Anytime Darlin' (21 page)

* * * *

Jake knew he had to do something. He’d spent the greater part of the evening watching nearly every man in the place eye Devlin. She was striking, graceful, and that laugh of hers could bring an angel to his knees. He couldn’t ignore the open looks of admiration she got. What did he expect? The length of her legs, made even longer by black stiletto heels, was merely the first thing a man noticed when she walked into a room. The backless dress didn’t help matters. It revealed more than enough of her satiny skin and her slender neck, baring her almost to the scar at the base of her spine. And those peaked nipples. They never seemed to tire, standing perfectly erect against the thin material below the scooped neckline.

He got a hard-on just looking at her from across the room. He could only imagine what the rest of the men were feeling and didn’t like it one bit. Devlin seemed completely oblivious to the fact that every one of Mike’s friends wanted to get in her pants, or under her dress. The later it got, the hotter Jake grew. He was like a furnace, practically smoking beneath his shirt and tie. It wasn’t that he thought Devlin had any interest. He felt more like he needed to mark her somehow. Let every man in the room know she was taken, off the market, unavailable, his. As if just by staring at her, he could burn the
MCK
brand onto the front of her dress.

When she turned and left the room, walking toward the kitchen, Jake set his drink down on the nearest table and followed her. It was time he made his intentions perfectly clear. Searching the kitchen, he didn’t spot the green dress among the white aprons. There was a door leading to the courtyard in the back of the building. There were no lights in the back. He hoped Devlin hadn’t ventured out alone, but there was no other exit from the kitchen. He opened the door. After a quick scan of the courtyard, he was about to return to the party, thinking she’d doubled back. As Jake turned to go, his peripheral vision caught a flicker in the shadows. The tiniest movement, but it was enough to tell him that she was there, in the farthest, darkest corner. Had he not been looking for her, he would have missed her altogether.

Jake approached, walking softly. He didn’t want to startle Devlin, but neither did he want her forewarned. She leaned out over the rock wall, fanning herself a little, her drink set off to the side, forgotten. She didn’t realize he was there until he spoke. By then it was too late. His cock strained against his zipper, and his breathing was ragged. He would be inside her, right here, right now, while she wore this dress. He would make her his tonight, and she would say the words.

* * * *

“You know what I want, don’t you?” Jake said, the sound a low rumble against her back.

He pressed against her to make sure she didn’t miss the point of his question.

“What?” she whispered, holding very still, knowing exactly what Jake wanted but waiting to hear him say it anyway.

“You. Right here. Right now. In this dress.”

The breath escaped Devlin’s lungs in a whoosh as he pressed his erection against her once more, this time a little harder. She knew she should protest that this was not the time or the place. But just now, it seemed exactly the right time and the right place.

Devlin felt his hands on her shoulders, weaving their way beneath the straps of her dress. He slid the silk down slowly, his hands trailing along her upper arms. This dress slipped below her breasts and her nipples, exposed to the cool night air, grew painfully erect. His hands brushed them, once, twice, sliding down to cup the underside of her breasts, running the pads of his fingers along the soft, sensitive skin.

Devlin purred, “Mmmmmm,” as she closed her eyes and gave herself over to his touch.

Her dress lifted from behind. Jake’s fingers grazed her bottom beneath her bikini panties. In agonizingly slow motion, he drew her panties down to her ankles. She stepped her high-heeled feet out of them, and Jake tossed them aside.

“I like the high heels,” he murmured in her ear. “Spread your legs.”

Devlin’s breathing grew ragged. Her nipples ached for his touch, but he denied her. His entire being seemed to be focused on her bottom and the folds between her legs. She knew how wet she was—embarrassingly so. She’d turned into a wanton and didn’t care. She wanted him to take her now, hard, without any preliminaries, without any words of endearment. She wanted him to take her here, with everyone a mere fifty yards away, telling them she belonged to him. That she’d been his since she first laid eyes on him.

Devlin heard his zipper move, and she felt his big cock rub against her, along her, brushing her clit hard and then entering her, just far enough to make her beg for more. She knew he must be holding himself, because he pulled out and circled her clit again and again and then entered her. But he held himself back. He only gave her a few inches.

“Do you want me, baby?”

Devlin sobbed in response.

