Following Me by Linde, K.A. (best books to read in your 20s .txt) 📗

Devon turned, facing the streamof water.  She pressed her forehead against the cool ceramic shower wall, andshe let the water flow down her back as rivulets from her wet hair ran over herchest.  She sighed and allowed her mind to forget.

Her hand trailed down her frontto the heat between her legs.  She tentatively brushed her fingers up againstherself, testing to see how sensitive the heated water made her.  Her bodyjerked lightly at the touch…even more sensitive than she would have thought. It was a welcome touch.  Her body hadn’t had any release in a long time…toolong.

Devon bit her lip as she slid herfinger across the wet surface, spreading and delving in.  Her mind raced as herfinger came out slick and ready.  Her body tightened fractionally as she movedacross the soft area, one digit slipping in and out teasingly.

Her breathing slowed, and hercore pulsed as she thought about someone gripping her in all the right ways. Her mind traveled to a distant place, far away from the life she was living.

He grabbed both of her armsand pushed her onto the bed, spreading her legs wide for his enjoyment.  Shesmiled up at him, waiting for him to take her.  She wanted him.  God, shewanted him.  Her body heated as he slid his pants to the ground and pushed hisway inside.

Devon came in a sputter as thememories and her fingers pushed her over the edge.  Her knees weakened, and shehunched over in the shower, panting.

SOME HOURS LATER, Devon was standingat the base of the John Hancock Center, one of the tallest buildings in theworld, in downtown Chicago.  Looking straight up the glass structure made herstomach flip-flop.  The wind was particularly vicious in the Windy City, andDevon was pretty sure the building was visibly swaying.

“You want me to go up there?”Devon asked Hadley and Garrett incredulously.

“It’ll be fun,” Hadley told herreassuringly.

Not that Devon had ever had aparticular fear of heights, but tempting fate didn’t seem like fun byany stretch of the imagination.  Her face must have shown her disbelief becauseHadley wound her arm around Devon’s, pulling her toward the entrance.

“Come on, Dev,” Garrett said,taking the lead.  “You’ll like the bar, and you can’t even tell it’s swayingwhen you’re up there.”

Devon’s face paled.

“Garrett!” Hadley said, swattingat him.

He chuckled and ducked away fromher.

“I want you to have a good time,and you’ve never been here.  I mean, when are you going to be in Chicagoagain?” Hadley asked her.

Devon bit her lip and divertedher eyes, avoiding the question.  She still needed to figure out how to havethat conversation with Hadley.

“Plus, I’ve been working so muchthis week, and we haven’t really spent much time together.  Come hang out withme like old times,” Hadley pleaded, widening her eyes.

“I want to hang out with you. I’d just prefer to do it somewhere…I can’t die,” Devon said, looking back up atthe building.

“You won’t die!”  Hadleyrolled her eyes.  “Garrett and I will be there to take care of you in case youfeel like you might die.  Plus, Brennan will be there, too, I think…if we can pinhim down to anything.  I mean, you like Brennan, right?”

Devon swallowed.  “Yeah, he’salright,” she said dismissively.

She had spent the last week inJenn’s Restaurant, eating burgers and occasionally taking shots of tequila. Brennan had been there every day, except Monday, just like he had said.  He hadusually left her in peace while she went through pictures on her phone orscribbled away in her notebook.  Sometimes, he had come over to talk to her,but only when it had seemed she was deepest in thought over something else. She had the hardest time pinning down what it was about him that she liked somuch.

“Well, see, this will beperfect.  The building has been standing since the ’60s.  I don’t think we’llhave a problem tonight,” Hadley told her, shoving her inside.

Garrett veered them toward theelevators, and they waited a couple minutes for it to reach their floor.

How long do I have to be inthat thing? Devon wondered.

When the elevator doors finallyopened, they rushed inside.  Devon looked around skeptically while Hadleypressed the button for the 95th floor.  The elevator shot up like abullet, leaving Devon’s stomach floors below them.  Her ears poppeduncomfortably as she tried to ignore the headache that was a constant on hertemples since she had awoken from her nightmare.

She closed her eyes, feeling thepressure all around her as the elevator ascended, and then it slowed, coming toa gradual stop before pinging open on their floor.  Devon tentatively walkedout into the Signature Room at the 95th, the John Hancock Center barand restaurant.  She half expected the ground to shake beneath her, but it wascompletely solid, no swaying or anything.  She felt better about that at least.

The room was open and spacious. A long bar took up the far wall, and black tables and chairs were alreadycrowded.  The real view lay beyond the bar itself.  Floor-to-ceiling glasswalls showed off a spectacular view of Chicago and Lake Michigan as far as theeye could see.

Garrett gestured to the right,claiming it had the better view, and they nudged through a small crowd to gainseats near the window.  Devon walked right up to the glass and stared out atthe city lit up a thousand feet below her.  She drank in the sight, wanting toremember what it felt like to be on top of the world.

Devon pulled out her phone andsnapped a few shots, wishing she had something better to take pictures with. Her camera phone just wasn’t doing the view justice, but then again, maybenothing ever could.

“Want me to take a picture ofyou?” Garrett offered, standing next to her.

Devon shook her head.  “No,thanks.  The view is good enough.”

“You have something againstgetting your picture taken?”  He crossed his arms, turning his attention awayfrom the window to her.

“No, I just don’t need my faceplastered in front of something so exquisite.  How could I ever measure up?” She gave him a soft smile.

Garrett had been unconditionallykind since she had arrived.  He had allowed her to stay in the guest bedroom ofhis apartment for an