The Marriage Contract Read online

  It hadn’t taken more than an hour for Devin to be examined and have his wound stitched. Cara disappeared sometime before the emergency room doctor made seven stitches to the gash on his forehead. When he was done, he informed Devin he was free to go. All he had to do was find Cara.

  He was just pulling on his blood stained T-shirt when Cara made it back to the examining room.

  “Where did you run off to?”

  She caught one sight of the soiled shirt and grimaced. “We're going to have to get you another shirt.”

  “Unfortunately, the gift shop is closed and probably a lot of the shops in town, too.”

  “We have bigger problems than getting you a shirt. I’ve been on the pay phone, trying to see if I could find us rooms for tonight.”

  He couldn't help but smile. “You changed your mind about staying the night.”

  “Since the last ferry back to the mainland is long gone, the decision was made for me. The only problem is, I can’t find a single room.” She threw her hands up in frustration. “I have no idea where we’re going to sleep.”

  Flinging the hospital gown he’d been wearing to the bed, he said, “We'll find something.”

  She laughed. “I’m glad you think so. I’ve just been told it’s against the law in Nantucket to sleep on the beach and this is the busiest time of the year. I’ve spent the last twenty minutes on the phone and there isn’t a room available on the island.”

  He shrugged. “People are always booking rooms and canceling at the last minute. Don’t worry about it.”

  Forty-five minutes later they reached the Graystone Inn. They’d walked the cobbled stone path to the front door, walking their bikes alongside of them.

  The Graystone Inn was located just off the main drag. While not along the beach like some of the other Inns, its charm and grace was striking. Mr. and Mrs. Patterson, the owners of the Inn, greeted them as soon as they walked through the door. Devin took charge of inquiring about a vacancy with Mrs. Patterson, while Cara spoke to Mr. Patterson about returning their bicycles to the bike shop at the wharf. When Mr. Patterson assured her that he would return the bikes for them, Cara found Devin in the main foyer.

  Devin lips lifted to a smile as he dangled a room key from his fingers. “I got the last room.”

  Too relieved to care about the details, she wasted no time following Devin upstairs to the privacy of their room. Their one room.

  * * *

  Devin slumped back on the goose down pillow to ease his throbbing head. This wasn’t exactly how he had envisioned spending this night alone with Cara. In his dreams, he’d pictured them deciding that being together was what they both wanted and Cara tossing all this nonsense about just remaining friends aside. He’d imagined a moonlit night where they would sit on the balcony and sip champagne. He’d lead Cara to the four poster bed and carefully strip every stitch of clothing from her body. And they’d make love over and over again until the sun rose over the bay.

  Instead, he lay on the bed as if he’d been bowled over by a bulldozer. Cara sat in a wing chair by the fireplace with her legs draped over the armrest. There was no romantic fire lit and no champagne chilling in an ice filled urn. She stared into oblivion as if she were deep in thought, her expression clouded and unreadable.

  If she were truly happy with her relationship with Roger, Devin would never attempt to come between them. Except, deep down he knew in his gut that she wasn't.

  More than a few times he’d looked at her during the day, only to find that she’d been gazing at him. He'd wondered what she thinking. Wondered if the memory of their kiss on the beach still haunted her the way it did him. Is that what she was thinking about now?

  Lord, he hoped so. He couldn’t stand to think of being in this alone.

  His mission was clear. This was his last chance to make Cara see that he was the man to be holding her each night and nuzzling her each morning. Labor Day was only a few days away. After that, Cara was sure to go back to her life in Boston. Without him. He couldn’t let that happen without her knowing exactly how he felt.

  There was still so much to tell Cara. Not the least of which was his plan to move back to Westport for good. But there was still time to talk about all of that. First, he needed to know if she’d have him at all.

  Cara forced herself from the wing chair she'd been slumped in and padded to the French doors leading to the balcony. It was raining, she realized, when she heard the rhythmic cadence of drops on the window panes. Neither the heavy rain nor the ceiling fan could assuage the humidity. There was no thunder or lightning anywhere, except deep in her heart.

  She thought about telling Devin about Roger's marriage proposal. She hadn’t thought about it all day, and she didn’t want to. Today she'd been too happy being with Devin today to allow any of the uncertainty plaguing her to intrude.

  It was easy during their day together. Being with Devin was easy. Of course, that was when she thought they were going home to their own separate beds, not nestled in a quaint island Inn on a stormy night with only one bed. The unbidden feelings for Devin she’d tried to push aside all day had found a welcome home in this cozy room. She couldn’t push past them any longer.

  The sound of the rain dancing on the window pane was surreal, almost whispering to her to reach out to Devin. You love Devin. Turn around and tell him you love him. I love you, Devin.

  The creak of the mattress caused her to angle back and look at him. God, he looked so good leaning up in bed, propped up on his elbow. The crisp white pillow case glowed against his tanned skin, golden bronze from their day in the sun. She could almost feel the hard lines of his chest beneath her palm, the swirls of his chest hairs tickling her fingers.

  Devin swung his long legs over the side until they hit the floor. His smoldering gaze captured her eyes and waged a war of emotions inside her.

