“You know by now how my mind works. I don’t think about a single step; I try to make a plan.”
Like how he’d known before taking her to bed that he was going to marry her, he just hadn’t clued her in. “And it was your plan to leave me?”
“When I thought about stage two and stage three of that plan, I realized they’d involve watching you walk away and when I thought about that, I got so angry.”
Upset, frustrated, or distraught, she’d have understood. She’d even get how he could feel relieved, but anger? “Why were you angry?”
“Because I love you and when I tried to imagine my life with distance between us, I got so irrationally mad that you might need me and I wouldn’t know it or that something might happen to you and I wouldn’t be there.”
“Rig would always call Raven if something bad happened to me.”
“Not something bad,” he said, touching her cheek. “I mean, what if I didn’t know what you had for breakfast? Or I didn’t know when you stubbed your toe? What if I didn’t know if you’d pleasured yourself at night or worse… another man had touched you? Those are the thoughts that would torture me if you weren’t near to me, shy. It’s crazy, right?”
Warmed by his declaration, she was reassured. “Not so crazy,” she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “All those days when you would go away to your lab and I wouldn’t see you, those are the kind of things I wondered. Is he awake? Is he thinking of me? Is he working? If I look out the window now, will I see him run by? Even when we’re together, I think of you and wonder what’s in your mind. You’ve never been at any risk of losing me, lord. Even if you tried to push me away, it would never have worked.”
“It opened my eyes,” he said. “Last night I wanted to put distance between us and maybe I would’ve kept doing that. Except just like Bess comforted you, she did the same thing for me.”
Devon grinned. “She didn’t hit me.” She kissed his cheeks. “My poor baby, did she hurt you?”
“I think she saved this,” he said, kissing the knuckles on both her hands.
“Then we’ll definitely need to have a big reception when all of this is done to give her something to plan. Bess would love a chance to have a party for us.”
“Speaking of which,” he said. “The merger mixer is this weekend. With the media circling, the timing isn’t the best, but they won’t be allowed into the event.”
A public place, media, crowds, it could be tough for her. “Cedric said it was important for you to show face,” she said, recalling the first time she’d met Cedric, which was when she’d heard of this merger event. “How is the merger going? Did you get your reports?”
“They’re still being worked on,” he said. “It’s been less than two weeks since we requested them, if you can believe that. We’ll give them more time. Information is trickling through; I haven’t had time to sit and analyze it all. I’ll probably do that over the next couple of days.”
So much had happened since the first day she’d been in the KC building that it felt like a million years ago. But he was right that not much time had passed. If only they’d known then what Thad was really up to and what the Mexican mission would bring.
The merger had been in the making since Grant McCormack had apparently died. Most of the hard work was done, but Zave had been relying on Zara’s help and now her focus was elsewhere. “I’ll be around to help if you need me,” she said. “Zara has Kindred things to worry about,” she said. “But if you need someone to do grunt work, that’s what I’ve done for most of my adult life.”
“Grunt work?” he said, sliding her further onto the bed. He picked her tote from the floor to move it aside. “You don’t do grunt work.”
Except she had never had an illustrious career. Filing, typing, making calls, they were all tasks she’d done during various jobs she’d held in her life. His action with the tote reminded her what was in there.
He probably figured that she had, but she said, “I got what you asked for.”
“Good,” he responded and slid a hand up her thigh under her skirt. “Do you want to play?”
Devon had more to thank Bess for than she could ever express. Having her husband offer intimacy was rare and not a suggestion she would snub. “I’m tired,” she said. “But you know how to wake me up.”
But he didn’t flirt back, he seemed to be reflecting on something. “If the party’s going to be too much for you, with the people and the noise…”
Devon had sidelined her misgivings because she couldn’t worry about another thing today. After thinking about what the party would entail, she’d been confident that with Zave around, her anxieties wouldn’t raise their heads. “I’ll be ok. I can’t be alone forever, and it’s an odd thing. When you’re around, when you’re close enough to touch me, I never feel afraid.”
His eyes narrowed. “At the party, there might be times I’ll have to talk to people. I couldn’t guarantee to be by your side all night. I want to be. But I wouldn’t promise it because it might mean letting you down.”
That did give her cause for concern. But if she was going to be married to KC’s head man, she’d have to get used to corporate events. She swallowed. “If it gets too much, I can slip out,” she said, and he shook his head.
“No. Not with the media sniffing around and Syn up to God knows what. If I put security around you, it might make a scene, but I’ll do it if you want me to.”
Putting this event to the back of her mind apparently wasn’t an option. “No,” she said. A scene would make her self-conscious, she didn’t want half a dozen security men surrounding her at all times, blocking everyone off, and drawing all the eyes in the room. “If I’m too much of a problem, I can stay here and you can go alone.”
“A problem?” he said, making eye contact again. “That word isn’t in my vocabulary. I’ve risen to every challenge you’ve given me.”
Already he was making her feel better enough that she could eke out a smile. “A challenge? The last time I challenged you, you started on what’s in my tote.”
