against his belly and then slid them inside his boxers. Her hands fondled the length of his erection, and he closed his eyes, dragging a shuddering breath into his lungs.
Where had all his self-control gone?
Maybe if he could get Devon to move her hands to another part of his body, he could rein in his runaway lust. She skimmed her fingernails along his tight flesh, and he thrust forward, a growl rumbling in his chest.
Balancing on one forearm, he grabbed both of her wrists and pulled her hands away from the danger zone. She had the nerve to smirk in his face.
He rose to his knees, straddling her. He tugged at the button on her pants, and yanked them down by the zipper.
“Hey, you’re going to rip them.” She slapped at his hand and lifted her hips from the couch, bringing her parts dangerously close to his parts.
She hitched up on her elbows and shimmied out of the pants, which caused another sledgehammer of need to pound into his belly.
He grabbed her hips, his fingers digging into her soft, rounded flesh. Then he scooted back until his head was level with the juncture of her legs.
“Oh.” Her eyes widened for a moment before her lids fluttered to half-mast, and she weaved her fingers through his hair, tugging him forward.
He tasted her, and with a soft moan, she dug her nails into his scalp. He caressed her swollen flesh with his tongue, and the taste and feel of her acted like a drug coursing through his veins.
He didn’t want a sleeping pill to knock him out. He’d rather stay awake all night long making love to Devon. He wanted to relearn every curve and hollow of her body. He drew back and landed a line of kisses along her inner thigh.
She gasped and clutched at his shoulder. “More, Kieran. I’ve missed you so much. I want all of you.”
Could he deliver? He’d gladly offer her all of his body, but could he ever let her into the dark recesses of his mind?
He’d start with his body.
He swung his legs over the side of the couch to peel off his shorts as Devon unhooked her bra and shrugged off her blouse.
They needed to finish this in the bedroom, or start it all over again. Kieran stepped out of his shorts and scooped up Devon from the couch.
And then he almost dropped her as a shrill scream sliced through the house.
Chapter Thirteen
Devon squirmed in Kieran’s arms. She knew that sound and it pierced a hole in her heart.
Kieran had tightened his hold on her in an instinctive response to the scream, but she didn’t need his protection now. Michael did.
“It’s Michael.” She forced the words from her constricted lungs.
Kieran released her and grabbed his shorts while she stuffed her arms into her blouse and clawed at the floor for her panties.
She banged her shin on the coffee table as she barreled toward Michael’s room. She shoved at the door, which she had left ajar and flicked on the light. Michael always recovered better from one of his nightmares with the lights on.
She stumbled to a stop and pressed her fist against her mouth.
Michael was sitting up in his bed, his rigid back lined up against the headboard, his wide eyes staring, unseeing.
Kieran nudged her. “Wake him up. He’s still sleeping.”
She tiptoed to the bed and sank onto the mattress. Brushing a dark lock of hair from his pale face, she whispered, “Michael, it’s okay. Wake up now.”
Kieran hovered behind her, his breath harsh. “Wake him up, Devon.”
Michael’s jaw tensed and his eyes flicked from side to side. She’d never seen him like this before. Once he screamed, he woke up from his nightmare. Now he seemed trapped in another world experiencing private horrors.
Kieran reached around her and grabbed Michael’s shoulders. He gave him a shake and shouted. “Wake up, Michael. Wake up.” He ripped the covers from Michael’s clenched fists, and shouted again.
Michael blinked. His body bucked. His mouth began working and mewing sounds escaped from his lips.
Devon lurched forward and folded her arms around him. Stroking his hair, she murmured in his ear.
He mumbled something into her shoulder.
“It’s okay now, Michael. You’re safe.”
He twisted his head to the side. “I’m not going home, I’m not going home, I’m not going home.”
Devon glanced at Kieran and shook her head. “That’s fine. You don’t have to go home. Do you want another story?”
Devon read him another story with more sound effects from Kieran. Every few pages, Michael would interrupt the story and ask if he was going home tomorrow. And every time, Devon assured him he was not.
When he drifted off to sleep, she and Kieran slipped out of the room. With tears blurring her vision, Devon went to her bedroom and flung herself across the bed.
“I thought he was getting better. That’s the worst I’ve seen him.”
“Have you tried asking him about his nightmares?”
She nodded. “I’ve tried, but he claims he doesn’t remember them.”
Kieran sat next to her and rubbed her back. “It was just a nightmare and he couldn’t wake up. He’ll be fine.”
“You don’t think that will cause a setback or anything, do you?”
“Nah. He’s just not ready to go home.”
She swiped a tear from her cheek. Even if Kieran was here to help carry the burden, she still had to remain strong for Michael.
“D-do you think you can stay here with him while I go up north to meet with Detective Marquette?”
“No way. I’m not letting you go to the city by yourself. Can you leave Michael here while we go up? You must still have some friends in Coral Cove.”
“I do, but none of them really knows Michael. I’m afraid he wouldn’t stay with a stranger.”
“How about Dr. Estrada? She’s not a stranger. He likes her, trusts her.”
“I don’t know if he’ll stay with anyone but me right now…except maybe you.”
“We’ll drive up and back, no staying overnight. Besides, you make dangerous company right now.”
She covered her eyes with her forearm. Was being with her putting Michael in danger? He’d been with her in the bathroom and in the alley. The thug who killed Mrs. Del Vecchio obviously didn’t have a problem with collateral damage.
“I suppose we can try it, but if he freaks out again Detective Marquette will just have to show me those pictures another day.”
“The sooner you look at that six-pack, the better. Who knows? You might be able to ID someone who’s been hanging around Coral Cove, and then Marquette can end this thing.”
She rolled to her side and propped her head up with her hand, her elbow digging into the bed. I’m glad you’re here, Kieran. I don’t know how I would’ve faced this chaos without you.”
He dabbed at a tear still hanging on the end of her lashes. “The way you’ve always faced it-with courage and fearlessness and gumption.”
“Did you just say ‘gumption’?” She raised an eyebrow. “How do you know about my gumption? You haven’t been around to see it.”
“I see it now. I see it in our son.”
With her free hand, she reached forward and slid her finger beneath the string that held his eye patch to his
