by Jamie Pope
“Eli.” She looked at her twin for a long moment, afraid she couldn’t find the right words to thank him. “I don’t think I can handle you being nice to me. I’m not used to it.”
“I’m not being nice to you. I broke it. You do realize that I’m now expecting you to replace my GI Joes that you stole.”
“Okay. I’ll just return the gorgeous watch I was going to give you for our birthday.”
“No. I still want that. Sometimes a man needs a just-because present.”
“I’m not even sure they make GI Joes anymore.”
“eBay, baby.”
She shook her head and grinned at him. “Let me try this out. I haven’t done this since I was a kid.” After a shaky start, she got the hang of it. She couldn’t remember the last time she had done something for the simple joy of it.
She giggled. She hadn’t done that since she was a girl.
“You’re pretty good at that, Ava.”
The sound of Derek’s voice made her look up. He was standing just to the side of her, a little smirk on his face and a look in his eyes that...that...well, it made her stop Hula-Hooping.
“You sneaky creeper. I didn’t even see you walk over.”
“You were having too much fun.” He turned his attention to Elias. “How are you, Elias? It’s good to see you. If you are ever looking to make your home on this island, our hospital would be lucky have you.”
“That’s a nice offer, and I might be looking to retire here, but my specialty is going to be trauma surgery. This island is the not exactly a hotbed for trauma.”
“Understood. But the offer is always open.”
“Thank you. I’ve been up for twenty-four hours. Please excuse me. I’m going to crash for a while.”
“Will you be up in time to have dinner with me?” Ava asked him.
“I can’t promise you that. I’m probably going to sleep the sleep of the dead. Derek, have dinner with my sister. I think she’s lonely.”
“I’m not lonely!”
“I’ll have dinner with her.” Derek assured him without even looking at her. “I know it’s hard for her to admit when she needs a shoulder to lean on.”
“Thanks, man.”
Elias left them alone and as soon as he was out of sight Ava punched Derek in the arm.
“Jerk!”
“Why are you hitting me? I’m giving up my evening to spend time with a lonely old spinster.”
“Ass.” She swung with her other hand, and he grabbed that wrist before she could connect.
“Oh, an angry, lonely old spinster.”
“I hate you.” She struggled to free herself, but he was too strong, and he brought her closer so that her chest came against his.
Her body reacted immediately. Her nipples went tight, and warmth spread through her limbs. She forgot to struggle and let herself rest against him.
“You’re going to feel bad about telling me you hate me. What do you want for dinner?”
“You roasting over an open fire.”
“What’s with you and fire all the time? I’m starting to worry about you. I think you really might be a pyromaniac.”
“Get off me,” she said, not making any attempt to pull herself away from him. He felt too good, and frankly it was nice just to lean against someone so strong.
“Only if you kiss me.”
“No. I find you repulsive.”
“So? Do it anyway.”
He took his hands off her wrists and ran his large hands down her back. It was a soothing touch, and it caused her to wrap her arms around him in an almost an involuntary move. This closeness was clearly something her body wanted, even though her brain was screaming out that this was wrong.
“Let’s be nice to each other for a moment. I saw a delivery truck pull in this morning as I was leaving. What was it this time?”
“A diamond necklace, a matching bracelet and roses, lots and lots of roses.”
“He’s trying to wear you down.”
“I know. He has excellent taste in jewelry.”
“Please tell me you’re not tempted.”
“I’m not. I’m going to go on a hunt for another rich man soon. This time I’ll find one in his eighties and earn the money the old-fashioned way—inherit it when he dies.”
“Don’t say things like that,” he said softly, but seriously.
“I’m too mean to find a husband. I’ll die a mean, old, lonely spinster.”
His eyes swept across her face. “Men would kill for the chance to be with you. When you are ready, love will find you.”
Her heart squeezed. He was looking at her with tenderness in his pretty blue eyes. “Damn it, Derek. I don’t like it when you’re nice to me.” She stood on her tiptoes and gave him the kiss that he had asked for earlier and then one more that was a little longer because it felt so good the first time.
“Go home.” She gave him a push, still confused as to why she wanted to be so close to him when she was still so heartsore.
“I’m coming back for dinner. There’s a Caribbean fusion joint in town that makes great mango chicken. I’ll pick up some beef patties, too.”
She wanted to tell him not to bother, but again she couldn’t seem to make herself do so. “Get more wine. And ice cream. Elias loves mint chocolate chip.”
Chapter 7
Derek walked into his aunt Clara’s kitchen the next evening and was greeted by the smell of his grandmother’s famous chicken stew. Nanny sat at the table rolling biscuits, while his aunt was at the stove adding something to the large cast-iron pot.
“Well, look at what the cat dragged in.” His grandmother looked at him with a raised white brow.
“Hello, Nanny. How are you?”
“Wasting away,” she said dramatically. “My favorite grandson doesn’t visit me as often as he used to, and it’s breaking my heart.”
