We walked back to my place, and he drove us through the night with soft music playing on the stereo. He made everything feel like a dream—one I didn’t want to wake from, and one I hoped didn’t turn into a nightmare.
Chapter Seven
Juliana
I was nervous. I’d initiated it, talked him into taking me to his place, but at this point I wasn’t sure I could handle it. Devlin came across as a man who’d leave his mark.
Sure, I’d managed to be with a few guys before, but after what happened to me as a teenager, they all ended horribly. For years, I battled between my mind and body, but rarely enjoyed sex. I couldn’t fully enjoy the experience without that latent guilt setting in. I scrambled things in my head and wouldn’t allow myself to let go of the past in any way. My guard was always up, and letting someone in, even when I had a sexual urge, was complicated.
Devlin’s home was an oasis. The house was modern, all square angles unevenly layered in a slate gray tone with entire walls of darkened windows. It was snuggled in behind a small forest of trees sitting on acres of solitude. The estate was very fitting for a man who seemed so private, so distant, yet very elegant.
As he pulled open the two large glass doors that led into the home, I felt overwhelmed, yet I followed behind him silently like one of his lackeys. There was definitely some kind of pull toward him that went beyond anything I could explain. It was as if my body craved him and my mind wanted to know everything there was to know about him, but my instincts told me to beware.
He led me through the mostly darkened house. The inside was as modern as the outside, but there was a doom and gloom vibe in the atmosphere. The floors were a cold, gray concrete and most of the walls were painted in dark tones. The pieces of furniture were the only light toned items in the living room. He flicked the soft overhead lights on as we reached the kitchen near the back of the home. The kitchen was the only room with any color. In complete contrast to what I’d seen so far, this room was painted a bright white with olive green cabinetry and glistening white marble countertops.
The galley style kitchen had floor to ceiling cabinetry covering the expanse of one wall. The island in the middle had a few chairs set up, and the opposing wall was pristine windows that looked out onto a patio and the most beautiful garden I’d ever seen. My heart pounded as I stepped closer to the doors that led outside. The strings of lights hung over the garden made it look like something in a fairy tale.
The air even felt and smelled different to me as I stepped out onto the wooden patio. What the interior lacked in personality, the back made up for in spades. I heard Devlin’s footsteps behind me, followed by the flick of a switch, and a collection of floor lights came to life, illuminating what was cloaked in darkness before. I gasped as Devlin stepped in beside me, my eyes glued to the tree at the center of the lawn. The spotlights shining onto it made it eerily fantastical.
It was a beast of a tree with a thick trunk that split in half. The limbs were not branches, but just an extension of its base, so heavy in weight they were being dragged toward the ground. But the tree was resilient. Despite its oddity, it stood tall and proud, and I was drawn to its odd beauty.
“It’s amazing.” I turned to Devlin as he shrugged it off. He looked almost flustered. Maybe he hadn’t been prepared to share this with me. Or maybe he was surprised I loved it as much as I knew he did, despite his nonchalant attitude.
He fiddled with his sleeve, and then started pulling off his cufflinks, laying them on a small glass table.
I reached out and curled my hand around his bicep, causing him to glance at me over his shoulder. “Admit it, Mr. I-don’t-care-about-anything, you have a soft spot for nature. Anyone who creates this has to have a love for it.”
He spun around, glanced at my hand still on his arm, and shook his head. His eyes met mine and he replied, “It was this way when I bought it.”
“I don’t believe you. The tree was here, but you did the rest.” I tapped my hand over his chest playfully, and he raised an eyebrow, the muscles beneath my palm tightening. It was a not so subtle warning, and I pulled my hand away quickly. As he watched me, I trembled. The attraction between us was so palpable it was as though a force pulled us toward each other. He’d allowed me two touches, but with each contact, I could feel his restraint fading.
He reached out and pushed my hair off my neck, crowding me with just his presence. I felt trapped and suffocated by the power of his masculinity.
He moved closer still, leaning in like he was going to kiss me, but I looked away. His lips grazed my cheek, then my ear. A chill ran through me, but was totally unrelated to the cold weather. I was burning so hot inside, the only indication it was cold was the smoke that billowed around us as our overheated breaths met the night air.