An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication
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Educating Emily ISBN 9781419914911 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Educating Emily Copyright © 2008 Beverly Havlir Edited by Nicholas Conrad. Photography and cover art by Les Byerley. Electronic book Publication February 2008 With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/) This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.
EDUCATING EMILY
Beverly Havlir
Dedication To my husband Jim, who has been my teacher in so many ways. I love you. You bring out the best in me. I swear patience is your middle name. To Madison Hayes, for your unending enthusiasm in reading my manuscripts. I hope to see you soon again. Spending time with you last summer was fun. To Celia and Barbara—I love that you love my stories. You guys are awesome! To my editor, Nick Conrad, thanks for all the help and the gentle suggestions. I appreciate that you “get” me. I’m so happy to be working with you.
Trademarks Acknowledgement The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction: Jell-O: General Foods Corporation
Educating Emily
Prologue “Man, since when did little Emmy Sinclair grow up to be such a hottie? She’s sure got a nice set of…twins.” “Well, well. Dad’s annual neighborhood barbecue just got a whole lot more interesting.” Devlin McKay cast an irritated glance at his younger brothers Riley and Jake. “Will the two of you shut up?” He took a swig from the cold beer in his hand. Privately, he echoed the very same thing in his head. The yearly block party his parents hosted was a yawner most times, something he and his brothers endured rather than enjoyed. But his body had done the oddest thing upon seeing his long-time neighbor walk through the gate, wearing a soft cotton T-shirt that molded her chest and jean shorts that showed off her killer legs. Thank you, Mother Nature, for the unseasonably warm weather. His cock twitched in sudden, rapt attention. He was damn glad he was standing in front of the large barbecue grill. At least he wouldn’t be embarrassed by his sophomoric reaction. “What? You’re not pleasantly surprised by how she turned out?” Riley asked in disbelief. Jake, the youngest at thirty, gave a short laugh. “She used to kick my ass in flag football.” “Still can, I’d bet,” Riley snickered. “I guess she grew out of her tomboy phase, after all.” Did she ever. Devlin shifted slightly, taking another look at Emily. It was hard to believe this was the same girl who used to pester her three brothers, Eric, Brett and Alex, to let her join the games they had played. The McKays and the Sinclairs were neighbors and, with three boys from each family, had naturally drifted together as kids. 5
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They each had a sister, too. Melissa was the McKays’ youngest, while Emily was the baby of her family. There was only one word to describe little Emmy Sinclair now. Luscious. Whereas the tomboyish Emily, who used to tag along with them to the local playground, had worn her hair back in a ponytail and had scuffed knees, this one was remarkably different. Her hair, a glorious blonde with lots of reddish highlights, fell to the middle of her back. From where he stood, Devlin could detect a light smattering of makeup. And those lips. Full and pink, they glistened damply in the afternoon sunlight. Somebody should have warned him about her. Now here he stood, silently drooling, unable to take his eyes off her, his body exhibiting a totally inappropriate reaction. “Hey Dev, you’re burning my hamburger,” Jake complained. Startled, Devlin turned to find the patty singed around the edges. He scooped it up and slapped it on his younger brother’s plate. “Here. Quit complaining and just eat it,” he muttered. Riley laughed and slapped him on the back. “What’s the matter, Dev? You look a little shell-shocked. Dude, you’re not alone. If I’d known Emily would turn out as hot as this, I would’ve visited home sooner.” “Yeah, I’d like to see that. Her brothers would no doubt pound you to dirt,” Devlin tossed back, not liking the idea of Riley salivating after Emily, too. Jake squirted ketchup on his bun. “They would pound both of you if they saw you checking out their little sister.” With a shake of his head, Riley chugged back the rest of his beer. “Time flies, huh? It’s funny how things change.” “Don’t let Mom hear you say that,” Jake grumbled. “She’s always complaining how you and Devlin don’t come often enough for Sunday dinners.”
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A doctor at a local hospital, Jake was the only one who still lived in the city they’d all grown up in. Riley, like Devlin, had moved to Boston, which was a scant half hour away on a good traffic day. “So how come you didn’t give us the scoop about little Emmy, Jake?” Riley asked with a teasing grin. “Trying to keep her all to yourself, I’ll bet.” Jake rolled his eyes. “I work thirty-hour shifts at the hospital. Who has time to socialize?” “Yeah, but you’ve been staying with Mom and Dad lately. Don’t tell me you haven’t seen her before tonight?” Riley persisted. “I’m only staying with the parental unit because the refurbishing on my house is taking too damn long and Mom won’t hear of me staying in a hotel in the meantime,” Jake explained with a touch of exasperation. “And I swear to God, I haven’t seen Emily around much. If I had, don’t you think I would have asked her out already?” He glanced over to where Emily stood. “She’s got curves in all the right places. She’s a great athlete, too. Didn’t she play softball in college? I remember she had a nasty curve ball.” Devlin flipped the burgers and told himself not to look over his shoulder again at Emily. “Is she dating anyone?” Riley asked, curiosity and interest in his tone. Jake shrugged. “How can she? I’ve heard her brothers watch her like damn hawks.” “Good,” Devlin mumbled. If the Sinclair boys were indeed watching their sister like rabid guard dogs, then that meant Emily didn’t have a boyfriend. Not that it mattered to him. “Oh, come on. It’s not like her brothers don’t know me. You guys really think they would mind if I asked her out?” Riley wondered. Devlin suddenly slapped two cheeseburgers on a plate and shoved it in Riley’s hands. “Here. Give this to Melissa. She’s waiting for it.”
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“What’s the matter, Dev?” Riley raised an eyebrow at his reaction. “Afraid I’ll beat you to the punch?” Before Devlin could reply, Jake suddenly shifted to face them. “Hottie alert. Emily’s coming this way. I’m getting another beer.” He walked away, leaving Devlin alone with Riley. “I’ll mosey over yonder since Melissa’s waiting for her food.” Riley chuckled softly. “She’s all yours, Dev.” Devlin threw his brother a dirty look. A second later, his skin prickled in awareness as Emily came to a stop next to him. “Hi, Dev.” Jeez. Even her voice was sexy. Sultry and husky, like she’d just rolled out of bed after a night of… Whoa…don’t go there. Devlin cleared his throat. “Hey, Emmy.” Those delicious lips formed a pout. “I outgrew that nickname a long time ago. It’s just Emily now.” She gave him a look from beneath her lashes. “Will you give me some meat?” He choked. “What?” Her eyes widened innocently. “Meat. I’d like a burger, please.” Get your mind out of the gutter, Dev. He drew in a calming breath. “Sure. It’ll be just a minute.” Glaring at the sizzling patty, he mentally ordered it to hurry and cook already. Emily took a step closer. “You’re just staying for the weekend?” He nodded, using the pretext of reaching for his beer to put a little more space between them. All his senses were going haywire. He was hyperaware of how her full breasts thrust softly against the shirt. He even smelled her, damn it, catching a whiff of her scent as she shifted closer. Yet again. “It’s nice that you’re home. Your mom always says one would think you live three hours away instead of only a half hour.” “I’ve been busy.” What a lame answer.
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Emily focused those amazing blue eyes at him. “But you’ll be here for Melissa’s wedding next month, right?” Devlin nodded. “I’m taking some vacation time.” He cleared his throat. God, those eyes were deadly—a deep, dark ocean color. With immense relief, he handed her the cooked hamburger. “Here you go. All done.” “Thanks.” A small smile played on her lips. “I’ll look forward to seeing you again soon.” As Emily walked away, Devlin stole a glance at the long, smooth legs and the swaying hips. What a perfect, heart-shaped ass. With difficulty, he roused himself to turn away. Great. Now he was going to have to deal with this sudden, insane attraction he felt for Emily when he came back for his sister’s wedding next month. He’d given in to his mother’s cajoling, and had scheduled a couple of weeks’ overdue vacation time. Note to self—Stay away from Emily Sinclair. She’s nothing but trouble.
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Chapter One “Teach me how to drive a man crazy in bed.” At Emily Sinclair’s words, Devlin McKay nearly choked on the fine old Scotch he’d been savoring. It had been a month since the day of the neighborhood barbecue, when he’d felt like he’d been pole-axed. In the ensuing time, he’d convinced himself he had a handle on his body’s reaction to her. He was dead wrong. The laughter, the animated conversation that filled the balmy evening receded into the background. The glow from the torches lining the lush landscaping of his parents’ backyard glinted against Emily’s smooth, lightly tanned skin. The slinky red dress skimmed her curvy body, outlining enticing dips and hollows before lovingly molding her tight, round ass. Damn, but she was a hottie. Images of a naked Emily, writhing sensuously on tangled sheets, flashed suddenly in his mind. “Hello? Have I lost you, Devlin?” Emily asked with a teasing smile. Heat crept up his neck as he struggled to raise his gaze. It was all he could do not to stare at the luscious cleavage on display before him. “What did you just say?” “You heard me.” Devlin half expected Emily’s three overprotective brothers to jump suddenly out from the bushes and beat him to a pulp. A glance around confirmed that they were across the pool, beers in hand, busy swapping stories with his brother Jake. “I know this must seem weird to you.” Emily’s large blue eyes looked directly into his. “But I need your help. I want to learn how to make love to a man and drive him crazy.” Alarm bells went off in Devlin’s head as his cock lengthened to its full size. He cursed under his breath. Emily crossed her arms, her full breasts nearly spilling out of the halter top. He fought not to look but couldn’t resist. 10
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What the hell was wrong with him? Emily was nothing like the women he usually dated. He’d always been partial to blatantly sexy, sophisticated females with carnal appetites to match. In stark contrast, Emily was like a breath of fresh air, open and guileless, carrying her innocence around her like a mantle. With great difficulty, Devlin ignored the sudden spike of insistent heat in his blood. “Are you trying to start a family feud?” he asked, attempting to infuse his words with mild amusement and failing miserably. It was difficult not to eat her up with his eyes. “The last time us McKay boys got into a serious squabble with your brothers was when we were in junior high.” Emily cocked her head and rolled her eyes. “I remember. You kissed Bridget Conway after school, not knowing that Eric had been mooning over her for the better part of the year.” Despite the discomfort of his hard-on, Devlin managed a small smile. “Your brothers waited for me behind the gym the next day.” “You beat each other up. My mom nearly had a heart attack when Eric came home with a bloody lip. Brett’s nose was broken and Alex had a black eye. She called the General in a panic.” The General was the nickname the Sinclair kids had bestowed upon their father, Harmon Sinclair, a battle-hardened US Marine Corps Lieutenant General. Devlin grinned, reliving the memory. Both sets of parents had gotten involved and managed to smooth over the altercation. Their kids had been best friends ever since. “We didn’t come out of it unscathed.” Jake had lost a tooth. Riley had come away with a sprained hand, and he, the oldest and supposedly the wisest, had sported a fat lip for several days. “So will you help me? Please?” His cock twitched at the sexy voice but he fought to ignore it. Devlin snorted. “Your brothers would kill me first.” He gallantly tried not to let his eyes linger on any part of her luscious body. Damn, but Emily was sexy and alluring without even trying. And, he 11
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reminded himself, she had three brothers who could be meaner than junkyard dogs. He ought to know. They were his friends. Emily scooted closer. Her nipples pushed softly against the silky material of her dress, brushing dangerously near his arm. Devlin’s mouth watered, salivating for a taste. He bit back a groan. If her brothers knew what he was thinking right now, they’d skin him alive. He was tempted to bury his hand in her thick hair to see if it was as silky as it looked. Her full, glistening lips made him think of hot, tongue-tangling, deep French kisses. Or better yet, wrapped around his cock in a long, slow suck. His blood pressure escalated. Jesus. This was Emily Sinclair. He’d watched her grow up, for God’s sake. It was as if a switch had gone off and she’d suddenly become the equivalent of a voluptuous pinup in his mind. He felt like a pervert. She crossed her arms, pushing those delicious mounds into prominence. Limpid blue eyes implored him. “Will you at least let me explain why I need you to teach me?” “Hell, no.” Devlin didn’t want to know. Wanting to hide the huge boner he was sporting, he stormed off across the yard. Emily hurried to catch up. “I’m writing an article on ten different ways,” she lowered her voice, “a relatively inexperienced woman can drive a man insane in bed.” Devlin caught a whiff of her fresh, subtle scent and stifled a groan. He wanted to bury his face in her neck, suck the soft, inviting skin and mark her as his. To taste those tempting lips, to nip and bite until she opened up to let him in. Since when had she become such a temptress? “Listen, Emmy—” “Emily,” she corrected with a hint of impatience. “I already told you nobody calls me that anymore, Dev.” The husky way she uttered his name sent an electrical charge directly to his susceptible cock. He pulled in a deep breath. Control yourself. “I’m not the man to ask for help.”
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“Why not?” She fell silent when a male guest walked by, waiting until he was out of earshot before continuing. “I grew up next door to you, remember? I know that women flock to you like crazy. You obviously know your way around them. You’re the perfect man to teach me.” Christ. She made him sound like he was some kind of a player. He wasn’t, but he’d confess to being a serial dater, never entering into a committed relationship. If any other woman asked him to teach her tricks in bed, he wouldn’t even hesitate. He wasn’t opposed to some action while he was on vacation. But not with little Emily from next door. “What do you need? Pointers?” That should be easy enough. He could probably come up with some tips off the top of his head. He’d be lying if he didn’t admit that he’d been on the receiving end of many different kinds of seductions. “My column is called True-to-Life Adventures of a Modern Woman.” “And?” Emily sighed in exasperation. “The whole point of my column is that I experience everything I write about.” “What are you saying? That we’d actually have to—” “Definitely.” Her eyes sparkled with a flash of heat. “I’d insist on it.” Excitement streaked down his spine. Just like that, his mind was filled with images of him and Emily lying on mussed sheets, moaning over and over as he rode her hard. Damn it. Anybody looking at him would no doubt guess the totally inappropriate thoughts running through his mind. “No,” he replied curtly even though his body screamed Yes! Needing to keep his distance, he stalked away again, leaving her gaping after him. Her smaller strides were no match against his longer ones, and by the time she’d caught up with him, he’d reached the dimly lit gazebo clear on the other side of the house, away from the party.
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“Why not?” Emily persisted. “I can give you three big reasons.” It was her turn to snort. “You’re not scared of my brothers.” He wasn’t, but it was the only reason he could think of that might dissuade her. “Like I said, I don’t want a family feud on my hands. I’ve heard how protective your brothers are.” She threw up her hands. “That’s the whole point. I’m twenty-four. I can count the number of boyfriends I’ve had on one hand. My brothers are crazy, irrational and way overprotective.” Devlin was well aware of her brothers’ tendency to smother her. It surprised him that Emily hadn’t rebelled and moved away for good. “They scare my dates away. They run background checks on the men I go out with, generally frightening the living daylights out of them. Sometimes I hate it that they’re in the security business.” She sighed. “I know they mean well but they meddle in my life too much.” Devlin could understand why Eric, Brett and Alex acted the way they did. Their only sister was a knockout. “So tell them to back off.” “I would if I met a man worth fighting for, I guess. If they’re easily scared off by my brothers, then maybe they’re not worth keeping,” she said simply. Emily stepped close to him. “So will you help me?” He fought the urge to step back, sharply aware that all he had to do was reach out and he could have her in his arms. “No.” “It’ll be our secret,” she promised in a low, suggestive tone. “The Three Musketeers don’t have to know anything about it.” Yes hovered on the tip of his tongue. “Emily—”
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“Teach me, Devlin.” The needy voice was almost his undoing. “Teach me how to seduce a man. How to bring him to his knees, to make him want me so much that he loses control.” Despite the cool night air surrounding them, sweat broke out on his forehead. “It’s not a good idea,” he bit out tightly. Emily licked her lips. “No?” He had the weirdest feeling she knew exactly how she was affecting him. “Definitely not.” She looked crestfallen. “I’m not your type?” “It’s not that,” he assured her quickly. Smooth, Dev, real smooth. If his brothers could hear him now, he’d never live it down. Her breast brushed against his arm as she slid closer. “So I am?” Oh, hell. If he wasn’t thinking of family friendships, he’d already have her against the wall with her legs spread, crying out in sexual bliss. “It has nothing to do with whether or not you’re my type. It’s not gonna happen, Emily. I won’t do it.” She lifted her face until she was only inches away from him. “Are you sure I can’t change your mind?” All he had to do was move in, just the tiniest bit, and he’d taste her beckoning lips. “Positive,” he countered gruffly. He was lying through his teeth, of course, but he’d walk on burning coals before he admitted that. For the first time in his life, Devlin McKay was turning down an invitation from a very desirable woman. Emily’s eyes, dark and mysterious in the pale moonlight, clashed with his. Something suspiciously like defiance briefly lit the blue depths right before she touched her lips to his. Devlin drew back, but not before he was jolted by the brief taste. “What are you doing?” “If you have to ask, then I must be doing something wrong.”
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“Emily,” he began in a warning tone. “This isn’t a good idea.” In the next second, he swallowed the words as her lips fluttered gently over his. Her tongue, seeking and teasing, slipped inside his mouth and brushed against his. Danger! Somewhere in his head the warning echoed, but it might as well have been blared in a foreign, unrecognizable language for all the notice he took of it. Heat fisted in his belly, sharp needles of lust racing down his spine to coalesce in his hard shaft. Emily’s soft moan broke the thick silence. Her arms snaked over his shoulders as she burrowed closer. At the body contact, hunger overcame what was left of Devlin’s common sense. With a groan, he pulled her against him, taking charge, changing the angle of the kiss. Her breathy sigh was the last thing to penetrate his consciousness before it fogged over completely. Where the hell did she learn how to kiss? And she wanted him to teach her how to seduce a man? Devlin did what he’d been itching to do all night. He palmed her breast, running a thumb over the hard tip before squeezing it gently. Emily jerked in his arms. “Oh.” Unable to resist, Devlin slipped his hand inside the low halter top and groaned as he encountered warm, bare skin. A small sound escaped her, breaking the stillness of the night. Emily pushed her flesh into his hand, seeking more. He gritted his teeth as she brushed against his aching cock. His other hand fisted around her dress, pulling it up, demanding access. Satisfaction streaked through him as his fingers slid over her supple thigh before curving around a plump buttock. “Devlin,” she moaned. Kneeing her thighs apart, he cupped her pussy from behind. The little scrap of silk covering her sex was damp. Testing the delicate fabric of her underwear, he pulled it taut against her mound, trapping her clit. She trembled violently. “Ohmigod.”
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“Damn it, Emily,” he groaned, but his fingers were already sliding past the edge of her panties, immediately drenched in her moisture. He thrust high inside her channel, pumping deep, spurred on by her breathy, mewling gasps. “Devlin.” He wanted to feel her come, to feel her inner muscles clenching on him as she toppled over into orgasm. He stroked faster, harder. Pushing her deeper into the darkened corner of the gazebo, he bent her at the waist and captured her lips, pushing his tongue into her mouth in time with his thrusting fingers. Faint, jazzy music penetrated the fog of lust clouding his brain. Sounds of distant laughter roused him from his lust-induced trance. It was like cold water thrown on his face, dousing him into awareness of his surroundings. Jesus, what the hell was he doing? Her family and his were just on the other side of the house. Anybody could have come walking by and caught them in the act. Devlin tore his lips away from hers and gently withdrew his fingers. Emily panted, blinking owlishly. “W-what?” “I can’t do this.” The scent of her arousal teased his nostrils, ramping up the frustration he was feeling. She trembled. “W-why not?” One perfect, round breast was exposed, her tight nipple tempting him to taste. His mouth literally watered. “Fix your clothes,” he growled. At his harsh order, she turned away. With fumbling fingers, she straightened her dress. When she faced him again, the pale glow of the moon highlighted the delicate rosy color covering her cheeks. “Why did you stop?” she asked tremulously. Devlin clenched his jaw, ignoring the insistent throbbing of his cock. “We shouldn’t have done that.” She lifted her chin. “I’m not a virgin, if that’s what you’re afraid of.” “I know.” He’d had his fingers deep inside her, for heaven’s sake.
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“But I’m not one of those femme fatales, either. I’m not very experienced. That’s why I want you to teach me.” Emily licked her lips. “Y-you liked kissing me.” He ignored the rush of molten lava in his veins. “It doesn’t mean anything. I like kissing a lot of women.” Hurt flashed briefly in Emily’s eyes. “So I’m just like all the others, then?” Not by a long shot, but Devlin couldn’t tell her that. Not while he was still grappling for control. His dick was still painfully erect, far from satisfied. Frustration brought his nerves to the edge. “I’m not the man to help you with what you need, Emily.” Thick, tense silence fell between them. Devlin wished he could take back the words. At the moment, he wanted nothing more than to say yes, to be the one to teach her all the ways a woman could bring a man to his knees. After long, painful moments, Emily straightened her shoulders and looked him dead in the eye. “I’m sorry you feel that way.” Unease whizzed down Devlin’s spine at her far-from-contrite tone. Oh man, he had bad feeling about this. He cleared his throat. “So you’ll forget all about this article? You’ll write about something else?” “I’m afraid not. I’m committed to writing it. I’ve been planning it for months.” “Emily—” “Since you said no, I’ll just have to go to Plan B.” “Plan B?” he parroted with a frown. Slim shoulders moved in a careless shrug. “I really hadn’t intended to, but I’ll just have to ask somebody else. Like…like Mike, for instance. He’s here tonight.” Devlin narrowed his eyes. Though he suspected she’d just pulled the name out of thin air, a quick spurt of irritation still ignited inside him. “Horny Mike? You do know how he got that nickname, right?”
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Emily simply turned away and walked out of the gazebo, heading back to the party. Stunned, Devlin could only follow her with his gaze. Just a few moments ago, she had been trembling with pleasure, begging for more. He’d had his fingers buried deep in her slit, drenched in her wetness. She could brush all that aside and go to another man for lessons in seduction? His breath hissed from between his teeth. Frustration swelled, feeding his anger. He’d been seconds away from working his cock inside Emily Sinclair. Had he thrown all caution to the winds, he’d be clasped within her tight pussy right now, pounding his way to sexual satisfaction. Even his usual fastidiousness in using protection during sexual encounters had been the furthest thing from his mind while he’d had Emily in his arms. Gritting his teeth, feeling edgy and unfulfilled, Devlin followed her.
Emily clenched her fists, forcing her feet forward, away from Devlin. She could feel his gaze boring into her back but she was not going to look behind her. After he’d abruptly withdrawn from her and turned her down, she’d thrown in the first name that came to mind, which happened to be Mike. Even though she had no intention of ever asking horny Mike to help her out with her article. Not in this lifetime. The plan she’d concocted had been inspired and, in her opinion, perfect. Ask Devlin McKay, the man she’d wanted for years, to teach her ten ways to drive a man crazy in bed. All in the name of research for her article, of course. The opportunity to put her strategy into motion presented itself when Devlin himself told her he’d be here for his sister’s wedding, and on vacation to boot. Fate had presented her with a once-in-alifetime chance. Had Devlin said yes, it would have been the thrilling conclusion to years—since she’d been a shy teenager—of wanting him from afar. Emily had shunned the immature boys she’d gone to high school with in favor of lusting after the more sophisticated Devlin. He’d been the star of countless daydreams. When she’d gone away to college, she’d attempted to get over her futile devotion to Devlin and even had a couple of
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boyfriends. But no one had aroused the same level of giddy, crazy attraction Devlin had effortlessly brought out in her. It had been an exercise in futility because none of them made her feel the way Devlin had. Even now, years later, when by rights she should have moved on and forgotten about Devlin, he still remained the focus of her fantasies. He might have moved away but not a day went by that she hadn’t thought of him. She’d even taken to shamelessly pumping his mother for information, trying to glean knowledge of when Devlin would visit home to catch even a brief glimpse of him. To this day, Devlin has no inkling how she felt. To him, she was still little Emmy, the sister of the Sinclair brothers, who just happened to be best buddies with the McKay boys. No matter. The kiss they’d shared in the gazebo, which rocked her world by the way, proved Devlin wasn’t immune to her. Just the opposite if she were to judge by his response. He’d caressed her all over, his hands insistent and demanding. Heat bloomed in her cheeks. He’d had his fingers inside her, for God’s sake. Hot, unfulfilled need still throbbed between her legs. It was cruel and unusual punishment—the way he’d stopped and left her hanging on the precipice of something glorious and amazing. Emily pulled in a deep breath, resisting the urge to growl in disappointment. Relax and be patient. She needed to regroup and rethink. She’d already put her plan into motion. Failure was not an option. First, she’d get a much-needed drink. The outdoor mini-bar located in the patio was thankfully deserted when she reached it. Emily grabbed one of the pre-mixed margaritas, tossing it back with a faint grimace. She wasn’t much of a drinker, but she figured she’d need the liquid courage if she was to get through this night. The surprisingly potent drink burned down her throat, leaving her feeling warm and flushed. She’d just placed the empty glass back on the stone counter when somebody sidled up next to her at the bar. “Hey, beautiful.”
