Chapter Thirteen
The elevator door opened and Derek swept her into his arms. He couldn’t wait for her to walk; he needed her now. He carried her to his room, opening the door with ease. Once he kicked it shut behind them, he set her down on her feet. He felt like an animal, moments away from ravaging her—a lack of control that unnerved him, yet he didn’t care. Not right now. Not when he had to have her. She was intoxicating in the snug dress that left those kissable shoulders bare and pushed him to madness with the exposed slope of her pretty throat. The sight made him want to kiss and lick and bite until he left a mark that said she was his.
Slow. He had to take it slow. He couldn’t stand it if he scared her away now.
He took a calming breath and tried to focus on something mundane. “Shall we order dinner?”
“No,” she said fiercely.
He lifted a brow. “Would you rather—”
“I don’t want food. I only want you.”
She slid her hand into his. The soft touch of her palm, so small against his, sent shivers through him. He closed his fingers around hers, their gazes locked. He toyed with the bodice of her dress, tracing his fingertip along the scalloped edges. He didn’t miss her shiver, or the quickening of her breath. Before this night was over, he would have her.
“You have me,” he murmured, drawing closer. He couldn’t resist. She was like gravity, pulling him in. “I’m all yours.”
“Then shut up and kiss me,” she breathed.
He leaned down and captured her lips, his hands tightening on her. She tasted better than humanly possible. His eyes drifted shut, and she moaned a little breathy sound. Such a small thing, but it snapped his precarious hold on control.
He needed to hear that sound again, now. He pressed closer and touched her tongue with his, his hands drifting down to her hips. He didn’t think he could slow down. Not with her. He felt like he had waited his whole life for this one woman. This one moment—and now that it was here, he couldn’t hold back.
He backed her through the suite and into the bedroom, undressing her as he ravished her mouth. The soft sound of her dress opening was the only noise in the room. He reached the bottom of the zipper, his fingers caressing the supple skin at the small of her back. She made that little sound again, and he trailed his fingers up her arms, pulling the dress off. It slid down to her feet, whispering satin against skin, and pooled on the carpet.
He stepped back and looked his fill, lingering on her black bra and matching panties. “Jesus.”
She flushed, stepped closer, and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. He shrugged out of his tuxedo jacket. Her fingers brushed against his skin as she slowly undid his shirt, baring his chest. She raked her nails over his shoulders and sucked in a deep breath, then traced the tattoo arcing below his collarbones.
“Will you finally tell me what this says?”
“Protect your heart,” he murmured. If the tattoo was aimed toward anyone in particular, it was this woman. She could destroy him, if he let her—but he was afraid she already had.
She raised her eyes to his. “That’s kind of sad.”
“Not sad. Just truth.”
When she licked her lips and made as if to speak, he crushed her mouth beneath his. He couldn’t listen to her tell him how wrong he was. Not now. Not when in this moment, he would give anything she asked, and damn the consequences.
She whimpered. He released his hold on her chin. Was he being too rough with her? He pulled back, taking in her flushed face, her parted, lusciously panting lips. She looked like she might catch fire from the heat in her gaze—and he needed more of her. Now.
She leaned up on tiptoes, gently pushed the open shirt over his shoulders, and let the garment fall to the ground. Her lips pressed to his. He deepened the kiss, tilting her head back until she went lax in surrender, his fingers teasing into her cool, soft hair until the pins came loose and it wrapped around his fingers in a glorious tangle. Her hands worked at the buttons on his trousers, and her palm brushed his arousal, sparking a fire that he thought might never be quenched.
He picked her up and laid her gently in the middle of his neatly made bed, then stepped out of his pants and boxers. Her gaze dropped below his waist, and she bit her bottom lip. He forced himself to stand still, letting her look. She made a little noise in the back of her throat and opened her arms for him. It was the most beautiful, most erotic thing he’d ever seen. Laying there almost naked, her eyes hot as molten silver, her shimmering mahogany hair tumbling around her in a wild river, and her arms open for him.
He lowered himself over her, his mouth crashing into hers. Her soft skin pressed against him, teasing his senses. He nearly tore at her bra, then tossed it to the side. He teased her nipples with his thumbs, cupping the weight of her breasts in his palms and savoring every moment as the rose-pink buds tightened and roused.
