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Devil In The Waters, Book 3, Chapter 18 (complete)
🕑 Added 2020-03-29 00:00:00 +0000 UTCSix o’clock now, and she walked the pale marble of the Royal York’s lobby dressed all in black and wearing new heels she’d bought for eight hundred dollars this afternoon. They clicked on the transition from the grand hotel’s hall where it met the stone floor of the Clockwork. Heads turned at the sound and she flinched, alarmed at the attention the sound high heels brought. Then changed her mind and enjoyed the following gaze of a few well-dressed men sitting in lounge chairs and on couches.
The Clockwork was the lobby’s reservation-only luxury lounge. A long and narrow space with high ceilings, the fixtures and decor recalled the hotel’s railway history. At the back, the bar stood below two very tall racks of backlit shelving lined with liquor. At the top of the bar’s towering shelves, a train station clock showed the little hand on the six, big hand past twelve. The barman dressed in black and white; the tables were low, seats comfortable and upholstered in fine fabrics; the seating spaces were intimate and softly lit. Devlin sat in the center on a couch by himself, one leg crossed over the other. He watched her come to him.
She didn’t smile, didn’t give him any expression but the poker face she reserved for court. But her insides squirmed in awful anticipation. She wore no panties under her skirt.
Stopped couch-side, she looked mildly at their seating—two opposing sofas in amber velvet—said, “Our guests haven’t arrived yet?”
“Not yet,” Devlin said, then patted the sofa, “come sit with me.”
When the guests arrived they would sit together opposite them, so she tucked her skirt behind her thighs and sat next to him on the couch, putting her purse on her lap. Phone from her pocket, she shut it off and put it in her bag, set the bag on the floor. “What are you having?” she asked, nodding her chin to the cocktail on the table in front of him.
“Whisky cocktail. Foreign Exchange. I’ll order you one.” He signaled for a server and she crossed her legs, putting her back into the sofa’s corner.
Devlin’s eyes moved up and down her stocking leg from knee to foot. “I love the new shoes, Kimmy,” he said. Then the server was there before she could comment, and he ordered for her what he was drinking.
She said, “Are our guests running late? How long do we wait?”
Devlin checked his watch. “They’ll be along soon. You’re anxious to get home?”
“It’s been a long day.”
“Mel’s shipment still rotting on the dock?”
“I’ve made headway,” she said.
“Tell me about it.”
“I’ll wait till it’s confirmed.”
He raised an eyebrow. “That’s exciting, Kimmy. ABM said they hit a roadblock.”
She nodded but offered nothing more.
Her drink arrived. She sipped and Devlin watched her.
“What do you think?”
“I think you’ve made me like whisky. What’s in there—cherry?”
He nodded. “Maraschino liqueur.”
She checked her watch. “This isn’t going to sound crazy—because I know you—but I get the feeling there are no guests coming.”
He chuckled softly, brushed his pant leg, then set his cocktail back down. “And yet you came.”
“You said it was for work.”
“You bought new shoes.”
She flexed her foot so she could eye her new purchase. “I saw them, I liked them, I bought them,” she said.
“You’re chillier than I expected.”
“I’ll warm up when the guests arrive.”
“They’ll be here soon,” he said, “drink up.”
She sipped her cocktail again; spice, whisky, cherry. It burned, it was sweet and smoky, and she liked it. Liked sitting here too. Sitting here in a luxury hotel with everyone wondering who this beautiful couple was sitting in a space reserved for four, standing out in their black clothes and their sharp and commanding features. Devlin wore a suit in black with a thin chalky stripe; white shirt with French cuffs, silk tie in azure and knotted perfectly. The watch he wore today was gold to match his cuff links. Hair slicked back and face shaved, he looked devilish and powerful; like he belonged here. She wore her best suit, also in black. Hose and garter belt, her lingerie bra. She’d worn the matching panties, then in the car in the underground she’d stripped them off and hid them under her seat. What the hell for, she didn’t know. But she’d worn them all day and they’d be pungent, and even though there wasn’t a chance Devlin would have been putting his hand in them tonight, she felt funny about it. Then walking in the chill of the underground, her stomach had tightened with the thrill of meeting her awful boss without them on.
She set her cocktail on the table. “Look, Devlin. I hope you remember when you said anything between us wasn’t part of my employment.”
He nodded, waiting.
“Because . . . I can’t.”
He showed her his palms, shrugged. “Never say never.”
“I talked to Josh this weekend.”
He smirked. “Did he find our texts?”
She scoffed at the awful thought. “No. But we just . . . talked.”
“What did he say?”
She looked around the bar, watched people having much easier conversations by lamp light, laughing, smiling, leaning close. This would be much nicer if she were here with Josh and they were having a good time. “I remember you had a reputation in high school—”
“For what?”
“For being a bully. And Josh . . . told me you weren’t very nice to him.”
Devlin didn’t object, moved his eyes around like this news was already obvious. “No, I probably wasn’t.”
