Dazzling

by Elizabeth Hayley

  Derick looked down at Siobhan, whose eyes were tearing up. “When did you lose her?”

  The question should have been simple, but it didn’t feel that way. “Right after I graduated from college. Maybe a year or so before the app took off. The real kicker is that I probably could’ve knocked on the door and made them an offer they couldn’t turn down, and that would’ve been it. But even if my mom had been alive at the time, she wouldn’t have been able to live there on her own anyway. She’d been sick since she got diagnosed with ALS my sophomore year of high school. When she passed away, she was living with Cole and his wife upstate.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Thanks,” he said, as they began walking up the street. “It’s okay. Really. I’ve made my peace with it.”

  “So where did you grow up? You said it’s around here somewhere, right?”

  “In a place called Kew Gardens. It’s a neighborhood nearby, but it couldn’t be farther away from what we’re looking at now.”

  “Are you going to show it to me?”

  Derick shook his head. “Nah, there isn’t much to show. Just a little two-bedroom apartment in a plain brick building. Why don’t we get a bite to eat at the place I told you about instead, and then head back to the city?” Derick pointed up the street. “It’s only like a ten-minute walk from here.”

  “Okay.” Siobhan nodded and began walking with him. She was quiet for a few moments before she spoke again. “You could still do it, you know. Walk up to the house and make them that offer. It might make you feel better to have it.”

  Derick smiled. “Having things doesn’t make me feel better. It never has.” Their pace slowed until it stopped completely, and Derick turned to face her. “That’s what I’ve been trying so hard to explain to you. It’s doing things for the people I care about that makes me feel like there’s some purpose to having all this money.”

  Siobhan was quiet for a moment, seemingly thinking about what she wanted to say. “I get where you’re coming from. Really I do. But I can’t be a way for you to make good on the things you wished you’d been able to do for your mom.”

  Derick sighed heavily. “I understand that. I know you want to make it without anyone’s help, and like I told you before, I can respect that. But I can’t unmake my money to make you happy, Siobhan. I brought you here to show you that I know what it’s like to struggle.

  “I have nothing to do with you feeling inferior. You’re projecting those feelings onto yourself. So you’re going to have to work with me on this.” Derick looked back at the large house before turning to Siobhan again. “My mom used to say we were all just diamonds in the rough. We may not be shiny and beautiful in the moment, but with a little polishing, we could be the most dazzling things in the room. Not to mention the toughest.”

  Siobhan chewed on her bottom lip, her eyes watering.

  Derick pulled her close. “I think the same thing could be said for you. But you need to believe in your own worth, Siobhan, and I’m willing to help you do that. Just tell me what I need to do.”

  Siobhan released a shaky breath, turning her head away briefly before turning back and looking into Derick’s eyes. “I think”—she cleared her throat—“I think I need to get over it.”

  Derick couldn’t resist the smile that spread across his face. “Are you serious right now?”

  Siobhan returned his smile with a small one of her own. “Yeah. It’s difficult, Derick. I can’t lie about that. Being in a relationship where, in at least one sense, I can never be equal is tough for me. But not having you would be way harder. So I’ll work on accepting that it’s okay to let you help me sometimes.”

  Derick pulled her in for a firm hug. Planting a kiss on her neck, he buried his face in her neck.

  She burrowed into him. “I’m sorry I drive you crazy.”

  Derick chuckled. “It’s okay. I love you anyway.”

  Derick felt his heartbeat quicken, and he wondered if Siobhan felt it, too, as she pressed against his chest. He hadn’t planned to tell her he loved her. At least not like that. But that didn’t make it any less true.

  Siobhan was silent, and Derick was scared of what might come out of her mouth when she finally spoke. So instead of waiting, he leaned down to capture her mouth with his. She didn’t pull back or make any awkward movements that would indicate she was uncomfortable with what he’d said.

