Devoted to Pleasure

by Shayla Black

  “Excellent. Don’t worry about anything here. I’ll be with Mama for the next couple of days. I’ll look in on Brea. I’ll make sure One-Mile keeps his distance.”

  “Thanks, bro.” Cutter frowned. “Why don’t you ever stay in Dallas on your days off? Don’t you have a love life? Hey, if you’re into kink—not that I want to know—my bosses are great buddies with this guy who supposedly owns a great dungeon in town and—”

  “I’ll let you know. But right now, I haven’t met anyone interesting, certainly no one worth giving up my family time. You know me. I like a girl who keeps me on my toes. I like unpredictable. I like . . . something I just haven’t found yet. I’ll let you know when I do.”

  The more Cage talked, the more Cutter thought Karis might be just the woman for him. “Don’t make the same mistakes I did.”

  His older brother pfft’d at him. “I’m way smarter than that.”

  “Maybe. And maybe you just had a really spectacular fuckup to learn from.”

  Cage laughed before turning serious again. “I hope you find Shealyn quickly and convince her to listen.”

  “Me too,” Cutter murmured. “I hope I can make her happy.”

  “I don’t have any doubt about that. Good luck.”

  They rang off, and Cutter itched to get back home, pack a bag, book a flight—get on with his life.

  By the time he parked his pickup under the covered spot in front of his building, it was nearly midnight. He heaved a sigh as he climbed from the cab and dashed up the stairs, fishing out the key to his unit. Brea would probably be asleep, so he’d have to crash on his sofa. But in the morning, he’d tell her that she had to talk to her father and come clean about the circumstances surrounding her pregnancy. He’d insist they cancel the wedding and tell her he’d always be there to help her, just not as her husband.

  Then he had to go after his woman and find the perfect words to say.

  His head raced with thoughts and plans as he slid his key in the door. He opened it and took an impatient step into his living room, surprised all the lights were still on. Brea must be awake—a shock, since pregnancy seemed to drain her. Most nights she sought her bed no later than ten.

  As he palmed his keys, ready to deposit them in his pants pocket, he caught a glimpse of a woman’s heeled boots—something black, leather, and chic. Something plain-Jane Brea would never wear.

  But he knew who would.

  Cutter went cold all over. Then his gaze made its way up the interloper’s body—and he went hot from head to toe. A glance at her face confirmed it.

  Shealyn.

  Their eyes locked. “What are you doing here?”

  She bit her lip, looking uncertain. But she gave him a resolute lift of her chin. “I came to talk to you.”

  “And that’s my cue to leave,” Brea said a bit too brightly into the tension. “Shealyn, it was a pleasure to meet you. I’m glad we had this chance to talk.”

  “Me too.” Shealyn moved to hug her.

  Cutter watched, nonplussed. What the hell had happened in the twelve hours since he’d been gone?

  When the women broke apart, Brea flitted over to him and stood on her tiptoes for a hug. “You two talk. Be happy. Don’t worry about me. Tomorrow, we can both discuss what idiots we’ve been. Then we’ll figure out the best way to let everyone know we’re not getting married.”

  He blinked at her. Of all the things he’d expected Brea to say, that wasn’t even on the list. “You’re good with breaking off our engagement?”

  “Absolutely. All I had to see was you look at Shealyn once. I would never stand in the way of love.” She kissed his cheek, wriggled into her tennis shoes by the door, grabbed her keys and purse off the hall table, then left with a little wave.

  The door closed with a quiet click behind her, leaving silence in her wake. Cutter wasn’t sure what to say.

  “I didn’t expect you here.”

  Her expression turned uncertain. “I hope you don’t mind. But I think we need to talk.”

  “We do.”

  “I wanted to see you.” She bit her lip. “I’ve missed you.”

  Cutter debated the wisdom of telling her how much he’d pined for her when nothing between them was resolved, but holding in the truth wouldn’t help. “I’ve missed you like hell. I guess Brea told you everything?”

  She nodded. “I was wrong. I feel terrible. I know what kind of man you are and I didn’t listen or—”

  “I know trust doesn’t come easy for you after what happened with your mom when you were a kid. I should have been upfront about Brea and my engagement. My only excuse is that everything happened so fast, and I never imagined you’d really be serious about me. Once it seemed as if you were, I thought I needed to tell Brea first, but I should have found the words to tell you. I certainly should have understood why you couldn’t put your future and your happiness in the hands of a man you hadn’t even known a week. I was an ass.”

  “Cutter . . .” She sighed. “What you asked of me was hard, but not unreasonable. If I loved you, I should have trusted that you wouldn’t want to hurt or abandon me the way my mother had when I was young. But the minute you’d gone, I knew my past was something I needed to deal with. So . . . Maggie and I went to visit Mom. She’s not the same woman.”