She waited a long beat, and he waited along with her. “It makes me uncomfortable.”
Devlin nodded again, watching her, contemplating. He leaned to take his cocktail, sipped, held it on his knee. “Kimmy, no one wants to relive high school. Not me, despite what people might think about guys like me. Everybody assumes to guys like me they’re the glory days . . . I know they’re not. I’ll tell you, I’m a million miles away from that guy I was in high school. I’m not like that anymore. Guys like Josh want me to be. They can’t get away from it. Look at you. Are you like you were in high school?”
“What was I like in high school?”
He flashed a smile. “Blunt?”
“The truth.”
“I didn’t notice you. I didn’t know your name. Well, I knew it was Kimmy. But you were just a skinny Chinese girl who knew all the answers. Got hundred percents. Never, ever saw you out of school. What do I think of you now?”
“I didn’t ask. You’ve already told me what you thought of me now.”
“Right. That proves my point, doesn’t it?”
She averted her eyes to her skirt’s hem. “Maybe.”
“Are you that same girl from high school?”
“No.”
“You wear khaki pants and pastel sweaters with fucking bunnies and shit on them.”
She chuckled. She’d like to. “Sometimes I like to be comfortable.”
Now Devlin smiled and eased closer. She realized she’d given him some room. “Tell me this. Did that skinny stick from high school ever think she could be the kind of woman who’d put on an expensive black dress, thousand dollar shoes, fucking walk in a room like this and get every man looking? Make a man like me swallow hard, get his dick hard, make him work overtime coming up with ways to get you upstairs and into a hotel room . . . Did she ever think she could be like that?”
She hummed in her throat, scratched her neck, looked around again. “No.”
He smiled. “That shy girl—who was so fucking pretty, but so fucking nerdy—the one Amy brought to my house telling me she thought we could get her in bed, would she ever believe the things we’ve already done?”
She shook her head. “Definitely not.”
“You wanted to that night.”
She laughed. “With you and Amy?—I did not.”
“You did. You did but you were scared.”
She rolled her eyes. “So what?”
“Amy picked you. She swore you’d go for it."
“But I didn’t . . . I wasn’t your choice?”
“I kinda knew who she meant when she told me. I was happy when you showed up.”
She chuckled—surprised she could chuckle over the awful event that had shook her teenage life. An event she’d distressed over for years afterward. How could Amy do that to her . . . did the hottest guy in high school actually think she was worthy . . .? A year of reeling from one side to the other: insult and regret. “I had no idea what Amy wanted me there for.”
“You ran.”
“I did.”
“I don’t think you’d run from me now.”
“I’m not running. I’m not afraid. It’s Josh. It’s what you did to my husband when we were younger . . . and . . . what he says you’re doing now.”
Devlin frowned, puzzled. “What am I doing now?”
She rubbed at her temple: the first break in her stony demeanor. She corrected it. “That Double-A stuff is just dumb and mean—”
“That was back in high school.”
“You were saying it to me and Amy at Tiffany’s party and you said it in my apartment.”
He chuckled. “It is dumb. You’re right. I wouldn’t say it to Josh’s face, if that would make you feel better.”
“It’s still juvenile.”
“Your husband was— never mind . . .”
“Say it.”
“He started it.”
She grunted, frowned. “Called himself Double-A?”
“No-no, I started that, or one of the other guys. It started because . . . he was checking out my piece in the shower. I’m an asshole. Sorry. But, Kimmy, I called him that when I was thirteen. You know how stupid thirteen-year-old boys are?—really stupid. And mean.”
“I don’t care, Devlin,” she said. “That’s just . . . you left your card in my front hall table.” She met his eyes.
He nodded, waiting for the bad part.
She said, “Then you texted Josh to let him know it was there.”
He shook his head like he’d been told something impossible. “I did what?”
“You texted him it was there so he’d know you were in our apartment.”
“I certainly did not,” he said, amused, “Josh told you that?”
“You did,” she said, but the whole while gauging his reaction, springing it on him in a calculated move. And unless he’d prepared his response in the mirror, it seemed genuine surprise.
“I don’t even know Josh’s number,” he said, looking around the lounge, his expression tickled—like he’d realized her barrier to sleeping with him was some lie her husband had told her about him, and that barrier was made of cardboard. “Why would I do that?”
“He says to fuck with him.”
Devlin struggled with an answer for a moment, still gladdened by her accusation. “Kimmy, I’m not the guy I was. You’re not that girl. Josh is stuck there. Can’t get his brain out of the last decade. Don’t let him hold himself back. Let him grow up. And for sure don’t let him hold you back.”
“He doesn’t hold me back ever. He supports me.”
“Look at me,” he said, expression going serious, “I did not text Josh I was in your apartment. Why the hell would I do that? I want it a secret more than you.”
“More than me?”
He laughed. “I want to fuck you more than you want to fuck me.”
