Page 23

TWENTY-THREE

DEVIL IN DISGUISE

Theo

I put the truck in park, and our conversation ceased. Natalie glanced over at me and narrowed her eyes.

“The movies?”

I nodded as I parked the truck toward the back of the packed lot.

“It’s a first date classic. And you mentioned the other night that you hadn’t been in a while.”

I found a higher-end movie theater in the city that boasted luxury seats and a full-service bar. It was also far less likely for us to be spotted in the middle of the city and in a dark theater. I’d tried to think of something a little more original, but with her already being hesitant about the entire night, I thought simple and classic would be best.

I wasn’t sure who I’d turned into—or, better yet, who Natalie had turned me into—but I’d tried to think of everything.

Including the bag of goodies in the back seat.

“You remembered that?”

I reached into the backseat and retrieved the bag. “I remember everything, beautiful. Now, here’s the fun part.”

Her sweet expression turned to something closer to astonishment as I dropped the bag into my lap.

“What?” I asked as she glanced between me and the bag and back to me.

“I’ve just never seen that smile on your face before. And I’m not sure whether or not I should be terrified or excited.”

Rather than answer her question, I instructed her to close her eyes. She only hesitated a moment before doing as I asked. Her eyes fluttered closed as she exhaled, and yet again, the trust she put in me made protectiveness rumble through my chest. But I ignored it for the time being and dug through the bag, grabbing out the items I’d selected for myself and making sure they were perfectly arranged before clearing my throat.

The things I would do for this woman.

“Open.”

Her blue eyes met mine, and she immediately doubled over in hysterical laughter. She gripped her stomach, and I swore I saw a tear slip from the corner of her eye. The sound was nearly as perfect as any sound could ever be.

“I’m not sure why you’re laughing. You were worried about people noticing us. This”—I motioned to the tangled blond wig, thick sunglasses, and black mustache—“fixes that problem.”

She wiped at her eyes and peeked into the bag.

“Is there a disguise for me too?”

I fished the neon pink wig from the bag, and she fell into another fit of laughter. My smile was hindered by the stupid, itchy mustache fixed to my upper lip, but I would’ve sat there forever if it made her laugh like that.

Her contagious laughter wrapped around me, and the melodic sound hit me right in the chest. There was a rapid tightening and unmistakable pull. Like she was the sun I was supposed to be revolving around.

It felt so right.

I cleared my throat and tried to dislodge the rising panic.

But Natalie reached for the bag the moment it all nearly became too much. Her soft hand against mine jarred me out of my chaotic thoughts, and her smooth voice calmed my frayed nerves. She reached into the bag and retrieved the wig and her own pair of red heart sunglasses. She set the wig precariously over her dark hair and donned the glasses.

“If we’re going to be in disguise, we have to change our names. I can be…” She thought for a second, looking into the distance. “Phoebe, a semi-famous, semi-professional model that does charity work for underprivileged dogs. And you can be...Kristoff, my tall, scary assistant,” she finished with a giggle.

“Kristoff? I look like a Kristoff?” I managed to ask through the emotion gripping my vocal cords.

She shrugged and fingered the mustache above my upper lip. “With the blond wig and mustache, yes.”

I shook my head and tugged at the pink strands of her wig. She swatted my hand away and laughed again. God, that fucking sound was going to rip my heart out of my chest.

“Pink could be your new color.”

“I actually had pink hair once. It was just highlights when I was in middle school, but…” She tugged off the wig, playfully tossing it to me. “I don’t think we need disguises. Although it was a really sweet thought.”

I placed my own wig, mustache, and glasses in the bag and tossed it into the backseat, mentally reminding myself to return it all to Ava the next time she came into the studio.

“Great, because that was fucking itchy,” I said, turning off the truck. “And we would’ve been more conspicuous wearing them.”

I hopped out of the truck and rounded the front to the passenger side. Finally, Natalie waited for me to open the door. She gingerly slid from the seat and shivered against the cold. She pressed herself against me, searching for warmth, and I held her close. Something inside of me softened at the way she did so without hesitation.

She tilted her head back, black hair draping down her back and tickling the backs of my hands that were pressed to the outside of her coat. Her eyes bounced between mine for a moment until she gripped my jacket and pressed onto her toes.

