Conference Cupid Page 4

  He nodded. “It’s one of my favorites.”

  “Then tell me what’s good. There are too many things I like. I could come here once a week until I’ve tried everything on the menu. “

  “I’d like nothing more so we’ll have to find a way to keep seeing each other until we work our way through the menu.” His voice hitched at the end of the sentence as if he turned the statement into a question.

  Keary laughed, not knowing any other way to respond. If only there was a way to make that happen. “Steak then. How about the filet mignon?”

  “Perfect choice.” Devin looked up as the waiter approached with a bottle of champagne. Devin nodded at him to pour two glasses.

  After they ordered, Devin took her hand and caressed it. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world. He grinned as if he was deliriously happy. He looked the way she felt.

  Am I imagining this? It’s the most perfect night I can ever remember. Is it real or is it fantasy? Stop questioning and simply enjoy it. Life is too short to second guess the good times.

  He picked up his glass and raised it to her. “To a wonderful evening.”

  Keary lifted her glass and brought it to his. She couldn’t have imagined anything better. Not even in her romances. Was it just the thought of love?

  Or was she really falling?

  * * * *

  Normally Devin wouldn’t have ordered a filet. He preferred the porterhouse. Tonight, however, he ordered the same as Keary so that he could even taste the same things she tasted.

  He wanted to know her. He needed more than just an understanding of what she liked in bed. He needed to know her.

  The real her, the person rather than the childhood fantasy.

  Peter’s father always said you could tell the most about a person from the type of house he’d choose and his favorite room in it. Devin figured it’d be a good enough place to start. “Now this is going to sound a little strange, but if you could have any kind of house, what would it be like and what would your favorite room in it be?”

  “I’ve heard stranger. Let me think about that.” She took her last bite of steak and looked far off in thought as she chewed. “Any kind at all?”

  Devin nodded. “Make it your absolute ideal.” He tried to imagine what she’d choose and if it’d be the kind of place he’d like living.

  “I guess I’d pick an English Tudor. I’ve always loved them. It wouldn’t have to be a massive one. “

  He’d grown up in one. A huge one. He hoped the one she dreamed of would have more warmth. “And what would your favorite room be?”

  She took a sip of water. “I was just getting to that. Come on, this should be an easy guess. The library.”

  “Library?”

  Keary giggled. “Okay, so really it would be a study but I’d consider it the library. I love being surrounded by books. Big surprise, huh? That should have been an easy one. That’s a room would any writer would be happy in. I see bookshelves on three of the four walls, great lighting, a computer station and a couple of recliners.”

  “A couple? So you’d allow someone else in this library while you wrote?” Devin wondered what it would be like to watch her work, to see the changes in her facial expressions as her visions unfolded.

  “Of course. As long as he was very quiet and very cute.”

  They both laughed.

  It became critical that he learn where she did her writing. He needed to be able to imagine her in that room. His heart hitched. He needed to be able to imagine her there after she left the conference, when she went home to her real life. “So where do you write now if you don’t have a library?”

  She made a face. “I don’t have a study of any kind. There’s a small area in the corner of my kitchen. At least I’m always close to the coffee pot.”

  “Speaking of coffee…”

  “I’d love some.”

  So they drank coffee and Devin went on to ask about all of her favorite things, from her favorite dessert to her favorite sport. They were the last two people to leave the restaurant. When they returned to the hotel it wasn’t only getting in bed with Keary that was on his mind, it was having her wake up in his arms.

  Chapter Eight

  The shower door opened and Keary feasted her eyes on a naked Devin. His eyes locked on hers and she knew this shower would take longer than anticipated. Her heart battled with her head. “I have to make it to the workshop, Dev.”

  He grinned at her and stepped into the shower, shutting the stall door and keeping out the cold air. “You will, I promise.” He picked up the soap and started cleansing her body while the water from the rain bars hit every inch of her. He washed himself and stepped back a few inches so Keary could watch the process. He soaped his cock and raised his eyebrows. “Are you going to send me off to work this way?” he asked glancing down to his engorged penis.

  “It’ll have to be a quickie.”

  “I’ll do my best.” Devin pulled her close to him and kissed her. The warm mist from the shower enveloped her body as his hands explored her flesh.

  He dropped down to his knees and buried his face between her legs. Instinctively she spread them to give him better access. She placed her hands back so that her palms splayed against the wall behind her. The water splashed her breasts as his tongue circled her clit. He licked and lapped at her until her legs became a little wobbly. It wouldn’t take long.

  Devin rose and a groan escaped her.

  “Wrap your legs around me.” He lifted her up and slid her down the length of his cock. Impaled, she tightened her legs around him as he backed them into the wall of the shower stall.

  “Shit. You’re not wearing a condom.”

  “We’re both clean. We discussed it last night. You were checked out after the divorce and I was after my last relationship.”

  “That’s still no reason to take a risk and I’m not on birth control. Until I met you I had no reason. Although there’s not a big chance at this stage in my cycle.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll pull out in time. I’m deep inside you now anyway. Trust me.”