  “Does your head still hurt as bad?” she asked softly.

  “The aspirin finally kicked in.”

  She noticed the tension lines on his face had smoothed. She'd been so frightened seeing him lying on the ground... “What you said back at the hospital, about being my next of kin. Why did you say that?”

  She took a quick breath and thought a minute. She hadn't given it any thought at all at the hospital. “I don't know. The nurse asked and I just said it.”

  He swallowed visibly. “After all these years, you think of me as your family.”

  She frowned. “Of course. It's impossible for me to think of you any other way.”

  “Me, too. I think I’ve always thought of you and Westport as my real home.” He inhaled a deep breath, expanding his chest. “I've decided not to go back to Manhattan, Cara.”

  Her eyes widened in disbelief. “Law, too?”

  He shook his head. “The firm, yes. But not Law completely. I still don’t know what I’ll do. Maybe I’ll teach some classes. Maybe just take on the cases I believe in when it feels right. I’ve got time to decide.”

  She puffed her cheeks, trying to comprehend this new revelation, this new Devin.

  He absorbed the space between them, but didn’t touch her. For that she was glad. She didn’t know how much control she had left.

  Planting his hands deep in his pockets, he asked, “Do you remember my father?”

  Regret tugged at her heart. “Not much.”

  “Unfortunately, neither do I. Except for that last summer before he died, I never really saw him. He was always working on some project. Something that always kept his from coming away with us for the summer or being there for anything that was important in my childhood.”

  He sighed heavily, seeing the pattern he learned early on had paved the way for him to follow.

  “I don’t want that, Cara. When I have children, I want to be there to watch them grow and help them achieve all they can. Or be there to brush off their knee when they stumble and fall. I want them to know me. That’ll never happen if I stay on the track I’ve been running. My father was a good man, but I ne
ver knew him. We never shared much of anything. I don’t want to wake up some day and realize the best part of my life was lived without me.”

  Cara didn’t say a word. She turned toward the sparkled drops of water running down the window.

  “This time away has done me a lot of good. I don’t want to play the game by their rules anymore. I want to live by mine.”

  Her knees went weak with his touch as he gently tugged at the hair band holding her ponytail in place. With long lingering strokes, he combed his fingers through her hair, sending shivers down her spine. She leaned with her back against his chest and felt the energy sizzle between them. She didn’t have to look at Devin to know what she’d see. She could feel it. Inside she was dying, thinking about what could be. And wanting it just as much.

  “Mia, Cara.” He breathed her name in a voice that was mysterious, seductive, calling out to her in words that weren’t spoken.

  She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t think. Cara had foolishly thought that this time with Devin would help make all the craziness of her life seem clearer. What a joke! After that night on the beach, she didn’t think anything could rattle her. But she was wrong. Just being with Devin was enough to make her entire body shudder like ice in a crystal glass.

  “It would be so easy for us to make love, Devin,” she said, pressing her forehead against the glass, the cold pane sending a chill through her hot skin. “But what then?”

  His deep rumbling chuckle enveloped her from behind as he hooked his arms around her. “We’d be a real family. A house, kids, the whole deal. We’d make an awesome team, don’t you think?”

  Devin’s words echoed in her head. We’d make an awesome team. We’d be a real family. God, how she loved the idea of being with Devin. Making babies with him. Making love with him.

  This change that had come over him was so drastic. Could he really be happy not driving himself in his career? Could she?

  It all sounded so wonder now. It always did in the beginning. But after a time, Devin would put his career before hers and expect her to choose between family and her career. Just like her Louise. Just like her mother.

  It would be easy, so easy to fall into bed with him and give in to the passion that was consuming her. And making love with Devin would be great. No doubt about it. But it would change everything. And what would be the cost?

  Their friendship, her mind told her. They’d lost it once because of ambition and drive. If they took this step forward, there’d be no going back. They’d be lovers, not just friends. If it didn’t work out, they could never go back to the friendship they'd had.

  Devin's face was drawn when she pulled out of his embrace. Her own arms felt as if she’d ripped them from her body.

  “Is that what you really want? I mean really?”

  “Yes.”

  “How can you be so sure? So much has changed for us in these last few days.”

  He inhaled and pushed his fingers through his hair. “I know it sounds crazy. Two or three months ago I’d have laughed in your face if you suggested my leaving the firm, wanting to have a family.”

  He reached out and placed both of his hands on her cheeks and kissed her softly on the lips. The room spun around them. “When I’m with you, I feel more like myself than I ever felt in Manhattan. Every friend I had in the city held a knife to my back, waiting for me to make one mistake so they could move in for the kill. I don’t have to watch my back when I’m with you. I don’t want to play that game anymore. I want what’s good and real. I want you, Cara.”

  The knot in her chest slipped free. She trembled beneath his touch. “The way you say it, it all makes sense.”

  A tide of emotion rolled over her. Devin pulled her into his arms and covered her mouth with his. She devoured his kiss, grazing her tongue against his lip until he opened up to her. If she’d ever wanted to fight this passion that had been building in them, she suddenly couldn’t remember why. In her mind, all she could think of was how every moment before was meant to lead up to this one moment when she and Devin would finally give their love to each other fully.