She arched her back with a gasping moan and sucked on his lower lip gently. He pulled free of her hold and slid down her body, his mouth closing over her nipple. She cried out and buried her hands in his hair, pulling him closer. His impatience to have her, all of her, tugged insistently at him and demanded he move faster.
He groaned and sucked harder, tongue teasing against the sweetly textured skin in hot circles, his hand moving down her abdomen and removing her panties. She arched her hips as he pulled them off, baring the rest of her body to his touch. His fingers slid over her soft curls, seeking her moist heat. He slid his finger inside of her and shuddered when she clenched, rising up to meet him with a whimper so sensuous it washed over him like liquid silk. She was tight and hot and ready.
And his.
He sat back and lifted her hips, his eyes meeting hers. She bit her lip, her lids drifting shut, and he touched his tongue to her heat. She rocked against his mouth, moaning and tugging at his hair. His cock ached to be inside of her, but the warm, sweet taste of her drew him deeper, and he caressed her in long strokes, lingering to tease along the fluttering edges of her damp entrance, until she was writhing in a frenzy. She moaned and tensed, her hands falling to grip the sheets desperately. Still he didn’t cease until she climaxed, arching with a mewling cry, then went limp in his hands.
He lowered himself over her, nestled between her legs. He could still taste her intoxicating essence on his tongue, making him hunger for more.
“Look at me,” he commanded.
She opened her eyes and looked at him, her hands cradling his face. She kissed him sweetly, her tongue touching his, sharing her taste between them. He surged inside of her, burying himself where he had longed to be since the moment he saw her.
It was like plunging into an inferno. She surrounded him with molten fire, enveloping him in the ferocity of their need. He bit back a groan, struggling to breathe, struggling not to hold her down and just take from the very first slow, claiming thrust that made her his. She moaned and wrapped her legs around his hips, opening herself to him completely. Her nails raked over his back as he quickened his tempo, her breath coming in little bursts. She tangled her fingers in his hair, pulling insistently.
He thrust quicker, harder, until finally she came again, her body tightening around him in waves of silken wet heat, and he joined her with a taut burst of pleasure so savage it bordered on the primitive. Shuddering, he fell atop her, supporting his weight so that he didn’t crush her. She clung to him tight, her own breathing ragged and out of control.
When he felt less exposed and raw, he leaned back and met her eyes, searching. Wondering. Wondering if she had felt what he had, something raw and so real it stripped away the lies to leave only the truth. Their truth.
He shook his head. “Are you all right?”
“I’m more than all right. I’m great.” She smiled and trailed her fingers over his back, inching around his sides until she caressed his abs. His still hard cock twitched. “You were amazing.”
He chuckled, still struggling to catch his breath. “Part of my programming.”
“I don’t think that’s part of the standard T-1000 software package.” She rolled off the bed and looked down at him, gloriously naked, her hair tumbling over her shoulders, her skin still flushed with pleasure, her nipples reddened from his tormenting mouth. He itched to touch her again. To keep touching her until he had his fill. “Ready for those burgers now? I’m famished.”
“Me too.” He rose and slipped back into his pants. He watched her as she slid her dress back on—but didn’t bother with her underwear or bra. He burned at the thought of her naked beneath the gown.
Once they were both dressed, he ordered two bacon cheeseburgers and their finest champagne. After room service arrived, they claimed comfortable spots on the floor, put the second Silent Hill movie on pay-per-view, and drank champagne from paper cups while they watched the film and ate their burgers. Stephanie stared at the screen with wide eyes, occasionally letting out a little squeak or hiding her face against his arm. He only bit back his smile and used the chance to slide his arm around her shoulder. He didn’t have a My Little Pony night light in his bedroom, but he hoped she would take him as an acceptable substitute.
When they were finished, Stephanie leaned back against the couch and rubbed her stomach. The sight of her in her ball gown, with a plastic cup of champagne in front of her, made him smile.
“Wipe that cocky smile off your face,” she said, then laughed and stretched languorously. “Mmm…not that you haven’t earned it.”
“Have I?” He turned his head and breathed in the scent of her hair. “I wonder what I did to do that.”
“Something I’m hoping we’ll do again. Very soon.”