  She just kissed him back, surrendering herself to him slowly on the quiet suburban street. He didn’t need her to say she loved him, too. He didn’t need her to say anything.

  This was enough.

  Chapter 22

  “Oh my God! You’re the worst.” Cory’s dark-brown eyes widened, and Siobhan felt slightly chastised by them. “He told you he loved you and you didn’t say anything back?”

  “In my defense, I didn’t even have much time to formulate a response before his tongue was in my mouth.”

  Marnel sighed and let her head fall onto her palm as she leaned against the bar dreamily. “Tell us more about his tongue.”

  Siobhan laughed before heading back to the host’s station. But she could feel the girls following, so she turned to face them. “Don’t you have work you could be doing?”

  Confusion swept across their faces. “We’re waitresses and the bar doesn’t open for a half hour,” Cory answered. “Besides, we are working. Working on you not ruining your relationship. Again.”

  “Oh, stop. Not telling Derick that I loved him right after he said it isn’t going to ruin our relationship.” Would it? “We’re not teenagers.”

  “And as far as the financial thing goes, we’re on the same page now. I accept that Derick has money, and he accepts that he’s not allowed to give me any.” The girls knew about her previous fight with Derick, and they were supportive of her feelings. Even if they didn’t completely agree with them. “I’ll tell him how I feel eventually. I’m just waiting for the right time.”

  “Oh yeah? When might that be?” Cory asked.

  Siobhan wished she knew.

  Chapter 23

  “Seven minutes.”

  Siobhan’s head turned toward Kayla’s voice. She hadn’t even known the other artist had been standing nearby. “Really? You sure?”

  “Yup.” Kayla smiled warmly. “I think that’s the longest anyone’s stared at any of our paintings all night. How great would it be if one of us sold something?”

  Siobhan felt her stomach squirm inside her body. “Pretty great.” Her excitement was building at the prospect of someone purchasing one of her paintings. It seemed surreal. “I’m sure Andrew’s already sold a few things. His section’s been crowded since opening.” She took a sip of champagne.

  Kayla let out an exaggerated groan, but Siobhan could tell Kayla wasn’t actually upset. Siobhan hadn’t known either of the two other artists very long—only since they’d found out their work would all be displayed in the gallery on the same night. But they’d both seemed nice enough. And Kayla was way more relaxed than Siobhan when it came to making a name for herself. “I know. But he’s been doing this for a while. He knows a lot of people in the city. It’s so hard to make it in New York. That’s why a lot of people have been moving to Detroit. Cheap rent, lots of exposure. I’ve considered it myself lately.”

  Siobhan pushed off of the counter she’d been leaning against and walked casually—she hoped—away from the bald-headed, middle-aged man who was still admiring one of her pieces. “Oh yeah?” she asked, taking another sip of champagne to calm her frayed nerves as the two moved toward Andrew’s paintings, Kayla following close behind.

  Just then she felt a pair of strong hands on her hips. “What did I miss?” Derick gave her a kiss on the cheek as he leaned in from behind her.

  Siobhan looked around. “Bacon-wrapped shrimp and me hyperventilating. That would be the reason for this,” she said, holding up the champagne glass.

  Derick chuckled. “Damn. I love bacon-wrapped shrimp.” Then he moved to stand in front of her, his
hand taking Siobhan’s and giving it a comforting squeeze.

  She was glad that he’d come, but she was equally glad she’d told him to come closer to the end. She didn’t want him seeing her freaking out the whole time.

  “Derick, this is Kayla. She’s one of the other artists whose work is being displayed tonight.”

  Derick extended his hand, and Kayla looked more than happy to take it.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” he said. “And congratulations. You’ll have to show me which paintings are yours.”

  Kayla smiled politely and thanked him. Then she excused herself, saying she had some things to attend to.

  Siobhan walked Derick around the space, introducing him to Veronica, the gallery owner, and pointing out the other artists’ work. He seemed genuinely interested, though Siobhan thought it probably had more to do with his excitement for her and less to do with his passion for art.

