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Sydney smiled at Lena as they drove past Derrick’s house. She forced herself to ignore how many times she’d thought about calling Derrick during the week. Six days had passed since that explosive Saturday at her house. He’d stayed the entire day, leaving at two the next morning. They’d had sex in almost every way possible, except anal, because she still wasn’t sure about that. She should have been completely over Derrick Warren.

They were now friends. They’d had sex to get it out of their systems and agreed not to call each other or talk about it ever again. Or at least, she had. He’d just stared at her like a starving man and nodded more at her breasts than her face while she explained how they’d handle the day after. End of story. Except she couldn’t stop thinking about him. Of course, driving past his house didn’t help. But this property had all the requirements—on paper—that Brian Goode wanted.

She and Lena had decided to drive out together. Her good friend and partner was having some issues with her own significant other, so Sydney was trying to be a better friend than she’d been all week. Damn Derrick. The man would not leave her mind.

“So then Carl is all mopey because I’m not ready for kids. But come on. We haven’t even gotten married yet. Why should I agree to get knocked up before we say I do? What if something goes wrong and we don’t get married? Or worse, we get married, I get pregnant and leave my job, and then—”

“What do you mean leave your job?” At the frown Lena gave her, Sydney laughed at herself. “Not that that’s the only part I homed in on, but Lena, you love your work.”

“I know.” They departed Sydney’s car and walked up to the house. Instant curb appeal, and the house had a lot of square footage.

“Why do you have to quit work? I couldn’t care less about business. I love you, but if you have to leave, I support your decision. It just seems to me you should be able to do both if you want. Have a family and work.”

“I know,” Lena said again.

They entered the house and made notes as they inspected the place.

“I wish I could be more like you,” Lena was saying.

“Like me?” In lust with a man who went through women like tissues? “How so?”

“You’re so confident, Sydney. You’re beautiful, successful, you have friends, you have fun, and you crook your little finger and men come running.”

“Please. The men I date might be good-looking—yes, I’m vain like that. But most of them aren’t worth half of what Carl is. Besides, you’re no slouch yourself.”

Lena blew out a breath. “Then why am I so scared when he talks about kids? Maybe I’m rushing the marriage thing. I mean, I’m getting older, but I’m not thirty yet.”

“Thanks a lot.” Sydney checked made a note about a large office on the first floor. The place had already been wired for computer equipment. Nice.

“Oh. Well, you know what I mean.”

“Lena, there’s no age requirement for marriage. I mean, yeah, it’s better to have kids when you’re younger for health reasons, but you have to be ready for them.” An odd image of Derrick holding a baby popped into her mind and she hurriedly suppressed it.

“I know. It’s just, Carl keeps pushing me.”

“So stand up for yourself. It’s okay to have cold feet. And if you don’t want kids, tell him. Whatever you do, don’t let yourself get pushed into anything.”

Lena sighed. “See? I wish I was more like you. It’s just, I love Carl so much. I don’t want him to be hurt or disappointed.”

How many times had she heard her mother whine about that while growing up? Isabel Fields had to go to Tahoe to make Uncle Bill happy. She left Sydney with a neighbor on her eighth birthday because Uncle Teddy wanted Isabel in Italy for a modeling engagement. Or the time she’d skipped out on Sydney’s high school graduation because Uncle Freddy had tickets to a Vegas show.

Bleh. Men were distractions who got in the way of the really important things in life. Like friends and family. One thing she could say about the Warrens, they were at least loyal to each other. Not every mother acted like Isabel Fields.

She let Lena worry out loud while they scouted out the rest of the house. The yard, the pool and everything else checked out.

“So you think I should just tell him how I feel?” Lena asked her for the twentieth time as they finished with the house and stood by the car.

“Yes. Damn girl, just tell him—” She lost her train of thought as Derrick stepped out of a dark green SUV by the curb.

“Tell him...?”  Lena looked over her shoulder, following Sydney’s gaze, and said in a low voice, “Oh, wow. See? What was I telling you before? You get all the hunks.”

Sydney closed her mouth, embarrassed to be caught staring. She drummed up a smile as Derrick joined them. “Lena, this is Derrick Warren. Derrick lives a few houses down from this one.”

Derrick gave Lena a polite smile. “Nice to meet you.” To Sydney’s unexpected relief, he didn’t linger on Lena’s curves but gave Sydney his attention. “Sydney, you haven’t returned my calls.”

She blinked. “Calls?” The man hadn’t said one thing after their encounter—encounters—last weekend, as agreed. Though she’d been annoyed he’d found it so easy to obey her stupid rule.

“I left a few messages on your answering machine.” The hard look in his eyes turned her knees to rubber. Good Lord, he looked like he wanted to spank her. And she wanted to let him.

She cleared her throat and ignored Lena’s fascination. “Oh, uh, I thought I’d turned that off ages ago. Most people use my cell phone.”

He smiled through his teeth. “I tried that before, but you’d never answer my calls. I thought the home phone would work better.” He glanced at Lena then turned back to Sydney. “Can I talk to you for a minute in private? It won’t take long, I swear.”

