by Haley Travis
* Devin *
After spending the night with my entire body curled around Kim, I knew that sleeping like
this was going to be my goal every night for the rest of my life. But I’d have to earn it. I’d
have to find a way to deserve her.
Waking up slowly, I felt her stir a bit, then her deep, soft breathing purred against my chest.
Kim was educated, cultured, and driven. Here I was, a former bouncer who had likely been
headed to becoming a bit of a thug, who ended up with a wonderful but boring job. It paid
well enough to allow my passion for connecting people and tasting everything this city had
to offer, but it wasn’t exciting. There was no way Kim would turn to her friends and say,
“Wow, my new boyfriend is an accounts manager at a bank. That’s so cool.”
I was a resourceful guy. That was what everyone said about me, and it was certainly true. I
was the one who knew what was happening where, or I’d know the guy who knew. So if
Kim wanted a vacation in the middle of the city, I was going to find a way to make that
happen for her.
Sliding out of bed carefully, I replaced my body with a pillow for her to hug. Grabbing some
clothes and my phone, I snuck out, closing the bedroom door silently.
After pacing the living room in front of the huge windows for a few minutes, I knew what I
had to do. By the time Kim came out of the bedroom, dressed but with her hair a little
disheveled, there was a giant brunch picnic set up directly in front of the window.
“What’s this?” she asked, as I jumped up to place a champagne glass of fresh orange and
peach juice in her hand.
Kissing her softly, I said, “Good morning, baby. Are you ready for a seaside brunch?”
My buddy Spike had given me the number for a twenty-four-seven event production place.
I’d told them to do the best they could in forty minutes, and they dazzled me with their
efficiency, creativity, and silence. They’d even provided an ocean wave CD, which I put on
softly as soon as they disappeared.
Kim stared at the fluffy teal cushions surrounding the coffee table against the window, with
food laid out among flowers and coffee. She followed me to sit on the floor, her huge grin
making my heart swell.
“You made us a picnic?” she whispered. “On an imaginary beach?”
“I might have made a call. Or maybe a picnic just magically happened. Brunch in a
restaurant would be too loud, and I want you to know more about you.”
She curled up on a cushion, tucking her legs under her elegantly. I sat cross-legged, uncomfortable, but happy that she was still smiling like that.
I poured her coffee while asking her questions about university, her friends, and work. Her
dynamic energy was absolutely inspiring. I couldn’t get enough of this adorable girl.
Once she seemed to have had her fill of the fruit, cheese, croissants, and muffins, I set
down my napkin and crawled around the coffee table to her corner.
She reached for me instantly, slipping under me as I crawled over her, kissing her softly as
it felt like she was melting beneath me.
Then she giggled, pressing her nose to mine. “I can’t believe you just appeared,” she
laughed. “One minute I was thinking about finding a guy, and the next minute, you simply
walked into the restaurant.”
“Maybe you manifested me,” I said, pulling her up to sit beside me. “Don’t some people say
that if you speak something out loud, it will just appear, and all that?”
Her sweet little nose crinkled. “I’m not sure if that stuff works. Or if it does, there’s a lot
more to it.”
“You thought of me, and I appeared.” Running my thumb along her cheek, I stared into her
wide, precious eyes. “I always want to be here for you when you need me. I want to be
your man. I want to be the one you always come to. Is that too fast?”
She shook her head, as I reached out to smooth her hair back. “I think I’d like to–”
A ring came from the bedroom, and she jumped up, racing to grab her phone. I couldn’t help
being slightly jealous of whoever she would run to that fast.
I could hear her speaking excitedly in the other room, and quickly cleared our plates,
wrapping up the leftovers but setting all of the fancy rented dishes back in their travel box
for the caterer.
I was just sitting down to another coffee when Kim came out of the bedroom looking a bit
stunned.
“That was my boss. He was very sorry to bother me on my week off, but Terrence and Cliff
both got food poisoning last night. He needs me to drive out to Georgetown and shoot
some footage that a client needs tonight. He’s so relieved that I’m still downtown that he
wasn’t even mad that I implied that I was going to be away.”
Leaping to my feet, I pulled her into my arms. “This is your big shot, baby. What do you
need me to do?”
She smiled shyly, shaking her head. “I’m fine, thanks. I just have to go to my place, change,
and get my camera. Then I guess I’ll rent a car to get up there.”
“I have a car. Let me drive, so that you can get your head together on the way, and concentrate on your shots. Okay?” Kim’s surprised expression was almost upsetting. Was
she not used to men being kind to her? Or did she think that she was bothering me?
“You would really spend your whole day helping me?”
“Of course,” I said, tipping her chin up with my finger so that I could give her one soft kiss.
“I’ll do anything for you, baby. Absolutely anything.”
