Fighting Conviction by Greer Rivers
Chapter Twenty-One
Dev’s gaze darkened right before he spun her around. He brought her chin up with his forefinger and captured her lips with his, setting her on fire when his tongue met hers. Melting in his hands, she moaned and buried her short nails into his pecs. He broke the kiss to scoop her up with his forearm under her butt and walked them to the other side of the gym.
Without putting her down, he locked the door and turned back around. She was about to ask him where they were going when a low rumble vibrated her breasts and his hand tugged her hair free from her ponytail.
“You know what I’ve fantasized about since the first day I trained you?” His intensity bored into her, sending shivers traveling underneath her already sensitive skin. She shook her head as much as the grip on the back of her nape would allow before kissing her way around his jaw and neck so he could still see.
“You… in the corner of this gym.”
Ellie turned her head to see where he was taking her. The mirrors on the wall met at the edge of the room, and in them, she saw Dev carrying her from two different directions. “Why here?”
“Because angel, with mirrors on each side, you’ll have no choice but to watch yourself come the first time I taste your sweet pussy.”
His words went straight to her clit and she dove in to kiss him again until the sudden sting of the cold mirror hit the bare skin of her back. Her feet touched the ground again, but her mind was floating away from reality. She braced herself for an onslaught of flashbacks until Dev bent down until the only thing in her vision were the hard lines of his determined face.
“Look at me, angel. It’s you and me. I see you going off in that space in your head to protect yourself. But you are safe here. In BlackStone, the safest place on earth. You are in control. Say it.”
The words mumbled from her lips but Dev pinned her chin between his forefinger and thumb and forced her to focus back on him.
“Say it, you are in control.”
His head nodded up and down, and hers joined in as she swallowed and repeated after him.
“Again. You are in control.” The words penetrated through the fog and she blinked back into her body, where arousal was consuming her from the inside out.
“I am in control.”
“Good girl.” Dev’s thumb stroked her chin as he searched her eyes. Her empty core clenched desperately, as if those two words alone could fill her up. “Now kiss me, angel.”
Ellie licked her lips and tugged his face to hers, threading her fingers through his short hair. Their mouths met like two lovers in a dance, and she opened her lips when he tongued the seam. Heat rolled through her and her sex ached with need.
Dev’s hands feathered down past her sports bra and along her naked torso, making goose bumps bloom in their wake. Gratitude flickered through her mind that he was leaving her breasts protected by the thin fabric. She didn’t understand the feeling, and when Dev skimmed his finger inside the seam of her shorts, she didn’t care to analyze it. She didn’t care about anything except for his rough fingertips against the sensitive skin on her hip bones.
“Trust me, Ellie. Relax your back against the mirror, okay?” Ellie’s already swollen lips brushed against his as she nodded and did as she was told, secretly hoping for another ‘good girl.’ His eyes and smile turned cocky, as if he knew she already craved the words.
“Do you like it when I tell you what to do?” She grinned back at him, and he chuckled. “I’m sorry to say that I’m not gonna be able to give you much more instruction.”
She couldn’t help her frown or the breathiness in her voice. “Why’s that?”
That wicked grin again. “Because, baby, I don’t like to talk with my mouth full.”
Lowering to his knees, his hands skipped past her shorts and scooped her legs up onto his biceps. Ellie squealed with laughter as she tried to keep her balance against the mirror and her thighs on his shoulders. Her hands delved into his hair and held on like reins.
“Shh, shh, angel, we don’t want to call the calvary in here.”
Ellie snapped her mouth shut. Getting hot and heavy in a semi-public area was one thing. Making sure everyone left in the building knew about it was another.
Dev laid open-mouthed kisses up the inside of her thigh, taking turns on each one and sucking as he went. Even with her newfound resolution to be quiet, Dev’s name stuttered out of her in ecstasy. How had she never known the skin of her inner thigh was so sensitive?
“God, I love my name in your mouth.” He nipped at her thigh. “I can feel your goose bumps form when my lips leave your skin. Like every inch of your body can’t wait to touch me.”
Ellie’s mumbled assent ended on a higher pitch as he bit and sucked underneath the loose hem of her shorts, hard enough she knew it would bruise. While she was recovering, he hooked his finger into her loose shorts and panties and pulled both to the side, exposing her sex to him. She unintentionally tried to push him away, but the sting of his slap on her butt made her stop.
