Derek stood Lana to her feet inside her living room after carrying her across the threshold and closing the door behind them.
“I need to change because I have wine all over me,” Lana told him softly. “Can I get you anything while you’re waiting?”
“No, I can just chill out here or if you need help with dinner…”
Lana cut him off. “You’re not doing another thing. I want you to sit down and relax then let me make dinner for you.”
He nodded. “Okay, you’re the boss.”
“Make yourself at home and I’ll be out in a minute.”
Derek watched her walk over to the mantle and pick up a remote that lit the fireplace into a myriad of colors, then piped soft music into the room. She smiled and walked away, then he lowered himself to the sofa. He looked around Lana’s place and admired its décor. She was neat without being obsessive. She liked colors and soft fabrics which he also liked. He’d learned those terms from his interior designer at his D.C. townhome since he hadn’t known the difference between a duvet and a blanket.
Derek sat back and relaxed against the fluffy cushions and closed his eyes. Inhaling, he smelled flowers and a slight smile covered his face. He became so relaxed that he jumped when a warm hand touched his face.
“I didn’t mean to startle you,” Lana whispered.
He ran a hand down his face. “Did I fall asleep?”
She nodded. “I’m not surprised. You haven’t really rested since you got here.”
“I’m sorry, I got so relaxed.”
Lana rubbed his lightly bearded jaw. “I’m glad you feel comfortable here…with me.”
Derek looked her over in the short sundress that exposed her brown shoulder and arms in addition to her long legs. “I like this look.”
“You’ve seen me in less,” she commented.
“And I enjoy all of it.”
She kissed him softly until he pulled her into his lap and relished her mouth. “Lana…” he whispered against her mouth.
“Mmmm…I’ve told you not to say my name like that.”
Derek began to trace her lips with a finger. “Why not?”
“Because, it makes me want you so badly,” Lana confessed as she moved to straddle his lap.
“That’s the point,” He slid a hand up her thigh. “Because I want you so badly.”
Lana framed his handsome face. “Is this going to complicate things?”
“Not in the least,” he answered. “I want more than just a part of you, Lana.”
She stared down into his face. “I want the same thing.”
Derek reached up to cup her neck gently, bringing her mouth to his. With the music as their backdrop, the two now indulged in the instant attraction that had caught them both by surprise and taken them over.
Lana sighed into his mouth as his hand slid up to grab her butt cheek, left bare by the thong she wore underneath her dress. Moving closer, she grinded against his body and tightened her arms around him.
“Why now?” she whispered. “Why you?”
Derek lifted her face to stare at her. “Why not?”
“I don’t know how long you’ll be here…” she began.
“It doesn’t matter where I go, Lana…I’ll always make it back to you.” Derek promised.
She sighed. “I don’t want to fall too deep, for you to disappear.”
“Baby, you’ve talked to my Momma. I don’t let anybody get that deep unless I’m serious,” he confirmed.
Lana smiled at him. “So your Momma doesn’t invite all the women she talks to on the phone to meet her?”
“She’s never talked on the phone to any other woman. She shocked the hell out of me when she asked to speak to you.”
“You must’ve said good things about me,” Lana commented softly.
“What else is there to say about Lana Sable, she’s incredible. Ask anybody in Grayling, Michigan.”
She laid her forehead against his. “I really did invite you here for dinner.”
“I really came to eat.”
“But…” she trailed off as he began to kiss her neck.
Derek slid the thin strap of her dress down her shoulder then placed his lips in that area, causing her to arch into him. Slowly, his mouth moved to the tops of her exposed sable breasts. Lana smiled at the song that began to play above their heads.
“I love this song,” she whispered.
He lifted his head and listened before smiling and nodding in agreement.
“Girl, I’m a good man, and you’re a good woman,
There’s so much more I want to discover, baby…” He recited the words to her as he touched her hair.
Lana picked up the chorus, stroking his jaw.
“If it’s love, it’ll last a lifetime,
Deep in my heart, I know baby…” she whispered.
Together, they finished….
“If it’s love, it’ll last forever,
It’ll just start to show…”
They watched each other until the song ended and another one began. Lana stood to her feet and looked down at him before holding out a hand.
Derek looked her over slowly, then took the hand she offered and got to his feet. Without a word, she led him to her bedroom and when she turned to him, he took her into his arms and kissed her softly. Lana pressed into him and lifted on her bare feet to meet his kiss.
“Lana Sable, what have you done to me?” Derek asked lifting her off her feet, against his body.
She had no answer because the same question resonated within her mind. What had Derek Wells done to her? She wanted this man with an intensity that she’d never known and if she never saw him again, tonight she would discover if this was more than simple chemistry.
