Little Conversations (19 page)

Ronin tossed her sideways on the bed so that only her torso
and hips lay upon it, her legs dangling over the side.  His hands quickly pulled
down her zipper and slid her shorts down her legs, bringing her bikini bottom along
with them.  She lay naked before him, open and wet and waiting as he finally
pulled off his swim trunks and nestled between her thighs.  Roughly, his
lips fell to her breast, closing around the aching nipple, pulling slightly as
his hand kneaded her other breast.  Devin’s eyes clamped shut at the
sensation, her keening voice echoing through the room.  

“Look at me, sweetheart.  Eyes up here,” Ronin
commanded on a harsh breath as he raised himself above her, aligning himself
with her aching core.  

Devin met his eyes, writhing with the desperate need
coursing through her, clawing just above his hips to pull his full weight on
top of her, her nails digging into his skin. 

Ronin resisted her pull for a moment.  “You’re with me, baby. 
When you’re with me, I want you to
know
it.  Say my name, Devin.”

“Ronin,” she gasped as she felt the touch of his hard shaft
pressing against her.  “I’m with you, Ronin.”

“Don’t take your eyes off me.”  And he slid inside her,
feeling her sudden intake of air, but she kept her gaze locked onto his.  “Don’t
turn away.  Oh, honey… oh, that’s… fuuuuuuck.”

Devin’s hands slid down to grab the edge of the mattress,
steadying her hips to meet his thrusts, as she urged him to be forceful,
rough.  Ronin pulled her right leg up beneath his arm, gripping her thigh
with bruising force as he slammed into her, sending luscious flares of rapture
throughout her body.  Her gasps became louder and his skin became flushed,
beads of sweat forming a fine sheen on his face and shoulders.  She tilted
her hips and squeezed down on him, and Ronin groaned fiercely. 

“Oh, honey.  Uuuhhhh, like that…” Ronin breathed.  “So good. 
So hot…”

His right hand slipped down to where they were joined, his
fingers circling her clit, a slight pressure alternating with a firm one.
 Devin cried out as she felt a surge of intensity rapidly build, felt
herself tensing in anticipation of the pleasure to come.  Ronin kept his eyes
locked with hers as he pushed her forward towards a blissful release, stroking
her inside and out until her body jolted and shook.  Unable to keep her
eyes open any longer, Devin closed them tightly as color burst across her lids,
a flash fire ripping through her soul, and Ronin let go of his own release with
a guttural cry and collapsed upon her tremulous body.

“Say my name, Devin,” he breathed against her neck, sliding
up to whisper against her lips.  “Say it.”

“Ronin…” she rasped, and repeated it again and again.  “Ronin…
oh God, Ronin…”

My Ronin
… she wished in the deep recesses of her mind.

“My Dev…” she thought she heard him faintly whisper.

The night filtered in through Devin’s open window.  The
soft, sweet smell of sunflowers floated through it into the room.  Both of them
should have been exhausted, but the newness of this intimacy was a stronger
pull, leaving them insatiable.  Kisses and touches led to more, and in the
aftermath of more came renewed kisses and touches… and then more.  And so this
cycle continued long into the night.

“I can’t seem to stop touching you… to stop wanting you,” Ronin
murmured against her ear, and Devin giggled softly.  “Tomorrow is going to suck.”

Devin gently sighed.  “If I was a better person, I’d leave
you alone so you could go home.” The shadows danced along the walls of the
darkened room, and a slight glimmer of moonlight filtered in just enough to
make out the firm muscles of Ronin’s bare chest.  Her hand traced an imaginary
pattern through the coarse hair that dusted across his skin.

“Why?”

“It’s selfish of me to want you here.  You have to get up in,
like,” she glanced at her iPhone on the dock by her bed, “three hours.  You’ve
got some long busy days ahead of you.  You need your sleep.”

There was only silence for a moment, and then she suddenly
found herself flipped to her back, Ronin’s knee pushing her legs apart as his
weight settled between her thighs.

“Fuck sleep.  I need you way more than I need sleep,” he
murmured as his lips closed over hers with renewed vigor, his hands dancing across
her skin. 

The days were growing cooler.  August was quickly
slipping away and Joanie was leaving for school in the morning. 

It was the perfect excuse to try a new drink. 

“Tequila,” Amy smiled gleefully looking at the items Devin
laid out on Joanie’s counter, “triple sec, and… honeydew melons?  Jesus Christ,
Devin.  Where do you come up with these things?”

“I keep telling you—Cosmo.  Cosmo is all about sex tips and
cocktails,” Devin grinned wickedly.

Amy and Devin had been helping Joanie pack for school.  She’d
been living with her older sister for the past couple months, and, since Joanie
didn’t have much, she wasn’t taking much, with the exception of a
lot
of
clothes.  Devin had never seen so many clothes.  The boxes were piled
haphazardly by the back door.  Devin eyed them and thought of the small dorm
room Joanie would be living in. 

“Jeez, Joanie, are you going to be able to fit all that in
your room?” she asked skeptically. 

“Well, since I won’t have your shit taking up all the space,
I should be okay.”