A challenge for him tended to lead to orgasms for her. “And nobody ever said I was finished,” he said and stood up to take off his shirt and slacks. “Now, Mrs. Knight, I think you should get your rest because in an hour or two we’re going to make sure that trip didn’t damage any of our fun.”
Picking up her tote, he began to take out the toys, one at a time, to lay them on the bed. There were a couple she didn’t recognize, those had to be the ones he’d said he was holding for a special occasion. The most intriguing was a gold box in the middle. He ran a finger over it in sequence with the others.
“Close your eyes, shy,” he said and came around the bed to sit on the other side to begin removing her clothes. “We have a new home to settle into. A new bed to try out. As newlyweds, I think it’s important that we take advantage of every second we have alone.”
This might not be the manor, but he was still her lord, and when he began to massage her body, Devon exhaled her bliss. “Zave.” She parted her thighs. “I think we should test those toys now.”
“You’re not tired?” he asked, the warmth of his breath heated her lips.
“Now that you’ve put the idea in my head that they might have been broken, I’ll never sleep right until I know.” It was a tease, but one he didn’t discourage.
He laid on his side and reached over her to pick up one of the toys, and when she tried to open her eyes, his hand rested over them to block her view. “Let me surprise you, shy.” He kissed her again. “Let me show you what you mean to me and how little distance I want between us.” Kissing her cheek, he licked her earlobe. “I love you.”
He’d never said it without her saying it first or without prompting. With a smile on her lips, they drifted towards his. “Those words will get you just about anything with me.”
“Big mistake,” he murmured. “Now I have you right where I want you. Open those legs nice and wide for me, shy. We’re going to
test how much you can take tonight.” He curled around her to whisper in her opposite ear. “And then we’re going to make you take some more.”
ELEVEN
“What do you think?” Zave asked her from behind when he uncovered her eyes.
Her fingers loosened from his wrist when she saw the stunning blue satin gown hanging up in front of her. The walk-in closets in their new apartment were unremarkable, except that they were fully stocked with brand new everything.
Over the few days that she’d been living here with him, she’d explored the apparel and accessories inside, but she was still surprised and fascinated by hidden treasures.
This wasn’t one of those exciting times and her grin slowly fell.
“It’s beautiful,” she said. The expensive garment was bejeweled and tailored to perfection. She couldn’t deny that it was gorgeous. “But I won’t be wearing it.”
The merger mixer was tonight. Zave had retrieved her from their shower room, covered her eyes, and taken her to the walk-in closet while she was getting ready. He’d told her that she would have something perfect to wear and so she’d expected a dress. It was just a shame that he’d picked this one.
“You don’t like it?” he asked.
Fingering the fabric of the skirt, she knew that sliding into this dress would be like wrapping herself in butter. The slick, soft material was inviting, but she let her hand drift away from it to fall at her side.
Honesty was the only way to explain her reaction. “I was wearing a blue dress when I was abducted,” she said. “I wore that same dress all the months I lived in their metal box, and I made a promise to myself—”
“Say no more,” he murmured and kissed the top of her head. “I have red and black options too.”
Smiling at him over her shoulder, she was impressed that he was so prepared and that he didn’t need her to go into great detail about why she didn’t want to wear this color. “Thank you.”
Zave took her hand to guide her out of the closet and into their bedroom. “You can pick which you prefer after.”
“After what?” she asked.
Because he’d gone into KC today, he was still wearing his suit and didn’t appear to feel any urgency about changing or preparing for the event.
Devon had been surprised that morning before he went into work when he woke her up and told her that a car was waiting for her. Without telling her what to expect, she was left wondering when she’d been whisked away and was delighted to find out that her destination was a spa. Her husband had arranged for her to be pampered for the day.
She’d thought that she was late back, but her lord hadn’t been at the apartment when she returned, giving her time to shower. Devon had been drying her hair in the bathroom when he’d come in, covered her eyes, and told her he had another surprise—the dress.
As if those treats weren’t enough, he took her to the bed and sat her down before retrieving a tiny gift box from the nightstand drawer.
“What’s this?” she asked, adjusting the lapels of her bathrobe to let in a little more air. The bathroom had been humid, the hairdryer hadn’t helped, and the whiff of Zave’s cologne was making her overheat.
“We want you to feel safe and happy tonight. I don’t want you to panic if you’re by yourself or overwhelmed. To keep you calm and happy, I need to be able to touch you, to remind you I’m nearby even if I’m not at your side.”
This was all getting rather cryptic, and she figured he was referring to the challenge they’d spoken about before. Devon’s mind wasn’t nearly as keen as Zave’s, so she didn't even try to second guess him. “Ok,” she said.
Taking her wrist, he put the box in the middle of her palm. “Where’s the one place I touch you that no one else does?”
She blushed. “I don’t think you can finger me on the dance floor.”
“Think again,” he said.
Mortified by the idea that he would think of making such a show, her chin dropped. “What will all your posh friends say if you toss up my skirt and bend me over right there in front of everyone?”
Squinting, he was confident. “Since when does my touching you have anything to do with physical contact?” he asked and nodded at the box. “Open it.”
