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

Devon gasped.  “Brennan…” shewhispered, clutching his hand more tightly.  What could she say?  What couldshe possibly say to heal that wound?  No wonder he had been sick and in aterrible mood the week before the Fourth of July.  How could she have everblamed him?

“I don’t know why, but when Ilook at you, I sometimes see myself.  I feel like I understand you…like wecould understand each other.  I don’t know if that even makes sense.”

“It does,” she said quietly,tears welling in her eyes.  She leaned her head into the crook of his neck andwrapped her arms around him.  She didn’t even want to ask, but she had to. “What happened to your mom?”

“They were divorced.  I was anonly child.  She lives in California with her new husband and brood ofchildren,” he said, distaste seeping into his voice.  “She was only reallyinterested in me after he died.  At least, she was until she found out he leftme everything, and I wasn’t going to give her a dime.  Now, she doesn’t evensend birthday cards.”

At the thought of having a parentthat cruel, Devon felt a lump form in her throat.  And she couldn’t evenimagine the loss of her own parents.  Her problems felt so small next to his.

“Everything just feels betterwith you in it,” he told her.

“It feels better with you in mylifeit, too.”

Before she could say more,fireworks exploded overhead, filling the night sky with color.  Devon jumped insurprise, and Brennan pulled her in closer, laughing in her ear.  They watchedthe sky light up over and over again, content in each other’s arms.  It was abeautiful spectacle, announcing the end of the festivities for the day.  Devondidn’t want the day to end though.  She didn’t want to let Brennan sufferanother day alone.

She stood, pulling him up withher, and led him to the back of the boat.  She opened the door, and he followedwithout question.  Wrapping her arms around his neck, she leaned up on her toesand kissed him.  He picked her up mid-kiss and deposited her on the bed.  Devonshifted under his intense gaze.

Reaching forward, she worked thebuttons loose on his collared shirt and pushed it off his shoulders.  Hedropped it to the floor and stripped out of his T-shirt.  She swallowed hard asshe stared at his body.  When he lay down on the bed, his hand trailed thecurves of her body lightly.  He moved to her stomach and pushed away the softmaterial of her shirt from the warmth of her flat stomach.  His lips skimmedacross the surface, flicking light kisses across the hem of her shorts beforehe returned north to recapture her lips.

Her heart was racing, yet she wascompletely content with him, being in his arms.  He ran his fingers backthrough the hair he loved as she found herself exploring his longer strands atthe back of his neck.  His gaze found hers, burning with questions she couldn’tanswer.

“Brennan, let’s stay heretonight,” she whispered.

He nuzzled into her neck.  “Youthink I’m letting you leave, Belle?  You’re very wrong.”

BRENNAN’S ARM WAS locked aroundDevon’s body when she woke up.  She yawned and snuggled in closer to him.  Herthoughts were hazy as she opened her eyes and realized she was still on theboat with Brennan.  The bed was comfortable, but lying with Brennan was evenbetter.  She hated that it was morning, that their date was coming to a close,that they had to work today, so they couldn’t hang out on the boat all dayagain.

Rolling over to face him, shebegan to twirl the hair on the back of his neck again.  She really liked thelonger strands and the way he looked at her when she played with them.  Hiseyes slowly opened, and he smiled when he saw her.

“Morning, Belle,” he said beforehe kissed her lips.

“Good morning.”  Her heartfluttered at her nickname.  She hadn’t realized how much she had missed ituntil last night when he had finally called her that again.

“Can we skip work today?” heasked, nibbling lightly on her bottom lip.

“Uh-huh,” she said.  Her body wassuddenly wide-awake.

“Okay, good.”

As his hand slid up the back ofher shirt, she arched in response.

“No one will even notice thatwe’re both playing hooky.”

“Definitely not.”

She did everything she could tokeep her focus, but she wasn’t winning.  Work didn’t sound like that great ofan idea anyway.  It would be better to just stay here all day on the lake andforget the rest of the world.  Brennan tracing her rib cage with his fingertipswasn’t helping with her motivation to leave.

“It’s not like I need money topay rent or anything.”

Devon inhaled sharply as his handbrushed her breasts unexpectedly.

He stopped moving and pulledaway.  “Oh, that’s right.”

“That was a joke, Brennan,” shesaid, pulling him closer.

He kissed her lips again.  Hisbody shifted over her, covering her.  As his hips began grinding into her, shegroaned, and her legs naturally moved to wrap around his waist.  Her body waspulsing, and all she could think about was getting him closer and closer.  Shedidn’t want this to stop.  She didn’t want any of it to stop.  He tried tobreak the kiss, but she pushed her hands up into his hair and pulled his mouthback down to hers.  He growled deep in the back of his throat and gripped hertightly.

“Dev,” he said with a painfuledge to his voice, “I don’t want to stop you.”

“Then, don’t,” she said, willinghim to continue.

She knew they had to go, but shedidn’t want to think about that.  She didn’t want to think of anything butBrennan—the feel of his body pressed into hers, his heated touch, hispassionate kisses.

Brennan sighed and moved backjust far enough, so he could look at her face.  “But we have to stop.”

Devon stuck out her bottom lipand pouted.

“I don’t mean it like that.  Iwant to, Dev.  I do.”  He planted another kiss on her lips and then nibbled onher bottom lip again.  He stopped and smirked.  “I’m not playing around.  I dowant you, but we have places to be.”

Devon rolled out from underBrennan and stood, so she wouldn’t tempt him any further.  He reached out andtook her hand, placing a