  “Twenty-five years is a long time. You spoke to her?”

  “Yeah. For years, she was messed up. Addicted. Afraid to be the sole parent for two little girls when she couldn’t even get herself together. She said it wasn’t her boyfriend at the time demanding she get rid of us that finally convinced her to give us up as much as the realization that we’d have a better chance at a happy, secure childhood if she took us to Granna and Papa. And after hearing her story, I think she was right. It took her another ten years to finally get clean. Then she met a man who changed her life. Julio, her husband, is older. But he loves her madly. It’s reciprocated. And my half brother, Cruze, is so adorable.” She smiled. “He’ll be a lady killer someday. He says he wants to be a star.”

  “I’m glad everything worked out for you and the trip brought you peace.”

  “And clarity. We’re going to keep in touch. She wants to visit after the New Year. She knows it’s time to see her parents again, and I think Granna and Papa would welcome her with open arms. Granna never wanted me to know how worried she was about her only daughter or how sad she was about the direction of my mother’s life. But . . . we might actually be a family again. It makes me happy.” Shealyn stepped closer, and he could see her hands trembling as she reached out to him. “But working out my relationship with you would make everything perfect. I mean, I’m hoping we still have a relationship to work out.”

  Her fingertips hovered inches from his shoulder. He could almost feel her warmth. Cutter needed it, needed her.

  He closed the distance between them, bringing her hand to his arm and wrapping his fingers over hers. The jolt of rightness mixed with the heat of desire as he cradled her face in his hands. “On my drive back from Dallas, I’d made up my mind to tell Brea that I couldn’t marry her and come after you.”

  A smile that glowed with joy transformed her face. “I reconciled with my mother for me, but I also did it for us. It’s the same reason I’m going to ask the producers of Hot Southern Nights to let me out of my contract. With Tower gone and all the scandal, the show’s future has been unclear. But we talked earlier today. They’re ending the show. They talked spin-off, but I refused. I want home and normalcy. I want small town and love.” She dragged in a big breath. “And I’d really love sharing those things with you . . .”

  Cutter’s heart jumped as he scanned her face. “You’d give up Hollywood for me?”

  “Happily. It’s already done. The spotlight was the dream of a girl looking for attention, not a woman who’s found love. I’ve already called a Realtor about selling my house. I�
�ll go wherever you want. I’ll be ecstatic, as long as I’m with you. I want to marry you . . . and I’m not taking no for an answer.”

  This amazing woman had given him even more trust than he’d imagined. She’d given up her coveted job and started the process of relocating—all without a word of reassurance from him. She was even proposing to him. It wasn’t what he’d expected, but he couldn’t deny how good it felt to know that she loved him with all her heart.

  “Good thing I never planned on saying anything but a rousing hell yes. Sweetheart, I love you, and I’m a better man for knowing you. Let’s get married soon.”

  “How soon were you thinking?” She gave him a saucy smile. “Because I’ve missed you, and right now I want you inside me. Then I can think about the future.”

  Oh, it was on.

  Cutter peeled off his shirt at the same time he toed off his shoes. Then he attacked her dark sweater and pressed his lips to hers. “Let’s hop on a plane to Vegas in the morning. What do you say?”

  “Perfect.” Her fingers curled around his shoulders, and he felt the desperation in her kiss. “But whatever shall we do until then?”

  “I can devote myself to your pleasure.” He gripped her hips, dying to sink deep into her and claim her once and for all. “Just like I will for the rest of my life.”

  Shealyn gave him a big smile, both tears and invitation shimmering in those green eyes. “In that case, yes. I do—and I always will.”

  Look for Devoted to Sin, the next Devoted Lovers romance, coming in Summer 2019!

  SHAYLA BLACK is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than sixty novels, including the Wicked Lovers series and, with Lexi Blake, the Perfect Gentlemen series. For twenty years, she’s written contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical romances. Her books have sold a few million copies and have been published in a dozen languages. An only child, Shayla occupied herself with lots of daydreaming, much to the chagrin of her teachers. In college, she found her love for reading and realized that she could have a career publishing the stories spinning in her imagination. Though she graduated with a degree in Marketing/Advertising and embarked on a stint in corporate America to pay the bills, her heart has always been with her characters. She’s thrilled that she’s been living her dream as a full-time author for the past eight years.

  Shayla currently lives in North Texas with her wonderfully supportive husband, daughter, and two spoiled tabbies. In her “free” time, she enjoys reality TV, reading, and listening to an eclectic blend of music.

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