Dom Fever (Devlin Black #2) (9 page)

I slowed at the red light
, waiting for it to change green so I could detour and try to lose anyone who might be trying to follow. “I thought they’d all disappear, hearing I made my choice. I’m sure after a few days everything will calm.”

She laughed. “We’ll see.
You’re more sure than I am.”

Well, she was taking this part better than I
had thought.

“I’m on my way home. You need anything? Does Ava?”

“Hmm.” She paused. “Nope. I think we’re good. I already have dinner going and it should be done pretty soon.”

A smile did come then. “
Dinner. For our family. I like that.” I gunned the engine, weaving from one road to the next. So far it looked like I had lucked out without anyone trying to track me down.

“Devlin,” she laughed harder. “I make dinner every night.”

“But tonight’s our first night as a real family. As a couple.”

My eyes went to my briefcase on the passenger seat. If I could just get her to sign the contract I had drawn up…

“A couple. That sounds so strange to me. Devlin, my boyfriend.”

“For now,” I corrected. “Husband is the goal. One that has a deadline.”

A groan came through the speakers. “Devlin, what if we’re not ready by the time the baby is born?”

I turned onto our road. “You mean, you’re not ready. Don’t include me in that statement. I’m ready right now.” I slowed as my mind started racing. “Yes,” I whispered.

  “No,” Victoria said, drawing it out. “Marriage is out of the question. For now. For a while,” she rushed in.

Damn. We’d see about that. Contract first. Then,
marriage. “I’m pulling into the drive. See you soon.” I hung up, turning off the car. The briefcase was my main focus. I grabbed it and my laptop case and headed inside. Ava’s eyes lit up the moment she saw me. Her arms rose and she took off running as best as she could toward me. Which was a lot better since the first time I’d met her.

“My girl,” I said, placing my things down next to the sofa and
scooping her into my arms. The kiss on my cheek had me pulling back to look at her, surprised. My heart swelled at her token of affection.

“Hey,”
Victoria called out to her, “those kisses are only for me.”

Ava squealed and buried her face in my neck
, causing me to laugh. I was learning so much from her. From both of them. The most important was something I never even had to work on, and that was love. The emotions they brought out in me had come from a place I didn’t know existed. To love so fully, without expecting anything in return…Ava. I couldn’t even express the connection we had. She’d quickly become my life. Right there along with Victoria. But what I felt varied between them. It was a different kind of love, but one that left me willing to do anything to protect it.

“How was work?”

I headed into the dining room so she wouldn’t have to the leave the stove to be able to see me.
How was work?
Such a simple question, but one I’d longed to hear someone ask for longer than I could remember.

“Stressful.”

The need to be closer had me moving more in her direction. I didn’t stop until I was leaning down, kissing her cheek. Another thing most took for granted, she gifted to me. Gift. Yes, that’s what this was. Only problem was, until she signed my contract, she could return me at any time.

“How was your day? Did you rest?” I hadn’t asked, but ordered her to take it easy.
From what I’d read, problems were common in early pregnancy and I was not leaving anything up for chance.

“I did, actually. I was so tired this morning,” she said, blushing as she glanced at me. “I took a nap when Ava did.”

Last night was heaven and your days are numbered if you don’t tell her the truth, now.

“We’ll try to call it an early night. I know you have to wake up early tomorrow and I want plenty of time with you before you fall asleep.”

She nodded, the flush increasing.

Ava squirmed
and I sat her down, removing my jacket. She headed back to the living room where her ball was sitting next to the entertainment center. I stepped in closer, wrapping myself around Victoria from behind as she stirred the spaghetti sauce. My hand settled over the black dress covering her stomach and I smiled.

“How do you feel? Were you sick anymore after I left?”

Gently, I caressed the from hip to hip. Her breathing deepened and it took a few seconds, but she leaned back against me.

“Once, when I was making Ava’s lunch. But I’m doing better now.”

“Good.”

As I rubbed
my nose up and down her neck, I knew I needed to stop. Fuck, I wanted her so bad. To lift up that dress and bend her over the table so I could have my way. The wooden spoons sitting in the jar not far over had me moving into her even more.

“When Ava goes to bed, you’re mine.” My lips pressed into the sensitive skin behind the back of her ear and she moaned quietly.
Had Ava not been awake, that sound would have been my breaking point. Yes, the table. Naked, spread wide, and awaiting my every demand.

I cut off my thoughts. No. Too much like Justine.

I stepped away, the disgust with myself making me look at Victoria in a whole new way. I was horrified with how this web was woven. Either way, lying or telling her the truth, my gut told me I’d lose her. The mere possibility left me feeling sick. Again.

“Hey, are you okay? You’re…pale.”

Another step back. “Long day. I’m just going to go change.” I grabbed the jacket and headed for my old room, where all of my clothes were. Was it even worth trying to change them over to her room? Probably not.

The alert on my phone went off and I pulled it from my pocket, my eyes narrowing with the thumbnail picture that popped up. I opened the message.
Justine’s
message. The nude pictures that appeared before me were proof of my sins. The evidence of what I’d done burned into my brain like battery acid, sending my blood to scorching degrees. God, if these pictures got out, or got back to Victoria.

I hit delete, turning off my phone completely. No way was I going to chance another one of those going through with
Victoria anywhere near. It’d kill her seeing the marks and bruises first hand.

The shirt tore at my jerk and buttons flew to the carpet. I
didn’t bother taking it off as I turned and fell back to the bed. The ceiling may have been in my view, but I didn’t see it. The only thing that blinded me was seeing everything I’d been given taken away.

“Devlin?”

My head lifted and Victoria was standing in the doorway.

“Are you
okay? You really don’t look so good.”

