The Red Eye (The Red Eye Erotic Romance Series Book 2)

by Phillips, Avery

  I shrugged. “Was it that obvious?”

  Devon laughed. “It really was.” He swiveled my chair around so that I was facing him. “Look, this isn’t going to be forever, and I’ll fly out to see you whenever I can. If our relationship can’t cope with a few weeks apart, then what kind of relationship do we have? There is something special between us, isn’t there?”

  “You know there is.” I could have cried. It wasn’t just that I was going to be away from Devon for two weeks, but it was the fact that I’d be with Rick. The man who hadn’t just broken my heart. He’d ripped it from my chest, tore it into shreds, and then stamped on the pieces right in front of me.

  But I didn’t want Devon to know about any of it, so I had to put my big-girl panties on, suck it up, and brave it.

  “That’s my girl.” Devon kissed me, and the feel of his lips on mine went a long way to making me feel a better. “Now why don’t you take the rest of the day off as well? Get yourself ready for the trip. The sooner you can find a quick solution to Andrew Clifton’s problems, the sooner you’ll be back where you belong—with me.”

  He kissed me again, and all I could think about was how I’d rather be riding him than riding in a plane.

  Three

  I was in no longer in the mood to deal with my clients that day, so I followed Devon’s advice and went home early to pack my things. Although I was spending most of my time as of late staying at Devon's, I still had my own place just in case I needed some space. Today was one of those days I needed some space. I was so pissed with Devon, and being at his penthouse, surrounded by all his things, his scent lingering in the air, was making it worse. I didn’t want to be in his apartment, reminded of everything I was being forced to leave behind.

  Angrily, I tossed things into a case, hardly paying attention to what I was packing. Being away from Devon was one thing; our relationship was strong enough to survive a couple of weeks apart. Going away with Rick was quite another. When that man walked out of my life, I thought I’d never see him again, and that would have been fine by me. Now that he was back, not only did I have to put up with seeing his smug face every day, but I lived in dread daily of my secret getting out.

  Of all the law firms in New York City, why did Rick have to join mine?

  There was a knock at the door. When I opened it, I was greeted with the most enormous bunch of red roses I had ever seen in my life. It was so large, it practically filled the doorframe. I stared at the bouquet in amazement, my mouth agape. I dug through the vibrant blossoms in search of a card, but there was none.

  There was a rustling and the roses were put to one side to reveal Devon standing behind them. “Peace?”

  I sighed and shook my head. “I can never stay mad at you for long. You know that.”

  He passed me the flowers and I turned to lead him into my apartment. He made himself comfortable on my sofa while I looked around for a vase large enough for the huge arrangement he’d bought me.

  “You know that these probably won’t last until I get back, right?”

  Devon laughed. “I hadn’t actually thought about that. I just knew that you were upset with me and I wanted to do something to put a smile back on your face. And it worked, so if you only get to enjoy them for a few hours, well, it’s a small price to pay.”

  At last, I found a vase large enough to hold them, and I put it in the middle of the coffee table before dropping the roses into the transparent glass, not bothering to arrange them or cut the stems. It was a sweet gesture from Devon, but I knew I would only come home to a pile of rose petals littering the table. Probably a metaphor for my love life—beautiful and temporary. Still, they’d make the place smell nice, if only for a little while.

  “Come here.” Devon patted the space next to him.

  “I’ve got to pack, remember?” I arched one eyebrow.

  He sighed, looking dejected. “Would it make you feel any better if I told you that I was getting pressure from my dad on this one?”

  “Not really. It would only remind me of how much he hates me.”

  “He doesn’t hate you.” Devon held out his hand for mine and pulled me onto his lap. “It’s just that he hates to lose at anything, and Dad’s old school, and the fact that he lost Doug to an attractive young woman made it even worse. But he’s not stupid. He wouldn’t have offered you a place in the firm if he didn’t respect your legal prowess. If anyone can get Andrew Clifton out of hot water, it’s you.”