I cupped her jaw and tugged her closer, stooping and meeting her halfway. I kissed her softly at first, her cold lips meeting mine and warming with every slip and slide of our tongues. As was usual, our kiss didn’t remain chaste or sweet.

With no one else around, I shifted my hand on her hip and underneath her coat until I palmed her ass, and she sucked in a sharp breath against my mouth.

“Theo,” she breathed, not a reprimand but an outward expression of all the sensations tumbling through her wrapped up in my name.

And with that whispered plea, the lust coursing through my body skyrocketed to a level that was nearly unbearable. I knew she could feel my hard length pressing against her stomach. The slight tremble in my fingers as I held back, but the confidence in my lips and each stroke of my tongue. She could feel just how much I wanted her.

I kissed her one last time and groaned, straightening and adjusting my erection so it didn’t press uncomfortably against the zipper of my jeans.

“Hmm…” she mused, glancing down between us and smiling. “I’ve been turned on since the little stunt you pulled at the restaurant. Actually, I’ve been turned on since I saw this toy on my bedside table. And I love that this is going to be just as hard for you as it is for me. To sit there through the entire movie without being able to really touch me.”

Her smile was devious as we began walking, hand-in-hand, toward the front of the theater.

I shook my head and held the door open for us, the warm air welcoming.

“It’s going to be impossible. But,” I said, dropping my voice to a whisper as we passed a family heading out of the theater. “I enjoy delayed gratification. It makes it all the sweeter in the end.”

I took her hand once again as we walked toward the concessions, and she peered up at me out of the corner of her eyes and through her long, dark lashes. That beautiful blush began on her cheeks once again, and she opened her mouth to say something before we heard?—

“Natalie!”

Both of us froze at the sound of her name, and my heart began beating overtime.

Of all the fucking places in this goddamn city.

Our heads snapped up, but neither of us had a moment to react. Caroline was striding toward us, some guy I’d never seen trailing behind her. Natalie stiffened beside me and loosened her grip on my hand like she was prepared to let go. But I only tightened my hold.

Her eyes flashed up to mine, widening in confusion and glancing quickly to Caroline like I didn’t also see her coming, silently urging me to let go. But Caroline was the one person who also knew about me and Natalie. And like hell was I letting go of her hand unless absolutely necessary.

It was complicated, but I felt pride at being able to claim her out in the open. That this beautiful woman wanted me, too.

“And Theo…” Caroline said with a surprised smile as she glanced between the two of us and down at our joined hands. Natalie fidgeted again, and I squeezed her hand once.

“Date night?” Caroline continued, and Natalie nearly choked as she fumbled for an explanation. Her words were jumbled, and I didn’t hear a single one of them as Caroline narrowed her eyes at me. I stood stock-still, letting her judge me as she wished, as I willed my expression to remain neutral and unbothered.

Her own expression was as unreadable as I hoped mine was, but I didn’t fidget under her scrutiny.

Next to me, Natalie continued rambling, and I could tell the longer one of us didn’t interrupt her, the more nervous she was growing. Finally, I dropped her hand and brushed her hair over her shoulder, wrapping my palm around her nape. She shivered and let out a long breath, her words falling away.

“Who’s this?” Natalie asked after taking a deep breath and pointing to Caroline’s date, who was standing almost completely behind her, an uncomfortable smile perched on his lips.

“I’m Kevin,” the man said with a quick wave.

Caroline acted like he hadn’t spoken and continued, “It’s a shame we aren’t seeing the same movie. We could’ve?—”

“Yup!” Natalie interrupted. “Such a shame. Anyway, we should get going. Our movie starts soon. I’ll text you later, Caroline!”

She hugged her best friend, waved to her date—who was still standing awkwardly at her side—and stepped around them. Before I could react to the sudden change, she was tugging me along toward the bar.

“Whoa, babe. What’s the rush?”

“No rush,” she said quickly with a smile, averting her eyes. She grabbed a menu off of the bar top and stared at it like it was the most intriguing piece of literature she’d ever seen.

I studied the side of her face for a moment and watched her pretend to read. Her mind was working overtime, and she was too expressive to hide it.

