Pretty Young Thing: a new adult romance box set

by Coleman, Eileen Cruz

  He beamed. "I know." She wasn't like any woman he had ever met. She was smart and determined, caring and strong. Her eyes blazed into his, and she leaned toward him, her breath caressing his lips. He only had to close the small distance to have another taste of her soft, pink lips. Olivia stepped back and blinked as her eyes roamed around the hallway. He sighed, the moment clearly broken. "So, shall we go meet this lovely guy my sister is seeing?"

  She rolled her eyes. "Just be nice Derrick. Your sister likes him."

  "I'm always nice,” he defended playfully.

  ***

  The bad thing about not cooking dinner was getting stuck with the cleanup afterwards. At least Elena had offered to help. The guys were busy watching football. Despite Rachel's nervousness, everyone was getting along just fine. Although she would admit that Marc was in rare form tonight.

  "What did you guys talk about while you were gone earlier?" Elena whispered with a smile.

  "Nothing," she hissed, embarrassment flooding her cheeks, her gaze shifted to Derrick. He sat on the sofa next to Tyler and Elena’s boyfriend, Jack. The two guys were inseparable.

  “Have you told him you’re single?” Elena asked as she rinsed a plate off.

  “No.”

  “Why not?” Elena questioned.

  “Does it matter?” Olivia asked flabbergasted. Did it matter if he knew?

  “Yes. Yes, it does,” Elena insisted.

  As if realizing he was being talked about, Derrick glanced over at them. Elena swatted her on the arm causing Olivia to laugh. One of his eyebrows shot up, but the other guys yelling at the television brought his attention back to the TV.

  "I think he's into you, too," Elena said as she handed her another plate to put in the dishwasher.

  Olivia rolled her eyes, yet she couldn't help but smile at the thought. She was looking forward to their trip to New York. He had offered a second room, but she wasn't sure whether she really wanted a second room or not.

  "It’s half time. Do you need any help?" Tyler asked, drawing her from her dirty thoughts.

  Seriously. Typical. Offer his help during half time when the dishes are almost done anyway. "Thanks, but we got this," she informed him, turning towards the sink and switching spots with Elena. She wasn't ready to talk to him yet. Though he’d called her a lot, he’d yet to apologize. He had crossed a line the night they broke up. The words he said to her were really harsh and hurtful.

  Olivia could feel Tyler’s eyes on her back even though he didn't say anything else to her. She continued doing the dishes trying her best to ignore him. Would it have killed him to leave me alone tonight?

  After what seemed like forever, she heard him huff and walk back to the couch. Not even a minute later, yelling erupted at the TV again. I guess half time is over. Why do men feel the need to yell at the TV? It’s not like it’s going to change anything. Not that she minded. She wasn’t interested in football anyway.

  She handed Elena the last dish and said, "I'm going to go get some fresh air." Elena nodded in acknowledgment and Olivia went to grab her coat. Some fresh air would do her some good. It was getting rather stuffy in the apartment anyway. There were too many people in the house.

  ***

  Derrick watched as Olivia walked out of the apartment. He was fairly certain Olivia and her friend had been talking about him. Then there was the whole incident with Tyler. That had been odd. Did something happen between Olivia and Tyler?

  Curiosity got the best of him as he decided to go after Olivia. He hoped he wasn't being too obvious when he got up and followed her out of the apartment. As he stepped into the hall, he frowned finding the large space empty. Where is she? It was freezing outside and she didn’t have an adequate coat. He opened the door to the stairs and walked up to see that the door leading to the roof was locked. She must have gone downstairs.

  He took the elevator to the bottom floor and walked out through the lobby in search of her. As he rounded the corner that led to the doors, he found her. She was sitting on a bench outside, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. He walked toward her and she looked up at him meeting his eyes and gave him a small smile.

  "Hey."

  "Do you care if I join you?" he asked.

  "Go ahead." She scooted over.

  “Everything okay?” he asked, gazing over at her.

  "I'm cold, but fine."