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“Hi Mike.” Speak of the devil. “Enjoying the party?” Devlin’s mother, Teresa, loved to throw parties and had organized this one for close friends and family to celebrate Melissa’s upcoming wedding. Mike flashed her a grin. “I am now that I’m talking to you.” Emily smothered a groan. Of all the names to pull out of the blue, Mike definitely should have been last on her list. Why she had thought of him, she’d never know. “Come on. A girl like you belongs out there in the dance floor.” Without giving her a chance to respond, Mike pulled her toward the middle of the grassy yard and drew her into his arms. Emily eventually relaxed when Mike held her at a respectable distance. He really was generally harmless. He just happened to think he was God’s gift to women. “So Mike, what have you been up to?” she asked in an attempt to make conversation. With a little encouragement, Mike readily launched into his favorite subject— himself. Emily nodded her head at what she hoped were the appropriate times. She tuned him out, busy thinking of how to convince Devlin to fall in with her plans. What else could she do to get him to agree to teach her? “My turn, I think.” Startled, Emily looked over Mike’s shoulder. Devlin. A thrill whipped down her spine as Devlin smoothly maneuvered Mike aside and took her in his arms. Her heart began to pound and hope flared inside her. Maybe all was not lost after all. Warmth seeped through her dress from his open palm resting low on her back. “Horny Mike is the last man to teach you anything about seduction.” The deep timbre of his voice slid over her skin like a physical caress. Emily felt the strongest urge to rub her breasts against his chest, to ease some of the ache still coursing through her blood. “Who do you suggest?”
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He rubbed her hip. “You’re asking for trouble, Emily.” The simple touch burned her like a brand. She was acutely aware of the hard flesh that continually brushed against her lower belly. Sharp tingles of electricity raced along her skin. Devlin McKay was aroused, and how, judging by the size of the bulge that he wasn’t exactly trying to hide from her. She swallowed the lump in her throat and strove for a breezy tone. “Don’t worry about it. You turned me down, remember?” “Damn it, Emily.” Moving quickly, he hustled her inside the house and into the empty den. Oh, he’s good, she thought hazily. She hadn’t even realized that he’d danced her right up to the double French doors. Devlin pinned her against the wall. “Why are you doing this?” Emily licked her lips, acutely aware of how alone they were. She wanted so badly to kiss him she could almost taste it. God, just to be this close to him gave sheer pleasure to her hungry senses. “Research. Like I said, I’m writing an article.” He groaned, thrusting his pelvis against her. “I’m going to hell for this.” She blinked, dazed by the feel of his shaft grinding insistently between her legs. “Devlin—” He bent low, his lips hovering over hers. “I changed my mind.” If not for the wall behind her, Emily would have slid into a puddle on the floor. “Yyou have?” Plunging his fingers in her hair, he tipped her face up to his. “Hell, yeah. No way is Horny Mike teaching you.” Through the haze of lust clouding her mind, Emily gave a silent cheer. Bringing up Mike’s name had been pure impulse on her part, especially since no other man would do but Devlin McKay. His tongue ran over her lower lip sensuously. “But we do things my way. You want to learn how to seduce a man? To bring him to his knees? You do what I tell you. No
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questions.” He ventured teasingly between her parted lips. “And I’ll be in charge of your pleasure.” The unabashed dominance in the statement inexplicably thrilled her. His words washed over her, lighting a fire inside she never knew existed. Having been surrounded by men all her life, Emily had always bristled at being treated like a helpless, hapless female. This time it was different. A totally unknown and unfamiliar need to surrender swept over her, to give over control, to put her pleasure in Devlin’s hands. A shaky breath whooshed between her lips as she lifted her chin. “No problem.” Sensual heat flared in the dark depths of his gaze. Devlin pressed a hard kiss to her lips, brief and unsatisfying. He held her tight, keeping their hips fused together. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow night.” Emily flushed. “W-we can do it in my apartment instead. I mean, if…if it’s okay with you,” she stammered huskily. “I don’t have a roommate and it’s totally private and—” Devlin fused his lips to hers. She responded instantly, softening against him, losing her train of thought. All too soon, he pulled back. “I’ll be there at eight o’clock. Be ready for your first lesson.”
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Chapter Two Balancing a cup of coffee and her purse in one hand and her carryall and laptop in the other, Emily walked into the office of The Girl Next Door, the e-zine she ran with her best friend Taylor Sanders. With her mind stuck firmly on Devlin and last night’s party, she managed to rouse herself enough to call out, “Good morning, everyone.” Taylor met her at the door, her russet-colored curls tumbling past her shoulders in its usual, looks-really-perfect kind of way. That, combined with her moss-green eyes, always earned her second glances. “You look chipper this morning.” If Taylor was a stuck-up snob, it would be so easy to hate her because she was so gorgeous, but she’d been Emily’s best friend since they were seven years old. Taylor was the sister she never had. Emily dumped everything on her desk. “I do?” She sipped the strong, kick-startyour-heart coffee, grinning with pleasure. “I guess I am.” Through narrowed eyes, Taylor sent her a thoughtful glance. “What’s going on that you’re not telling me?” “It’s a good day, Tay,” Emily chuckled. “Our little brainchild has over half a million subscribers and counting. Advertisers are scrambling to secure space for the next year. What’s not to be chipper about?” It seemed like only yesterday when she and Taylor had sat down with Hathaway Publishing and pitched their idea for an online magazine for women, one with a very important distinction from the flashy, sophisticated print magazines. Their target market was regular, ordinary women who wanted to read about stuff they actually cared about—written by regular, ordinary women just like themselves.
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Taylor plopped down on the chair in front of Emily’s desk and placed her customary cup of steaming hot tea on the table, wrinkling her nose at the Emily’s coffee. “I still can’t believe we’ve had to hire extra staff to help us out.” “We’re growing and I love it.” “The big bosses upstairs love it, too,” Taylor reported dryly. “Of all the company assets, we’re the little engine that could, bringing in very healthy revenues.” She pulled a face. “I don’t know if it’s true or not, but I heard we’re actually helping to keep this company afloat.” Emily exhaled blissfully. “Poetic justice, considering they didn’t have much faith in us when we started. We did good, girl,” she finished with a laugh. Propping her feet on the edge of the desk, Taylor looked at Emily over the rim of her cup. “Your makeover article was a big success. We’ve received a ton of emails thanking us for the tips.” Emily had written about easy and affordable makeover tricks, geared toward women who didn’t have a lot of money. Emily had to admit, the article had helped her, too. She’d used what she’d learned to help her get ready for the party last night. With the help of some new eye shadow and a few easy brushstrokes, she’d managed to dramatize her blue eyes, achieving a sultry, smoky effect. The difference had been amazing. The lip gloss she’d bought made her lips look full and pouty, adding a damp sheen to her lipstick. The light bronzer she’d applied to her cheeks had completed the look. Her initial self-consciousness had been blown away by the numerous compliments she’d received upon arriving at the party last night, giving her a much-needed confidence boost. Even the halter-top dress she’d worn had been out of the norm, dipping low in the front, exposing a scandalous amount of cleavage. For a few hours, she’d actually felt sexy. And Devlin had liked it… Heat crept up her neck at the memory. “That’s great, exactly what we wanted.”
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Taylor looked over her notes. “So Ten Ways to Drive Your Man Crazy in Bed is a go?” “Oh yes. It’s a definite go.” Remembering Devlin’s kiss, she smiled dreamily. Taylor narrowed her eyes. “All right. What’s going on?” She blinked. “What?” Taylor leaned forward, pinning her with a sharp-eyed glance. “What are you not telling me?” “Nothing,” she replied evasively, looking away. “I was just thinking it’s going to be a lot of fun writing that article.” Her best friend had that stubborn, you’re-not-fooling-me kind of look. “Emily Sinclair, I’ve known you since the second grade. I know when you’re holding out on me.” “Look, Tay—” “When we were nine, we swore a blood oath as sisters. No secrets, remember?” Put that way, how could she keep Taylor in the dark? She hesitated briefly. “There is something. But you have to understand that I didn’t tell you about it because I wasn’t sure I’d be able to actually go through with it. And,” she paused, “I only did it because it’s the only way I’ll get what I want.” With her arms crossed, Taylor leaned back, curiosity etched in her features. “This sounds really juicy. I can’t wait to hear it.” Emily paced back and forth. Pulling in a deep breath, she told her friend about her grand plan for getting Devlin to sleep with her. By the time she was done, Taylor’s eyes were as round as saucers. To her surprise, her friend jumped up and enveloped her in a hug. “Oh, Em. You finally did it. You finally got the nerve to go after the one man you really want. I mean, Devlin McKay? He’s like the guy who’s fueled your fantasies forever. The unattainable
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one you were so sure would never even look twice at you.” She grinned. “Damn. That’s ballsy. I like that. Talk about reaching out and grabbing what you want.” Put that way, the enormity of what she’d done hit Emily. Last night, she’d been steeped in the euphoria of finally having Devlin where she’d always wanted him. She, Emily Sinclair, had boldly asked Devlin to teach her how to drive a man insane in bed. They’d made out in the gazebo, and by the time they were done, she’d been half-naked. In the clear light of day, a bit of doubt settled in. “Oh God, Taylor. What if I don’t measure up?” “Why ever not?” Taylor asked, her expression puzzled. “You’re smart, funny and pretty. Devlin McKay should be thanking you that you’ve set your sights on him.” “But—” Taylor leaned forward. “No buts. Why don’t you believe that you’re good enough for Devlin?” “Can you blame me? He’s the ultimate fantasy for me.” With a sigh, Taylor shook her head. “You’ve worshiped him far too long, Em. He’s just human. He puts on his pants one leg at a time, like everyone else.” Emily sighed, chewing on her lower lip. “What if Devlin finds my lack of experience a turn-off?” “But that’s what you went to him for. To teach you.” “What if I don’t excite him? What if he doesn’t enjoy it?” “He’s a man. How hard can it be to excite him?” Good point. And Devlin had been unmistakably aroused last night. “Sometimes I wish I was more sophisticated. You know, someone who knows all the rules and who’s slept around enough to know what the hell I’m doing.” Taylor shook her head with a grin. “Then you wouldn’t need him to give you tips in the bedroom.” Emily had to smile at that. “True. I’m making too much of this, aren’t I?”
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“Definitely.” “I can’t help it. Devlin’s just different, you know? I want to make sure he doesn’t go away unsatisfied. Or thinking the whole experience was just mediocre. Or that I’m not good at sex and never will be.” “In other words, you want to blow his mind.” Taylor gave a naughty grin. “Among other things, right?” Emily uttered a quick laugh. “Yeah. I do.” “Worrying about it needlessly won’t help you any,” Taylor advised. “In my opinion, you had the guts to ask him and he said yes. That alone should give you the confidence you need to deal with this whole thing, which was your idea to begin with.” “Writing an article about ten ways to drive a man crazy in bed seemed like the perfect way to finally get Devlin to notice me.” Emily sat down on her chair. “I still can’t believe I actually did it. I’ve had sex four times, Taylor. Four times. And they were all utterly forgettable.” She shook her head ruefully. “I must have gone temporarily insane last night.” “Insane with lust. You’ve wanted Devlin forever,” Taylor reminded her. “I remember how you looked forward to holidays when he would come home to visit.” “God, I was pathetic, wasn’t I?” Even a glimpse of Devlin through the curtains was enough to make her happy. And during the times he’d come over to hang out with her brothers, Emily would find every excuse to talk to him just to be near him. “Every girl he went out with, every girl he brought home with him cut a little piece of your heart,” Taylor continued softly. “I know because I was there. Still, you only had eyes for him. No other boy existed for you but Devlin McKay.” It was the teenaged infatuation that had eventually turned into intense physical attraction. Just the sight of Devlin had been enough to awaken feelings inside her she hadn’t understood at first. It was only years later that Emily would realize that even then, she’d been deeply sexually attracted to Devlin.
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“So now that you got Devlin to agree to this scheme of yours, you need to take this opportunity and run with it. No second thoughts. No ifs, ands or buts. It’s a nobrainer.” Taylor grinned. “Knock his socks off and do your best to make him forget every other woman he’s ever slept with.” Though it was a tall order, Emily admitted Taylor had a point. By some stroke of luck, she’d gotten up the nerve to go after what she wanted. Devlin had finally noticed her as a woman, not just as the Sinclair sister. This was the chance of a lifetime. If she didn’t go through with this now, she’d spend the rest of her life wondering how it could have been. Taylor’s pretty face turned somber. “Just be careful, you hear? Writing an article and fulfilling a fantasy are quite different from getting more emotionally invested in Devlin McKay.” Truth to tell, Emily didn’t know how much more emotionally invested she could get when it came to Devlin. For as long as she could remember, she’d woven fantasies about him night after night. How many times had she hugged her pillow, pretending it was him? Every birthday wish had involved him, that he’d finally notice her. Avoid becoming more entangled with Devlin? She was afraid it was already too damn late for that. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.” There was a mixture of sympathy and compassion in Taylor’s voice. “Every man you’ve dated has failed to measure up to him.” Emily acknowledged the truth in that statement. The biggest obstacle to her dating life wasn’t her brothers. It was Devlin. No other man could compare to him and how he made her feel. Inevitably, all the men she had dated came up short of the bar. “You’re right,” she murmured, her confidence bolstered by Taylor’s words. “It’s now or never.” “What’s important is that you put things in the right perspective,” Taylor pointed out bluntly. “No regrets. And no turning into a clingy, needy type who can’t accept it
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when things are over. As your brothers have famously said, there’s nothing worse than a so-called stage-five clinger.” How could she forget that one? She’d heard it a million times from Eric, Brett and Alex. “I’m not stupid,” Emily assured Taylor. “If it doesn’t work out, then at least I had the chance to fulfill my biggest fantasy.” “And you’ll be able to move on?” “I have to. Life goes on.” “And promise me you’ll treat this like any other research, like when you jumped out of a plane at twenty thousand feet.” Taylor grinned and wiggled her eyebrows. “But with delicious fringe benefits.” Emily returned her smile. “Fringe benefits, huh? Sounds good to me.” She shuffled papers on her desk. “Enough about me. Let’s get some work done.” Even as they went over the articles for the upcoming issue, a niggling doubt remained in the corner of Emily’s mind. Fulfilling a fantasy was one thing, but getting her heart trampled on was another. Taylor was right. Emily couldn’t let emotions get in the way. For years, Devlin had remained oblivious to her feelings. It was better he remained that way. Don’t involve the heart. That always leads to trouble.
***** “Dude, you just can’t stay away, can you?” Devlin grinned, cradling the phone against his shoulder. “I’m just calling to check in. Making sure you don’t run the company into ground.” Andrew Inman laughed. “McKay & Inman Investments can survive without you for two weeks, you know. Why don’t you just enjoy your first vacation in years?” “Old habits, I guess.” He’d known Andrew since college, admiring the man’s sharp, analytical mind. His IQ bordered in the range of genius. Devlin knew the company was in very capable hands while he was away. 30
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“How’s the family?” “Great.” Devlin grabbed a tennis ball and bounced it against the wall. “Folks are real happy to see me.” He grimaced. “I’m facing a whole week of pre-wedding parties and dinners.” “Just sit back and enjoy the festivities before your sister’s wedding next Saturday.” Andrew’s voice was laced with amusement. “Trust me, you’re better off there. At least you don’t have to deal with Adrianne.” Devlin frowned. “Adrianne?” “She’s come by several times, refusing to believe you’re not here.” Andrew chuckled. “When we started this company, I didn’t know I’d have to run interference for you and your ex-girlfriends.” Devlin grunted. He’d been going out with Adrianne for a month when she had found out about Melissa’s wedding. She’d wheedled and whined, asking to come with him. When that hadn’t worked, she’d tried anger, demanding that he take her. No way. Weddings put weird ideas in women’s heads. As soon as they glimpsed the bride walking down the aisle, they’d want to do that, too. He didn’t want Adrianne seeing herself in a bridal gown, and him waiting at the altar. That’s when he realized it was time to move on and broke it off with her before he left. She hadn’t taken it well at all. As she’d ranted and raved at him, Devlin wondered where the sexy, sophisticated woman he’d been attracted to had gone. In her place was a shrill female whose features had been twisted into ugly, angry lines. “She’ll give up soon enough.” Adrianne had already left a couple of messages on his cell phone, her voice soft and apologetic, asking him to call her back. He had no intention of getting back with her. In his opinion, he’d had a lucky escape. “Anything at work I should know about?” “The Eastern Bank merger with Coast Savings is in the bag. It should be completed in a day or so. In the meantime, the project for Cooper Hathaway is shaping up to be a big one.”
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His partner had the business instincts of a shark. Andrew was rarely wrong. Cooper Hathaway was one of their biggest clients, as well as a friend. “Sounds good. I left the publishing company’s profile and yearly earnings report on my desk.” “No worries. I took care of it. Cooper wants to move fast on this. This will go down quick and it probably won’t be pretty.” Devlin didn’t doubt that. Cooper’s deal was more than just business. It was personal. “It never is. If you need anything, just give me a call.” Andrew chuckled. “Listen Dev, do me a favor. Leave everything to me. I’ll take care of the Hathaway deal. Forget about the office, all right? Enjoy yourself. There should be an ex-girlfriend or two in the old hometown, right? Find a woman to take your mind off work.” “Yeah, yeah. I can take a hint. I’ll talk to you later,” Devlin muttered before hanging up. He caught the tennis ball neatly in his palm. Find a woman? No need to look far. Emily was the reason he’d felt antsy all day. He couldn’t wait to see her. The first stirrings of attraction he felt for Emily when he’d seen her a month ago at the barbecue occurred so suddenly, with no warning at all. It had hit him like lightning and electrified all his senses. He’d been taken by surprise, so much so that he’d convinced himself that it had been just a fluke. But still, Devlin found himself thinking of Emily during the oddest moments in the weeks that ensued. He had actually begun to look forward to going on vacation so he could see her again, which had been damned unsettling. He’d tried to go out on dates in an attempt to erase Emily from his thoughts, but he’d failed. Though he’d been unwilling to admit it, he’d known it wasn’t merely a fleeting, temporary attraction. From the moment he’d seen Emily last night, he’d been struck by the same magnetic pull he’d felt the first time he’d seen her one month ago. With her light colored hair fluttering gently in the mild, evening breeze, she’d roused the predator in him. A whiff of her fresh scent had acted like damn pheromones to his system, shooting straight to his dick. He’d even found it sexy that she’d teetered on high-heeled shoes, 32
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obviously unused to wearing them. Shit. He had it bad. And he no longer thought of her as little Emmy. Devlin had fallen asleep thinking of Emily, and awoken with her on his mind. It was as if a switch had gone off in his head and all arrows pointed to her. Just the thought of seeing Emily tonight sent a blistering shot of heat zinging through his body. A glance at the clock told him he still had a couple of hours before he was due to meet Emily. He reached down and adjusted his aching cock. Damn. He couldn’t wait.
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Chapter Three Emily wiped her damp palms down the sides of her jeans. With shaky fingers, she pulled at the deep V of the camisole top she wore, trying to settle it at a modest height. She took a deep breath in an attempt to calm her furiously beating heart. Her stomach was all tied up in knots. She dabbed at her face. With her luck, the mascara she’d applied was already running down the side of her face in a long, black blob. “Okay, Emily. Just relax.” A glance at the clock told her Devlin was not due to arrive for another half-hour, plenty of time to settle down and quiet her nerves. She glanced around, casting a critical eye around her small apartment. How did one fix a place up for seduction? She didn’t have the faintest idea, so she decided to leave everything the way it was. A femme fatale she was not. Emily jumped when the doorbell rang. Who could that be? She prayed it wasn’t her mom. Or worse, one of her brothers. “Oh jeez,” she muttered, hurrying to the door and pulling it open. Devlin stood at the door, dressed in a black, long-sleeved shirt that bore a discreet logo that screamed designer wear, and soft, well-worn jeans. “Y-you’re early.” Emily stepped aside to let him in, wondering why Devlin showed up before the time they’d agreed on. Unless… “You’ve changed your mind, haven’t you?” “I wouldn’t be here if I had.” She exhaled in relief and managed a smile as she closed the door. “Great.” Feeling nervous and terribly gauche when she faced him once more, she asked, “Um, would you like something to drink?” “No.” Her smile faded when she met his quiet, assessing gaze. “Something wrong?” 34
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“Why me, Emily?” Emily swallowed, thrown for a loop by the sudden question. To answer him truthfully, that she chose him because she’d wanted him for years, would be revealing too much. “Why not you?” “It’s a valid question. One that needs to be asked.” Okay, so Devlin wasn’t one of those men who jumped at the chance to have sex with a woman at the drop of a hat. It was an admirable trait and proved he was more than just eye candy. Emily pushed away from the door and avoided his gaze. “I don’t know what you want me to say.” “You could have gone to any other man, but you chose me.” Emily hesitated. “I just thought you’d be the perfect one to help me, that’s all.” She licked her suddenly dry lips. “You have the experience I’m looking for and best of all, you’re not a stranger to me.” It was difficult, but she managed to project an outward calm she didn’t feel. “So you just woke up one day with the idea of writing an article about ten ways to drive a man insane in bed and you just thought of me? Just like that?” “Does it sound so impossible?” “If I hadn’t been around, what would you have done?” “That’s rather moot, isn’t it?” “Is it?” He stared at her intently. “Why not Riley? Or Jake who’s always around here? Why me?” “What do you want me to say, Devlin? That either one of your brothers could have done the job?” In that instant, she decided to gamble on telling him the truth. Or at least part of it. Lifting her chin, she looked him straight in the eye, refusing to be daunted. “All right. I’m attracted to you. Is that straightforward enough?” His eyes flashed with heat. The way he was looking at her made her nipples tighten. She held her breath, waiting for his response. It seemed as though long seconds
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ticked away before Devlin spoke again. “We have to set some ground rules.” He approached her. “First of all, this is between you and me. While we’re doing this, I don’t share.” Heady excitement curled down her spine. As if she would even think of another man while she was with him. “No problem. Does that go both ways?” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she almost gasped. Had she really said that? “Of course.” The way he said it implied there was never any question at all. Oh my. He’d be hers for the duration. Her knees went weak. “H-how much time do you think we’ll need?” He threaded his fingers through her hair, cupping her nape. “As much time as necessary. I’ll be around until the day after Melissa’s wedding.” That meant they had a little more than a week together. Just about. Some of her pleasure faded as she realized how quickly that time frame would pass. With his thumb, Devlin rubbed her lower lip. “And,” he continued, “just so we’re both clear. Emotions don’t come into this.” Upon hearing that, she went still. Right. No emotions. At all. “I don’t want there to be any misunderstanding between us. I’m not looking for a relationship.” I’m not looking for a relationship. The words echoed in her head, seeming to mock her. It was imperative that she didn’t give Devlin even a hint of what she felt for him. If he ever got a whiff of her feelings, this whole thing would be over in a second. “Neither am I.” He tipped her face up. “It can be very easy to form an emotional attachment because of sex.” “Don’t you think it’s a little too early to be thinking of that?” she managed to say in a breezy tone, despite the pain twisting inside her chest. It was naïve of her to hope that
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Devlin would miraculously fall in love with her during the short time they were together. “I just want things to be clear between us from the outset.” Emily nodded and strove to keep her tone light. “Like crystal. I’m inexperienced, not stupid. I know what I’m getting into, Devlin. I need to learn and you’re here to teach me. That’s all there is to it.” Any minute now, lightning was going to strike her where she stood. He cupped her cheek as he came closer, his mint-scented breath feathering across her face. “I’m glad we understand each other.” His touch made her pulse jump. “Perfectly.” She cleared her throat. “So what do we do now?” Devlin’s lips tilted at the corners. “We start your lessons.” Yes. Excitement unfurled in her lower belly. “I want you to relax.” “I am.” He chuckled. “You’re stiff as a board.” Strong hands rubbed up and down her arms. “You want to drive a man insane?” His voice was low and deep. “One of the most important things is to engage all his senses.” Every single one of her nerve endings sizzled in eagerness. “How do I do that?” Devlin toyed with the strap of her silky camisole top. “Men are visual creatures.” “That’s not exactly a secret,” she squeaked. His finger was venturing dangerously low, dipping into the vee of her neckline. “Some men prefer to see a lot of skin, an in-your-face sexiness.” Emily held her breath as he skimmed a hand over the curve of her breast. “What about you?” “I have to admit I like that, too. But recently,” he murmured as he bent closer, “very recently, I’ve experienced a certain fondness for jeans that mold a tight, perfect ass.” 37
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Heat slammed into her susceptible body, spreading fire all the way from the tips of her breasts to the sensitive mass of nerves snuggled between her legs. “R-really?” “Oh yeah. Especially when they’re paired with a top that just hints at what’s underneath.” She swallowed. “I made a good choice, then? I wasn’t exactly sure what to wear.” “Your honesty’s very refreshing. I like that.” Not knowing how to respond to his comment, Emily kept silent. Devlin was wedged against her, so close that she could feel the hard muscle underneath his shirt. He smelled of soap and the subtle scent of man, something she couldn’t adequately describe. It stung her senses with the precision of an arrow. She wanted to bury her face in his neck and just immerse herself in him, to explore with her lips and tongue, to taste and absorb. Desperate to regain a semblance of control, she cleared her throat. “What’s your first tip?” In the next second, Emily caught her breath as he cupped her mound through her jeans, pressing his hot palm against her. Instinctively, she squeezed her thighs together, trapping his hand in-between. “Don’t stiffen up.” Well, I’m sorry if I’m jumpy. I’ve only been waiting for this for years. “All right,” she managed to choke out. “First tip,” he said in a low, husky voice. “Check your inhibitions at the door.” Images of wild, abandoned sex flashed in her mind. Oh-kay. She could definitely go for that. “Be open and receptive to your lover’s touch.” Emily knew it was insane, but just thinking of Devlin as her lover sent sparks shooting through her brain, obliterating whatever power of reasoning she had left. “Second tip. Foreplay is not overrated.” “I-it isn’t?”