I brushed her hair back over her shoulder and leaned down until my mouth was next to her ear. “Don’t lie to me, baby girl.”

Her eyes shuttered closed. She drew in a deep breath and finally looked back up at me. “I’m not lying.”

I chuckled and replaced my hand at the back of her neck as I stood up straight and plucked the menu from her hands.

“Theo, what?—”

“Hey, guys, what can I get you?” The bartender approached us, wiping down the bar top and looking slightly flustered from the crowd he’d just finished serving down at the opposite end. They were a rowdy group that I hoped wouldn’t be walking into our movie.

I ordered myself a whiskey cocktail and Natalie one of their signature gin drinks.

“I could’ve ordered for myself,” she mumbled after the bartender stepped away.

“I know. But I ordered what you wanted.”

She glared at me from the corner of her eyes and fought the smile trying to pull at her lips.

“That’s not the point,” she said. She chewed on her lower lip and glanced behind us. I followed her line of sight and watched Caroline and her date head into their theater.

“Tell me why you rushed away. If someone was going to spot us, I’d rather it be her.” I tried again, and her attention snapped back to me.

She sighed and glanced back in their direction one last time before she said, “Yeah, better her, but Caroline just has a lot of…concerns.”

I nodded and handed the bartender my card as he slid our drinks across to us. Taking a shot in the dark, I asked, “Concerns about us?”

Her blue eyes went wide as she sipped her drink. I left a tip and retrieved my card from the billfold. I sipped my drink and waited patiently for her to answer.

“Yeah, about us. She’s my best friend, and honestly, I care more about her opinion than I do almost anyone else’s. And…she’s worried. Actually, she calls it ‘supporned’: concerned yet supportive,” she explained with a short chuckle and shake of her head.

I nodded and considered how to respond. Natalie was right, Caroline was opinionated. The few times I’d been around her, she’d had no issue telling me exactly what was on her mind, and I’d respected her for it.

I also knew she had Natalie’s best interests at heart and was fiercely protective of her best friend. But I didn’t want Natalie second-guessing anything about us. What “ us ” was exactly, I had no fucking clue. But I didn’t want it to stop. We still had a few weeks until we had to figure that out.

“I could probably guess, but what is she concerned about?”

Natalie peered down at her drink and took a breath before she said, “Everything you’re thinking and everything we’ve both been thinking about this entire time. That we’re in over our heads and that we’re in so deep that when Ryder comes back…” Her voice trailed off, and she squeezed her glass tighter. “She’s just worried about this…about us .”

I set my drink on the bar and took hers from her hands, sliding it next to mine. I stepped toward her, crowding her space until she bumped into the barstool behind her. She had to crane her head back to meet my eyes, and when she did, I didn’t like the uncertainty I found in her expression.

Her chest rose and fell quickly, and from my position above her, I could see a sliver of her black lace bra from between her breasts. With one hand, I cupped her cheek, running my thumb back and forth over her soft skin. With the other, I pushed her coat out of the way and gripped her upper waist just beneath her breast.

Our breaths mingled, and suddenly, we were the only two people in the place. In the world.

She licked her lips, and her eyes bounced back and forth between mine.

“Are you worried about us?” It was a simple question. One that I hoped would warrant a simple answer. Yet my voice shook with anticipation at her response.

And she instantly, without hesitation, said, “No.”

I smiled and stepped closer, until the front of her was pressed against every inch of me. “That’s all I care about, baby girl.”

Remembering we weren’t alone, our kiss was quick. When I pulled back, she was smiling, and some of the tension she’d been holding had vanished.

“Now, let’s go play,” I said, grabbing her hand and my drink and leading us back into the theater.

We settled into our seats at the very back of the theater minutes before the trailers started. The movie we’d chosen had come out weeks ago, so there were only three other people in the theater. One lone guy sitting way too close to the screen and another couple whose seats were in the middle row furthest away from us.

Next to me, Natalie kicked off her boots and settled back into the large, black leather chair. She tucked her legs underneath her and cringed slightly when I assumed she settled back and felt the plug still in her ass.

“You okay?”

“Yes, I just kind of got used to it at the restaurant and while we were standing, but now that I’m sitting again…” She continued to squirm for another second or two before she found a position that seemed somewhat comfortable.

