, we were new. I smiled as I dusted my face with powder, seeing the blue in my eyes pop out to match the dress. On any given day, my eyes changed color, going from an extreme stormy gray to blue. Even my eye color cooperated with me on my new agenda.

Do better,
be
better¸ and make better choices.

I wasn’t sure if I would ever fit in with my new peers, but I was a far cry from the hopeful housewife who waited patiently for her husband to come home to have something to look forward to. I had let people ruin my first few years of success, and I was determined not to let their opinion control my happiness any longer. My new identity wouldn’t have anything to do with the status quo. I had caught myself in time to keep from truly selling out. I had a delicious distraction who was now showing me just how beneficial it was to be real. And just maybe, this time, I would find myself in a real relationship.

Aiden.

I felt the ache growing between my thighs at thoughts of being filled by him. I was still deliciously sore from last night and embraced the fire spreading through my veins. I’d told him I wanted him to be the good guy, but his torturous fucking told me he was anything but. His dazzling smile and sincerity contradicted that point.

Carson drove me to the club and I was greeted by a smiling valet as he tried to avoid my subtle cleavage, but failing miserably.

It was a beautiful night and the day’s heat was fading. I was led through a large dining hall draped in fabric and chandeliers to a private dining room that could cater to hundreds. Off it was a balcony surrounded by palms and small, intimate, rock filled fires, comfortable couch seating, and … Aiden.

He was dressed impeccably in a suit and tie that looked just as natural as his jeans and t-shirt. He was looking out at the ocean with his hands in his pockets. His golden blond hair was combed back neatly, as if he’d been styling it that way for years. He looked up as the hostess and I entered, next to him stood an intimate table for two dressed to the nines in glassware, candles, and fresh pink peonies.

“We will have your server to you soon, Mr. McIntyre,” the hostess piped with a knowing smile for us both. I held in my cringe at the announcement of his name and thanked her, turning back to Aiden who now fully faced me, taking my breath away. He looked like a Wall-Street mogul. He was so tall, broad, and lethal in a suit. He smiled and held out a hand, not leaving his spot as he stood next to an open glass door.

I walked toward him, drinking him in.

“You look surprised,” he mused.

“I am a little. You clean up nice.” Pulling me to him, he planted a slow kiss on my mouth and then wrapped his arms around me, planting another small kiss underneath my ear as he hugged me.

“I had a meeting today. I thought I might take advantage of the monkey suit and show my girl a good time.”

I looked around me and shrugged. “This is beautiful, Aiden, but you didn’t have to go through all this trouble. I would be happy anywhere.” I suddenly felt guilty. It must have cost him a fortune to reserve the room. Once again, the guilt of my wealth threatened to ruin my evening. Dismissing it, I looked around, noting the spectacular view. I watched a cruise ship sail by and looked back to Aiden whose amber eyes glowed with amusement.

“I didn’t go through anything,” he said simply. “Come on, let’s sit.” He pulled out the chair for me and I took a seat, feathering my fingers through the delicate flowers. “You deserve to be dined properly, Nina.”

“That’s not important, and unnecessary.” Placing my napkin in my lap, I looked up to see Aiden frown.

“I disagree.” Seconds later, he was testing a bottle of wine it seemed he previously ordered and nodded once at our waiter after he took a sip.

The white wine was smooth, crisp, and delicious. The formality, the way he presented himself, it all seemed so out of character for him. I suddenly mourned my sandal clad surfer with a dirty mouth.

“Now you look disappointed.” Taking a long sip of wine, he put his glass down. “Come here.” I stood and rounded the table as he pulled me onto his lap. “What is it?”

“It’s just…you and I, this isn’t us.”

“
Us
is yet to be determined. I happen to enjoy the ritual of it all, but I didn’t realize it would upset you,” he said as his fingers brushed over my knee. I turned to face him, pulling him closer and taking in his scent. He was wearing cologne that I was unfamiliar with, but smelled incredible. I breathed in deep, leaning into him, letting him stroke my skin.

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to seem ungrateful.” I saw fire in his eyes as his fingers traced my knee in slow small circles. I lifted his wine glass, taking a sip and leaned in to kiss him. He sucked the wine from my lips and I moaned, tracing his lips with my tongue. I felt him harden underneath me.

“Are you wet for me, Nina?” His fingers drifted further up my leg, but only slightly, stroking the tender skin beneath my knee.

“Mm,” I whispered, lost in his touch. The door opened and neither of us moved as our wedge salads were placed on the table. Our eyes were still locked as the waiter disappeared as quickly as he came, closing the door behind him.

“Hungry?” he whispered, taking my bottom lip in his mouth and sucking gently as his finger eased up my thigh underneath my dress, stopping at the skin just between my thigh and the hem of my panties.

“Very,” I said, leaving no doubt of the source of my hunger. My arm wrapped around his neck as I opened my legs further, welcoming him.

He pulled my dress down, covering my exposed skin and let go of my lip. Frowning in frustration, I made my way to my seat and returned my napkin to its rightful place. I cut a portion of salad, not looking up, because if I did, I knew I would beg him to take me. I was ravenous for him, for the release. I wanted to get lost in him so I didn’t have to think about anything. He was trying, for me, and I owed it to him to do the same.