  "You get cold easily," he teased.

  "Well, it's cold outside."

  "So why are you out here?" He asked, noticing the way she’d caught her bottom lip between her teeth to keep her teeth from chattering.

  “It’s quiet,” she whispered, staring up at the dark, starry night.

  “And cold,” he reminded her.

  “And cold,” she agreed, meeting his gaze. Her breath hitched as she looked wistfully at him.

  “We could go somewhere warmer,” he offered, instinctively moving closer to her.

  “Where?” she whispered.

  “My car,” he replied.

  "Okay," she agreed, but made no effort to move. She gave him a small smile and then before he even knew what was happening, she closed the distance between them. Her soft lips brushed against his. He froze, momentarily startled by the caress. "Sorry,” she mumbled, jerking away from him.

  Olivia tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, and stared up at the sky. Great. Now I’ve made it awkward. She’d taken him by surprise and he’d been in shock and hadn’t reacted quickly. Now, she clearly was assuming the worst. Do something about it. Show her how you feel. He took her chin tilting it up and crushed his lips to hers. She gasped, her lips parting enough to allow him entrance. He thrust his tongue into her mouth, skimming it across her teeth. She tasted like cranberries. He needed more of her.

  Derrick pulled her closer, wanting to feel as much of her as possible. Her hands wrapped around him as they wove their way into his wool coat. Olivia trailed her fingers up and down his back. He threaded his own fingers in her thick hair, pulling her into his lap. A small moan escaped her lips and he deepened the kiss, taking control as he explored her mouth. He wasn't exactly sure what they had, but he was determined to find out. Olivia wasn’t like his flings; he needed to take it slow. He pulled back, placing soft kisses to her lips again and again before moving back to gaze into her eyes.

  One of her hands skimmed back down his back and went to her mouth. She traced her lips with her fingers, smiling slightly before meeting his eyes. “I don’t want to move too fast,” she whispered.

  “Me either,” he agreed.

  She bit her lip and placed another kiss to his lips before pulling back again. “We should head back upstairs. Oh, and, just to clarify, I broke up with Tyler at Elena’s party. I thought you should know that,” she blurted, giving him a tiny smile.

  Derrick grinned as he nodded. She’s single. No, she’s not single—Olivia’s with you. She shivered in his embrace. It was too cold for them to stay out here and if they went to his car, he wasn’t sure what would happen. His SUV was rather large. Get your mind out of the gutter. They should get back up before they went too far and ruined their moment before it started.

  Chapter Nine

  Olivia watched as Rachel stared at her salad and absently jabbed at the leafy lettuce with her fork. The blonde hadn't said much since the doctor’s appointment.

  "Derrick is going to kill me, and then Marc," Rachel said, setting her fork down and pushing her uneaten salad away.

  "Rachel, he loves you. He might be mad, but he'll get over it and everything will be okay," she said, reaching out and holding Rachel's hand.

  "You don't know my family, Olivia." Rachel shook her head as tears formed in her eyes. "And Marc…."

  "No, I don’t, but Rachel, it's going to be okay. I promise. It's all going to work out. I'm here for you whatever you need."

  Rachel nodded, picking up her fork with her free hand and shoving a piece of food into her mouth. "I think I'll tell Derrick after you come back from New York." She smile
d for the first time today. "Hopefully, after your outing he'll be in a pleasant mood," she said with a look of mischievousness.

  Olivia rolled her eyes, quickly catching on to Rachel’s defense tactic. Her friend always changed the subject when something truly bothered her. But she wasn’t about to let her friend off the hook. “It’s not like that. And you’re dodging the problem.”

  "I'm only teasing, but you can't deny there isn't something going on with you two. Everyone knows you snuck away for a really long time on Thanksgiving,” Rachel grinned, ignoring her comment. “A really long time," she repeated.

  "Nothing happened…exactly, and shouldn't we be talking about you…" she said, trying to keep her friend on track.

  Rachel sighed and sipped at her water. "We can talk as much as we want, but it isn't going to change anything. Why not talk about something that we can change?"