Dubious of his intentions, she had to acknowledge that he’d never embarrassed her before. Pulling the bow from the box, Devon made eye contact and thought of the time she opened the box that contained her vibrator. The first toy he’d made for her.
Zave urged her on and she took off the lid to lay it beside her. But when she unwrapped the tissue paper, she wasn’t sure what they were looking at. On a square of metal were two transparent shapes with metallic lines inside them. One was curved, wider at the top than the bottom with a narrow strip leading off it. The other was long and straight.
“What are they?” she asked.
“Lie down and I’ll show you,” he said, taking the box from her.
They were supposed to be getting ready for a party, not starting a new game. Probably because she was anxious about being in a room with so many people, Devon didn’t put up a fight. She slid back on the bed and lay down with her head on the pillow.
Zave kicked off his shoes, removed his jacket, his tie, and his shirt, and she was already salivating before he got onto the bed. Kneeling at the end, he parted her feet to move up between her knees.
“Should I take this off?” she asked when he reached over to pick up the box from the nightstand.
But he didn’t answer, just put the box in front of his knees and loosened her robe for her. Opening it out, he ran his fingers from her throat, through her cleavage, to her core. Whimpering, she lifted her chest, and he lowered to suck each of her nipples into a peak. Except, it didn’t seem like he was trying to arouse her, although he was doing just that. There was something clinical about the frown he had fixed on his face.
“Zave?” she asked, and he caressed her inner thighs.
“Open up real wide for me, shy.” This wouldn’t be the first time she’d been exposed for him, but she always enjoyed the power that ebbed inside her when she gave him her trust. “This is not the time for you to be aroused, shy,” he said.
The texture of his hands as they rubbed the V of her hips made that command almost impossible to follow. “Zave,” she said, but as her hips began to rise, he pushed them down again.
He’d had sex with her without hesitation earlier, and being the guest at the party tonight gave them some leeway to be late. His thumbs rubbed down her outer labia against her thighs, and she sighed.
“I’m going to be with you tonight,” he said. One of his hands left her body to open the lid of the gift box. “You’re going to feel me with you, even when I’m not at your side.”
One finger pushed down against her clit and straight towards her opening, but instead of going inside, it left her, and she whimpered. “Can I have you now?”
“Not now,” he said. “All eyes will be on my beautiful wife. But you will know that you belong to me.”
His hand came back, and she felt something cold circle the outer rim of her intimate threshold. Although she knew he’d put her newest toys in place, she got a surge of excitement when he bowed over her to kiss her lips. Except when she tried to extend her arms around him, he rose and pressed her legs back together as he retreated.
“Lord?”
They’d shared such a brief moment on this bed, and yet she wasn’t sure she had the energy to rise from it. “Now you get to pick, red or black,” he said. The back of her wrist landed on her head as she turned her narrow eyes toward him. “Don’t look at me with that want, shy.”
And she was pleased to see his own gaze grow in heat. “What are you going to do to me?” she asked because anticipation was half the game.
“I’m going to distract you,” he said, standing at the side of their bed looking down at her. “I’m going to be with you every moment that I can, but if I have to slip away, I don’t want you to feel alone.”
&
nbsp; “You plan for me to wear these while we’re not alone… in public?”
Their games had always taken place in the privacy of their bedroom, until now.
“I plan to keep my promise,” he said. “I will keep you safe and I will keep you satisfied. Do you trust me to do both?”
Devon didn’t consider herself a prude, but the idea that he may arouse her while they were trying to charm elegant society members did make her blush. “I trust you in every way.”
He held both hands towards her and although she would be happy to remain there, she rose onto her knees and put her palms on his. “Then you should pick your gown and we’ll go to the event… and then we’ll come home.”
It was what he planned between now and then that intrigued her. “Will we make love tonight?”
He leaned in to murmur in her ear. “With what I plan to do to you, shy, I think sleep will be all you’re thinking about when we come home.” She wanted to argue with him because his toys always tantalized her. “Because there’s not a chance in hell you’ll be able to stay off my cock in the car on the way home.”
Zave took her from the bed and led her into the closet. He didn’t need toys. Her fluttering heart and boiling blood were ready to mount him now, and he hadn’t even activated his latest gift. Zave liked to be in control and Devon liked to be in his power. Whatever he was going to do to her, Devon knew she was going to enjoy it.
The fizzing anticipation of arousal made it easy to forget where they were going. The whole time Devon was dressing, she felt naughty in the most wonderful way. As she slid on her panties, she could feel the toys he’d left on her.
Zave donned his suit and carried himself as the efficient businessman that he was. Hooking her hand into his elbow, he took her down to the car and helped her inside while he gave instructions to security as though he didn’t carry their carnal secret.
Devon had worried that she might blush if he did anything to arouse her. But the truth was, the heat hadn’t left her face since she’d left their bed. She waited for something to happen in the car, but nothing did. There was no chance for her to be anxious about the party or the crowd, because she was too busy thinking about how it would feel when he touched her without being near to her and while they were in public, something he’d never done before.
Finch (Kindred #6) Page 12