Lena smiled and winked at Sydney. “I’ll wait here. I need to call Carl anyway.” The turncoat.

“Fine. Come on.” She let herself back into the house.

Before she could say anything, history repeated itself. In one motion, Derrick slammed the door shut behind him, shoved her against it and covered her mouth with his in a mind-melting kiss.

After a few seconds, he pulled back and groaned. “Hell. I wasn’t going to do this yet. Fuck.” He muttered a few more choice words under his breath. “Sydney, when you’re done with work, I need to see you again.”

“B-but...” She had to take a breath. Damn, the man could kiss. “I thought we were getting each other out of our systems.”

He ground his erection against her. “Is it working for you?”

“Damn it. No.”

He nodded. “So your place or mine?” He pushed her suit jacket aside and rubbed her nipples until she moaned. “Which?”

“Mine.” I have no willpower. “But this is just...casual,” she said on a breath when he pinched her harder. “Stop doing that.”

“Why? You going to come if I don’t?”

She couldn’t think. And then he shoved his hand down her front, past her skirt and under her panties.

“Christ, you’re wet. Fuck, Sydney. I want you. All the time.”

She liked that he didn’t sound happy about it. “Yeah? Well I want you too.” She glared at him. “I can’t stop thinking about you coming inside me. So how screwed up am I?”

His grin melted something inside her. “Okay, you win. You’re more messed up than I am. But can I still fuck you later?”

Her laugh turned into a moan when he shoved a finger inside her. “Why not now?”

His eyes narrowed. “Your friend is waiting out in the car.” He looked to the left of the door through the dormer window. “She’s talking on the phone.”

“So make it fast. You’re a guy. You’re all about quickies, aren’t you?” She wanted him like crazy. So not like her.

“Little witch. You’re pushing it, you know that?” He didn’t sound angry, but excited. He withdrew his hand from between her legs and sucked his finger clean. “Turn around.”

She did, and he pushed her skirt up. She wore garters and stockings today, and she couldn’t be gladder. He removed her panties with ease.

“Oh fuck. You need to wear this getup for me later.”

She heard his button unsnap, and then he pushed between her shoulder blades, urging her to bend down while he pulled her hips back.

“Derrick, now.”

“Shut up, Syd.” He sounded mean, and she loved it. Derrick Warren was a sexual animal. One who made her wet just by breathing, apparently.

She felt him prodding her pussy and then he shoved deep, feeling impossibly large.

“Oh yeah. Baby, so good.” He rocked into her with purpose, grinding that massive cock deep. His balls slapped her ass with each thrust and his speed increased. “Touch yourself. Come all over me.”

She let go of the door with one hand and put it awkwardly between her legs. She was so ready to come, it took just a few slow rubs before she tightened around him.

“Oh fuck. Yeah, there it is.” He came seconds after she did, and his grip on her hips would be sure to leave bruises. Was she twisted that she liked that? The thought of his marks on her body? “Sydney. Damn. You are so fucking sexy.”

She’d heard that before, but coming from Derrick, she truly believed it.

He groaned as he withdrew. “Don’t move.”

Not like she could without making a huge mess. She heard rustling behind her and glanced over her shoulder. “What are you doing?”

“Just hold on.” He unbuttoned the shirt and took off the white T-shirt beneath. Then he put the T-shirt between her legs and cleaned her. “I came hard.” He sounded satisfied. Such a guy. “A lot in you, baby.”

She hated when guys called her baby. So why didn’t she call Derrick on it? Because you like it, you whore. You just let Derrick do you in a house you’re showing in a few days while your partner sits outside in the car. And you asked him for it! Oh God. Where had her professionalism gone? Was she turning into her mother?

“I refuse to call you Uncle Derrick,” she said out loud, needing to hear herself.

“Um, okay. And I refuse to call you Aunt Sydney. We good now?”

She felt like a complete idiot. What a time to feel insecure. Not around this man. She needed every brain cell she had not to be caught up in his whirlwind.

She opened her mouth to say something else when he stroked her back, his touch comforting, not sexual. He finished with the T-shirt and helped her straighten up and turn around. With efficient movements, he set her clothing to rights, sans the underwear. “If you want these back, you have to come over tonight to get them,” he said as he tucked the pair in his pocket. The tender look in his eyes baffled her.

“No. You come to my place instead.”

He nodded and kissed her. The barely-there touch made her feel special, cared for and concerned. He pulled back but didn’t break eye contact as he buttoned up his shirt and bunched the T-shirt in his hand.

He followed her out in silence, waved goodbye to Lena, who goggled at them, and left in his SUV.

Sydney locked the house behind her then joined Lena in the car.

“Holy shit. I am more than jealous now.” Lena teased her the entire way back to the office, trying like hell to get Sydney to tell her anything.

But Sydney had no idea what to say. She didn’t mix business and pleasure. Yet she couldn’t get over the fact Derrick had been calling her the past week. He was coming over tonight. They’d just had sex and she’d come again. Sydney didn’t often orgasm right away with her partners. And after a few pleasurable encounters, she’d stop feeling that rush at all, signaling her time had come to an end with her boyfriend du jour. Apparently Sydney had control issues, as a therapist had once told her. One she hadn’t gone to again because she didn’t like half the things the woman had forced her to confront.