  In her right mind, Keary would have crawled off of him. She wasn’t one to take risks. But she trusted him, believed in him, wanted him more than she could wrap her mind around.

  “Now hold on tight.” He let go of one hand and turned the knob a little hotter. Placing that hand back under her ass to hold her he pulled back and bucked his hips in a frenzied pace. Steam built in the shower as tiny pieces of fire pierced her skin.

  The heat intensified all around her until she burned inside and out. Keary’s back slammed against the stall but she felt no pain, just an inferno of passion. Her mind had become mush, cooked like her body. Incinerated, she collapsed limply against him. Three more thrusts and his grunt of release echoed amidst the hiss of the water.

  They clung to each other. The desperate coupling rocked her body and mind. His grip on her, the attempt to keep her close, mirrored her emotions. Their fusion became so much more than just sexual abandon.

  He couldn’t have driven any deeper into her, as if the further he plunged the deeper their emotional connection would be. More than just a union of bodies, theirs was a union of souls.

  She needed to stop reading more into it. She’d be a fool to fall for a man that she’d only have for a few more days.

  Just enjoy it. Damn it. Enjoy it now.

  There will be plenty of time to miss him later.

  * * * *

  Devin clung to Keary so tightly he feared he’d leave marks. The thought of letting her go caused his stomach to knot. It started out so simple.

  Seduce her, fuck her, forget her.

  It made sense at the time. Why had he thought that taking her sexually would release the hold she maintained on him since adolescence?

  She’d been a fantasy he learned to do without. A dream that he overcame because it could never be more than that.

  Now everything had changed. Devin knew he’d never be able to let he
r go. But that meant he’d need to reveal his true identity and that he lied to her.

  He needed to find a way to make her love him, because he loved her. He’d sensed it since the ninth grade. He knew now he’d die in a cloud of loneliness. Nothing would be the same without her.

  Lifting her chin up, he brought his lips to meet hers and grazed her mouth with his. Gentle kisses. Sweet to balance the hunger they fed on a few moments before. Neither of them spoke but he willed his eyes to impart the depth of his emotions. Surely she’d be able to see his love.

  She buried her head in his neck and kissed it. “Now I have to get the workshop before I miss another session.”

  “Let’s get out of here tonight for dinner. There’s a great restaurant downtown...”

  “No.” She licked the water off his shoulder. “I want to stay here. We can have room service.”

  “Insatiable little wench, you planning on having your way with me?”

  “And then some.” Keary opened the shower stall door and turned back at him to wink.

  She didn’t notice he never pulled out in time. He wondered if she would later. Feel his come dripping out of her body. He hadn’t even tried to pull out. He’d pumped his seed deep and hadn’t let her off until there was nothing left to spill.

  Despicable. What kind of man deliberately tried to impregnate a woman to keep her?

  A desperate one.

  * * * *

  “Antacid and a t-shirt?” Keary eyed the gifts suspiciously. Why in the world would he be giving her these?

  “I thought we’d do something a bit different tonight.”

  They’d been spending every spare second together. “Devin, I really should have dinner with the members of my chapter tonight. They’re going to wonder where I’ve been hiding.” She didn’t know why she said it. She wanted to be with Devin. Their time together was dissipating like morning fog.

  “Have dinner with them tomorrow night. I promise I won’t bother you until you head back to the room for the night, but tonight I have something special planned.” He handed her the gifts. “We went out for a nice dinner last night.”

  Keary held up the t-shirt. “I’m gathering tonight is a little more casual.”

  He nodded. “Did you bring jeans?”

  “Of course, but I planned on driving home in them.”

  A shadow crossed his face. “Let’s not think about that. Just change. Please?”

  One look at his expression and she didn’t have the heart to say no. “You’re not going to tell me where we’re going, are you?”

  “Not a chance. If you don’t like it, we can come back to the hotel.”

  She changed quickly. They’d been decked out the other night and had spent plenty of time naked. Being dressed casually gave the evening a normalcy they’d hadn’t had and needed.

  * * * *

  The lights from the Ferris wheel against the blackened night created a romance all its own. “Now I get what the antacid is for,” Keary said as she smothered her corn dog with mustard.

  “We’ve only just begun. There’s caramel apples, cotton candy, ice cream…”

  “I love caramel apples but let’s space out the junk. I don’t want to get sick and not be able to go on the rides.”

  Devin wiped mustard off her chin with his finger and licked it. “What would you like to do first?”

  She looked around and caught sight of one of her favorites. “Bumper cars. Come on.” Keary grabbed Devin’s hand and pulled him in the direction of the ride. The line moved quickly and they only had to wait through one turn.

  Stranding him in a pink car, Keary ran for a blue one. She pushed her foot to the floor. Her car jerked forward, moving straight toward Devin. They crashed repeatedly and her stomach hurt from laughing.

  Giddy with happiness, Keary dragged Devin off to the Ferris wheel. As they neared the top she reached out with her hand. The stars were within her grasp.

