Chapter 14
They’d showered and Devon used everything she had to get him to make love to her again, but Nick had retreated someplace she couldn’t reach. Putting it out of her mind, she decided he’d lighten up later on.
She thought it might excite him seeing her in that pretty little black dress she’d worn last night. When she turned around to have him zip her up, she expected his fingers to find their way inside the fabric to her front side, but he was chaste and just zipped her up, patting her shoulder when he was all done.
He avoided eye contact, too, as they finished breakfast in the downstairs courtyard. Engaging him in small talk was useless. He answered, but kept it clipped as if he was just walking through the motions with her. It finally began to bother her.
So, on the ride back over to Sophie’s, she decided to ask him. She’d made sure her dress was pulled high above her knees, and she crossed her legs. But he didn’t seem to notice and didn’t even take her hand like he had the evening before.
“What’s up, Nick?” she finally ventured. The long pause was worrisome. She reached over and grabbed his right hand from the steering wheel. “Did I do something wrong?” She placed his palm on her chest and made his fingers squeeze.
It didn’t help. He did smile back, but his eyes focused on their hands and not her face. He pulled his hand away and focused on the road.
“I think we might need to slow things down a bit, Devon,” he finally said.
She was shocked. She hadn’t considered this. Thinking perhaps she’d misunderstood him, she asked for clarification.
“Slow things down, as in you think I’m asking for some kind of commitment from you? Anything wrong with just enjoying the sex? I can handle that, if that’s your worry.”
It was getting worse. He almost turned green as he winced.
Great, just f*cking great.
Then it hit her. He’d gotten what he wanted, and now he was “cooling” it down. The hunt was over. The rabbit was captured, the warriors had celebrated over a big bonfire. No more game, no more challenge. She was like yesterday’s news to him.
“Nothing to be mad at, Devon.”
Easy for you to say. She glared back though watery eyes.
“What? What the f*ck’s wrong with you?” he asked. His head was turning from the traffic back to her face repeatedly, annoyance showing in his tight jaw and lips in thin line.
“You’ve been quiet and sullen all morning,” she started. “Not the Nick I f*cked all night long.” She couldn’t help it. She wasn’t going to pretty up her words, since he’d already used the f-bomb. Her emotions were running the show now.
“That’s right. I’m not the Nick you f*cked all night long.” He swerved, almost sideswiping an oncoming car.
“Something wrong with all that? Terrible timing for an attack of conscience. After you’ve gotten what you wanted.”
“Me? You mean after you did. In case you didn’t notice, Devon, you were the one directing things. All of it.”
“What? And you were an innocent bystander?”
“I supplied the cock. Remember? It wasn’t my brains but my cock you wanted this morning. I just figured that out. Thanks for the not-so-subtle hint. And, for your information, that was after you’d thrown yourself at me and you had me practically trapped. Pinned, as I recall.”
That comment made her laugh. “Wait until I tell Marc about this,” she said with evil intent.
“Don’t you f*ckin’ dare.”
“Oh Marc, she seduced me,” she said in falsetto. “She doesn’t love me for me. She only loves me for how many times I can screw her in one night.”
He shook his head, mumbling something under his breath. “I knew it was a mistake to get involved with you. I should have listened to my brain and not my—“
In the span of three of four minutes they rode in silence while Devon realized that perhaps he was right. She’d been so focused on her first experience, she hadn’t considered him in the least. She’d lusted for the man in the iron body. She’d demanded he perform the consuming acts of passion with her that she’d dreamed about ever since childhood. And yet, she’d had no regard for him or his feelings.
She leaned back in the seat. “Oh, God,” she moaned. With her fingers over her forehead she allowed the tears to trail down her cheeks. How could she have blown something so beautiful?
And now he was totally turned off to her.
“Say something Devon.”
“I think you’re right. Maybe we went at this all wrong. It was a mistake.”
But her insides were shredding. If she’d known it would hurt so bad the morning after, she’d never have gotten into his bed in the first place.
She closed her eyes, telling herself that was the truth, but all she could see and feel were the colors of his flesh and the ripples in his arms and back, the taste of his kisses and how absolutely wonderful he made her feel.
Maybe it had been worth it, after all.
When they entered the house, Sophie glanced up at her looking years younger. She’d been cutting up fruit, sitting at the table, while Emma was folding clothes. Sophie glanced over Devon’s black dress and her eyes danced as she threw a look at her brother. In spite of her disappointment and pain, Devon found herself blushing and looking at her toes peeking from the sling-back spiked heels he’d so lovingly removed from her feet last night.
Last night! Her stomach ached again. She still felt the tightness and swelling, reminding her how often and how intense their lovemaking had been. She squeezed her hands into fists and didn’t want to hear his explanation to his sister.
“I’m going to go change. Be right back to help out,” she said as she slipped into the guest room. With the door closed behind her, she heard the discussion in the front room.
“It was a date, Sophie, what can I tell you? He said in low tones. We’re a couple of healthy red-blooded American horn dogs. Things happened.”
Sophie said something she couldn’t make out.
“She’s more than fine, Soph. I like her a lot. But I think we got a little carried away.”
“Who got carried away?” Devon heard Marc’s voice as she slipped off her dress and grabbed her jeans behind the closed bedroom door.
Don’t think about it, Devon. Get him, get the whole experience out of your mind until you can look at it later. In the meantime, pretend like it never happened.
