by Evelyn Vox
“Forever,” Derek said, never releasing me from his burning stare.
“I’m yours,” I breathed. “Forever.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
3 months later…
LEXIE
I clicked away on my laptop. My assignment was almost done. I just had to put the finishing touches on the concept board for the beach house I was designing. Technically, this wasn’t an assignment. My classes didn’t start until the fall, but I’d asked Derek if I could practice on some real-life client requests. My portfolio had been growing ever since.
For now, I was renting out my beach house. It was only March and, already, it was booked for all of June and most of July. Already, I had enough money to pay for my first year of classes at the New York School of Interior Design. I wasn’t quite ready to sell the house, not yet, but I was pleased that it was a passive source of income nonetheless. Derek was right, I did enjoy being able to pay for school myself.
Life with Derek was pretty amazing. I was happier than I’d ever been, and it was hard to believe it was going to get even better once I started school. My eyes trailed over to the devil-in-question. My feet rested in his lap. He must have sensed my gaze on him, because his attention moved from the book in his hands to my face. The look on it enough to take my breath away.
Still.
I knew what that look meant and heat rushed to pool between my legs. Derek flashed a canine at me, ready to pounce, when the doorbell rang. All three dogs jumped from where they’d been sleeping on the floor and ran to the door, nothing but barks and wagging tails.
“I wonder who that is,” I said as I followed Derek to the door.
He looked through the peep hole and swore. His lip curled in a look of utter contempt that even I’d never seen before. The door swung open and his voice was curt when he said.
“What do you want?”
I stared at the leggy red-head.
“Nice to see you’re the same brute as always, Derek,” Saskia said.
The corners of her wide mouth turned down as she eyed the dogs sniffling around her feet. Derek didn’t move to let her in, didn’t make any attempt to pull the dogs back.
“What do you want?” he asked again.
It was strange to see Saskia outside of the Club. She still wore black from head to toe, but the cable knit turtle-neck sweater and ankle pants seemed as out of place on her as they would on a hyena. I’d never been close enough to her to note the light blue of her eyes.
They were icy.
I shivered as she trained them on me, recognizing me instantly. Derek made a growling sound and moved to block me from her gaze.
I rolled my eyes behind his back. I understood where her she got the ‘brute’ impression of him.
“Is Vanessa with you?” she asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “Have you heard from her?”
My heart skipped a beat at her tone. She tried to hide it, but I could hear the anxiety in her voice.
“No.” Derek started at her in disbelief. “You don’t know where she is?”
She sighed. Not out of frustration, but defeat. That was the sound of a woman at the end of her rope. I moved to peer at her over Derek’s shoulder. I could see the fear in her eyes.
“It’s your job to know where she is,” Derek hissed through his teeth.
“Yes, and I’ve exhausted my considerable resources trying to find her.”
Saskia’s eyes met mine, then Derek’s.
“Vanessa is missing.”
Derek froze. The dogs started to growl, so I pulled them away, ushering them out into the yard. By the time I got back, Saskia was sitting on the sofa. Derek’s head was in his hands. I sat next to him and rubbed his shoulders.
“What happened?” I spoke for the first time.
“I have no idea,” Saskia said, her voice sharp. “Ever since she began this energy deal with Landon Rhys, things have been tense.”
“Do you think he had something to do with it?” I asked.
“Let’s put it this way, Vanessa’s disappeared, but he’s still around.” She sighed. “I’ve tried to talk to him, but he’s not exactly my biggest fan. All he’s said is he doesn’t know where Vanessa is and that she’ll probably turn up.”
Derek lifted his head and I saw murderous intent in his eyes.
“I’ll have to pay Landon Rhys a visit then.”
Vox Thoughts
Hello, lovelies!
This is the part where I ramble on about the book. I mean, who else was like “Bitch, you be HAPPY about that size 4!” ?? Oh, Lexie…she’s so very…*unique*.
It’s funny, I remember back before I got into writing, I’d read about authors who said their characters had minds of their own. I didn’t buy it at the time, but now I totally get what they were talking about. Like, I knew I was going to open this story with Derek and Lexie’s long-awaited reunion. But hot damn. I got to writing and those two just took over.
It was almost like they were saying “Hey, Evelyn, you kept us waiting so damn long, so just shut up and let us fuck like animals, mmmkay, BYE.”
Also, I mean…don’t get me wrong, I’ve always known Derek was a sweetie on the inside, but I didn’t realize just HOW much of a sweetie he was. My god, after I wrote that shower scene, I almost told my husband, “Sorry, boo, I gotta divorce you cause I’m in love with my fictional character, Derek.”
I can’t be the only weirdo out there who’s like this, right?
Right.
Ha, which brings me to one of the main themes of the book: DENIAL.
I love exploring the lies we tell ourselves and why. I looove getting into those cracks in my character’s facades and busting them wide open until they’re raw and real and unabashedly themselves.
For better or worse.
In Derek and Lexie’s case (hey, Brian’s too), I like to think it’s for better.
How about Vanessa, huh? If this is your first time meeting her, then you haven’t read Unmasked yet. And you need to have fixed that, like, yesterday.
Cause that means you haven’t met Landon Rhys yet, and let me tell you, he’s got plenty of cracks in his facade.
Unmasked is the first book in the Buy Me series and Buy Me #2 is coming out this Spring. This summer, it will be followed up by…drum roll please…the start of Vanessa’s story!
After that, we’ll get the final installment of the Share Me books at the end of the summer/early fall, so stay tuned, kids.
If I had to sum up all the Club Midnight series, I’d say Share Me is hardcore erotic romance, Buy Me is more contemporary romance, and Vanessa’s story is going to be more action/thriller romance (because—hint, hint—where oh where could she be?? Did she go on a trip or was she possibly, maybe, theoretically taken and in need of a little rescuing? I dunno, maybe? Possibly? Ha, consider that nugget your reward for reading this far).
But they’re all steamy and kinky as fuck, so don’t worry about that.
I know you perverts love to watch, so keep an eye out for me online:
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If you’re a nerdy fangirl like me, you’ll geek out over all my Club Midnight theme boards. I do lots of world building/character inspiration stuff on there. Also, there’s lots of Jensen Ackles on my pinterest, because…well…do I need a reason other than because Jensen Ackles?
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Love you all!
xoxo,
Evelyn
Also by Evelyn Vox
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br /> Club Midnight Novels
Share Me
The Devil Makes Three (#1)
Bull’s Eye (#2)
Share Me #3 coming Fall 2018!
Buy Me
Unmasked (#1)
Buy Me #2 coming Spring 2018!
Unannounced, Final Club Midnight Series
Summer 2018
Holiday Shifter Romance Shorts
Howloween Hunt
Fangsgiving
Santa Claws
These fun, steamy shorts will be back New Year’s 2019!
About the Author
Evelyn lives in Brooklyn, and some might be so bold as to call her a *gasp* hipster. When she's not busy ordering a craft beer or drinking kombucha, she works part-time at a wellness center. No matter what she's doing, her mind lives full-time in smutland, always thinking of new ways to torture those hunky Alpha males and the ladies they love to play with. Her spirit animal is a bear and she watches way too many puppy videos on Instagram. Her husband is just the best. She loves him lots and is very lucky he puts up with her.