“Yeah, but that’s not the issue.”
Devin’s eyes cooled. “I’m not a walking STD, Liberty.”
“Don’t deny you had a swinging door for groupies before we became exclusive. And I’m not just talking about the month before we became lovers. I’m worried about all the years before that.”
He studied her. “I’m not denying I’ve earned a reputation as a manwhore over the years. But I will tell you something no one else knows about the groupies invited to my ready room the past year and a half. I didn’t f**k a single one of them.”
Liberty couldn’t help but laugh. “While I appreciate a play on words, Devin, in this case it’s not funny. Especially since I know you preferred your women two at a time.”
“Like I said, I’ll cop to bein’ that f**k-any-hot-chick guy in the past, but I’m tellin’ the truth. I haven’t f**ked a groupie in almost two years.”
“But . . .”
“What about all the women I’ve had in my room and on my bus? I let them know up-front that they could blow me. Or give me a hand job.” He pushed a damp section of hair behind her ear. “Or if there were two of them, I gave them the option of putting on a girl-on-girl show for me. That’s it.”
She stared at him, but he wouldn’t meet her questioning gaze. “But I heard some of them talking afterward about your mad sex skills.”
“What they said had to be true, right? Because God knows, only fine, upstanding women offer to f**k a guy they don’t even f**kin’ know just because he’s had a few hits and has some money in the bank. No one—especially not women—ever lie about all the sex shit they’ve done and who they’ve done it with.”
“That’s not the point.”
“Yeah, it’s obvious that the f**kin’ point is that no matter what I say, you won’t believe me.”
Shit. “Devin—”
“Can we talk about this later? I’m getting a cramp in my ass and you need to move.”
“Sorry.” She scooted back and his dick slipped out of her easily since it’d gone completely soft. She threw her leg over the console and snatched her bra and T-shirt before she dropped into the driver’s seat.
Devin already had his jeans on, although his shirt remained unbuttoned. He powered the seat upright and jammed his feet into his shoes. Without looking at her, he said, “I’m walkin’ down to the water.” He opened the door and he was gone.
After she finished dressing, Liberty let her head fall back against the headrest. Her intent hadn’t been to piss him off after such sweet, perfect reunion sex. But dammit, she never did stupid shit like this—getting so caught up in the moment she forgot the most important rule—well, besides the one reminding her not to get attached. She’d forgotten that her health was entirely her responsibility.
While she loved her sisters, she hated that her mother had no f**king clue who her father or who Harper’s father was. She hated that her mother’s self-worth came only from her sexual conquests.
She let that thought wash over her.
From the beginning, Liberty had attributed that same mind-set to Devin, although she’d conveniently shoved it aside when she’d become one of his conquests.
Turning her head, she let the cool breeze drift across her hot face. Why was she sitting here, feeling guilty? She wasn’t the one with the multitude of random partners.
Screw this. She had a right to ask him questions about his past and even question his answers.
After another five minutes of wrestling with her temper and her demons and her stupid need to make sure Devin was all right, she got out of her car.
The breeze coming off the water turned the air chilly, so she grabbed a blanket out of the trunk and wrapped it around her shoulders.
The dry grass was slippery beneath her flip-flops as she started down the slope. A narrow stream zigzagged between the straggly copse of trees on the left and the craggy hill directly in front of her. Given the fairly barren topography, she suspected the stream came from deep underground. Her gaze followed the riverbank to where it disappeared around the bend.
Devin stood on the edge of the bank, in the tall grasses, hands in his pockets. From here she couldn’t tell where he was looking, but just by the slumped set of his shoulders, she knew he felt a little lost.
He didn’t speak until she was right behind him. “I’m surprised you didn’t leave me here after yet another display of my ass**le-ness.”
“I thought about it,” she said truthfully. “But then I realized running away is how I react when faced with a personal situation that makes me uncomfortable.” She rested her cheek on his biceps. “Whereas your reaction is to not let people get close to you in the first place.”
“You noticed that.”
“You forget I’m a highly trained, keen-eyed observer.”
He tugged her into his arms, pressing his chest into her back. “Sorry we forgot to use a condom. It won’t happen again.” He brushed his lips over the back of her head. “I can assure you that you won’t catch anything from me. I got a clean bill of health right before this leg of the tour started. I have to get tested every couple of months or else I can’t donate blood. The certificate is in the bus someplace.”
“I appreciate that, but you still need to explain those things you said to me.”
“I figured that.” His resigned breath stirred her hair. “I’ve never been embarrassed about what I did behind closed doors. Hell, I was proud of it. Women throwin’ themselves at me, and I didn’t hafta do nothin’ except make sure they didn’t knock me down.”