by KB Winters
“Planning on it. You wanna meet that girl from the dancing group? Saw you eye fucking her like you had sex-ray vision during their set.”
Marcus laughed and slapped me on the shoulder. “You know it, man.”
I chuckled and we finally broke free from the crowd. We maneuvered around the clusters of people doing impromptu gift exchanges and got out into the main hallway. It snaked through the palace, back to the mess hall, which—to my dismay—already had a huge line of people waiting to get inside.
When we got inside, I went straight to Sophia’s table, surprised to see that she’d changed into a grey long-sleeved t-shirt and a pair of black skinny jeans. The casual outfit clashed with her heavy stage makeup, but she was just as heart-stoppingly beautiful as the first time I saw her.
“Guess you weren’t kidding about not being a dress-up girl, huh?” I said, stepping up to her table when the line in front of me was gone. “Couldn’t wait to get back into a pair of jeans.”
She laughed. “Well, I wasn’t sure where you were planning on taking me, but I figured a giant dress with a train would probably get in the way…”
I bit back the comment that it would’ve been a helluva lot harder to get it off of her as well.
“So, what will it be? Autograph? Picture?”
I chuckled. “Do I have to choose?”
Sophia cocked her head, playfully considering my request. She kept her expression serious as long as she could—less than three seconds—before a smile burst across her face and she nodded. “I suppose, just for you, I could do both.”
I laughed. “Thank goodness.”
Sophia grabbed a glossy photograph from the table in front of her and glanced up at me through her thick lashes before dropping her gaze to the picture and scrawling a message across the front. She handed it back with a wide smile and a wink. “For your sister.”
I chuckled as I took the photo from her, skimming the message.
“Aren’t you going to open your gift?” Sophia asked, glancing at the still wrapped package tucked under my arm. I’d completely forgotten that I even had the package. I’d been so focused on getting to Sophia that the gift had fallen to the back of my mind.
“I guess I should, huh?” I peeled back the edge of the paper and Sophia groaned. I flicked my eyes up at her. “What?”
Sophia smirked. “You’re one of those people. The kind that opens wrapping paper like they’re handling delicate china or something!”
I laughed and made a point of tearing the paper. Sophia cheered as I ripped it all apart, revealing a handheld gaming system. “Oh, nice!”
“Very fancy. I might have to borrow it for the plane ride home,” Sophia teased.
I glanced up at her, grinning. “Oh yeah? And when would I get it back again?”
Sophia shrugged. “That’s up to you, isn’t it, soldier?”
I chuckled but then leaned in a little closer and asked, “Whatcha doing for New Year’s?”
Chapter Six - Sophia
“Are we allowed to be up here?” I asked, craning around to look up into Derrick’s face as he escorted me up a narrow staircase. His hand rested on my lower back and it took all my concentration not to trip over my own feet on the steep stairs at his first touch.
Derrick smiled down at me and nodded. “It’s fine. I come up here all the time. It’s the only quiet spot in this damn palace.”
I smirked and turned back in time to stop before a doorway. I pushed it open and stepped out onto a small balcony. The sight of the city below, with the moon and stars gleaming high overhead, took my breath away. “This is beautiful,” I breathed.
“I think so,” Derrick agreed, coming to stand beside me at the stone railing that was the only barrier between us and a four story drop to the courtyard below. A few people were below, probably security or Army MP’s on patrol. We were well within the green zone, but that didn’t mean danger didn’t lurk in the city below, even if it was hard to imagine as the city looked peaceful and quiet below.
“The sky looks like velvet,” I said, returning my gaze to the sky overhead. “You certainly don’t see this in the middle of Manhattan.”
Derrick chuckled. “No, I would assume not.”
I lowered my eyes to meet his and my heart raced a little faster as the quiet of the night caught up with me, and I realized how close and intimate our new surroundings were. The balcony was small, probably only big enough for two, maybe three people, and though there were a few people passing below, it felt like we were all alone in the twilight.
