The Lost Days (Prairie Town Book 3) (32 page)

When she stood and headed for the door, he leapt up from his seat and blocked the doorway, arms extended and gripping the frame as he stared down at her.

“Don’t go,” he begged.  “Wait for Nick to get here.  Please.”

“I think I’ve made a mistake, Devin.  I don’t know what I was thinking.”

She tried to slip beneath his arm and he stepped backwards, once again blocking her path.

“It’s not a mistake.” His voice quivered.  “You’re here because you feel something.  You have to feel something.”

“I...I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.” Her eyes darted back and forth between his.  “All I feel right now is confusion, and maybe a little stupid for even entertaining the idea.”

“You’re not stupid, Kelly.  You’re looking for something.”

That caught her attention.

“You’re just as lost as I am – as Nick is.  And you’re looking for something you didn’t even realize you needed.”

The corners of her mouth twitched and after a long moment of silence, she cleared her throat.  “It’s not normal, Devin.  Don’t you understand?  What he’s asking of us...what he wants; it’s not something people like you and I get involved with.”

“But how do you know?” She managed to get around him and he followed her to the door.  When she grabbed for the knob, he pressed a palm against it just above her head, cornering her. 

“Devin, what are you—”

“How do you know this isn’t something we get involved with?  We’ve never even tried.”

“And we shouldn’t either!” She turned around to face him, tilting her head back to meet his gaze.  “People would talk, Devin.  We would be judged because that’s what the world does now.  They criticize what they don’t understand and I don’t know about you, but I’m sick of seeing that happen.”

“Screw what people do, Kelly.  This isn’t about them.  It’s about us.” His stomach twisted into anxious knots as he leaned down to be eye-to-eye with her, their noses inches apart.  “If there’s even the slightest chance that this sparks your interest, go for it.  If there’s even the tiniest part of you that wants to try it, then don’t let anyone take that from you.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” she said, frowning.  “You’re a man.  You’re allowed to do things like this, but it doesn’t work that way for a woman.  Do you know what people would call me if I allowed myself to be with two men?  A whore.  I would be a whore, Devin.  A slut.”

“That’s not true,” he said through clenched teeth.  The thought of anyone saying such degrading things about her really got under his skin. It made him furious, protective.  “You are
not
and will
never
be a whore or slut, Kelly.  Double standards are bullshit.”

“But that’s the world we live in, Devin.” Tears shimmered in her eyes.  “If I let myself do this...if I allow myself to be with Nick...and with you...it would be so selfish of me.  It would make me a horrible person.”

“Why would you say that?  You could never be a horrible person, Kelly.”

I’m the horrible person,
he wanted to say. 
I’m the one who should be fighting this moral battle, not you.

“I loved my husband so much. 
So
much,” she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut.  “And a part of me is terrified of what would happen if I actually went through with this and liked it.”

He slid his thumb over her cheek, catching a tear as it escaped from between her lashes.  Cupping the side of her face, he released a soft breath and leaned in, resting their foreheads together.

“I think it would make you human,” he murmured.  “There’s nothing wrong with liking affection.  It’s not a crime to rediscover happiness.  What does it matter if you find it with two people, instead of one?”

“I don’t know.”

“Neither do I.” He chuckled.  “I honestly have no idea what I’m doing, but do you want to know what I
do
know?”

“What?” Her eyes opened again, only to be staring directly into Devin’s eyes.

“I know that what I feel when I think about being with you and Nick can’t be wrong.”

Her eyes grew bigger.  “You...you’ve thought about it?”

“Of course I have.  I think about a lot of things.  I think about you.”

“You do?”

“I do.” His tongue slid over his lips as his eyes dropped to her mouth.  Her lips were parted, quick breaths leaving her as she listened to him.  Maybe he wasn’t making any sense at all, but he prayed he was.  “I think about this...”

He closed the distance between them and brushed his lips over hers, soft and with regard.  It was a tenderness he didn’t know he possessed until that very moment.  Something about her evoked a gentle nature, he didn’t think possible.

One thing he did know, most certainly, was it was very different from the way he kissed Nick.  It felt different, in the best way possible, and it wasn’t a feeling he wanted to part with any time soon.