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He smiled. “Sometimes hard and fast does the job but slow and easy heightens the anticipation for what’s to eventually happen.” She pulled in a shaky breath, feeling hot and bothered. “You mean like touching each other?” “Touching, yes. And kissing. Lots of kissing.” He brushed his lips against hers. “Kiss me, Emily.” Fire zinged through her flesh, engulfing her in flames. She closed her eyes and kissed him. Their lips touched and parted, touched again. She molded her mouth against his, daring to run her tongue over his lower lip, nipping at it gently. “Now let me taste you. Give me your tongue.” Her heart pounded in her chest. God, why did that sound so sexy? She did as he asked and was rewarded by the sharp thrill that rocked her body as he sucked gently on her tongue. Emily knew the tongue was an erogenous zone, but she had no idea that it could make her knees weak and her limbs shaky. Her eyes fluttered shut as she indulged in long, slow, deep kisses with him that left her panting for more. “Devlin,” she murmured, clutching at his arms. “Hmm?” he asked, skimming his lips down her neck. “I like it when you kiss me.” He gave a soft chuckle. “Good. Because we’re not done yet.” Cupping her face, he angled it just the way he wanted it before clamping his mouth over hers and giving her a kiss that curled her toes. It was wet and deep, hungry and demanding. Emily moaned, clinging to him tightly, opening under him and sucking his tongue into her mouth. His ensuing groan of approval vibrated through her, ramping up her hunger. They kissed and kissed. By the time Devlin pulled away, Emily felt there wasn’t an inch of her mouth he didn’t intimately know or hadn’t explored. To his credit, he let her do the same, letting her indulge her curiosity and hunger. Between her legs, she was
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aware of telling moisture, her pussy quivering with need. Devlin’s kisses were almost enough to send her into orgasm. “Okay?” he asked, his tone strained. “Oh yeah. Never better.” She kept her eyes closed and licked her lips, savoring his taste. If it was this good to kiss him, how much better would it be when they actually had sex? “Emily?” She opened her eyes and looked at him. “Take me to your bedroom.” Hallelujah. How often had she fantasized about Devlin saying exactly that? The sharp rush of anticipation that swelled inside Emily was heady and powerful, like a shot of tequila that went straight to her head. She clutched his arms, needing a moment to steady herself. Pushing her hair away from her face, she took a deep breath. “This way.” Emily was acutely conscious of his gaze glued to her ass as she led him to her bedroom at the end of the short hallway. Devlin must have awakened her inner vixen because she found herself swinging her hips just a little bit more, knowing he was looking. She glanced over her shoulder. The sensuality etched in his features told her Devlin was as eager for this as she was. That eliminated the little bit of doubt she had left. This was the right thing to do. And the right time to do it. He raised his eyebrows questioningly. “Something wrong?” “I just can’t believe you’re really here and we’re about to do this,” she felt compelled to say. His nostrils flared as he pulled in a deep breath. “Lead the way, Emily.” Emily stepped inside her bedroom, briefly casting an assessing glance at the simple yellow and cream colors, trying to see it through Devlin’s eyes. He was probably used to women’s bedrooms done in bold, dramatic coloring, with silk sheets adorning the bed and scented candles scattered everywhere. But that just wasn’t her style. She turned to face him. “Well, this is it. It’s a little small, I know, but—”
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“Don’t be nervous.” Easy for him to say. He pushed the hair away from her face. “Take off your clothes.” She gulped. Undress in front of him? With the light on? Sure, the soft glow of the bedside lamp was probably more forgiving than the unflattering, bright fluorescent bulbs like those found in a department store fitting room. But still, she was hesitant to take her clothes off in plain view. Devlin drew back slightly. “Here’s Tip Number Three.” “W-what’s that?” With a wicked grin, he sat on the bed. “See Tip Number One.” Despite her rattling nerves and the excitement that was almost choking her, she couldn’t help but smile. Devlin’s stab at humor was obviously an attempt to put her at ease. He lounged on her bed as though it was the most natural thing in the world for him to do. What she wouldn’t give for a chance to snap a picture for posterity. Devlin was here! “Emily? I’m waiting.” Right. Time to get naked. I can pull this off. No big deal. How hard can it be? With the mantra This is a once in a lifetime opportunity you might not get again echoing over and over in her mind, Emily lifted her chin with determination. Pulling in a deep breath, she toed off her shoes. Her fingers fumbled with the button of her jeans, unable to get the stubborn metal disk through the hole. She was suddenly all thumbs. After a few frustrating seconds, she finally drove the button through the opening and worked the zipper down. Emily gripped the sides of the denim and began to slide the rough fabric down. “Slowly,” he instructed huskily. “And look at me while you’re doing it.” At her hesitation, Devlin raised his eyebrows. “You want to tease and tempt. To entice as you peel away the layers one by one. Eye contact is the key.”
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She couldn’t help but wonder how many women had taken off their clothes while he watched. Before she could stop herself, Emily said, “I suppose you’ve had a lot of women strip for you.” “I thought that’s why you came to me for. To get the benefit of my experience,” he countered in a mild tone. His words were like ice water thrown on her face. A bit embarrassed, Emily lowered her eyes. “You’re right, of course. I apologize. I guess this only underscores how inept I am at this kind of situation.” Devlin stood up, cupped her nape and forced her to look at him. “You were curious. It’s only natural.” The corners of his lips tilted in a half smile. “To be honest, I think it’s refreshing. You don’t play games. You say what’s on your mind.” “Sometimes I say things without thinking and that could result in an awkward situation. Like right now.” He took her hand and placed it on the erect shaft tenting the front of his pants. “Does this feel awkward to you?” Oh. My. God. He felt absolutely wonderful under her palm. Hot, hard and oh so thick. She gulped. Big too. “N-not awkward at all. It feels incredible,” she ended lamely. “This is because of you.” She felt faint with excitement. Devlin was very aroused because of her, Emily Sinclair, next-door neighbor and hopeless, secret Devlin admirer. It was a heady thought. “Now where were we?” he prompted with a sexy smile. He sat back down on the bed. “I believe you were about to get undressed?” With a jerky nod, Emily locked eyes with him and licked her lips. “Right.” She fingered the sides of her jeans and gripped them tight. The unabashed need etched in his handsome features reassured her, taking away her nerves completely. In that
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instant, she wanted to make him feel even a fraction of what she’d felt for him for years. She wanted to make this unforgettable for both of them. Emily did a provocative little shimmy she had never thought herself capable of, and gradually eased the jeans over her hips and down to her feet. Her face felt hot, and her pulse was thundering in her ears but she’d be damned if she was going to look away. A muscle ticked in Devlin’s jaw. His gaze smoldered, zeroing in on her hot pink bikini bottoms. Bolstered by his response, Emily pulled the camisole top over her head before tossing it to the side. She bravely maintained eye contact, allowing him to look his fill though she couldn’t help but notice that she was nearly naked while he remained fully clothed. Shoving himself to his feet, Devlin made his way to her. Her belly tightened with hungry anticipation. There was only time to suck in a breath before he slanted his lips over hers. The kiss was unapologetically carnal and so good that her toes curled. Her mind grew fuzzy. She lost all sense of time and place, concentrating on the hard, sensuous lips eating away at hers. In all her imaginings, she had never even come close to creating the dizzying sensations that swelled inside her. His tongue curled against hers, the faint raspy feel sending fingers of heat whipping up her spine. When he released her, Emily was dazed. She’d barely had time to recover when he slid his lips down her neck, pausing to nip at her skin in small, teasing bites. Devlin trailed his palms down her arms, capturing her hands and pulling them above her head. The position thrust her chest out. He wasted no time, sucking a nipple deep in the warm cavern of his mouth. Emily gasped. “Dev…” He hummed, the sound vibrating on her skin, his tongue lashing against her nipple. She moaned, “I-I thought you were going to teach me how to drive you insane. Not the other way around.” “Trust me,” he countered gruffly. “Touching you is driving me crazy.” “Yeah?” she breathed.
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He palmed her ass. “Hell, yeah.” He let her go long enough to shepherd her to the bed, tumbling her down. “Sucking your nipples drove me crazy. And it’s going to drive me absolutely nuts to sink my tongue into your cunt.” A wicked tremor shot through to her sex. “I don’t use nice, polite words in bed, Emily.” Devlin loomed over her, giving her lower lip a hot lick. “And I like to hear those kinds of words coming from your sweet, innocent, sexy mouth.” Moisture gushed between her legs, drenching the already saturated folds. “Oh God, Dev…” “Ask me, Emily. Ask me to lick your cunt and make you come.” She squirmed on the bed, wanting him to do that more than anything else. “I’ve never done that before.” He tipped her chin up. “Whatever happens in the bedroom between you and me is nothing to be ashamed of. Here’s Tip Number Four. Be daring.” Emily met his burning gaze, biting the lip he’d recently licked. “Say it, Emily.” There was no mockery in his open, hungry expression. He didn’t want her to feel dirty in saying the words. Emily instinctively felt that he wanted her to cross that invisible line in order to explore the full meaning of intimacy. No-holds-barred sex. Locking eyes with him, she whispered, “I want you to lick my cunt.” The words were akin to a lightning bolt hitting her clit directly, electrifying it with a thousand-watt charge. She realized that indeed, she wanted Devlin to lick her, to delve into her sex and give her the biggest orgasm of her life. More than anything else, she wanted him between her legs. He groaned. “You don’t know how sexy that is.”
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Emily trembled, hearing the hunger in the low rumbling sound. She raised herself on her elbows and watched Devlin shoulder her legs wide apart, making room for his big body, before tugging her panties off. His jaw was tight as he surveyed the place now open and bare for his pleasure. He stared, as though mesmerized. A wave of intense longing engulfed her. ”Devlin.” “You’re beautiful. So plump. So needy.” She whimpered. “Please.” In response to her entreaty, he dipped his head and gave her a slow, leisurely swipe of his tongue. Emily nearly jackknifed off the bed, the sensation sharp and blinding. Never in her wildest fantasies had she even come close to the reality of Devlin doing this. No, reality was way more delicious, the pleasure more searing. She clenched the sheets, needing some surface to hang onto, wanting to plunge her fingers in his dark, inky hair and hold him in place. Devlin had the art of torture down pat. He sent his tongue fluttering in and around her cunt, absorbing her taste, leaving no area unexplored, untouched. “Oh God.” Her heart thudded, the pounding echoing in her ears, drowning out everything else but the sounds of male enjoyment he uttered. The swell of pleasure was so intense, so mind-numbingly powerful, that the lightest swipe of his tongue on her clit sent her racing toward the edge. She whimpered, protesting the quick flicks he gave her pussy. It just wasn’t enough to satisfy her. Emily shifted in a vain attempt to put her clit on a direct collision with his agile tongue, straining for that vortex just beyond her reach. Just a little bit more and she would have it. “Please, please.” Devlin gripped her hips to hold her steady before he wrapped his lips around the swollen nub and sucked. Emily threw her head back with a cry, finally plummeting to oblivion at the sharp, almost painful orgasm that slammed into her. The power of it rocked her soul, setting her on fire. She shuddered, moaning as the pleasure consumed her, obliterating her 45
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thoughts and destroying her control. For a few endless moments, she floated on a sea of sensation, unfamiliar and all-encompassing, every one of her senses engaged in absorbing the ecstasy. It was amazing, delicious and she never wanted to it to end. She trembled, coming down with gentle aftershocks, soothed by the soft licks Devlin showered on her. Dazed, she lay panting, grappling with the incredible release she’d just experienced. He’d just turned her body into Jell-O. “Wow.” He looked up, his lips damp with her juices. “Tip Number Five. Let your lover see, feel and share in your pleasure. Don’t ever hide. Don’t ever fake it.” If Emily had the energy, she would have laughed at that. “Fake it? Why would anybody want to do that?” There was no way on God’s green earth she could ever fake that kind of pleasure, nor would she want to. Swirling a finger around her throbbing clit, he shrugged. “It’s not unheard of.” She jerked against him, her hips rising off the bed at the light touch. “I’m pretty sure nobody has ever faked an orgasm with you,” she said somewhat breathlessly. “Not that I know of.” There wasn’t an ounce of conceit in his voice. “In the bedroom, communication is the key. It’s all about give and take.” After the huge orgasm she’d just had, Emily believed him totally. Devlin leaned down and nudged a nipple with the tip of his tongue. Emily held her breath, her reaction instantaneous. Her breasts felt heavy and ultra sensitive, responding to the lightest caress. She shivered as he blew lightly over the engorged nub, a small moan escaping her lips. The languorous satiation that had filled her earlier dissipated. In its place was a rising need to once again experience the glorious pleasure, but this time with him. She plunged her fingers through his thick, dark hair. In response, he suckled her hard and deep, drawing her flesh into his mouth. With a soft, choked off cry, she pulled him closer, silently willing him to take whatever he wanted. His hand cupped her mound, gently spearing the soaked folds, caressing her clit. Emily splayed her limbs, inviting his touch, wordlessly asking for more. Devlin didn’t 46
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disappoint, slipping his fingers inside her pussy to begin a devastating in-and-out motion. She threw her head back and moaned, long and low, her hips writhing in rhythm with him. He nipped at her nipple, following it with soothing rasps of his tongue. Restless now, she groped his chest, encountering the smooth material of his shirt. “No fair. You’re still dressed.” His nostrils flared in response, his lips drawn tight. He stood up and hurriedly undressed, almost popping the top button of his shirt in his haste. “May I?” She sat up, wanting to divest him of the clothing that hid the rugged, toned body from her sight. Devlin clenched his jaw as his hands fell away. “You don’t have to ask. Tip number six. Don’t be afraid to explore your lover’s body.” With unabashed eagerness, Emily undid the buttons that ran down the front of his shirt. Done, she pushed the edges apart and gazed with admiration at the smooth expanse of muscled chest that lay before her. God, but he was beautiful. Wide, strong shoulders and torso, sculpted without being too bulky. She ran a fingertip down to his stomach, taut and hard, feeling the muscles clench as she explored him. Needing more, she unbuckled his belt and unfastened his pants. Anticipation raced through her as she pulled down the zipper, the rasping of the metal teeth the only sound that could be heart in the thick silence that filled the room. In quick succession, she pushed his pants and boxers all the way to his feet. With something akin to awe, she stared at the rigid column of flesh that rose before her. Long and thick, topped with a bulbous head, power etched in every inch of the shaft. When her fingers brushed against the stiff length, he sucked in as sharp breath. Emily’s mouth watered. Staring at his cock in rapt fascination, she marveled at the size and beauty of the tumescent shaft, the bluntly-shaped ridge and the network of veins pulsing with life. It was a sight she wanted to stamp in her memory forever, sustaining her in the years to come. God, had she ever wanted a man more? 47
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“Tip Number Seven. Don’t hesitate to reciprocate.” Reciprocate. Take him in her mouth and pleasure him just as he had her. It was an invitation to sin, uttered in a low and hypnotic tone, strained around the edges, as if he was grappling for control. Devlin ran a callused fingertip over her lower lip. “I’d love for you to look all day, but you’re killing me here.” She blinked, glancing up to see the white lines of tension etched in his handsome face. “You’re so perfect.” He gave a choked laugh. “Hardly. I’m just a man. Like any other.” She caressed him from root to tip. “We’re going to have to agree to disagree on that one.” “Take me in your mouth.” Emily had given oral sex before but she really hadn’t enjoyed it. Back then, there was none of the excitement she felt now with Devlin, none of the eagerness to taste flooding her senses. She leaned forward, licking around the broad head, making a passing swipe at the drop of pre-cum that hovered delicately on the slit. His rough groan was like music to her ears. “That’s it. Let instinct guide you. Do what feels good, what feels right. Enthusiasm beats experience any day.” Fitting her mouth over his shaft, Emily closed her eyes in bliss as she pleasured Devlin. She took him deeper, in gradual inches, alternating between the use of her tongue and lips. “Oh, yeah.” Devlin wrapped both hands in her hair, gently guiding her, telling her without words what he liked. Emily ran her tongue over the thick vein that ran the underside of his shaft. Again and again she did it, boldly licking the heavy balls that hung below. Alternating between sucking and licking, she spent long moments learning his shape and savoring his taste. She dared to take him a little deeper each time she drew him into her mouth,
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deriving pleasure from an act she’d previously thought was performed solely for a man’s enjoyment. It was a revelation to her, how much of a turn-on it was to listen to the small grunts of enjoyment escaping his lips. Unbelievable. In all her wildest imaginings, she had never even come close to this reality. The musky scent of his arousal teased her nostrils, infiltrating the fog of lust clouding her mind. All too soon, Devlin gently pulled away. “No more.” Ignoring her protest, he laid her on the soft cotton sheets, kneeling between her upraised legs. His eyes flashed something hot and insistent. “Open up for me. I want to feel nothing but cunt.” Need fisted in her belly at the words, the growled order increasing her excitement. “Is this another tip?” she asked breathlessly. “It’s a personal preference.” All traces of her initial shyness had vanished, along with her inhibitions, it seemed. Her only thought was to satisfy the hunger roaring inside her. With her fingers, she pulled herself open, exposing her pussy to his gaze without an ounce of hesitation. His eyes were locked on her soaked folds. Taking his cock in hand, he rubbed the head against the plump lips, dipping in the wetness, going around and around, just driving her crazy. “Devlin…” He thumbed her swollen clit, manipulating the fleshy nub in a dizzying circular motion. Emily reared off the bed, pushing and writhing, trying to get him inside her. “Come in me. Please.” He gritted his teeth, pausing for a moment to squeeze the base of his shaft. Emily watched in fascination as he grappled for control, inexplicably proud that she’d driven him so near the edge. Taking a second to reach for his pants, he fished inside a pocket and drew out several condom packets. He tossed the rest on the bed before tearing one open and sheathing his cock with the thin latex. Emily had no time to ponder the
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implications of the number of condoms he’d brought with him as Devlin quickly shifted between her legs, all business now. His face was a study in concentration as he fitted the head of his cock against her opening. Holding her slick lips apart, she locked eyes on that point where they would soon be intimately joined. “How long has it been?” Devlin asked. Feverish and on the brink of something she knew was momentous, Emily shook her head. “Does it matter?” “I don’t want to hurt you,” he rasped, his tone showing strain. “You won’t.” She uttered a soft, frustrated moan. “Just…oh!” In one smooth stroke, Devlin buried his shaft inside her. So deep that she felt the thrust all the way to her soul. “Devlin. It feels…it feels…” His answer was lost to her. Emily was bombarded by the searing sensation of his possession. His cock tunneled deep inside her, again and again. There was no pretense at gentleness. This was a furious, primal, basic ride to oblivion. She whimpered at the onslaught of pleasure that filled her, helpless to do anything other than wrap her legs around his hips. Their bodies slid sensuously against each other, slick with perspiration. Devlin pounded into her without mercy. He shafted her hard and deep, hitting that pleasure spot high inside her channel with breath-robbing accuracy. It deprived her of the ability to think. All she could do was hang on, feeling every drag and push inside her clenching sex. His cock seemed to grow bigger, harder inside her, throbbing with the heavy pulse of hunger and need. She clenched her fists around the bed sheets. This was all new to her, this all-encompassing firestorm of sensation consuming her. A sharp tingling started building in the depths of her being, racing up her skin, tightening her womb and gathering momentum. She could feel the ripples begin, traveling like lightning through her body. Panting, tossing her head on the bed, she cried out, “Oh God, oh God, oh God.” 50
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“Come with me, Emily.” He punctuated his words with mind-blowing strokes. It was just too much… Emily cried out his name as the last sane thought fled her mind. She exploded, jerking against him, falling back on the bed in helpless abandon as exquisite shudders racked her body. Molten lava coursed through her veins, obliterating everything else but the white-hot pleasure that raked her nipples and rocked through the clenching folds of her cunt. “Jesus,” he groaned harshly above her. He slammed into her one last time, his grip bruising her hips as he too toppled over. His cock swelled inside her with his release. Emily clung to him, running her hands over his slick, taut skin, still feeling her pussy trembling around the flesh buried inside her. She lay on the bed, boneless, limp and sated. Her pulse still galloped, her breath coming in harsh pants. Her vision cleared in degrees, slowly focusing on the dark head of hair buried in the crook of her neck, his face turned toward her, his eyes closed. Satisfaction was etched in his relaxed features. A wave of tenderness swept over Emily. Being with Devlin had been amazing. Everything that she’d imagined and more. Much more. He made her feel things she’d never felt before, taking her on an unforgettable ride with an intoxicating mixture of gentleness and unapologetic passion. She struggled to sweep that feeling aside. He’d made his aversion to emotional attachment clear. Closing her eyes briefly, she fought to pull herself together and sought refuge behind the reason she’d used to lure him to her bed in the first place. “Uh, Devlin? We’ve covered seven tips in just one session. Does that mean we’ll cover the remaining three the next time we, uh, have sex?” He kissed a spot just beneath her ear. “What do you think?” Emily sighed, baring her neck, giving him total access. “I’m thinking my article should have fifteen tips. At least. How’s that sound to you?” “At least?” 51
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“Or even twenty. Heck, maybe I’ll compile enough tips for a whole book.” His chuckle was warm against her skin. “I’m game if you are.” He leaned in for a soft, lingering kiss. She smiled, basking in the intimacy cocooning them at the moment. “Who knows? I just might write the next great American novel.”
