Chapter One

He started with my feet, which I thought really odd as I tried to remember if any guy had ever started with my feet before. Fighting the tickling sensation, I put a lot of thought into it to keep from laughing as he kneaded my toes before lightly licking one. His large, strong hands curled around the arch of each foot, massaging with intimate precision and sending tingles straight to my sex.

Time held no meaning for my lover, as he spent long moments setting my body on fire with his tongue sliding up my shin. His fingers danced across my quivering thighs but avoided the one spot that needed him most. My clit throbbed and desire burned in my veins. He moved over me slowly, massaging, caressing and tasting every inch of skin from my ankles up. Even parts of my body I'd never considered erogenous received a goodly amount of his expert attention.

Within seconds I seemed to melt into a puddle. Oh, it was so damn good! As his warm mouth moved past my knees my mind wandered, thinking of exactly what I could do to him in return once he'd finished. His magic fingers slid through my curls and, to my great disappointment, kept going to my waist. The ache in my moistening pussy made me whimper and I considered begging for release. He moved along my ribs to my breasts, where he finally paused for a minute or two of play. His thorough teasing of my hardening nipples sent a shiver up my spine that made me gasp. I whispered his name, a caress across my lips as sensuous as his fingertips on my skin.

His hands eventually curved around my head, where he threaded my hair through his fingers. He moaned as he sucked my lips into his mouth. His passionate kiss burned through me, straight down to my toes, and seemed to go on forever.

"Oh, Devon," I groaned in utter bliss.

I wrapped my legs around his waist and ran my hands up his well-defined biceps to encircle his neck. I held him captive against me, his thick cock hard against my soft belly. We were both panting, trying to breathe between kisses. I rubbed my body against his, loving the sensation of his warm, sweat-dampened skin as it slid over mine. It was the most erotic moment I'd ever experienced and I didn't want it to end.

But end it did…to the sound of my alarm clock.

"Damn it!"

I knew yelling wouldn't help. It certainly wasn't going to bring my dream guy into reality and make him whole between my legs. If I'd known what could do that, I would've done it two months ago when he'd first appeared on billboards all over town. Unfortunately, I started my day as frustrated as usual as I readied for work. I was dragging and soon running late…again.

Stepping out of my apartment, I considered taking the bus but it was a beautiful morning and walking took about the same amount of time. I decided to stop at the coffee shop, since I was already late, and picked up my usual mocha with a triple shot of espresso. Nothing like too much caffeine to get me through my usual Monday blues, which unfortunately included a staff meeting. I walked in during my manager's recitation on tardiness and received many stares and a few snickers, which I diligently ignored. After the meeting my boss, Sean, held me back with a glare and I knew what was coming.

"Mari, this is the third week in a row you've been late on Monday morning. I think you need to tone down your weekends if you plan on remaining in the realm of the happily employed."

I tried to look properly chastised as I wondered again why he preferred an unflattering military buzz cut. Sean was cute in a man-in-uniform sense, though I'd never seen him in anything but the requisite slacks and polo our store preferred. I wanted to point out to him that "happily" didn't quite cover it but since "employed" did, I simply kept my mouth shut.

"I really hate to have to do this, but we've gone beyond the verbal warnings at this point and I'm going to have to write you up."

I nodded silently, not exactly shocked at what I'd expected the last two times I'd been late. The paperwork took about five minutes and then I rushed off to restock from the weekend. Retail sales. God, how I hate it. Every idiot in creation comes out of the woodwork on the best of days. On the worst… Well, let's just say sometimes a high-powered rifle sounds like a good accessory to have.

The retail hell I worked in, dubbed Hardy's All Goods, was located right off the highway, minutes from downtown Houston and all the hustle and bustle of the fourth largest city in the country. Every now and again a high roller would wander through our doors, take a look at the chaos and walk right back out. We didn't exactly cater to that crowd. We attracted more of a blue-collar clientele, people headed home from work who suddenly remembered they were out of toothpaste or deodorant. During normal working hours, we got to see the stay-at-home moms with drooling babies and rambunctious toddlers who apparently ran the show.

This was my life, day in and day out. Yeah, I know suicide is always an alternative.

On the Monday of my discontent, I was stacking a display of diapers ten minutes before my lunch break when he walked in. No. "Walked" isn't quite right. Okay, he stalked—glided, waltzed?—into my store and into my life. Maybe blew in like a tornado is a better term, but at the time I didn't know he was going to send me into a whirlwind of change. I hadn't seen him in person since high school, but hell, who could miss that face? And that body, those eyes and…did I mention his ass? He was the epitome of manliness, the Romeo to my Juliet, a modern-day Adonis and the most eligible bachelor in town.

Devon Campbell.