Dazzling

by Elizabeth Hayley

  Their shoulders bumped together as they continued their stroll down the boardwalk. Siobhan leaned toward him. “That was pretty hot.”

  Derick startled and looked over at Siobhan. “What was? Annihilating a bunch of kids for a stuffed animal?”

  “No,” Siobhan said with a laugh. She put her hand in the crook of his arm. “How badly you wanted to win it just because I liked it. That was what was hot.”

  Having no response, Derick pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek and kept walking.

  When the sun began to set and the beach began to clear out, they decided to quickly grab two Nathan’s hot dogs before making their way down to the beach to watch the sky change over the water as the sun descended.

  They stood together, Siobhan’s back to Derick’s chest—his arms wrapped around her stomach—until the stars twinkled overhead.

  “You know what else I’ve never done?” Siobhan asked.

  “Hmm?”

  “Swam in the ocean.”

  Derick turned her so she was facing him. “Never?”

  Siobhan slowly shook her head. Her eyes were seductive, her smirk inviting.

  “We should rectify that then,” he said.

  “We definitely should.”

  Suddenly, Siobhan sprang back from him. “Last one in loses an article of clothing for the walk back to the car.”

  And the race was on. Both of them quickly stripped down to their underwear and splashed into the ocean. Derick dove under waves and Siobhan tried to muscle through them. Derick got out to calmer seas first and waited for Siobhan.

  “I win,” he declared as she joined him.

  “You did not. My foot hit water before yours did.”

  “But I made it out here first,” he argued.

  “I said first one in. Not first one all the way in.”

  Derick was quiet for a second. “I feel like I’m being conned.”

  He could just make out Siobhan’s shrug in the moonlight. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. “I’ll make it up to you,” she said, right before she pressed her lips to his.

  She ground against him, and his cock got hard in an instant. His hands gripped her ass firmly as he pulled her tightly against his shaft.

  A gasp left her lips as his erection pressed against her clit through her underwear. Their kisses were wild as they continued to grind together.

  “Oh my God. Derick.” Siobhan moaned as Derick’s mouth ghosted down her neck.

  “Shit, I’m going to come.” Derick hadn’t gotten off on rubbing against someone in years—maybe not since high school—but he’d be damned if he could think of anything sexier in that moment.

  Siobhan’s gasps of pleasure accompanied the gentle rolling of the waves. It was the most beautiful soundtrack Derick had ever heard.

  They glided together a few more times before Siobhan began to quake in his arms with her release. He continued to rub against her, drawing out her orgasm as he kept pressure on the tiny bundle of nerves.

  The water gliding over his sack, the soft friction against her underwear, and Siobhan’s muffled pants of ecstasy all helped push him over the edge. He came in long spurts, his entire body bucking with the climax.

  They stayed locked in an embrace for a few minutes before pulling apart slightly.

  “I can’t believe we did that,” Siobhan said.

  “Me neither. But I’m really glad we did.”

  They both laughed as they began the swim back to the beach. Once there, they waited a little while before getting dressed, allowing the warm night air to dry them slightly. When they finally reached for their clothes, Siobhan spoke.

  “Hey, Derick.”

  Derick turned toward her as he pulled his shirt over his head. “Yeah?”

  Siobhan smirked. “Lose the shirt.”

  Chapter 15

  Siobhan put her spoon down to rest on the small dessert in front of her. “The rest is yours,” she said, pointing at the chocolate soufflé they’d been sharing.

  “Really? You don’t want anymore?” Derick asked. But he didn’t wait for Siobhan to respond before finishing off the last few bites.

  When the waiter returned to clear their plates, he said something to Derick in French, a language Siobhan had no idea Derick knew before tonight.

  “What did he say?” Siobhan asked after the waiter had left.

  “He said you’re beautiful.”

  Siobhan looked at him in disbelief. “Seriously? He said that?”

  Derick laughed and reached across the table to take Siobhan’s hand. “No. He asked if he should bring the check. Guys don’t tell other guys how hot their girlfriends are.”