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Chapter Four Emily hummed under her breath, smoothing scented moisturizer on her skin. In about half an hour, Devlin would arrive to pick her up for dinner. Was it a date? Not in the normal sense, she supposed. But Devlin had called her at work earlier and asked if she was free tonight. Under the conventional meaning of the word, this could be classified as a date. She grinned. She was actually going out with Devlin. A week ago, she wouldn’t have thought this possible. At the memory of last night, pleasure skimmed down her spine and excitement blazed a scorching path through her susceptible flesh. Devlin had been amazing. He’d used his lips, tongue, hands and everything else with stunning expertise. Unwittingly, Emily wondered if other women experienced sex with Devlin like she had—explosive, incredible, earth-shattering. Probably so. He was undeniably knowledgeable. Over the years, she’d seen a steady parade of girlfriends in his life. Devlin had probably been honing his skills at sex since…since…never mind. Emily put the brakes on her immature jealousy. Why think about that? His life before her was none of her business. Just as his life after her was still going to be offlimits. Heaving a sigh, she picked up the phone and punched in numbers she knew by heart. Taylor answered her cell phone on the first ring. “I’m doing it again, Tay.” “Hello to you, too, Em.” A trace of amusement underscored Taylor’s husky voice. “Shouldn’t you be getting ready for your big date with the hottie next door?” She frowned. “He’s not exactly next door anymore.” Taylor chuckled. “Just a figure of speech. Hottie whose parents live next door to yours doesn’t have quite the same ring to it.” At Emily’s impatient huff, Taylor relented. “Okay, okay. What is it that you’re doing again?” 53
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“I’ve been thinking.” “Always a dangerous thing.” “I’m serious.” Emily plopped down on the bed. “One minute, I’m excited about going out with him. The next, I’m thinking thoughts that I have no right to think of.” “Like what?” “Like…like how many women he’s slept with to become so good at sex!” she blurted out. “I’m sitting here feeling jealous of those who have had him before me. That’s insane, right?” “It’s certainly borderline,” Taylor agreed dryly. Her best friend’s answer deflated her. “Gee, thanks.” “Hey, I’m being honest. I mean, I’m sure you already know what I’m about to tell you. He’s a man, Em. He had a life before you and will continue to live it long after you’ve parted ways.” Somehow hearing it out loud hurt more. “Jealousy is a useless emotion,” Taylor continued. “Then again, having said that, I will also say that it’s a completely normal thing to feel. Especially since you’ve been drooling over Devlin for years.” Emily slumped back against the pillows. “I guess I just can’t believe he actually seems to want me too. I mean, I’m not sexually experienced. Once the novelty wears off—” she trailed off. “He’ll tire of you?” Tay supplied. Emily’s heart wrenched at the thought. “Yes.” “Look. I think you’re losing sight of what’s important here. You started this with the intention of fulfilling a fantasy. You went into it with your eyes open, had the courage to approach Devlin with your idea and got him to agree. Now that you have him right where you want him—” she cleared her throat, “take advantage of it. In other words, take what you can get and don’t ask for more. No heart strings attached.”
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She acknowledged the truth in Taylor’s words. “Since when did you become so smart?” A low chuckle sailed over the phone lines. “I’m the voice of reason. Just promise to do the same thing for me when I go off the deep end.” “Unlike me, you don’t have problems with the opposite sex.” “Not true,” Taylor disagreed, “but we’ll save that for another day. Feeling better now?” “Yes, much. What would I do without you?” “You started this. You’ve got to see it through, Emily. And you know I’m right.” Taylor was right. She should have had all these doubts before she approached Devlin with her plan. “Just go with the flow. Take one day at a time and don’t overthink things.” “Right.” “I’ll see you tomorrow at the office. Now go and knock his socks off, will ya?” With a quick laugh, Emily murmured “Bye,” feeling a hundred times better. Talking with Taylor helped put things in the right perspective. Firmly pushing the negative thoughts aside, she hurried into the bathroom to finish getting ready. Excitement replaced her earlier anxiety. Before the night was over, hopefully she’d be in bed again with the hottie next door.
Devlin shrugged on his coat, pulling his shirt sleeves from under the cuff. He was on his way out to pick Emily up for dinner. He’d been restless all day, eager to see her again. Teresa McKay chose that moment to emerge from the kitchen, wiping her hands on the apron fastened across her waist. She stopped when she saw him. “You’re going out? Tim’s parents are coming over for dinner.”
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He grinned as she gave him the same look that she’d always used on her sons right before she busted them for doing something. “Melissa’s getting married to Tim, Mom. Not me.” His mother raised an eyebrow. “And what does that mean, Devlin?” With a chuckle, he pressed a kiss on her cheek. “That means my presence is not necessary.” Teresa sighed. “I made pot roast. One of your favorites.” “I’ve eaten so much of your cooking since I came home.” He rubbed his stomach teasingly. “I’ve going to have to make a trip to the gym soon if I’m not careful.” She clucked her tongue. “Oh, stop it. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying homecooked meals while you’re here.” Devlin gave her a hug. “I appreciate it. Really. I love everything you make.” “Don’t think you can charm me into forgetting that you’re not staying for dinner,” she huffed, though she leaned into him. “You don’t come home often enough, Dev. You’d think you live clear across the country when you’re just a half hour away.” He’d heard this from her a hundred times already but he didn’t mind. “I’ve just been really busy with business. But don’t worry, I’ll make more time in the future.” “You better.” There was a suspicious sheen in her eyes but she wiped it away and shook a finger at him. “But I’m not excusing you from all the other wedding festivities, Devlin. Do you hear me?” “Loud and clear, Mom.” They both turned to look as the front door swung open. Riley appeared, dressed in well-worn jeans and a blue pullover sweater. “Hey, Dev. Hi, Mom.” “Riley,” Teresa exclaimed. “You’re just in time for dinner.” Devlin hung back, grinning as his mother smothered his younger brother in hugs and kisses. She’d never skimped on affection. Ever since he could remember, Teresa McKay had always liked to hug and kiss all her children. Even after they’d grown up,
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she’d declared that everybody still needs to be kissed and hugged. They all joked it was the Italian in her that brought about the unabashed displays of affection. Riley endured their mother’s attention good-naturedly. “I would have been here sooner, but traffic was the pits.” “What’s important is you made it. That makes me happy.” Teresa smoothed a hand affectionately over Riley’s cheek. “Now go and say hi to your father while I put another plate on the table.” She hurried back through the swinging kitchen doors, swiping a hand over her eyes. Devlin clapped his brother on the back. “‘Bout time you got here.” “I figured Mom would have my head if I didn’t show up before the wedding ceremony,” Riley quipped with a grin. He snorted. “If Jake and I have to sit through endless, mind-numbing pre-wedding functions, you’re going to have to suffer along with us.” “I kinda figured that.” Riley shook his head. “Can’t believe our younger sister is getting hitched before us.” “I don’t mind. Tim seems to be a stand-up guy.” “He better be.” Riley frowned. “Don’t tell me you’re going out? I just got here.” Devlin grinned. “Sorry, bro. We’ll catch up later. I got somewhere I have to be.” “Anybody I know?” He hesitated, then decided against telling Riley about Emily. “No.” Riley raised an eyebrow. “It’s like that, huh?” “I got nothing to share.” Devlin chuckled. “Have fun at dinner. It’s your turn to be on the grill.” Riley groaned. “Stay. At least deflect some of the parental attention.” “I did my time. Now it’s your turn.” “Shit. Don’t I know it. Where’s Jake anyway?”
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“Working.” Devlin pulled the door open. “The three of us should do something tomorrow.” “Maybe we could shoot some hoops at the park?” He grinned. “Sure. If you’re in the mood for an ass-whoopin’.” Riley snorted. “Let’s see whose ass will get whooped.” He rubbed his hands together. “The McKay tournament is on again.” “If I recall correctly, the running tally right now is eight for me.” Devlin pointed a finger at his brother. “Seven for you and Jake’s is a paltry six.” It was the number of times they’d each won every time they played any game. “But Jake kicked your ass in pool.” “Yours, too,” he reminded Riley with a mocking smile. “I gotta go.” “Yeah, yeah. Chicken shit, leaving me here alone with Mom and Dad.” “See you tomorrow.” “Tomorrow?” His brother raised his eyebrows in surprise. “She must be something else. At least tell me her name.” “It’s not polite to keep a lady waiting.” Devlin waved and walked out the door. It was a rare occasion that all three McKay sons were home for any length of time. He’d love to spend time with Riley right now, but at the moment, Emily was expecting him. He grinned. Riley could wait.
***** “Tell me about the e-zine,” Devlin invited as he surveyed Emily over the rim of his wine glass. The flickering light from the candle on the table sent pale shadows dancing over her luminous skin. The top half of her hair was anchored by some kind of clip. The rest of the gleaming tresses were loose, cascading to the middle of her back. The style was uncomplicated yet it suited her to a tee. Emily’s grin was infectious. “Taylor and I—I’m sure you remember her—started it in college. On a lark, really. We were tired of the fashion magazines that were geared 58
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toward the glamorous. What about the regular girls next door? It seemed the publishing world has forgotten all about that little segment of the market.” “Smart of you to launch it online.” “The trend is toward everything becoming online. At first, it was just a couple of articles. Then before we knew it, we had tons of subscribers. Just in the last year, a wellknown publishing company brought us into their fold and gave us access to their marketing and advertising network. But Taylor and I retained editorial control.” “You love your job.” Her eyes twinkled. “Absolutely. I would be devastated if we were to lose the e-zine. It’s given me so much and it’s enabled me to experience a lot of things.” A delightful shade of red spread over her smooth cheeks. “Including…you and me…you know…” She gestured vaguely with her hand and leaned forward. “In fact, I was surprised when you asked me out tonight.” He raised an eyebrow. “Why’s that?” Her shoulders moved in a graceful shrug. “Our arrangement didn’t exactly include dating.” Emily was refreshingly candid. Yet another difference Devlin found he liked about her. “I thought we could incorporate some tips over dinner.” “We could?” Her eyes widened before she grinned and leaned forward. “I’m game if you are.” Their server arrived at that moment with their food. Devlin watched Emily dig into hers with an enthusiasm that was surprising. Other women would order a paltry salad and pick at it all night. Not Emily. She ordered the special, like he did, and showed no hesitation in eating it. She looked up and caught his gaze. Her fork hovered over her mouth. “What?” He gave her a small grin. “It’s nice to watch a woman actually eat, for a change.”
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She rolled her eyes, cutting her steak into tiny pieces. “I grew up with three brothers, remember? I learned early on to eat my food. Otherwise one of them would have grabbed it from me.” He chuckled. “You and Melissa both.” Emily was so genuine. There was no hint of artifice about her. “I remember you used to play touch football in the backyard with your brothers.” “We still do. Eric and me versus Brett and Alex.” She smiled with irrepressible relish. “They’ve never managed to beat us. We still hold the trophy.” “The trophy?” he echoed teasingly. “It’s a makeshift plaque Brett made during shop class.” “For your information,” she huffed with disdain, “that trophy has a place of distinction on the fireplace mantel.” “Do you still have your family tournaments?” Emily grinned. “Thanksgiving and Christmas. Just like you and your brothers.” Devlin reached out and drew back the wisps of hair lying on her cheek. He liked the fact that no more than a few inches separated them. The booth they occupied was in the back of the restaurant, located in a secluded corner away from other diners. He gazed at her. The deep blue of her dress matched her eyes. It was simple, with thin spaghetti straps and a skirt that skimmed her knees, bordering on demure. When she had opened her door and he got his first glimpse of her, a powerful tug of sexual attraction had rolled through him. He’d reacted like a horny schoolboy. He shifted on his chair, his erect cock pressing against the front of his trousers. A very horny schoolboy. “The dress looks good on you.” Her cheeks turned a delightful shade of pink. “Thanks. I love putting on something other than jeans. But my feet are killing me, which only reinforces my belief that a man invented high heels.” Devlin chuckled. “Why do you say that?”
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She made a face. “They look great. I mean, they force me to walk like a lady, but I’d much rather not wear them.” “Put your foot here.” He indicated his lap. Emily looked around self-consciously. “I am not putting my foot on your lap.” “Nobody will notice. The tablecloth is long enough that nobody will see.” After a moment’s hesitation, Emily shifted on her seat and brought a leg up over his thigh. Dainty, pink-painted toes were encased in the high-heeled shoe, with a strap that encircled her ankle. He ran a finger over the arch of her foot. “Very sexy.” She sucked in a breath. “They’re not exactly comfortable.” Devlin had never considered himself a fetishist, but he could very easily develop a foot fixation when it came to Emily. Hers was narrow and perfectly formed. Gently, he began to massage her instep. “Oh, that feels good,” she moaned softly. “I don’t know how other women can wear heels all day. I’m dying.” He managed to utter a low, strained laugh. Her subtle scent wafted to his nostrils, teasing his senses. He kneaded her foot gently. What the hell did she put on her skin to make it this soft? “Uh, Devlin?” Emily’s eyes had darkened and her lips were parted softly. Her breathing was noticeably heavier. “I-I think you better stop now.” He stopped her when she would have pulled away. Hot color bloomed over her cheeks as their server came at that moment to offer them the dessert menu. “I hear their chocolate cake is very good here,” he suggested casually. Her cheeks were delightfully red. Emily nodded wordlessly “Chocolate cake it is,” Devlin informed the server, who immediately left. Alone once more, he smiled. “Now where were we?” He slid his fingers up and down her smooth leg. “Dev,” she protested softly. 61
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“Take off your panties and give them to me.” “I-I’m sorry?” she stammered, shock widening her eyes. “Another tip. Always be willing to play.” “Here?” “Yes.” Desire was heating his blood. “Right here.” She opened her mouth to say something but uttered a choked moan when he drew his hand under her skirt and up her thigh. The hint of red tingeing her cheek was delightful. “I would just die if somebody saw me removing my underwear.” Anticipation tightened like a fist in his belly. “Who would see? They’re all busy eating their dinner.” Indecision marred her features as Emily cast a glance around the dimly lit restaurant before facing him once more. After a moment, she reached under her dress, squirming slightly in her seat, keeping her face trained on the rest of the room. She bit her lip, wiggling her hips this way and that. As he watched her unwittingly sexy gyrations, Devlin’s erection pressed painfully against his pants. Emily stilled. “It’s done,” she informed him in a voice barely above a whisper. Devlin held out his hand, palm up, careful to keep it out of sight. Emily exhaled slowly and handed over the underwear. “What are you going to do?” He grinned, crushing the little bit of silk within his fingers before pushing it inside his jacket pocket. “You’ll see.” Their dessert arrived, a sinful chocolate cake with hot fudge dribbled over it. Interested in better things, he slipped his hand under her dress once more and moved up her inner thigh. She froze. “Devlin.”
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“Hmm?” He held her gaze as his fingers strummed an inexorable path toward that spot that beckoned to him from between her legs. Lightly, he brushed against the outer lips of her pussy. “Wider,” he murmured. Emily reached for her water, her face flushed, but she obeyed. Wasting no time, Devlin traced the slick, swollen labia, gratified to hear her sharply indrawn breath. Holding her gaze, he gave her a small smile as he explored her thoroughly. She choked. Her hands shook as she placed the glass back on the table. “Look at me,” he ordered softly. Just as she complied, Devlin slipped his fingers between the puffy lips and into her drenched slit. The breath whooshed from chest. Her eyes went soft and dewy, her mouth parted slightly. “Dev…” He slid two digits inside her pussy. “Eat your cake,” he managed to say in gruff tones. Emily whimpered. “How can I? Oh God…Devlin…” “Shh,” he instructed. She was so tight, so wet. So giving and beautiful. “Pretend you’re taking a bite. We don’t want them to see what’s going on.” Her hand trembled as she reached for the fork, cutting off a small piece of the cake. She made no move to eat it, sliding closer to him. “I can’t…it feels so…” Her soft whisper was like fire on his skin. “Good?” She looked up and met his gaze. Her pupils were large and dilated. “Oh yes.” Devlin rubbed her clit with his thumb, gently working the distended nub. Her moan was like music to his ears, stoking the painful arousal he was trying to hold back. Emily’s breathing was raspy, labored. He knew she was close. Determined to send her reeling over the edge, he squeezed her clit between his fingers. She gasped and shuddered, coming all over him. A moan escaped her lips, snagging the attention of a passing waiter, who merely gave her a curious look. Devlin gritted his teeth, flattening his palm against her mound as her inner muscles clenched
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around him. Emily in the throes of an orgasm was a sight to behold, one he wouldn’t soon forget. Emily slumped against him, her forehead on his chest, breathing like she’d just run a marathon. “That was…” He gently withdrew his hand from under her dress. “Good?” A slight sheen of perspiration dampened her face. Her eyes were drowsy, her lips moist. She looked like a woman who’d just come all over his fingers. God, she looked utterly beautiful. “Unfair,” she corrected softly. “Do you think anybody heard me?” Devlin let out a strained laugh, shifting a little to ease the pressure of his raging hard-on. “Don’t worry. They all thought you were swooning over the chocolate cake.” “Dev? Let’s go home.” Just like that, the lust he’d thought he’d managed to successfully bank flared to raging life once more. He clenched his jaw and reached for her hand. “Come on.” He threw some bills on the table before fairly dragging her through the restaurant. The cool air outside failed to soothe the fire raging inside him. Neither one of them said a word as he helped her inside the car and quickly got around the other side. In grim silence, he drove home, managing to get to her apartment in record time. At least the building’s entryway was empty as they hurried to her door. Devlin took the key from her shaking hand and slipped it inside, twisting it with more force than was necessary. Once inside, he only paused long enough to shove the door closed before he herded her to the bedroom. Then they were kissing wildly. She groaned, her fingers flying over his shirt buttons, uttering a frustrated moan when she couldn’t get them undone. Devlin reached behind her for the zipper. The dress loosened around her, falling low enough to reveal her breasts. “I want to see you come again. But this time, I want you naked on your bed, touching yourself.”
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Emily’s eyes flew open. “You want me to—” He stepped back and sat down on the lone chair inside the bedroom. “Do you want to drive me crazy, Emily?” She didn’t answer, breathing fast and hard. “Let me watch pleasure yourself.” Emily hesitated for a moment. He held his breath, releasing it when she pushed the dress past her hips until it pooled around her feet. Watching her unclip her bra and bare her breasts was the sexiest thing in the world to him. And when she peeled off her thong, he nearly came undone. Never taking her eyes off him, Emily got on the bed and leaned back against the pillows before she splayed her thighs. His jaw clenched tight, Devlin gazed at her intently. “Touch yourself as you would want me to touch you.” A soft moan escaped her lips. “My breasts. I like it when you touch them.” “Show me.” With both hands, Emily cupped her breasts, kneading them softly. She twisted her nipples gently between her fingers. “And when you pinch my nipples, I feel it down here.” She let go of one long enough to slide her hand down to her pussy before going back up to the stiff crest. “Do you like it when I suck them?” “God, yes.” The sight of Emily tugging on the sensitive nubs hit him squarely in the groin. Unable to stand the constriction of his pants any longer, Devlin stood up and hurriedly chucked all his clothes before sitting down once more. He wrapped a fist around his painfully erect cock, catching the way she licked her lips as she gazed at him. Praying he would last a little bit longer before he jumped on the bed and fucked her like an animal, he took a deep breath. “What else?” Reaching between her legs, she boldly pulled her labia open and gave him a glimpse of her swollen clit. “Here, too. I go crazy when you touch me here.”
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Devlin groaned. Jesus. She was unbelievably sexy. With a finger, she rubbed around and around the nub. “I just love it when you lick me here.” She caught her breath sharply, her movements subtly getting faster. “It feels so good.” Without waiting for him to prompt her, Emily slipped two fingers inside her pussy. “But nothing compares to how it feels when you’re inside me.” He gripped his cock tight, desperately grabbing at the control that was quickly slipping away. Lost in pleasure, Emily closed her eyes, small sounds of enjoyment escaping her lips. Her movements increasingly grew frenzied, her hips rising off the bed. Unable to be a mere spectator any longer, Devlin jumped to his feet and joined her on the bed. He wanted to watch her up close and personal. Needing to do something, he gently pinched her nipples, loving the way she cried out but didn’t stop fingering her pussy or rubbing her clit. “Dev, I’m coming.” As he watched, Emily choked back a scream, her fingers thrusting deep in her pussy. She shuddered and threw back her head, lost in the throes of deep pleasure. Devlin hurriedly pulled on protection before he took his place between her legs and placed his cock just inside the trembling folds of her sex. She jerked against him, her eyes finally opening to meet his. “Hard and fast?” he growled, pushed past his limit. “Or long and slow?” “Another tip?” she gasped. He gripped her hips tightly. “Yeah. Don’t ever be afraid to say how you want it. So I’m asking you again. Hard and fast? Or long and slow?” “Oh, yes.” Her uninhibited reply forced a strained groan from his throat as he plunged inside her, burying his cock all the way. Emily caught her breath sharply. “It’s…it’s so good.”
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He shifted to lie on top of her, taking most of his weight on his forearms. He was inside the tightest, wettest pussy he’d ever had, and he never wanted to leave. Unmoving, he lay still for a moment, relishing the tender, pliant tissues wrapped around his cock. This could become addicting. In fact, it was rapidly becoming so. There wasn’t a minute during the day that he didn’t remember the feel of sinking inside Emily’s cunt, of being encased in the warm, moist depths. He’d had a hell of a time watching her masturbate, wondering how he’d lasted this long without fucking her. It was dangerous. But danger was the last thing on his mind at the moment. Foremost in his thoughts was the intense pleasure he felt with his body joined with hers. It was better than the best aged whiskey. Plunging his hands in her hair, he tipped her face up. He wanted to see her face and witness every bit of expression written in the beautiful features. Her dainty tongue ran over her lower lip, leaving a damn sheen as she moaned and thrashed under him with abandon. He fought for control as his balls tightened. Not yet, by God. He didn’t want to come yet. Emily writhed beneath him, her nipples stiff and red and swollen. The mouthwatering globes of her breasts bounced in rhythm to his thrusts. Her high, keening cries mingled with the deep, ragged breaths he took. Not yet, he thought, trying to hold out just a little bit more, intensifying the already gathering storm at the base of his spine. But his control slipped away like a leaf caught in a tornado when she stiffened beneath him. His name fell from her lips and she jerked against him in the throes of a powerful orgasm. Gritting his teeth, he began to thrust violently, pumping like a madman. He plunged inside her pussy in hard driving motions, galloping toward the edge. In seconds, he came, his seed erupting from him in hard, spurting jets. Jesus. Devlin stifled a groan. He couldn’t remember a time when he’d come so hard, when his body felt this pleasured. It felt so good he never wanted to move, though he knew he was heavy. Satisfaction such as he’d never felt before seeped into his bones,
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permeating the flesh from the tip of his head to his toes. Had he ever felt this way with another woman? No. Only Emily could make him feel as weak as this, his body still rocked by postorgasmic tremors. It was a disconcerting moment of self-discovery, one that left him unsettled despite the lassitude that stole over him. Why Emily? What was so different with her that she could give him pleasure magnified a thousand times more than what he’d experienced before? He wasn’t some callow boy in the depths of his first sexual odyssey. Experience was something he had in spades. But Devlin couldn’t recall ever feeling this sexually satiated with anyone else. It was an effort to get up and walk to the bathroom to take care of the rubber. This whole thing was damn scary. By rights, he should put his clothes back on and escape now while he still could, while he had the strength to leave her bed. But he didn’t want to. In fact, he did the opposite. He settled once more beside Emily and pulled her close. “Dev?” she mumbled sleepily. “You’re not leaving, are you? Stay with me.” He’d never made a habit of staying the night with any woman. But with Emily… She snuggled against him. “I want to sleep with you.” That sealed the deal. He refused to think about the rules he’d adhered to all his life when it came to women. They just didn’t seem to apply to her. His arms came around her, molding her softness to him. It felt good to lie down with her in his arms. The last thing he wanted to do was leave. With a sigh, he shifted slightly on the bed, pulling her even closer. Lulled by the silence, the intimacy of the moment, Devlin closed his eyes, content to have Emily in his arms.