  When they got to Siobhan’s work, she didn’t see the man who had been there earlier. There were a few others browsing leisurely, but none seemed exceptionally interested. And the crowd had started to thin somewhat.

  Derick put a hand on the small of her back and handed her a new glass of champagne from the server’s tray. Then he took one for himself. “I have a secret,” Derick whispered as they stood in front of one of her paintings.

  Siobhan gave him a curious sideways glance.

  “I like your paintings the best.” He said it softly, close enough to her ear that she could feel his breath as he spoke.

  “Do you really? Or are you just saying that?” Siobhan was skeptical, but she hoped it was true.

  “You think because I’m your boyfriend I’d just say I liked yours more than the others?”

  Siobhan shrugged and gave him a smirk. “Maybe.”

  “I’m insulted. My preference for art is based solely on taste.” Derick gestured with his free hand toward Andrew’s section of the gallery. “And also on the fact that most of that guy’s paintings look like giant dicks to me.”

  Siobhan nearly spit out the champagne she had in her mouth. “I’m not sure who that reveals more about, you or Andrew.”

  Derick laughed. “Good point.”

  Only a few people remained in the gallery, and as Derick and Siobhan circled back around one last time, Siobhan spotted the owner. “I’ll be right back. I just want to thank her before we get going. Meet you outside?”

  Derick nodded and headed for the door. As Siobhan walked across the hardwood floors toward Veronica, the nerves that had subsided slightly with Derick’s arrival returned in full force. But she was able to keep her voice calm as she thanked the woman for the opportunity.

  “My pleasure. And I’ll certainly be in contact if anyone purchases anything. There were several people interested, but no sales just yet.”

  Siobhan couldn’t help the disappointment that seemed to spread through her at the thought of no one purchasing anything. Even though she’d known the chances were slim, somehow she’d gotten her hopes up a little. She also felt a certain amount of pride knowing people appreciated her work, even if they didn’t necessarily want it in their home.

  On the way outside, Siobhan told herself that there was still a chance that someone could buy something. It was okay if no one did, that her artistic career would take time. But none of those things made her feel any better.

  All she wanted now was to be alone. She wanted to put on comfortable pajamas and listen to loud music and binge-watch reality TV shows. She wanted to forget about not being able to prove to herself—and everyone else—that she could do this.

  But as she exited the building into the evening air, which had gotten considerably cooler since opening, she looked at the man before her and all she wanted was him.

  Chapter 24

  After the elevator doors opened, Derick stood back while Siobhan entered. She’d been noticeably quiet on the way back to Derick’s after the showing. He’d asked if she was okay, and she’d assured him that she was. But it was unconvincing. He knew her well enough by now that he could tell when something was bothering her.

  Derick removed his hand from its place on Siobhan’s lower back and headed toward the kitchen. “You want anything to drink?”

  “Just water would be good.” Siobhan followed him over and took a seat at the bar stool at his kitchen island, folding her arms on the dark granite countertop and exhaling heavily. She looked sad, and it didn’t appear that she was trying to hide it.

  After putting some ice water into a glass, Derick walked over to hand it to her.

  “You sure you’re okay?” Derick couldn’t resist asking. He didn’t care if she told him earlier that she was fine. She obviously wasn’t.

  She slid the drink between her hands but didn’t take a sip yet. “Yeah. Nothing happened, anyway.” She shook her head, and he could tell the small smile that momentarily grazed one corner of her mouth was forced. “The gallery owner said that there was some interest in some of my paintings, but I didn’t sell anything during the show. I shouldn’t even be upset. It’s dumb.”

  “Why’s that dumb?” Derick reached out to take Siobhan’s fingers, which were rubbing the condensation off the outside of the glass.

