“Derrick, this is better than any hotel.” She wore one of those sickeningly sweet smiles that silently telegraphed her desire to push someone in front of a speeding bus. “I plan to stay right here. And I mean right here. In this spot. With my boxes stacked all around me as I collect more and more stuff. Now that I know the official address for your house I can have even more boxes delivered.”
“Okay, I get it.”
Her head fell to the side as she stared up at him. “Do you?”
He should be furious or at least frustrated. He was turned on. Like, ten-seconds-from-stripping-that-robe-off-her turned on.
What he should do is explain the reason for his actions then get back to work. End any temptation and not go near her.
All good thoughts...smart. But he didn’t intend to do any of it. No, they were going to be naked and soon. Her legs wrapped around him. Her mouth on his. The wall, the couch, the floor. He didn’t care where so long as they got there soon.
He walked over to her. Maneuvered through the piles and kicked aside more than one stray shoe. No question her entire closet now rested on his floor.
She didn’t bother to move the chips or the pillows she had stacked on one side of her, so he picked the coffee table. Sliding some books aside, he sat across from her, right next to her legs.
Through it all, she watched him. Her expression bordered on a smile. A satisfied one. Clearly she enjoyed this moment and the statement she was making.
That seemed fair, because he was a reluctant fan, too. “I may have been a little heavy-handed in my approach to making your relocation happen.”
She rolled her eyes. “Saying ‘I’m sorry’ would have been a shorter sentence.”
He held in a smile. “True.”
“Do you want to try it? I promise it won’t hurt at all.” Her voice dipped lower, grew sexier, as she finally put aside the chips and the magazine and folded her hands on her lap.
His mind went back to that robe. Her long, sexy legs were right next to him. He glanced over, taking in the bare skin and those muscles, all sleek and sexy. Suddenly he had only one question...
“What are you wearing under that?”
Amusement danced in her eyes as she reached for the belt and untied it. The slow reveal had his heart hammering in his chest. She must have sensed it because she took her time peeling the sides apart to reveal a pair of running shorts and a formfitting tank top. On her, the combination was just about the hottest thing ever.
His gaze traveled down her neck and over the slope of her shoulder. To her chest. Had she skipped the bra?
Damn...
She snapped her fingers. “That apology?”
Maybe it was the way she sat there, looking ready to do battle, but his usual hate-to-lose-at-anything armor fell. “I should have talked to you first.”
Silence thumped between them after he ended the sentence. For a few seconds they sat there.
“That’s it?” she asked.
“Yes.”
She sighed at him. “Try again.”
Apparently his defenses hadn’t fallen far enough for her liking. “I was attempting to honor our agreement.”
“For the record, you’re getting farther away from an actual apology, not closer.” She glared at him.
He was surprised she didn’t have a headache from doing that. “You said—”
“Nope.”
On anyone else the refusal to back down would piss him off. He liked to be in control, to come out on top of any argument. But he loved that she pushed him. She didn’t try to impress him. She didn’t need to try because she did it naturally, just by sitting there.
He conceded this point to her, expecting it to cost him something. For it to grate against his nerves. “I apologize for unilaterally making the decision. I should have conferred with you.”
Once it was out there, he waited for a kick of frustration to nail him. He should be running to work. He didn’t spend afternoons hanging around at home. Hell, he spent most nights at his desk. Until he’d met her, that was the only answer. Push forward, drive in more business. But now, today, he was perfectly content to sit and look at her, to wait to see what she would say next.
Lately his frustration with his father’s demands, the needs of the company, his brothers and his own instincts were pulling him in too many directions. Ellie cleared away all the noise and stress and let him relax. It had been a long time since he’d felt comfortable in his own skin—then again, it wasn’t really comfort he was feeling.
But he was holding back details. They’d agreed to be honest with each other, but he hadn’t told her all of it. She didn’t know that him being successful in calming Noah down was part of a bigger plan to win the business. That, in reality, he needed her. He hated needing anything but this time he did.
“That sounded more like a presentation to your bankers than a real apology, but I’ll take it.”
He finally let out that laugh he’d been holding inside. Leave it to her to judge his apology and sincerity and find both lacking.
He glanced around. “So, how exactly did you make all this happen in such a short amount of time?”
“I told your movers to leave the boxes here then I dumped the contents all over your living room.”
Joe Cantor was an idiot to fire her. If he’d harnessed her drive and talent, his business would be doing much better today. Derrick would bet the Jameson water properties on it. “By yourself?”
“It was my idea but I asked Jackson to help.”
The idea of Jackson and Ellie teaming up against him hit Derrick like a shot to the chest. He would stand almost no chance against their joint forces. But he did like that they seemed friendly, that Jackson was protective of her.
Still, he was the boss and there should be limits, at least in theory. “He’s fired.”
“We both know that’s not true.”
He peeked at her legs again. Followed the long line to her knee then to the line where that soft skin disappeared under the shadow of the robe.