Derrick, as though realizing it too, took a side-step and leaned down against the stone railing that encircled the balcony. His forearms were exposed as the sleeves of his fatigues had been cuffed up to his elbows. It was still fairly warm, but it surprised me how different the temperature was compared to the day. I hadn’t expected the nights to be so chilly in the middle of a desert. I mirrored Derrick’s posture and scanned the city. “What do you do when you come up here alone?” I asked, glancing over at him.
He thought for a moment, before answering, “Think, mostly. I get to the end of a long day and just need a minute to myself to destress. Things out here can go from good to nightmare within a split second.”
I nodded, as though I knew what he was talking about, but didn’t dare compare my own personal tragedy to the kind that occurred out here.
“What about you?” he asked, meeting my eyes. “What do you do to unwind? I imagine your life gets to be a little much sometimes, as well.”
I laughed under my breath. “That’s an understatement. I try to keep a journal while I’m on the road. Helps me keep things in perspective when I can look back and have that record of my life so far.”
“Smart. I keep all my letters and emails from back home. Those are kind of my time capsule.”
“Do you get a lot of them?” I hoped the answer was yes.
Derrick smiled. “Yeah. My parents do a weekly newsletter of sorts and my sister sends me emails every few days, mostly with pictures of my little niece.”
The warmth in Derrick’s eyes melted me when he talked about his family. “You have a niece?”
“Harper,” he answered, his smile deepening. I traced the lines of his lips and the smile lines in his face with my eyes. “What about you?”
“Two of each, actually. Being an auntie is the best.”
Derrick chuckled. “It’s fun.”
“Do you want a family of your own someday?”
“Definitely,” Derrick replied with a nod. “What about you?”
“I think so…” I nibbled on my lower lip. “It’s hard to imagine sometimes. But yes, I do.”
Derrick’s hand found mine and traced the backs of my knuckles. “What was it that you were talking about at the end of the show? You said something about having a rough year and looking forward to coming out here.”
“Oh, that…” That whole speech had been a last minute addition, not scheduled or scripted on a TelePrompTer. Emotions had grabbed a hold, seeing all the smiling faces and knowing that there were thousands, probably tens of thousands, of families back in the states that were missing them. “I went through a nasty divorce earlier this year. It was splashed all over the internet and every grocery store rag mag cover. It was a nightmare.” I shook my head, wishing I could shake off the residual sadness that still settled around me whenever my guard wasn’t up. “Still is…” I added in a whisper.
Derrick interlocked our hands and I glanced down, fixated on the way his strong fingers engulfed my hand. “Wow. I’m sorry, Sophia. I didn’t know.”
I met his eyes and managed a small smile. “It’s all right. I actually like that you didn’t know. Everyone has an opinion formulated on whichever magazine or online gossip personality they follow. I’d rather you hear about it from me anyway. Although, on a night like this…it seems like there are better things we could be talking about.”
Or doing…
Getting lost in Derrick sounded like th
e perfect salve to heal the subtle ache left in my chest. I hadn’t been with anyone since the divorce was finalized. Hell, I hadn’t been with anyone other than my ex-husband. Ever. I’d worked too hard to cultivate a family-friendly brand for myself that affected every aspect of my career, and therefore, life. I didn’t have curse words in my songs, refused to wear sparkly booty shorts or tops that barely covered my boobs, and even in my personal life, I dressed relatively conservatively and didn’t go around stirring up trouble or bar hopping. Since I’d started my career at such a young age, I had younger girls who would find my music and I refused to be anything but a good role model for them.
But Derrick was standing there making me want to do some very unwholesome things.
“We can talk about anything you like. I just like being with you.”
I smiled over at Derrick, letting his words warm through me. “Me too.”
“Can I ask one question first?”
I nodded, steeling myself for the worst. Was this the part where he’d ask about my ex?
Derrick released my hand as he turned to prop himself against his elbow on the railing. “Were you serious about New Year’s?”
Relief flooded me and I nodded. “Of course. If you have a chance, after seeing your family and everyone…I don’t want to steal away your time from them.”