Mommy issues, control issues, man issues. Hell, after seeing the woman, Sydney had almost checked herself into a mental hospital. Then Hailey had talked her down, telling her some of her own problems, and Sydney had realized she was normal. Just as dysfunctional as every other woman trying to make do. Only her problems had less to do with body image and more to do with emotional baggage—like the fact she couldn’t stand the woman who’d given birth to her but felt an odd sense of duty to her nonetheless.

Comparisons between herself and her mother would make her crazy, so she ignored them.  She and Lena returned to work. She managed another few hours before she called it quits. By then, Lena had already left for the day.

Her cell phone rang and she picked up the call after noting the caller. “Hey, Hailey. What’s shakin’?”

“We still on for tonight?”

Crap. “Um, something came up. I can’t make it.”

“Oh?”

She didn’t want to lie to Hailey, but Sydney needed to understand what the hell she thought she was doing with Derrick. “Look. I’m going through some stuff right now. I’m trying to figure something out. I promise I’ll talk to you about it. Just...not now.”

“Okay.” Hailey paused. “But Sydney, I’m always here for you, okay?”

“I know. I love you, Hailey.” She never took her friends for granted. They’d been all she’d ever had with a mother too flighty to make time for her daughter. And Hailey had been there for her time and time again over the years.

“Love you too. I think I’ll bug Faith. She sounded down when I talked to her earlier in the week.”

“Good. Tell her that I will personally kick her ass if she doesn’t have a date for the Halloween party in another two weeks.”

“Okay. Good plan. Later. Oh, one more thing.”

“Yes?”

“Tell Derrick I said hi.” Hailey disconnected, laughing.

So much for keeping her life private. Sydney wanted to be mad but couldn’t. Hailey knew her too well. Probably better than she knew herself. She’d be a perfect sounding board. Maybe she could explain why Sydney couldn’t stop thinking about Derrick. The sex was incredible. Had to be a physical thing. So why did she take such great comfort in just seeing him?

Men. They made a muddle of everything.

Glaring down at her hands, at the same fingers that had clutched Derrick while he’d kissed her, she tried to talk herself out of her excitement about tonight. On the drive home and the quick shower to relieve herself of the daily grime—and Derrick—she tried to talk herself out of her stupid fascination with the man.

She deliberately tossed aside the garters and stockings she’d worn and dressed in sweats and a long-sleeve T-shirt. She swung her hair into a ponytail and refused to put on make-up. If this didn’t scare Derrick away, nothing would.

All set to finally put the man from her mind, she answered the doorbell when it rang, ready to end their pseudo-relationship before it had a chance to begin.

Except when she opened the door, she couldn’t look away from him. The stubble on his cheeks looked sexy. His green-eyed stare mesmerized her. Full of an odd combination of longing and irritation, they seemed to mirror exactly what she felt. He wore the same clothing from today, minus the T-shirt he’d sacrificed to clean her up. A minor, selfless thing that shouldn’t have stuck in her mind. Yet it had.

He eyed her up and down. But instead of frowning, he grinned. “Perfect. Here.” He shoved a pizza box at her and walked in with a six-pack of beer and a bottle of wine tucked under his other arm. And not just any wine, but her favorite Cabernet.

She set the box on her table and turned to confront him. But he’d already moved into her living room and made himself at home. His shoes lay by the coffee table and he’d relaxed on her sofa. Two sweaty and bloody men grappled on the television in the middle of a cage, and he had taken a beer out of the six-pack and set it on a coaster.

“Come here.” He patted the spot next to him.

Bemused at the lack of a grand seduction, she walked to his side and propped her hands on her hips, not sure what to do with him.

He looked tired. Handsome, but the shadows under his eyes didn’t lie.

“Have you lost weight?”

“I could ask you the same thing.”

How could she be mad at him for saying such a sweet thing? “You commandeered my remote.” She glanced at it tucked by his side. A definite foul.

“Yep.” In a surprising move, he tugged her down next to him. She lost her balance and landed on the couch, half sprawled across him. He didn’t let her go.

He actually hugged her tight. “Nice.”

Was he sniffing her hair?

She should pull back, set some boundaries. Make sure he knew to keep it casual.

Then he apologized. “Hear me out. This is a peace offering. I’m sorry I called you and left messages. I know we’re just friends, I promise.”

“Oh right. Casual acquaintances who just had sex a few hours ago.”

“Right.”

She leaned back and saw his lips quirk. An answering smile lit her mouth, and a chuckle worked through her. “Exactly.”

He started laughing. She joined him.

They watched the match, her in his lap, as he explained the rules. Not long after, they devoured the pizza, which had her favorite toppings—pepperoni, mushrooms and black olives—and she found the beer to be just as good with the pizza as her wine.

But what shocked her most about the night was waking up the next morning in her bed, fully dressed, next to Derrick. They hadn’t had sex. The night had been one of the best she’d had in ages. And she knew to her toes there was nothing remotely casual about her feelings for this man.

Damn, damn, damn.