Devin sheepishly looked down at the ingredients on the
counter, moving the bottles around nervously.  “You’re gonna make me feel bad
for that forever, aren’t you?”

“Devin, seriously.  It’s okay.  You’re doing the right
thing.  If you’re not ready to go, there’s no reason to torture yourself with
all that shit.  Chances are, I won’t ever even see Jake and Melanie, but you
never know.  With your luck, you’d end up in the same fuckin’ class.  I think
you need a clean break, and this will do just that for you.”  She smiled
knowingly as she pulled the smoothie-maker to the edge of the counter.  “Besides,
now that you’ve got things going with Ronin like you do…” she trailed off.

“Joanie,” Devin interrupted, “I’m not sure what’s going on
with Ronin.  We’re just… I don’t know.”

“Fuckin’?” Amy offered as she sliced the honeydew melon into
chunks, dropping them into the blender.

Joanie burst into gales of laughter.  “Yup, that would be what
they’re doing.  Often, too.  Like frickin’ rabbits!”  She looked back at Devin
with a knowing smile.  “But, I kinda think there’s something more to it than
that.”

Devin had been trying
not
to overanalyze this new
twist in their friendship, and this was not helping.  She concentrated on carefully
measuring out the liquor and dumping it into the blender with Amy’s honeydew.  “Fuck
off and grab some ice, Joanie,” she muttered. 

“No, really.  I think Joanie’s onto something,” Amy piped
in.  “I’ve known Ronin for over ten years, and I’ve never known him to be, like,
all serious with a girl.”

Devin looked over at Amy with a strange light in her eyes.  “What
about Kim?” she asked softly.

Amy froze for a minute, then tossed the honeydew rinds in
the trash.  “Well, Kim was…  He was, um… crazy about Kim from the first time he
saw her.  I didn’t hang out with them much back then, but I still heard shit
from Shane.”  Amy grimaced.  “And he was pretty fucked up when that went
south.  He kinda went all man-ho for a while, slept around a lot, like he was
trying to exorcise a demon inside him.”  Amy leveled her gaze on Devin.  “But, Kim
was… different.  I only met her a couple times, but I thought she was one hellacious
bitch.  Phony as all heck, too.  All make-up and fake tan and streaked hair.  She
wasn’t anything like you, and he certainly wasn’t like he is with you.  With
you…?  I don’t know.  He smiles.  He laughs.  He’s… happy.”  Amy smiled softly
at her friend. 

Devin chewed on her lip, fingering the buttons on the
blender thoughtfully.  She looked up at Amy and shot her a reassuring smile,
one that she didn’t really feel from the heart.  “It’s early.  Who knows what’s
going to happen.  Up until a few months ago, I thought I’d end up marrying
Jake.”  Devin picked up the bottle of tequila, opening it up and tipping it
towards the blender.

“Dev, we’ve got the booze in there already,” Joanie said.

“Needs more,” Devin responded, pouring a liberal amount into
the already heavily potent mixture.  Placing the bottle back on the counter,
she clicked on the smoothie-maker, effectively halting any more conversation
about Ronin. 

About Ronin and her. 

About Ronin and Kim.

 “Cheers,” Devin giggled as the girls clinked their glasses
together one last time.  This was officially the last batch of the honeydew
margaritas.  “Here’s to Joanie’s last night in town!  May she get laid often
and well at college!”

“Good grief, Devin,” Joanie laughed.  “But, yeah, thanks!”  

The faint sound of a pickup could be heard in front of
Joanie’s building, then the sound of large, heavy feet climbing the steps.  The
door opened, and in walked Ronin and Joe. 

“Evenin’ girls!” Joe smiled widely.  “Ready to go?”

Ronin’s eyes immediately locked on a quite intoxicated Devin
as she leaned up against the refrigerator in the kitchen, licking the taste of
tequila off her lips.  His gaze became hot as her tongue glided out.  Her mouth
fell open slightly, and she felt warm and tingly inside. 

“Joe,” Amy was saying, “where’s Matt?  He was supposed to be
with you.”

“He’s on his way, brat,” Joe replied.  “Likely getting a
speech from your big brother about the proper way to treat his baby sister.”

“Dammit, Joe!  What the hell?  Why didn’t Shane ride with
Ronin!?  He’s gonna end up scaring Matt away, and I’ll
never
get to know
him,” Amy whined as she headed outside to wait for her overly protective brother
and her newly rediscovered crush.

“Like I had a choice,” Joe laughed, following her outside as
she pounded down the wooden stairs.  “Your brother is in super-big-brother mode
all of a sudden, and there’s no way he was going to bring Matt along tonight
without a chat.”    

The bickering faded from Devin’s awareness as she stood
leaning against the refrigerator totally focused on Ronin.  His eyes bore into her
sending a thrill through her.  Her lower lip caught in her teeth, and he shuddered
with a low groan.

“Ummm,” Joanie murmured, watching them both closely, “I
think I’m gonna head outside, too.”  And she slipped out the door. 

Ronin’s eyes fell to watch subtle rise and fall of her chest
against the scoop neckline of her shirt.  Devin could see the heat flare in his
eyes, weakening her knees and making her flush. 