She scoffed, but a shiver got her shoulders shaking and nipples tightening hearing him say fuck. “Right,” she said, but was thinking maybe he wasn’t kidding. “Then how did Josh know the card was there?”
“Jesus, Kimmy. You’re the smart one. Josh found it. Then made up a story about how he found it.”
It was what she’d worried. Poor Josh. “Why would you leave it there?”
“For you.”
“You left it where anyone could find it. Like my husband.”
“I put it to the side where no one would see it. I wait three days, if I don’t hear from you, I text and tell you to look in the drawer . . .”
“Like a dumb magic trick.”
“Not everything I come up with is a winner.”
“It was dumb and risky and you must have known there would be a chance Josh would find it.”
He flicked his eyes away, looked back. “Careless, yes. On purpose, no. If I wanted to fuck with Josh he’d know about it. There would be no mystery. I don’t think about Josh. I think about you.”
“It could have jeopardized my marriage.”
“I admit it was careless.”
“If anything I do harms my husband, it’s untenable. If you bully him—or have someone else do it—I’m out. Out of Stone, too.”
“Kimmy, Josh is just jealous. Jealous of you spending time with me, jealous you make way more money than him now. He’s stuck in high school. You know it. I’m an asshole, yes. But I’ve got better things to do . . . I left high school ten years ago, if I had time for games like that I’d need my head examined. Josh is trying to pull you back and he’s making up crazy shit because he doesn’t know any better way to deal with problems.”
She looked away, twisting her mouth around. Somewhere along the way, she’d crossed her arms.
Devlin said, “You know that makes more sense than what Josh told you.”
“I thought about it.”
Devlin asked her: “Do you think power is infinite?”
“What are you calling power?”
“This imaginary force you think one exerts over another. Me over Josh.”
“Infinite? No.”
“Then it’s finite.”
“Yes.” She shrugged a shoulder. “So?”
“Is it tangible? Can it be possessed?”
“Sure. It can be possessed. No. Not tangible.”
“If it’s not tangible how can one possess it?”
“I don’t know,” she said, letting out an agitated exhale. “It’s talk like this that got us fighting last time. Is that your plan?—pin me down on the floor here . . . Okay, how does one possess power then?”
He said, “Power is granted.”
She said, “Power is a privilege.”
“Is it? Maybe, but not in the way you think.”
“What the hell are you talking about here?”
“Giving me the label of bully to place blame, to hang it on my shoulders, is as imprecise as labelling Josh a victim. It’s only labels. It’s not truth. Josh and I exchanged energy. The victim draws the bully in, not the other way around. Sometimes someone’s soft energy inspires aggression.”
“He doesn’t ask for it.”
“All due respect: his behavior asks for it.”
She huffed and rolled her eyes again.
“Josh grants the power. The power is bestowed by the weak. Josh’s weakness draws its own response. His weakness can draw the nurturer, like you, or it can draw the dominant like me. Either way, Josh is the one signaling for a response. Darkness isn’t the opposite of light, it’s the absence of light. Cold is the absence of heat. Weakness is the absence of power. And like cold will draw heat, Josh’s weakness will draw strength. When I see weakness I am pulled to it. I don’t seek out weakness out of arrogance or bullying, but when I encounter it, my reaction is magnetic. I’m pulled to it, to quash it, to fill power’s absence.”
“Very philosophical. And nonsense.”
“If Josh didn’t want to be bullied he shouldn’t let himself be bullied.”
“So he wants to be bullied?”
“No. He doesn’t. But I bullied him. Me and others. When we were young. And that’s the way Josh set up his mental office. All his drawers and shelves are lined up and organized to deal with how others interact with him. How he handles you, how he handles work . . . even the pleasure signals in his brain are all arranged to cope with his fears.”
She sat for a long time not saying anything and actually contemplating his ridiculous philosophy.
Devlin asked: “Why are you smirking—what are you thinking about?”
She chuckled, playing with her earlobe, looking away, then back to him. “When I went home after the day we spent in Hamilton—you know, in the cargo container—I was so worried, I was shaking. Worried I’d get caught and I’d hurt him. But then . . .”
“Yeah?”
“Then . . . when it was obvious I got away with it, I . . . I’d been worried he’d smell sex in my hair, but when I got away with it, I asked him . . .”
Devlin’s features were anxious, leaning close. “Go on . . .”
“I asked him to smell my hair.” She scrunched her nose and then laughed. It’d been an awful thing to do—but it had been so exciting.
Instead of laughing, Devlin leaned back, tugged his pant leg, shifted, his mouth hidden behind a hand, playing with his lip. “That’s so hot, Kimmy.” His voice was a low, dry grumble.
“It was awful. Not hot. Awful.”
“Why did you do it then?”
“I don’t even know. It was like . . . I knew he didn’t suspect, and I . . . I couldn’t believe he didn’t suspect it. How could he not? I asked him to smell my hair—for fertilizer—when earlier in the night if he came near me, I was so scared he’d smell sex that I wanted to run out of the room. Once I knew I got away with it . . .”