  "Derrick isn't the relationship type," Olivia stated. He’d told her as much.

  "Maybe you'll be the exception," Rachel shot back

  "You'd be okay with me dating him?" she asked nervously. Would Rachel be okay with it? Rachel’s blessing mattered. The last thing she wanted was to do something that would damage their friendship.

  Rachel made a face and looked away. "Derrick deserves happiness, Olivia. There is so much about us you don't know. Just promise me if you get involved with him you'll give him a real chance."

  "Um, okay,” she said quietly. Shaking her head, she glanced across the table at her friend. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  Rachel ran a hand through her hair and slumped back in her chair. “I’ll figure it out.”

  “We’ll figure it out,” Olivia reiterated. “I’m here for you.”

  “Thanks, Olivia.”

  ***

  Derrick marched down the hallway to his sister and Olivia’s apartment. To be honest, he wasn't entirely sure of what to expect from this trip. He would have Olivia all to himself after the meeting with her father. Sure it would start out as business, but he really hoped it turned into all pleasure later.

  Eager to start the weekend, he knocked on the door. Soft footsteps padded across the door and the knob jiggled before the entrance opened. Rachel stood before him wearing black sweats and a hoodie, her hair pulled into a loose ponytail with loose strands surrounding her face. He frowned; his sister was usually so well kempt and dressed to the nines. Is she still sick?

  "Shut up, Derrick," she grumbled before he could comment. She huffed, moving so he could come in.

  "I didn't say anything," he defended worriedly as he walked past her. “But is everything all right?”

  "I’m fine,” she snapped before adding, “Olivia will be out in a minute. Don't sleep with her unless you’re planning on making something of it, Derrick. Olivia isn't like the whores you mess around with. She is my friend and you need to respect her.” Rachel glared at him for a long moment before stomping off to her room and slamming the door.

  "Well, this is awkward," Olivia whispered. His eyes shifted to her as she stood in her bedroom doorway. She bit her lip and shifted nervously as she met his gaze.

  "What's her deal?" he asked pointing to the shut door.

  Olivia shrugged, her eyes darting away from his. "She's just having a bad day." She walked toward him, her black boots clicking on the wooden floor as she approached him. He took the bag from her with a smile, but couldn’t help feeling something else was going on with Rachel. Whatever it was couldn’t be too serious. Rachel looked okay, and she was known to be theatrical at times, too. He would thoroughly assess her when they got back. Right now, he just wanted to enjoy the beautiful woman he was with.

  ***

  Olivia slipped her black sequined dress on and fluffed her hair. She inhaled sharply as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Butterflies fluttered in her belly, and she closed her eyes, willing her nerves to calm. They’d be leaving for dinner to meet her father in ten minutes. Then Derrick was taking her out on the town, though he wouldn’t say where.

  “Olivia?”

  She jumped as Derrick’s voice spoke through the closed door.

  “Yeah?” she called, giving herself a final onceover before opening the door.

  “Your phone is ringing,” he said after giving her a thorough once over.

  She smiled coyly then sauntered past him to grab her black purse from one of the queen beds. Olivia unzipped her purse and rifled through the contents until she finally found her phone. She slid her finger over it and let out a long breath. Great. Three missed calls from Dad.

  “I just need to call my dad real fast,” she explained as she hit the call button. Derrick nodded and walked to the window, gazing out at the city.

  “Hi, Liv,” her dad answered.

  “Hi,” she smiled, clasping the phone a little tighter as she waited for him to continue.

  “I hate to do this to you, sweetie, but something’s come up and I can’t meet tonight. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay,” she sighed, sinking down onto the bed.

  “It doesn’t look like I’ll be able to meet with your friend until after New Year’s. But, since I know you’ve already come all this way, tell him I’ll run some of his designs by our team.”

  “I’m sure he’ll be thrilled,” Olivia replied, picking at a piece of fuzz on the quilt.