“Tell me more about you, Aiden. I want to know everything,” I said, picking up my wine, noticing he hadn’t touched his salad. I paused with my glass halfway to my lips. “You aren’t eating.”

“I thought we were passed this…the hiding.” His stare was debilitating and beautiful, and I wanted nothing more than to ease his mind.

“We are.”

“We’re not.”

Smirking to lighten the mood, I finally brought my wine to my lips and inhaled the glass. “We seem to be arguing a lot tonight.”

“Tell me what happened.” It wasn’t a request. It was an order.

“Discussing our exes, isn’t it a little soon?” My smile seemed to trigger his anger.

His fist came down hard on the table, making me jump. There was a slow burn in his eyes and his chin was set in determination. “I want your attention,
all of it
, and someone has taken that ability from me. I want to know what happened.”

Sitting motionless, I saw the demand in his stance. He was running out of patience and I was screwing this up.

“I unknowingly got involved with a married man. I trusted him completely and I fell hard, really hard. And I can honestly say we were happy. He treated me …” I paused, terrified of saying the words to the man who was doing an incredible job of trying to make me forget. “He made me happy, we were happy.” Twisting the stem of my glass with nervous hands, Aiden picked up the bottle, filling my glass as the doors again opened and she-crab soup was delivered to the table. When we were alone, I continued bracing myself for his judgment. “When I found out he was married, I continued sleeping with him, but … he’d changed. Not only did he betray me, he started treating me like a possession. Our connection was broken. It continued for months. I was miserable and decided to do something about it. I finally broke it off …” I paused again, fear racing through me, “… the day I met you.”

“You didn’t leave him for me,” he said matter-of-fact, spooning his soup.

“No, I—”

“I wasn’t asking. So he’s barely a ghost in your bed.” I felt the chill emulating from him. He looked up through a spoonful of the rich creamy soup and I nodded.

“Okay,” he said seeming satisfied, nodding at me to resume my eating. I grabbed my spoon, relieved that much was out of the way.

“Your turn.” His eyes matched the flame that flickered between us in the dark room as the sun disappeared from view.

“I’m a habitual bachelor. I’ve never been married and I don’t want children. I don’t find it at all appealing. Marriage to me…” He shrugged his shoulders and swallowed his soup, “… it’s not something I’m capable of. I don’t know, maybe the right woman. I’m thirty-five so I really don’t see changing my mind. Maybe. I’ve had two serious girlfriends, both when I was in my twenties. Both relationships ended amicably.”

He’s thirty-five. Devin is thirty-five. They aren’t brothers. I smiled broadly and damn near sobbed into my soup.

“What is it?”

“Nothing, tell me more.” I picked up the wine, refilling our glasses with enthusiasm as he studied me oddly. I was acting like a jackass. I would have to try harder to salvage our night.

“Not exactly the reaction I’m used to when I declare that I’m a permanent bachelor.”

“It doesn’t bother me. I just got out of that nightmare. I’m relieved you are this way. I won’t ever marry again, Aiden.” I felt a shiver down my spine as I said the words, more certain than ever of the truth of them.

I had business sense. When it came to a hard cock, I had no sense. Only one of these things defined my future. For now, I would revel in the fact that I was a ravenous slut with an insatiable need, and this man seemed to want me just as much.

He sat back in his seat, pushing his bowl away. “I look at you and I see differently.”

I felt my cheeks heat at the sudden pressure of his words. “Aiden, I—”

“Hear me out before you panic.”

“Okay.”

He grabbed my hand across the table. “I’m not declaring my love. It would be a lie. I’m not promising anything. But what I will tell you is when I’m with you, there is a new kind of calm in me. One I didn’t realize existed until you came along. I like it. I want to keep it around.” He lifted my hand to his lips and brushed them over my knuckles. That act alone had my pulse thumping between my thighs. Stroking a thumb over the top of my hand, his eyes turned molten. “And you have the most perfect tasting pussy I’ve ever had my mouth on. I don’t think I can wait past dinner to get another taste.”

“Then please don’t wait,” I whispered.

“Take this finger,” he said, stroking my index with his, “and put it inside you.”

Without hesitating, I did what he asked, gasping at how much I needed to be touched, needed
his
touch. My clit was throbbing, begging for attention. Sensing me straying from his orders, he stopped me.

“Don’t, that belongs to me. Now bring your finger to my lips, Nina.” Obliging, I lifted my hand over the table to his mouth and moaned as he sucked my finger eagerly. Kissing the pad of it, he let go, placing a chaste kiss on the inside of my palm and then rested his cheek in it.

“I can’t say that you openly admitting to loving another man won’t make a difference. You say you are done and I choose to believe you. With any other woman, I would walk away. With you, it makes me burn.”

“I didn’t know you existed.” My voice was small as I studied his perfect lips.

“And now that you do?” he asked, pulling his face from my hand and making room for the plate of perfectly cooked tenderloin with béarnaise set out before us. The waiter disappeared and I couldn’t help but to hope we stayed uninterrupted. I was on fire for him, every muscle in my body tightening. The longer his eyes lingered on me, the more desperate I became to keep them there.