As his cock swelled inside her, ready to burst, Kate felt her deepest muscles gripping him as her entire body began to tremble. Suddenly, he grabbed onto her hips and roared, the sound echoing through her and sparking a wave of intense, soul-shaking pleasure.
She felt his sharp claw against the soft skin of her hip. It hurt when he first slashed hard and fast across her smooth curves, but then she barely felt it. The orgasm that rang through her like a great bell sent pleasure surging, obliterating thought and even her sense of self.
Devlin stayed poised above her for a few seconds. He held on to her hips, panting as his cock throbbed gently inside her. The heat slowly bled from him, and he moved away to lie next to Kate and cuddle her against his chest.
Kate curled up against him, her awareness now focused purely on the beat of his heart and the warmth of his arms.
Finally, I know what it feels like to have a home.
TWENTY-THREE
DEVLIN
Sunlight beamed down on the white tablecloth, filtered through the shifting shapes of thick green leaves above. A cool breeze trickled across Devlin’s forehead, making him look up into the sky.
It was a flawless, never-ending blue. When he and Kate had left the house that morning, they had both worried it might rain, but so far, the skies had been clear. The chill in the breeze concerned him, but it looked like their luck would hold a little longer still.
Devlin looked over the table, wondering if he had brought enough food. He and Kate had decided to throw a little party a few weeks after the wedding, something informal for their close friends and family.
Of course, it had ballooned into a major event, attracting a few hundred people and requiring them to move the venue to the massive botanical park. There was no way they could have fit this many people into their mansion’s backyard.
Devlin folded his arms and glared at the table again. There were platters of meat and cheese, crackers, chips, dip, and caviar. Bottles of champagne stuck in ice buckets were situated all over the park. When they saw extra guests arriving, he and Kate hastily ordered a few more tables.
“Hey, mister,” a small voice said. There was a light tug on his sleeve, and Devlin looked down to see a young boy who couldn’t have been more than seven years old.
“Yeah, kid?” he asked, smiling. “What’s up?”
“Do you know this flower?” the boy said, holding up a yellow blossom. “I’ve never seen it before.”
Devlin laughed softly. “I wouldn’t have a clue, little buddy. Flowers are not my thing. It’s pretty, though.”
“Yeah,” the kid agreed. He shuffled over to the table and looked at the platters, wrinkling his nose. “Don’t you guys have any real food?”
Devlin smiled, shaking his head. He knelt down next to the kid and pointed through the nearby trees. “Over there, we have a table with hot dogs, nuggets, chips, and candy. I think they are playing frisbee too.”
“Thanks, mister!” the kid cried, taking off toward the kid’s area. Once they’d heard how many people were coming, Kate had insisted on having a kid-friendly section with a nanny to supervise.
“It was a daffodil,” said a voice behind him.
Devlin whipped around to see Gerri approaching, a wide smile on her pretty face. “What?” Devlin muttered.
Gerri laughed. “The flower. It was a daffodil. You seriously didn’t know that?”
Devlin shrugged. “I don’t know anything about flowers.”
“Come here, you big lug.” Gerri put her hands on his shoulders and gave him a little air kiss. “How are you? I mean, I think I can see it written all over you, but please, tell me.”
“Great,” Devlin said, beaming. “Really, really good. My cheeks are hurting from smiling.”
“I noticed,” Gerri said, her eyes shining with pleasure. “I saw the way you interacted with that boy too.”
“Yeah?” Devlin asked, a bit confused.
“Well,” Gerri said, shrugging a little. “The Devlin I used to know would have probably done a ‘bah-humbug’ and sent the kid packing before stalking off into the shadows to sulk.”
“Oh, come on. I was never that bad.”
Gerri raised an eyebrow and stared at him. They both lasted a few seconds before bursting into laughter.