“What are you doing?” he said, smiling.
“Hush.” I slapped him across the face, and pushed his bound hands over his head. My pulse raced while I admired his broad muscular chest and felt the deliciously hard slabs of flesh and muscle with my hands, and down the center of his torso to the square divots and ripples of his stomach. I counted eight smooth squares of muscle on his hard abs.
I pressed my lips to his nipple and laved a path of hot, wet heat across his chest to his other nipple, sucking on it. I followed the indentation down to his stomach, and licked the delicious mix of hard muscles and soft, silky skin.
“Oh, my God, that feels so good,” he groaned.
My thumbs hooked around loops on the waist of his jeans, and I pulled them down with his boxers. Devon’s hard member was now fully erect, and I descended on him and pressed my lips around him. I circled my tongue around him, feeling the silky texture of his hardness while he squirmed and writhed from my touch. He looked toward the ceiling, and his mouth opened and eyes closed tightly before he exploded.
His chest heaved, and he regained his composure. “Now who’s torturing who?” he exhaled.
I stood over him and grabbed his hands, pressed my breasts into his face, and unbound him. “This was perhaps one of the greatest days of my life.” He grinned.
I giggled as I slung the belt around his neck, kissed him on his still stunned face, and put on my jeans.
Chapter Three
~Devon~
Matt’s Fourth of July party was already hopping when Devon and Erin showed up. The house had a large foyer that led to an extravagant entertainment room equipped with a theater, full bar, pool table, and mini grand piano. Several partygoers had already been drinking at the bar and doing shots. Shannon and Matt were locked in a passionate embrace when Matt spotted Devon and put his hand out to welcome him.
“Devon, my main Cardinal safety!” he roared. Cheers and whistles erupted from across the room, with a few catcalls in the mix from a group of admiring girls. Erin quirked her mouth up at Devon and shook her head with a tight smile.
“I haven’t accepted yet. I have to finalize the application this month to get in. That’s only an invitation to apply letter. Who the hell knows where we’ll end up,” Devon barked back.
“The writing is on the wall, bro. They want to offer you a full scholarship. And me, too.” Matt turned his gaze back to Shannon and grinned.
“Hi, Erin. Glad you could make it. Ready for some fireworks?” Shannon asked.
“Yes, of course. This is beautiful house, Matt,” she added.
“Thanks, brat,” he sniffed.
Kristen stalked up to them and greeted them. She was wearing a lavender seamless cami and white denim shorts that showed off her smooth suntanned skin. Her eyes flashed to Erin. “Hi, Erin,” she said before her large blue eyes roamed over Devon. “Hi, Devon,” she said with a stunning smile.
“Hey, Kristen,” Devon said, returning the smile.
Matt’s golden retriever wandered around the group, her wet snout brushing Devon’s hand. “Hey, Callie!” Devon said, scratching her neck. She wagged her tail and panted happily from the attention.
“So how did you come up with the name Callie?” Erin asked.
“Golden like the California coast,” he said with a wide grin.
“Oh, she’s so beautiful,” Erin said, petting her.
Devon leaned in with Erin and petted Callie. Kristen’s eyes wandered over Devon as he petted the dog. She scooted in with them, brushing up against Devon, glancing at him and smiling as their hands touched while she petted Callie with the group. Callie seemed to be enjoying all of the attention as she hung her tongue happily and wore a look of satisfaction.
“Can we talk later?” Kristen whispered to Devon.
“Yeah, I guess. What about?”
“Just stuff I have on my mind. Meet me on the balcony in five minutes?”
“Sure.”
Devon walked over to Kristen, who was looking stunning as usual. She smiled up at him and touched his shoulder. “Thanks for meeting me. I just have some things on my mind that I want to talk with you about.”
“Shoot.”
“Well, you know I like you, Devon. When we went out on a date, I thought we had a good time. But ever since then it seems like you’ve been avoiding me. I don’t get it. Was it something I did?”
