by A D Holland
“How exactly did you convince Edward to tell you where I was?”
“Easy, I told him the truth.”
“And what was that?”
“That for some reason I could not stop thinking about his step daughter,” his voice had grown husky and Elizabeth shivered in response. She knew it was not true, what Devin had said.
“I can’t believe Edward would believe that lie. He is not stupid.”
Devin’s body stiffened and she saw him clench his jaw.
“It was not a lie,” blue eyes flashed anger as he spoke through his teeth. He was doing very well at controlling his anger, but Elizabeth knew that it would not last long. Hoping to make him mad enough to turn around and leave the way he had come before she gave into her need for him, she trudged on in her verbal abuse.
“Not a lie, my foot. You have made it very plain what your feelings are for me from the very first day. Why am I now supposed to believe that you can’t stop thinking about me?”
Devin mumbled an oath as he reached out and grabbed her arms, pulling her up against his hard body. Before she could open her mouth to protest, he captured her lips in a searing kiss. She felt the heat flow through her body as he devoured her mouth. He wrapped her in his strong arms and massaged her neck where he had buried his hand in her hair. He tugged on her hair lightly causing her head to tilt back and her mouth to open wide allowing his tongue to enter and taste her.
Elizabeth groaned and pressed her body closer to Devin, trying to quench this thirst she had for him. His hand rested on her waist and then slowly moved higher making contact with the swell of her breast. His fingers traced the outline of her breast softly, teasing her nipple until it hardened, causing Elizabeth to moan louder. Devin released her mouth and raised his head to look into her burning eyes.
“I have wanted to do that ever since I saw you get on that damn elevator with that viper Lindsey,” his eyes were black and his breathing was ragged. “I need to know, did he touch you?”
The question shocked her, leaving her speechless.
“Beth, tell me. Did he touch you?” jealousy burned in his eyes. “Did you let him kiss you and touch you when you were with him?” he looked at her with such pain in his blue eyes that Elizabeth felt her heart surge with hope. Maybe he did care for her, but she still was not sure.
“No,” she spoke softly and ducked her head. “It was all an act on his part to get me away from you. In truth, he thought I was disgusting.”
“He was slime, Beth,” he lifted her chin to look into her eyes. “And he was wrong.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that you drive me crazy. I have not been able to think about anything but you. When I found out you had left and no one told me where you were hiding...”
“I am not hiding...”
“I almost went mad. I think that I nearly scarred your mother to death when I went there. Luckily Edward pulled me into his office and explained a few things to me and I calmed down a little.”
“What did Edward explain to you?” fear was back in her voice.
“He explained that you had a shock and needed to sort out your feelings. I took that explanation for a while but after about two months of this I got a little impatient with him and threatened to break every bone in his body if he did not tell me where you were.”
“Devin! How could you do that! Edward loves me and was only doing what I had requested. I don’t understand you,” Elizabeth stepped out of his embrace, suddenly needing a little more space between them so she could think clearly. “I don’t understand what you are saying. I saw that photo of you and Gloria Mason in the paper a month ago. I know that you were with her so why are you here telling me these lies?” tears filled her eyes as she looked at him.
He ran his hands through his thick dark hair in frustration. He cursed for a good minute before he gained control and looked at her again.
“Gloria is nothing to me. She was a friend of my wife’s.”
“Who thinks she should fill that role,” the spiteful words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.
“She will never fill that position. Gloria Mason is a cold, heartless, spoilt bitch who is out of our lives forever.”
This statement caught Elizabeth off guard.
“I hate to sound like a tape recorder Devin,” Elizabeth said. “But I am confused. There is no “our lives”. We despise each other. We can’t spend more than five minutes together without ripping each other to shreds. And now you tell me that you can’t stop thinking of me?” She shook her head, trying to clear the fog.
“It is my fault. I pushed your buttons, hoping that I could make you angry enough to stay away from me in that hotel. But then I found that I couldn’t quit looking at you without wanting to touch you. I felt like a complete bastard seducing you, but I thought that you felt something for me.” Elizabeth lifted her head in shock but before she could utter a word he continued.
“You see I was so confused, tied up in knots, wanting you so bad one minute and then you would open that mouth and shoot me down with one word. I acted out in anger because I felt such a bastard for wanting you so bad. And then when I saw you in that nightgown and you teased me so, I lost control. I had to have you and when you gave in, all heat and passion, I knew that I was a goner,” he had started to pace, shaking his head.
“I thought that there was no way you could not love me after that night but then Lindsey showed up and I was so full of jealousy I couldn’t do anything but throw insults at you.”
Elizabeth grabbed his hand, bringing a halt to his continuous march back and forth.
