Page 25 of A Night of Flesh and Gluttony: Part One

I crack an eye open and sigh at the tender way Lucian takes care of me. At the look of concentration on his face and the light touch of his hands.

His eyes meet mine, bright and open. He smiles a warm, handsome smile, and my heart melts a little more.

“There you are,” he says. “Welcome back, darling. Are you feeling okay?”

I stretch my arms up over my head and arch my back. Little pops of my joints release much of the tension I’ve been harboring. “I feel amazing. Did you—well, you know?” I mime an explosion with one of my hands and glance down to his now covered cock.

He chuckles at my shy way of asking if he finished, but doesn’t make a big deal out of it. “Yes, little lamb. I finished just as you blacked out on me. I might have pushed a little too hard on your orgasm count.”

“Good, and I’m good. I just need to rest now. Stay with me?”

Lucian strips off his boxers without hesitation. He manipulates my body to pull the covers out from under me and slides in beside me. Covering us, he turns me to lay on my side so he can spoon me from behind. He lifts my top leg and rests his cock against my pussy and puts my leg back down.

“He’s cold and needs a warm place to rest. You worked him hard.”

I giggle the most embarrassing, girlish giggle I have ever let out; but, in this moment, I can’t bring myself to care. My mind and body are fully sated. And for the first time in a year, I’m truly happy, and I won’t refuse myself the moment.

Devin

“Paper or plastic?” the older woman behind the counter asks me, monotone and cold, a scowl written across her face.

I try for an air of lightheartedness and give her my best warm smile. They say it only takes a smile to make someone’s day, right? “Paper, please,” I respond cheerfully.

She places my few essentials in the bag and pushes it to the end of the bagging area.

“Thank you for shopping with us. Have a nice evening,” she says, obviously not feeling the store’s standard parting farewell.

“You too,” I reply, picking up my bag, my mood slightly soured by her demeanor.

As I step through the sliding glass door, my phone rings in my bag, and for just a moment, I glance down to fish it out. My right shoulder roughly clips the arm of a teenage boy, making my body spin in place. The brown paper bag hooked in my left elbow flies free of my arm, its contents spilling onto the sidewalk as I try to keep myself from falling.

“Watch where you’re walking, lady,” the young man says with a sneer, continuing into the store without a second glance.

“Seriously?” I mutter under my breath as I collect my items and kneel to place them in the bag.

A hand holds out my bottle of shampoo that must have flown further than the rest. I look up, ready to thank the kind stranger, only to get trapped in the bright hazel gaze of …

“Otis?” I say, disbelieving. “What are you doing here?” I wave my hand through the air as though to erase the question. “Ignore me, stupid question. It’s a grocery store. Why wouldn’t you stop here? Okay, I’ll shut up now.” I bite down on my lips to stop the word vomit of social awkwardness spilling from my mouth.

Otis only smiles his breath-taking grin in my direction. “Some kids have no manners these days,” he says, handing me the bottle and standing. He holds out his hand to help me up, and I stare at it stupidly for a moment too long. “It won’t bite, princess.”

I take his proffered hand and stand. “Sorry,” I whisper as he bends down and picks up my grocery bag.

“Where to, m’lady?”

My eyes feel like saucers when I snap my gaze back to him again. “What?”

“Where are you going? What kind of white knight would I be if I didn’t make sure you got there in one piece?”

I turn and stick my thumb out in the direction of my apartment when my brain finally catches up with his questions. “I’m … Wait … What?”

“Which way to your apartment, Devy?” he asks, amusement glistening in his eyes.

I point in the direction of my apartment, my mind spinning with the events of the last few days. Lunch. Dante’s visits to the library. The studio. Lucian finding me at the café. Him staying the night. Now.

“Did you walk here?”

Absently, my head nods, and Otis wraps his free arm around my waist, spinning me in the direction of my apartment.

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