“You want me to call him?” Derek asked as he took the chair beside her. “Kev is in high school now, Nanny. He’s not going to have time for you like he used to.”
An amused sparkling came into her eyes. “Fresh, boy.”
“Hello, Aunt Clara. Are you upset with me, too?”
“Of course not. You can do no wrong in my eyes. You’re perfect. But if you could find time in your busy schedule to see your widowed aunt at least once a week, I’d find you even more perfect.” She winked at him.
“We know you’re busy, Derek,” Nanny said. “We’re just used to seeing you around more. Maybe your special lady friend is taking up most of your time?”
“Special lady friend?”
“Your mother told me that she saw you at Hack’s with a woman.”
“That was Ava.” He shook his head. “She told you about that? Did she also tell you what she was up to that evening?”
He wasn’t surprised that the news that he was with Ava had gotten back to his family. All eyes were on him wherever he went. He was just surprised that his mother was the one to tell them.
“I’m sure she wasn’t there alone,” Nanny said with a grimace. “Who’s Ava?”
“Ava Bradley. She’s renting the house next door to me.”
“The girl who called off the wedding of the century?” his aunt asked.
“Yes. She’s having a hard time. Her fiancé broke her heart.”
“She found out he was cheating on her.” Nanny nodded. “He looks like the type.”
“It’s more than that. It’s a much bigger betrayal. I took her to Hack’s to cheer her up.”
And because he wanted to be with her. Just like last night. He hadn’t planned to go over there, thinking that if he kept his distance, he wouldn’t be so enthralled with her. But then he saw her Hula-Hooping and laughing with such unguarded joy that
he couldn’t help but walk over to her. He didn’t care that she was with her brother. His body needed to be near hers.
And then she had kissed him. Two sweet, soft kisses, like the kind two longtime lovers would share. He should have gone home after that and stayed there because he knew the more time he spent with her, the more he would want her. But he couldn’t stay home.
He had returned to her with dinner and drinks and stayed the entire evening. Elias had joined them when he woke up, and they continued to have a good time. He liked seeing Ava and her twin together. On the surface she didn’t seem like a very loving person, but Derek could tell by the way she interacted with her brother that she loved very deeply. It was probably why she was so blown away by her breakup. She had wasted all that love on someone who was unworthy. He wondered what it would feel like to be on the receiving end of all that unfiltered love.
It might be life altering.
“So there’s nothing going on between you two?” His grandmother couldn’t hide the disappointment in her voice.
“No, ma’am. Vermeulen did a number on her. And he is still trying to get her back. He keeps sending her astronomically expensive jewelry.”
“Do you think she’ll go back? It’s hard to say no to being a billionaire’s wife,” Nanny said.
“I don’t think she’ll go back. She actually loved him for him and not his money.”
“Which is why he wants her back,” Aunt Clara said with a nod. “Isn’t this the same woman you called a gold-digging ice goddess last year when the resort debacle was at its peak?”
“It wasn’t one of my finer moments.”
“You’re a good boy to spend time with her. I know heartbroken women give you the hives,” his aunt said.
“After dealing with your mother’s many heartbreaks over the years, I thought you’d rather have your teeth pulled with a pair of rusty pliers rather than deal with that again.”
“Ava’s not my mother,” he said. The more he got to know her, the more he was realizing that.
* * *
A couple of days later Ava walked into Derek’s house after knocking for some time. She knew he was home. His truck was in the driveway. As she entered his house, she heard the whine of an electric saw.
His place was an absolute disaster. It was clear that he used the first floor of his home as a workshop. There was furniture everywhere, and not his personal furniture but the pieces he was in the stages of making. Her eyes immediately went to the large whiskey-barrel coffee table in the center of the room. It was made from reclaimed wood, and it was rustic and gorgeous and something she had never seen before. There were benches and bookshelves, TV consoles and kitchen tables. She had wondered why a single man had needed a house so large, and she now understood why. He needed the space for his art. His furniture was art. She had seen some of his pieces at Carlos’s house, and somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that he had made them. Now that she got the chance to study them up close, she could see just how exquisite they were.
She was growing annoyed with Derek again. It wasn’t fair that he seemed to be good at so many things when she wasn’t sure she was good at even one thing. She had been feeling restless this morning. She was done with her deep mourning over the loss of her future with Max. Now it was time for her to do something with her life. But what?
There was a desk in the corner of the room with a computer on it and a slew of unorganized papers. She walked over to it, just with the intention of straightening things a bit. She was a neat person by nature, and as she started to straighten she began to sort the mess into piles. Receipts. Emails from customers. Invoices.
After they were put in the proper places, she spotted a clean rag and began to dust his desk and his computer screen. When that was done, she went around the room collecting all the tools that were lying around and put them in the large toolbox near the door. There were a few mugs around, and she placed them in the kitchen sink. Seeing that there were even more mugs in there, she decided to give them all a good scrubbing. And when that was done, she decided to give the entire kitchen a good scrubbing.