“Just wait until I turn it on.”

Her eyes widened, and she swallowed hard as the lights dimmed around us.

“Color?” I asked. I wanted to push her out of her comfort zone, but I wasn’t going to do anything more if it was a limit.

“Green,” she whispered immediately.

Between us, I lifted the armrest and scooted closer, placing my hand on her thigh. The large screen illuminated, and I settled back into my seat.

Natalie was sitting stock-still, her spine straight, and her eyes locked on the trailer that had begun playing. I squeezed her thigh, and when she didn’t look in my direction, I dug my blunt nails into her skin hard enough to draw her attention.

She gasped quietly and finally looked at me.

No words passed between us, we didn’t need them. She knew by my expression that I was silently asking her to relax.

She leaned back and covered my hand, still gripping her thigh, with her own. I shifted even closer to her and relished the calmness that fell over me every time she was near. It wasn’t something I’d ever experienced before, but nothing about me and Natalie was normal. At least what I’d begun to think was normal.

Natalie was different.

I couldn’t spend enough time with her or inside of her. I’d talked to her more than I’d talked to anyone my entire life, and somehow the silence was just as comfortable.

Her quiet laugh pulled me from my thoughts. A trailer for a new romantic comedy was playing, and she giggled again as it ended.

She leaned closer to me. “That looks so funny. We should go see it,” she whispered.

The release date flashed on the screen: New Year’s Day . Ryder’s internship would be over by then, and the happy little bubble we’d been living in would finally burst. That moment, when what we’d been doing was bound to come crashing down around us. Reminders that it would eventually happen were everywhere.

After he came home. After I moved out. After life went back to normal.

It was like the past few months had been a vacation from my real life. A vacation I was desperate not to see end.

But there would be an after. No matter how hard I hoped it would never come.

The movie began, and I glanced at Natalie. She sipped her drink and was intently watching the screen. The light cast shadows across her face, highlighting the curve of her lips and her long lashes.

She caught me staring and smiled in my direction before setting her drink back down and getting a little more comfortable in her seat, shifting closer. My hand still resting on her thigh, she wrapped both of her arms around one of mine and laid her head on my shoulder.

Loving the feeling of her against me, those thoughts of “ after ” began to take root once again. But before they spun out of control, I reached for my phone. Eager for the distraction and to watch her squirm, I pulled up the app that controlled her toy.

Fully engrossed in the film, Natalie didn’t notice the dim screen of my phone. I hid it next to my opposite thigh and squeezed her leg. I leaned forward until my mouth was next to her ear, and I knew I had her attention. “You ready, baby?”

I barely heard her sharp intake of breath over the action on screen, but I didn’t hesitate to click the button on my phone. She startled, lifting out of her seat for only a moment and gripping tighter onto my arm. Her nails dug lightly into my forearm, but it was the only sign that anything had changed.

I glanced down and watched her capture her lower lip between her teeth and her eyes flutter.

“Good?” I asked, and she nodded instantly.

With a smile, I tapped my phone again and upped the vibration. Her reaction was the same: eyes still locked on the screen, she jolted from her seat, momentarily caught off guard by the sensation, and dug her nails deeper into my skin.

She was bound to leave small, half-moon indentations on my skin, and I loved that she was marking me similar to how I often marked her.

When we’d sat down, she’d tossed her coat on the seat next to her, and without it, I could easily see the rapid rise and fall of her chest.

My cock was angrily hard and pressing mercilessly on the seam of my jeans. I adjusted in my seat, but there was no relief. There wouldn’t be relief until I was inside her again, and that relief would only last as long as the orgasm.

There was no relief where Natalie was concerned. I wanted her more and more every fucking day.

“Theo,” she gasped, leaning into me and muffling her moans against my shoulder.

“Watch the movie, baby. We don’t want anyone turning around and seeing how fucking filthy you really are.”

Her lust-filled eyes were hooded and slowly rose before settling on my face. With some effort, she turned back to the movie and rested her cheek against my upper arm.

The way she clung to me settled something inside of me. Like she was experiencing something new and nerve-racking yet she trusted me to guide her through it.

