Page 10 of Devotion

He’s breathless and panting behind me, squeezing my hips so tight I’m sure they’ll be bruised in the morning.

“Right there,” I answer, straining my voice to sound pained and sexy, doing my best porn star impression. Meanwhile, I’m squeezing my eyes tight, thinking the filthiest, most depraved thoughts I can conjure, hoping to beat Martinez to the finish line.

But he’s fast.

Always faster than me.

“Motherfucker!” he belts out, and I frown at the awkward choice of words. I mean, in this instance, amIthe motherfucker? Or maybe it’s just a general declaration?

Hell if I know.

His pelvis slams against my ass with one final thud as his body goes still behind me. And there it is, another race he’s won.

Awesome.

He smooths his hand down my spine, then smacks my ass in this overly macho way he hasn’t earned, seeing as how he hasn’t made me come in months.

Does he know that? Maybe.

Does he seem to care? Absolutely not.

He leans forward, kissing my back as he pulls out of me. “Shit, babe. You were great. As always,” he adds with a quiet laugh.

The bed shifts as he climbs down, and I fall onto my side just in time to see him removing the condom as he struts toward the bathroom like a fucking peacock. Staring at the ceiling, I push a hand through my hair, thinking I should’ve just passed on tonight and cleaned my place like I originally planned to. God knowsthiswasn’t worth it.

The toilet flushes when he gets rid of the condom, then he's back. I fix my expression as he slips into his underwear, and then his pants. He makes his way back over to the bed, and I pretend I’m not annoyed and frustrated when he kisses me.

“You make me wait too long,” he says. “We’ve gotta put forth a better effort to hook up more often. Believe it or not, I miss you. Youandyour weird little hourglass tattoo.”

He laughs then, leaning down to kiss the ink on my bicep. Ink that is definitelynota “weird little hourglass”, but I don’t correct him. He’d forget the explanation by the time he gets down to his car anyway.

“I should take off,” he says.

He stands, and I rise off the mattress, too, not expecting to get groped while I search for my bra, but here we are.

“God! You’re so damn sexy, you know that?” He gives my ass a squeeze as he pulls me into him, and then cranes his neck lower to draw my nipple into his mouth.

Awesome, foreplayaftersex. Pretty sure that’s not how it’s supposed to go, but whatever.

“I swear, I could stay here and fuck you all night.”

I force a smile and don’t pull away when he kisses me, slipping his tongue inside my mouth.

“Not so long a wait next time,” he reiterates, and I nod.

“Okay.”

He kisses my forehead this time, finishes dressing himself, then I’m locking the door behind him a moment later.

A sigh leaves me as I walk over to my bed, stripping the sheets and pillowcases. Naked and wanting, I open the small door in the corner where the stacked washer and dryer are hidden, then toss everything in, using two detergent pods instead of one. Martinez wears this spicy-ass cologne that stays soaked into my things for days if I don’t. It’s so strong, it once literally kept me up for an entire night after he left.

The machine whirs, and I gather what I’ll need to shower, but the sound of tires screeching just outside my open window steals my attention. Martinez is long gone, so I’m curious as I move toward the window.

With a quick glance through my blinds, I find my father climbing out of his car with an angry scowl on his face, the phone pressed to his ear as he clutches his briefcase in the opposite hand. His mouth’s moving, but I can’t hear his words over the machine, so I double back, lifting the lid to stop the cycle.

My father’s an incredibly hard man to anger, so something feels off. Staying hidden as I peek through the blinds again, I do the one thing I’m certain Ishouldn’tbe doing.

I listen.

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