Still, if I had to suck his cock for now, then I would, regardless of how much I hated it. The risk of failure carried too high a penalty. I’d not fail, even if I had to pay the devil.
Alicia
I tapped the pencil against the drawing pad. I was making some changes to some old designs of mine, which would be at the front of my next show. Designers usually worked four to six seasons ahead. Oliver had my next five collections, and they’d been signed off and approved. He couldn’t change anything, and now I was working on creating something special for Devon. I wanted my debut with Zade to go off with a massive bang.
I’d picked twenty designs so far, which I liked, but I needed the showstopper. This design could be it, but it was missing the spark. I couldn’t put my finger on it.
I put the pencil down and rubbed my eyebrows. It was time for a break.
I left my home studio, dialled in a takeaway, and then phoned the doorman to let him know to accept the delivery. One of the two guards on duty would run it up to me when it arrived. I wandered over to my balcony with a glass of wine, sat down, and gazed out over the city. The vibrancy of daily life couldn’t be denied. Streetlights shone, and shops were brightly lit.
Somewhere down there, sirens wailed, and car engines roared. Below me, people went about their lives, unaware and uncaring that I was watching. It was a humbling experience.
My doorbell pinged, and I got up. Dinner was served. As I headed for the door, the spark of inspiration I was missing finally hit me. I’d damn well make sure my debut made headlines and not for personal reasons for once!
Chapter Twenty-Three.
Alicia
Ismiled at Devon as he opened my car door and helped me stand. We’d headed out for the weekend because I needed a break from the constant barrage of bullshit from Oliver and Eve. Everywhere I looked, they were there: social media, business magazines, and tabloids. Oliver was making waves. Eve was on several of the covers, lauded as his fiancée and an exciting new designer. That was ludicrous considering some of the fashion disasters she’d worn recently.
The gossip sites also cited numerous rumours about the end of my marriage and Eve’s role in it. Oliver and Eve remained silent, giving the excuse that they wouldn’t speak ill of anyone and, therefore, hinting it was my fault. Devon and I had also gained some headlines, although we both declined to comment.
Oliver had been quoted bad-mouthing Mystique’s designs and stating I was becoming stale. Mystique released a statement saying that if Oliver felt that way, she was quite happy for him to return the collections, and she’d take them elsewhere. Olivershut his mouth after realising that trashing me would damage his own sales. I didn’t recognise him anymore. Whether he’d always been like this, I couldn’t say. Oliver had clearly been a master at hiding his true self.
Other women were also coming forward for their fifteen minutes of fame. It appears Oliver’s affair with Eve wasn’t the first. It had been happening throughout my marriage. What a fool I’d been. It was the last article that had nearly broken me. A woman claimed to have Oliver’s child, and he’d been paying her a substantial amount to keep her mouth shut. She stated that DNA proved he was the sperm donor.
Devon had seen my face when the news broke and booked a long weekend away for us. It was poor timing, but we both needed it. It was a secluded holiday let near the coast and just what the doctor ordered. The moment I stepped foot into it, I relaxed.
“This is beautiful, Devon,” I said as I gazed around. The cottage was styled nautically, but it was very comfortable and shabby chic too. Devon smiled as he entered and dropped our cases.
“Did you see the boat tied up at the dock? How about some fishing?” he suggested.
For a moment, I was transported back to being seventeen, just after my parents died. I’d forced Oliver to stay away, learning he was cheating on me, the same day I was made an orphan, had soured everything. Devon kept turning up, sometimes not saying a word as he sat with me. After a few weeks, he’d coaxed me to leave the house and return to school. After school and at weekends, we took long walks until we discovered fishing.
I was awful at first. Devon had been amused at how squeamish I was, and I forced him to bait my hook every time we went out. Fishing became our thing. Instead of Devon hanging with the team or popular kids, he ignored them and joined me.Devon sacrificed everything to ensure I was okay. How had I missed that?
Without thinking, I reached out and cupped his face with one hand. Devon’s eyes widened. “Thirteen years ago, I was a damn idiot. I should have followed you.”
Devon smiled. “Maybe it was me who should have chased you. I knew what I was letting go, but the pressure from my parents…” he trailed off. There was no need to say more.
I moved closer to him. “I was so determined to make my own way; I overlooked what was in front of me.”
Taking a risk, I stood on tiptoe and kissed him. Devon stiffened a little and wrapped his arms around me. I plastered myself to his body as my hands sank into his soft hair. A hand cupped my ass, his cock pressed into me. Devon deepened the kiss as tingles ran through me. My pussy clenched as I embraced how hard Devon was.
“If you change your mind at any time, tell me to stop,” Devon hissed as he broke off. I grinned and shoved him backwards against the wall. I was never the aggressor during sex, but I needed Devon.
Devon’s eyes widened as I slid his top upwards and admired his taut muscles. Oliver had lost definition and certainly didn’t boast a six-pack anymore. Devon, on the other hand, made me drool. His body was perfectly sculpted. I leaned forward and sucked his nipple. A gasp left him as I dragged my teeth across it lightly.
“Alicia!”
I smiled. “Do you like that?”
“Fuck, yes!” he ground out as I took his nipple again and nipped gently. Devon’s hips jerked in reaction as heat pooled between my legs, and I became wet. I placed a hand over his groin and rubbed as I lavished attention on the gorgeous man in front of me. Devon yanked his tee off, and I ran my fingers overthe flesh on show. Focusing on his other nipple, I kept pressure on his cock.
“Alicia,” Devon groaned. His voice needed thickening, and it hit me where it mattered. My fingers undid his belt and then slowly popped the buttons on his jeans. I went to my knees, willingly, and pulled them down. Devon reached out and stopped me.
“This is my choice,” I said, knowing why he’d done so. Everyone had heard about Oliver choking Eve with a blowjob. Luckily, Oliver hadn’t done that to me, but the thought had occurred to Devon. His consideration aroused me even more.