  “Well, I’ve been looking at the case notes and I do have a few ideas about what we can do. There’s—”

  “Shhh.” Devon put a finger on my lips. “I didn’t come here to discuss the case with you. I won’t be seeing you for a while, so thought we could make the most of each other while you’re still around.”

  He replaced the finger shushing me with his glorious mouth, his tongue gently running across the outline of my lips, making me gasp. With one swift movement, he flipped me over so that I was lying on my back. Looking down at me, he reached over and began unbuttoning my blouse to reveal my bra, and my chest rose and fell in arousal.

  “Nice outfit.” The grin he gave me told me that he couldn’t wait for me to take it off, but when I reached round the back to unhook the clasp, he shook his head and took my hands in his, holding them tight above my head as he leaned forward to murmur in my ear, “Let me.”

  I left my hands where he’d placed them as he pushed open my blouse, arching my back as he reached round and undid my bra, running his hands round to cup my breasts, letting his thumb rub gently over my nipples, making them hard in anticipation.

  The butterflies the touch inspired beat storm-inducing wings as he gently squeezed and rubbed the hardened nubs around between his thumb and forefinger. As he tortured me with pleasure, he ran his nose up and down along the length of my neck. His lips grazed my skin. His mouth opened over my pulse, and I felt the wet heat of his tongue as he gently sucked, making me cry out in ecstasy.

  At last, he pulled me up so that I could shimmy out of my blouse and yank off my bra, and I sat before him half naked. “I never get tired of looking at you.” Devon began to unbutton his shirt.

  “My turn.” I pushed his hands away and started to undo his buttons, kissing the newly exposed skin as I eagerly worked my way down to his belt buckle.

  “Naughty, naughty.” He took my hands, once more holding them over my head as he kissed me, pushing me back down onto the sofa. He kept me there with one hand, and his other hand ran down my thigh and then back up again, so that he was underneath my skirt. He pressed lightly against my stomach as my legs fell open, hips rising in the direction of his questing hand.

  I moaned as his hand found its way back down to my panties, lightly running up and down to cup my mons, teasing me with every movement. He slid a finger between my lower lips to tickle at my clit. When he pressed the digit inside of me, I felt an intense warmth rush over me. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been fingered. He slipped in another finger and beckoned against my G-spot with slow, sure strokes that made me tremble.

  My wetness dripped into his open palm, yet still he kept touching me. I was incensed with need, trying to resist the desire that spiraled upward through me. I jerked my head aside, closing my eyes. My mouth dropped open as he pushed deep and started thrusting in and out faster. Suddenly, he let go of me and yanked my panties down. I lay there before him, panting, writhing, my skirt around my waist as he undid his trousers to set free his throbbing erection.

  Cupping my buttocks, he viciously lifted my hips to meet him and thrust into me, pounding away. His plunges were deep, and the sex was a sultry repeat of every time before, only this time I was angry and he was apologetic. I felt it in how tense my body was and how attentive his touch was. He wanted to please me.

  He fucked me with his lips against mine, dropping silky kisses to my mouth. I groaned as his head dipped to the nook of my shoulder, and he kissed down my chest. He gathered my breasts in his hands and sensually su
cked on each nipple, all the while sliding in and out of my quivering, saturated womanhood. My hips lifted higher, fell, lifted. I cried out in agonized moans of ecstasy.

  He spread my thighs wider and I wrapped my long legs around his hips, pushing the heels of my feet against his lower thighs. My fingers danced down to his taut buttocks, guiding him in and out. He gasped against my breasts. His lips flew back to mine, and I swallowed the sounds of his heated cries of pleasure as he started to shake. The heightening pleasure crested at my core, sending me to heaven as I suddenly climaxed at the exact point as Devon.

  I couldn’t believe the pleasure.

  Minutes later, Devon breathlessly broke the silence. “I’m sorry, Rebecca.”