She kissed him back with trembling lips, and a soft noise escaped her as he opened his mouth to deepen the kiss, carefully sliding his tongue forward. 

There wasn’t a word for how she tasted.

Delicious.

Divine.

Addictive.

Seconds turned into minutes as he slid his hand to the back of her neck, pulling her closer.  Their mouths fused together in the most erotic fashion, tasting and savoring one another.  He paced his breathing to the best of his ability, drinking in her sweet moan as her fingers found his hair.

He knew there was no turning back now.  Even if she decided to decline their offer, he would never be able to let go of her.  Not completely.

“Devin.” She pulled back, breathless.  “Devin, what are we doing?”

“Kissing,” he replied hoarsely, overwhelmed with desire.  “Do you want to stop?”

“N-no.” She gulped air into her lungs and rested her forehead against his chest.  “I think that’s the problem though.  I definitely don’t want to stop.”

“Then don’t.” He inhaled the scent of her hair and allowed it to consume him, finding contentment in her presence alone.  Trailing his fingertips up and down her spine; he smiled when he felt her arms wrap around him.

“Is this...okay?” She questioned, lifting her head to gaze at him.

“It’s more than okay.”

“Because I really don’t know what I’m doing right now and I’m a little terrified.”

“Because it’s me?” His heart threatened to burst.

“Not in a bad way.”

“Are you sure?  Because I understand, Kelly.  I really do.  I’ve done so many bad things.”

“The old you did those bad things.” She nuzzled her nose against his.  “I don’t hold it against you.  I’m sorry I ever did.  I’m terrified because I do want this and I probably shouldn’t.”

“You want this?” He grinned.  “Me and Nick?”

“Yes.” She blushed and dropped her gaze to the floor.  “I shouldn’t, but I do.”

He felt like he’d won the lottery, and suddenly, the weight on his shoulders evaporated into thin air.  He wasn’t sure how or why, but Kelly was going to give them a chance. 

And maybe Nick won’t be upset with me anymore.

The thought of pleasing Nick gave him great happiness, and before he realized what he was doing, he’d scooped Kelly off the floor and was twirling her about, laughing.

“Devin!” She yelped, holding onto him for dear life.  “Please don’t drop me.”

“I won’t.” He tightened his arms around her and stopped spinning, laughing heartily as he sought out her lips and kissed her again.  “I will never drop you, Kelly.  I promise.”

One kiss turned into two kisses, and then three, and then four.  Before he knew it, their tongues were tangled together again and they somehow managed to end up on the couch.

Kelly’s knees pressed into the couch on either side of him, her slender body writhing as he suckled on her tongue.  She ignited a passion in him, one that wouldn’t soon die out.

And he liked that most of all.

“Mm, we shouldn’t,” she moaned as he kissed her neck, “Devin, this is crazy.”

“I know it is,” he whispered against her skin, nipping lightly.  “But this whole thing is crazy, isn’t it?”

“Yes.” Her response came out as a sigh.  His hands made their way down her back and came to a stop just above her ass.  As tempted as he was, he wouldn’t do anything she didn’t want. 

It was surprising, and really hot, when she reached back and grabbed one of his hands, pushing it further down.

Catching her eye, he gazed at her questioningly.

“You want to touch me, don’t you?” She asked breathlessly.

“Yes,” he groaned.  “More than you know.”

“Then do it.  Touch me.”

His fingers squeezed at the soft flesh of her ass over the thin fabric of her dress and it delighted him to hear another moan escape her.  In fact, he was pretty sure he’d do whatever it took to earn that sound again.

Carefully, so carefully, he pushed her down on the couch and kept his weight off her by holding himself up with his hands.  With one knee between her legs, he began to kiss her again.  He was like an addict needing a fix, and she was the only high that would satisfy him.

His mouth travelled down the side of her neck and she whimpered softly, squirming beneath him as he discovered the sensitivity of the flesh just below her ear.  Using it to his advantage, he licked and nipped and kissed the spot until she began to unravel.  Arching her back, he could feel how hard her nipples had gotten and he began to harden in response.

