Some Like It Geek: A Really Big Set of Romances

by Box Set

  Katie propped her chin in her hand and widened her eyes. “I bet you’ll like my costume today.”

  “Pulling out more of the risqué ones?” Yesterday, she’d gone as Red Sonja from Conan the Barbarian. So, he’d gotten an eyeful of Katie in a leather and metal getup that hugged her curves like a lover. Holy Jesus, she was trying to kill him. And he was enjoying every minute of it.

  “Mmm-hmm,” she responded. “It’ll include the red boots you liked so much from my Wonder Woman costume.”

  “Hot damn.” And now he had a semi. He shifted in his seat, but there was no getting comfortable in this condition.

  “You’re welcome.” A little dimple popped into her cheek. “We should get ready, you know.”

  He pushed to his feet, gathering their plates to take to the sink. “How do you feel about sharing a shower? Since we both have to get ready.”

  She pursed her lips as if it were a question deserving deep consideration. “We are in the middle of a drought.”

  “I can’t promise we’ll conserve water.” He gave her a long look. “I might need a lengthy shower to get…clean.”

  Her cheeks reddened. He loved that she could still blush after all the things they’d done together. She’d been remarkably eager to participate in anything and everything he had in mind, even throwing in a few inventive ideas herself, and yet she still turned pink whenever he mentioned sex. There was something charming about that.

  He gave the dishes a quick rinse and loaded them in the dishwasher. Then he followed her into the bedroom, both of them stripping off clothes as they went. He resisted the urge to haul her into his arms and kiss her. If he did that, they’d never make it into the shower.

  He waved her toward the bathroom. “You warm up the water, I’ll grab a rubber.”

  “Deal.” Her hips swayed in a seductive rhythm as she walked away.

  Grabbing a condom from the box they’d left on the nightstand, he hurried after her. His erection was diamond hard, and he couldn’t wait to slide inside of her tight, wet sheath. He propped his shoulder on the bathroom doorjamb and watched her bend forward to adjust the water temperature. The view was unbeatable, and anticipation burned through his veins.

  She glanced back as she stepped under the spray. “Are you coming?”

  As if he could resist that invitation. “Absolutely.”

  Her heart pounded in her ears, and her breathing sped as excitement took over. Somehow this got better every time they did it, and she craved him more with every day that passed. The water soaked her as she stepped under the spray, pelting her front, slipping over her already sensitized flesh. He stepped into the shower behind her, dropped the condom in the soap dish, and nuzzled her nape, sending a wave of goosebumps over her skin. His fingers came up to caress her breasts, his thumbs sweeping over her nipples. Each pass made her sex wetter, made her core contract with want. Her breathing grew ragged and she let her head fall back on his shoulder. His erection settled into the cleft of her buttocks, and she wanted his thick shaft inside her, pushing them both to the edge of sanity.

  “Do you like this?” He pinched and twisted her nipples with slow precision.

  She clenched her teeth to keep from crying out. “If I liked it any more, I’d be done already.”

  “That might be an interesting experiment to try someday. If I could get you off just from nipple play.”

  She suspected he could, but her heart contracted at the word someday. That made it sound like they had some kind of future, when they didn’t. Their hours together were dwindling. Tomorrow their affair would be done. Tears smarted her eyes, but she blinked them back. Not now. She’d have plenty of time for tears after this was all over.

  Turning her head, she tilted her face up for a kiss, and he took the invitation. His mouth sipped at hers, not giving her the deep contact she wanted. She reached behind her to cup the back of his head, holding his close and thrusting her tongue between his lips. He made an approving noise, which only encouraged her boldness, so she twined her tongue with his, taking control of the kiss. She dragged her teeth over his full lower lip before delving back into his mouth. The warm water flowed over her skin, caressing her just as he did. His fingers still toyed with her nipples, and her body began to writhe with the instinctive need to mate. She pushed her hips back into his groin, and they both groaned at the fuller contact with his hard shaft. Grabbing one of his hands, she moved it down to where she needed him the most. He chuckled into her mouth, dipping his fingertips between her legs.