“Don’t get between a man and his meal, Ellie. I’ve been starving for your pussy.”
She opened her mouth to object when Dev opened his. His soft tongue lathed up her core and Ellie tugged on his hair, gritting her teeth to keep from crying out.
“Goddamn, you’re so wet, I could drink you all day.” His tongue played along her seam, dipping and teasing, making her thrust into his mouth, searching for something to fill her. His free hand dug into her thigh, no doubt leaving fingerprints.
“Baby, hold your panties to the side for me so I can use my fingers, too.”
“Yes, sir.” The growl against her slit pushed her close to the edge, but she did as she was told. When she heard a whispered, Good girl, her sex tightened in response.
Dev swirled his now free finger in her arousal before teasing the tip of his finger in her opening. She watched in anticipation, unable to look away, as his forefinger entered her. Her core fluttered around the welcome invasion, and her hips began to move on their own, thrusting into his finger. His tongue returned to her sex, but this time, it concentrated on the bundle of nerves he’d been teasing around.
His finger feathered inside her for a second longer before he pulled it out, leaving an ache stronger than before.
“Dev!” His name began in a groan but ended in a sigh, as Dev flitted his tongue against her clit, and massaged her entrance with his fingers again. She tried to swivel her hips but Dev circled his arm around her thigh to still her. He thrust one finger inside her channel, but his thumb continued its pursuit down to the spot where absolutely no one had been. She tensed up at the realization but Dev slapped her butt again, making her yelp.
He left her clit and squeezed her thigh, turning her focus back to him. “Trust me, angel. I won’t do more than you want, I promise.”
Ellie nodded quickly and tried to relax. He watched her as he continued to work her with his fingers. They were soaked from her arousal and his thumb massaged the untouched rosette and… God, it felt amazing.
He must have understood her reaction because the cocky man had a smirk of male satisfaction on his face. But good god, she didn’t care about that when he dove in with his tongue and continued his dual massage.
His tongue homed in on her clit and Ellie squirmed under the attention. Her body was on fire, everywhere he touched, her skin was hypersensitive and she felt herself climbing higher to a peak she’d only ever been by herself.
“Dev… I-I—”
“I know, angel, I’ll get you there. Just open your eyes.” She did as she was told and opened them to see herself in the mirror beside her. Her eyes were like molten caramel from her heated desire and she was instantly captivated by watching the Ellie in the mirror’s reactions.
Dev’s tongue pointed and vibrated on her clit and her reflection went rigid as she reached for the summit. But when Dev sucked on her clit and his thumb pressed on the sensitive pucker, she exploded. She watched her mouth stretch in a silent scream. It was easy to see the euphoria wash over her body as her reflection trembled from her orgasm. Her fingers of her free hand dug into his hair for dear life and she crashed down, her body jolting from the tremors of pleasure.
Ellie was at Dev’s mercy until the tension in her muscles finally eased. She let go of her panties, letting them fall back over her sex as she collapsed against the wall. Her thighs were still so close she felt Dev’s cheeks widen in a smile before he pulled her panties to the side again and swiped his tongue up her seam.
“Dev! No, i-it’s too much. I can’t.” His chuckle puffed warm air against her wet core and she squirmed, afraid he was going to try to tease her again. She heaved a sigh of relief when he let go of the fabric, but her adrenaline spiked again when he began to freaking stand up from his kneeling position despite the fact Ellie’s legs were still wrapped around his head.
She squealed but Dev gripped her waist and pulled her high and off of him as he stood up the rest of the way, before depositing her safely to the ground. As soon as her feet hit, her knees buckled, and Dev hooked an arm around her waist to pull her close.
He kissed her, hard against her lips, and she tasted herself as his tongue slid over hers once before pulling away.
“Careful, there, angel.” Dev’s soft smile glistened with her arousal and sent her core fluttering, the empty feeling not so profound now that her inner muscles were spent. The man hardly ever gifted anyone with a smile, so when he did, Ellie felt a sense of pride. But good Lord, the one he had on now made her feel deliciously sinful.