“I told you I had a good time with you, Kristen. It was fun. To tell you the truth, that was Matt’s idea. He asked me to go. So I went.” Devon shrugged.
“But that’s just it. It was more than that. We both felt it, Devon. Even as just friends, we had fun. I don’t understand why you have to avoid me.”
“You know I’m dating Erin.”
“Sure, I know that. And that’s fine. It’s just that–well–this will be the last chance that we have to hang out and have fun. All these serious commitments are keeping you from living, Devon. Can’t you see that? I’m not asking you to marry me.” She gave him a sweet smile and touched his arm with her fingers. “I just thought we had a good time and that we could hang out sometime over the summer. That’s all.” She tilted her head slightly while looking up at him.
“Look, Kristen, I didn’t mean to come off as a jerk. I just didn’t want to hurt anyone. It seems in situations like this that is hard to do.” Devon exhaled and looked down at her, twisting his mouth.
“Maybe you should just slow down, Devon. The only reason that people are getting hurt is because they are taking this way too seriously. I just wanted to hang out with you. And now it’s our last summer. This summer is for us. Do you really want to just limit your options because of some commitment? I know we could have fun together.” Her soft, full lips were only inches from him. “You don’t have to take everything so seriously. There is room for fun in your life, isn’t there?”
“Of course there is. I have fun.”
“You have fun with one person, Devon. Okay, so maybe you guys are going to get married and have kids. And live happily forever for fifty years. Does that really mean you can never do anything now? Loosen up. We could have a lot of fun together.” Kristen tugged at his belt and pulled him toward her. “We don’t even have to tell anyone,” she purred.
“I would be very much taking you up on your offer, Kristen. We could have a lot of fun together. Of that I have no doubt. I just think the price is too high for me right now.”
“What price? You’re eighteen, Devon. Now is the time to really try new things. If not now, then when? I really like you. And I know you like me, even if you don’t want to admit it to yourself. For now, remember, if you need someone to talk to, or more, I’m here.” Kristen reached up and kissed him on the cheek. “Think about it.”
Devon’s heart raced when she curved her body into his.
Just then a ruckus ensued in the adjacent room. Two guys had pushed each other while another partygoer held the other one back by his arms to keep him in place before it came to blows.
Matt stormed into the room and pushed them both toward the door. His huge frame dwarfed them as he scooted them out the door. “Out you go before you do any damage. Zero tolerance, boys. You know that.”
“This asshole pushed me for no fucking reason. He’s got an attitude problem.”
The other guy just gave him a wry smile. “See you outside, asshole.”
“Not in my yard, jackass. You both get the hell out of here. Don’t come back.”
Matt pushed them out the door and kept an eye on them as they walked behind the tree line. After they disappeared, distant yelling ensued, and he shut the door.
Matt eyed the group still playing with the dog and shook his head. “It’s only nine o’clock,” he sniffed. “C’mon, Callie. Stop bothering the nice people. Get the hell out of here.”
“Aaww,” the girls whimpered in unison.
“C’mon, Callie. Go do your business.” Matt opened the door as Callie hustled out into the yard.
“Now, where we’re w
e? Party time,” he howled. “Drinks are over there,” he said, pointing to the kitchen. “Smoke outside only, and bedrooms are upstairs for some privacy, but only use the two on each side of the stairs,” he said with a wink. “The others are for residents only.” Matt lived in a four-bedroom house and was an only child.
Chapter Four
~Devon~
Devon headed to the kitchen to grab a drink as the group dispersed.
Erin walked out to the balcony and could see the preparations for the fireworks at the park.
“Beautiful night. It’s perfect for fireworks.” Curtis Stuart was a wide receiver and lived fairly close by. He also played on the basketball team. He had known Matt since he moved in three years ago.
Erin lifted her eyes to take in the clear summer sky filled with stars. “It’s perfect.”
“I’m Curtis. I’m a friend of Matt’s.” Curtis folded his hands over the balcony and smiled sideways at her.
“Hi, I’m Erin,” she said, smiling sweetly at him.