“Tell me, baby. I want to hear you say it. Do you want me?”

“Yes,” she breathed. “Oh God, yes.”

“How bad do you want me?”

He rubbed her clit again with the tip of his cock and pressed against her opening. God, he was big. She didn’t know how she would handle him from behind.

“How bad?” he demanded, his breathing rapid and uneven.

“V-Very b-bad,” Devlin managed to stutter. Her breasts were on fire, and she was ready to come.

“Then say it,” he hissed through his teeth. “Say it, darlin’. And I’m yours, all yours. Forever.”

“Oh God, Jake!” Devlin cried again, “I need you. I need you inside me.”

“That’s not what I want to hear,” he crooned, his lips soft against her neck. He rubbed his cock through her swollen folds, torturing her. “I want to hear you say it. Tell me.” Jake hesitated for a moment. “Tell me that you love me.”

Devlin suddenly felt suspended above space and time as she realized what he was asking, what he was admitting to her with his question. She gasped as he reached around her body and pinched her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, calling her back to the present.

Devlin’s eyes welled with tears as she said, enunciating each word, “Jake McKenna, I love you. I’ve loved you from the moment I met you. Now fuck me.”

“With pleasure,” he laughed, and he thrust his entire length inside her in one stroke.

Devlin was rocked forward, crying out at the incredible feeling of fullness, the feeling of Jake moving inside her, hard and insistent. He covered her belly with his palms to cushion her from the solid wall as he thrust in and out. Withdrawing all the way, impaling her slowly over and over again, until tears of pleasure ran down her cheeks. She heard herself call his name and the words “I love you” as she lingered on an orgasm that wouldn’t quit while he continued to sate himself in her.

“I love you, Devlin Barre. You’re mine. You’ve always been mine,” he said just before he bit down hard on her neck like a wild stallion claiming a mare in season. He came, thrusting deep within her, spurting hot against her very center.

A thrill ran through Devlin’s entire body at his words, and she joined him, feeling her own tremors grab him, hold him inside her and milk his seed from him. She thought she must have gone mad, to give herself to Jake with such abandon. But then, as he leaned against her, nuzzling her neck where he’d bitten down, kissing her ear, murmuring sweetly as he had to her years ago, she didn’t care. She’d rather be mad than lose a single moment in Jake’s arms.

Still hard, Jake held himself within her as he asked, his mouth close to her ear, “Do you know what you said?”

“Did you mean it?” he asked.

Jake withdrew from her and zipped up his pants. He turned her toward him, pulling the straps of her dress up, brushing his palms over her peaked nipples as he did so. He held her face in his hands and kissed her, his lips soft and full, his mouth sweet. He smoothed the curls from her face and looked into her eyes.

“I love you, Devlin, and I want you to marry me.” He put a finger on her lips. “I know we need to talk about it. I know we both have plans. But we have time. We have all the time in the world. Will you think about it?”

Devlin could hear the hope in his voice, mingled with the fear that she might reject him, the fear that she might walk out of his life as she’d done four years ago, but he didn’t need to worry. This one day had made her his, body and soul. This one day had been all she’d dreamed about. She’d given her heart to him long ago. She never expected to get his in return. Not like this, not with such overwhelming passion and trust and conviction.

“Yes, you’ll think about it?”

“Yes, I’ll marry you.”

The world was a beautiful place when Jake McKenna smiled.

* * * *

Devlin found herself thrown over Jake’s shoulder as he spun her around the dark courtyard, howling into the night.

“Jake!” she shrieked, laughing and crying at once. “Stop! You’ll fall and drop me on my head!”

He spun her again. “I won’t fall, darlin’. I have excellent peripheral vision,” he teased, laughing so hard her stomach shook up and down.

“Well then stop because my bare ass is up in the air, and somebody’s going to come out here and see it!”

“So it is!” he noted, interested now. A big hand roamed up and squeezed her. Then he nipped her naked hip.

“Ouch!” Devlin yelped, slapping his butt with both palms. “Put me down, Jake, and use your excellent peripheral vision to locate my panties.”

Jake slid her down his body and thrust a solid thigh between hers. “How will I find them?” he asked, rubbing against her. “They’re black.”

