Decadence (An Emerald Valley Spring Fling) (2 page)

“Thanks for covering for me tonight.” Despite having a perfectly good home, Devlin and I were still living at my apartment at the B and B. The downside of the Emerald being a two-woman show was that either Leah or I had to be there at night. Since Leah had married Jon, that person had been me, which hadn’t been a problem until recently. The two of us had been searching for an innkeeper so Devlin and I could actually move into our new home, but so far we hadn’t had any luck finding someone qualified for the job. And now with a baby on the way, I didn’t know how I’d be able to budget for a new hire, even though we’d need an innkeeper more urgently than before. “I’ll make sure my apartment here is toddler-proof. It should be, but between Devlin working all hours at the restaurant and me working here and having every weekend booked with spring-wedding photography clients, I haven’t been paying much attention. I do know I’ve got half-packed boxes everywhere, and I apologize in advance for the mess.”

“Don’t worry about it. Barring any walk-ins, we don’t have guests on the first floor tonight, just the two couples on the second. I figured we’d take the family-sized guest room on one and leave your apartment alone. Miri’s monster-under-the-bed nightmares have pretty much stopped, but I’d rather not be on the same floor as guests just in case.

“Now stop trying to change the subject, and tell me what you’re up to. Aside from playing hooky to sex it up in your new house, of course.”

“Who says I’m up to anything?”

She snorted. “Naya, we’ve been best friends for nearly three decades. Three
decades
. I know when you’re hiding something. Spill. Now.”

That was actually true. She and I had been best friends for practically forever. The only thing that had changed since my marriage to Devlin was that now we were sisters legally rather than figuratively; Lei was married to Devlin’s twin.

“It’s something I have to talk about with Devlin first, okay? I promise I’ll tell you after I tell him.”

The childish act dropped in a flash. She reached across the desk to grab my hand. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.”

“Promise me.”

“I promise.”

Leah relaxed, letting go of my hand, and for a moment I felt bad for worrying her. I might accuse her of being a nag, but she was a loving nag who wouldn’t hesitate to throw herself in front of a bus for me if the situation called for it.

“Does it have to do with your photography business?” she asked.

“Nope.” Though my stomach churned when I thought about all the adjustments I’d have to make there as well.

Lei leaned forward, crossed her arms, and studied me with a critical eye; I could practically see her putting the pieces together.

“Oh my God. You’re pregnant!” she squealed.

I sighed and shook my head. I’d never had any luck keeping a secret once Leah latched on to it.

“This is so exciting! When are you due?”

“November, I think.”

“Right at the start of our busiest season. Figures.” She made a face. “Not that I’m one to talk, but whatever. We’ll make it work. I’ve got Miri’s old crib and a bunch of other stuff I packed away in case you ever needed…” Her voice trailed off as she seemed to notice that I wasn’t jumping up and down. “Why aren’t you excited? I know this is something you’ve wanted.”

It was. Desperately. Except… “I am happy. Only, it wasn’t in our plan for this to happen just yet.”

“Plans change.”

“No kidding.” I rested my head in my hands for a minute. How to explain? This was one of the best things to ever happen to me, but it was also daunting.

“Look,” I said, straightening up and gesturing at the paperwork on my desk. “We’ve expanded our side businesses as well as the Emerald to the point where we
have
to hire outside help if I’m having a baby. Someone has to be here at night, and the soundproofing on this place isn’t so good that Devlin and I can pace around at night with a crying baby without disturbing guests.”

She regarded me for a minute, then nodded. “You’re worried about the cost.”

“That’s part of it. Kids aren’t cheap, Lei. I won’t lie; it’s a big reason why Devlin and I intended to put off having one. The Emerald and Decadence are doing well, and I’ve got plenty of photography clients, so even with the new house, we’re doing okay. But that was with the expectation that you and I would hire an innkeeper for the Emerald, and I would be able to move into my house and take a year to regroup financially before I got pregnant.”

Leah stood and walked around the table to kneel beside my chair. “Naya, it’s going to be okay. You and Devlin are
not
alone. Not ever. You and I have always had each other’s backs, and it’s the same for Jon and Devlin.

“We’ll figure out something for the Emerald. Miri will be almost three by the time you’re due. If I have to spend the nights here for a while, then Jon and I will manage that.”