“You liked rubbing it in his face?”
“God, no. Oh, no way. Do you think that’s what I mean? No. I don’t know what it was, but putting it under his nose and he couldn’t tell . . .?”
“Kimmy the thrill-seeker.”
“Maybe,” she laughed. “That’s what it was: thrilling. That’s exactly how it felt.”
“You like getting away with it.”
She nodded. “I don’t want him to know, I don’t want to hurt him, but, yes, I loved getting away with it.”
“He drew that out of you. When he’s weak, his wife is strong.”
She rolled her eyes. Devlin smiled, mean, eyes narrowed.
“Well,” she said, “that brings us back to start. No guests coming. No texts from guests while we’re waiting saying they’re almost here. You haven’t checked your watch, haven’t checked your phone. You brought me here for one thing.”
“I did.” He looked at her without apology.
“Josh lied to me about some text from you because he does suspect it now. He’s worried. I don’t want to hurt him. I love him.”
“He doesn’t have to know.”
“I’ll know, Devlin. I can’t. I know-I know, I want to, you don’t have to tell me, but I can’t do it. I think I have to go.”
She picked up her purse, stood and slung it over a shoulder. Devlin held her wrist before she could walk away. She waited to hear what he’d say.
“You’ll arouse him when you’re bad.”
The thought leaked into her brain and flipped her stomach. Her knees weakened—but she shook her head no. “I’m not bad.”
“You are and Josh knows it.”
“No, he doesn’t,” she said, and tugged her arm back. “Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said, and walked around the couch and out to the lobby without looking back. But it was in the wide open space of the marble concourse, where her clicking heels disappeared amongst all the other footsteps and voices of the busy hotel, that she felt the sogginess between her legs. Her thighs stroked against each other like they were oiled. The whole time with Devlin, with his arrogance and masculine charm, she’d fought off her desire for him. Somehow, when he’d talked about Josh, she’d grown more deeply aroused. She stopped a moment and stood in place, pretending to look for her phone, but actually flexing her thighs together to test the mess. Could she have wetted the back of her skirt? Hand behind her she tugged the tail of her suit jacket, satisfied it would probably cover.
There were cushioned seats lined around the base of a square marble column, and she rested there a moment, gathering herself; inhaling deep, exhaling like she would before a yoga class. She hugged the purse to her stomach and people-watched for a few minutes before she’d slumped, forearms on her knees, eyes on the marble floor.
When she raised them again a motionless man on the other side of the lobby got her attention. Devlin standing there and watching her, people moving around him, one woman looking back to admire him. Tall, dark, handsome, well-dressed, sexy, hung. In his hand he held a key card. No gesture made to her now, he simply turned and walked deeper into the Royal York. She watched him go, gently beating fists on her knees. Then she rose, slung her purse, turned around and headed to the underground parking. Turned around again, stopped, turned back. Decided, she turned around one more time and passed through the lobby, walking under the art deco chandeliers and past the huge concierge desk and down the hall alongside the Clockwork, headed to the elevator bank. Devlin stood regarding the numbers on the panel waiting for an elevator cab to arrive. She stood next to him. He looked to her and smiled, looked back to the descending numbers. When the elevator doors opened, she got in first, Devlin gesturing for her to go ahead.
Comments
RCH
I fear that Kimmy and Devlin have perished in the elevator! Josh never arrived to alert anyone of their plight! A moment of silence please! A true tragedy has befallen our community. Lost to us is the promising young lawyer, hot wife and cuckoldress: Ms. Kim Chang. Lost along with Ms. Chang was her employer the well know businessman Devlin Stone. Mr. Stone will be remembered by his aggressive lifestyle that he brought to life as well as business. Devlin was well known for his motto "The best time to kick a man is when he is down!" Also his ability to delegate the dirty work to others. The loss of Devlin will leave many women in his life a sense of emptiness and longing for something left unfulfilled. Service will be held in Kingston this Saturday. Ms. Chang's family requests that a donation to the Immigrants Rights Foundation of Greater Ontario. :) How everyone doing? Wife and I made a trip to Costco this afternoon things are getting back to normal except for TP but that should settle out in a few more days as well. There is a line because of the social distancing I would say the parking lot was half full or so. People are settling in to the situation. I've been cut down to 3 days a week. Luckily I have some side consulting I can do from home that will last another month or so.
CSH
Been checking every day as well.
CSH
Josh is frantically pleading for the hotel staff to help Kimmy and Devlin escape from the elevator they’re trapped in. He can hear her screaming and banging on the sides of the elevator and moaning in despair. Strangely, Devlin seems to laughing.
RCH
Pain level is rising! Kimmy and Devlin have been stuck in the elevator for 5+ days. Were is Josh? Is he waiting at home? In the lobby staring at the clock? Has he developed carpel tunnel syndrome? Sorry I'm just getting anxious!