  * * * *

  Keary grabbed at air, but Devin could see the stars she aimed for. He placed his arm around her and pulled her close. She rested her head on his shoulder and giggled as the car swung in the gentle breeze.

  The sound of her laughter warmed his soul. There’d never been a sound so delightful.

  He pushed the thought of her leaving away. He would find some way to continue the relationship. He had to.

  As they passed a balloon and dart booth, Devin stopped. He’d win her a stuffed animal to remember the evening. The wind threw his darts off target. Three games later, he still had nothing to show for his efforts.

  “Can I try?”

  Devin placed more money on the counter and the attendant handed three darts to Keary. She grinned at him and tossed the first dart. It sailed easily to the target. In three attempts—nine shots—Devin had only hit two balloons. The pop shocked him. “Great shot!”

  She picked up the second dart and eyed her target. Once again it hit its mark. Her eyes twinkled and Devin knew she was a wringer. When the third balloon popped, Keary jumped up and down as if she couldn’t believe her luck. The attendant frowned.

  As her prize she chose a small heart-shaped pillow. Keary handed it to him. “For you. For tonight.”

  She ran ahead and Devin stood there clutching what she’d given him—her heart.

  * * * *

  Susan brushed out her hair and reapplied her lipstick. “Sorry, honey, but that’s what I heard.”

  “You’re wrong Suz. If Devin owned this hotel he wouldn’t be masquerading as a model and masseur.”

  “Maybe he saw something he wanted and thought it would be an easy way to get it. Maybe he does this with women all the time.” She capped her lipstick and averted her eyes.

  “No. It’s not true. It can’t be. I know him. I feel things...”

  “Keary, he’s the first man you’ve been with since your divorce. Of course you’re going to feel there’s something special there. It’s hard to admit there’s nothing more than sex. You’re trying to find an excuse for sleeping with a man you hardly know, but you don’t have to justify it. Now that the ice is broken, you can go back home, start dating and meet the right guy.”

  But Devin was the right guy.

  More right than her husband had ever been. Comfort existed between them; in bed and out of it. Her body hummed instantly at the thought of his naked body. She couldn’t imagine not wanting to impale her flesh on his thick cock. They’d shared too much.

  He wouldn’t lie to her. Suz must have misunderstood.

  “You’re wrong about this.”

  “Maggie’s not fabricating. She introduced me to the other model in the picture with you. His cousin, Peter, right?”

  Keary stiffened in her seat. “His cousin’s name is Peter.”

  “Well Peter told Maggie his superior digs were the penthouse suite. And when she asked why and how he procured the penthouse suite he said his cousin lives there because he owns the hotel. Owns it. Not some guy that just works here.”

  Keary shook her head, willing it to be untrue.

  “Think about it. None of us have a suite like yours.”

  “But that’s because they made a mistake and upgraded me to the kind of room I paid for. They were out of them so they had to upgrade me more.”

  “Are you hearing yourself? Those things don’t happen. He stashed you someplace he’d be comfortable because he can. Because he owns the damn place. Here, use my cell and call the hotel. Ask if a Mr. Barnett works here. See what happens.”

  The phone weighed more than it usually did, the buttons seemed hard to push. “Yes, could you tell me does a Mr. Barnett have anything to do with this hotel?”

  “Yes, ma’am, he’s the owner and general manager. He’s not in his office now but would you like to leave a message?”

  “No. Just wanted to make sure I had the right hotel. Thanks.” Keary hung up the phone and passed it back to Suz. Tears welled in her eyes.

  “What are you going to do now?” Susan asked as she placed
her hand on Keary’s shoulder.

  Keary wiped her eyes with the tissue Susan handed her from the small table in her room.

  “Kill the son of a bitch.”

  Chapter Nine

  Pleasure and anxiety filled Devin’s heart and head. He’d have to tell her the truth. If there was any way to keep the relationship going, in spite of the distance, he’d have to tell her the truth.

  But how?

  What could he possibly tell her that wouldn’t send her running in the opposite direction?

  Worry about that later. Get her in your arms now.

  Devin knocked on the door to her suite and grinned when she answered in the hotel robe. How he’d love to see her permanently in his suite wearing that very robe.

  Keary turned and walked away from him. “Come on in and get comfortable. I just need to finish something before I lose the thought.” She hurried back to her laptop, sat down and started typing without looking at him.

  She glanced up and smiled. “I really need to finish this scene. Why don’t you undress and lie on the bed to give me incentive.”

  Devin strolled over to her.

  “Un-ah, no one views what I write until I edit it. Strip. I need to see hot naked man.”

  “Anything you desire.” Devin stood next to the bed and disrobed, taking his time to attempt to arouse her. He wanted to seduce her away from the computer and into his arms.

  “Anything I desire, huh?” Keary stood and eyed his body in a way that gave him a chill. “Anything?”

  “What did you have in mind?”

  “Research.” The word sounded flat, clinical almost. Keary dropped the robe from her shoulders as she stepped up to the bureau. She pulled out two long silk scarves and sauntered, naked, over to the bed.

  Devin’s confused penis once again rose to a fully erect state. “What do I get to do with those?”