His body tensed up, my fingers pressing against hardened muscles as he grunted, “Fuck!”
He gave in, his dick pulsing with his release, further stimulating the tender point inside that pulled me into the whirlwind that was his climax. I jerked under his heavy weight as I shouted and whimpered from the overload of sensation.
We lay in each other’s arms for long minutes later, his cock softening inside me as our hearts continued to beat frantically.
Devlin was a complicated man. He didn’t see things the way everyone else did. He always saw deceit and betrayal in every action, and the lack of trust in our relationship was something that would keep us at war.
Chapter Twenty-One
Juliana
The next morning, I woke early to find Nicholas in the kitchen starting up the coffee. He glanced up at me, frowned, and then looked away.
“Morning,” I greeted him, but he returned it with a muffled grumble. He searched through a few cupboards before finding a mug and resuming his position staring at the coffee brewing. I moved in next to him, leaning my butt against the countertop, and turning my head to stare at him.
“I told you staying here was a bad idea.”
He turned a sharp eye at me. And without murmuring a word, he effectively told me to shut the fuck up. We’d been best friends growing up. He took my virginity, and we made plans for the future, but Nicholas wasn’t ready to be with one girl his entire life. My heart tugged because of the look on his face. I knew firsthand how it felt to finally lose your first love. He’d been that for me, but when I came back, everything had changed. We’d tried to maintain our relationship, but I was too broken, and he craved a freedom he couldn’t have with me.
The day I walked in on him buried between another girl’s thighs had made something that was already done official. I knew he held on to hope we’d fix things later and continue with our plans, but that ship sailed years ago.
Last night, Nicholas’s ship sailed out into another direction, and I knew the realization our lives weren’t intertwined anymore stung.
The coffee came to a slow drip and Nicholas poured two cups, mixed in a ton of sugar and cream, and reluctantly handed me one.
“Thanks.”
He nodded, still having not said a word to me since I’d entered the room. We both stood there, leaning against the counter, silently sipping on our coffee.
“I get that you’ve moved on. Message received loud and clear, but it can’t be with him, Jules.”
I sighed. This argument was getting old. Nicholas and my father assumed there was a choice here. I had no control over this thing between Devlin and me. It was like knowing a hurricane was headed your way but deciding to stay and protect the home you love. Devlin was like a beacon to a dark storm, but he held my world in his hand. I didn't know how to walk away.
“I’m not leaving, Nicholas, but you should.”
He shook his head. “Your dad would kill me if I left after only one night.”
“Tell him I’m happy. Tell him Devlin makes me happy.”
“Last night didn’t prove that to me. If anything, it sounded like the man was trying to kill you.”
I hid my smile by sipping on the coffee and glanced at Nicholas sheepishly from over the mug.
He stared at me, shaking his head in disapproval. “You never used to be into the barbarian type of thing.”
I giggled at the awkwardness of this conversation as my face heated up. “I hadn’t met the right barbarian yet. And last night was mostly an example of him pissing on me to mark his territory.”
“Humph… like I said, possessive and crazy.”
“It’s the only way he knows how to be,” I admitted, sobering with the thought of how tough Devlin needed to be at all times.
Nicholas turned to me, put his hands on my hips, and angled me toward him. “That shouldn’t be your problem. You can’t save a man like him, Jules.”
I reached out and put my hand at the back of his neck, my thumb running over his jaw. “Thank you for caring, but I know what I’m doing. And if I’m wrong, I won’t regret a minute of it.”
He leaned into my touch, shut his eyes, and then someone clearing their throat interrupted the moment. I jumped away from Nicholas, but his hand remained at my waist.
“Morning, babe.” I jerked out of Nicholas’s grasp. Devlin didn’t spare me a glance. His angered gaze was locked and loaded on Nicholas.
I walked to him, blocking his sightline to Nicholas. I placed a hand on his bicep, and he flinched, seeming to snap out of a daze. An enraged daze, I was sure.
He finally turned to me, but only to look me up and down, taking in the length of my robe, which cut off right under my ass. He reached up and buried his fingers into my hair, pulled me in until his lips were at my ear. “Go put some fucking clothes on,” he whispered with ferocity.