  “Don’t be. Did you miss me screaming as I came?”

  Devon laughed, as he stroked my hair away from my face. He shifted round so that he was lying on his side behind me, holding me onto the sofa with one arm, his head resting on the other. “I love it when you go off like that. No, I’m sorry that you have to go. I’m really going to miss you.”

  “So am I.” I could feel tears pricking at the corners of my eyes, and for a moment, I considered telling him why it was that I had such a problem with Rick, but the urge passed. I wasn’t ready to open that can of worms. Not just yet, I wasn't.

  “Still, it’s not for long. You’ll be back here before you know it, and then maybe…”

  “Maybe what?”

  “Well, I was thinking. It seems stupid, you keeping this place when you stay at mine most of the time. Why don’t you just move in?”

  I felt a rush of conflicting feelings: skepticism, elation… doubt. “You serious?”

  Devon nodded, but his happy smile faded as he realized that I wasn’t as overjoyed about his offer as he’d expected. “What’s up?”

  “Nothing. I mean…” I shrugged as I tried to put my feelings into words. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m really happy that you want us to move in together, but I just don’t know that I’m ready for that kind of commitment.”

  “What do you mean, Rebecca? You’re at my place practically every night. You have your own drawer, for Christ’s sake. What’s wrong with just a little nudge forward? I thought you’d be glad to, at least, save the rent on this place. It can get pretty expensive when you’re just using it for storage.”

  I looked around my tiny apartment. It was nowhere near as fancy as Devon’s larger-than-life penthouse, but it was still mine, and I needed that.

  However, that wasn’t the main reason I couldn’t accept his offer. Ever since Rick had walked out on me, I’d sworn I’d never let another man hurt me the way that he did. It still haunted me, knocked me off my game. So how could I move in with Devon when Rick was still sniffing around? No way—I needed to make sure he was gone for good before I could even think of living with Devon, and even if Rick wasn’t around, I just wasn’t sure I was ready to take that next step.

  “I thought you were happy with things as they are,” I countered. “I mean, isn’t that every man’s dream? The perfect relationship without the pressures of living in the same space? Basically having your cake and eating it too?”

  “It’s not my dream. Look, I love you, Rebecca. I want to be with you. I thought you felt the same way.”

  And there it was. He’d said it, those three little words hanging in the space between us like a bomb about to explode.

  “Clearly you don’t.”

  “Devon, wait.” I put out a hand to stop him as he started picking up his clothes from the floor and dressing as quickly as possible.

  “You know what, Rebecca? I’d planned on asking Dad if I could come out to work with you, provide an extra pair of hands so you could come back home sooner. I was hoping to surprise you. But you’ve made it pretty clear that you don’t really need me around. I guess I’m just a convenience to you, a way to move up the ladder. And that’s fine. I understand ambition, but I’m not going to sit here and pressure you into doing something you really don’t want to do, so have a great flight.”

  “Devon, wait!” But it was too late.

  He stormed out of my apartment, slamming the door behind him. The impact was so hard my windows shook.

  Four

  I arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare. I figured I could make myself comfortable at the lounge and go over the case notes again. So far, from what little I’d seen, we’d be lucky if we could get away with minimizing the amount of damages Andrew Clifton had to pay out, but maybe there was a loophole somewhere we could exploit.

  “Do you come here often?”

  I groaned inwardly as Rick came up behind me in the queue to check in. Just my luck that he arrive at the same time as me. I couldn’t even catch a break at the airport.

  “Come on, Rebecca. Lighten up. Just because you’re going to be away from lover boy for a few days doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world.”

  “Oh, just shut up, Rick.” I wished that I could have thought of something more eloquent to say, but Rick always did bring out the worst in me.

  “Now, now. How are we going to work together with an attitude like that?” He grinned that smug grin of his, making me roll my eyes. “Look, in all seriousness, Rebecca, this is an important case for us both. In my case it could really cement my position at the firm.”