Everything else faded into the background. I kept my eyes peeled for anyone glancing backward, but the few people in the theater were focused on the movie. The sounds of bombs detonating and rapid-fire gunshots that would normally be difficult to ignore vanished. Natalie was my only focus.

I tapped the screen again, and Natalie’s hand flew to cover her mouth. She squeezed her eyes shut.

“Open your eyes,” I instructed.

“Fuck, Theo. Someone is going to notice,” she groaned quietly.

“I’m watching, baby. I promise no one is going to see you. Just stay still and watch the movie.”

Somehow she managed to roll her eyes even through the onslaught of sensations.

“I can’t,” she panted, her jaw dropping open and her face contorting in pleasure. “I can’t stay still.”

She’d begun sitting in her seat with her legs crossed underneath her, but as I turned the toy higher, she’d pressed herself closer to me and shifted to her knees. I opened my mouth, poising near her ear to give her further instructions when I felt her body begin to move subtly. Her tits brushed my arm, and her thigh tensed underneath my palm.

It took immense strength not to move my hand higher or shift her onto my lap. Especially when I glanced down her body to find her hips moving of their own accord. She hovered above the seat and eagerly rocked her hips over nothing, searching for some sort of relief.

“ Fuck , look at you. Such a brazen little slut, humping the fucking air where anyone could see,” I murmured through gritted teeth.

What I wouldn’t have given in that moment to put my head between her legs and taste her fucking cunt. Her whimper at my words made me suck in a sharp breath. It was a struggle to control my own breathing or to maintain the composed, unbothered exterior I was supposed to portray when all I wanted was to bury myself so deep inside of her that she’d never be rid of me.

I glanced around us once again, and I buried my nose in her hair, breathing in her clean, warm scent. I could feel the tension in her body coiling tighter and tighter. She was on the brink of release, and I wanted to watch her fall over the edge.

“I can feel how close you are,” I whispered, and she choked back any sound before she cried out.

“I-I need,” she stuttered, and I shook my head.

“You don’t need anything else. You’re going to come just like this.”

A little bit of my restraint snapped with that thought. My right hand tightened on her thigh. I wanted to hold her, but I didn’t want to slow her movements. I had to muffle her moans with my other hand over her mouth. Her eyes widened as the theater was plunged deeper into darkness, the action on screen picking up in the background.

“Now,” I muttered low enough that there wasn’t a chance anyone else could hear. “You’re going to come, you’re going to keep your eyes on me, and you’re not going to make a fucking sound.”

Her moans were silent, but I could feel the vibrations against my palm. Her long lashes fluttered momentarily, but she didn’t close them. She kept her eyes on me, and I watched the ecstasy cross her face.

Her hips continued to move back and forth, and my hand tightened on her bare thigh. I was likely holding too tight, trying to keep myself under control, but she didn’t seem to care.

Her lips moved behind my hand, and I dropped it.

“Too much,” she half-choked.

Reaching for my phone, I turned it off, and she sagged back in her seat. My hold on her loosened, and I cupped her cheek, brushing my thumb at the corner of her mouth where her lipstick had smeared.

The theater around us suddenly lit up. White light from the screen momentarily blinded us, and the change allowed me to see the blush staining her cheeks and a light sheen of sweat glistening across her forehead and upper lip.

“How much longer is the movie?” she asked, pushing a hand through her dark, disheveled curls and doing what she could to right herself. But she still looked like she’d just come. There was no changing that.

I glanced up at the screen, but I hadn’t been paying attention, and I had no idea what was happening. People were fighting and running and panic had ensued.

“Actually, I don’t care. Can we go?” Natalie continued before I had a chance to respond.

“Don’t you think that would set a bad precedent if we left our first date early?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Why are you so eager to leave?” I teased.

She leaned forward and ran the tips of her fingers down the inside of my arm. I sucked in a sharp breath, and my cock twitched. Her eyes brightened with a stirring desire and glanced down to my lap. “Because this toy is really great, but I need you inside of me. Nothing feels as good as you. And I need you. Now. ”

In the next second, I was out of my seat, grabbing our coats, and reaching for her. She immediately slipped her hand into mine and intertwined our fingers. I led us quickly down the stairs and out of the theater.