His Ever After (Love, Emerson Book 3)

by Isabel North

  This was getting more real by the moment. Swallowing hard, she unsnapped his jeans. She lowered the zipper.

  And then she stopped.

  This time when she glanced up, he was watching her.

  “Kiss me, Jenny,” he said.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Derek was doing his best to play it cool, but damn.

  Damn.

  He was on fire, and if he didn’t keep it together, he was going to fall on her like an animal.

  In his whole life, he’d never seen anything as beautiful as Jenny Finley, naked before him with her hands on her hips and her nose in the air, daring him to…what?

  Change his mind when he saw her soft curves? Was that what he was supposed to do?

  Say no, thanks, when he saw her cellulite? Did she think he needed to be warned about the silvery stretch marks on her petal-smooth stomach, sweet lines of vulnerability and grace that he wanted to drag his mouth over, and down, and down, until she was screaming his name and begging for more?

  He couldn’t wait to uncover all her secrets, to explore and map every single perfect and imperfect inch of her body, have her do the same to him. He vibrated with the effort it took to hold himself back. But he did.

  Something was going on with Jenny, something other than the natural hesitation Derek expected from a woman as guarded and elusive as she was.

  He wanted everything. He wanted all of her, wanted every part surrendered to him. He breathed hard through his nose and instead of throwing her on the bed behind him and driving home, he said, “Kiss me, Jenny.”

  He closed a firm hand over the back of her neck, holding her quietly, and gazed down into her wide eyes. He slid his thumb up and down the tendon in her neck. He waited.

  Letting out a sigh, Jenny went up on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his.

  Derek wove his fingers through the wispy, still-damp hair at her nape and kept her mouth on his as he sank back onto the bed, pulling her down with him. Jenny climbed onto his lap, one knee either side of his hips. She changed the angle of their kiss, her tongue flicked against his lips and dipped inside, and Derek lost it.

  Spreading his fingers wide along her delicate jaw, he opened her mouth with his and kissed her hard; deep, wet, tongue stroking over hers in a blatant thrusting rhythm.

  When she was panting against him, her pulse wild under his touch, he broke away.

  He lifted her and twisted, lowering them to the mattress. With one arm around her waist and the other planted in the mattress, he slid her higher, keeping himself pressed tight until they were in the center of the bed, her head on the pillows.

  Bracing his weight on his elbows, he stared down.

  “Boy, you have some smooth moves,” she told him, trying to catch her breath.

  Derek’s grin faded as he watched the humor drain from her face. She shifted against him. He settled more of his weight on her. Jenny’s eyebrows contracted and she stretched, then suddenly arched, hard, trying to lift him off.

  Not happening.

  He shook his head at her.

  “Derek,” she said.

  “Yes.”

  Her beautiful eyes filled with a sudden rush of tears. Derek made a sympathetic noise. She heaved against him again and he eased all of his weight down, pinning her.

  He cupped her cheek with a steady palm. “It’s okay,” he said.

  Her hands had been resting on his chest, light and passive despite the rest of her body’s attempts to put some space between them. At this, she dug her short nails in to his pecs. Then her hands flew up and into his hair and she dragged him down, kissing him wildly. Abrupt, biting kisses, on his mouth, his jaw, his neck.

  Shit. He hadn’t thought he could get any harder. He couldn’t stop himself from moving against her, luxuriating in the roll of his hips. Once. Twice. Three times.

  Derek groaned and held himself still. If she kept this up, he was going to come before they even got started.

  “Shh,” he said. “Shh. I’ve got you.”

  Jenny growled and kissed him harder.

  He caught her hands and held her wrists by her head, gazing down in delighted amazement. “Easy.”

  “No! Why? I don’t want easy!”

  “Settle.”

  Jenny’s eyes flashed. “Do not tell me to settle. Make up your mind. First you want me, then you don’t. Stop—”

  “I always want you. I have always wanted you and I always will. That doesn’t change, Jen. Not ever. But you’re not rushing this.”

  She gave him a mutinous look. “I like it fast.”

