Page 25 of Waiting for Devon
Slowly, he wiped away her tears with his thumbs. Following their salty path as they dripped past her trembling mouth, Reed bent his head and placed a tender, compassionate kiss on her lips. Gentleness soon flared into passion. He had no idea what madness possessed him as his kiss deepened, and his tongue found its way into the utter sweetness of her mouth.
Devon answered his eager exploration with tiny thrusts of her own tongue. Her hands were trapped between them, and his muscles leaped beneath her touch. Her mouth aroused a deep, hungry desire within him, making it difficult to breathe. When she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his, his heart slammed into his chest.
The slight pressure of her firm breasts caused Reed to grow hard and bold with his passion. A hand slipped beneath her loose blouse and caressed a sensitive nipple hidden within her lacy bra. Lost in the sweetest sensations he’d ever known, Reed moaned low in his throat and would have continued to make love to her if not for a timely interruption. Pale Promise neighed, and they broke apart.
The rise and fall of Devon’s chest drew Reed’s attention. Her mouth bore evidence of their heated kisses, and if he continued to gaze into the liquid depths of her eyes, he wouldn’t be able to control himself.
Guilt and confusion gave way to rejection. “If you’re looking for sympathy, go find your fiancé. Please. I can’t be your shoulder to cry on. Even if I wanted to be.”
“I’m sorry for being an imposition.”
Devon swept past him, head high. The faint scent of her flowery soap teased Reed’s senses. He jammed his fists into the pockets of his Levi’s and swore beneath his breath. Every time she looked at him with her big brown eyes, he felt himself drowning like a swimmer who couldn’t fight the swift current any longer and gave up.
“Fuck,” he muttered and reached for a saddle. “Fuck.”
Devon spent theremainder of the day in her room and declined to join the others for dinner. She sat in the dark and couldn’t keep tears from rolling down her cheeks. When she believed she couldn’t cry anymore, a fresh flood fell anew. If only she had been at the hospital with Chrissy, the child might have lived. If only…if only she had been more careful during her pregnancy, her own child might have lived. In her grief-stricken mind, the two deaths merged into one. How could she prevent the death of any child when she couldn’t prevent the death of her own?
When she didn’t come downstairs for breakfast the following morning, Shane delivered a tray to her room and offered what little solace she would accept.
“Reed told me you lost a patient, a little girl who passed away from a brain tumor.” He set the tray on the bed and perched next to it. “I guess it wouldn’t do any good to apologize. That’s all I keep doing lately. To you. To Alana…”
“Shane, are you any closer to achieving your goal? Because it seems to me we’re just spinning our wheels.”
He shook his head. “I honestly don’t know what Dad expects of me. I’ve done everything he’s asked of me and more.” Shane rose to his feet. “If you’re not up to attending our annual 4thof July barbecue, I’ll understand. I’m not in the mood to schmooze anyway.”
Devon cracked a small smile. “I’ll be there, Shane. To help you schmooze.”
He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Thanks. You’re one in a million women, Devon.”
At the Barringtons’annual Fourth of July barbecue, Jasper served as the undisputed chef. He treated his guests to T-bone steaks, chicken, ribs, and hamburgers and hot dogs. Everyone enjoyed plenty of food, drinks, and fun. Families frolicked on the lawn, playing croquet, volleyball, and football while others participated in tennis matches or swam in the huge kidney-shaped pool. Some chose to ride the Barringtons’ fine stock of horses, and Reed supervised pony rides for the younger children.
Devon waited until long after the majority of the guests arrived before making her way downstairs. Makeup did little to hide her red, puffy eyes. She wore a pair of yellow shorts and a matching crop top over a one-piece bathing suit. After she circulated among the guests with Shane, Devon intended to plead a headache caused by the relentless Texas summer sun, then retreat to her room and to her grief.
As soon as she stepped onto the patio made of the finest river rock, Shane led her toward a group of executives milling with their wives. “Have you met Dr. Devon Brooks, my fiancé? Devon, I’d like to you meet…”
She pasted a false smile on her face and tried to concentrate on the conversation as it buzzed in her ears. At one point Jasper saluted her with his spatula, so Devon figured she and Shane were making him happy with their closeness.
After two hours of dutiful socializing, Devon wandered away by herself and would have liked a swim to cool off, but the pool was too crowded for her preference. Since she wasn’t hungry, either, Devon decided to head indoors after she made her excuse to Shane. Sensitive to her grief, he kissed her on the cheek and told her to rest. As she rounded a corner by a cabana, she overheard a loud exchange between Reed and Lara.
Taking a peek, Devon saw him grip the girl’s arms as he declared, “What do I have to do to make you understand I don’t want a relationship with you? I’m sorry, Lara. It’s not my intention to be cruel, but you’re not my type.”
Too humiliated to reply, Lara squirmed away from him and ran inside the house.
Devon followed and found Lara sobbing in the empty game room. She laid a comforting arm across the distraught girl’s shoulders. “I heard what Reed said to you, Lara. The truth is, you’re better off without him.”
Lara lifted her head and gazed at Devon through disillusioned green eyes. “I thought…I thought if he knew someone loved him, he would…he would…” She sniffed.
“Change? Love you in return?” Devon suggested with a soft, understanding smile.
“I suppose you think I’m incredibly naïve. Well, go ahead and gloat. I deserve it after what I’ve done to you.”
“You’ve already made amends for that, and what you deserve, Lara, is a man who will love you as much as you love him. Reed Barrington is not that man. He is determined not to love anyone, and you can’t change him. Leave him to his pathetic loneliness and go on with your own life. You’ve wasted too many years on him as it is. I’ll bet if you look, you’ll find what you want when you least expect it.”
“No one is beating a path to my door,” Lara informed her in a forlorn tone.
“No? Well, do you know Tyson McCormick? He’s in the executive training program at Barrington Industries, and I noticed earlier he seemed unable to take his eyes off you. Would you like an introduction?”
Lara nodded and held out her hand. “I’m sorry, Devon, for misjudging you. I was acting like a spoiled brat who needed to be scolded.”