“Hi, honey,” he growled as he took a few steps farther into
the room. 

“Hi,” she purred back. 

He leaned against the sink directly across from her in the
small galley kitchen.  Only a foot or so away.  The air around them seemed to
crackle with the energy that bounced between them.  Neither spoke for a moment,
each waiting for the other to talk.  To move.  Anything.

“C’mere,” Ronin quietly commanded. 

Devin stood straight, pulling her body from the fridge.  One
small step, then another.  Ronin’s hand slid across her hipbone, circling
around to rest on the curve of her backside.  A little pressure had her soundly
flush against him.  Her hands began at his thick forearms, lightly dancing up
to rest on his pectorals and grazing the solid muscle that lay under his shirt. 
Devin’s breathing became audible, heavier.  She licked her lips and slowly
brought them to the smooth skin at the base of his neck.  Her tongue flicked
against the hollow between his collar bones, and her fingers clasped his
shoulders with an anxious grip. 

Arching over her, Ronin’s hands grazed the skin where her
shirt ended and her skirt began, low on her hips.  She felt tiny hairs rise all
over her body at his touch, and she gently nipped the skin on his neck. 

“Fuck,” Ronin breathed, and slid his hands down to the back
of her thighs, lifting her against him as his weight slammed her back hard
against the fridge.  The contents inside clinked and rattled with the force of
their bodies.  His mouth swooped down onto hers, and he ground his hips against
her in a sudden torrent of fervor.  Devin’s hands slid up his neck to rest just
below his ears, her thumbs brushing against the scratchy day’s growth of hair. 
Her tongue darted into his mouth, twisting against his, running along his
teeth. 

Devin’s head fell back as he nibbled his way along her jaw
to her earlobe, pulling the soft skin into his mouth and suckling lightly
before snagging it between his front teeth.  Devin felt a sharp flash course
through her, a titillating pull, and she sighed loudly.

“God, Ronin…”

Ronin’s lips again locked onto hers, and she was lost in him
as he devoured her.  The slam of the screen door barely penetrated her sensual
fog.  Amy’s amused words barely reached her ears. 

“Jeez, you guys.  Let me at least get some beer out of the
fridge before you guys start going at it.”

Ronin stilled for a moment, then lowered Devin’s feet to the
floor, pressing his forehead up to hers for a moment while he caught his breath. 
He shut his eyes tightly. 

“Give me a minute, small-fry,” he muttered. 

“Dude, I just wanna grab a beer,” she retorted.

“Fuck,” Ronin whispered as his eyes opened to see Devin
peeking up at him through heavy lids.  Her own breath came in sharp gasps, and she
felt a tremor rip through him as she caught his gaze.  “I’ll be outside,” he
breathed. 

“Okay,” she whispered back. 

His hand slipped around the back of her head as he caught
her lips for one last quick, firm kiss, and then he was out the door.

Devin’s eyes clenched shut, and her head fell back to the
fridge.  She took a deep breath, trying to calm and cool herself.  Remembering
Amy standing there, she slowly opened her eyes and looked over at her friend’s
wide-eyed expression.

“Wow,” Amy gasped.

“Wow,” Devin agreed.  She inhaled deeply and held it in her
lungs before forcefully expelling the air. 

“Devin,” Amy said quietly with a devilish smile, “you little
ho.”

“Fuck off… you trowel…” Devin grinned back breathlessly.

For her last night in town, Joanie wanted to go to the bar
to listen to the live band and shake her booty long into the night.  Boring Greg
the Accountant had proved just too boring, and she was ready to make the
rounds, dancing with every cowboy in the place until last call of her last
night at home.  

Ronin barely left Devin’s side, holding her close against
him, literally growling at any other guy who meandered anywhere near her, much
to Devin’s amusement.  It was as though he was staking his claim. 

He held her on the dance floor as the band played, his breath
fanning the fine downy hairs of her neck as he curved into her.  His lips nipped
at the sensitive skin below her ear.  His hands intermittently held her tightly
and skimmed her back, setting Devin on fire.  Her body had in no way come down from
the passionate episode in the kitchen earlier, and she was thoroughly drenched
with a frenetic intensity.  The touch of Ronin’s hands on her back, skimming
under the edge of her shirt.  The smell of his skin filling the air around her. 
The taste of his lips as he kissed her long and hard on the dance floor. 

Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore.  She pulled back a
little and stared up at Ronin with a fiery wildness burning in her eyes. 
Sliding her fingers down the heavy muscles of his arm, she grasped his hand and
turned, pulling him along behind her to the back door.  Ronin followed without
urging, brushing up against her as she paused to push open the door.  The
fingers of his hand slid along her hip, slipping into the waistband of her
skirt and gripping her hip bone as he lightly kissed her neck. 

And then they were outside, out in the back alley.  The door
closed heavily behind them, muffling the music and leaving them in shadows. 
Devin turned back to Ronin, clenching his shirt and pulling herself up to him as
her lips found his again.  Ronin moaned into her mouth, yanking her tightly up
against him, using his weight to hold her up against the brick building behind
her.