Page 65 of What Comes After

“No. But I did read a script once for a part in a movie that would have had me playing the role of Blackbeard. I was on board, all set to do it, but they ended up scrapping the movie.”

“Bummer,” she murmured.

Before I knew it, we’d arrived and parked. I got out, rounded the vehicle, and met Devyn on her side. Then I held my arm out for her to link hers through. Mostly, I was attempting to be a gentleman, but part of me couldn’t deny that I wanted to have her hands on me while she stood close.

She hesitated briefly, a bit of uncertainty washing over her, but eventually, she linked her arm through mine and held on firmly.

After Devyn and I were escorted to our seats, things took a bit of a turn for me. At first, everything was okay.

“Look at these seats,” Devyn marveled. “Are you joking me right now?”

I shook my head, smiling at her. “No. But I wanted the privacy.”

“Privacy?”

“You said it yourself when I first invited you,” I started. “As much as I’d like to believe that we could be here and enjoy ourselves without any interruptions, experience has taught me that people will approach when they see me. I love my fans, and I’m grateful for them, but I want to enjoy my night with you tonight.”

“Well, then this was very smart of you,” she replied.

“Smart, yes. But if I’m being completely honest, I also wanted to make sure that you had the best seat in the house, too,” I explained.

Even in the dimly lit room, I could easily see how her cheeks flushed. “Thanks, Theo.”

And that was the point at which it all changed for me. Seeing the pink color in her cheeks, knowing I’d done that with just my words, I started feeling an overwhelming desire to see if there were other ways I could get that flush to creep over other parts of her body.

A few minutes later, the lights dimmed a bit more, and the first part of our meal was brought out as the show began.

I watched for a while, truly appreciating the set, the acting, and the story. But I’d have been lying if I said I wasn’t the least bit distracted.

Because I struggled throughout the entire first part of the show and dinner not to simply stare at Devyn. It was difficult to remain focused on what was happening on stage when I had the scent of her surrounding me.

It was soft and feminine, like a pink rose, with a dose of sweetness, like honey.

But more than just the scent of her was the look of utter fascination on her face throughout the show. She was enthralled, and I had to believe she was enjoying herself. It was the most relaxed I’d seen her when she wasn’t asleep since before she’d left the hospital.

There was a ten-minute intermission about halfway through the show, and the moment the lights had come up just a bit, Devyn turned toward me and said, “Thank you for bringing me here tonight. This is my first time ever coming to a live show like this. It’s so much better than I thought it would be.”

I wrapped my arm around her back, my hand landing on her opposite shoulder. “I’m glad you’re enjoying this. That’s all I wanted tonight. I thought you deserved to have a night of fun, where your biggest worry was going to be deciding which dress to put on.”

Devyn’s soft laughter spilled out of her, the sound like music to my ears. “Well, you certainly accomplished that. Do you know how long I agonized over what to wear? I must have tried on four dresses before I settled on this one.”

Unable to stop them, my eyes drifted down her body and over the dress. My throat tightened, and I definitely felt my pants growing tighter around my groin. “You really do look beautiful tonight.”

No sooner did I get those words out, her eyes dropped away from mine and settled on my chest. She didn’t respond with words, but I saw something happening in her features. And when I saw her swallow hard, I started to think she was feeling that same tightening in her throat that I did in mine.

But just as I was about to ask her about it, she tore her eyes away from me and lifted her glass to her lips to take a sip of her drink.

While she might have been having similar feelings to me, it was also possible that she was uncomfortable. And because I refused to put her in that position, I removed my arm from behind her back, reached for my own drink, and took a sip.

And when the lights dimmed again, I found focusing on the second half of the show was no easier than the first half had been.

Only this time, it was because I had so many questions running through my mind about what my chances were of getting Devyn and I where I wanted us to be.

FIFTEEN

Devyn

“Thank you for calling, Officer.”

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