His stomach knotted with a surge of possessive desire. “I could be persuaded.”
She rubbed her cheek to his shoulder with a sigh. “Thank you, Derek. This was the perfect date. I…you make me happy.”
“I can’t complain either.” He brushed her hair off her cheek. She looked so pretty tonight, with her soft pink lips still swollen from his kisses. Happy, he thought, was a good word for the feeling swelling in his chest.
She snuggled closer. “Are you happy you stayed here, instead of going back home?”
If he hadn’t stayed, he would likely be in the office right now—absorbed in work even this late at night, and never knowing what he was missing. Instead he was here—with someone who only wanted him to be himself, and welcomed him with open arms.
If only it weren’t so brief.
If only it weren’t all based on a lie, and the moment she no longer needed him it would end.
“Yes,” he said. “I think I am.”
“Think, hm?” She laughed and nipped his shoulder. “Will you have a lot of work waiting for you when you go back home?”
“Some. Not much.” He nodded toward the desk in the far corner, and the laptop—still open, a few charts still on the screen. “I’ve been working remotely.”
“And you’re sure you aren’t missing anything important?”
A dozen business meetings. A merger that could double his company’s revenues. His VP of Sales having a meltdown with every day Derek stayed in Florida. Yet none of that seemed important, right now. The company would still be there when he got back. He smiled. “The only important thing in my life right now is you—and your job. That’s all.”
She drew in a shaky breath. “Sometimes I feel like I’m dreaming around you. Like this can’t be real. You can’t be real.”
Am I real? he wondered. This man I am now, who knows how to laugh…how to love. Is this who I truly am, or am I truly the cold stone statue I’d made of myself?
“I’m real,” he said softly. “This is real. Stephanie…”
“Don’t,” she said. “Don’t say it. Just…just let it be.”
She slid her lithe body across his lap and straddled his hips. He roused to her in an instant, and set his cup down so he could grasp the soft slopes of her thighs and drag her more firmly against him. Her nails raked down his chest and over his stomach, and when he rocked up against her, she let out a sweet, murmuring sigh of his name, igniting his blood.
“Stay,” he whispered. “Stay with me tonight.”
Stay with me every night, he thought, but kept his mouth closed. She would only think he was swooping in to rescue her again. Trying to take her away from her struggles, from the life she’d worked so hard for.
Was it so wrong to want to give her something?
Was it so wrong to want to give her everything?
Her heated eyes met his. Her lower lip crept between her teeth, and a touch of uncertainty flickered in her gaze. A touch of fear. “Derek…”
“No caveats,” he said, and stroked the dress up over her thighs until he found hot, bare flesh. “No questions. Just yes or no, bella.”
“Yes,” she said, then captured his face and kissed him, hot and passionate and overwhelming him with her delicate softness. The message was clear. She wanted this from him, and only this. She didn’t need to be rescued. Didn’t need a prince to take her away to his shining castle. She just needed a lie, so he gave her one.
The lie that this was still part of the act, when for him every kiss was too real, too true.
…
The moment he’d asked her to stay, she’d been lost. He was leaving soon, so soon, and Rodgers’ demands had given her only a brief stay of execution. The negotiations with Wheeler couldn’t last forever, and eventually Derek would have to go back to D.C. Working remotely was only a temporary solution, and he had a business to run. She couldn’t let herself get too deeply entangled when she’d only have to let him go. She couldn’t let herself feel the persistent warmth filling her up until she thought it would pour over. Not after tonight.
Tonight, she would let herself be his.
He stood and led her into the bedroom. She pushed him back against the wall; he let out a sharp exhalation. She flattened her palms against his shoulders and captured his lips, her tongue slipping inside to stroke his. As she kissed him, she unbuttoned his shirt. Each button drew her closer to his skin and one step closer to having him inside her, where she needed him. Each button brought her closer to him.
When she reached the last one, she brushed his open shirt off his shoulders, letting them fall to the floor. His chiseled chest and abdomen taunted her, and she ran her fingers over them. His muscles clenched at her touch, and he hissed through his teeth. Shooting him a coy look, she traced a path down the center of his stomach to the buttons of his trousers. She tugged on the waist and nibbled at his neck.
“Stephanie…” He moaned, gripping her hair. “You’re killing me.”