Derek felt her softness flush against him and his heart accelerated. From her hair, to her skin, her smell and her taste…Lana Sable had done something to him. He laid her on the bed and watched as that glorious hair spread over the covering.
His gaze moved down to sexy dark eyes where he saw both passion and excitement. Joining her on the bed, Derek placed a hand on her waist as they laid side by side.
“What are you thinking?” Lana asked quietly.
He gave her a sexy smile. “I’m not thinking at all. What are you thinking?”
“I’m wondering why I still have clothes on,” she told him.
Derek slid a slow hand up her arm to her face, then kissed her. “Because I don’t have to rush…I know how to savor the beautiful things in life.”
She smiled softly at him. “I keep telling you how charming you are.”
He pulled her closer and whispered in her ear. “And I keep telling you how beautiful you are…do you want me to show you?”
Lana closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Did she want him to show her? Uh…hell yeah, her brain screamed. What kind of question was that?
“We’re in my bed…so that’s a definite yes,” she told him aloud.
Derek turned her onto her back and kissed her hotly. “So you want my hands on you?” he questioned.
“Mmmm…hmmmm...” Lana moaned as he continued to suck on her full bottom lip.
He slid a hand under her dress. “And my mouth?” he asked licking her lips.
Lana felt his hand touch her heated area. “Yessss…”
She held her breath as her dress was slowly lifted up and finally over her head, then tossed onto the bed. Derek’s dark gaze scanned her body in the white thong against supple chocolate skin and Lana tingled from the look in his eyes.
Gently cupping her breast in one hand, Derek confessed, “I’m not prepared for this. I really thought this was dinner.”
Lana understood his meaning, then quickly climbed over him to her nightstand. Derek concentrated on her naked behind and bouncing breasts as she reached into the drawer. She produced the foil packages and returned to his side.
“Is this what you’re referring to?” she asked holding one of them in her hand.
Derek covered her hand with his and lifted it above her head in answer to her question. He moved from her mouth, down her neck to her breasts, feasting on each dark chocolate areola and nipple, causing her to run her hands over the dark hair on his head.
Moving lower, he tongued the line that led from her navel to the top of her panties. Two strong hands grabbed the sides and he moved back to pull them down her shapely legs. Staring down at her naked form, Derek’s mind thought that he’d never seen a more beautiful sight.
At his silent perusal, Lana asked, “Are you thinking now?”
Derek shook his head slowly as he removed his shirt over his head. “Not at all…this is strictly impulse at this point.”
He paused before going for his pants and spread her legs further apart, then tilted his head to view her jewel. Lana watched as he examined her and her heat intensified.
“Does it meet your standards?” she inquired, lifting a brow.
His eyes met hers as he licked his lips. “It’s like a luscious chocolate buffet.”
Lana flushed. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard it described quite that way.”
Derek unfastened his jeans and slid them off along with his boxers. When he stood before her naked, Lana let her eyes feast on every inch of his glorious body. “Speaking of chocolate buffets…” she whispered.
He joined her on the bed then covered her body with his and ignited the fire again while tangling their bodies together. Lana reveled in the feel of the hard, muscles against her. Derek’s gentle tenderness melted her heart as he went about slowly preparing to make love to her body.
He proceeded just as he’d said, as though he had nowhere to be and his entire life to dedicate to pleasing her. Lana felt the many tiny explosions throughout her body and saw them behind her closed lids, as Derek moved from one sensual spot to another setting her ablaze. He’d recalled her conversation of all the things she liked, and proceeded to do every single one.
When he finally reached for the packet, her lids lifted slowly in time to see him ripping the packet with his teeth. He winked at her before adding the protection and turning his attention back to her. Dipping inside of her chocolate buffet, he whispered in her ear, “Lana…”
With that one word, Lana Sable was completely gone so that when he began to stroke her, she reached a screaming climax very soon after.
Derek looked down at her when she came back to herself. “I’m going to give you a minute to recover.”
“Then what?” Lana said breathlessly.
“We’ll start from the beginning…”
******
“Lana…”
Lana felt the tingles go through her body. “I told you about saying my name like that,” she said sleepily.
Derek smiled and kissed the back of her shoulder. “Wake up baby, it’s late.”
She glanced at the clock on her nightstand. “We have hours before breakfast,” she told him.
“I should go back to my room,” Derek said rubbing her back and she turned to him.
“Why?” Lana felt her heart drop.
He shrugged. “Do you want your family to know that I spent the night here?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Do you want to leave?”
Derek gave her a look. “Don’t do that.”
Lana pulled the sheet up around her naked body. “Don’t do what? I mean, you’re the one who’s trying to run out the door.”