“I’ve seen you around. You’re on the volleyball team, right?”
“Yep.”
“Yeah, I remember seeing you guys almost make the playoffs. You’re really good. I mean, you guys took on some really good teams and did well.” Curtis stood up and leaned his back on the rail.
“Thanks. We had a decent year, but we didn’t make the playoffs. So much for my professional volleyball career,” she said with a twist of her mouth.
“Is there such a thing?” Curtis kidded, smiling at her.
“Pro circuit beach volleyball – I think that’s about it,” she said, returning the smile. “I don’t think they make much money, either, unless you are in the top ten or something. And you look good in a bikini.”
“The glass ceiling has hit sports, too, huh?” Curtis snorted.
“Tell me about it!” she said. “Of course the better you look in a swimsuit, the more you get paid.”
“I don’t think that would be an issue for you.” He smiled. “So what are your plans for college?” Curtis asked her.
“I’m trying to get into Stanford with my boyfriend.”
“That’s awesome,” Curtis said with pretended enthusiasm. “Who’s your boyfriend?”
“Devon. Devon Coury. He’s around here somewhere. He got a letter from Stanford. I didn’t.” Erin stared at the railing on the balcony. “I have to figure out a way to get in.”
Curtis shook his head. “How are you going to do that?”
“I have no idea,” she said with a shrug.
“You’ll figure something out.”
“I hope so.”
“It was nice meeting you, Erin.”
“You too, Curtis.” Erin glanced at him as he left before focusing back on the view in front of her.
“She has a boyfriend. Too bad. Damn, that girl is smoking hot. Look at her.” Curtis jutted his chin toward Erin.
Nathan Caplan was Curtis’s best friend. He played center field on the baseball team. “You know who that is, don’t you?”
“Her name is Erin. I’ve seen her around. She’s fucking beautiful,” Curtis said.
“Yeah, you best stay the hell away from her, dude. That’s Devon’s girl,” Nathan added.
“And?” Curtis said in a “so-what?” tone.
“Dude, Devon. He beat the shit out of Pelton. Even Matt got involved.”
“Okay, fine, dude. When she said she had a boyfriend, I figured that was her way of letting me know she was off-limits. They say that whether it’s true or not. You know how girls do that. I don’t know about all this other stuff.”
“So what’s the inside scoop with her and Devon?” Nathan asked, taking a swig of beer.
“He got into Stanford. She’s trying to get in, too.”
“Good luck with that plan.” Nathan smirked.
“Hey, beautiful, where’ve you been?” Devon stood next to Erin, kissed her on the top of her head, and pulled her close. “It’s almost time for the fireworks.” Devon wrapped his arms around her and leaned his chin on top of her head as they faced the summer sky.
“Where will we be this time next year, Devon? Will we really be together, or will life separate us?”
Devon turned around to face her. A tear left a path of moisture on her cheek. “Hey, why are you talking like that? I told you we can figure this out. We can stay together. Through anything.” Devon’s eyes met hers.
“What if I don’t have what it takes to get in? What if I can’t get in?” Erin’s eyes fluttered as she looked back into his eyes.
“Baby, I promised you that I would never leave you. Don’t you remember?”
“Yes. We were kids. We’re grown up now. Everything is different.”
“Yes, we’ve grown up. Life is full of surprises, and we don’t know what’s going to happen. I get scared, too, Erin. We don’t know what the future holds for either one of us. None of us do. But do you know what I’ve realized through all of it? Through all the high school and college applications and all the bullshit? Do you know what I think about when it’s all said and done?”
“No.”
“I think about moments like this. Holding you in my arms, us…together. That is all that matters. The rest is a bunch of noisy bullshit.”
“You can’t throw your college career away for me, Devon.”
“I don’t plan on throwing away my career for you, Erin. Because I know that you’re going to get in. With me.”
“How do you know that?”
“I just know.” Devon placed his fingers around her wrist and pointed her hand up with his toward the night sky. “It’s written in the stars.”
“You’re so corny.” She sniffled.