  “That feels so good.” She quivered, a moan spilling out of her throat as he teased her sex. She could feel his erection pulsing against her backside, as if to show that his self-restraint hung by a thread. She liked that. A lot.

  “I can’t wait,” he growled. Taking her arm, he turned her to face him and backed her up against the shower wall.

  “Condom,” she gasped, some small sliver of sanity surfacing.

  “Yes.” He snagged the rubber and donned it in seconds. Water ran in rivulets down his face, and his blue eyes burned with lust.

  He caught one of her legs, hooking it over his forearm, opening her for his possession. Her heart hammered with exhilaration, wanting to feel the rush of pleasure that he always gave her. “Hurry, Derek.”

  “Yes.” It seemed to be the only word in his vocabulary at the moment, but it was the right word, so it was just fine with her. He bent his knees slightly, found the angle he apparently wanted, and then his shaft filled her in one long, slow push.

  She sucked in a breath at the way it felt. The stretch, the way her body yielded to his hard flesh, the heat that radiated out from where they were joined. She reached for his broad shoulders, holding on for the ride as he started to move within her. She didn’t think she’d last long, because she was so turned on she thought she might die. But what a way to go, right? The water pelted them from one side, adding to the sensations that were already overwhelming her. It was too much. It was just right. She couldn’t help a grin at how amazingly good this felt. He smiled back, and she giggled.

  “This is fun.” Her voice hitched on the last word as he powered into her. The angle was perfect for him to hit just the right spot inside her, and it sent a wave of gooseflesh down her limbs.

  He swept a quick kiss over her mouth. “I bet I can make it even more fun.”

  “I’m in.”

  “Actually, I think I’m in.” And he proved it by picking up speed, hammering into her. Her legs burned at the strain of remaining in this position, but there was no way she was asking him to stop. Her need overrode the discomfort, and the first shivers of orgasm quaked through her body. She closed her eyes and let herself feel everything. The way the water glued their bodies together, the play of his muscles under her fingers, the perfection of how he filled her, how they fit, and the white-hot satisfaction that danced just beyond her reach.

  “Please, please, please.” The words were barely coherent, but she dug her nails into his shoulders, hoping to communicate her need.

  Somehow, he pushed himself even deeper than he’d been before, and stars burst behind her eyelids. She exploded into fiery climax, her channel clenching around his thrusting shaft. Each time he entered her, another wave of orgasm dragged her under until she was all but drowning in ecstasy.

  A harsh groan wrenched from his chest, and then he shoved deep one last time and shuddered against her. “Katie.”

  He said her name like a prayer, cradling her against him like she was the most precious thing in his world, and those foolish tears welled in her eyes again. She let them slip loose, washed away by the pounding spray of the shower. Long minutes passed while he held her, while their breathing and heart rates returned to normal.

  Reality returned by degrees, and she made herself pull back from the emotions that swamped her. “We should probably wash before the water gets cold.”

  “True.”

  It took them longer to wash than it should have, because they kept stopping t
o kiss. Long, slow drugging kisses that made her wish he had another condom, even though she knew they didn’t have time for that. The water grew chilly, and she was suddenly glad to hop out. He turned the water off and climbed out after her.

  She handed him a fresh towel and grabbed hers from where it hung on the towel bar. Watching him out of the corner of her eye, she asked, “You want to talk about why you had such a bad night?”

  “No.” He gave her a half-smile, taking the sting out the short reply. “I’m just going to focus on how much better my morning got.”

  “You are very welcome.” She scrunched the water out of her hair. “So…I met Ty last night, but you said you have two brothers, right?”

  “Yeah, I’m the youngest. Eli’s a doctor, and Ty’s on SWAT.” He seemed relieved that she let the original topic drop. “My mother is a lawyer and owns a law firm with my uncle—Dad’s brother, not hers. My father is the chief of police.”

  She snapped her fingers. “I thought he looked familiar. Now I know why. I’ve seen him give statements on the local news.”