“I’m trying to be considerate and think about you.”
She looked away. “Bye Derek, I’ll bring your breakfast up later.” Lana didn’t look at him a few minutes later when climbed from the bed. She heard him slip into his clothes and leave the room.
Dropping her head into her hands, she held back the tears. This is why you didn’t get involved with guests, especially guests that you just met. This is why the rules were in place!
Lana rubbed her forehead, and took a deep breath then hiccupped before wiping the slight wetness from her cheeks.
“You will not cry,” she told herself.
“You’d better not,” a deep voice said from the doorway.
Lana looked up quickly, then frowned. “I thought you were going back to your room.”
“I decided to stay, since you asked so nicely,” Derek said coming over to her side of the bed dressed only in his boxers. He lifted her face to his and saw the water in her eyes. “Why are you crying?”
“Oh I don’t know…a guy makes love to you most of the night, like you’re the only woman in the world, then wakes you up saying he’s about to dip on you. It might hurt your feelings,” she said sarcastically.
Derek stroked her cheek. “I wasn’t dipping out on you. I don’t care what anyone thinks about being with you, but I know how you all operate around here. It seems real wholesome.”
“I’m not ashamed of being with you Derek. I’m a grown woman who makes my own decisions. If I didn’t want to be with you, I would never have invited you into my bedroom.” Lana explained.
He nodded. “I’m sorry if I made you feel that I was trying to get away from you. That’s the last thing I ever want to do.”
Lana held his eyes. “Where did you go?”
“In your kitchen to find some aspirin because you were about to give me a damn headache,” he told her before kissing her.
“Did you find them?” she asked.
“No,”
She smiled. “I keep them in the bathroom. Do you still need them?”
Derek pulled at the sheet. “No, because now you’re going to make it all better.”
Lana rubbed his head. “Poor baby, what can I do?”
“Listen, no crying, okay? I hate that. I never want to see the women I care about in tears,” he told her.
She wiped at another tear from his tender words. “Okay,” she choked out.
“What?” he asked confused.
“That’s just really sweet,” Lana sniffed. “You said you care about me.”
Derek took her into his arms and held her gently. “I probably should have mentioned that before you brought me into your bedroom, but you surprised me…again, like at the River.”
Lana pulled back and looked at him. “I seem to do that.”
“I like a woman that takes charge and knows what she wants.” Derek commented.
“I wanted you.”
Derek held her gaze for a moment. “Lana, I’m falling hard for you, baby.”
Wrapping her arms around him, she whispered, “You caught me.”
******
A few hours later in Lana’s kitchen, Derek sat down to have the breakfast that they’d prepared together. He pulled Lana down onto his lap and positioned both plates in front of them.
Lana smiled down at him, then picked up a fork and began to feed him from one plate. He took the offering and they watched each other until he swallowed.
“I was thinking…” he began.
“Oh, you can think now?”
Derek laughed. “Yeah, I’ve sampled the chocolate buffet.”
Lana took a bite of food. “I think you did more than sample.”
He kissed her cheek. “I can’t wait to do more than sample, again.”
Feeding him some more food, she asked, “So what were you thinking?”
“I can take you over to Grand Rapids for a day or so, to make some contacts for the Inn,” he suggested.
Lana paused and looked at him. “You’d take me there?”
“We can mix business and pleasure. You can take care of your business and I can take care of you,” Derek told her.
Lana smiled and kissed him. “Thank you. I’d like that.”
“When would you like to go?”
“In a few days? Let me set everything up.”
He nodded and she continued serving him. “I’ll drive so you can just relax,” he informed her.
“I’ll pay for our accommodations,” Lana said firmly and he frowned. “No discussion.”
“One room?” he questioned.
Lana lifted the fork to his mouth. “Of course.”
He accepted with a smile. “Okay,”
“We’ll stay for two days,” Lana announced. “I want to make sure I handle all my business there.”
She gave him a look as she ate from her plate and he squeezed her hip.
“Two days sounds perfect,” Derek agreed.
The couple finished their breakfast and cleaned the dishes before heading over to the Inn. Derek held her hand as they walked underneath the rising sun. He looked around at the scenery and inhaled the fresh air.
“It’s beautiful here,” he commented.
Lana looked over at him. “I think so.”
Derek turned his gaze on her. “There’s no doubt.”
Hand in hand, they moved across the dewy grass. “So you used to run barefoot across here?” Derek asked surveying the land again.
She nodded. “Yep, me and my sisters. Sometimes the boys in town would come for the weekend for Daddy’s boys’ camp and we’d have races,”
“None of them could beat me,” she bragged.
He laughed. “I see that humility is not your strong suit.”