  “Such a pretty pout.” He kissed her. Closed-mouthed. Hard. Almost a punishment. “I like it slow. And I’m in charge.”

  Jenny sucked in air, as he’d known she would. “That’s what you think.” But she didn’t push him away.

  “I’m going to take my time with you, Jenny. I’ve waited for you. So long. You think I’m gonna let you rush us through it, then run me out that door? Not a chance.”

  The tension left her as she relaxed in his grip, the flare of desperation fading. “I don’t…” she started to say something, then trailed off and bit her lip.

  “What?” Derek rubbed his thumb where she’d bitten. “What?”

  “I don’t know how to go slow.”

  “It’s easy. Nothing to it. All you have to do is trust me.”

  She snorted and rolled her eyes.

  Derek grinned. “Trust me. Enjoy it. Enjoy the journey. I’ll get you there. Why worry?”

  Her gaze dropped. “You might…not…get me there,” she said in a small voice. She darted him a look, then seemed to find the ceiling behind his head very interesting.

  Ah. Here it was. Derek waited until she looked at him again. “Is that a problem for you?”

  “No, I don’t mind. I just don’t want you to be disappointed if I don’t, you know. Have an orgasm. As long as you get yours.”

  “Baby.” Derek swept her hair off her face. “I was asking if you find it difficult having an orgasm, not do you mind if I go ahead and see to my own pleasure. I’ll be disappointed as hell if you don’t get yours.”

  She stiffened. “No pressure.”

  “On the contrary. Lots of pressure.” He slid a hand between them and coasted it over her stomach. “Little bit here.” He brushed his fingers low. “Little bit there.” Jenny’s muscles jumped and she gave a tiny gasp. He smiled. “Maybe over here.” He went deep and her gasp this time was loud. “Lots and lots of pressure, Jenny. Over and over and over. Until I find what you like. What pleases you. That’s why I’m so happy I’ve finally got you under me. Do you understand? I want to see you wild. I want to make you scream.”

  Jenny studied him.

  Derek studied her right back. “Do you have difficulty with it? Because I’m not here to judge. I don’t care how long it takes, or how many times I have to try. If it doesn’t happen today? Don’t care. We’ll go again another day. And again.” He flexed into her. “And again. Eventually, I’ll find the way.”

  “Sometimes, with Dean, I didn’t manage to…connect.”

  Derek did not want to be talking about Dean Hansen right now. He did, however, want Jenny here with him. All the way.

  “That was you and Dean. Do you think you’re going to have a problem connecting with me?”

  Jenny’s eyes were filled with passion as she pretended to consider this. “I will admit, it doesn’t seem likely. But—”

  “No buts.” He bent down to give her a swift nip. “Unless you want to give butts a go, in which case…”

  She giggled.

  Derek framed her face. “This is about you and me, here and now. I want to make you feel good. You don’t like what I’m doing, stop me. You want me to try something new—” he pinched her butt, “—speak up. I can take direction. You want to break for a glass of water and a snack, you get bored and want to stop altogether, tell me.

  “Jenny. It’s me, damn it. I’m with you. I’m already having the time of my life.
”

  He had one hand between her thighs, and the other had been stroking her side in long, soothing sweeps. She’d begun to tremble, delicate shivers of her satiny skin beneath his touch.

  She shifted, and cleared her throat.

  “All right, then,” she said.

  Derek’s lips twitched. “All right?”

  She nodded. “All right. You may proceed.”

  “Well, since I have your permission.” He jumped up, scrambled out of his jeans, grabbed the condom he had ready in his pocket, and jumped back on her before she’d had the chance to react. “Let the games begin.”

  “Let the games begin? Really?”

  He nodded enthusiastically.

  Jenny tweaked his nipple piercing. “For a while there you had me fooled and I thought you were kind of cool, Tate. But, ‘Let the games begin’?”

  “Quite the attitude from a woman who can’t get her own boots off. And wears her shirt buttoned up all the way to the top.” He chucked her under the chin.