RCH
Finished Ozark last night. Lawyers can't trust them!
Chinookfan72
CSH I‘d imagine you aren’t alone. I’m thinking one big chunk only makes sense if it’s already done. If KT is still writing then it only makes sense to release smaller sections. In that case some sort of alert would be nice to those of us who prefer to read these parts in one go would be nice..
Wess
Perhaps another tasty drawing of the final conquest?
CSH
Gotta say I’d prefer to have a series of shorter updates to waiting a week for a longer section.
CSH
Yep. And since by the time the lie is discovered she may have already gone far past that content in terms of manipulating, teasing (or bullying) and deceiving Josh it’s unlikely she would get too bent out of shape over Devlin having sent some bullying texts. Maybe she’ll even join in eventually!
Chinookfan72
Yeah.. when it all comes out, if Devlin is lying, it’s not going to be the lie that should upset Kimmy. It’s the content of the messages she should be upset about. So if the messages themselves don’t bother her Devlin’s lie won’t either.
Chinookfan72
I preferred Teacher’s Pet more. I really like the Grace and Angle interactions.
RCH
Amen on that DnD, time for another dose of Josh angst! wonder if we'll get another chapter soon?
RCH
Just finished "Teachers Pet". Again well written and characters are interesting.
Chinookfan72
Thanks KT! I wish I had a solid solution for you but this seems tricky.. I’m more than happy waiting for one long part to be released once it’s finished, but you have more patrons to consider.. Perhaps just a note at the top of the last chapter letting those of us who choose to wait that it’s okay to start reading. 🤷🏻♂️
DavidnDaria
I'm thiking this next chapter will likely be about Josh and what he does or doesn't do.
Chinookfan72
You’re welcome KT! Glad to hear we have more to discover about Grace, and if those unpublished books are similar to the ones just put out I’ll gladly give them a read.
JL23
My guess is we find out in the next chapter. I could see it either way.
CSH
Yep. Till she finally admits she’s all in.
JL23
I think the history of Kimmy in this story is that she’s constantly lying to herself about how far she wants to take it with Devlin and then just moves the goalposts whenever she can no longer justify it to herself. So I see the “just once” thing as another of these. It will become “just twice”, then “just on occasion” and so forth.
CSH
Agree with chinookfan72 here. I think it’s just convenient to believe Devlin now. Later it won’t really matter. She’s going to manipulate the hell out of Josh anyway.
RCH
Well that will be interesting to explore Just getting into "Teachers Pet". The characters are so rich and fascinating. It will be interesting to see were Grace and Baron take Angel. I have to say one aspect of BDSM I do find titillating is forms of body modification Tattoos, piercings, etc. Branding is a bit over the top for me but that is just me.
RCH
Last chapter was a hell of a place for a cliff hanger. Hum... wondering if the next chapter/new book will be from Josh's perspective or the goings on in one of the Gold suites in the Royal York? Can't wait to see what Devlin has planned for Kimmy! Or the Kimmy that emerges from that suite later! Now that Kimmy is buying Devlin's "no texts" I wonder if Devlin might tell Kimmy about Josh wanting her to have sex with another? I'm look forward to the sex but more so the aftermath and how she handles Josh. At least she will have the opportunity to cleanup before she heads home this time. I still don't see her running the risk of staying the night. She can have 2-3 hours with Devlin and head home 11-11:30pm. That give them enough time to go a couple of times. Realistically Kimmy will have trouble walking after that. Anticipation...
KT Morrison
Yeah, this might be a good call. It won't be one chapter. It'll be many. Hmm...
KT Morrison
Ha ha, tell me about it. Somewhere over 50k words for book 3. And still going . . .
KT Morrison
Grace and Kimmy can't be cousins—there's more to discover about the mysterious Grace Chen . . .
KT Morrison
Ha ha, thank you! Glad to find some BDSM fans! I have so many unpublished BDSM books here at the Licorice offices, now I just have to get them polished and publish them . . .
Chinookfan72
I Wonder if Grace Chen and Kimmy Chang could be cousins... Perhaps Grace can make a trip to TO to see her favorite cousin and give her some dom training..
Chinookfan72
Agreed, I don’t usually read just BDSM stories.. I don’t mind when say BDSM is a part of a cheating wife or hotwife story, but BDSM by itself doesn’t bring enough spice for me.. But, as you said, the characters are so well written and the sexual stuff is surprisingly.. I’m totally in on book 3,4,5,6,7 whenever they come out.
RCH
Just about to finish "Good Girl" I'm enjoying the story. BDSM is not my normal cup of tea but this is well written and I'm fascinated by the characters. Keeva Lashley has my interest!
Chinookfan72
this is OT, but I just finished “Good Girl” and “Teacher’s Pet” and I gotta say Keeva Lashley is my new second favorite author... Not sure how Licorice Books keeps find all this top talent!