“I’m just saying, I was really fast.”
“Well, we won’t be racing anytime soon,” Derek told her.
Lana smiled and looked around at the familiar land. “My Daddy says he can’t wait to see his grandchildren running around here, the way my Granddaddy watched us. I can’t either…”
“So your daughter can beat all the boys?”
“Yep,”
He swung their joined hands a little. “I can envision a little brown girl with a bunch of hair running around here.”
“And how does that look to you?” Lana queried.
Derek pulled her closer. “It’s looks amazing.”
They stopped and she looked up at him. “Last night was amazing,” she whispered.
Touching her face, he stared down at her. “Last night was the beginning of many amazing times with you, Lana.”
Leaning down, he kissed her then stepped back and gazed into her face. Lana placed a hand on his chest and felt his strong heartbeat.
“I’m looking forward to every single one,” she said with a soft smile.
Kissing her one last time, he said, “I’d better let you get to work.”
“I guess so…the guests need to eat too.”
“When you need a break, you know where to find me,” Derek told her.
Lana put her arms around his neck. “I’ll always find you.”
They both turned as Lena rapidly approached. Lana looked concerned at her sister’s expression as she and Derek broke apart from their embrace.
“Hey you two, I hate to interrupt but I need to speak with Lana,” Lena said urgently.
“Hey Lena, no problem.” Derek said then turned to Lana. “I’ll see you soon.”
Lana nodded at him. “Okay, get some rest.”
Both women watched as he continued to the Inn and Lana turned to her sister. “What’s going on?”
“Willie checked in a guest last night,”
Lana gave her sister a look and started towards the Inn. “That’s his job as the Night Manager. Did something happen?”
Lena followed. “The guest is Robert Gross.”
Lana froze. “Robbie?”
“Yes, Robbie is here.”
“Why?”
Lena nodded. “He’s asked to see you.”
Lana put a hand to her head. “What does he want?”
“I guess you’re about to find out,” Lena told her. “Willie said you’d left with Derek last night, so I didn’t want to bother you.” She gave her sister a once over. “And looking at you now, I can tell that you certainly wouldn’t have been open to being disturbed.”
“Don’t go there Lena,” Lana warned.
Lena smiled. “Hey, I’m just giving you a heads up. You’ve got that good loving glow all over you.”
Lana touched her face. “Really?”
“And your hair in a bun? Girl, dead giveaway.”
Patting her hair, Lana frowned. “It’s the best I could do because it was a mess.”
Lena smiled. “I’m sure it was. Your girl Nadia is going to have a field day on you.”
“I need to deal with Robbie right now,” Lana said hurrying to the front door with Lena in tow.
They entered the Inn and headed to the lobby where Lana stopped in her tracks.
“Here she is right now,” Willie announced, and the two men standing with him turned in her direction.
Derek stepped forward with a smile. “Yes, here she is…Miss Lana Sable.” He glanced back at Robbie who stood with Willie.
“I was heading upstairs when I heard uh…Robert, asking for you. So I told him you were with your sister and would probably be in shortly,” Derek explained.
Lana listened, staring up at him. “Thank you.”
Derek nodded. “He then went on to tell us how he knew you from college.”
Willie chimed in. “I had no idea this was your old boyfriend when I checked him in.”
“Thank you Willie,” Lana said firmly. “I’ll take it from here.”
Willie looked from Robert to Derek then shrugged and went to gather his things while Lana looked at Derek. Robbie then crossed the room to where they stood.
“Lana, I’ve missed you!” he said, hugging her gently.
She pulled back. “Robbie, this is a surprise. What are you doing in Grayling?”
He smiled. “You know that Lana Sable is the only reason to visit Grayling, Michigan.”
Lena frowned and Derek caught her expression before Lana turned to him.
“Can we talk later?” she asked quietly.
Derek nodded. “Yeah, you should take care of…Robbie.”
Robert held out his hand to Derek. “It was nice to meet you. Hopefully, if you’re ever in LA, you can visit my hotel.”
Derek shook the hand. “I’m not out that way very often. Most of my business is in D.C.”
Robbie shrugged after they finished their handshake. “You never know.”
“I kind of prefer Inns,” Derek told him and glanced at Lana while Lena smiled.
Robbie laughed. “You sound like Lana,” he turned to her. “But I’m here to change her mind.”
Derek lifted a brow. “Really? How so?”
“Yeah, I want to take the country girl to the big city.”
Lana frowned at Robbie. “What are you talking about?”
Lena piped up. “Yeah, what the hell are you talking about?”
Even Willie froze and looked at the man.
Robbie reached for Lana’s hand. “I’ve come for the one that got away.”