“That’s impractical. We’re potentially talking months, depending on how our books look.”

“It’s not ideal, but it’s doable. When I was pregnant with Miri and stuck on bed rest, did you sit on your ass or pick it up double-time during our busiest season to make this place a success?”

“It’s not the same.”

“Bullshit,” she snapped. “We’re partners. More importantly, we’re family, so don’t
ever
think I’d do any less for you than you would for me. After you and Devlin figure out what you want to do, we’ll get together, contact our accountant, look at the books for our businesses, and come up with a plan.”

My eyes grew damp, but I blinked back the tears. “You’re pretty great, you know that?”

“I’ve been telling you so for years.” Her expression softened, and she smiled. “Love you.”

“Love you back.”

“Are you feeling better?”

“Yes and no. I don’t think I can truly be happy until I know how Devlin feels about this. The financial end has me concerned, but there’s also the fact that our schedules are insane. More than that…having a child changes things. For the better, I believe, but…”

“But you have to know what he thinks,” Leah finished for me. “Fair enough. If you want my opinion, you and Devlin will make great parents. This is a blessing.”

“Thanks, Lei.”

She stood and dropped a kiss on the top of my head. “No problem. Now pull up your big-girl panties and get back to work.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Leah dropped back into her chair and grinned at me. “And enjoy this stage of being pregnant. You haven’t popped, but your tits are gonna look awesome in that nightie you bought for tonight.”

That succeeded in making me laugh. “Shut. Up.” I shoved a notepad at her. “If you can get your mind out of the gutter, we’ve been slacking on keeping track of our cleaning supply inventory. Can you check the closet and do orders?”

“Not my favorite thing, but sure. Have you looked at the summer special ads I drafted?”

“Next on my list.”

“We each have our marching orders, then.”

I brought the ads up on my computer, and we spent the next few hours working in companionable silence, all talk of nerves and children on hold.

* * * *

I’d spent longer at the Emerald than planned, and by the time I got home, I was cursing myself for getting sweet-talked into reading a bedtime story to Miri and then eating a late dinner with Jon and Lei when I was already running late. Fortunately I still had some time before Devlin got home. I’d need every minute of it.

Like every other room in the house, save for the kitchen, our bedroom was fairly empty. Not quite the romantic setting I’d been hoping for, but I’d make it work. Our bed was still at the Emerald, but we had pillows, blankets, and a gorgeous new rug and nightstands that had been part of Devlin’s Valentine’s Day surprise. The rug had been rolled back up and the nightstands pushed back in anticipation of our moving furniture in, but I had pulled them back out while Devereaux was doing his magic in the kitchen. I laid out the rug in front of the fireplace I’d drooled over during our first walk-through and maneuvered the nightstands into place around it. I set out the candles and silverware in rapid succession, scrounged around to find the matches I’d almost forgotten to buy, then checked my watch and mentally cheered. Still enough time to shower and get all dolled up.

By the time I’d cleaned up and tamed my hair into some sexy waves I knew wouldn’t last longer than the time it took for Devlin and me to hit the floor, my stomach was a tangle of excited nerves. I’d run down to the kitchen and put the cake in the oven, but I still wasn’t ready when I heard Devlin downstairs.

“Gah!” I’d just finished putting on my makeup, but I was wearing sweats and a ratty T-shirt rather than the sexy red lingerie I’d bought for tonight.

“Hey, Naya?” he called up the stairs. “What are you cooking?”

“A mini chocolate cake. Dev wants to add it to Decadence’s menu,” I called out as I raced out of the bedroom and down the stairs. “It’s not quite done baking yet.”

I nearly collided with Devlin, who was coming out of the kitchen. He instinctively caught me by my shoulders to keep me from tumbling, then gave me a wicked smile. My heart skipped a beat, and everything in me simply stopped for a moment as I stared at my husband’s face. I’d known Devlin all my life, had loved him even before I’d truly understood what love was. And yet there were still moments when just the sight of his face, with its strong, square features and bright whiskey-brown eyes, made me catch my breath.

When he brought his mouth down to mine for a kiss, I forgot all my plans and slid into the sensation of our tongues twining.

“You smell good,” he murmured when we came up for air.

“Mmm,” I murmured, sinking into him as he slid his hands under the elastic of my waistband to cup my ass. “You…” I pulled back and wrinkled my nose. “Don’t.”