  “I’m sorry to let you down. Feel free to still go to dinner. It’s on me. And I’ll speak to the Hilton and have your bill taken care of for you,” he said hurriedly. “Sorry to cut you short, Liv, but I do have to go.”

  The line clicked before she could reply. Angry tears pricked her eyes. He was probably ditching her for some tramp who was her age—or younger. It was infuriating and degrading.

  “Everything okay?” Derrick asked, slowly walking to her.

  She sucked in a deep breath and blinked the tears away. The last thing she wanted was to cry in front of him. “Yeah. My dad can’t make it, but he’s agreed to show a few of your designs to his team,” she explained, standing up. “Oh, and he’ll also pay the hotel stay for you as well, so you won’t have to worry about that either. And our dinner if we still want to keep our reservations.” Olivia rolled her shoulders back and willed some of her irritation away. It wasn’t Derrick’s fault her dad was a jerk.

  "That’s very considerate of him,” he said smiling. Derrick picked up his jacket off the rack and shrugged it on. “But what do you say we get something else to eat? I’ve never been one for stuffy, fancy restaurants. In fact, I was thinking tacos. I know how much you like those," he winked flirtatiously.

  Her heart skipped a beat and heat flooded her cheeks. "Sounds good," she stammered, grabbing her own coat. “So do you come to New York often?" she inquired, needing to change the subject.

  "Occasionally, I don't like the big city. Too many people. You?"

  "Only on the rare occasion I’m meeting my father. I prefer to stay out of New York. It gets pretty hectic here at times," she said quietly.

  “It certainly is different than Patterson,” Derrick agreed. “I don’t see myself ever living someplace like this, but I need to be close to the big city if I’m ever going to successfully market my work.”

  “And is that something you want to do?” she asked as they made their way into the hall and toward the gold colored elevators. “I mean, I know Rachel has kind of pushed you along, but I’ve never gotten the vibe that getting your work out there is super important to you.”

  “It would be nice, don’t get me wrong, but I’d rather have my own business and do custom and unique work for people who want something different. Not the newest structural, and high-tech rage. I’d prefer to work with a design team that has similar thoughts and visions as me,” he explained as he punched the button for the elevator.

  “That makes sense,” she nodded.

  The elevator dinged and the gold doors slid open. “Shall we,” he said, motioning her in.

  Olivia smiled stepping inside as a shiver of anticipation slid dow
n her spine. It was going to be a good night. She thought about the one room they had checked into. Don’t get too excited, she chastised herself.

  ***

  Derrick leaned back as the waitress set his sizzling plate of fajitas in front of him. Steam billowed off the beef and he licked his lips hungrily anticipating the meal. Olivia picked up a taco as soon as the waitress left, taking a large bite out of it.

  "Do you want to go see a show tomorrow night?" He asked as he put his fajita together.

  "A Broadway show? Yes."

  "Anything in particular?"

  "How about you surprise me," she smiled.

  "I think you'll find I am full of surprises.”

  She licked her lips as she smiled, looking up at him. His eyes drifted from her gaze down to her mouth, where her teeth chewed seductively on her lower lip. He wanted to kiss her again.

  "How did you know you wanted to do architecture?” she asked curiously.

  "Since I was a kid,” he started. “Well, I played with Legos a lot back then. Not the sets either, the bricks. I’d spend hours building with them. My grandfather and I used to build together on the weekends. He wasn’t an architect, but he was the one to introduce me to it.”

  "I can see why. You’re really talented," she said earnestly.

  "Thanks. So, Rachel told me you want to run your own wedding planning business," he said conversationally, wanting to get to know more about her.

  "I do. When I was in high school, I got into planning the dances and events at the school. It’s something I really enjoy doing. I’ve thought about starting with an event planning company to get my feet wet and name out there, but eventually, I would like to have my own business,” she explained.

  “Sounds like we have similar career goals,” he concluded.

  “And we both love tacos,” she laughed, taking a bite of her food.

  “Sounds like we have enough in common that we could be a couple?” Derrick hinted with a smile. He held his breath, waiting for her answer.