  “Both of those things were because of the rain.”

  “Sure. Blame the weather.” He dropped the condom on her chest. It landed with a light smack. “You’re a stealth nerd. Don’t worry. I love you.” Shit.

  Jenny was fiddling with the condom wrapper and her head shot up. “What?”

  “You’re a stealth nerd,” he repeated. “And I love it.” He cocked a challenging brow. Call me on it. I dare you.

  Jenny gave an awkward laugh.

  Derek took the condom off her. “We’ll get to that in a minute. I do believe I owe you an orgasm first, since by my count I’m one ahead.”

  She arched her back as he dipped a hand between her legs.

  “How d’you want it?” he asked politely. “Like this?” He moved his hand. “Or…?” He drew his bottom lip in between his teeth and began to lower himself down her body, narrowed eyes on hers.

  “You talk a lot, Tate,” she said. “Can we please get on with it?”

  “I’m going to take that as you choose, Derek. Good news: I choose both.”

  Derek continued downward, slid his hands beneath her butt, and lifted her to his mouth.

  He could, he decided, quite happily stay right where he was for the next hour. Or for eternity. However long it took.

  Conscious of her nerves, he was settling in to bring her gently and tenderly to the point where she’d be able to stop worrying about having an orgasm and let it happen, when she grabbed a double fistful of his hair and yanked.

  “Ow.” Derek flicked his gaze up. “Too much?”

  “OhmyGod. Noitsnottoomuch. Justkeepdoingitlikethat. Sonofabitch.”

  Okay.

  “Justlikethat.” Jenny panted again, bucking against him and nearly dislodging him. “RightthereohmyGod. There. Theretherethere.”

  Derek grinned and nipped the inside of her thigh, making her yelp.

  He changed his hold and flattened her to the mattress, pinning her with a hand spread wide on her stomach. Since she seemed to be enjoying herself—loudly—he forgot about tender and gentle and worked her how he wanted.

  Jenny lasted about three more gasping minutes before she screamed, and convulsed.

  Derek gave her a final, leisurely kiss. He propped his chin on her lower stomach, grazing her with the scruff on his jaw. “Good?” he said.

  Jenny’s chest was heaving, one arm flung over her face, flushed bright red. “Did I not scream yes loud enough for you?”

  “You also called me a son of a bitch.”

  “You’re the devil. I always knew it.”

  “So, not good?”

  She slapped at him clumsily with a limp hand, catching him across the cheek. She followed it up with a soft, lingering caress. “Do you want an award?”

  “I’m sure there are certificates for this sort of thing on the Internet. You could print me one out if you like. I’ll frame it and put it on the wall in my office.”

  Jenny snorted.

  “Sexy,” he said, crawling back up her body. “Jenny.” He tugged at the arm she still had over her eyes.

  She clenched it tighter.

  “Look at me, baby.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “I’m embarrassed.”

  “Because you tore out a good chunk of my hair?”

  “I didn’t!” She appeared from beneath her arm to check, then fell back with relief. “Asshole.”

  “Good?” he asked again. He wasn’t asking for a performance rating. “Still with me?”

  She gave him a shy smile that twisted in his chest, and nodded. “I’m sorry for pulling your hair. I didn’t… I have no idea why I thought I wouldn’t…” She trailed off and shrugged.

  “It’s us, Jen. It’s chemistry. Now you know. Sex doesn’t have to be complicated.”

  “It usually is.”

  “Not here. Never with me.” He stretched over her and she wrapped her arms around him.

  “How are you so confident?” she asked with a flash of desperation mixed with anger. Her arms tightened. “Why is all of this easy for you? How come I’m a mess and you don’t suffer even a glimmer of nerves?”

  “Because there has never been any question in my mind that all this—” he gave a lazy thrust against her, “—would be amazing.”

  “Ah. I see. You are protected by your armor of impenetrable arrogance.”

  “I have no armor when it comes to you, Jenny. I’m confident because when I’m with you, so long as I am with you, I’ve already won. Anything else is a bonus.”