  Her hands had a mind of their own. She pulled and yanked at his shirt, until it was off him and she was free to bury her fingers in the dark matte of his chest hair. His muscles grew taut beneath her touch and she reveled in his response, wanting more of it.

  She’d dreamed of being in Devin’s arms, of how hot and strong he'd feel, making love until he’d possessed every ounce of her soul. And there she was, with Devin, plunging into the fire he’d ignited, burning with each stroke of his hands.

  He stepped back and dropped to the bed, bringing her with him. Cara straddled him, kissing, tasting him as if she couldn’t get enough. With one quick motion, she pulled her T-shirt over her head. Her bra followed just as quickly, and then her upper body was bare. As much as she longed to reach forward and feel Devin’s burning skin against her breast, she forced herself to hold back, allowing him to take pleasure in seeing her.

  His chest heaved as his eyes raked over breasts, inflaming her senses. Lord, she would never forget the hunger in his eyes, or the pure love she found there.

  “I want you, too, Devin,” she whispered, choking back a sob filled with emotion. “I want to make lo-”

  He rolled over her, kissing her like a starved man who'd finally found repast, searching, withdrawing over and over until a soft moan crept up her throat. He kissed her there, where the sweet sounds of her desire cried out. He made a trail of moist kisses down her neck, her shoulders, until he reached her heaving breast. He lingered there, taking pleasure with his mouth, driving her insane in the process.

  The barrier made by the remainder of their clothes did nothing to hide his hard arousal pressing against her thigh. She swore she heard him curse as he pulled his mouth away and began grappling with the belt on his denim shorts. She took that moment to free herself of the rest of her clothes, kicking them to the floor.

  And then they were gloriously naked, stripped of clothes and naked with raw emotion. With each lingering gaze, and cry of building passion, their feelings were crystal clear. It was as if a sheet had been pulled over their heads for seventeen years and only now, as they found fulfillment in each other’s arms, was it lifted.

  Devin ran his hand down the outside of her leg and worked his way back up the inside of her thigh. His fingers gently worked the soft moist spot at the apex of her legs with chilling expertise. Tossing her head back, she lifted her hips higher into his hand until his urgent massage made her cry out in delight.

  She opened up to him, unable to bear the aching need building inside her. Wrapping her legs around him, she stroked him with the same urgency he’d created in her until his breathing became rough. Still, he held himself back from entering her, as if to leave no doubt in her mind he cherished every inch of her being. And so, the give and take of pleasure ensued in an erotic dance of touching, stroking, tasting of flesh until both were on the brink of losing control.

  He entered her, slowly first, as if hanging on to the tiniest thread of control. As she gazed into Devin’s dark eyes, a hint of a smile played on his lips. She was his and he loved that fact. Trembling in his arms, she gave herself up to him and he drove himself inside her as deep as her body would allow. His chest heaved with every thrust and stroke. Digging her fingers into his hard shoulders, she held on and they rode the flame of passion bringing them higher and higher.

  She was vaguely aware of him calling out her name and then again, as her whole body tightened, building higher and higher until she cascaded to the other side.

  It took many minutes before she could breathe again. Rolling to her side, Devin gathered her up and curled her into his warm embrace until they drifted off to sleep.

  * * *

  Cara couldn't remember a morning she'd felt happier. She stretched her back and felt the tenderness making love with Devin left in its wake. Smiling with contentment, she grazed Devin’s cheek with her fingers as he lay beside her and nuzzled h
er chest against his wide back.

  How could she have thought making love with Devin would destroy them? It had been wonderful, more than she thought. She lay next to him, breathing in the seductive scent of his skin mixed with the scent of sex from the warm sheets. She couldn’t fall back to sleep, but Devin looked much too peaceful to wake.

  She grinned with delight the instant the idea popped into her head. She’d bring him breakfast in bed. Since she wasn’t the usual rise and shine person, it would make it a nice surprise when he woke up to have breakfast and a hot pot of coffee waiting. She carefully eased herself off the bed so as not to disturb his slumber and pulled the guest menu from the night stand.

  It was still early, but surely there’d be someone awake downstairs preparing for the morning breakfast in the dining room. All she needed to do was request it be sent to their room instead. If she called from the room first, she’d run the risk of spoiling the surprise if Devin overheard. Better to go downstairs and talk to the Innkeeper directly. That way she could carry the tray up to the room herself and rouse Devin in her own way when she returned.

  Gathering her clothes from the floor, she tip-toed to the bathroom to freshen up, wishing she’d had a fresh pair of panties and a toothbrush. Perhaps the innkeeper, Mrs. Patterson had some toothpaste and toothbrushes she could purchase. While she was at it, she’d buy a fresh T-shirt for Devin, since the one he’d worn yesterday was bloodied.

  A few minutes later, Cara skipped down the paneled staircase and rounded the corner from the main foyer, following the aroma of freshly ground coffee. Intuition and her nose told her where she’d find the kitchen. As usual, her nose was right on target as she pushed through the swinging kitchen door.