I took a super quick shower, then practically jumped into my clothes, deciding that a
designer t-shirt and nice jeans would be more appropriate for a long drive. Watching Kim’s
eyes skim along my shoulders and biceps, I knew that I made the right choice.
After driving her to her apartment so that she could shower and change, we were off to a
small town that would only have been thirty minutes away if not for the abysmal traffic. It
didn’t seem to bother Kim, as she found a perky oldies station on my satellite radio.
It was interesting watching her zone out for a few minutes, studying some things on her
phone as she prepared for her shoot.
As I turned off the highway, Kim’s head snapped up as she looked around. “My shot list is
pretty easy,” she said. “But I’m going to get a little bit extra, just in case.”
“I have all the time in the world,” I said. “Just tell me where I’m driving, and I will happily be your chauffeur and assistant all day.”
Her silver rings flashed in the light as she pointed. “The second street on the left, then
there’s a park with the statue I need to shoot first.”
“No problem,” I said, but as I turned to smile at her, I noticed she was giving me a strange
look.
“Why was it you were able to take this week off?” she asked. “What is your job exactly?”
I shrugged. “Just a regular office…is that the park?”
“Yes!” She practically squealed. “Sorry, I’m really excited.”
I reached out to pat her knee, letting my fingertips trail along her inner thigh for just a
second. “I’m excited for you, baby. Just take your time, and feel free to order me around
like a real assistant.”
Her laugh was my new favorite song.
It only took twenty minutes or so for her to shoot the statue that was somehow important to
their news story. A few blocks away was a bank façade, and on the other side of town
were three more quick stops for various landmarks.
The entire time, Kim was practically bouncing from excitement, until she pulled out her camera. Then her demeanor changed. Her eyes became laser focused. Her legs spread
slightly in her cute little flats, becoming a tripod as she seemed to slow her breathing.
Sometimes she used a standing monopod for sweeping shots, and once she simply leaned
against another building to keep her elbow steady.
I admired that she took such care with her work. It was obvious that she had been studying
this sort of thing for a long time. It was actually touching to me that I was able to watch her
in her element during her first real assignment.
It painted a very clear picture that I needed her in my life. I wanted to be near her energy,
her light. Kim was obviously good for me in every way.
CHAPTER NINE
* Kim *
Although I’d never wish sickness on anyone, Terrence and Cliff being out at the same time
was giving me exactly what I’d been dreaming of. Producing actual custom content for the
first time was a huge thrill.
By the time I had all of the shots taken, I felt absolutely incredible. My first important
assignment had gone better than I could have ever hoped. I was able to select and crop the
clips on the drive back to my office, then as I ducked in to quickly edit them for color and
consistency, Devin ran around the corner to get coffee and muffins for the entire office.
For a girl who was supposed to be on vacation, I was certainly looking like a superstar.
Devin seemed perfectly content to hang out across the street in a park while I worked. I
loved that he seemed so easy-going one minute, and as soon as I was in his arms, he was
incredibly intense. I couldn’t help wondering how many more sides he had, and what I was
going to discover as time went on.
As I proofed the files and loaded them onto the main server for my boss to check, I thought
about how touched I was by Devin’s thoughtfulness. What kind of guy puts together a beach
picnic brunch in the living room of his condo?
The more I thought about it, the more I realized it was beyond over the top. He must have
called someone to have the food delivered, but where did he get flowers and tropical
looking plates at that hour of the day?
It was certainly strange. Most people didn’t go over the top for a tenth date, much less the
first. But it certainly made me feel special, and I couldn’t help wondering what would be
next.
I sent Devin a text saying that I would probably be done soon, and he responded
immediately with a purple heart, making me grin from ear to ear.
Tapping on Robert’s door, I went into my boss’s office, where he was already skimming the
clips I sent.
“Well done, Kim,” he said quickly. “Good eye, a bit of variety, and I see you shot from both
a low and high drama angle. That will give them more than enough to work with.”
“Thanks,” I said. “And thanks for giving me this assignment.”
He rolled his eyes. “I know. I’m sorry it took so long. We’re just so used to doing things the
usual way here.”
“Are Terrence and Cliff okay?” I asked. “I guess they picked the wrong restaurant last
night.”
“That’s the strange part,” he said, turning to me. “They were at different restaurants.” He shrugged, turning back to his computer. “These things happen, I guess. Thanks again, Kim.
Enjoy the rest of your time off, and I’ll add an extra vacation day that you can take anytime.
It’s great to know you’re ready to step into any role we need.”
“Thanks, Robert,” I said, rushing from his office. I knew that he didn’t like company for
longer than was absolutely necessary.
As I packed up my laptop and left the office, a little prickle ran down my spine. How could
two people from the same company get food poisoning at different restaurants at exactly
the same time? It was just too much of a coincidence.
But the second I jumped into Devin’s arms, I forgot all about it, the feeling of his lips on mine was so perfect.