“Yeah, but you love me for it. There is one thing that matters to me more than everything else, Erin. And that’s you. There’s a lot of noise out there, Erin. A lot of things that are going to try to rip us apart. But the more they happen, the more I know I want to be with you, and nothing else is more important than that.”
The first firework trailed up to start the show.
Erin flung her arms around him, and met him with an eager and passionate kiss. The sound of fireworks boomed over them.
Devon held her close, their lips warm and moist and melting into each other as the fireworks exploded over them.
Nathan nudged Curtis’s arm and jutted his chin toward Devon and Erin. “That’s Devon,” he said with a squint.
“Some guys have all the luck,” Curtis said dryly.
“Sometimes luck changes.” Nathan called Steve on his cell phone. “Steve, Nathan. I’m here at Matt’s party. Did you know pretty boy was accepted into Stanford?”
“Is that a fact?”
“We heard it from his girl himself.”
“Sounds like we should have fucked him up just a bit more,” Steve scoffed.
Chapter Five
~Erin~
I went to lunch with Kathy to discuss ideas for my short film.
“Did you know that there are over thirty five hundred case studies in the medical literature documenting spontaneous remission?” Kathy pressed the straw to her lips between words. “It has the medical field mys·ti·fied.” She enunciated each syllable of the word with her lips while looking at me intently.
“Spontaneous remission? Is that when people catch on fire?”
“No silly, that’s spontaneous combustion. Spontaneous remission is when an illness suddenly goes away. Science is still clueless about the miracles of the human body.” She gave me a suggestive wink.
“Which body are we talking about?” I said, smiling at her.
“There will be plenty to choose from where we’re going. A playground of pecs and other P’s.”
“Get your mind out of the gutter, Kathy. As a pre-med major, you’re supposed to be looking at the human body objectively and professionally.”
“Whatever…we’ll be surrounded by all those sexy, gorgeous college men. Not all of us fall in love with our one and only wh
en we’re sixteen.” She wiggled her nose at me.
A shadow of concern clouded my face. “Yeah, one of them will be Devon. And where will I end up?”
Kathy patted my hand. “Hey, don’t worry. So you have a documentary to work on?” She shot me a comforting smile. “I have your ticket.” She gave me a furtive smile.
“Shoot!” I said with an air of excitement.
“So you want to get into Stanford. There’s a doctor at Yale who’s a leading researcher into spontaneous remission. The medical field doesn’t talk a lot about it, because it borders on the miraculous, and they don’t like to discuss the ‘M’ word whether it be miracles, mysteries, or magic. They like science.”
“So where do I come in?”
“Because facts are facts. The body does something to heal itself. If you can document that, then you are going to have a captive audience, presented with evidence they cannot deny, and with the added bonus of the prestige of one of the top medical schools in the nation.” Kathy’s eyes were shining with excitement. “You should email Dr. Brenner. Tell him that you’re doing a documentary film. He’ll respond. He would love to have a talented filmmaker document his case studies. Dr. Howard Brenner.”
“Wow, Kathy. How do you know all this?”
Kathy glanced down before taking a drink of water. “My sister. My sister had thyroid cancer. It was a few years ago, before you became my best friend. She really struggled with it. Nothing worked. She went through treatments, chemo, all that. She stopped when she was getting worse. But one day it was just gone. There was no explanation, really.” Kathy’s eyes covered in mist before she regained her focus. “No one really knows. But it’s what got me first interested in medicine. I realized this happens to thousands of people every year. But science really has no understanding of it.”
“That is amazing. I had no idea. Is your sister okay?”
“Yes. That’s what’s so amazing. I haven’t talked about it. It’s just a memory now. I mean, it’s like it never happened. She has a family now, and she’s doing great. It never came back. There has to be some reason for it, but it just doesn’t get much attention in the medical community. You would be doing a service to the medical profession by at least shedding some light on this, and letting people know that it happens…even though no one knows why.”
Unbreakable Forever: A New Adult Romance Novel Page 2