She had half her body in the refrigerator, scraping dried jelly off the shelf, when he walked into the room.
“People break into houses for lots of reasons, but I don’t think cleaning them is one of those reasons.”
“Um... I’m sorry.” She stood up and faced him. Her heart immediately beat a little faster, and it wasn’t because she had been busted. He looked damn good today, wearing work gloves and a sawdust-covered shirt. He was just so big. And even though he was a few feet away from her, she could feel the heat roll off him. He was so different from Max, who was finer boned and the height of male elegance.
Derek was incredibly masculine and strong. He could pick her up and toss her over his shoulder, and something about that appealed to her.
“I know I shouldn’t have walked into your house and started cleaning, but I knocked and you didn’t answer. I just meant to straighten up a little, but I got carried away.”
He just cocked his head to the side and looked at her.
“I was feeling restless,” she explained.
“I can tell.” He took his gloves off, tossed them on the counter and came toward her. “You just can’t come into a man’s home and be bent over in his refrigerator without some consequences.”
“Consequences?” She swallowed hard. “How about a thank you, you big jerk? Your house is a disaster, and I’ve been working my fingers to the bone to make it habitable.”
“Oh, poor princess. Had to do some actual work and now she’s all worn out.” He placed his big, hot hands around her waist, and she couldn’t think clearly.
“Shut up, Derek.”
“Okay.” He placed his mouth over hers and gave her a shockingly sexual kiss. And what was even more shocking was that she let him. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back. It wasn’t something she could control anymore.
He smelled like aftershave and wood, and his body was so...solid. And despite what she told him, he was a phenomenal kisser. He made her mind turn to mush as his tongue swept inside her mouth. His hands slid down her back to her behind, and he cupped her flesh, squeezing it between his fingers and taking her beyond just being turned on. She could feel the wetness forming between her legs. It had always taken her forever to get aroused when Max touched her. And he had always taken the more sensual approach. Every time they were together he had to seduce her with wine and candles and silk sheets. Derek just had to look at her and she melted.
He broke the kiss and slid his lips to her ear. “I know why you are so restless. Your body is craving satisfaction.”
“What?” She pulled away from him slightly so that she could look into his eyes.
“You never would have let me kiss you like that unless you needed to be kissed like that.”
“I’m not sure what you are talking about. But clearly this was a mistake.” She tried to pull away from him but he caught her wrist and kissed her again.
And damn it, she kissed him back.
“See?” He gave her a smug smile. “When is the last time you had a really good orgasm?”
She opened her mouth to chastise him, but no words came out because she couldn’t think of the last time she’d had a really good orgasm. The last few times she had had sex she wasn’t able to have one, not that Max had noticed. They weren’t intimate often. Now it made sense. He had been sleeping with his mistress the entire time.
“I can do that for you.”
“I don’t want to have sex with you,” she said firmly, but she knew she was lying. Mentally she didn’t want to sleep with him. It was too soon after her breakup. She was still too messed up, but her body wanted him. It craved his touch. She had spent the evening with him when Elias was over. All night Derek gave her tiny touches that to an
yone else would have seemed innocent. His fingers touched hers every time he handed her something. He sat too close to her on the couch when they were watching that movie. His lips lingered just a little bit too long on her cheek when he kissed her goodbye.
He was causing her to go out of her mind. She wanted him. She wanted to feel good, and he was the only person who could make her feel that way.
“I’m not suggesting sex.” He ran his hand over the back of her bare thigh, sliding it under her flowing skirt. He touched her behind again, slipping his fingers into her underwear and feeling the skin no one had seen in such a long time. “Let me touch you. I promise you’ll feel better.”
She nodded. She couldn’t manage any words in that moment. Things had escalated so quickly, and she didn’t want to give herself any time to think, to back out. She believed Derek. She believed he would make her feel good.
His hands went up her shirt to unhook her bra. He didn’t remove it, just loosened it enough so that he could place his hand on her breast. His thumb stroked her very tight nipple, and his eyes flicked up to hers. There was such arousal in them. It was the same look she’d seen flash in his eyes when she was Hula-Hooping. Every woman should have a man look at them with such desire at least once in their lives.
He kissed her again. She shut her eyes, letting him kiss her as deeply as he wanted. She couldn’t move; she couldn’t even kiss him back this time because she was feeling too many things.
And when his hands hiked up her skirt and pulled down her underwear, her knees almost gave way. She was throbbing now. She couldn’t remember ever being this aroused.
He put his hand between her legs, running his thick middle finger over her lips. He froze.
“You’re so wet.” His voice came out in a rasp. His chest heaved. In one quick move he bent to remove her flip-flops and her underwear, which pooled at her ankles; then he took her hand, pulling her out of the room. She was expecting to go to his upstairs bedroom. She told him she didn’t want to have sex, but she was going to let him do whatever he wanted with her body because she knew it would be good.