He dragged his gaze away. Moving forward meant letting her into his life in a real way. Not telling her everything risked her wrath.
He was torn and frustrated. He was also on fire for her.
Without thinking he reached over and slipped his hand under her ankles. Picked up her feet and put them on his lap, slippers and all. “You must be exhausted.”
The move knocked her off-balance, but only for a second. Her hands went to the cushions on either side of her to steady herself. “I’m still on a bit of an adrenaline high.”
That made two of them and Derrick didn’t see the rush dying any time soon. “Interesting.”
His palm skimmed up her leg from her ankle. He massaged first one calf then the other, with his thumb tracing gentle circles over her skin.
Her fingers flexed against the couch material. “Derrick Jameson, are you flirting with me?”
“I’m trying.”
Heat flared in her eyes. “That’s dangerous.”
He’d skated way past that point. For him there was no longer an if. It was all about when. And if she showed any sign of agreeing, he’d have their clothes off in record time. “No, dangerous is what I want to do to you.”
She didn’t move. “Tell me.”
He said goodbye to the idea of getting any work done today. “Any chance you’d let me show you?”
Her gaze went to the floor then to the boxes leaning against the end of the couch. “There’s not much room in here.”
“My bedroom is pretty spacious.” Not his most subtle line, but it was out there now. “Unless you dumped boxes up there, as well.”
“I was tempted, but now I’m happy I didn’t.”
His hand stilled on her calf. “Be sure, Ellie.”
“The answer is yes, Derrick.”
She didn’t know how they made it upstairs without breaking something. The barriers she’d erected, the promises she’d made to herself about not getting involved and the need to ignore her attraction to him...it all floated away.
This was for her. For the first in a long time, she took something she needed and ignored all the sensible reasons to hold back. There, with him, she didn’t want to be rational and careful. She wanted heat and passion. Touching and kissing.
She’d stripped his suit jacket off him before they’d gotten out of the living room. She’d had his tie unknotted and slipped off by the time they’d hit the bottom step of the staircase curving up to the second floor.
His footsteps thudded on the stairs as he walked backward, his hand curled around the banister.
He stopped when she dropped the robe. His chest rose and fell on heavy breaths as he stared at her. He didn’t touch her, but his gaze traveled over her like a gentle caress.
Never breaking eye contact, he drew her closer, moving her to the step above him. Let his gaze dip to her stomach...to the tops of her legs. The anticipation burned through her. Labored breathing echoed in her ears, a mix of hers and his.
When he grabbed the back of her thighs and pulled her tight against him, her breath escaped her lungs with a hard punch. The next minute he lifted her off her feet. Without any thought from her brain, she wrapped her legs and arms around his firm body. Held him close.
Her fingers slipped into his hair. She loved the feel and smell of him. His strength. His determination.
She lowered her head and kissed him. Poured every ounce of need and want into it, and felt his arms tighten around her in response.
Boy, the man could kiss.
“Damn.” He whispered the word when he finally lifted his head. Then he started moving.
There was something breathtakingly sexy about having Derrick carry her up the stairs. About the way his fingers clenched and unclenched against the bare skin on her thighs. He didn’t break a sweat.
Their relationship had a ticking clock. For once, she didn’t hear it thumping in her head, threatening to steal him out of her life.
The house whirled until everything blurred. At the top of the stairs they passed a doorway, then another. She saw a bed and, in another room, what looked like a desk and a wall of bookcases.
None of it stopped him. Derrick kept walking until they got to the shadowed room at the end of the hall. He hit the light switch with his elbow. A soft light bathed the room in white.
She could see the deep blue walls and closed curtains. So soothing. A huge bed sat smack in the middle of the room with pillows stacked against the headboard. It dominated the space.
The furniture was sleek. Clean lines that hinted at a big price tag. Dark and mysterious...perfect for him.
“Are you sure?”
His question, asked in a deep, even voice, broke through her gawking. She looked at him again. Saw the warmth in his eyes, felt the need vibrating through him. There was only one answer. “Yes.”
His hold loosened and she slid down the front of him, felt every inch of his excitement. As soon as her feet hit the floor, her hands went to his chest and she started unbuttoning his shirt. Once she got it open and untucked, he captured her mouth in a kiss that made her knees buckle.
He caught her around the waist and held her with one hand while his other tunneled under her shirt. Then both of his hands were on her, caressing her breasts, learning her curves.
Tension ripped through her. The soft cotton of her shirt suddenly scratched against her. She wanted it up and off. As if she’d said the words out loud, he peeled the shirt up, lifting it off her, leaving her exposed to his gaze.
His thumbs rubbed over her as he cupped her. That intense gaze stayed locked on her breasts, on how they fit his hands. “Ellie...”
He barely touched her and her skin caught on fire. Every nerve ending snapped to life. Every instinct told her to hold him again.