It was still dark outside when Emily surfaced from the depths of sleep. She became aware of a large male hand sliding up her thigh before snaking to the front to cup her breast. A sigh of pleasure feathered from her lips. “Dev.”
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“You look innocent in your sleep,” he whispered as he lay behind her, skimming his lips over her shoulder and the side of her neck. She arched her neck and put her hand on top of his, which was kneading her breast, softly moaning as he rotated a palm over a stiff nipple. “I do? Funny, I don’t feel innocent. Far from it.” He uttered a strained laugh. “That’s a good thing, I suppose.” He reached for protection and donned it. Afterwards, he bent her left knee and nudged her opening with the head of his cock. Smoothly, he sank into her already moist depths. Pleasure flooded Emily as he drove inside her slowly and gently. His hand sought her clit, working it expertly with his fingers. She thrust against him, taking him deeper, lost in the sensations. The unhurried pace stoked the fire between her legs, the sensation no less intense, just as searing. She came when he did, feeling his big, hard body buck against hers. As she crested, her heart filled with love for Devlin, an emotion that made every sexual encounter all the more poignant. She moaned, longing to say how she really felt about him. As she shuddered in his arms, Emily knew that someday, when the time for them to part came, every single one of her memories would have to be enough to sustain her. She hurriedly blinked away the tears that suddenly pooled in her eyes and lay against him quietly, savoring the sound of his rapid heartbeat which seemed to throb in combination with hers. For long moments, they stayed that way, the silence surrounding them. He kissed the top of her head. “I have to go.” Emily stifled the instinctive protest that rose to her lips, giving him a smile instead. “Okay.” Devlin got up from the bed and got dressed. He sat back down next to her, smoothed back her hair and dropped a brief kiss on her lips. He came back once more for a longer, deeper contact. “Have a nice day at work,” he murmured against her lips. “I’ll call you later.” After one last touch, he straightened and quietly left. 69
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When she heard the front door close, Emily slumped back on the bed. She didn’t want Devlin to leave, but she supposed she should be satisfied that he’d stayed the night. It was her first time inviting a man to stay with her, and she had done it only because it was Devlin. As for him, he was probably used to spending the night with his girlfriends. She sighed and pulled the covers over her head. She was so out of her element here, like a beginner swimming in uncharted waters. But he’d stayed. Emily smiled. It was…very nice to spend the night cradled in Devlin’s arms. Very nice indeed.
***** Devlin let himself into his parents’ house as quietly as he could. God, it’d been so long since he’d had to sneak back home. He didn’t bother to flip on any lights as he walked through the kitchen. “Well, well,” a mocking voice came behind him, “this is a first.” He turned to find Riley behind him, standing in the doorway. “What the hell are you doing up at this hour?” Riley shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep and came down here in time to bust your ass trying to slip in. Since when have you started spending the night with a woman? That’s against McKay brothers’ policies.” Devlin shrugged, avoiding Riley’s probing gaze. “I didn’t spend the night. I’m home before daylight, aren’t I?” “Who is she? I hope she knows what an honor you’ve given her.” He clamped his mouth shut. He had no intention of telling Riley about Emily. At that moment, Jake appeared, clad only in boxer shorts, his hair mussed. “Keep it down, will ya? Some people around here need to sleep, you know.” Riley chuckled. “It’s nice to see you, too. About time you woke up.” “After the thirty-hour shift I just pulled at the hospital, I need to sleep.” Devlin grinned. As an emergency room doctor, Jake worked impossibly long hours. “Tsk, tsk. Just can’t stay away from the nurses, can you?” 70
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Jake scratched his chest, yawning. “There is this cute little hottie that I’ve been eyeing.” “Just remember, don’t shit where you eat,” Riley warned him. “I hear that,” Devlin agreed. “It can get pretty hairy when you date someone at work.” “Yeah, but she’s hot,” Jake argued. “She’s got the sweetest ass…” Riley slung an arm around his younger brother’s shoulders. “There are lots more out there. Now come on, why don’t you two join me for a run and then we’ll grab a bite at Joe’s?” “Sure. You buyin’?” Devlin asked. “Jake’s buying,” Riley countered with a laugh. Jake murmured something under his breath before walking off to get dressed. Devlin headed toward the stairs, but Riley stopped him. “Hey, Dev?” He turned to look at his brother. “So who is this girl? Wanna tell me about her?” “No.” “Man, this sounds serious already.” Devlin shook his head and went to change his clothes, Riley’s words bouncing around in his head. Serious? Hardly. He and Emily were just having a good time. Nothing serious about it just because he’d spent the night with her. Not the whole night, he corrected himself. He did leave before dawn. That wasn’t quite the same. He didn’t break the long-standing McKay boys’ rule against spending the night with a woman. Clearly, it wasn’t the same thing. Nope. Not at all.
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Chapter Five Emily rubbed her face, feeling tired and achy everywhere. “Are you sure about this?” “Positive.” Taylor leaned back with a sigh. “Talk’s going around that the company is in trouble, that it’s ripe for a hostile takeover.” Emily sipped her coffee, making a face at the cold, nasty-tasting brew. “But I thought we were doing so well.” “We are. But the rest of the company’s publishing holdings are not. Add some cash deficiencies, and Hathaway makes for easy pickings. That’s why this big conglomerate is eyeing us like an irresistible piece of candy.” Anxiety seemed to intensify the physical ache that engulfed Emily’s body. “That doesn’t sound good for us.” A worried frown marred Taylor’s smooth brow. “If this takeover bid is real and goes through, we could find ourselves out of our jobs.” “And you believe the rumors?” “Randy up on the fifteenth floor as good as confirmed it. The bosses upstairs are all in a tizzy.” Emily rubbed her temples. “What’s going to happen to us? You think they’ll shut us down?” Taylor chewed on the end of her pencil. “That or the new owners will send in a new team to take our place.” “But this is our baby. We built it and nurtured it. Nobody can run The Girl Next Door like we can.” “You and I know that. But do you think they’ll care?”
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“Damn it.” Emily felt nauseous. Why, today of all days, did she have to feel like she was going to die from exhaustion? After Devlin had left before sunrise this morning, she’d been unable to go back to sleep and had bought breakfast at a new deli a few blocks from her apartment. She’d been fine until she arrived at work a couple of hours later when she started feeling woozy and sick. With the new problem of the hostile takeover of the company looming over them, this was the last thing she needed. Taylor frowned at her. “Are you okay? You’re looking a little pale.” “Just tired, I guess. I’ve had a monster headache since this morning.” Emily closed her eyes. “I’m worried, Tay.” “Me, too. But really, there’s nothing we can do until something actually happens.” “I don’t like it.” Emily closed her eyes, wishing she could just make all their problems go away. “It’s like waiting for a damn axe to fall. You would think the big brass upstairs would at least let us know what’s going on.” Taylor sighed. “Almost everyone knows about the conglomerate’s intention to take over, but management has been frustratingly mum about the whole thing.” “Do we know anything about the other company?” “Nothing much except they’re fronted by a hotshot investment company with a reputation for ruthless and successful acquisitions.” Emily’s shoulders drooped. “What a mess.” Taylor examined her critically. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather go home and rest? You don’t look well.” “I can’t go home. I need to be here.” “For what? The next issue is in the bag. Nothing needs to be done at the moment.” “I’m fine,” Emily assured her, though her body screamed in protest. “I just hate being kept in the dark and not knowing what’s going to happen.” “I do too, but at this point, let’s just keep our fingers crossed that the company remains intact.” Taylor stood up. “I’m going upstairs to talk to Randy. I’ll see if he
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knows more about this mystery conglomerate.” She walked to the door and looked over her shoulder. “Are you sure you’re all right?” “Positive.” “Okay. I’ll see you later, then.” Taylor left, pulling the door closed. Emily leaned back and closed her eyes. Maybe some aspirin will help. She reached in her drawer and popped one in her mouth, washing it down with water. Pulling in a deep breath, Emily nudged her mouse. Her monitor came to life, displaying the outline of her Ten Ways to Drive a Man Crazy in Bed article. With grim determination, she started to work, determined to kick whatever was making her feel ill. When Taylor came back a couple of hours later, she found Emily retching painfully in the bathroom. “Emily? What the heck is going on?” She swiped tissue over her lips. “I don’t know. I just feel real sick.” Taylor looked worried as she placed a hand on Emily’s forehead. “You’re hot. I’m taking you to the hospital,” she said firmly. She shook her head weakly. “No. Not necessary.” “What do you mean, not necessary? You’re throwing up and you’re feverish.” Taylor helped Emily to her feet. “I’m taking you to the emergency room. That’s all there is to it.” Without the strength to argue, Emily leaned weakly against her friend as Taylor helped her down to the first floor and out to the parking lot. After buckling her in, Taylor drove her to the hospital. Emily closed her eyes, just praying that she wouldn’t throw up all over her best friend’s car. She was barely aware of the passing scenery, cracking open her eyes when the car came to a stop in front of the hospital. “Come on.” Taylor helped her out of the car and into the waiting area for the emergency room. The place was packed with people in various stages of illnesses. “Great. I guess everybody else is sick today.” Spotting an empty seat, Taylor sat Emily down. “Are you going to be okay here for a minute while I get somebody to help us?”
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Just then, a tall, dark-haired man in blue scrubs walked through the automatic sliding doors. It was Devlin’s brother. “It’s Jake McKay,” Taylor exclaimed in relief. She hurried over to him and brought him back to Emily’s side. “I’m so glad to see you. Emily’s sick and she’s running a fever. I insisted on taking her here.” “I told her it wasn’t necessary,” Emily said weakly. Jake bent down to Emily’s level and checked her pupils. “I’m glad Taylor brought you here. You definitely need medical attention.” He walked over to the triage counter and spoke to the woman who sat there. A moment later, he was back. “It’s a madhouse here today. There’s a whole fifth grade class that’s sick as hell. Hang tight, okay? A nurse will be with you in a few minutes and I’ll be back as soon as possible to look in on you.” He walked away, pressing the button that opened the door to the ER and disappeared from their sight. “Thank God Jake McKay works here,” Taylor whispered fervently. “I’m really worried, Emily. You look as white as a sheet.” Emily couldn’t even muster a response. She leaned weakly against Taylor, aching everywhere. They waited awhile before a nurse bustled over to them and led them to a separate area away from the busy ER. She helped Emily to an empty gurney and laid a blanket over her. “Here now. You’re the first one in here. We’re opening up this area to absorb the ER overflow. I’ll be asking you some questions and then Dr. McKay will check on you, all right, sweetie?” The nurse was friendly and helpful, with a calm, matter-of-fact manner as she wrote down all the pertinent information. “Dr. McKay will be here in a few minutes,” she assured Emily before she left. It seemed like an eternity before Jake came back, a stethoscope slung around his neck. “Sorry for the wait. It seems like the whole freaking town is here.” He examined Emily, reviewing her symptoms. “When did you start feeling sick?” “Just this morning.”
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Jake fired off several more questions, scribbling on a chart. “I’m going to order some tests to rule out other serious illness. But I suspect it’s just plain old stomach flu.” “At least I’m not dying,” Emily managed to quip weakly, wincing at the pain that reverberated through her entire body. Jake smiled. “No, you’re not dying. The biggest danger is of dehydration. We’ll run some tests, and then hopefully, you can go home and let the illness run its course.” Emily grimaced. There was nothing more she hated than being sick and helpless. “How long?” “If you’re lucky, should be just one or two days at the most,” he assured her, writing on her chart. “I’ll order the tests and be back soon.” He walked away, reminding Emily so much of his brother. Just then, another painful cramp hit her and she whimpered. “I just want to go home.” Taylor smoothed back her hair. “Don’t worry. As soon as the tests are done and Jake can discharge you, I’ll drive you home.” She nodded and closed her eyes. “Don’t tell my mom, okay? Or anybody in my family, for that matter.” The last thing she wanted was for the whole Sinclair brood to descend on her tiny apartment, ready to fuss over her. All she wanted was to be sick in peace.
***** When the ER settled down to a more manageable pace, Jake was able to get a few moments free. His stomach growled as he walked through the doors of the hospital, reminding him he hadn’t had anything to eat since that morning. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and called home. Devlin picked up. “Hey Dev, tell Mom I’ll be late so don’t hold up dinner for me.” “Busy night at the hospital?”
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Jake raked a hand through his hair. “Like you wouldn’t believe. Everybody is sick. Oh, and you’ll never guess who’s here, lying in a gurney in the emergency room. Emily Sinclair.” A split second ensued before Devlin demanded, “What’s wrong with her? Is she all right?” At his brother’s tone, Jake frowned. “Why do you want to know?” “Jake,” Devlin warned. “Okay, okay. She picked up a bug, that’s all. But she’s pretty sick.” “I’ll be right there.” Click. Jake stared at his phone. Why would Devlin come to the hospital to see Emily? Unless…Putting two and two together, he dialed home again. This time Riley picked up. “I think I just found out who Devlin’s mystery girlfriend is,” Jake informed him gleefully. “You won’t believe this. It’s Emily from next door.”
***** “Devlin, really. Taylor could have taken me home. You didn’t have to come,” Emily protested as he carried her from his car to her apartment. “We’re already here. Save your strength and quit complaining.” Maneuvering her in his arms, Devlin unlocked the door without having to put her down and kicked it shut behind him. When he’d arrived at the hospital, he’d been worried at how pale and weak Emily had looked. His brother had assured him it was just a touch of stomach flu that should go away in a day or two. Jake had pulled him aside and tried to quiz him about Emily, but Devlin had shrugged his questions aside. Right now, he just needed to take care of her. Devlin laid her down on the bed and removed her shoes. “It’s probably a good idea to change your clothes. Maybe put on some pajamas or something,” he suggested gruffly. 77
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“It’s really not good for you to see me like this,” she grumbled faintly, closing her eyes. “So not sexy.” “Don’t be silly. You’re sick. I’m happy to be here and take care of you.” Emily opened her eyes, her blue eyes a bright shot of color against her wan complexion. “I’m glad,” she whispered, “and thanks.” His heart lurched like crazy at her words. “No problem. It’s not every day I get to play nurse to a hot patient.” He wiggled his eyebrows teasingly. “Now let’s get you out of those clothes.” Her chuckle turned into a soft moan of pain. “Oh God, I feel sick again. Bathroom…” It was all Emily had to say. Devlin helped her to her feet. He would have stayed but she found the strength to push him away and close the door. “Emily—” He frowned as he heard faint retching noises inside. Unable to just sit and wait, he charged into the bathroom despite her protests. “Just be quiet and let me help you, okay?” He grabbed a washcloth from the shelf mounted on the wall and dampened it with warm water. After she was done, he dabbed at her lips and face as she leaned weakly against him. His jaw tightened as he helped her back in bed. Without a moment’s hesitation, he rummaged through her drawers and found a pair of cotton pajamas. He removed her clothes, trying like hell to feel impersonal and failing miserably. Feeling like a bastard of the first degree for being turned on at a time like this, he quickly finished dressing her and helped her under the covers. Her eyes were already closing as she snuggled under the thick comforter. “Jake said to make sure you have small sips of water so you won’t get dehydrated.” He smoothed her hair back on the pillow. “I’ll get you a glass and put it right here next to you.” “Thanks,” she murmured on a sigh.
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“Go to sleep. I’ll be right here when you wake up.” A wave of tenderness swept over him as he watched Emily burrow deeper in the bed. She looked so beautiful despite the faint smudges under her eyes. He got up to get her glass of water then settled in the chair to watch over her.
Twice more, Emily rushed to the bathroom and puked her guts out. She quieted down as the hour grew late, falling asleep. Devlin left the bedroom door ajar and sat on the couch in the living room. As he flipped on the television with the volume down low, he decided to stay the night, unwilling to leave Emily alone. The knock on the door was unexpected. He answered it and found Emily’s mother standing there with Eric, Emily’s oldest brother, who was just as surprised but soon glared at Devlin with a less-than-friendly expression. “What the hell are you doing in my sister’s apartment, Devlin?” he immediately demanded. Maggie Sinclair laid a hand on her son’s arm as she stepped through the door. “I got a message from Taylor that Emily was sick.” Devlin stepped aside, pushing away his discomfort at being caught in Emily’s apartment. For heaven’s sake, he was a grown man, not a teenaged boy. “That’s right. I brought her home from the hospital.” “Oh, dear. I’m glad you were there to help Emily. I’ll go check in on her.” Concern lined Maggie’s face as she hurried to her daughter’s bedroom. Eric didn’t waste any time as soon as they were alone. “I asked you what the hell you’re doing here, Devlin.” “Jake called me and told me Emily was in the ER. I picked her up and took her home,” he said coolly. Eric raised an eyebrow. “It didn’t occur to Jake to call us instead? Her family?” Devlin ignored the sarcasm in his voice. “This is hardly the time and place. Your sister is sick and has been all day. We’ll talk about this later.”
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At that moment, Mrs. Sinclair came out of the bedroom with an empty glass. “She’s sleeping. I think its best to let her rest for now.” She stopped next to Devlin. “Thank you, Devlin, for taking her home. I don’t know why she didn’t call me. I would’ve come right down here and sat with her.” With a shake of her head, she hurried to the kitchen and went back to Emily’s room with more water. “I’d like to know what you’re doing hanging out with my baby sister,” Eric demanded in a cold, flat voice. Devlin stiffened. “That’s hardly any of your business.” “Wrong.” Eric took a step toward Devlin. “You’re—” “Eric.” His mother came out of the bedroom, pulling the door closed behind her. “Have a care. Emily’s ill.” Eric didn’t take his gaze off Devlin. “We’ll take care of Emily. You can leave now.” Clamping his jaw, Devlin stared right back. “I’m staying. If Emily wants me to go home, she can damn well tell me herself.” Maggie stepped in between the two. “We can all stay. For now.” “But—” Eric began to say. He took one look at his mother’s firm expression and clamped his mouth shut. “I need some air,” he muttered before stalking out the front door. Maggie Sinclair placed a hand on Devlin’s arm. “You understand a brother’s instinct to protect.” “Of course.” Emily hadn’t been kidding when she said her brothers were way overprotective. “I’m grateful you were here to take care of her when we weren’t.” Devlin cleared his throat. “I was glad to do it.” Maggie stared at him for a moment, her expression enigmatic, before she nodded. “It seems we’re going to be waiting awhile. I think I’ll make tea. Would you like some? Or would you prefer coffee?”
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“I’m fine, thanks,” he replied. After she’d left him alone, he released a breath, relaxing a bit. That turned out to be short-lived as the door opened and Eric appeared once more. As soon as he saw his mother was nowhere in sight, Eric went on the offensive. “You’re lucky my mother is here. You have a lot to answer for, Devlin.” Devlin stiffened. “What are you going to do about it, Eric? I seem to remember during the last time we fought that I gave you a black eye and knocked a couple of your teeth out.” Eric snorted. “We were young then. It’ll be different now. Friendships can go to hell.” “Are you forgetting something? Emily’s not a kid anymore.” “Doesn’t matter. She’s my sister.” “What are you trying to say?” Devlin taunted, goaded beyond endurance. “I have to ask your permission to go out with her?” “So you’re admitting that you’re fooling around with her?” Devlin clenched his jaw. “I don’t fool around.” “Bullshit,” Eric bit out. “I know you, remember?” “You don’t know anything about me.” No matter how much Eric pissed him off, Devlin wasn’t about to tell him that Emily was the one who came on to him. Not the other way around. “I know that you’re not exactly the type to stick around.” “What the hell does that mean?” Devlin bristled, trying to hold back his own temper. Eric pinned him with a hard stare. “Oh come on. I haven’t exactly seen you bring home the same woman twice.” “That automatically means I’m not good enough to go out with Emily? Is that what you’re saying?” 81
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“It means I don’t want my sister to get hurt. It’s all fun and games until Emily gets her heart broken.” Devlin pulled in a harsh breath. “I wouldn’t hurt her.” “Why don’t you guarantee that by leaving her alone?” Eric suggested coolly. The thought of being away from Emily was unpalatable. Something he didn’t want to analyze too deeply at the moment. “You know, when Emily told me you, Brett and Alex were overprotective, I thought she was half-kidding. Now I know she’s not. You are nuts.” Eric took a step toward him. “We all care about her.” “For some reason, she tolerates your interference. But I’m not some callow kid you can scare away,” Devlin stated firmly. “Make no mistake. I don’t care what you think. So get over it.” Maggie Sinclair came back at the moment. She halted, instantly sensing the tension in the air. “May I remind both of you that Emily’s sick. The last thing she needs is for a big fight to break out in her living room.” “There won’t be any fighting. Just go home, Devlin,” Eric growled. Devlin crossed his arms over his chest. “I told Emily I will stay.” “Now it seems unnecessary for all of us to stay here all night to keep watch.” Maggie spoke briskly. “I will stay here with Emily. Eric, why don’t you go home?” Devlin bit back a childish snicker. It sounded like a suggestion, but the firm tone behind it made it a command. He’d heard the same tone from his own mother countless times before. “You too, Devlin.” Surprised, he looked at her. But Maggie Sinclair’s expression remained pleasant. “I’ll tell her I sent you home to get some rest,” she assured him softly. “I’m sure she’d understand.”
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Devlin was tempted to insist on staying, but didn’t want to push it. He nodded. “I’ll come back first thing in the morning.” Maggie smiled and gave him a hug. “Thank you again for taking her home and making sure she’s okay. I appreciate it.” He went out the door and made his way across the parking lot to his car, aware that Eric was right behind him. “You hurt her, Dev, you’ll answer to me.” Devlin turned to face him. “Look, Eric. I like Emily. A lot. But beyond that, what happens between us is really none of your business,” he added quietly. “Fair enough,” Eric countered gruffly. “Just remember this. She doesn’t deserve to get her heart broken.” He walked away, leaving Devlin staring at him as he got into his car and left. With a sigh, Devlin drove home. The secret was out of the bag. Now her family knew he and Emily were seeing each other. Personally, he didn’t give a shit who knew. This was between him and Emily alone. No one else.
