I dropped onto her, trying not to crush her. I screwed my eyes shut and quivered as a sudden head rush took me by surprise.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” I repeated against her skin.
She’d fucking ruined me years ago, and being with her again was proof positive that she stillhad the power to completely destroy me. She didn’t know it, but I’d just handed her everything, and it was too late to save myself.
Juliana
The repetitious dinging pulled me out of my sex-induced coma. I groaned, irritated by the interruption.
I was startled as I rolled into Devlin. It was odd waking up next to a man. His skin pressed against mine, his breath brushing my shoulder, and his soft,tussled hair tickling my neck. I slowly eased out from under him. We’d slept holding each other like it was commonplace.
After Devlin had turned my world upside down with his expert touches, strokes, and countless orgasms, it felt like I’d died in his arms. And worse, I didn't want anyone to bring me back to life. I wanted to stay here with him and succumb to the feelings building in me. I never felt as safe as when he held me, whispering the kind of sweet nothings I’d never expected from a man like him.
The soft, vibrating sound signaled a message left on my phone. I slid off the bed, scooped my phone up off the floor, and then closed myself in Devlin’s bathroom. There were three missed calls and one voicemail from Claire. Before I could hit the return call button, the phone rang again.
“Claire.”
“Oh, thank God,” she whispered then let out a relieved breath.
“What’s going on?”
“I messed up, Jules.” Her sharp sniff disclosed she was crying. “I slept with Trace.”
“What! How did—I mean... I don’t know what I mean, but I’m guessing this is a bad thing for you?”
“It’s horrible, Jules. We can barely stand each other, and now I’ve really fucking complicated things. How am I supposed to act the next time he brings home some random girl?”
“Maybe he won’t be doing that anymore.” I knew Trace would give all that up in a heartbeat to be with Claire.
She half snorted, half sobbed into the line. “Sure, Trace Wylder will become a reformed man because his bitchy roommate finally put out.”
“Don’t do that, Claire. Trace loves you, and he’d never risk his friendship with either one of us just to get off.”
Her silence was welcoming. It told me she was at least considering the possibility that what happened with Trace meant something to him.
A knock resounded through the line from her end, and a voice saying, “Claire?”
“Wait, where are you?”
“In the bathroom,” she whispered, as if Trace hadn’t already figured out she’d barricaded herself in there.
“Claire... Come on. Can we talk?” Trace continued.
“Go talk to him.”
“No! What am I supposed to say? I can’t face him.” All her hysterics were expressed in a hushed tone. Trace resumed banging on the door.
“Claire, please talk to the man. Give him a chance.”
She mumbled something as Trace’s banging became louder, then the line went dead, but the banging continued. I glanced up and realized Devlin was awake and knocking on the door.
I all of a sudden wished I’d grabbed a shirt before entering the bathroom. Now I’d have to face him in the nude. I knew it was silly, because he’d just seen me as bare as I could get. He’d stripped me of my clothes and defenses like no other man had been able to do, but still...
I pulled the door open to find a scowling Devlin on the other side. “Who were you talking to?”
“Ah...” I glanced at the phone then answered, “My roommate.” I was confused by his anger.
He tilted his head and glared at me suspiciously. “Don’t lie to me.”
“I’m not lying. Here, I’ll show you.” I approached him with the screen of the phone facing him. I don’t know how he moved so quickly, but in less than a few seconds, he’d yanked the phone from my hand and had me cornered against the wall.
“He set this up. He sent you back to fuck with me again.”
“What?” I squinted as I looked into his unfocused eyes, and gently pushed against his bare chest. “Devlin, you’re scaring me. No one sent me here.”
“He knew I’d fall for you.” He turned and stalked out of the bathroom. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t shaken up after the weird incident. Nothing he’d said made sense.
Was he sleepwalking? But he seemed wide awake.
After a few minutes, I returned to the bedroom and found it empty. I quickly got dressed and cursed myself for not driving myself to his place. I had to figure out a way to get home. Another run-in with Devlin was not an option. It didn’t help that he lived in the middle of nowhere, and I didn’t have the address to call a cab.