She put on a red tank top and pulled her hair up in a clip, replacing her dangle earrings with studs. She added some powder and lipstick and a spritzer of perfume and donned her running shoes. They had a lot to do today and there wasn’t any time for regrets, or crying over things she could not control.
She joined the little group. Nick gave her a respectful nod but Marc threw her a wide grin, showing his perfect white teeth.
Frowning, Nick consulted his clipboard and went over the To Do list. Most everything that needed doing was outdoors and Devon was glad she’d brought her sunscreen.
“Sophie, can I borrow a hat?” she asked.
Nick was quick to present her with the SEAL Tem 3 cap she wore yesterday.
“No thanks,” she said without looking up at him. “You have something with a wide brim, Sophie?”
“I got lots of them. Hanging on the back side of my closet door,” Sophie said as she pointed to her bedroom with a wet knife.
Devon found a large floppy hat with ridiculous flowers all over the top of it. She would not normally wear such a display of nonsense, but today, she decided to put on her big girl panties and do all sorts of things that were out of character. Perhaps wearing the stupid hat would take her mind off what was going on inside her.
When she walked outside, Nick threw a pair of gloves at her that hit her squarely on the chest. “I got you pink ones,” he said and walked away.
Marc called her over to the greenhouse. “You’re on the water detail, missy. And, for what it’s worth, I think he needs to be hosed down.” He pointed to Nick, who was carting off cinder blocks with a wheelbarrow. She couldn’t help but notice the bulging muscles of his shoulders and arms and the trail of sweat already dampening his T-shirt down the middle of his back.
Sophie yelled from the house. “Hours for the sale should be like ten to three? What do you guys think?”
Nick turned to Marc and they shrugged in unison.
“I’m thinking all day,” Nick hollered back, “like ten to five. And you’re placing the ad for Sunday too?”
“Nope. I say we sell it all on Saturday. Sunday maybe we can use the guys to haul off what didn’t sell, and get everything cleaned up and cleared out,” Sophie shouted out the door. “Devon, that work for you?”
Devon nodded and picked up the hose to begin her chores.
She welcomed the almost mesmerizing sound of the water as it sprayed out and gave glistening sustenance to the plants underneath. She’d never wanted a yard and had an upscale townhouse in a trendy part of Santa Rosa, close to dozens of boutique shops and gourmet restaurants. But she felt the pulse of living things as she tended Sophie’s garden. In only a few days all of this would be gone. A few weeks and Sophie would be gone as well. Thinking about life’s fragility and the temporary nature of things gave her a hitch in her throat.
Nothing lasts forever.
Virgins don’t stay virgins forever. Big hunky guys love you and leave you. Friends die.
Devon got a call from her manager an hour later.
“You working today?” he asked.
“Sort of. Helping Sophie get ready for the cleanup and big plant sale this weekend.”
“That’s the nursery property on Bennett Valley?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve gotten a couple of voicemails from a Mr. Silva—“
“He has a lot of nerve. Tried to show the property yesterday, brought his client and everything without calling ahead of time.”
“He says you aren’t returning his calls. He wants to present an offer with me and make sure I get it to the seller, bypassing you. So, Devon, I gotta ask, what’s going on? You two have some history?”
“Sophie has some history with him. It’s a long story, but Sophie doesn’t want him on the property.”
“She can’t exactly do that, if it’s listed. He’s talking discrimination, due to his Hispanic surname. His client is minority as well.”
“He’s bad news, Joe.”
“But we can’t violate the law just because someone’s a creep.”
“I put a notice in MLS about showings starting Monday. If that doesn’t work, I’ll just withdraw it until Monday.”
“I think I’d rather have you do that. Put a note it will be re-listed on Monday. But keep that Agency Disclosure on you at all times. Sounds like he might force the issue.”
“Force the issue, on a dying woman, Joe. There has to be a law protecting Sophie from harassment.”
“Then you call the police, understood? Next time he shows up there, you inform him that’s what you’re going to do. I’m going to call him back right now and tell him the same thing.”
She hung up and removed her gloves. Dashing into the office, she got her laptop out and logged in, pulling up the MLS information on the property. She checked her briefcase for a change order form and found one wrinkled and folded at the bottom. Taking the paper and pen, she bolted to the door to look for Sophie, and ran straight into Nick’s chest.
His familiar smell, the rivulets of sweat coming down the side of his neck, and the damp patches under his arms added to the sheer masculinity of his size compared to hers. He’d grabbed her waist, which was good since she probably would have lost her balance.
The paper was jammed between them and the pen went flying. She got her balance, and scurried after it.
“Excuse me,” she said as she walked around him. “Need to find Sophie.”
“She’s over by the water tank, but Dev—“
She didn’t want to wait or look at him, and walked a determined straight line towards the tank. Not seeing her friend, she walked round the side and caught Sophie in an embrace with Marc.
Before they could see her, she backed up and again came in contact with Nick’s granite torso.
“I tried to tell you,” he whispered.
Devon’s cell phone rang again and she swore.
“Joe, I’m getting a change order signed right now. I’ll change the status in two minutes. Be patient with me,” she said to her manger again.
“Not why I called, Devon. Forgot to remind you tonight is the company awards dinner. I’m just making sure you’re coming. You’re getting an award, you know.”
At first the thought of the awards dinner turned her stomach, but suddenly the distraction of being anyplace but here at Sophie’s, in Nick’s company, felt welcome.
“I’ll be there.”
“You bringing anyone.”
“Nope,” she said as she looked at the Nick’s sweat-stained back retreating from her, “I’ll be coming alone tonight.”