“Wow,” I said, when the sky had gone dark again.
“Nature’s firework display,” Devlin said, in a quiet voice.
“Thank you for doing all this for me,” I said.
Devlin smiled. “I’d like to take credit for the meteor shower, but unfortunately that was all Mother Nature.”
“I mean for bringing me here and for wanting to spend tonight with me.”
“Who else would I spend it with?” Devlin asked. “You’re the closest thing to family I have.”
I took his hand, not wanting him to feel alone. It must be terrible to have your parents close by and yet so far from your reach that you were practically strangers. At that moment I was extremely grateful for my own family. They may be dysfunctional, but at least we loved and supported one another when it counted.
“You never have to pretend with me,” I told Devlin.
He got quiet all of a sudden. “Sometimes… pretending is necessary,” he said.
“Only if you don’t trust the person you’re with,” I said. “Do you trust me?”
“Of course—”
“Then you can always be honest with me.”
Devlin looked down at me with intense eyes, and I wondered if he was still thinking about this meeting with his parents.
“Zoey—”
Before he could finish his sentence, however, I had pulled his face to mine for a long, passionate kiss. It was nothing more than instinct. I just wanted to taste his lips; I wanted to breathe him in and lose myself in his body. This was the closest I’d ever come to wanting to have sex with a man, but I was still scared. I could feel his erection against my thigh, and I knew he wanted me, but I just… I wasn’t sure if I was ready for this step yet.
“Sorry,” I gasped, as I pulled away from him.
“You never have to apologize for kissing me,” Devlin said, stroking my face as his hand circled my body.
He leaned in to kiss me again, but I tensed.
“Is everything ok?” Devlin asked.
“I don’t know if… I can go all the way,” I admitted. “Not tonight.”
Devlin nodded. “If you’re not ready, I don’t want to push you,” he said. “But you should know that I care about you more than you realize, Zoey, and I want you to feel safe around me, because you are safe with me. I’m never going to hurt you, and I’m never going to let you down.”
I smiled. “You promise?”
“I promise,” he said immediately.
“I just… I’m nervous.”
“About what exactly?” Devlin asked.
“Sex is a big deal to me,” I said. “I’ve waited so long because I didn’t want to make a mistake and sleep with the wrong guy. I wanted it to mean something.”
“Are you concerned about how I feel about you?” Devlin asked. “Because I think I’ve made it plain where I stand. You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. You’re my muse… remember?”
I smiled. “I remember.”
Devlin ran his hand up my shirt, and I felt his hot fingers on my bare skin and ironically, I felt a little shiver pass through my body. “I want you,” he said, whispering in my ear. “And if you’re not ready now, I will wait as long as it takes, but I just want you to know that… I wanted you from the first minute I laid eyes on you.”
I could feel a throbbing between my legs, and a second later I felt a moisture spread. I pulled Devlin’s face to mine and kissed him passionately. He was lying on top of me, with his erection pressing into my thigh and his lips on my neck as I stared up at the dancing leaves above us. I gasped as a cold drop of water hit my face, and I realized that it was starting to rain.