Page 86 of My Beautiful Sin

Devlin laughs. “Sorry. That’s not how I roll.”

I bite the corner of his ear. “No? Because I’ve done a little poking around on the internet, and there’s some interesting stuff about you and—”

He moves faster than I can deflect and pulls me onto him, somehow managing to keep the sheet in place so that Brandy doesn’t get an X-rated view of either of us.

“Brandy,” he says. “Please join us. I need backup.”

She laughs. “I was about to tell Ellie that I had just enough time to fry some eggs before I head out. Although if you really don’t mind, I’d love some business advice. I could move my first appointment...?”

She trails off, her expression hopeful.

Devlin looks to me.

I shrug. “I don’t mind. If you two want to talk about business at breakfast while I sit there bored out of my mind, that’s completely up to you.”

They look at each other, exchanging an amused glance. “Sounds like a plan,” Devlin says.

“Twenty minutes?” Brandy asks. “That should give me enough time to do some rearranging. Does that give you two enough time to get dressed?”

“Perfect. I thought we might take a walk on the beach after breakfast,” Devlin adds to me. “Which means neither one of us needs to spend too much time dressing for the day. Sound good?”

I nod happily, and as soon as Brandy leaves, I decide to forfeit the first three minutes of our allotted time by straddling Devlin. That plan goes to hell, though, when he takes me by the shoulders, then makes me squeal as he flips me onto my back, his thighs on either side of my hips, and his cock as awake as both of us.

“We don’t have time for that,” I say. “But I really wish we did.”

“Just a preview of coming attractions,” he says, shifting as he bends forward to kiss me so that his erection teases between my thighs, making me crave a hell of a lot more than we have time for this morning.

“Maybe we can be late,” I murmur, trying to spread my legs.

“That would be rude,” he says, moving his hips so that his cock teases me even more, and little shivers race through me, both frustrating and enticing.

“That would be rude?” I counter, making his eyes crinkle with amusement.

He bends closer, his tongue teasing the curve of my ear. “Later,” he whispers.

“Hell, yes, later. Later is when you’re going to pay, mister.”

He brushes a light kiss over my lips, then slides off both me and the bed. “We’re going to be late if we don’t hurry.”

“Payback,” I say, pointing a finger at him. “Soon.”

“I look forward to it.” He’s trying hard not to laugh, and not doing a very good job. “I’ll enjoy the anticipation.”

I narrow my eyes, then turn toward the dresser, ostensibly to get my clothes, but mostly so he can’t see my own effort at holding back laughter.

Since I’m dressing only in shorts, a tank top, and a lightweight hoodie, it takes me no time at all to get ready. Devlin takes a bit longer, since he came over in work clothes. But he keeps a gym bag in his car, and as he runs out to get it, I pull my hair back in a sloppy ponytail and put on sunscreen. And that is the sum total of my grooming for the day.

Soon we’re all three walking down the hill together, with Jake galumphing in front of us on his leash. It turns out that Brandy’s second appointment had to cancel so she’s got a full ninety minutes before she has to be anywhere. We grab a table at the Omelet Tree, one of the restaurants on the ocean side of PCH with a huge deck, a pet-friendly policy, and an incredible view. As Devlin and I take long swallows of coffee, Brandy sips Chamomile tea and Jake crunches on a dog bone, courtesy of the restaurant.

Despite the name, the restaurant is famous for its pancakes. Brandy and I get banana, but Devlin goes for gingerbread. As we all dig in, he and Brandy talk about ways to not only increase her sales, but also her visibility and her public presence.

“I really want to do something like you do,” she says. “Support something I believe in. Give back, you know? But I’m still all about making a profit. I started BB Bags on a shoestring, and it amazes me that it’s doing well. But it is.”

“That’s because you worked hard, and it’s paying off. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to make a profit,” Devlin says. “You’re running a business. And the better you run it, the more money you make, and the more you can not only expand and prosper, but the more you can support causes you believe in.”

I listen as they discuss the possibilities, outlining what Brandy wants to accomplish and what charities she wants to both support and promote. They also float the possibility of Brandy launching a nonprofit arm herself. Devlin tosses out a few more concepts, but mostly he promises to think about it and get back to her with some concrete ideas that they can discuss.

“I really appreciate this,” Brandy tells him. “Especially knowing how busy you are. It really means a lot to me.”