Page 37 of Wicked Shadows
“Okay, Devon. You can tell me later, when you’re ready. I’ll be here.”
He gripped her hand in his, pulled it to his mouth, and pressed his lips to the back of it tenderly. “You have no idea how much that means to me, Elle. Knowing you’re here for me. Some days, it’s all I have.”
“When are you going to tell me what your work involves? What you do. Where you go. Why you only show up for a few weeks or days at a time, then leave again. Even after all this time, there’s still so much I don’t know about you. But you know everything there is to know about me.”
“It’s not fair, I know, and I’m truly sorry it has to be this way. My occupation is dangerous, to say the least, and has always demanded unquestionable loyalty. My path hasn’t been as well-lit as yours. When you step outside, hundreds of bright lights from cameras flash from every direction to capture a glimpse of you. My world has been in the shadows, where I’m invisible.”
“That’s why you refuse to be photographed with me? Because of your job?”
A mixture of pain and relief permeated her tone, instinctively prompting him to jerk his gaze to hers. “I’m such a fucking idiot. Darlin’, I never realized I’d hurt you over that. My…activities…mandate I stay out of the public eye. I’ve gone to great lengths to keep my fugly mug out of the papers. If I could, I’d be in every picture with you. The world would know without a doubt you’re mine.”
“Does your world know you’re mine?” She dared to ask, taking a gamble with her heart in a new way.
“To protect you, my world doesn’t know you’re associated with me in any way. But I think what you’re really asking me is if the other ladies of the world know I’m yours. The answer is no, they don’t know anything about you. Or me, for that matter.” He paused and looked at her again. “ButIknow who has my heart, Elle. That’s all that matters.”
Devon turned onto a long, winding driveway lined with sycamore trees and followed it through the rolling hills covered with rows upon rows of grapevines. Danny and Tanya Moore had bought the one-hundred-thirty-acre property soon after they’d migrated west and transformed it into a family business. Their son Mark had successfully managed and built the winery operations, establishing a lucrative vintner’s private reserve with a long waiting list.
“Look who beat us here,” Elle remarked, inclining her head toward the car parked outside the garage.
Devon’s disbelief over what sat directly before his eyes prevented his keen eyes from identifying it first.
“What are my parents doing here?”
Elle laughed out loud, leaned forward in her seat, and fixed her eyes on his shocked expression. “I can’t believe I actually pulled it off. You’ve always known when I’ve tried to hide anything from you. Not this time, though. My acting skills are definitely improving.”
“You’re an incredibly bad distraction, because there’s no way I’m losing my touch. I’ll just have to watch you closer and use different tactics in the future. Now, seriously, what are they doing here?”
“They’re vacationing at my parents’ house for a couple of weeks. They don’t get to see each other as often as they’d like. Or you, from what they’ve told me.” Elle pierced him with her perceptive stare.
“Sometimes I have to choose between going to visit them in Georgia or you in California. The odds of me pickinganyoneover you are slim to none, darlin’.”
“You’re going to blame me when we get inside, aren’t you?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely.” He grinned, and the mischief sparkled in his eyes.
Ready to face both families and get the questions out of the way, they exited the car and walked to the front door hand in hand. Elle glanced over her shoulder at Devon when she crossed the threshold into the sprawling home. “Are you ready for this?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
A concurrence of laughter and voices engaged in multiple conversations at once echoed off the walls, emanating from the kitchen. Elle was greeted by a moment of silence when the families realized she’d arrived. Then the entire group jumped to their feet and rushed to Elle and Devon upon seeing them together. Hugs, handshakes, and squeals of delight filled the home—along with love.
“Devon, what are you doing here?” Tracey, his mom, asked as she wrapped her arms around him.
“Do you want me to leave?” he asked playfully and started moving toward the door.
“No!” She laughed and shook her head. “You know what I meant. How did you even know we were here?”
“He didn’t have a clue until we were already here and I told him,” Elle bragged. “I was finally able to keep a secret from him after all these years we’ve been seeing each other.”
Devon shut his eyes tight and winced, waiting for the onslaught of questions to begin.
“Years?” Tracey’s whirled back to Devon. “You’ve been seeing each other foryears,and I’m just now hearing about it?”
Without even looking at Elle, he felt the heartache radiating off her from his mother’s innocent declaration. Elle turned on her heel and started to walk away, but he caught her before she could get away. One muscled arm circled around her waist and pulled her back to his front, holding her firmly against his chest. His other arm wrapped around her, securing his hold. With his chin resting lightly on her shoulder, he kissed her sweetly on the cheek.
“That’s right, Mom. Elle and I have been together since just before her twenty-first birthday. She came to Miami while I was working there, and we’ve been together ever since.”
“You never tell me anything, Devon,” Tracey accused, her finger pointed at him and her other hand on her hip. “I hope you don’t keep everything a secret from Elle like you do from me.”