***** When morning came, Emily woke up feeling much better. The worst seemed to be over. She no longer felt feverish and achy. Thank God. It was a bit embarrassing that Devlin had to see her in such a state, but he’d been so sweet and tender, helping her through the whole thing, all the while assuring her he didn’t mind taking care of her. As she stretched on the bed, the smell of coffee wafted in the air. Jake had ordered soft foods and clear liquids until her stomach was able to handle more. A nice, hot cup of coffee sounded like heaven at the moment. In that split second, Emily froze. She vaguely remembered her mom arriving last night and saying she was going to stay the night. Oh, no. Devlin. Emily hurried into the bathroom to freshen up and brush her teeth.
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She walked out to the living room and came to a startled halt. The first person she saw was her mother, sitting at the small dining table, calmly sipping coffee and leafing through the newspaper. But it was the sight of Eric sitting on her small couch directly across from Devlin that gave her a shock. She cleared her throat loudly. “Good morning, everyone.” Devlin surged to his feet as soon as he saw her. “Emily.” He came close, his gaze roaming her face. “Feeling better?” Emily wanted nothing more than to throw her arms around Devlin and thank him for taking care of her yesterday, but she was acutely aware of her family observing them. “Yes. Thanks for taking care of me,” she whispered, wishing she could plant a big, wet one on his lips. As if he knew what she was thinking, he gave her a quick smile. “Don’t worry about it. It was my pleasure.” Obviously tired of their whispered conversation, Eric got to his feet. One by one, “How are you feeling, Em?” “Better, thanks.” Her brother frowned. “Next time, call us okay? We’re happy to watch over you.” Emily looked at her brother’s expression closely, trying to get a clue as to what he was thinking. “Eric?” she prompted, her eyebrows raised, her gaze darting quickly to Devlin. He shrugged and looked away. “I’m just here to pick up Mom.” Her mother stepped between them and hugged Emily. “You look much better this morning, sweetie,” Maggie observed. “I’m great. No more nausea and the other stuff,” she assured her mom. “I think I’m over the worst of it.” “Well, I’m glad to hear that. Just the same, maybe it would be a good idea for you to take a couple of days off to rest.”
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“I will, Mom. Don’t worry.” Maggie kissed her on the cheek. “If you don’t need anything else, I’ll head on home and take a shower.” She picked up her purse from the table. “I’ll be back in a little bit with some homemade chicken soup. How does that sound?” “Sounds yummy. I’ll be waiting.” Maggie turned to her son. “We might as well leave Emily so she can have some peace and quiet.” “I think we should all leave,” Eric declared, looking pointedly at Devlin. Emily rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to tell Eric off when Devlin stopped her. “He’s right. You need to rest.” He pulled her aside. “I’ll be back later to keep you company.” She smiled. “I’d like that, but don’t you have stuff to do for Melissa’s wedding?” He shrugged. “It’s just family pictures and some other wedding stuff.” He took her hand in his. “They can do without me.” “Devlin, no. It won’t be a family picture without you.” She smiled, thrilled to no end that he wanted to spend time with her. “You can come by and see me after.” “You’ll be okay?” The obvious concern in his voice made her heart swell with happiness. “I’ll be fine. I’ll be even better when I see you tonight.” She laid a hand on his arm. “My brother wasn’t too difficult, was he?” “It’s no big deal,” he assured her. “I don’t scare easily.” She sighed. “I apologize for whatever he said.” He grinned. “Don’t worry about it. I’m still here, aren’t I?” He pressed a brief kiss on her lips. “I’ll see you tonight.” Emily caught the baleful glare her brother gave Devlin as he stepped back from her. To his credit, Devlin ignored Eric and walked out the door. She bit back a smile. Maybe this time, her brothers would leave her alone. 85
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***** Devlin came over later that night. As soon as she let him in, he took her in his arms. “I wanted to check in on you.” Emily laid her head on his chest. “I’m glad you’re here.” He buried his nose in her hair. “No more sickness?” The tenderness in his voice surrounded her heart. “Not once all day.” “Good. Your brothers gave you a hard time?” “Nope.” She smiled, thinking of how she kept waiting for the phone to ring or one of her brothers to suddenly show up. “I think Mom told them to leave me alone.” Devlin grunted. “Thank God.” He kissed the top of her head. “I’m not going to stay long. You need to rest.” Emily didn’t want him to leave. She missed him so much. “I can do that better with you here.” Reaching up, she pressed soft kisses against his throat. Her hands stole around his waist, caressing up and down his back. He was so strong, his body muscled but lean. Just perfect. “Will you stay with me tonight?” she asked shyly, looking up at him. She held her breath as she waited for his answer, hoping he’d say yes. “I would love it if you did,” she added softly, trying to keep her feelings from showing, but fearing she failed miserably. It was getting harder and harder to hide her love for Devlin. To her relief, he merely nodded. “Sure. But no sex. You’re still recovering so don’t even try anything, you hear me?” He followed her into the bedroom. Happy that he agreed to stay, Emily sat on the bed and eagerly watched as he took off his clothes but left on his boxers. As he settled beside her, Emily couldn’t help the flow of happiness that seeped into her bones. Devlin pulled her close, his body heat keeping her warm. She placed her hand on his chest, caressing the ridged muscles, going around in circles. A sigh escaped her lips. Touching him felt so good. She nuzzled his neck, pressing small kisses at the base of his throat.
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“Emily,” he warned softly. “Hmm?” She continued down to his stomach, flattening her palm against the taut skin. Lazily sliding her bare leg against his, she savored the faint rasp of his body hair on her skin. When her hand accidentally brushed over the bulge tenting the front of his boxers, she stifled a smile. “We agreed that we wouldn’t have sex,” he reminded her in a voice that wasn’t quite steady. “You’re not making it easy.” “You said no sex. I didn’t.” Teasingly, she palmed the hard length of his cock, running her hand over it lightly. Devlin stopped her wandering hand. “This isn’t a good idea.” “I happen to think it’s a great idea.” She shifted quickly and straddled him, rubbing her sex directly over his cock. At the contact, they both moaned. “Your body thinks so, too.” “My body goes into overdrive anytime you’re near. Of course it thinks it’s a great idea. But you were sick yesterday and you need—” Emily put a finger over his lips. “You.” She kissed him, slipping her tongue inside his mouth. “I need you, Devlin.” Gripping her hips, he ground his cock against her damp pussy. “You’re such a bad girl.” She laughed and pulled her shirt off. He immediately clasped her breasts in his hands, kneading her flesh. Emily moaned when he gently twisted the nipples, mixing pleasure with a little bit of pain. A cry fell from her lips as he used his mouth and teeth to work the tips into stinging hardness, lashing at the sensitive nubs with his tongue. “Delicious,” he mouthed against her breast, suckling her hard and deep. He pushed her thong down her legs and tossed it somewhere in the room. Emily gasped when he palmed her sex and slipped two fingers inside her pussy. It was so easy for Devlin to drive her insane, to push all vestige of thought from her mind. Was this par for the
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course? This instant descent into hunger, into need, obliterating any thought but to have Devlin clasped deep inside her body? Before she completely lost her mind, she drew back and tugged at his boxers insistently. With an impatient grunt, Devlin lifted his hips and let her take off the offending thing. Emily reached over to the nightstand, withdrawing a condom. Tearing open the packet, she slowly rolled it over his turgid length. Her mouth watered at the sheer beauty of his cock. With a barely smothered groan, Devlin pulled her over him. “I need to be inside you.” An acquiescent moan was her only reply. Inch by delectable inch, Emily took him inside her, releasing a blissful sigh when she was at last fully impaled on his cock. Through the fog of pleasure clouding her mind, she knew that there would never be another man who could make her feel the same way Devlin did. The way he possessed her, the way he filled every inch of her pussy with his cock. She was afraid he’d ruined her for any other man. “It feels so good.” He sat up and lapped at her nipples. “So tight. So wet. Ride me, Emily.” She began to ride him, slowly at first, gradually increasing in speed. He helped her along, guiding her, rotating her hips so that it seemed there wasn’t an inch of her pussy his cock didn’t touch. She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him. “Devlin. Fuck me, please. I need you.” There was no time to be shocked at the words she uttered, no time to be surprised. With Devlin, it seemed she had no power to hold back. Her inhibitions were totally gone. With a rough groan, he took over, holding her steady as he drove high inside her. Again and again he rubbed against her G-spot that just drove her insane with pleasure. Her eyes flew open when he suddenly switched their positions. Emily found herself lying on her back, Devlin looming over her. Cupping the back of her knees, he pushed them apart and drove inside her pussy. “Emily…” He wrapped his arms around her. “I’m sorry. I can’t be gentle right now.” 88
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She shook her head. “I don’t want gentle. I want you. Hard and deep and fast.” “Fuck.” He thrust and thrust until he was deeper than he’d ever been. Out of control, Devlin pounded into her again and again with a force that drove the breath from her lungs. It was too much. Emily cried out as she came. Huge, rolling waves of white-hot pleasure slammed into her, electrifying every single inch of her body. She felt faint, aware of nothing but the sharp, almost painful sensations that engulfed her. Devlin powered inside her one more time before he gave into his own release. She slumped back on the bed, his big body shuddering on top of her. She never thought sex with Devlin could get any better, but she was wrong. Tonight proved that. Her inner muscles still pulsed with the glorious release she’d just had. Her pussy felt sensitive. Well-pleasured, well-satisfied. Devlin withdrew and padded to the bathroom. When he came back and settled beside her, Emily was still lying weak and boneless on the bed, languorous and satiated. “Dev? What was the tip for that one?” He chuckled huskily as he pulled her close to him. “Don’t be afraid to initiate sex. It works every time.”
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Chapter Six Emily went back to work the next day, feeling recovered. Taylor was waiting for her at her office, a frown marring her lovely face. “Didn’t I tell you to take a couple of days off? It’s not like we can’t hold down the fort without you.” She placed her coffee on the table and slipped her purse in the drawer. “I can’t stay home. I’d only be going nuts. Anything new about the takeover?” “It’s all over the news that Aegis Inc. has been buying up our company stocks. It’s just a matter of time before they take over.” Taylor plopped down on a chair. “It seems that Mason Hathaway’s second wife, Bettina, inherited Hathaway Publishing when old Mason died. Now she’s running it to the ground, and everything has been going downhill.” She leaned forward. “And you know what the kicker is? Aegis is owned by her stepson, Cooper Hathaway, who, at eighteen, was disowned by his father when Mason married Bettina. The two are mortal enemies.” “Is this what this is? A family vendetta?” Emily asked in dismay. “That’s what it certainly looks like.” “Do we know what this Cooper is planning to do with us? I mean, are we even going to have jobs when all this is over?” It was hardly fair that hundreds of lives hung in the balance, caught in the middle of a family feud. “That’s just it. We don’t know what he’s going to do.” Taylor stood up and began to pace. Worry flashed across her face. “From what I’ve heard, he’s ruthless and totally determined to crush his stepmother to pieces.” “This is scary.” “I know.” Her best friend looked out the window, tension written in the stiff way she stood. “But what are we going to do? The whole company is just in a holding pattern. There’s nothing we can do but wait.” 90
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“When do you think all this is going to happen?” She couldn’t fathom the idea of their days being numbered. Not their beloved e-zine, which they had worked so hard to build. Taylor shrugged. “Anytime. According to the guys over at the fifteenth floor, it’s pretty much a done deal. Apparently, the investment firm that helped Cooper put together this takeover bid has a reputation for finding struggling companies and swooping in. They’re mergers and acquisitions specialists.” “So we could all be out of our jobs soon.” Emily’s thoughts raced. The e-zine was their baby. Nobody had a right to take it away from them. “Isn’t there anything we can do to save Girl Next Door? I mean, this is our brainchild. Don’t we have any rights?” “I don’t know. That’s for the lawyers upstairs to sort out.” Emily stood up and hugged Taylor. “We’re going to be fine.” She infused her voice with confidence she didn’t feel. “Let’s just hope that Bettina Hathaway gets her act together and somehow fights her stepson to keep this company.” “God, I hope so.” “In the meantime, we’ll just have to keep putting out an awesome e-zine, like we always do.” “Damn right.” “We’re going to be fine. You’ll see. Girl Next Door will get even bigger and better,” Emily declared fervently. It has to be. She couldn’t see herself in the future without Girl Next Door.
***** With the anxiety about the company takeover firmly in her mind and the tension that gripped everybody at work today, Emily was thankful for the distraction of tonight’s big football game. Game night was always a reason for the Sinclair children to gather around their parents’ living room and enjoy some time together, whether for football, baseball or hockey. 91
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Maggie Sinclair came out of the kitchen with a big plate of Buffalo wings. She barely laid it on the coffee table before her sons pounced on them eagerly. “Okay, guys. Leave some for me, will you?” Emily managed to insert above the din of masculine voices. Alex laughed. “You snooze, you lose. Dig in.” “Yeah, yeah,” she grumbled as she grabbed a plate. “If Dad was here, he’d let me go first.” Brett snorted. “You’re a spoiled brat, is what you are.” Eric glanced at their mom. “Where’s Dad, anyway?” “Your father is having a good ol’ boys night out with his friends,” Maggie said with a big smile. “It’s good for him to get away from time to time.” “Good for you too, huh, Mom?” Emily asked teasingly. Her mother smiled. “Let’s just say I look forward to his early morning tee times every week. Now I’m off to my book club. I’ll see you all later.” She left to a chorus of goodbyes from her children. “Yo, Em,” Alex suddenly asked. “No date with Devlin tonight?” She shook her head warily, trying to detect sarcasm in her brother’s question but found none. “Something about last minute tux fittings and dinner with Melissa’s fiance’s family.” Devlin had left a message on her voicemail earlier, exasperation evident in his tone when he informed he wouldn’t be able to see her tonight. She liked to think he sounded grouchy because he missed her. “I still can’t believe you’d go out with Devlin,” Eric grumbled. “You’re only going to wind up hurt.” “I’m not a kid anymore, Eric. I know what I’m doing,” she told him gently. She loved her brothers and understood their protectiveness, but it was time they stopped. “Why him?” Brett asked. “We know Devlin, Em. He’s not exactly the happy-everafter kind of guy.”
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The statement was hardly comforting, but she had to admit, it was true. “I care for Devlin,” Emily declared quietly. “I really would appreciate it if all of you would just mind your own business. And I say that with the utmost love and affection.” She stared at her brothers, willing them to see how serious she was. “Fine,” Eric grunted. Alex ruffled her hair. “Just take care.” “Same here,” Brett added. Emily released the breath she wasn’t even aware of holding. “Thanks.” Amazing. Did that really just happen? The doorbell rang. None of her brothers moved to answer it. She stood up. “Gee. Don’t all get up at once, boys.” To her surprise, she found Devlin at the door when she opened it. “Devlin.” He looked sinfully delicious in a black pullover and well-worn jeans. When he grinned at her, her pulse tripped. “Hi.” Emily glanced over her shoulder and pulled the door shut behind her. “What are you doing over here? I thought you had wedding stuff to do.” He shrugged. “The tux fitting is over. Now it’s just another pre-wedding dinner. But then I saw your car in the driveway and I thought I’d come over.” “Melissa’s not going to be happy with you for skipping out,” she admonished with a smile. “This whole wedding thing is driving me crazy. They should just go to Vegas and get it over with.” Emily shook her head with amusement. What a typical man thing to say. “I’m sure Melissa won’t agree with you.” He stepped closer. “I wanted to see you.” Warmth suffused her at his words. “That’s nice. I’m glad to see you too.” “Yeah?” He pulled her to him and bent low, their lips touching. “How glad?” ”Very.” She gave him a slow kiss. “Let me get my purse and tell them I’m leaving.” 93
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He palmed her buttocks and squeezed. “What’s going on here anyway? Why are all your brothers here tonight?” She rubbed against him. “It’s game night. My brothers and I like to watch together. It’s become something of a tradition. But they can do without me tonight.” “Tradition, huh? Sounds like fun. Why don’t we go back inside?” “What?” she asked in surprise. “You really want to sit through a whole game with my brothers?” “I’m game if you are. This is a good time as any to prove they can’t scare me away.” He pressed a kiss on her lips. “Besides, I want to spend time with you. If it means sitting through a whole game with your brothers, then so be it.” Something inside her fluttered with happiness. “All right. Come on in.” Emily opened the door and led Devlin inside. As one, all three of her brothers froze, their gazes locked on her and the man who stood beside her. Devlin, she noticed, just calmly looked back, no trace of apprehension or uneasiness on his handsome face. Unlike the other men she’d gone out with, he clearly wasn’t intimidated by her brothers. Alex, bless his heart, broke the ice by getting to his feet and shaking Devlin’s hand. “Devlin,” he greeted with a grin. “Are you here to watch the game with us?” Eric raised an eyebrow. “Feeling brave, aren’t you?” A small smile pulled at Devlin’s lips. “I don’t scare easy, Eric. You know that.” Eric grunted and grasped Devlin’s outstretched hand. Brett did the same, nodding at Devlin in silent male communication. Emily couldn’t quite keep the silly grin off her face as she sat on the couch, scooting over to make room for Devlin. To Emily’s surprise, there were no awkward periods of silence. Devlin looked relaxed and at home, his arm stretched out behind her, conversing easily with her brothers. Alex even passed him a tall, cold bottle of beer.
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“Hey Em,” Brett spoke, chewing on a chicken wing, “what do the Patriots have to do to win tonight?” She grinned, getting into the spirit of game night. “It’s all about execution. Whoever executes without making mistakes will win.” Pointing at the screen, she indicated the quarterback. “Saxon is talented, but he can’t do anything if the guys in front don’t do their jobs and block for him. That’s all they have to do.” Sports were one of her favorite pastimes and one of the things she had in common with her brothers. Brett chuckled. “See? You guys ought to listen to Emily. I call her every Monday morning before I pick out my football pool. That’s why I’m currently six-and-oh, boys. Read it and weep. She even helps me out with my fantasy football picks.” “I don’t know why you do that, Emily,” Alex grumbled. “Let Brett make his own picks. Let’s see how well he does.” Eric snorted. “Brett? Are you kidding me? Before he started consulting Emily, he couldn’t pick one winning football team if his life depended on it.” Brett rolled his eyes. “Says the man who went oh-for-three last week.” Emily laughed and pushed to her feet. “I’m getting more wings.” She picked up the now empty platter and headed to the kitchen. Humming under her breath, she put all the remaining Buffalo wings on the platter. She was glad she had had a talk with her brothers tonight before Devlin unexpectedly arrived. “Need help?” Emily whirled around and found Devlin standing just a few feet away. “Nope.” She smiled teasingly. “I think I can handle one plate of chicken wings.” Devlin leaned one hip against the kitchen counter. “You know a lot about football.” “Yeah. Baseball too. Although I don’t like hockey as much as my brothers do.” She wrinkled her nose. “Too violent for me.” At the thoughtful look that stole over Devlin’s
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face, it suddenly occurred to her that maybe he didn’t care for that. “Do you think that’s a bad thing?” “Why would I?” She shrugged. “Some men find it a turn-off that a woman is into sports like they are. You know, it’s a man thing.” Devlin pulled her into his arms. “I think it’s amazing that you’re a sports nut like I am. I like dating a woman who doesn’t think an end zone is a store at the mall.” Her breath hitched and her pulse jumped in excitement. “Is that what we’re doing? Are we dating?” He pressed a brief, hard kiss on her lips. “What do you think?” “But I thought you just agreed to give me some tips on seduction,” she persisted, unable to believe what he’d just said. Devlin laid his forehead against hers. “This way, you’ll always have someone to give you more tips.” Warmth filled her at his words. “Oh. That sounds nice.” At that moment, Eric’s voice boomed from the living room. “The game’s back on. Where the heck is Emily?” Devlin chuckled. “We’d better go back out there before your brothers come storming in here.” With a big smile on her face, Emily picked up the plate of chicken wings and followed Devlin back into the living room.
***** Later that night, when Emily unlocked the door to her apartment, Devlin was one step behind her. He kicked the door shut and flipped the lock quickly. A small moan escaped her lips as she clawed at his sweater, pushing it up and over his head. Devlin was busy ridding her of her shirt and undoing the front clasp of her bra.
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Her breasts spilled into his hands. “I’m crazy about these,” he murmured as he bent to lick one nipple. Emily’s eyes fluttered closed at the exquisite feeling of his tongue and the suction of his lips. “They get in the way sometimes.” Her breath hitched. “You know, when I’m playing softball and I’m up to bat—oh Dev.” He looked up. “They’re perfect. Round. Soft. Luscious nipples.” She was busy trying to unfasten his belt. “They’re just like everyone else’s.” “Ah, but you’re wrong.” Devlin cupped her flesh in his hot palm. “This…this drives me crazy, do you know that?” Heat curled in her lower belly at his words. He knew exactly what to say to ramp up her arousal. Devlin unbuttoned her jeans and pushed them down her hips. “God, you’re so sexy.” Emily pulled in a steadying breath, trying to think through the sensual onslaught he was unleashing on her. He slipped a hand down the front of her panties, delving in the wetness coating her eager flesh. One swipe of his finger against her clit sent a hard shudder rippling through her body. With a smothered groan, she kissed him, boldly sending her tongue inside the warm cavern of his mouth. He slid his hands under her buttocks and lifted her against him. Emily wrapped her legs around his waist and held on tight. Muttering under his breath, he walked into her bedroom and tumbled her down the bed, all without once letting up on the kiss. Emily’s senses spun. It was all so hectic, so urgent. She whimpered when she couldn’t get his zipper open fast enough and sighed with relief when he pushed her hand away and finished the job himself. With obvious impatience, he kicked the jeans away, chucked the boxers he wore underneath and joined her on the bed. Emily cupped his cock in her hand, tracing his shape, marveling at the contrast of soft skin and iron strength underneath. She was so engrossed with memorizing his shape that she was momentarily shocked when Devlin grabbed her silk panties and
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with one firm tug, ripped them away. “I’ll never allow you to wear panties again when you’re with me,” he growled against her ear. Emily found the strength to utter a strained chuckle. “That would be—right there, do that again—a little awkward, don’t you think?” He curled his tongue around a stiff nipple. “Nobody’s going to know except me.” The rough scrape of his tongue on the distended tip brought a moan to her lips. The contrasting texture felt so good, combined with his very skilled lips and warm, moist breath. The little bud hardened to such near painful sensitivity that it was almost a relief for Devlin to suck it hard and deep. When he got on his knees, Emily protested. He knelt in front of her, holding her legs wide apart. The intense, absorbed expression on his face thrilled her. She squirmed on the bed. “Devlin.” “Just let me look at you.” He traced the slick, outer lips with his middle finger. Emily writhed against him, trying to draw him inside. Intense need coursed through her veins, demanding to be appeased. His nostrils flared as he gave in and slipped the digit inside. Her moan coincided with his. Devlin’s glittering eyes locked on her pussy. Adding another finger, he pushed high and deep inside her, brushing against that spot that made Emily’s hips come off the bed. “Good?” he asked roughly. Unable to verbalize, she nodded. He was driving her insane, stroking her with his fingers, tormenting her clit with every pass. “Touch your breasts.” At his growled order, her eyes flew open. “Pinch your nipples, Emily. I want you to squeeze them like you would want me to.” Heat raced under her skin. She wanted to drive him crazy, to tease and tempt him beyond control and unleash the primitive man within. Taking her flesh in her hands,
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she pulled on the hard tips, instinctively knowing what he wanted to see. The slight twinge of pain acted as perfect counterpoint for the swell of pleasure thundering through her. Devlin didn’t stop, working her clit and thrusting deep inside her. “Feel good?” She tossed her head. “Y-yes. Too much.” “Stay with me, Emily. Until I tell you to come.” “I-I don’t want to…not without you.” His lips formed a strained smile, tiny white lines of tension fanning from the corners. “I want to watch.” Fire fisted in her belly. She wanted to cry out at the sheer pleasure of his touch. Her breathing escalated. “D-Devlin. I can’t hold on—” His jaw tightened. “Not yet. Soon.” He flattened his palm on her mound, his thumb pressing down on the sensitive bud at the top of her sex. Soft, mewling cries issued from her throat. Emily tweaked her nipples harder, pulling at the tips, intensifying what she was feeling. “Come for me, Emily.” Those words were the catalyst she needed. With a hoarse cry, Emily stiffened and bucked against him. The pain of overwhelming ecstasy overtook her, spinning her in a kaleidoscope of sensation. It was like a huge tidal wave that hit, penetrating the depths of her being clear to her soul. White-hot pleasure jolted her flesh like lightning, igniting a firestorm of sensations. She’d hardly come down from the high when Devlin flipped her over and pulled her to her knees. He paused to quickly pull on protection before he plunged deep inside her pussy with one forceful stroke. “Devlin.”