  “Yeah, that would be him. Though dealing with the media isn’t his favorite part of the job.” He swiped the terrycloth down his chest, then bent to dry off his legs and feet. “My aunt writes erotica. She’s selling pretty well too. You met one of her three sons.”

  Six boys and no girls. If the Forresters she hadn’t met yet looked as good as Derek, Ty, and Trevor…yowza. Look out, ladies of the world. She kept that thought to herself. “So, that’s the aunt who’s married to the lawyer uncle, or a different aunt?”

  He nodded. “I only have one aunt and uncle. My mom’s an only child. My dad just has the one brother.”

  “But you have siblings and cousins.” She couldn’t keep the wistfulness out of her voice. Her life would have been a lot less lonely if she’d had a few of those. Or even one.

  “None for you?”

  “Nope. Total orphan.” She reached for her blow dryer. Her costume today required wearing a wig, so her hair needed to be completely dry.

  “I’m sorry to hear that.” Derek brushed a kiss over the back of her shoulder. “You seem like the type of woman who’d be close to her family.”

  “I am. Or, rather, I was.” Bittersweetness swamped her and a sad smile curved her mouth. “I miss them a lot.”

  He looped his arms around her, giving her a hug from behind. He didn’t say anything, just offered wordless comfort. She let herself lean against him, loving the feel of him, loving how he always seemed to give her just the right kind of support, from a boost of confidence in a situation she found stressful to a quiet, private moment of empathy for her lost family. Was it any wonder she was falling head over heels for him? He lit her up from the inside out, and despite his claims to the contrary, he was a good man.

  Tears stung her eyes, but she blinked them back and let out a shaky breath. They both needed a change of topic. “So, how long has your brother been with Lorna? I liked her a lot.”

  “She liked you, too.” He kissed her damp hair before releasing her. “She was our next-door neighbor growing up, and the whole Forrester family has been waiting for decades for those two to pull their heads out of their backsides and hook up.”

  That sounded both nice and annoying, having your whole family invested in the success of your love life. “When did they finally manage it?”

  “Six months ago, maybe seven. The wedding is next month.” He squinted. “I’ll be an uncle by next year, though I don’t think either of them have figured out she’s pregnant yet.”

  “You know, but the future parents don’t?” A laugh sputtered out of her. “Is that some observation you’ve made, like the cat hair?”

  He gave a nonchalant shrug. “Yeah.”

  “There were pregnancy hairs on her?” She turned to prop her hip against the vanity, waiting for his explanation. This was going to be good.

  He made a face at her. “She mentioned she had an unusual craving for pickled beets the other day, and she wanted a slice of your Hawaiian pizza last night. She hates pineapple.”

  “That’s weird, but hardly a pregnancy test.”

  “I’m right.” The words were simple and straightforward, a statement of facts as he knew them.

  Somehow, she believed him. Any time he’d mentioned an observation like this, his conclusion had never been wrong. “I guess you’ll know for sure soon enough. That’s not the kind of thing that goes unnoticed for very long.”

  “True enough. Now, we need to get moving or we’ll be late.”

  “Go get into your Stacker costume.” She caught his hand as he turned away. “Make sure you don’t come near the booth when I’m not there. I want to see Michelle’s face when she gets a load of you.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Sadist.”

  “And you like it.” She blew him a kiss.

  His rich chuckle answered her as he left. She liked that he laughed when she teased him and never got offended. It made it easier to break out of her shell around him. She also thought he’d smiled and laughed more in the last week than he had in a while, but she could be wrong. Maybe he just hadn’t smiled or laughed much around her. But…he’d seemed lighter this week. Not necessarily less troubled, but as if whatever burden he carried had gotten easier to bear. She hoped she’d had something to do with that.

  Maybe then he’d have something to remember her by.

  Chapter Seven

  Derek’s cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out of his pocket and checked the message. It was from Katie. Come if you can. Nick!

  Since she’d never asked him for help with her ex, alarm streaked through him, followed quickly by anger. That was it. DoucheNick was getting thrown out on his ass. Rob could read him the riot act for it later—Derek no longer cared. Adrenaline flooded his system, his old battle instincts roaring to life. He pivoted in place, slicing through the crowd on his way downstairs to the exhibitor’s hall. Maybe it was the look on his face, but people scurried to get out of his way.