He smiled and leaned down, his lips getting dangerously close to mine. “I’m pretty sure they’d understand…” He captured my mouth before I could object to his statement and as he kissed me deeply, the arguments died away.
Derrick raised a hand to cup the side of my face and I moved in closer to him. His free hand went to my waist and pulled me against him before settling on my low back again, this time his fingertips grazed the top curve of my backside. A purr formed in the back of my throat and bubbled up, turning to a soft moan as Derrick’s tongue slipped past my lips and stroked the tip of my own with seductive rhythms that sent bolts of heat between my thighs. I squirmed against him, wanting and craving more of his touch. His hands slid down, over my ass, cupping me with an appreciative groan. The kiss broke away as he leaned down to nibble at my ear. “I know I should take it slow, but damn it, Sophia, I can’t stop thinking about you. All of you…”
My cheeks flushed with heat at his sultry words and then at the path his fingertips took as they slid back up my body, taking a lingering tour of my hips, before settling back on my low back and tugging me in close again. “Who said you had to take it slow?” I asked, my voice a throaty whisper.
He pulled away a little—just enough to meet my eyes. A half-cocked grin spread over his tempting lips. “Careful what you wish for, Sophia.”
I tilted my head back, arching my neck for his perusal. “It’s been a long time…what can I say? I’m running high on estrogen and low on patience.”
Derrick needed no further invitation. He ravaged the side of my neck with hot kisses as his hands slid over my hips and pushed past the edge of my shirt. The cool desert air brushed over my bared skin as his hands dragged it up my sides. With a quick maneuver, he turned me so my back was pressed against the wall, out of the line of sight of anyone walking down below. Only when I was concealed in the shadows did he strip the shirt completely off. I tugged his jacket apart, wincing at the loud sounds the Velcro made as they ripped apart. Derrick chuckled softly against my collarbone as he explored the newly exposed flesh with his lips and teeth and tongue. His hands were behind my back, protecting my skin from the exterior of the building, but as I pulled at his jacket, he pushed away long enough to strip the jacket and then the faded tan undershirt off.
I smiled widely at the display of muscles I was rewarded with as he pulled the shirt off over his head. And when his dog tags tinkled and came to rest against his chiseled chest…I nibbled my lip and tried not to moan just at the sight of him. For all of Derrick’s nice guy tendencies, his body was pure naughty delight. Defined muscles rippled over every inch of his arms and an inky band of Celtic symbols made their way down his right bicep. I traced my finger over the design, absently wondering what they meant, but was quickly distracted as Derrick’s skin crashed against mine, a war of hard and soft, that made me wish we were back in my room, lost under the sheets.
Derrick’s fingers wove through my hair and tugged gently to bring my lips back to his. The kiss deepened and I squirmed against him, craving more of him. His hips rocked against mine and there was no doubt we were on the same wave length.
I arched against him, my nipples straining against the satin cups of my bra, aching to be touched. His hands went to my breasts, palming them through the soft fabric. He ran a thumb over my nipple and I shuddered against him. I clenched my thighs together, the pressure building to dizzying heights. “Derrick…” I whispered, my breath coming in short little pants as his lips moved over my jaw. “I want this. I want you.”
“Not here, baby,” he whispered, tracing a finger down the side of my face. “I want you somewhere where we can be alone. I plan on making you moan my name and don’t need a bunch of nosy MP’s breaking up the party.”
I shuddered at the seductive promise in his words and whimpered a little. I didn’t want to beg, but the thought of peeling myself away from him and going back to my room alone…and unsatisfied…was unbearable.
“We can go to my room…” I suggested, stroking the front of his chest, making sure he noticed that each circle had my hand going lower on his torso, getting dangerously close to the belt wound around the waist of his fatigues. His hard-on was visible through the material and if I dropped one more inch my fingertips would graze him.
But I had a feeling that if I did—we’d never make it back to my room.