CSH
And she mentions here it excited her to get away with it. She’s going to want the feelings that submitting to Devlin and manipulating Josh give her. How many drug addicts said “just this once” then liked it too much to stop? Hell, even Josh likes it too much as shown by the “if she makes me feel like this, then who cares if she works for Devlin” moment.
DavidnDaria
Kimmy turned off her phone. Josh will bring up "Find My Phone". If GPS functions don't work, Josh will get no location--he'll likely get last known location, though. Josh may just go to the hotel to see things for himself. He may see Kimmy's car in parking. He'll go in, only he won't find her in a late meeting. He may go to the front desk and ask if Devlin has a room. He won't get the room number. Will Josh just wait and see, hidden?
RCH
Book three is becoming KT's "War and Piece" the tale of the war between the Waters while Devlin gets a piece.
RCH
The pregnancy is pretty unlikely as she started the pill fairly long ago 3-4 weeks. Best practice would be to play it safe longer but not a very high risk. One and done I could see her doing it once but the having another taste at a later time. Kimmy has show if she thinks she can get away with something then she'll take the self serving option.
Wess
Maybe KT is gaslighting us
Chinookfan72
Good points James.. I don’t think the truth will be revealed to Kimmy for a while.. I think Josh is going to have his come to jesus moment first, and that will build over the next few books. Then I think Kimmy will become aware of Devlin’s texts (hopefully ongoing) to Josh.. The fact Devlin originally lied to Kimmy won’t be a big deal. The bigger deal will be wether Josh is a victim or someone who asked for it. That will ultimately decide Kimmy’s handling of the situation.. Ultimately if Josh asked for it, then I can see her really want to humiliate Josh so Kimmy starts to do it herself, and though she doesn’t like Devlin, she continues to use him because 1) he causes Josh the most humiliation and 2) The sex is good. Then I could see the story going some fun places.. Maybe Devlin tells Kimmy the full coat story so Kimmy realizes Kat was Josh’s first love and so Kimmy humiliates Josh by fucking Kat with Devlin.. Perhaps Kimmy brings in Meyers ex wife and does the same thing. Or KT could have some other sinister ideas as well.. I just know I don’t want Kimmy calling it off with Devlin for a long ass time..
Glaucon
Sophistry, that's the word I was looking for.
Donkatsu
We don't know that yet. Chances are KT will give us the evening from Josh's POV. For all we know he used his spare car key to find the panties under the eco-mobile's front seat and witnessed the pas-de-deux at the elevator.
Chinookfan72
The problem with that comparison is I don’t think Kimmy sees Devlin as a sympathetic character, she knows he’s not the best guy, so the shock when it’s revealed will be far far far lower. I’d even argue Kimmy doesn’t even fully believe Devlin now.
Chinookfan72
BNR I don’t think she believed Josh from the beginning so Devlin just confirmed her suspicions. From Kimmy’s perspective if the text messages are real Josh should have divulged them when they discussed taking the job. The fact he waited until after to raise any objection to her taking the job is suspicious. Kimmy could be thinking that Josh is having second thoughts about her working for Devlin and is making up a story to get her to stop. Edit: To go further, part of the husbands vows are to cherish and protect.. If Devlin is as bad as Josh is making him out to be, and all that happened before she took the job with a Devlin, then a Josh is also shitting on his vows because he should attempt to protect Kimmy from Devlin. So really Kimmy is weighing the fact that Josh doesn’t cherish her or he’s making up the story.. The lesser of two evils here I believe is to think he’s making up a story because you can understand why he’s doing that.
CSH
That would pretty much be the end of the story wouldn’t it? If there was a pregnancy I could only see it happening at the end.
Chinookfan72
While I like the premise in general, if this story is a one and done then it ceases to be erotica. KT’s brand is erotica so I can’t see KT taking the story in this direction. Perhaps if it was under a different pen name I could see it. I very much doubt there will be a pregnancy story line with Kimmy as KT already went that way with Nia and Geoff.
Chinookfan72
I’d go with the luxury one bedroom.. unless Devlin is planning for more than one round and wants to bang Kimmy in 2 different bedrooms.
TF
A wild thought. Most, including me, think that Kimmy is not going to be one and done. Yet, she seems pretty confident that she can do it and keep it a secret from Josh thereby preserving her relationship with him, one that she seems to value highly. KT has been known to throw the occasional change-up. So suppose that Kimmy post hotel sex, girds her lawyer loins and succeeds in making it a one off, BUT she ends up pregnant. Now we have a situation vaguely like Nia and Geoff, a one off cheat followed by pregnancy and doubt as to the father. Devlin could get into the J & K game by focusing his taunting on ‘who’s the father?’.
DavidnDaria
Which one? I'm thinking Luxury Executive...