  Siobhan shrugged and let Derick take her hand in his. She was silent for a few moments as if she was thinking about his question. “I don’t know. Because it’s stupid for me to think that someone would want to buy something from an artist they’ve never heard of. And I didn’t even really expect that someone would buy one. At least not yet. It doesn’t make sense that I feel disappointed. But I am. I should just be happy that people got to see my work. That’s the first step, right?”

  “Yeah. But you can’t help how you feel.” Derick moved closer to her and spun the stool just enough so that she was facing him completely. He gave her a kiss on her forehead and clasped her other hand in his, rubbing his thumb over her smooth skin. “You’ll sell something eventually.” Though he believed it, he heard how generic it sounded. How unconvincing. But he had nothing better to offer.

  “I know,” she replied, her words rivaling his in their lack of conviction.

  The two remained silent for a few moments before Derick’s hands left hers to pull her into a hug. She leaned into him, her head resting on his chest as he stroked her hair.

  Finally, she pulled back, breathing in deeply and raising her head to look at him. Her eyes seemed to hold a bit more hope than he’d seen in them earlier. “It’s really fine,” she said, though he wasn’t sure if she was telling him that or herself. “I’m okay, just a little let down. I know this’ll all take time. I have to get over the initial disappointment of it, I guess.” Then she gave him a small smile, which seemed a bit more genuine than it had earlier.

  He didn’t like that he couldn’t fix what was wrong. It didn’t matter who he knew or how much money he had; this was something that was out of Derick’s control. Siobhan would feel however she would feel. But right now he wanted her to feel good, even if that feeling wouldn’t be permanent.

  Bringing a hand up to her chin, Derick traced her bottom lip softly with his thumb for a moment before he brought his mouth to hers. It was a slow kiss, a gentle glide of their lips as Derick eased hers open with his own. It felt innocent at first, but as the moments passed, the soft touch of their tongues grew hungrier. Siobhan let out a low moan, her mouth so wet and warm he didn’t think he could ever leave it.

  As Siobhan’s nails massaged his back through his shirt, Derick felt his cock twitch and then stiffen completely. He grabbed the sides of Siobhan’s ass to pull her against him as he settled himself between her thighs. Then his hands were in her hair, on her breasts, sliding up her dress to feel the smooth flesh on her legs.

  Finally he lifted her off the stool, her legs wrapping tightly around him as he carried her to his bedroom. Lowering her onto the mattress, his mouth moved to her neck and shoulders. Ever since he’d first seen her in her strapless black dress, he’d wanted his lips on her expose
d skin.

  As he lay beside her, Derick used one arm to support his weight, his other hand roaming Siobhan’s body.

  “Derick.” Siobhan let out his name with a breath.

  A soft sigh escaped Derick’s lips in response. Every sound she made—every little whimper or word or low moan—made him even harder than he already was. He hooked a thumb in her lace thong and slid it down her legs and over her shoes. The heels are staying on.

  Derick kicked off his own shoes and socks before beginning to remove his shirt. In the dim light from the hall, Derick could see Siobhan’s eyes on him as he undressed slowly. He liked the way it made him feel—admired, wanted. He hoped that he made her feel the same way when they were together.

  He ran a hand over the hard bulge inside his boxers and wiped the bead of moisture on the fabric.

  She brought a hand to her stomach, and it continued its path slowly downward.

  God, keep going.

  Her free hand joined the silent caressing, drifting over the creamy skin of her breast as the other hand continued to drift down until it made contact with her clit.

  There was an intimacy that turned Derick on more than anything else. He loved that she felt so comfortable with him.

  Not able to watch her any longer without making physical contact, he was on her, his lips attacking hers and his fingers plunging deep inside her as she continued to stroke herself. He could feel how close she was as her body began to tense.

  But he wanted to be right there with her when she let go. He wanted her clenching around him as he thrust into her slick warmth, chasing his own release. His cock ground against her thigh, and he knew he could come from that alone if he kept it up long enough.