His big hands clasped my lower back tightly, dropping just an inch to tease me. “What did
your boss say?” Devin said quickly. “Did he like your stuff?”
I raised an eyebrow. “How did you know that my boss was a man?”
He shrugged. “You said that the best assignments always went to two other guys. So I just
assumed it was a bit of a boys club going on.”
He had a point there. “It was amazing,” I smiled. “He doesn’t talk much, but he definitely
liked my work. And he was very appreciative that I came in on my vacation.”
“That’s the ticket,” he said, leading me to his car. “Always be the go-to guy. Or girl. You
know what I mean,” he grinned.
I laughed. “Like a fixer? In those mob movies they always have a guy who does the dirty
work.”
“Exactly,” he said as he started driving. “Let’s hope that you never have to dispose of
bodies, or dangerous evidence.” He chuckled. “Hey – can I take you to dinner? I was just
talking to my friend, and he said there’s a restaurant event uptown tonight.”
“Okay, sure.”
I was starting to wonder if Devin was a little too well-connected. He always seemed to have
a guy for everything. I didn’t know whether that should be a red flag or not. Was he well-
liked, or well-connected…in an underground sort of way?
“I’ll have to go to my place to change,” I said.
“Sure, baby.” His easy smile was so warm, but the tiny sliver of paranoia made me look into
his eyes differently. Was there any way such a great guy could be...dark, somehow?
CHAPTER TEN
* Devin *
Walking into an exclusive event with my arm around Kim was pretty much the happiest I’d
ever been. I loved being among the few with access to truly unique occasions. Tonight was
extra special, since I knew both the chefs and the owners. It was rare that my past life and
current life aligned.
My name was on the list, and once again, the host made a big deal over how gorgeous Kim
was, kissing her on both cheeks and offering her a flower wrist corsage to fit in with the
tropical theme of the restaurant. She obviously wasn’t used to this sort of attention, and her
faint blush was adorable.
The gigantic restaurant was L-shaped, with giant palm trees forming sort of a shield
between the diners and the fairly open kitchen.
It looked like all of the chefs’ friends, many of them friends of mine, were off to the left,
whereas all of the owner and investor types were off to the right.
I wasn’t sure whether it was my expensive clothing, or the fact that there was only one
table left, but we were seated over on the right, directly in front of the window.
Once again, Kim looked impressed, reaching out to give my hand a squeeze across the
table. “This is amazing,” she smiled, her bright eyes taking everything in excitedly.
She kept on grinning as we were brought special cocktails and appetizers, then tasting
plates for the entire new menu. Everything was so incredible that our eyes were practically
rolling back in our heads in delight.
“What a great w
ay to celebrate your first big assignment,” I said, raising a glass of
champagne and papaya juice to Kim. We clinked glasses, her smile absolutely beaming in
the candlelight.
“Sure, you don’t call me for weeks, but when there’s free food, here you are,” a rough voice
said, startling Kim slightly.
I turned to see one of my oldest friends, dressed in a black cook’s uniform. I could see
Kim’s eyes skimming along the skulls and daggers that decorated his forearms.
“Kim, this is Clayton. He’s the chef here. I’ve known him for too many years, so please
never believe a word he says.”
Clayton waved his hand at me dismissively, then leaned down to shake Kim’s hand. “You
seem like a nice girl. So there’s no way you should be with this thug,” he chuckled. “But
more importantly, please give me your honest opinion. Was the ravioli filling too rich?”
I couldn’t stop staring at her beautiful smile. “It wasn’t too rich,” Kim said thoughtfully. “But I was surprised that the filling was sweet. It was amazing, but the first bite was a little odd
until I realized it was sweet potato and orange pepper.”
“But it was a good surprise?”
“Yes, absolutely. And the tiny cheese bites were a great surprise as well – the spicy pepper
was just hot enough to be zippy, but it didn’t burn out my taste buds.”
Clayton took her hand, kissing the back of it. “Brilliant. That’s exactly the sort of input I
need. You will be welcome back to my restaurant any time you like, gorgeous.” He shot me
a sideways glance. “You, on the other hand, didn’t make it to Adam’s birthday last night.”
“I was told about it last minute,” I shrugged, “and I had other plans. Don’t worry, I’ll take him out for a drink sometime and he’ll forgive me.”
Clayton turned to Kim with a wide grin. “Did he blow off his friends to take you out?” he
winked. Kim’s soft blush and saucy smile answered for her.
“Well then, he’s forgiven,” Clayton said. “A nice girl like you should come before a bunch of
cooks and bar folks.”
“Congratulations on the new restaurant, it’s absolutely lovely,” Kim said.
“Thank you. I hope that you’ll tell your friends to come by when we open next week.”
Kim looked around the room. “It’s not really open yet?”
“No, this is our test run. Just friends and family.” Clayton’s head cocked up as if he had
