She nodded, her throat too tight to respond. She understood how he felt. They moved languidly, in no hurry to be anywhere but in each other’s arms. There was a completeness about the moment, a serenity knowing that it was right. He cradled her body close to his, cherishing her, loving her.
Her name came tumbling out of his mouth, his movements faltering. She clung, clamping her legs around his waist as he came. He covered her mouth with his, pouring every feeling into the kiss. Even when he became motionless everywhere else, the kiss went on.
He finally pulled back enough to frame her face in his hands. “My God, Chloe, I had no idea how perfect it would be.”
She felt indulgent just then with his weight pressing her into the mattress. He kissed her nose before moving to the bed beside her.
She tucked her head next to his and kissed his jaw. “You really think it was perfect?”
“I can’t even describe it.” She felt him turn his head, lifted hers to look in his eyes. “I don’t even want to bother finding words. I just want to feel.”
“I love you,” she whispered.
His face lit up. “I love you so much.”
She treasured the way it felt when he threaded his fingers in her hair and kissed her until she couldn't breathe. He wasn’t merely gentle; he was tender. When he broke the kiss, he rested his forehead to hers.
“Are you hungry now?” she asked.
Devon chuckled. “I could simultaneously eat a whole cow and also not move for the rest of the night.”
Chloe patted his arm. “Well, I have to pee.”
She rose from the bed to the sound of his laughter, weighing the options between ordering in and going out as planned. She looked in the mirror at her rumpled hair and smudged makeup.
“Do you want to go out?” she asked as she walked back out.
Devon watched her approach and sit on the edge of the bed. “That depends.”
“On what?”
“On whether I can stand for you to cover this up.” He gestured to her naked body.
She felt herself flush. “Ah, yes, well, my dress is in a pile on the kitchen floor and my hair is a mess.”
“Sorry about that.”
“No, please. You can mess my hair up any day, any time.” Chloe laughed at his expression. “Let me rescue my dress and we can go eat.”
“Okay. I’m going to clean up first.”
She stared unabashedly at his bare ass while he strode to her bathroom. Chloe pulled on clean panties—Devon had ruined the pair she’d been wearing—and retrieved her dress. She suddenly wanted to go somewhere, to sit across from the man she loved and share a meal. She wanted to show him off, honestly.
“Almost ready?” he said from behind her.
She spun to face him. “Huh?”
He raised a brow. “I asked if you were almost ready.”
Chloe blushed and slipped her dress on. “Sorry, I was daydreaming.”
She ran her hands through her hair and dashed to the mirror over her dresser to make sure she looked presentable. Satisfied, she picked up her purse and headed to the door.
There was only one semi-formal restaurant in Merrimac. People they knew packed the booths, but Chloe kept her eyes on Devon as they sat.
“What did you tell your boss? With all these people here, there’s no way you can pretend you were sick in bed.”
“I said I had a personal emergency and agreed to cover for my replacement the next time she needs a day off.”