  I gulped. That was the last thing I wanted. If Rick established himself as an essential part of my team, I’d never be able to get rid of him.

  Luckily, I got called to the check-in counter so I didn’t have to reply, but Rick followed me so that we’d check in together.

  “Good evening.”

  “I’d like to check in.”

  “Yes, for Mr. and Mrs.—” Rick put his arm around my waist, so I elbowed him not so gently in the ribs to make him back off, all the while smiling sweetly at the woman.

  “Window or aisle seat?” If the woman noticed any friction between me and Rick, she chose to ignore it.

  “Window, please.” Rick and I spoke at the same time, and I glared at him. He knew I liked to see out when we came in for a landing.

  The woman looked from Rick to me, her brilliant smile fading at the edges.

  “Let Rebecca have the window seat.”

  “My hero.” My sarcasm was lost on Rick, who was as thick-skinned as ever, while the woman finished checking us in and gave us our tickets.

  “Have a nice flight!”

  I wish. This flight was going to be the longest of my life and it hadn’t even started.

  #

  I settled myself comfortably in my seat and pulled a mask over my eyes, planning on catching as much sleep as possible on the flight. Even if I couldn’t sleep, hopefully Rick would take the hint and leave me alone.

  No such luck.

  “Rebecca?” He lifted up the edge of my mask, forcing me to swat him away.

  “Jesus, Rick. Can’t you leave me alone for five minutes?”

  “You know me, Becky. I never could resist you.”

  “Please don’t call me that.” Nobody had called me Becky since I left school, not even my mother. Rick was the only one who’d continued to use it as a pet name, and I hated the memories it brought back of when we were married.

  “All right. Rebecca.” Rick looked unusually serious, so I sighed and pulled my mask off, turning in my seat to face him.

  “What is it, Rick? What is so important that you’ll go out of your way to ensure I don’t get any rest? It’s not called the red eye for nothing.”

  “I owe you an apology.”

  “And then some!” I scoffed, not believing him for a moment. This was just another one of Rick’s games, and I was tired of playing them.

  “No, I’m serious.”

  The look on his face told me he was telling the truth—for once—so I sat up straighter, letting him know that he had my full attention. “Go on.”

  “I know I treated you badly and no words can make up for the way I behaved. I was young and an idiot, and there hasn’t been a d
ay since that I haven’t kicked myself for letting you get away. I’ll always be grateful for what you did to put me through college—”

  “Shhh!” I glanced around to see if anyone was listening.

  “The thing is, I didn’t have to take the job at Caesar and Krause. I had a number of offers and this wasn’t the best paid, not by a long shot.” He put his hand over mine. “But when I saw that there was a chance for me to get closer to you, I had to take it. I want to make it up to you, Becky… Rebecca. I want to show you that I’ve changed, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll give us another chance.”

  I couldn’t help it. I burst out laughing. “Good one, Rick. You almost had me for a second there.”

  “I’m serious!” A hurt expression came over Rick’s face.

  “Yeah, yeah. And that’s a pig flying past my window.”

  “Come on, Rebecca. Did you have to make this so hard?”

  I couldn’t help the sneer curling my lip. “Yes, Rick. I really do. You broke my heart into a million pieces. I never thought I’d be able to pull myself back together, but, somehow, I did, and now I’ve got a good life, a career I love, an apartment that’s all mine, and a boyfriend who’s amazing in bed…” I couldn’t help throwing in that last dig. “I don’t need you anymore. Looking back, I don’t think I ever did.”

  Rick nodded slowly. “Okay, Rebecca. I get the message. It was always a long shot, hoping that you’d just fall back into my arms. Of course you’re seeing someone. A woman like you would never stay single for long. And I respect that.

  “But just to show that there’s no hard feelings, why don’t you let me take you out for dinner tomorrow night, for old times’ sake?”