Page 39 of Deal with the Devil

“Oh.” I’m about to protest, but I don’t have time before he moves in and claims it. He devours my protest and the little whimper that follows as his big hand cups the side of my face gently, as though I’m a breakable, cherished, priceless piece he can’t live without.

The man is so big he towers over me, even with me sitting on the counter. I love how big he is, how small and safe I feel in his arms. How tender he holds me.

I’m getting ideas. Bad, boundary breaking ideas.

All thoughts of boundaries are obliterated when he nips my bottom lip, making me gasp. He takes advantage, sweeping his tongue into my mouth. Tasting me.

Driving me wild.

When I’m dizzy and dazed, breathless and turned on beyond belief, he pulls back and shoots me a grin. I already know without having seen it before that it’s hooked and shattered a thousand hearts before my own. I’m just the lucky girl standing next in line.

I should run before I lose the chance, before the damage done is irreparable.

I don’t.

I can’t.

I’ll live with the damage when it comes to that, and it will come to that. I have a sixth sense about these things, and it’s screaming that I’m going to fall for this man. Hard. Even though I know it’s fake. Even though I know we have an expiration date.

I’m in trouble.

eighteen

Nevaeh

I’m almost caught up on work. The number change had been a hassle I’d not been able to avoid, what with the amount of contact attempts I was getting every day from both Antonio and Kate, who clearly couldn’t take a hint. I hadn’t even been reading their messages. Simply deleting as soon as they came in.

I’d had to contact everyone via my website, deciding not to make my new number public because that would only encourage the current issue.

I’d been wearing Kane’s ring for two weeks now, living with him for just over a month. It’s fast, but it’s necessary. We’ve even gone out for dinner a few times, and I know that at least one of those times someonerecognized Kane and took a photo. I’ve been scouring the Internet since, trying to find evidence of that photo but I’ve seen nothing yet. Maybe seeing Kane with a new woman means little to the public, considering how many other photos of him with women I’d stumbled on in my search for ours.

Either way, I’m done looking. Every time I see a photo of him with another woman, holding her close, smiling that heart slaying grin at her, I feel a little sick to my stomach.

Some things are simply not worth it. Besides, Kane has informed me there’s a press release scheduled regarding our engagement.

Tonight, we’re heading to my family home for a dinner I just know Mama has invited the whole family to attend. Just the thought makes me nervous. So nervous, I’ve been popping jellybeans for the last two hours. Kane doesn’t know it, but he’s in over his head.

I have a big family, and since I know Mama’s been telling everyone about my new man—whom I’ve recently admitted to accepting his proposal—I know Uncle Miguel will be there. Uncle Miguel will pass judgement on whether Kane is good enough for me or not, which, I’ll admit, is a hard pill to swallow when he’s decided he doesn’t like said man.

I know this, because Uncle Miguel hadn’t liked Antonio even a little, and he’d been vocal about it to both Antonio and me.

I’m dreading the dinner, but it must be done.

When I admitted to Kane that I was worried about certain members of my family not caring for me with him, or how fast our relationship was seemingly progressing, he shrugged it off with a confident, “I’ve got thick skin.”

I’m not sure anyone has skin thick enough to face my family’s disapproval and come out intact. Even Antonio had strived to impress them, succeeding in winning everyone but Uncle Miguel over.

It had bothered Antonio that Uncle Miguel hadn’t liked him, but he hadn’t cared enough to make an effort to turn that dislike into something else. Antonio had always thought less of my uncle because of his biker association.

How hadn’t I realized before I caught him with Kate how much of a tool he was?

How had I allowed myself to wander so aimlessly, so blindly into the trap of his ‘love’?

No, what Antonio felt for me was never love. Love doesn’t cheat. Love isn’t manipulative and destructive.Love isn’t supposed to hurt.

I send my last email of the day to a new indie author—a romantsy book cover I’m incredibly proud of. Not only is it exquisite, I mean, I did create it and I’m epic with photoshop. But it’s a perfect depiction of her book and how she wanted to express her book to the public through the cover. I love having a hand inmaking these dreams reality for people. I might not make a load of green stuff every month like some people—ahem, Kane—but I make enough to keep my head above water, mostly.

I’m about to close up shop when another email pops into my inbox. I still have a bit before Kane will be home from work, so I decide to open it now and at least add whatever request just came in, to my calendar.

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