Page 9 of Aria

My gaze redirected toward Devon, and I shook my head."Julia can take care of herself,” I noted, before pausing to add, “She just prefers when good-looking musicians do it for her."

Devon chuckled and popped open his beer. He held it up, clinking the bottle against my glass. "Well, here's to being dependent on good-looking musicians."

A warm flush seeped into the apples of my cheeks, and I ducked my head.Devon's eyes twinkled back at me as a swarm of butterflies invaded my nether regions.

I chugged my drink to drown them.

"Here. Do a shot with me,” Devon offered, handing me a tiny glass of clear liquid.

"Oh… I’m not much of a drinker." Hesitant fingers curled around the glass."But what the hell.” Tipping my head back, I was unable to hide my grimace when the tequila slid down my throat."Wow, that's terrible."

Devon laughed as he swallowed down his own shot, guiding me over to one of the red loveseats and taking his place beside me. "Sorry, I probably shouldn't have started with Patrón.Tequila can be a little intense."

I heard him speak, but his words didn't quite register. Devon Sawyer was sitting so close, I could feel the heat of his body radiating into my blushing skin.I could feel the rough denim of his jeans pressed up against my bare leg.His presence was jarring to my senses, but in a sinfully delicious sort of way. When he spoke, his sultry voice sent tiny shivers up my spine, prompting the butterflies in my stomach to do the Mambo.

"I'm not very good at this."The words were clumsy and unplanned as they escaped my lips. I didn't dare glance in Devon’s direction, instead concentrating on the colorful carpet fibers beneath my feet.

"Not very good at what?" Devon asked.

Life in general.

"You know… this. Us,” I replied, wagging my finger back and forth between us. “I haven't had a conversation with a man that went beyond “would you like some ketchup with those fries?” in years.So, I just wanted to warn you that I suck at this."

Devon didn't answer right away.His sapphire eyes regarded me carefully, and I was convinced he was deciding on how to send me on my way with as much grace as possible. He surprised me by reaching over my lap and taking one of my hands in his. "Chelsie, you don't have to warn me about anything. And you don't have to explain yourself," he reassured. “I’ll admit that I'm a little surprised. I figured a girl as pretty as yourself had the men lining up."

I couldn’t hide my sheepish smile at the compliment. "That's sweet of you to say, but that's more of Julia's scene. I'm kind of the loner in our social circle."

You’re doing a great job of selling yourself here, Chels.

"So, you’re not the kind of girl someone might find cozied up to an international superstar in a private V.I.P. lounge, huh?" Devon teased.

My smile brightened. “Not exactly.” I glanced over at him, braving his steely blue eyes, feeling naked and vulnerable beneath his gaze.“Why… me?” I asked.

I had to know why Devon Sawyer had fixated on me when he could have had any woman he wanted.

“Whynotyou?” he countered. He didn’t even hesitate. “Maybe there’s just something about you I had to get to know.”

Of course, I considered the fact that he could have been feeding me a bunch of pretty lines to get into my pants, but the sincerity in his voice had me questioning everything I had ever believed about men. His lines were either superbly well-rehearsed, or they were genuine.

And if they were genuine… well, I was in for a world of trouble.

Devon raised his hand to my face and ran a finger along my jawline.I had to remind myself to keep breathing—such an easy thing to do on an ordinary occasion. But with Devon Sawyer melting into me, smelling like leather and tequila, the normally effortless task was becoming increasingly problematic. Feeling compelled to raise my own hand, I allowed my fingers to comb through his caramel locks… a bold move. "Devon…" I whispered. It was supposed to be a question, but all it sounded like was,“take me now.”

Devon responded by leaning in and pressing his lips against mine.It was a sensation I hadn't felt in years. Up until now, I’d had no desire to kiss another man… no, not after Ian. Not after his poisonous kisses that had led to a broken heart and broken bones.

This was different.This was tender and beautiful and positivelyexquisite. The kiss deepened, and I had to push against his chest to catch my breath.

A magnetic smile stretched across Devon’s face—the kind only lead singers and movies stars could effectively pull off.“You okay?”

I nodded. Our mouths entangled again, and I positioned myself on his lap like it was the most natural thing in the world. "I don't… usually…"Oof,it was hard keeping my lips off of him. "… do this kind of thing."

Devon pulled back, his hands gripping my thighs. "You don't have to explain yourself, remember? Just live in the moment."

We moved in to continue the kiss when a persistent finger began tapping me on the shoulder.My neck craned to locate the source of the interruption, and I shouldn't have been surprised to find a smug Noah standing behind us with merriment dancing in his dark green eyes.

"That didn't take long," he bemused. “I had a feeling Water Girl wasn’t the innocent maiden she portrayed.”

I was climbing off Devon's lap in a flash, running the back of my hand across my mouth, as if to hide what we were so obviously doing.

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