  Nick was nowhere in sight when he reached Katie, and bitterness coated his tongue. “Which way did the bastard go?”

  “He didn’t do anything to me this time.” She held up her hands in supplication. “Michelle said a scary-looking dude just shoved Nick into the men’s room. Larry’s not around to check it out, so you might want to. I didn’t know how critical the situation was, so I made the text urgent.”

  His eyes narrowed to dangerous slits as jealousy punched through him. His tone turned silky. “Worried about him?”

  “Yeah, right.” She dropped her hands, apparently not the least bit perturbed by Derek’s ire. Everyone else had leapt out of his way, she had the audacity to grin at him. “I was thinking about the security problem they hired you to look into. Nick goes to a lot of these events all over the country—he’s a huge sci-fi fan. Sometimes he goes as a registered attendee, and sometimes just to shop at the vendor’s booths. You don’t need a ticket for that.”

  “I’ll check it out.” Derek spun on a heel and shot toward the men’s room.

  He shoved open the door to find Nick arguing with a portly guy who had a slight bulge under his battered coat. Concealed weapon, which already meant trouble. Nick seemed angry and scared, while the other man appeared merely annoyed.

  “Gentlemen.” He kept his hands loose at his sides and his expression mild. He stepped just close enough that he could take either man out in a single lunge, but not so close it rattled either of them.

  “This doesn’t involve you,” Nick snapped. “Get lost.”

  Letting a smile curl his mouth, Derek replied, “No.”

  Nick’s face mottled in an ugly flush, but Derek ignored him and focused on the big guy. “You’re carrying. This facility doesn’t allow weapons of any kind. You’ll need to leave.”

  “Happy to.” He latched on to Nick’s arm. “He’ll be coming with me.”

  “No, I will not.” Nick jerked back, twisting to try to break the other man’s grip.<
br />
  The big guy adjusted his hold, easily countering the escape attempt. He whipped Nick around, pulled his hands behind his back, and slapped on a pair of restraints. “Sorry, Cochrane. There’s an outstanding warrant for your arrest. I’m taking you in.”

  Now that was interesting. Derek guessed this had something to do with the phone call he’d overheard earlier this week. “You’re a bounty hunter?”

  “Bounty hunter, bail bondsman, bodyguard, bouncer.” One beetled eyebrow quirked up. “I’m a real Renaissance Man.”

  “You have some ID to that effect?” He hated to ask, but Rob would skin him alive if he didn’t. He’d have much rather left Nick to the big man’s tender mercies.

  Shifting his grip on Nick to one hand, he reached the other into his coat pocket and brought forth appropriate identification. His name was Howard Sims. Derek pulled out his phone, took a photo of the ID, and handed it back. “My boss is going to want to chat with you before you leave.”

  “No problem.” Sims pocketed his identification. “Have him meet me at my car. I’m parked on the curb outside the West Lobby entrance. I’d be happy to have a long chat after Mr. Cochrane is secured in my backseat.”

  “I’ll escort you to your vehicle.” Derek texted the photo to Rob with the message, Bounty hunter detaining an attendee. Meet me at west entrance ASAP.

  The response from Rob was immediate. On my way.

  “He’ll meet us.” Derek waved to the door. “After you.” He stepped aside to allow Nick to be dragged out. Just to verify his guess, Derek asked, “What’s the warrant for?”

  “Traffic violations,” Sims grunted.

  “It was a speeding ticket!” Nick bleated. Self-righteous indignation quivered in every line of his skinny body. “It’s not like I hit someone with my car.”

  From the corner of his eye, Derek saw Katie and Michelle leaning over their tables to get a better look at the spectacle. The women’s mouths hung open, but he had no time to stop and fill them in.

  Sims frog-marched his charge toward the exit. “It was fourteen speeding and parking tickets, all unpaid, and you failed to appear in court. Twice. Also, if you drove here, that’d be driving on a suspended license.”