“I’m fine.” I forced a grin and pushed myself up.

“Well, dinner’s ready.” She turned to leave, but faced me again. “Have you changed your mind about us?” The hurt was evident, even though I knew she was trying to hide it.

“Because if you did,” she continued, “it’s okay. You have the right to change your mind.”

My head shook. “Come here, kitten.” I held out my hand and she walked over, taking it. As I placed her on my lap, she automatically leaned against my chest. Fuck.
Scum.
Yes, that was me. Why wouldn’t the words come? Why couldn’t I tell her? Had this been the way she felt around me when she hid Ava’s secret?

“I’m never going to change my mind about us. Ever.” My arms wrapped around her tighter while I was content to just hold her close. “Victoria, there’s something—” Her phone ringing sen
t my heart into an explosive cadence of guilt. She went to stand, but I held her arm, sidestepping to beat her to it.

“Devlin,” she called out as I lunged for the counter, grabbing her cell. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Mom.

I took a deep breath. There was no way Justine knew her number, or even who she was. But it wouldn’t take long for the word to get out, if it hadn’t
already. I didn’t trust her not to expose my secret.

“Sorry, with the media going crazy, I just wanted to make sure.” I handed it over as she looked at me confused.

“Hey, Mom.” She turned, heading deeper into the kitchen as she spoke. Ava was still pushing the ball around and I headed back to the room, changing into a pair of gym shorts and a T-shirt. The plates were already on the table by the time I entered the room.

Dinner, as a family.

Bastard.

“My mom said she saw you on the news. Lot of girls, apparently.”

“Yeah, there were. That’s what I was trying to tell you. I had to fight my way to the car.” My head shook. “That ad was such a horrible idea. I don’t know what I was thinking. How could I have thought anything good would come from meeting women after I already knew I loved you?” I searched for more to say. Something to lead into a great starting point for a confession. Was I there yet, or should I say more?

I placed Ava in her highchair before I
slid into the chair.

Victoria
sat there, quietly, watching my every move. Could she sense my guilt? Shit. Maybe?
Just say it! You’ve never been a coward. Never hidden anything you’ve done. Why this? Just start the sentence and the rest will follow.

“
Victoria.” I grabbed the water she’d placed on the table and took a big drink. The sweating was starting again. Dammit, I was going to need one hell of a shower.

“Wait.” She took her turn taking a drink of her water. “I have a confession to make before you start.”

I stiffened. “A confession? What kind of confession?” There it was. The fear was turning to anger. Okay, this could be good.

She looked down at the plate, pushing it away.
“Daniel and I—”

My head tilted, my eyes blazing with heat as everything I could think of rushed through my mind all at once. “Fucked? Made out? Kissed? You sucked his—”

“Devlin,” she burst out, reaching out to wave her hand. “Watch it with Ava. Jesus. You’re really going to have to work on your language. She’s starting to repeat things.”

I glanced over at our daughter and shifted in the chair. “Sorry. What were you going to say?”

“Daniel and I are going to go over the last of the paperwork tomorrow when I get off of work. I told him I really didn’t care to see it, but he said these were important.” She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ll probably just call him tomorrow and tell him to forget about it. That I’m really not interest. He’s just so…insistent.”

“Yeah,” I groaned. “Because he wants my money.”

“Wants your money? What do you mean?”

I lowered my attention to the spaghetti and started twisting the
pasta around the fork. “Does Daniel still act as though he wants to be in a relationship with you? Honestly?” What a thing to ask.
Honestly.
It was almost laughable that I’d tagged that to the end, being I was the one here with the damn secret.

“
Well.” The way her eyes searched the table had my mouth twisting. If she had to evaluate it, he probably did. “We
did
kiss,” she breathed out. “I was going to tell you. I…”

Before I realized it, I was standing and the chair was tipped back against the wall. There w
ere no words for rage I felt. Homicidal? Well, yeah. Easily.

“Devlin, I swear it didn’t mean anything. I wouldn’t even necessarily say I kiss
ed him back because it kind of caught me off guard, but you deserve to know. And—”

“He kissed you.” It wasn’t a question, I j
ust wanted to hear her say it again.

“Yes,” she whispered. Her fear was making her shake. Somehow
, I felt the smallest bit justified. She’d had a secret too, but mine blew hers out of the water, and I was the one who initiated it.

“Where?
” My eyes searched the house, but I had no idea what I was going to do. Destroy the space? Light the bitch on fire? Burn the whole motherfucking house to the ground? Damn, it was so tempting. But I couldn’t. No matter how much I wanted to.

Victoria
’s mouth opened and then closed.

“I asked you a question. Answer it.”

Her finger pointed toward the living room, but in the direction of the bedroom. I felt my eyebrows rise in surprise. “In our room?” Well, it had only been mine for less than twenty-four hours, but it sounded right.

“Devlin, I don’t want to get into the details of it, really. It happened, it’s over.” She shook her head, turning back to her food, but I refused to let it drop. Couldn’t stand the thought of another man touching her in the slightest. The fact that she was hiding something about it only made me angrier.

I continued to stand, waiting for her to look back up at me. Only when Ava began banging her plate into the tray did she meet my gaze.

“After she goes to bed.”

I felt myself sit only after the fact. Was it that bad that she didn’t want me to overreact with the baby in the room? I picked up my fork, going through the motions of eating, but tasting nothing. When Victoria rose and took Ava, I barely noticed. My brain was trying to force rationality in, but my anger was winning. No matter what she said. Even if she admitted that she’d eventually kissed him back and they made out. Whatever. I had to control myself and come clean too. It was the perfect time. We could both forgive each other and move forward. A clean slate. A perfect one to start our new future.