He sat on the edge of the bed and she wanted to slip onto his lap, but he held her between his legs. Had her stand there as he spread his hand over her stomach...as he slid his fingertips under the band of shorts. With a tug, he had them skimming her body to the tops of her thighs. Wriggling her hips, she shimmied them the rest of the way off.
He stared at her white bikini bottoms. She knew they were see-through. She knew how much she wanted them off.
She climbed on him then. Straddled his lap and pressed her body against his. The way he inhaled, sharp almost as if on a gasp, empowered her. She loved the sound and his loss of control. When he fell onto the mattress, she went with him. They tumbled down and he shifted up on one elbow until he hovered over her.
He trailed his fingers over her stomach to the top of the bikini bottoms.
“You still have a lot of clothes on, big guy.”
“I can be naked in two seconds.” His palm flattened over the front of her underwear.
She could feel her body getting ready for him. Something inside her tightened and a tumbling started deep in her stomach. “Let’s see.”
For a second he didn’t move. Then his eyebrow lifted. “Anything you want.”
He sat up next to her and did a slow striptease, taking his time unbuttoning his dress shirt and sleeves before shucking it off. She couldn’t really see anything but the firm muscles of his chest. She wanted to reach up and trail her fingers over that sexy dip between his collarbone and his shoulder. Over every pronounced angle.
“How does a man who spends all of his day at a desk look like you?”
“I don’t spend every hour there.” He winked at her then stood.
His hands went to his belt and that got her moving. She shifted to the side of the bed and dropped her legs over the side. Fit her hands over his and took over the task of undoing his belt. Slid the leather out of the loops and dropped it to the floor.
Next came the zipper. The ripping sound echoed through the room as she lowered it and pressed her palm against his bulge filling the space. Caressed him through his pants.
His fingers tightened against the side of her head. “Ellie, I’m not going to last very much longer.”
“Good.” She slid her legs beneath her and moved back. Lay against the mattress with her feet flat on the bed and her knees in the air.
He visibly swallowed. She watched him do it. Smiled when he nearly ripped his pants and boxer briefs getting them off. Then he was naked and so fit, so lean and sexy, as he crawled up the mattress to get to her.
That fast her heart flipped over. A revving sensation took off inside her. She slid her leg up the back of his, loving the burst of energy that flowed through her at the touch.
She wanted this. Him. That first time she’d seen him in person the air had left her lungs. Seeped out until she couldn’t breathe. Every time since, her heartbeat did a little dance. His face, his body, even his grouchy personality combined in one intriguing package that she itched to open.
They had weeks left on the agreement and a need to make it look real. For whatever time they had left, she would. She’d put aside the worries and the ways it could go wrong and would dive in. And then she’d somehow walk away from him.
Right as he dipped his head to kiss her again he froze. “Damn.”
She grabbed on to his upper arms. “What is it?”
The sound coming from him could only be described as a growl. “I bought condoms but I left them at work.”
For some reason that made her laugh. “Did you think we were going to have sex on your desk?”
“It is a reoccurring fantasy of mine.” He lifted up, just a fraction, and looked down her body. “But I can still touch you. Give you what you need.”
Before she could say anything or even put a sentence together, his fingers slipped into her underwear. He skimmed his hand betwe
en her legs, over her. Gentle yet demanding. When one finger slid inside her, her breath caught in her throat.
His tongue swept over her nipple in a long lick that left her shaking. Sensations bombarded her from all directions. The mix of touching and tasting had her lower back lifting off the bed. When he did it again, all the air sucked out of her.
She felt light and dizzy and so ready for him. Her fingernails dug into his shoulders to hold him close. “Derrick, yes.”
He pumped his finger inside her, bringing her body to snapping attention. Every intelligent thought left her head, leaving only one lingering fact. “I have an IUD.”
His head shot up. “What?”
“Birth control.”
His mouth dropped open before he said anything. “I got tested.”
Now it was her turn to be confused. “I don’t...”
“I have a report for you to see. You know, just in case. Not sure why I forgot the condoms.”
His finger stayed inside her during the surreal and very not sexy conversation. But it was practical and smart...and it pushed out thoughts of risk and most of her common sense.
She slipped her hand down his body, between them, and circled his length. Her palm slid against him from base to tip.
“Ellie, please be sure.” He shook his head. “We can wait if you—”
His words cut off when she wrapped her fingers around him and squeezed. “Now, Derrick.”
Light flashed in his eyes as he nodded. Then he was on his knees between her legs. Her body hummed as he peeled her underwear off. Pushing her legs apart, he settled between them. His tongue replaced his fingers and excitement surged inside her.
Her heels dug into the mattress and she twisted the comforter in her balled hands as his mouth worked its magic. When he hit the right spot, her thighs pressed against his shoulders. A moan trapped in her throat begged to escape.
She shifted and twisted as the pleasure threatened to overtake her. Still, he didn’t stop his sensual caress. That tongue. Those fingers. Every part of him, from the heat of his mouth to the expert use of his hands, had her straining to hold back as her body bucked.
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