Derrick considered me, his eyes drunk with lust, dark and wide under the soft light of the moon above. “I’d offer to take you to mine, but I share with three other guys, I gotta figure having an audience is not your thing.”
A laugh slipped out louder than I’m planned, and I immediately slapped my hand over my mouth to muffle the sound. Derrick’s eyes danced. “Come on, trouble.”
We shrugged back into our discarded clothing and Derrick took my hand as we ducked back into the palace. “Uh oh…” I said, looking both ways down the wide hall.
“What?”
I giggled. “I have no idea where we are.”
Derrick shot me a sideways grin. “That’s why you’re with me.”
“Oh, that’s why,” I repeated, laughing. “I thought it was to have my wicked way with you.”
His eyes flashed with heat and for a moment I thought he was going to back me up against the wall and kiss me right there in the middle of the hall. No one was in sight but footsteps sounded in the distance and he gave a slight shake to his head, apparently changing his mind. He tugged my hand and drew me close to him. “Come on.”
As promised, Derrick maneuvered the labyrinth like an expert guide and within minutes we were on the other side of my bedroom door and our clothes were flying again. This time, Derrick didn’t show any restraint, though he was still gentle, as he tugged my shirt back over my head and immediately went to unclasp the back of my bra, letting it fall to the floor as his hungry eyes took in every inch of newly exposed flesh.
He gripped my hips, dragging me toward him as I toyed with the dog tags hanging around his neck. “You got a thing for tags?” he asked, smirking down at me as I played with the warm metal plates that clanged together over his once again bare chest.
I glanced up into his dark eyes. “I do now.”
Derrick kissed me and worked his fingers to the button on my jeans. I worked at the same fevered pace to shuck away his pants, getting hung up on all the buttons. I had to laugh at my shaking fingers. “God, I’m acting like a virgin or something…”
“Well, to be fair, you did say it’s been a while. Maybe you’re just rusty,” Derrick teased, reaching down to give me a hand.
I slapped him playfully on the arm and took over. I popped the last button. “We’ll see if you’
re still saying that after I’ve had my way with you…”
Derrick stopped breathing.
I grinned at the stunned look on his face but it faded quickly, changing into a soft squeal as he lifted me from the floor and tossed me down onto the bed. He tugged at the waist of my jeans and peeled them from my legs, making a sexy little growl as his eyes explored my body. I twisted and squirmed under his eyes and clenched my thighs together, feeling heat and achy pressure building once again. My panties were black with red embroidery thread making little designs at the sides. If they were any other color, Derrick would have seen how ready I was for him to slide deep inside of me.
“Damn, baby, you’re even hotter than I imagined.”
“Been dreaming about me, huh?” My sarcastic smile fell away as Derrick finished dropping his pants, revealing his thick shaft that made me wiggle even more with anticipation.
“Baby, you don’t even wanna know the things I’ve been dreaming about,” he replied, a wicked smile crossing his lips. He bent to unlace his boots and I studied the thick, corded muscles in his back as he made quick work of them. He kicked out of the boots and joined me on the bed. “But this,” he drawled, dragging his finger along the curve of my breast, “is even better than I dreamed. You’re a very sexy woman, Sophia.”
My cheeks warmed under his intent study of every curve in the soft light coming from the lamp over the sitting area in the large suite.
Derrick lowered his lips to follow the trail his finger made, working his way down my body with soft strokes of his tongue and gentle nibbles with his lips and teeth. I arched back when his teeth raked over the tender skin on the insides of my thighs. He grinned up at me and our eyes met as he dropped another soft kiss to the place where the silky soft fabric hugged my aching pussy. Derrick worked under the panties and I gasped at the shock of sensations that flooded me at his featherlight touch. He was teasing me. Giving me just enough to take the edge off, only to have the urgency heighten to new levels a moment later. I bit my lip to keep from begging. Secretly, I loved the slow torture of it all. Derrick was a man on a mission, but he wasn’t in a hurry to get there. Not anymore. He was enraptured with my body and his careful tour over every inch was sheer seduction in a way I’d never experienced before.