  She opened and shut her mouth, but no sound came out.

  “Plus,” he said, “Dean is a shit lover, and I have sex magic. Now.” He stroked between her legs. “Time for orgasm number two.”

  Jenny tried to clamp her thighs shut, a futile effort as he had his hips lodged between them. “We’re even. And who cares about keeping count? Not me. Where’s the condom?”

  “I gave you two options and you declined to choose, remember? I chose both. Try to keep up. One down, one to go. Then the condom.”

  “Derek.” She curled a hand behind his neck and drew him down. “I want you inside me.”

  “You sure? Won’t take me a minute.” He moved his fingers.

  She kissed him, sucking his tongue into her mouth.

  She was sure.

  Derek found the condom, rolled it on, and then finally, finally, he was where he’d dreamed of being for so long. He hissed as he guided himself into her tight heat, soaking in the sensation, relishing the utter perfection of their fit.

  Jenny stared up at him, her eyes wide and stunned. He had no doubt his were the same.

  She lifted her knees, pressing them to his sides. Derek waited for her to adjust around him then began to move in long, slow lunges that rocked her up the bed. “Hold on to me,” he said. “Hold tighter.”

  She crossed her ankles at the small of his back and slid her arms around him, curling them up to his shoulders.

  Couldn’t get closer.

  Couldn’t be better.

  “Don’t let go of me, Jen. Don’t let go.”

  “I can’t.” She panted against the side of his neck. “I won’t.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Jenny contemplated the display case in Megan’s coffee shop. Today was definitely a muffin day. Ronnie and Abel were due to drop off the herbs for the sensory garden, and Jenny had a long day of planting ahead of her. With all the outdoor labor she was doing these days, she was in danger of getting almost toned.

  At the very least, she could afford the muffin.

  “Stop drooling all over my display case,” Megan said. “You know my no-smudge rule. And we both know you’re going to have the chocolate chip.”

  “Yes, I’ll have the chocolate chip. But I’m feeling daring today. Throw in a banana and walnut.”

  “Living wild.”

  “I am indeed.”

  She really, really was.

  Wild with Derek.

 
In the week since she’d booty-called him, they’d been together three more times.

  Once, he’d brought a picnic lunch to the community center and driven her out of town to a local hiking trail and picnic spot. He’d jumped on her the moment she finished her sandwich, and she’d experienced her very first outdoor sex, with the twigs, leaves and dirt in her hair and clothes to prove it.

  Once, after dropping Kate off at school, Jenny had surprised him at the garage. She hadn’t trusted the lock on his office door, so Derek had dragged her through to the attached bathroom, held her up against the wall and driven her out of her mind.

  And the third time, they’d passed on the road as he was heading to her house at the same time as she had been driving to the garage. Technically this one didn’t count as full sex.

  He’d followed her home, leaped into the car with her before she’d even had the chance to open her door, given her a brutally quick orgasm courtesy of some dirty talk and fast hands, and ridden off for a meeting at his bank before she could return the favor.

  She was living wild, and loving it.

  Jenny straightened, bumping into the person queuing behind her. Before she could turn to apologize, she froze. Along with the coffee shop’s scent of vanilla and cinnamon and chocolate, another delicious scent filled her nose. Distinctive.

  Like sunlight, pine, motor oil, and happiness.

  Derek.

  Warm hands caught her upper arms to steady her, lingering a second before letting her go.

  Jenny’s heart slammed in her chest. Pow.

  Derek moved closer. She felt his attention lock on the back of her neck, his heat sinking into her.

  “Coffee with that?” Megan asked her.

  All her senses attuned to the man behind her, Jenny struggled to reply. “Mm-hmm. Yes. Please. Thank you.”

  Megan’s eyes flicked up to Derek, back down to Jenny’s face. Jenny glared at her. Megan shook her head and turned to make the coffee.

  Jenny stood there, breathing him in. Derek’s chest brushed her tense back, and her stomach twisted at the erotic memory of the last time she’d felt him there.

  Naked.