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Her damp skin slid against his, but he held her tight. Pushing her hair away, he rained kisses on her shoulder, unmoving. His engorged cock pulsed inside her, lodged deep, pushing aside the pliant tissues. “Emily.” He bit gently down on her flesh. She bucked at the soft nip, relishing the little bit of pain as his teeth scraped over her flesh. “Oh god.” “I’ve fantasized about having you this way.” He skimmed his lips to the side of her neck. “Taking you like this from behind, fucking you hard until you cry my name out loud.” She panted. “Please. Fuck me hard and fast.” Devlin’s harsh groan echoed through the buzz in her head. Emily planted her hands on the headboard, bracing herself. She wanted no apologies. She didn’t want him to hold back. “Make me come, Devlin.” He pounded into her from behind. His hands stole around her, one of his hands slipping down her front, seeking and finding her clit. As he worked the little nub to even greater heights of sensitivity, Emily bucked against him, little shards of pleasure exploding under her skin. Her head fell forward, her eyes opening to watch his long fingers manipulate her clit in time to the deep strokes of his hips. Breathing sharply, she braced her knees against the mattress, his thrusts buffeting her body. He bent her slightly, still almost upright, and began to thrust, hammering his cock into her wet, willing sex. Emily threw her head back, biting her lip, pushing back with abandon, wanting to feel the pain and pleasure of his rough possession. It was too much. Oh god, it was too much. Emily screamed his name, bucking against him as she came. Her eyes fluttered closed as she hung on for the ride. Devlin tightened his arms around her, stroking deep, once, twice, and again before he followed her over. They trembled against each other, coming down from such a powerful ride.
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Limp and boneless, Emily fell against Devlin as he gently laid her down on the bed, settling next to her. For long moments, the only sound in the room was their heavy pants, gradually slowing down to normal breathing. He pulled her against him, spooning her, his palm casually but possessively resting between her legs. “What’s your favorite food?” At her sudden question, he chuckled. “My thoughts are a little muddled at the moment.” Her legs felt like wet noodles, so she knew exactly what he meant. She laughed. “I like Chinese food. It’s addicting.” “Steak and potatoes.” She rolled her eyes at that. “Figures.” Devlin tweaked her nose. “But I also enjoy a good, thick sandwich and salads.” “Yeah, but given a choice…” “Steak, of course. That’s a no-brainer,” he drawled, running a hand down her back. “I love ice cream. Especially in the middle of the night when I can’t sleep.” “I’ll have to remember to stock ice cream at home.” Now that was unexpected. Emily found she liked the thought of sharing delicious ice cream with Devlin at his house at midnight. “I love watching old movies, too. They’re great.” He gave a mock groan. “Romance, no doubt.” “What’s wrong with that? Those are awesome.” It was Devlin’s turn to roll his eyes. “Name one.” “An Affair to Remember,” she answered promptly. “Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant. That movie makes me cry every time.” He chuckled. “You never cease to amaze me. I never would’ve pegged you as a romantic movie buff.” 101
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“Why? Because I like sports? I’m still a girl. Growing up, I had all the usual notions about love and romance.” Pressing a soft kiss to her lips, he murmured, “I’m glad. Melissa’s always reminding us that it’s not easy growing up with three brothers. I’m sure it was the same for you.” “Actually it was fun. I inherited all their toys, their bikes, even Brett’s first motorcycle.” “Your mom let you ride around on a motorcycle?” he asked in disbelief. “She didn’t know.” Emily snuggled deeper against him. Growing up with three brothers was certainly different. While other neighborhood girls were playing with dolls, she played with her brothers’ toys. “Eric taught me how to drive. Brett showed me how to change a flat tire. Alex took me with him to some of his tae kwon do classes. They were all in cahoots with me.” “You were a little rascal, always demanding that we allow you to play with us.” Devlin twirled a lock of her hair around his finger. “Then you grew up into a cute, adorable teenager.” She pulled a face. “Cute? Puh-leeze. You only had eyes for your date when you came to my high school graduation party.” He gave her a teasing grin. “What are you saying? You’ve wanted me ever since?” His words hung in the sudden silence that followed. Emily’s cheeks felt hot with embarrassment. She turned away. How could she be so stupid as to blurt something out like that? In the next moment, the breath whooshed between her lips as he pulled her around. He stilled her momentary struggle by holding her tight, preventing her from any kind of movement. “You did?”
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If there had been triumph in Devlin’s voice, if he’d said it in a loathsome, asinine way, she would have gotten mad. But he hadn’t. Instead, there was quiet wonder in his tone. Like he couldn’t quite believe that she’d felt that way about him, even then. “Look, just forget I said anything, okay? It was no big—” Devlin kissed her. In such a tender, heart-twisting way that tears welled in Emily’s eyes. Her brain must have been addled, but she could have sworn it felt like he was trying to make amends. “Emily, I had no idea.” She toyed with a lock of his hair. “Can we just forget about it? Please?” He captured her lips, quickly fanning the flames that merely lay dormant below the surface. He trailed his lips all over her body, all the way to the arches of her feet before settling between her legs and joining their bodies together. It was a sweet, slow loving. Their gazes met and held as they moved to a dance as old as time. Devlin made her feel cherished. Loved, even. It was an unbelievable feeling, one that stayed with her as she slept, wrapped in Devlin’s arms.
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Chapter Seven The bad news came down the next morning. Rather than get into a nasty, protracted struggle against her stepson, Bettina Hathaway decided not to fight the takeover. And just like that, Aegis Inc. was the new owner of the company and Cooper Hathaway their new boss. Their office was deadly silent except for the hum of the desk computers. “Listen, Taylor,” Emily began, trying to sound cheerful and confident, “we don’t know what Cooper Hathaway is going to do. We shouldn’t just assume that we’re going to lose everything. Nothing is certain yet.” Taylor looked glum. “But why do I have this sinking feeling in my stomach?” “I do too. But it’s like putting the cart before the horse.” Emily paced by the window. Surely there was something they could do, someone they could talk to who would listen to them and make sure she and Taylor didn’t lose the e-zine. “We’re profitable. Would they really shut us down if we’re one of the ventures that are actually raking in profits?” “I hope you’re right.” “What do we know about Cooper Hathaway anyway?” “Not much,” Taylor replied. She sat down in front of the computer and typed in a search for the man who was now their new boss. Several hundred items came up, including a picture. “Wow.” “What?” Emily walked around the desk and peered at the monitor over Taylor’s shoulder. “Will you look at that?” “Somehow I pictured him older, with receding hair and a big paunch around the middle.”
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Casting a curious glance at her friend, Emily grinned. “You sound disappointed.” Taylor snorted. “Hardly. Does that look disappointing to you?” Cooper Hathaway had hair as black as the night sky, with sharp, piercing gray eyes in a face that could only be described as striking. “He’s a stud,” Emily declared. There was intelligence stamped on that face, but the full curve of the man’s lower lip hinted at sensuality. She glanced at her best friend, who was still staring at the screen. “Taylor Marie Sanders, I think you have a crush on our new boss.” A pink flush stole over her best friend’s face. “Don’t be silly. It’s a publicity picture, probably airbrushed to the max to make him look as attractive as possible.” Emily chuckled. “Somehow I don’t think he’s the type of man who would need to be airbrushed.” Cooper looked thoroughly masculine, even from a simple publicity shot. She leaned closer to the screen as Taylor clicked on a brief bio of Hathaway. “He went to Harvard Business School and is a self-made millionaire with no help from Daddy. Cooper Hathaway sounds like a hardworking man.” “A hardworking, ruthless man who’s now our boss.” “I don’t think we have anything to worry about. Cooper Hathaway is obviously a very smart man. He’s in the business of making money and Girl Next Door is profitable.” Taylor sighed, still looking a bit worried. “You’re probably right.” “I am right. You’ll see.” Emily gave Taylor a reassuring hug. “Look, we have a new issue to put out in three weeks. We need to get our act together and make it an exceptional one. That way, our new boss will think twice about shutting us down.” She smiled. “Now cheer up. Everything’s going to be fine. Now why don’t we go over the articles we’ve got planned for that issue?” “I thought you were having lunch with Devlin?” Emily shrugged. “He called and said he had business to take care of. Why don’t we get some sandwiches from the coffee shop across the street and brainstorm over lunch?”
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Her best friend grinned. “You’re on.”
***** On the other side of town, Devlin weaved his way through the lunchtime crowd at Santini’s. He spotted Andrew occupying a table at the far end of the room, sitting with another familiar face. “You guys just can’t let me have my vacation in peace,” he grumbled mockingly as he came upon them. “Andrew.” He shook his partner’s hand before he turned to his companion. “Cooper.” Cooper Hathaway clasped his hand. “Devlin. I hope you’ll pardon my cutting into your downtime.” He pulled out a chair and sat down. “Don’t worry about it. With my sister’s wedding this weekend and my mom driving everyone nuts with her last minute frenzy of family gatherings and parties, I’m glad for the chance to escape.” Andrew chuckled. “Cooper’s in town to seal the deal. He’s taking over Hathaway Publishing tomorrow. We thought you’d like to come down with us to the company headquarters since this was your brainchild in the first place.” He grinned. “I’d love to take the credit but you did all the legwork on this one, Andrew. My part in this was in the very early stages.” With a laugh, Andrew slapped him on the back. “We’re partners, remember? The credit goes to both of us.” Cooper nodded. “I agree. I’d like for you to be there tomorrow, Devlin.” “I’d be honored.” Devlin had met Cooper at the same time he’d met Andrew, when they were all students at business school. He wasn’t a stranger to Cooper’s quest to take back the company that should have been rightfully his in the first place. The man was driven by his own demons, but he possessed an integrity and decency that couldn’t be denied. Their server came, a young, attractive woman who kept on sliding sidelong glances at Cooper, which he either didn’t notice or purposely ignored. Though he’d known the 106
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other man for a number of years now and Devlin considered him a friend, he couldn’t really say he knew much about Cooper. “We’ve scheduled a meeting with department heads and editors of all Hathaway’s holdings,” Andrew informed him. “I’m sure everybody knows about the takeover by now.” “What are you planning to do?” Devlin asked curiously. He knew that Cooper was intensely bitter about the fact that his father, Mason, had left control of Hathaway Publishing to his second wife. It was difficult to accept, especially since the company had originally belonged to Cooper’s mother’s family. “Liquidate non-performing assets,” Cooper replied immediately. “I’m bringing in my own people, of course, to head up various departments and implement new standards. I’ll try to rebuild what Bettina destroyed.” McKay and Inman Investments had done a lot of leg work for Cooper in several mergers and again on some of the more hostile acquisitions. It was a very profitable partnership, one that had helped catapult their investment company to heights of success. “No doubt that you could, Cooper.” Andrew raised his glass in a toast. “Here’s to fulfilling a very important goal, my friend. Tomorrow, you’ll walk into Hathaway Publishing and be the king of all you survey.”
***** The night air was comfortingy cool as Emily stood outside the church, trying to calm down. Deep breaths failed to slow down the nervous beating of her heart. Inside the church, Devlin’s family was gathered for the wedding rehearsal. After the rehearsal, they were all scheduled to go to dinner. Oh, why had she let Devlin persuade her to come? She was perfectly happy to work late, putting the finishing touches on her article. After Devlin had called and cancelled lunch earlier today, she really hadn’t expected to see him for the rest of the day. Business was important and she understood
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that. But when he called and insisted that she come with him to the rehearsal, saying he missed her and wanted to see her, she simply couldn’t say no. Now here she was, nervous as hell because for the first time, his whole family would see them together. She self-consciously smoothed the skirt of her black dress before she followed Devlin through the tall, imposing doors. Hesitating just inside the vestibule, she surveyed the people in attendance. Devlin squeezed her hand with a teasing grin. “Smile, Emily. You look like you’re about to go to your execution.” “I’m a little nervous. Your family doesn’t know you and I are—” She took a breath. “What I’m trying to say it’s probably not a good idea to spring such a surprise on them tonight.” “They will be pleasantly surprised. They already know you and love you. Trust me, there’s nothing worry about. You look gorgeous.” He placed his lips at her ear. “Sexy as hell. Makes me want to chuck this whole rehearsal thing and drag you back to the car.” His hand rubbed her hip. “I can’t wait to see what you have on underneath this thing. Why don’t we slip out back and—” “Devlin.” Teresa McKay came upon them at that moment, a big, welcoming smile on her face. “It’s about time you got here. Hello, Emily.” She gave Emily a warm, effusive kiss and hug. “It’s so nice to see you here, dear. You look lovely tonight. Now let me pull Devlin away for a moment so we can get this rehearsal started.” His mother led him away. Emily mustered a halfhearted smile and sat down on one of the pews. Even dressed in a dark buttoned-down shirt and black slacks, Devlin cut a mouthwatering figure. She sighed, trying to suppress her thoughts. She was in church, for heaven’s sake. Don’t think lustful thoughts. And stop trying to see his tight, fine ass. Devlin looked back once more and gave her a heart-stopping smile. Emily sat frozen. In that moment in time, everything suddenly clicked together. While she’d been giddy over the fact that she had the man of her dreams where she’d always wanted him—in her bed—things had evolved into something entirely different. 108
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First, Devlin had stayed for game night at her house, essentially showing her brothers that they couldn’t scare him away. And tonight, he’d brought her here to his sister’s wedding rehearsal, in the presence of his family, effectively announcing their involvement. It dawned on her that Devlin had been making a statement all along. It could only mean one thing. This thing between them wasn’t just about the seduction tips anymore. The heady thrill of it went straight to her head. Oh. My. God. She and Devlin were in a real relationship.
Riley slapped Devlin on the back. “You lucky dog. You beat me to it. I was planning on asking Emily out.” Devlin snorted. “She would have turned you down flat. So forget about it.” “I smell jealousy,” Jake snickered as they huddled in the church vestibule, waiting for the wedding planner to give them instructions on what to do. “Seriously,” Riley continued, “she’s smokin’.” Devlin glanced at Emily as she sat a short distance away. On its own, the black dress she wore was simply cut, unremarkable. But on her, it became sexy. Droolworthy. The short, flirty skirt was driving him crazy, giving him quick glimpses of her shapely legs. He wanted to pick her up, find the nearest couch and raise those legs in the air as he fucked her. Jake shook his head. “Dev can’t even quit staring at her. This is getting to be embarrassing.” “She’s beautiful,” he murmured, his gaze still locked on Emily. “Oh, no. Tell me it ain’t so.” Devlin frowned at Riley. “What?” Riley grinned. “You’re pussy-whipped.” Jake’s burst of laughter had people turning around to look at them curiously. 109
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“Pussy-whipped,” Devlin echoed with a huff. “Yeah, man.” Riley’s eyes gleamed with amusement. “The signs are all there. You can’t stop looking at her. You’re eating her up with your eyes. Right now, I’ll bet you a hundred dollars I know exactly what you’re thinking.” Frowning in irritation, Devlin asked, “What?” “That’s easy.” Riley lowered his voice. “You’re thinking you can’t wait until you get her out of here.” He raised an eyebrow and glanced to his right. “Jake? Am I right?” “It’s so obvious. God, I hope I never have that stupid, puppy-dog look.” Jake made a face. “Ever.” “Devlin’s in love,” Riley teased. Instead of taking umbrage at both his brothers’ ribbing like he normally would, Devlin felt pole-axed. Was that what he was? Was he in love with Emily Sinclair? Jake gulped. “Shit. You are, aren’t you?” Even Riley was speechless for a moment. “Hey, Dev. I was just kidding. You don’t have to take it seriously.” The object of Devlin’s thoughts turned at that moment and gave him an intimate smile that zoomed all the way to his heart. It was an unfamiliar feeling, one he’d never felt before in his life. “I can’t believe it. Who would’ve thought that Devlin would—” Jake couldn’t even say the words. Riley shook his head in disgust. “I’m never going to act as lovesick at that. And that’s a promise.” Devlin ignored his brothers. Drawn to Emily by an inexplicable force, he walked over to her and pressed a gentle kiss on her lips. A delightful flush spread over her cheeks. “What’s that for?” she whispered.
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“To tide me over until later.” His chest tightened with that same unnamed emotion. Was it love, like his brothers said? He didn’t know for sure. He’d never felt this way before. He straightened just as the wedding planner descended on them and hustled everybody back to the line, briskly instructing them where to go and what to do. He couldn’t keep his eyes off Emily. The rehearsal was interminable. Impatience gnawed at Devlin as the event planner droned on and on. If not for the utterly besotted look on his sister’s face as she gazed at her fiancé, he would’ve blown this whole thing. Screw practicing their roles, he’d just wing it during the actual ceremony. When the rehearsal was finally over, he made a beeline for Emily. “Devlin,” Melissa called, stopping him in his tracks, “you’re coming to dinner, right?” He stifled a groan and gave his sister a reassuring smile. “Wouldn’t miss it, squirt.” At the sound of some ill-disguised coughing, he threw a warning look over to his brothers. Frustration attacked him during the short ride to the fancy restaurant Melissa had picked out. He didn’t even get the chance to kiss Emily properly. The steak he ordered could have tasted like sawdust for all the notice he took of it. He was sharply aware of Emily sitting demurely next to him, chewing on her lemongrass chicken and conversing with his sister and mother. Envy shot through him at every bite that slipped through those lips. He wanted to taste her, damn it, to just take her in his arms and hold her. When Emily laughed at some comment Riley made, Devlin’s heart did an odd little flip. Her eyes sparkled, the blue irises looking darker in the intimate lighting of the restaurant. Her intelligence and sense of humor came through with every comment she made. There was no sign of the nerves she’d felt earlier. Relaxed and at ease, she looked even lovelier. Under the cover of the table cloth, he laced his fingers through hers, his much larger hand dwarfing her smaller, feminine one. 111
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Emily fit him so well. When the pianist began to play something slow and sexy, he tugged Emily to her feet and pulled her into his arms. It was an unprecedented show of affection, something that would put to rest any doubt his family entertained. But Devlin found it hard to care about that. Right now, Emily was in his arms, something he’d looked forward to all night. It wasn’t long before he brought her back to the table and grabbed her purse. “Good night,” he said to nobody in particular. “I’m taking Emily home.”
“Devlin,” Emily chided breathlessly as he fairly dragged her to the exit, “why are we leaving so soon?” “Come on.” She stole a quick look over her shoulder. To her chagrin, everybody was looking at them with varying degrees of amusement on their faces. “The meal isn’t over yet,” she hissed softly. “I don’t care,” he tossed over his shoulder, still pulling her along. Emily put her foot down and forced him to stop. “Dev, what is going on?” In an abrupt move, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her thoroughly. “I want to be alone with you. I waited long enough.” Her bones turned to mush. God, he knew just the right thing to say. “But the dinner—” “They’ll survive without us.” Outside, he signaled the valet for his car and handed him the stub. Devlin looked grim, tight-lipped and silent. All the way back to her apartment, he said nothing. Emily didn’t know what to say or do. It was only when they were in the privacy of her apartment that he spoke again. “Finally.” Capturing her mouth, he pulled her toward the bedroom, not stopping until the bed halted their progress. He located the zipper of her dress and undressed her with
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faintly shaking hands. When he saw that she wore only a lacy white thong under, he groaned. Tremors attacked her as he disposed of that, too. She bit her lip as she helped him with his belt and his slacks. Devlin was already hard, his cock long and thick under his briefs. When she touched him, he jerked violently against her. Taking that as encouragement, she slipped her hand inside and palmed him. The shock of the hot contact made her gasp. “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of touching you.” Emily went down on her knees, wrapping her fingers around him. Her heart clenched. A swell of profound emotions rose to her throat, making it difficult to breathe. It wasn’t only desire. It was certainly more than lust. She wanted to give him everything, pleasure him so much that he would never forget this moment, one that would be seared into his mind forever. She licked him, a slow, sensual glide of her tongue on his rigid flesh. From root to tip, she tasted him. His shaft twitched in her hand, and his hands tightened on her shoulders, but Emily wasn’t to be deterred. This was for her as much as it was for him. Fitting her lips over the broad head, she engulfed him in the warm wetness of her mouth. A bolt of lightning speared the quivering folds of her pussy, racing through her flesh. She sent her tongue swirling over the top, sweeping over the slit of his cock again and again. “Fuck, Emily. I need you to suck me—” She took him deep right then, as much as she could without gagging. Devlin was making hungry little sounds that told him he was enjoying the torture as well as the pleasure. Daring to meet his eyes, she slid back up, his shaft damp with her saliva. She didn’t look away. The expression on his face was too precious to miss. The combination of hunger and stark need etched in his features spurred her on. Up. Down. Shallow. Deep. Again and again.
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Devlin abruptly pulled her to her feet, ignoring her protest and clamping his lips over hers. Just as quickly as it started, the kiss was over. “Get on the bed, Emily.” His voice was rough, edged with steel. “Lie down and open your legs.” Her pulse jumped. Her heart was beating so hard, it pounded in her ears. She obeyed, her legs splayed. “Show me your cunt.” A shiver whipped its way down her spine. His eyes glittered darkly, locked between her legs. Her hands moved, her fingers stretching out to open her soaked folds. He placed one knee on the bed, settling in between her thighs, bending low and blowing softly on her distended clit. Emily jerked on the bed as he lapped at the cream that coated her labia. He explored her thoroughly, staying away from her clit, driving her insane. “Please,” she begged. “I need you to—” His tongue lashed at the ultra-sensitive bundle of nerves with such ferocity that she cried out. The rapid-fire strokes sent her twisting on the bed, her knees wobbling as she sought to push up closer to his mouth. Not done, Devlin slipped two fingers inside her and combined devastating in and out strokes while working her clit. “Shh. No rush, Emily. Just enjoy it.” No rush? It was easier said than done. The feeling wasn’t akin to gentle waves hitting the shore on a quiet, sunny day. It was the tempestuous waves of a dark, stormy night that battered her senses. “No more,” she pulled in a ragged breath, “playing around, please.” His smile was achingly sensual. “But playing around makes it more fun, don’t you think?” She shook her head vehemently, trying to shift this way and that, to draw a deeper, harder contact. “Not fun at all.” Emily grabbed his head and held him steady, rotating her hips against him. “Not when I’m dying for you.” Devlin simply rubbed his lips on her damp sex. “Tell me what you want.” 114
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She groaned. “I want you to suck me and make me come.” It seemed that was all she needed to say. He applied himself to the task of eating at her with a diligence that drove her insane, circling her slit teasingly before fucking her with his tongue. He pried her open with his fingers, feasting on her flesh before reaching high inside her and tasting her essence. Oh god, she loved his tongue, his mouth, his teeth—just everything about him. Devlin tilted her hips upward to give him better access, unleashing a rapid-fire volley of thrusts and licks that catapulted her into an orgasm so sharp yet so sweet that it took her breath away. The scream locked in her throat as she tossed her head on the bed. She shuddered at the intense sensation that bordered on pain. Again and again, he pushed her up, the roughness of his tongue scraping against her ultra-sensitive clit, sending her into paroxysms of ecstasy. Oh god, don’t let it end. Don’t ever let it end.