  “Oh, right.” Siobhan laughed softly.

  “It’s true though, you know. You are beautiful.” Derick’s eyes warmed in the dim light of the elegant French restaurant, and Siobhan felt herself get lost in them.

  “So,” Derick said, “there’s something I’ve been wondering, but I’m not sure how you’ll feel about it.”

  “What?”

  “I want to see your art.” Derick looked eager, but she could hear the hesitation in his voice.

  Siobhan was quiet at first. Her art was so personal to her. Sharing it with people always made her self-conscious. But there was a part of her that was excited to share her work with Derick. And the intimacy of it caused her to agree.

  On the ride back to her apartment, Siobhan was a bundle of nerves. Not only would Derick be in the small space she called home, but he’d also see her paintings. It felt like a double whammy of judgment was waiting for her, and anxiety filled her.

  They made their way into her apartment, and Siobhan turned on a few lights she had scattered around. Everything was visible from where Derick stood just inside the doorway. Her tiny galley kitchen, her bed, rickety table, overflowing closet that the faded pink dressing screen only partially obscured from view—it was all there like a beacon of economic hardship.

  The only redeeming quality of the space—with its plastered ceiling and crumbling brick walls—was the floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the bustling metropolis outside. To most it would just be a drafty window, but to a painter it was a dream—a frame that harnessed art that was in constant motion.

  In an attempt to distract Derick from looking around her home, she walked to where she’d installed shelves on the far wall. “I put them here so the sun doesn’t hit them.”

  Derick followed her over and spent a few minutes looking at the paintings. “It was smart to put them on shelves.”

  “Well, I don’t have a ton of space, and I don’t want them lying around where they could get messed up. You’ve seen how clumsy I am.” Despite attempting to joke, her voice sounded small and unsure. She cleared her throat in the hopes of swallowing the feeling of inadequacy that swamped her.

  “They’re gorgeous.”

  His compliment warmed her slightly—made her shoulders relax. “Thanks.”

  “I wish I knew more about art.” He never took his eyes off the paintings as he spoke. “I don’t even know what style these are in?”

  “Expressionism.”

  He finally tore his eyes away from her canvases and smiled at her. “I don’t know what that is.”

  “The goal of expressionism is to show the emotional rather than the physical. To move beyond what our eyes can see and delve into what we feel. It tends to distort reality in order to affect the viewer’s mood and ideas.”

  “Well, I’m definitely moved.”

  Siobhan smiled in response.

  “Why did you choose this style?” he asked as he looked back at her paintings again.

  “I saw Munch’s The Scream when I was fourteen and that was it for me. The anxiety and alienation he conveys in that painting are…perfect. I looked at it and could imagine myself standing on that bridge, screaming for the world to both hear me and leave me alone.” Siobhan shrugged the uncomfortable feelings away. “I was all in after that.” She gave Derick a sma
ll smile.

  He didn’t return it, but rather looked at her in a way that she figured she probably looked at The Scream: a mix of awe and understanding. It seemed as though a spell was cast over them as he placed his hand on her cheek and drew her closer to him. And when their lips met, the spell exploded into a frenzy of hedonism that caused hands to grope, tongues to seek, and bodies to meld.

  Siobhan barely registered her back hitting the mattress as Derick came down on top of her, his body heavy, but not overpowering as he held some of his weight off her with a forearm by her head. Her hands were in his hair, keeping his lips pressed to hers as he worked one hand under her red cotton summer dress.

  His fingers skimmed along her flat stomach as goose bumps broke out from the tickling touch and the promise of where those fingers would eventually travel. He briefly drifted his hand up to caress her breasts over her bra before he trailed it back down her abdomen.

  She bucked up into his touch, her lips parting from his on a gasp.

  He took that opportunity to rain kisses along her jaw, nipping at her earlobe, and sucking on her neck. When his fingers found their way into her red lace thong, she instantly cursed herself for delaying this moment.