Glaucon
Devlin lies to Kimmy all the time - "I only came to your apartment to apologize" "I need you to come to a business meeting with clients monday night"
JamesIsAsleep
This question from Glaucs is why I love KT, she can start to make us doubt even the most obvious, this particular instance has more gray area than being considered "obvious," but I think it is clear that Devlin is lying. It has mostly to do with what Devlin knows from each text to Josh, his texts give an accurate portrayal of things Devlin and Kimmy did (and did alone in some cases, i.e. no witnesses). Also, fucking with Josh is clearly in Devlin's DNA, since he did make it clear to Josh from the beginning with him in the tent, in person, that he wasn't done and Josh was going to know about what he does. I think he felt like the best play in the moment was deny it to Kimmy because Kimmy made it clear to him that messing with Josh was a line in the sand, at least tonight. I wonder if, when Kimmy finds out the truth of Devlin's texts to Josh, she'll be so dick drunk she won't care or maybe she latches on to this growing feeling of enjoyment she has being empowered over Josh's sexuality. Or, maybe Devlin needs to wait to tell the "truth" (truth in quotes because it might be bullshit too) that Josh drunkenly asked Devlin to fuck Kimmy, maybe that his ace in the hole (dont, I didn't mean to make a pun, it's not funny, stop laughing) considering how difficult it would probably be to explain to Kimmy right now what hes been doing with Josh. "Yeah, your husband told me to have sex with you, yeah first of all your husband might be a cuckold, second of all I'm not just saying this to get in your pants, and also third, yeah I've been filling Josh in the whole time (except the last week or so) on just about everything that's been going on so all that worrying you've been doing is partially my fault." Lol, that'll be a tough one to explain to Kimmy the first time it happens, might need to get her infatuated with the Devlin she has in her head before he springs the truth.
Dan Wheatley
I think we might be in for a Kaiser Soze-like flip in Devlin’s character. But by the time it’s revealed Kimmy is already hooked.
BNR
Lying. Not lying. Irrelevant! Kimmy trusts Devlin more than Josh? (Yes, I'm asking) I can't buy someone believing anyone over their spouse. From the chapter... “Jesus, Kimmy. You’re the smart one. Josh found it. Then made up a story about how he found it.” It was what she’d worried. Poor Josh." Your boyfriend or girlfriend you can doubt. But this is supposed to be the person you vowed to "love, cherish, and to obey, till death us do part." not until a bigger cock kills my brain cells. Am I crazy? If not then why is this a bridge too far for me? I prefer to have Kimmy cheat because she's just that horny. Horny to the point of disloyalty, but her thinking "poor Josh?" implies she believes Josh crazy or a liar. What other option does she think of Josh's state of mind here?
BNR
car accident, kimmy and the baby die... play the sad music for the Incredible hulk tv show...
BNR
A GHOST!!!
Chinookfan72
At this point Josh spying is like Schrodinger’s cat. It’s both happening and not happening until KT opens the box and lets us know where Josh is.
Chinookfan72
Tracey we don’t know for sure Devlin is lying... He very well could be, but there is also a world in which someone else texted Josh.. Assuming he is lying, the obvious reason for lying is that if he tells the truth he 100% won’t get to have sex. By lying he at least gives himself a chance to have sex. He’ll worry about the fall out later. Not sure if it’s the first lie he’s told Kimmy, it could be.. or really everything he has told Kimmy has been a lie.. Unfortunately we are missing any insight into Devlin’s true motivations.
RCH
Suite!
DavidnDaria
What do you think Devlin sprung for?
Tracey52
No spying by Josh.?
Tracey52
So why did Devlin bluntly lie about telling Josh where the business card was? Is it the first time he has lied to her face?
JamesIsAsleep
While I do like Kimmy a lot, i just like that KT is loving writing her!
CSH
Agree, Kimmy is potentially KT’s all time best character, smart and increasingly self aware. We can see her developing and changing as the chapters come in. Wicked Kimmy is going to be a real treat.
CSH
I also think it’s a lie. He could have easily gotten Josh’s number from Amy. He texted Kimmy as well, out of the blue, one supposes he also got her number from Amy. I’d prefer to think Josh is not insane just Devlin is lying.
Chinookfan72
100% agree James.. Kimmy is probably my favorite Character to read so I’m glad to hear KT is enjoying writing her and hopefully the stories continue for a long time to come.
DavidnDaria
Here's the second most fucked thing that could happen. Kimmy comes home, well fucked. She tries to distract Josh with the story of the texts being bullshit. Josh doesn't buy it. They fight. Josh shows her the bill with texts from Devlin's number. Kimmy still doesn't believe him. Josh divorces Kimmy. Kimmy goes with Devlin. Months later, a pregnant, unmarried Kimmy looks at Devlin's phone. She finds the texts. She leaves Devlin and tries to get back with Josh. On the way to Josh's she has a miscarriage. Josh never knows. Kimmy ends up alone.