Devlin gritted his teeth as he watched Emily succumb to her orgasm with wild abandon. It was the sweetest sight to see her writhing with pleasure that he gave her. Emotions clogged his throat, rushing down to his chest with a vengeance that left him reeling. It left him stunned, unable to counter the feelings roaring through his soul. Hunger was a living, breathing thing inside him. The only thought in his head was to possess her completely, to put his stamp on her body and make her his forever. “More,” she murmured. “Greedy,” he muttered, sliding up to suck a tight nipple between his lips. Delicious, sweet taste exploded in his palate. With a hungry growl, he pulled her flesh deeper into his mouth, curling his tongue around the tight nub. She arched against him, communicating her unabated need. Her legs rubbed restlessly against his, insistent and demanding. Damn it. She was going to drive him right past the edge of reason with her pleas and sweet little moans.
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The need that thrummed through him went to his head like potent alcohol. He could feast on her body all night long and still not be satisfied. Need tightened into a fist in his belly. Devlin could feel his control slipping inexorably away. Straining with the effort to hold back his raging need to come, he skimmed his lips up to her neck, nipping at the vulnerable skin he found there. But he was at the end of his tether. He quickly donned protection before he grabbed her knees and pushed them down on her chest, opening her wide before he plunged inside her slit in one smooth stroke. “So good. So tight.” Bending low, he licked at the mad pulse beating at her throat. “You have the tightest, sweetest pussy. It drives me crazy.” He crammed her full of his cock, his flesh kissing the mouth of her womb as he slid in all the way. He was in deep. So deep. Every thrust, every downward stroke mashed his pelvis against her clit, further inflaming the swollen bud. Trembling, shuddering beneath him, Emily jerked against him, her nails digging into his flesh as she urged him on. “I love you,” she cried out as she came under him. Her words echoed in his head, but Devlin was suddenly overwhelmed by his own orgasm. His balls tightened as her flesh clenched around him, sending fiery tingles racing up his body. No longer in control, he let out a harsh groan, thrusting inside her with a ferociousness that drained the seed from his cock. Pleasure engulfed his senses as he pumped inside her, wanting for one moment to spill inside her unchecked, flesh against flesh, nothing in between. The desperate rush of his release combined with the words she’d uttered left him reeling. Emily had said she loved him. In that exact moment, with no guile, no pretense. A moment of utter truth. Devlin couldn’t get his head around it. Panting like he’d just run a goddamned marathon, he lay there, stunned by three little words he’d never expected to hear from Emily. Slayed by the sex and rendered dumb by her declaration of love. For once in his life, Devlin had no idea what to say. 116
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The silence that followed was not surprising, Emily supposed. She was feeling a mixture of anxiety and embarrassment. He’d said from the start that he didn’t want emotions coming into play, but hadn’t they moved beyond that stage already? Lying there with Devlin, her body steeped in satiation, she realized she didn’t regret what she’d said out loud in that moment. What was done was done. Gathering her courage, Emily looked at him as he lay beside her. “Does it bother you that I said that?” When he didn’t answer right away, her stomach plummeted. “I know we agreed that emotions wouldn’t be involved.” Still no response. She took a deep breath. “Dev? We can just forget I said it. I’m sorry if—“ “I’m honored you feel that way,” he said quietly. Relief tore through her. He wasn’t angry. He wasn’t hightailing it out of her apartment like the very devil was at his heels even though she’d broken one of the rules he’d set at the beginning of their arrangement. “I don’t want you to feel pressured to say it back.” It was the truth, but Emily would be lying if she didn’t admit there was a part of her that wanted him to say that, needed to hear him say those words as well. “You’re very important to me. I don’t know what I did to deserve you. You’re beautiful, passionate, generous.” Devlin pressed a kiss on her lips. “This is all new to me. I’ve never felt this way before.” His smile was self-deprecating. “I’m not very good at this.” “You’re doing fine,” she whispered, her heart clenching with joy. He cupped her cheek tenderly. “I care for you, Emily. You mean a lot to me.” It was a bittersweet moment. She wanted to hear him say the same words she’d uttered. But if he did, would she have believed him? Unlike her, Devlin hadn’t fantasized about her for years, while she’d been emotionally invested since the beginning.
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Devlin said he cared about her. She knew it, could feel it. Of that, she was certain. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t said the three little words she’d always longed to hear. What mattered was he was honest enough with her not to say them just for the sake of saying them. He respected her enough not to do that, which was infinitely better than a superficial declaration of an emotion he didn’t really feel just to spare her feelings. It was enough for now that he cared. Emily snuggled closer and buried her face in his neck. She didn’t regret telling him she loved him. Not at all. Whatever might happen between them, she knew her feelings wouldn’t change. “I wish I could stay right here forever. I’m not really looking forward to tomorrow.” “Is there a problem?” She closed her eyes, contentment taking over as he held her in his arms. “Hathaway Publishing, the company that owns Girl Next Door, is being taken over. It’s a mess. I don’t even know if I’ll have a job tomorrow. It would just break my heart.” She yawned, oblivious to how Devlin had suddenly stiffened beside her. “Hathaway Publishing,” he echoed dully. “Yeah,” she mumbled, almost asleep. “Tomorrow, we all find out if we get the axe for sure.” It was all too easy to close her eyes. She didn’t even stir when Devlin got up, pulled on his clothes and hurriedly left, pausing just long enough to leave a note on her nightstand.
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Chapter Eight Department heads and editors received the news the next afternoon. They were instructed to gather in the large conference room on the top floor of the Hathaway Building. One by one, they filed in, taking the seats. The conversation was kept low, different voices mingling. Emily and Taylor stood at the rear, leaning against the wall. Taking Taylor’s hand, Emily gave it a reassuring squeeze. “It’ll be fine. You’ll see.” The employees of Hathaway Publishing were understandably nervous. The company had been steadily losing money since Mason Hathaway had left Bettina the reins. It remained to be seen whether they would even have a job after today. Emily was determined to look at the positive side. Girl Next Door was a profitable venture. Surely Cooper Hathaway wouldn’t scrap them just like that? Taylor bit down on her fingernail, a habit that Emily had thought her friend had outgrown. It was only when she glared pointedly at the finger Taylor was chewing on that she relented and dropped her hand. “Will you relax? You’re making me nervous.” “How can I?” Taylor jammed her hands inside her pockets. “Rumors have been going around like crazy that Cooper Hathaway is simply going to shut us down.” “We don’t know that for sure.” Silence descended in the room as Michael Smith, chief operating officer of Hathaway Publishing, walked to the front. In a dispassionate voice, he confirmed that Aegis Inc. had taken over Hathaway. “It’s almost a sure bet that Cooper Hathaway will dissolve the publishing company his father worked so hard to build.” A trace of bitterness edged Michael’s voice. “He’s not the sentimental type. Liquidation will be handled by the investment firm McKay and Inman. It’s been nice working with all of you.” 119
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With that parting salvo, he dismissed the gathering. Shock slammed into Emily. She’d gotten stuck at the words liquidation and McKay and Inman. It couldn’t be. She must have heard wrong. McKay and Inman Investments was Devlin’s company. Had he known all along that Aegis was going to take over Hathaway and he never said anything? Hurt and anger combined to choke her. How could he do this? How could he keep it from her? It was unbelievable how things could change so quickly. Just this morning, she’d woken up with a smile on her face after reading the note he’d left on her nightstand about having to go and not wanting to disturb her sleep. She’d been full of warm, fuzzy feelings then. Emily felt numb. She blinked furiously, trying to stop the tears. Devlin had known about Aegis—indeed had helped to arrange the takeover—and hadn’t told her a damn thing. It was pretty hard to believe. But there it was. Randy, Taylor’s buddy from Accounting, appeared beside them. “Well, I guess that’s it.” “It’s so easy for Cooper Hathaway to decide to shut us down,” Taylor said bitterly. “What about all the people who’ve worked for this company for a long time. Doesn’t he even care about them?” Randy inclined his head to a group of people who stood a short distance away from them. “There he is. Cooper Hathaway himself. He’s been closeted in Mr. Smith’s office all day with his own people. I heard those two with him are from the Boston-based investment firm that facilitated the whole takeover.” Emily went cold as she saw who was flanking Cooper Hathaway. Devlin. Hard to believe the same man had held her gently last night. The same man she’d professed her love to. She felt sick. “Emily, what’s Devlin doing here?” Taylor asked, puzzled. “Wait a minute. McKay and Inman Investments. As in Devlin McKay?”
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“Miss Sinclair? Miss Sanders?” A perfectly coiffed woman approached them. “I’m Laura, Mr. Hathaway’s assistant. He would like to see both of you in his office. Follow me, please.” “I can’t.” Emily grabbed Taylor’s hand. “I can’t face him, Taylor. Not yet. I have to go. I’ll call you later.” She ran toward the elevator, ignoring the protest that came from Hathaway’s assistant. The door opened immediately after she pressed the button. When she turned around, she saw Devlin running toward her. She pressed the door control furiously. “Please. Please close.” The last thing she saw was Devlin’s thunderous frown and grim expression. Tears clogged her throat, and she knew she couldn’t face Devlin like this. Much as she hated to admit it, she’d only cry. Crying in front of him was the last thing she wanted to do. Emily wanted to be able to tell him to go to hell straight to his face, without shedding tears at his betrayal. She hated crying. The elevator stopped. Emily rushed out, hurrying to her office to get her purse and leave. Some moments later, the door behind her slammed against the wall and Devlin appeared. “We need to talk,” he declared without preamble. Emily stiffened. “There’s nothing to talk about. I suggest you get out of my way.” “Do you really think I’m going to let you go like this? You don’t know everything so I’d advise you to listen to me.” She glared at him, slinging her purse over her shoulder. “Go away, Devlin. I don’t want to talk to you.” “Tough,” he bit out, standing squarely in the doorway. “We’re going back upstairs and you’re going to sit down and listen while I explain some things to you.” “Explain what? How you conspired with Cooper Hathaway so he could shut down the whole company, Girl Next Door included?” Her chest constricted. “I told you how much I loved the e-zine. It’s my life. You just don’t care.”
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His jaw clenched. “I didn’t know that Hathaway Publishing owned Girl Next Door. My partner took care of all the details of the takeover. I’ve been rather busy lately.” With you were the words he’d left unspoken. Hot color flooded her face. “We’re going back upstairs. You can apologize to me later.” “It’ll be a cold day in hell before I apologize to you for anything,” she spat out. “Watch it, Emily,” he warned grimly. He took her arm. “Let’s go.” Trying to dislodge his hold was impossible. She dug in her heels. “I’m not going anywhere with you.” He pivoted and abruptly pulled her against him. “Don’t make me put you over my shoulder and take you upstairs. Because I will.” The implacable set of his handsome face was proof of how serious he was. What was he so angry about? She was the one who had reason to be mad. Emily glared at him, furiously ignoring how her body was reacting to his nearness. Despite the fury racing through her veins, her body was still cognizant that he was her lover. “Now you can come with me quietly, like the mature young woman you are. Or I carry you. It’s up to you.” She gritted her teeth, angry at him and at herself. How could she be feeling weakkneed at a time like this? “Fine. Just don’t touch me.” If anything, his expression turned blacker. It was as if those last words she uttered were more effective in getting back at him than anything else she’d said. His hands fell away. Emily immediately felt the loss, feeling bereft without the heat of his hand. She pushed the emotion aside. He was in the wrong here. Not her. Lifting her chin, she preceded him out of her office, ignoring the curious stares of some of her coworkers. With her head held high, she marched to the elevator. When the doors opened, she got in, pointedly making sure at least a couple of feet separated them. At the top floor, she followed him to the office at the end of the hall.
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The woman who’d introduced herself earlier as Cooper Hathaway’s secretary sat like a sentinel just before the door. She gave Devlin a friendly smile. “You can go right in.” To Emily, she leveled a frown. Figures, she thought sourly. He opened the door for her. “Inside,” he fairly growled. As soon as she stepped through the doorway, he closed the door without coming in with her. Confused, she stopped in her tracks, almost reaching out to stop him. No. It was better this way. She didn’t want Devlin in here anyway. She found Taylor sitting in one of the lush leather chairs in front of a huge desk. She caught the barely perceptible shrug Taylor gave her. Emily’s gaze slid to Cooper Hathaway as she walked toward him. The man was even more intimidating in person. Curiosity mixed with resentment as she looked at him. This man held their futures, as well as the rest of the employees of Hathaway Publishing, in the palm of his hand. There was absolutely no expression on his face. She couldn’t even begin to guess what he was thinking. In the back of her mind, Emily noticed that Cooper’s publicity photo didn’t do him justice. The man was way more appealing in person. Too bad he was such a heartless bastard. Cooper stood up and extended his hand to her. Warily, Emily shook it. He didn’t smile, merely nodded. Reserved and controlled were the first two words she thought of to describe him. She glanced at her best friend, noting the high color suffusing her cheeks. Taylor looked flustered. “Sit down, please, Miss Sinclair.” As soon as she did, he spoke. “As you both know, Hathaway Publishing is now owned by Aegis, my company. I intend to shut down all publishing operations and rebuild the company from the ground up.” He took a seat and leaned back in a deceptively casual pose. “Devlin McKay called me very early this morning and interceded on behalf of Girl Next Door.” Faint curiosity flickered in his gray eyes. “He offered to sell me his considerable shares of stock in Aegis to buy out your contract.”
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Taylor’s eyes widened in surprise as she quickly glanced at Emily. Shocked, Emily stifled a gasp. “I’m a businessman. Although Devlin knew friendship wouldn’t sway me, even one as close as ours, he still made the offer.” Cooper turned to Emily. “Whatever it was that motivated him to do so, it must have been powerful. However, I had already decided to allow Girl Next Door to remain operational, notwithstanding Devlin’s offer and—” he turned to Taylor, “Miss Sanders’ very emotional outburst.” “You have?” Taylor blurted out, a wide smile parting her lips. “That’s what I said,” Cooper answered her coolly. Taylor looked him straight in the eye. “You have a heart after all, Cooper Hathaway.” He stood up. “I’m afraid you’re wrong, Miss Sanders. Emotions didn’t come into this. Bottom line is, your e-zine is profitable. That’s the only reason I decided to keep you operating. Now, if you’ll both excuse me. I have other matters to attend to.” And just like that, they’d been dismissed. Overwhelmed, Emily couldn’t move, unable to believe what she’d just heard. Taylor pulled her to her feet and herded her out the door. As soon as the door closed behind them, she gave Emily a big hug. “He’s not shutting us down. Ohmigod!” She laughed. “You should have seen me, Em. I marched into his office full of righteous indignation, ready to tear him limb from limb. He let me talk before telling me in a cold, unemotional voice to sit down and get hold of myself.” She stopped her mile-a-minute chatter and peered closely at Emily. “Hey. Are you okay?” “Devlin tried to buy out our contract,” she repeated, still dazed by the knowledge. “I accused him of conspiring with Cooper to shut us down.” Her stomach dipped in dismay. “I called him a liar, Taylor. I’ve got to talk to him.” She looked around. Devlin was nowhere. “I thought he’d decided to wait out here. Where is he?” From behind them, a throat cleared. Emily swiveled to look at Laura, Cooper’s secretary. 124
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“Uh, Mr. McKay left a message for you. He said to tell you that, apparently, today is a cold day in hell.” Laura shrugged her delicate shoulders, her expression deadpan. “I don’t exactly know what that means, but he didn’t elaborate and just left.” Taylor turned to her. “Emily?” Emily’s chest tightened painfully. “I’ve got to go find Devlin.” She rushed to the elevator. There was nothing more important right now than to talk to Devlin and apologize. But once she got in her car, Emily realized she didn’t know where to find him. What if he’d gone home to his own house? Since she had no idea where he lived, she decided to go to his parents’ house. Surely they would know where to find him. Pulling into her parents’ driveway, Emily cut across the lush, green lawn to the McKays’ door. She pressed the doorbell, butterflies flitting in her stomach. Anxiety filled her. What if he wasn’t here? Or worse, what if he was and refused to talk to her? Teresa McKay opened the door. “Emily. It’s nice to see you again.” She attempted to smile but failed miserably. “Hi, Mrs. McKay. Is Devlin here?” Her face parted into a smile. “Of course. He’s out back, dear, just go on in. I hope you don’t mind finding your way back there. With tomorrow’s wedding, there are just too many last-minute details I have to attend to.” She waved her on in, wading through dozens of gifts stacked in the living room. Emily sidestepped the boxes, making her way through the large den, heading to the double sliding glass doors. She spotted Devlin, idly shooting baskets in the backyard. His coat was gone, and he’d folded the sleeves of his white dress shirt up to his elbows. Unsure of the reception she’d receive, she stepped out to the patio. “Hi.” Devlin gave her a brief glance. The tight lines of his lips gave her a hint how he felt. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the ball smoothly through the hoop. He grabbed the ball, dribbling and shooting once again. “Can we talk?”
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He sent the ball sailing in the air once more. Desperate to have his complete attention, Emily grabbed it when it came down. “If I make this basket, you’ll give me your undivided attention.” Devlin raised an eyebrow and pointedly glanced at the free throw line, where she stood. “That’s too easy.” At least he was now talking to her. “Fine.” Emily took a few steps back, right behind the three-point line. She took a shot. The ball went in, the net swooshing softly. “High school All-State,” she informed him. He took the ball and went well behind where she’d taken the shot. With a flick of his wrist, the ball went sailing smoothly into the basket. “You’re not the only one,” he said dryly. Gritting her teeth, she swatted the ball away, sending it bouncing to the grass. “I was wrong. I’m sorry.” “So it is a cold day in hell?” he taunted softly. She sighed. “What was I supposed to think, Devlin? You never once told me you even knew Cooper Hathaway.” “I didn’t know Hathaway Publishing owned Girl Next Door, Emily. And even had I known, I don’t know that I would’ve been able to stop Cooper anyway. It’s the nature of business. It’s cutthroat.” “You really didn’t know?” He stiffened. “I don’t lie.” She was hurt at how distant he was toward her. Had she ruined everything between them? “M-maybe we can talk later, when we’ve both had a chance to calm down.” “I am calm.” She bit her lip. “Right. Then maybe we just need some time to cool off.” She turned to leave.
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“You told me you love me.” His words stopped her. Emily pivoted and met his gaze unflinchingly. “Yes.” She loved him so much it had devastated her to believe he could hurt her. “How do you feel now?” “My feelings will never change.” “You haven’t asked me how I feel about you.” Her breath caught as hope began to blossom inside her. “I don’t expect you to say it in return. Only if you feel that way.” “When I found out that Girl Next Door was owned by Hathaway Publishing, the only thing that mattered to me was sparing you the pain of losing your e-zine.” He met her gaze directly. “I left your apartment in the middle of the night, went straight to the hotel where my partner Andrew was staying and woke him up to help me figure out a way out of this mess. We both agreed the only thing I could offer Cooper was to sell him back my Aegis stock to buy out your contract.” Her heart hammered. “Cooper said as much.” “Andrew and Cooper both told me you must be really special to me. And you know what I told them?” Emily didn’t dare move as he finally approached her. “I said damn right she is.” He plunged his hands in her hair. “Cooper said I’m getting soft.” Emily trembled. “This is all your fault, you know. You made me fall in love with you.” “Y-you love me?” He kissed her. Hard, hot and deep. “I love you.” “Oh, Devlin.” She kissed him back for all she was worth, wrapping her arms around his waist. “I would never willingly do anything to hurt you. Tell me you know that.” “I do now.”
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“Good.” He wrapped his arms around her. “Apart from the fact that I was hurt that you would believe I could betray you, I want you to trust me, Emily.” She blinked away her tears. “I trust you.” She drew back and kissed him softly. “I can’t believe you were willing to sell your Aegis stocks for me. That’s worth a lot of money.” He shrugged. “It’s just money. As long as you get to keep your e-zine, it’s all worth it to me.” “But Cooper doesn’t want your stocks.” Devlin glanced at her in surprise. “What?” She grinned happily. “He told Taylor and me that he’d decided to keep the e-zine operational since we were profitable. So it works out for the best. You don’t have to sacrifice your stocks for me.” “I would have done anything for you.” Her heart softened. “I love you.” “I love you. I’m glad you get to keep your e-zine.” He kissed her gently. “What do you say we take care of some more tips for your article?” he whispered against her lips. He grinned. “I can take you to my room upstairs and show you my high school…uh…etchings.” She melted against him. “I’d love to.” Devlin tugged her inside the house. “Exactly how apologetic are you?” he asked, his eyes twinkling with mischief. Emily cupped his tight ass. “I’m very, very sorry. Enough to do anything you want me to.” He threw back his head and laughed. “In that case, let’s hurry. I can think of some very creative ways you can make it up to me.”
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Epilogue Emily stared at Devlin across the yard, one eyebrow raised. Behind her, Brett called the play. “Fifty-two. Thirty-five. Nineteen!” She ran, sidestepping Riley and Jake, rushing to the appointed end zone. The football went sailing in the air but before she could reach out and catch it, Devlin tackled her to the grass. With a laugh, she glared at him in mock anger. “It’s touch football, honey. You’re not supposed to tackle me.” Devlin grinned, unrepentant. “Really? I just couldn’t resist getting you horizontal.” She shook her head and laughed. “You’re incorrigible.” She and Devlin had been dating for the past year and she’d never been happier. “Jeez,” Riley called out in disgust. “Hello? Remember us? We’re playing here.” “Hey, Dev,” Eric called from across the yard. “Quit mauling my sister, will ya? We got a game to finish.” “Yeah,” Brett added. “The Sinclairs are giving the McKays an ass-whoopin’.” Devlin ignored them. “I love you.” Emily smoothed the hair back from his forehead. “I love you, too.” “Marry me.” Stunned, Emily froze. “What did you say?” “Will you marry me, Emily?” She cupped his cheek. “Yes,” she whispered. She gave a loud peal of laughter. “Yes! Yes!” Looking up at their audience, she announced. “Devlin and I are going to get married.” A chorus of snorts and groans rose. “Well, there goes the game,” Alex groused. 129
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“What is it with this family and weddings, anyway?” Jake grumbled. “Must be contagious,” Riley snickered. “As long as it isn’t me.” Maggie Sinclair and Teresa McKay rushed to Devlin and Emily, pulling them up. Maggie hugged her daughter, tears in her eyes. “Oh honey, I’m so happy for you.” Teresa enveloped her in her arms. “Welcome to the family, Emily. You don’t know how happy this makes us. We’ve always known that Devlin was deeply in love with you.” Maggie glanced at Teresa. “We have a wedding to plan.” Teresa grinned. “Let me tell you about this wedding planner I know. She’s excellent.” The two walked away, their heads close together. Devlin pulled Emily into his arms. “I love you so much I don’t even mind having your brothers in my family.” She socked him on the arm before she planted a big kiss on his lips. “More like it’s the other way around.” He laughed. “This is one big, scary family. But I don’t mind. As long as we’re together.” Her heart filled with love for him. “As long as we’re together.”
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About the author Beverly Havlir writes her books surrounded by plush pink and white heart-shaped pillows and soft, sexy music playing in the background. She plots her stories dressed in sheer, silky lingerie while eating bonbons and sipping champagne. Now for a dash of reality… After running around doing totally unglamorous chores all day, Beverly writes at night when all is quiet and she is (at last!) alone. Exhaustion disappears as soon as she sits down in front of her computer, doing what she loves best: writing stories that bring women’s fantasies to life.
Beverly welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.
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Also by Beverly Havlir The Abduction of Emma Bodyguard For One Night Only Irresistible Jed’s Revenge Logan’s Fall Pleasure Planet anthology Taming Alex
Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Whether you prefer e-books or paperbacks, be sure to visit EC on the web at www.ellorascave.com for an erotic reading experience that will leave you breathless.
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