“Devin,” she sighed, fisting the fabric of his shirt.  “Please don’t tease me like this.  I hate being teased.”

“I’m not teasing you.” He moved back to her lips and kissed her again, finally brave enough to cup one of her breasts.  A strangled moan sounded from between their open mouths and he honestly wasn’t sure if it was hers or his.

His shaking fingers moved to pop open the buttons on the front of her dress and he met her gaze again, just to be sure.

She nodded quickly, cheeks flushed and chest heaving. 

He knew she wanted it just as much as he did, and he didn’t want to disappoint her.

I will never disappoint her.
He vowed, unbuttoning her dress until her lacy pink bra came into view.

“Wait,” she said when he dipped his hand inside and reached around her body to find the clasp.

“What is it?” He froze, afraid he’d done something wrong.

“Before we go any further, I need to tell you something.” She panted, gulping down another lungful of air.  “I’m not...I may not be what you expect.”

Ah, he knew where she was going with this.  Though Nick didn’t go into great detail about what he’d done with Kelly, he did mention that she was very self-conscious.  He said she was the most gorgeous creature in existence, and it bothered him that she wasn’t more confident.

I will never let her feel bad about her body.

“Don’t worry about that.” His lips trailed over her jaw as he unclasped her bra, and then he began to pull the fabric upwards.  He drank in the sight of her breasts, so full and beautiful. His mouth watered, eager for a taste.  Leaning in and taking a nipple between his teeth, he heard her groan.

“Oh, God.  What am I doing?” She asked, arching off the couch.  Her fingers quickly found his hair again and she pulled the strands roughly.  “That feels so good.”

He sucked at her nipple for what seemed to be forever, relishing in the noises she made and the gasps of pleasure she released on occasion.  It didn’t take long for him to realize she enjoyed being bitten.

Moving to her other nipple, he nipped a little harder and grunted from the pain of a particularly hard yank to his hair.

He fully understood why she was questioning what was happening because it was definitely crazy, but he was beginning to understand that it was inevitable, too.

It’s what Nick wanted all along, so why question it?

“Devin...Oh, Devin,” she whimpered as he slipped a hand between her legs.  “Yes, please. Oh, please.”

His fingertips brushed over the damp fabric of her underwear and it only made him want her more.  She was wet because of
him
.  He had the capability of arousing a woman, and not just
any
woman.  It was Kelly.  Sweet, beautiful Kelly.

“God,” he whispered, pressing his fingers against her.  “You are incredible.”

She responded by lifting her head and kissing him hungrily, rubbing herself against his hand.  “Please, Devin.  Touch me.”

He wanted to do anything and everything to her, all at once.  If it existed, he wanted to experience it with her.  Goose bumps appeared on his flesh as he pushed her underwear aside and grazed his fingers over wet, hot flesh.  Her breathing grew faster, shallow, and as she whimpered, he noticed her voice was much higher than moments before.

All he wanted to do was make her happy, to somehow convince her he could meet her needs.  He
was
good enough.

“Let me know if you don’t want this,” he said, resting his lips against her cheek.  “I’ll stop, Kelly.”

“Don’t stop,” she responded, clamping her thighs around his wrist.  “I’m liable to kill you if you stop now.”

And that’s all he needed.

Two fingers sank into her and he was sure she’d come right then and there.  A sound, almost inhuman, slipped past her lips as her nails bit into the flesh of his arm.

He hissed from the small pain, but it did not deter him from his mission.

Pumping his fingers in and out of her, he lifted his head so he could watch her.  He’d done the same thing with Nick.

I wish he were here right now.  He would be so happy.

Wouldn’t he?

“Faster,” she pleaded as her hips bucked against his hand.  “Oh, God.  Devin, please.”

Anything for you.

He was so lost in her sweet sounds and the expression on her face that he didn’t hear the door open, and he wouldn’t have stopped even if the world was ending.  Watching Kelly’s orgasm consume her was the most staggering sight to witness.

Her moans grew louder, consistent, and higher-pitched as she came.  She clawed at his arm, but he couldn’t feel the pain anymore due to the adrenaline and lust pumping through his veins.  Nothing else mattered, at least not right then.  All he could see, hear, smell, and feel was her.