Chinookfan72
KT... is it at all possible to release the next couple chapters in a chunk? Or perhaps let us know the release dates for the chapters that include Kimmy and Devlin playing hide the pickle? No worries if you can’t , but, I’d prefer to read it all at once vs a couple parts spread out over a few days.
JamesIsAsleep
Music to my ear's (eyes), KT!
KT Morrison
Kimmy's becoming one of my favorite characters to write . . .
JamesIsAsleep
You are so good at this, KT! I'm feeling energized by how good the writing was here. I love being able to tell you that in real time as these stories come out. Ok, I mistook Kimmy telling Josh she was working late for her lying, apparently she at least slightly believed there to be work, though she must have known it was leading to something else afterwards. Devlin set this up, and I love that. Devlin rambles out some of "his philosophies" and Kimmy kind of buys it, even relates to it. Relates to it because there are some half-truths, though it's probably fair to say Devlin is just full of shit. He does talk a good game. I like Kimmy's consistency here in terms of her lawyering, testing Devlin like she did Josh, although it's clear shes convinced herself what she wants to hear. She didnt put up much of a fight tonight, but that's probably because she lost the minute she took her panties off in the car. Everything after that is a carefully orchestrated rationalization.
Chinookfan72
From the readers perspective there is no doubt Josh was texted.. The only debate would be who sent the text to Josh.. My money is that it was Devlin, but just because he lied about the text doesn’t mean he has ulterior motives when it comes to Kimmy.. To me, if Devlin is lying then that lie is out of desperation. He wants to have sex with Kimmy and the only way through her guard is to lie, so he does. I see nothing in Devlin’s demeanor that suggests he’s trying to fuck over Kimmy. He has no motive to act that way towards Kimmy. I think the most likely reasons the text messages are brought up is 1) to provide a future fork in the story.. Ultimately Kimmy is going to find out the truth and if Devlin is lying then Kimmy would have a decision to make. 2) it provides a reason for Devlin to pay Josh a visit and to start up the humiliation again. 3) It provides an opportunity for Kimmy to take Devlin’s side instead of Josh’s.
RCH
KT, VERY, Very well done! I'm dying, but love the manipulation between the two and Josh. For those who would like a visual here is a link to the Royal York: https://www.fairmont.com/royal-york-toronto/ Scroll down and you can see the rooms.
CSH
The whole potential threesome thing was another surprise. Didn’t see that coming. Someone texted Josh for sure unless he is literally crazy. Also there’s no way Devlin has thought through Josh that much unless some much darker things happened in HS.
DavidnDaria
And here's the thing... Devlin is playing Kimmy big time. So, what's the most fucked thing that can happen? Devlin fucks Kimmy then dumps her and fires her.
DavidnDaria
So, Kimmy doesn't believe her husband over Devlin. This is going to be interesting if it ever comes out that Josh is telling the truth and Kimmy has been gamed. Then again, she couldn't be gamed if she didn't want to be gamed. Yes, we--my wife and I--do believe Josh was texted. If he wasn't texted it's a major dream sequence that happened.
Chinookfan72
I’m not totally buying it, but it is odd how bullies seem to always single out the weakest kids.. Is it the bullies doing it or are there some other forces at play that bring them together... As with most psych stuff I give it a full 🤷🏻♂️.
Chinookfan72
Good question.. On this I get a sense he’s lying. Amy isn’t told of the hallway incident until book 2 by Kimmy. The texts come in book 1 so who ever texted would have to be someone Devlin told the story to and then they texted Josh.. Could be Amy I suppose, Devlin and her are still friendly and she’s not a fan of Josh. However the number came from an unknown number and Josh has Amy’s number as evidenced by her meeting him for coffee before talking to Kimmy. Perhaps she used a burner. Either way it’s either Devlin doing it himself or someone doing it on behalf of Devlin, with the one out being Amy doing it on her own. Amy on her own seems like low probability though at least to me... Ultimately I think it’s going to be a lie, Kimmy’s going to find out, but by the time she does she’s going to entangled with Devlin to leave. Or perhaps this is a poison pill slipped in by KT to give her an out later in the story so Kimmy and Josh can have a happy ending together.
CSH
Well... here we go! I like how Kimmy got wet while hearing Devlin talk about Josh. That promises a lot.
Chinookfan72
same I figured there would be a whole meeting we’d have to get through then a whole song and dance dealing with Josh, but KT was like, Nope!
Chinookfan72
Damn it KT! you had me thinking she was going to leave and you were pulling the rug from under our feet again... Well Played! 🤯
Glaucon
Question: do we believe Devlin about not texting Josh? It still feels like a stretch to me that it was someone else. But if it was, who? The only candidate to me seems like Amy, but how would she know about the card? Devlin telling her is plausible, maybe.
Glaucon
Also, I wonder if even Devlin believes his first year psych word salad philosophy lol.
Glaucon
Oh damn full speed ahead. I'll admit, I thought we'd have most of another book to go before we got to this. Can't wait to see what happens in that hotel room!