  He rubbed her clit with the perfect amount of pressure to reduce her to a panting mess. By the time he leaned back slightly so he could thrust his fingers into her, she was making noises she hadn’t even known she was capable of.

  “Derick, I need you.”

  He brought his mouth to her ear and teasingly bit her lobe. “What do you need?”

  “You. Inside me. Now.”

  He pushed himself up to standing and removed his wallet, extracting a condom from it. Then he yanked his pants and boxers down before sheathing himself and settling back over her. He brushed the back of his fingers over her cheek. “You’re so beautiful.” Then he leaned down and claimed her mouth in a sweet, yet all-consuming, kiss.

  She felt his erection push at her entrance, and she wanted him there more than anything.

  With both hands pressed into the mattress by her head, he finally thrust his cock into the tight heat of her body.

  Their union was carnal and intense. She wanted this: for him to take her hard, to plunge deep, and to eliminate all distance between them. The way her legs brushed against his hips as he pistoned into her made her feel like the skin there could burst into flames.

  He looked down at her intently. “I want to see you when you come. I want to watch you fall apart and know I did that.”

  His words were the sexiest things she’d ever heard. That, combined with the friction of his pelvis against her clit created a delicious encouragement toward the finish line.

  Her orgasm continued to build, threatening to spill over with every sliver of contact.

  His low groans of pleasure filled the room.

  Another few thrusts were all it took to push her over the edge. She cried out with her climax as her body shook. He kept pumping into her a few more times before his movements stuttered and he came, filling the condom with his release.

  They lay there for a while, catching their breaths and allowing the boneless feeling to pass. Eventually Derick got up and disposed of the condom.

  With his body gone from hers, the warmth he’d created left, too. She glanced around her apartment and let the insecurities begin to creep back in. Pulling the blanket over herself, she stared at the ceiling and tried to calm down.

  Derick returned and leaned across the bed so he was hovering over her. “Do I get to stay this time?”

  Chapter 16

  Siobhan awoke the next morning nestled against Derick’s strong body. With her eyes still closed, she lightly let her hand drift over his six-pack abs and toned pecs. How was I considering telling him he couldn’t stay last night? She let her eyes drift open. Oh, yeah.

  As her eyes adjusted to the light streaming into her dingy apartment, she tried to focus on the man in her bed. The man who was worth over a billion dollars. And not her shitty apartment.

  “Why did you stop?”

  She startled slightly. “What?”

  “You stopped tracing me.” He reached for her hand that had stilled on his chest and rubbed it up and down his torso. “It felt good. Do it again.”

  “I liked you better when you were sleeping,” Siobhan replied as she let her hand caress him again.

  He rolled over so he was facing her. “I like you all the time.”

  “Suck-up,” she said, as she fought a smile.

  He pressed his answering smile to hers. When he rested his head back on the pillow he studied her silently. Just as she was becoming unnerved by it, he spoke. “If I ask you something, will you tell me the truth?”

  “Strike you as a liar, do I?” she teased.

  “No, but you may not want to answer and I really want you to.”

  She lifted up onto an elbow so she could look down at him. “Okay. Shoot.”

  “Did you really want me to stay last night? Or did you just not want to turn me down again?”

  Siobhan felt her eyes widen slightly. “What do you mean?”

  “You’re kind of hard to read sometimes, and I wasn’t sure if you let me stay because you actually wanted me here or because I asked. Not to mention the fact that you fell asleep with your back to me.” Derick said the words with a smile, but there was an earnestness to his expression that let her know he was invested in the answer.

  Siobhan pushed a hand through his hair. “What happened to that clueless guy I met a few weeks ago?”

  He smiled. “He’s been paying more attention.”

  Siobhan flopped back onto the bed. “I don’t know. I guess it’s just that…it’s weird…you’re a billionaire and you’re naked in my crappy apartment.”

  Derick quickly sat up and hovered over her. “Are you serious?” His tone and eyes weren’t angry, just concerned.