“I don’t know,” Dev answered, feigning annoyance as she backed away to tug down her dress and run a hand through her hair in an attempt to repair the curls. “Get down on your knees and look.”

“Anything you say,” replied Jake, and he abruptly dropped to his knees at her feet. Devlin began laughing. He felt for her hand with both of his and pressed something into her palm. Jake closed her fingers around it. Devlin’s breath caught in her throat. There was no mistaking the object he’d just given her.

Devlin’s legs wobbled, and she slumped toward the flagstones. Jake caught her and held her close.

“Uh-uh,” he said, “no scraping up those pretty knees.”

“Jake,” she whispered, “Do you…Do you…You’re sure about this?”

“Baby, I have never been more sure of anything in my life. Well, that and I’m very sure I like the feeling of your naked little ass in my hands.”

“Oh, you are so bad, Jake McKenna!” Devlin cried, slapping his hard chest, unsuccessfully attempting to tuck her dress beneath her with one hand. He pushed her hand away.

“Leave it. I like the way you feel.” Devlin looked down at her palm, running her fingers over the warm metal and cool stone. It was too dark in the courtyard to see the ring.

“Can we go inside? I want to see what it looks like.”

“And put it on?” Jake asked.

“Yes, and put it on.”

Jake helped her to her feet, wrapping his sport coat around her. “Does it cover enough?”

“Yes, thanks. I may be tall, but not this tall. It’s longer than my dress.”

Jake chuckled. “That’s what I was counting on.”

Jake ushered Devlin inside, and they stood together in the kitchen. The couple was oblivious to the bustling caterers. Devlin opened her hand and gazed down at the ring. She sucked in her breath. Her heart turned over in her chest. This wasn’t just any ring. It was obviously an heirloom. Formed of platinum, the band was narrow, delicate. It resembled lacework done in pale white metal. The diamond in the center was multifaceted and absolutely breathtaking. Even beneath the fluorescent lighting in the kitchen, it reflected rainbows. It sat on a crown of platinum filigree, surrounded by at least ten smaller diamonds. Devlin turned it over and over in her palm, speechless.

“Aren’t you going to try it on?” asked Jake, slipping his hand beneath hers.

“Jake,” Devlin began, close to tears, “it’s just so, so beautiful. Can you…Can you put it on?”

“Here,” he said, reaching for the ring. “Give me your left hand.”

Devlin held out her hand. She could see how it trembled. Jake held her hand firm to steady her. He slipped the ring on her finger, and to her great joy, it fit perfectly. She held it out to get a better look. Jake slipped behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He pulled her back against him and rested his head on her shoulder, looking at the ring on Devlin’s slender finger.

“It was my grandmother’s,” Jake said. “My mother set aside two rings. My brother’s wife wears my dad’s mother’s ring. This ring belonged to my mom’s mother. She saved it for my wife.”

His wife
. Devlin didn’t even try to disguise the tears rolling down her cheeks. She turned to face Jake. She tried to speak, but ended up with her face buried in his chest.

“It’s okay, baby. Marrying me is a good thing.”

“I know,” Devlin replied, her voice quivering. “It’s just unexpected.”

“It’s hard to explain,” Devlin began. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the past five years, it’s that you can’t always get what you want. I’ve wanted you for so long.” She paused for a second. “I-I hoped, but I never expected to have you. Never.”

“Well,” Jake said, “you’ve got me now, darlin’. I’m yours.”

“But what about…”

“No buts tonight. There’s plenty of time to talk about the buts. Okay?”

Devlin could only nod her agreement. She felt exhausted, and she didn’t want to talk at all. She wanted to return to the hotel, fall asleep in Jake’s arms, and wake up with him in the morning. Then it would be real to her. If Jake was still there in the morning, Devlin would know he was real.

* * * *

When Devlin fell silent, Jake knew she’d had enough for one day. He’d pushed her hard to get what he wanted. Now she needed to sleep on it. She needed time to come to terms with the fact of him, the reality of him, and the strength of his love for her. He could feel exhaustion rolling off her in waves, and he decided to get her back to the hotel as quickly as possible and put her to bed. Let her sleep in his arms. He steered her out of the kitchen, shielding her as they threaded their way through the last of the partygoers. He waved to Mike and Beth and told Mary not to worry.