Dev settled her to the ground but didn’t let go until she stood on her own. Once steady, she lifted her head to thank him but paused mid-word as she watched him use his thumb to swipe the moisture left on his lips before licking it off his fingers.
“Most satisfying meal I’ve ever had.” Ellie’s jaw dropped and his smile grew wider. “I love that you blush even after I’ve just had my head between your thighs.”
She groaned and rolled her eyes. “Keep talking to me like that and I’ll make you go back for seconds.”
His forest green eyes darkened. “Don’t tempt me, baby.” He moved to grip her waist again but she backed up and held him off at arm’s length.
“No, stop.” His hands leaped off of her like she was on fire, but she shook her head to relieve his concerned frown. “No, you’re fine, it’s just… what about…” She trailed off, not entirely sure how to ask him.
“‘What about’ what?”
She inhaled and decided to go for it. “What about you? Don’t you, um, get a turn?”
Heat flashed across his eyes and he bent to give her a scorching kiss that left her breathless. He pulled away and twirled a strand of her loose blonde hair.
“As much as I want you to put that ponytail back up so you can suck my cock, I’m gonna have to take a rain check since you kneed me in the fucking balls less than…” He checked his watch. “…Twenty minutes ago.”
Oops. Forgot about that.
Wait.
“Twenty minutes?” Her pitch went up and she grabbed his wrist to check the time for herself. “Oh, crap. I’ve got class in like fifteen minutes! I can’t believe I forgot!”
“Don’t worry, El.” He chuckled and waved her off. “I’ll drive you. Get your things and we’ll go.”
Ellie nodded and met him at the door. As he unlocked it, her hand acted on its own volition and drifted to his, holding it before she registered what she was doing. As if it was the most natural thing in the world. It even felt like it was until she noticed Dev looking down at their connection like he’d grown another appendage.
“Oh, um… sorry.” She loosened her grip and tried to pull away, but Dev’s hand tightened around hers.
“No, don’t.” His whisper was soft. Vulnerable? She couldn’t quite place it, but it made her heart ache. “It’s nice.” He pursed his lips and studied her with a serious look for long enough she began to fidget under the attention. “I want to take you out on a date.”
Ellie perked up. “For real? Like a date date? Like a real dinner and a movie kinda thing?”
Dev laughed and opened the door. “If that’s what you want, then sure. I just want to spend time with you.”
“What? Does all this time beating each other up not count all of a sudden?” Her smile was so wide she was sure she looked like a loon, but heck, she was so excited she didn’t care.
“Ha ha.” He rolled his eyes. “Joke all you want, but I’m taking you out. Friday work?”
Ellie’s smile became brittle at the edges. She tried to keep her lips firmly curved up and forced her lingering happiness to bleed over the wounds that were still too fresh. “That’s my birthday, actually. I-I was planning on staying in—”
“Excellent. It’s settled. I’ll take you on a date for your birthday. We have to celebrate another year. Not everyone gets those, you know.”
Unspoken grief settled over his words like a shroud, and she wondered if he was remembering his friend like she was remembering Sasha. They’d both lost so much already in their lives and she knew he was right. She should try her best to celebrate life when she could. But it was going to be tough celebrating on the anniversary of the day Sasha was… But she didn’t expect him to remember. She wished she didn’t have to.
He squeezed her hand again and she returned it automatically, trying to live in the moment and get out of her head as he led them down the hallway to the garage. They were at Dev’s truck before she knew it and he opened the door for her, pausing to brush his lips over her forehead before helping her up inside. He closed the door and Ellie’s fingertips ghosted over the spot he’d left, sparking a hazy memory of the first time he ever kissed her. She brought her hand to her heart, trying to calm it to keep from shouting what she felt for the whole world to hear.
What if he didn’t feel the same? Sometimes his cold exterior was so invulnerable even Ellie forgot the warmth he hid inside. She didn’t believe for a second he was incapable of love… But what if he’d convinced himself she wasn’t worth the risk?
“There’s only one way to find out.”
Ellie nodded at her friend’s advice. She’d tell Dev how she felt someday, but not yet. Then she’d find out if putting her heart into this giant’s hands would set her soaring or crush her spirit. She wasn’t sure she was ready for the answer.