“Please stop pacing Devin you are going to make me ill.” He looked at her then and noticed that the color had drained out of her face. Elizabeth touched her fingers to her lips as she felt the nausea burn her throat. She turned away from him. Devin held her while she was sick, pulling her hair back and wiping the tears she cried. Elizabeth hated it when she was sick. The doctor had told her on her last visit that he was surprised her sickness had lasted so long, which made her fear there was something wrong with the baby. But he reassured her that it would not hurt the child as long as she remembered to eat properly and drink lots of fluids so she wouldn’t get dehydrated. The nausea had decreased, only happening when she found herself upset. Devin wiped her face with his handkerchief; she could see that his hands were shaking slightly.
“Sweetheart, you are sick,” Devin’s voice shook worse than his hands. The need to reassure him filled her.
“I’m alright Devin. It only comes when I eat strange food or if I am upset,” her eyes were huge in her white face and her bruised mouth stood out against the pale skin. He traced her tender lips with his thumb, swearing softly.
“I did this to you didn’t I?”
“No Devin, it takes two to make a baby,” she had responded without thinking and when she saw the shock in his eyes she cringed. She had just assumed that he knew about their baby, but she was wrong and she braced herself for his reaction.
“Did you say baby?” it was a husky whisper.
“Now Devin, don’t get upset. I was going to let you know when I returned to Edward’s house.” Elizabeth spoke calmly as she stood up and walked toward the path again. She really needed to get inside, the wind was getting cold, and her teeth started to chatter slightly.
“Our baby?” he looked incredulous at her. Elizabeth took offence at this, assuming he thought that she had slept with someone else so shortly after their encounter.
“Of course it’s our baby. What do you think? That I went out and slept with Tom, Dick, and Harry after I left you? Well, you are wrong. And if you don’t believe me...” she faltered as tears ran unchecked down her face, “I don’t really care if you don’t believe me, because I don’t need you. The baby and I will be fine together, without...without...you,” she ran up the path crying uncontrollably. Her heart shattered to pieces.
When she reached the villa she ran into her bedroom and sla
mmed the door shut. She felt sick again and knew that if she did not calm down she would end up in the bathroom all night. Taking deep breaths while standing in the middle of the bedroom Elizabeth tried to empty her mind. You are all right, she told herself. He will leave and never look back.
The door burst open and Devin stormed in. His face was dark with anger freezing her to the spot. Okay, so he’ll leave after he bends me over his knee and gives me a good thrashing. She looked at his thighs and then his strong hand and imagined him not thrashing her but holding her, touching her. Heat flooded through her body rising into her cheeks as she looked into his face. His eyes were angry, his mouth formed a tight line, and then she saw it; the tick in his jaw that gave him away. She realized then the power she had over him. He may not love her, but he wanted her, even now when he was so angry.
“What the hell do you mean running away after that preposterous speech?” he did not yell, he didn’t have to.
“It was not preposterous. It was fact.” Suddenly Elizabeth felt the need to test her power over him. “I don’t need a man to take care of me and neither does my child.”
“That is my child also and I think that I have some say in whether he needs a father or not,” his word surprised her.
“So you don’t deny that I am carrying your child?” she did not sound as cool as she hoped.
Devin looked into her eyes bright with unshed tears and she saw him visibly relax his tense body and slowly walk over to her. She watched in wonder as he took her hand in his and laid it against his chest.
“I love you Beth,” he looked at her with those beautiful blue eyes. “I’m tired of fighting. I just want to hold you, and kiss you and make love to the mother of my child.”
Tears splashed down her cheeks as his words sunk in. Devin loved her. He loved her.
“You love me?” her voice held disbelief. And then she saw him smile down at her and laugh.
“We are really going to have work on your response darling. Shall we try this again? I love you Elizabeth Windsor.”
“Oh Devin, I love you too,” and then she was in his arms and he was smothering her with soft kisses.
“I have always loved you Beth, since the second time I saw you, the night your apartment burned down. When I saw you trying to act so strong and looking so helpless, I knew that I had to protect you. And then you fainted. Lord, did that scare the hell out of me.” Elizabeth smiled happily up into his face so full of love for her.
“You know when I fell in love with you? Or at least when I finally knew it was love I felt?” she asked Devin in a teasing voice. He hesitated and then shook his head.
“It was when you held me on your lap and soothed away my nightmares. That is when I knew that I would love you forever,” she smiled at him.
“Will you marry me Beth? Please?” he pleaded.
“Yes, Dev, I will marry you,” and then he kissed her and it was one of the most passionate kisses they had ever shared, filling Elizabeth with love and hope and happiness forever.