  She gazed back at him. “I know it’s dumb. You never made me feel insignificant or anything, and I’ve tried to do a really good job of forgetting how out of my league you are. But having you here”—she gestured around the room with her hand—“in my space. It was a lot to take in.”

  She tried to look away, but he held her chin between his thumb and index finger, not letting her escape. “First of all, I am not out of your league. You’re stunning, and brilliant, and talented, and…Christ, Siobhan, you’re dazzling. Everything about you amazes me. I’m just some schmuck who was lucky enough to keep you from falling on your ass.”

  She laughed, thankful that he’d restored some levity between them.

  “Second of all, I didn’t always have a ton of money, Siobhan. Growing up, we struggled. A lot. I don’t want you to ever feel like we can’t relate to each other.” He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

  She leaned up to kiss him again, thankful for the words, even though they couldn’t be the truth.

  Chapter 17

  Siobhan rinsed the remainder of the conditioner out of her hair until she could practically hear the strands squeak between her fingers.

  She’d been hoping that her second shower of the day might rejuvenate her. Unfortunately, it hadn’t. But she needed the second shower anyway. There was no way she was going out with Derick without one. Not after the afternoon she’d had.

  A black lab puppy she was walking had decided a puddle looked like a good place to take a bath. She’d washed the dog before leaving the owner’s apartment, which hadn’t left her much time to get ready. Derick would be picking her up in less than a half hour to take her to a concert. It had been her idea to see this band, but now the thought of loud music and a late bedtime didn’t sound nearly as appealing as it had originally.

  Though she’d never admit it to Derick, Siobhan felt like she’d been burning the candle at both ends lately. She’d been doing her best to balance her hours at the Stone Room with painting, all of her other odd jobs, and seeing him, but it was proving difficult.

  When she’d first moved to the city, she di
dn’t have much of a social life. No real friends or boyfriend made it relatively easy for her to fit it all in. But now with Derick in her life—and she wanted him to stay there—she felt like he’d been fighting for whatever extra time she could spare. Though thankfully he hadn’t mentioned it since their fight.

  With no time to dry her hair, Siobhan sprayed something in it that would give her beachy waves as it air-dried. Then she applied some light makeup and put on a comfortable dress.

  She answered her phone on the fourth ring after shuffling through her bag to look for it. “Hey, everything okay? I didn’t think I’d talk to you until you got here.”

  “Yeah, sorry,” Derick replied. “Everything’s fine. I’m on my way and thought I’d see if you needed anything.”

  A nap. “No thanks. I’m good.” She tried to suppress the yawn that snuck up on her as she spoke. “Or I will be once I find my other sandal.”

  “You sure you’re okay?”

  “Just tired. I’ll get a second wind. Maybe a third if you’re lucky.” She did her best to make her voice sound light, but she could almost taste the staleness of the words as they left her lips.

  “We don’t have to go if you’re not feeling up to it. We can do something else instead.”

  Siobhan wanted to protest, but since she had been the one who suggested they see the band in the first place, she didn’t think Derick would really mind if they canceled. “What did you have in mind?”

  He was quiet for a moment and then spoke enthusiastically. “I’ll go pick some food up at the store and make us dinner at my place. I’ll have a car come get you in an hour and a half or so. It’ll give you time to relax.”

  She’d never been to Derick’s apartment, and the thought of a quiet dinner was too tempting to pass up. “Okay. That sounds perfect. I didn’t know you cooked.”

  “Are you kidding? I love cooking.”

  Chapter 18

  When the penthouse elevator opened directly into Derick’s foyer, he was standing in front of it, waiting for her. When the doors opened to reveal a casual, yet stunning Siobhan, he couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips. Nor the slight twitch of his cock. “Thank you so much for this,” she said, as she gave him a kiss hello. “I’m kind of burned out. A casual, relaxed dinner is.…” Siobhan stopped speaking as she stepped past him and took in the room.