Devlin laughed and stepped away from me. “There was a collision in the kitchen, and I got hit with a whole lotta seafood. I can shower once the cake is done.”

“You do know there’s a fifty-percent chance I can actually finish baking it without the cake burning, exploding, or mutating into a sentient life-form.”

“As high as fifty?”

I rose up on my toes and nipped his lip. “Keep teasing, and I won’t give you the surprise I had planned for tonight.”

His eyes darkened, and he reached for me, but I danced out of the way. “Get a fire going in our bedroom fireplace; then take a shower.”

“And after that?”

“After that…” I kissed him deeply. “You’ll see.”

* * * *

I wasn’t a born seductress, but I thought I managed to set up a pretty good scene. The cake was fresh out of the oven, and the scent of warm chocolate filled the bedroom. I heard Devlin turning off the shower, and I hit the light switch, admiring the warm glow cast by the candles on the nightstands and the fire in the hearth. After a final adjustment to keep my breasts from spilling out of the almost-sheer nightie before I wanted them to, I picked up the last part of my ensemble: a pair of soft leather cuffs—a favorite toy of mine we hadn’t gotten to use much lately. The chain on this pair was long enough that I could secure my hands behind my back myself. Setting complete, I knelt on the rug and made myself comfortable.

Every favor I had to ask, every minute I had to scramble around like a madwoman today, was worth it. When Devlin stepped out of the master bath and into the bedroom and caught sight of me, he nearly tripped over his own feet.

How I managed to play it cool, I’d never know. I raised an eyebrow. “Like it?”

“Love it,” he said in a low rumble that had my nipples standing at attention.

He dropped the towel he’d had wrapped around his waist, and damn if I didn’t almost come from that alone. Every inch of his six-foot frame was cut and deliciously hard. I licked my lips as he came toward me, and my mouth opened of its own volition, desperate for a taste of him. He stopped before me and reached down to cup the back of my head. Ever so gently, he drew me to him, and I obeyed the unspoken command, taking him deep into my mouth until the head of his cock bumped the back of my throat. I drew back as slowly as I could, sucking hard. Devlin’s hand tightened convulsively in my hair as I reached the tip. The salty taste of his precum coated my tongue, and I savored it, lapping at the head until he cursed and pulled free.

I whimpered, hating the loss, but my disappointment didn’t last for long. Devlin knelt in front of me and lifted me onto his lap. The head of his cock brushed my lower lips, then found home at my core. With my hands bound, I had to give up control and let him set the pace. Devlin didn’t make it easy; he sank into me, inch by torturous inch, filling me so slowly I wanted to cry…or scream…or come…or all of the above.

“Naya.” Devlin murmured my name, and I opened my eyes, not realizing until that moment they’d been closed. He was fully seated inside me, keeping me impaled on his lap with one hand bracing my back, the other gripping my waist tightly. “Ride me, love.”

I rebalanced, putting my weight on my knees. Not an easy feat when even the slightest movement triggered spasms of sensation in my core. I rose up on my knees, then sank back down on Devlin’s cock, letting his hands guide me in a familiar rhythm. I kept going when he released my waist and moved his hands to the straps of my lingerie. His rough, calloused fingertips dipped under the straps and lowered them. My breasts spilled free of their confinement, and I groaned, coming to a stop when Devlin leaned down and took one hard nipple in his mouth. He bit gently, and I jerked, but he grabbed the chain linking the cuffs, wrapping it tightly around his hand to still my movements. With his free hand he alternated pinches at my bud with nips at the one in his mouth. The slight bites of pain had me gasping, and futilely I tried to rise on his cock. I wanted, needed, hard thrusts, but he kept me steady, pinching a bit harder in warning, and all I could do was grind against him.

Just when I thought he would reduce me to tears of frustration, Devlin released my breasts and undid the cuffs. I reached for him, but he’d already unbalanced us, and we tumbled to the rug. Flat on my back, I stared up at him, wordlessly begging. A small cry escaped me, and that seemed to trigger something in my husband. He thrust inside me, hard, and I screamed, my orgasm shooting through me like lightning. The nightie I’d so carefully picked out shredded quickly, the thin fabric no match for the flurry of our hands racing over each other.