“I’m just starting.” She undid his pants. “It’s going to be a long night.”
“Jesus. Yes.” His voice faded off and he leaned back against the wall, giving himself over to her. When he stood clothed only in a pair of boxer briefs, she licked at the skin on his neck, then sank to her knees.
His fingers threaded through her hair and he watched her, his blue eyes burning with an incandescent fire. She tugged his boxers down and closed her hands around his thick shaft. He groaned, and she leaned close to flick her tongue against the tip. His muscles clenched and his hips jerked forward, begging for more. She took him in her mouth, her lips parting around the fullness of him, sucking and teasing him with her tongue. The rough, masculine scent of him filled her nostrils. His whole body tensed and he clung to her hair. She deepened her strokes, taking as much of him in as she could, delighting in each sigh and moan. She could taste him getting closer and closer to the edge, but he pulled her off and picked her up in his arms. He kissed her hard, demandingly so, leaving no room for protest.
She wanted to keep pleasuring him—touching him. Loved the heady feeling of power bringing him such pleasure gave her, but he took control. He allowed her nothing save surrender into the wildness of his kiss. He stalked across the bedroom without breaking contact with her lips. Then he tossed her on the bed. Her legs lay open with her dress cascading between her thighs. He took a long look at her, his eyes simmering with lust.
“I want you,” he rumbled. “I want you so much it scares me.”
When he looked at her like that, she could almost imagine there was more to this than lust. More than a base need for mutual gratification. But no—that was her wishful thinking.
He wasn’t her type. He was rich. Bossy. A little bit arrogant. But even knowing all those things, she wanted him…for more than just this night.
When he slid over her, his chest pressing to hers, all conscious thought fled. His palm ran up her thigh, leaving behind electric trails. He moved the dress aside and pressed his fingers against her heat. She moaned and arched her hips.
“Now,” she gasped, gripping his hips and pulling him tight against her. “I need you now. No waiting.”
He shook his head, but rocked his body against hers, his shoulders tense. She claimed his lips, kissing him with raw abandon. She needed him inside of her. She needed him to fill her.
“Not yet,” he said, tearing his lips free. “First…”
He thrust a finger inside her, his thumb rubbing against the tight node of her pleasure. She cried out and rose off the mattress, and he kissed her hungrily. She clung to him, her body spiraling from his touch. She raked her nails down his back, needing him to move. To take her. “Now.”
He swore, withdrawing his finger and positioning himself at her entrance. He captured her shoulders and held her tight. After another breathtaking kiss, he plunged inside her.
She was still sore and sensitive from the first time, and now the heightened rush of sensation was almost unbearable. Stephanie writhed beneath him, meeting him thrust for thrust. When he bit down on her neck, she cried out and tensed, her whole body exploding with pleasure. Rolling over onto his back, he plunged up into her, and she braced her hands against his stomach. The taut muscles of his belly flexed under her fingers in delicious quivers as she rode him, taking him deeper and deeper. He held her hips, guiding her tempo until she felt her stomach clenching with need again.
He groaned and increased his speed, capturing her lips. Reaching between them, he pressed his thumb against her before circling her clitoris with bold strokes. She tensed. When stars burst in front of her eyes, and all she could think—all she could feel—was him, he joined her, his body tight and a moan ripping out of him, his elegant, tanned face caught in a moment of open vulnerability, of bliss, that filled her heart as surely as he filled her body. She dropped down on the mattress beside him, her breathing heavy and harsh.
Pulling her into his arms, he kissed her gently, his hand cupping her cheek. His smile was languorous and as sated as a lion with a full belly. He toyed with her hair. “That was one hell of a yes.”
She shook her head and fought the grin threatening to take over her mouth. “You said you don’t do things by halves.”
“Not for you.” He brushed her hair off her face and his smile melted away. “I’m serious. I…you matter to me, Stephanie.”
She bit her lip, shoving down the foolish giddiness that threatened to explode inside her chest. He was just caught in the afterglow and saying the sort of sweet things men always said after sex. Nothing more—nothing less. She snuggled closer and closed her eyes. He gave her a quick kiss on the back of her neck and curled up behind her. Her eyes drifted shut. She drifted off to sleep with dreams of him filling her head.