Radiant

by Elizabeth Hayley

  “God, I’ve missed you.”

  Siobhan wrapped her arms around his neck as he pulled back to stare at her. “Derick?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Stop talking, and make love to me.”

  Knowing the effect he had on her, Derick grinned wider. Then he leaned down until his lips made contact with her soft, pink ones and kissed the hell out of her.

  His tongue moved against hers hungrily, and his teeth nipped at her bottom lip every so often. She moaned softly below him, but the noises she made grew louder and wilder as Derick’s kisses landed on her jaw and collarbone.

  His cock was unbelievably hard, making him groan as he ground against her. Then he moved lower, paying special attention to her nipples and the smooth, pale skin of her breasts. He thought about what it would be like to come on them, to kneel over her with his cock in his hand and bring himself to release while she watched him.

  Finally, he brought his face lower, nipping at her stomach and tracing a wet line with his tongue down her abdomen.

  Siobhan arched below him. “God, Derick. Keep going.”

  His hand slid lightly down the outside of her thigh, and he glanced up at her. Her cheeks were flushed with desire. “I didn’t exactly have any plans of stopping.”

  Siobhan didn’t speak, instead opting to guide his head lower until his lips met the wetness between her thighs. He’d even missed the taste of her—how slippery and sweet she was on his mouth. He could get lost in her.

  She writhed with every stroke of his tongue, until she begged to have his cock inside her. Instead, he glided two fingers into her slowly, using his thumb to work the sensitive nerve endings of her clit while his fingers massaged the insides of her. God, she was warm and wet and ready.

  Kissing her thigh as he draped it over his shoulder to move his lips down to her knee, he listened to her moans and shaky breaths as he continued to bring her slowly to the release he could tell was imminent. “Let go,” he said, when he could tell she was barely hanging on.

  She rode his hand for a few more moments before her body tensed around his fingers and she bucked against him, reaching behind her to squeeze the pillow. “Jesus, Derick.” She panted as her movements slowed.

  When Derick knew she was done, he removed his fingers slowly, licking them as he stalked slowly up her body. Her eyes were closed, and she looked thoroughly satisfied. “Did that feel good?” he asked.

  Siobhan nodded, contentment clear on her face.

  “Good,” he said. “Because I’m going to make you do it again.”

  Siobhan’s eyes opened, her gaze heated as she stared at him silently. She licked her lips before her teeth settled on the bottom one to bite it. God, she was sexy.

  Her lips parted to let his tongue enter, and she wrapped her thighs around him. She was slick against his shaft as she rubbed herself over him. He wouldn’t be able to hold off much longer if she kept this up, but he wanted to get her close again before he buried himself inside her.

  Heavy moans and gasps of pleasure filled the room, and Siobhan let a few soft curses escape her as she ground against him. A few moments later, she reached between them to grab his cock in her hand. He wasn’t going to last long.

  “I need this,” she said.

  And that’s all it took. In an instant, Derick was plunging so deeply inside her that there was no space at all between them. And he wanted it to stay that way.

  They found their rhythm easily, a slow grind that gradually increased its speed. Last night had been so frantic, so full of raw emotion. This time was like a practiced dance, two bodies linked together as they moved as one.

  Derick thrust sharply as she moaned beneath him, her heartbeat strong against his chest as his hand kneaded her scalp. He couldn’t hold off much longer, and he hoped Siobhan felt the same. “God, baby…I can’t…You have to…”

  “Almost, Derick,” she said on an exhalation.

  His movements got more aggressive as he pulled out nearly completely and then buried himself back inside her until his pelvis rubbed the spot he knew would make her come undone.

  And she did.

  Her back arched as she clenched around him, her body quaking with release. As soon as Derick knew she was coming, so was he. He nearly shook with the orgasm he’d been holding back since he’d woken up next to her.

  When they’d both come down from their sexual high, Siobhan ran a hand through his hair and along his beard to caress the side of his face. “So how is this going to work?” she asked softly.

  Chapter 9

  He figured this was a conversation best had on a full stomach, so he ordered breakfast.

  Siobhan put some butter on her toast and then looked up at him. “So what are you thinking?”

  “That you look hot in my T-shirt.” It was true, though it obviously didn’t answer the question she’d really been asking.

  She ripped off a piece of crust and tossed it across the small table at him. “Stop stalling. This is something we need to discuss.”

  Derick knew she had a point. But he also knew that this conversation wouldn’t be as easy as the last twelve hours had been. “I want you to move back to New York.”

  Siobhan’s eyes widened. “I just moved here, and things are going well for me. You can’t be serious.”

  “I am.”

  Siobhan put her toast down and leaned against the back of the chair. “Derick, be reasonable.”

  “I think it is reasonable. If your art career is going well in Detroit, I see no reason why that success can’t continue in New York. It’s the city you always dreamed of living in anyway, right?”

  “Yeah. But you can’t expect me to pick up and move right now.”

  “I didn’t say I wanted you to move now. I mean, I do want you to move now, but logically I know that’s unfair.” Derick took a sip of his coffee. “And more than that, I know you’d never agree to it.”

  Siobhan seemed to relax a little at his words, but she still looked uncertain.

  “I’m more than willing to fly back and forth as much as my schedule will allow for the next few months. It’ll give your art more time to take off, and it’ll give us time to…get reacquainted.”

  “Why do I think get reacquainted means have lots of sex?”

  Derick smirked as he gave her a heated gaze. “Because you’re a dirty girl.”

  Siobhan gave him a playful kick to the shin under the table.

  “I’m being serious, though. I know you need to see where our relationship’s going before you commit to something as big as moving back to New York. So let’s see how things go. If things are working out between us, I’d like you to consider moving back.” He leaned forward in his chair to take her hand in his. “What do you say?”

  Siobhan looked at him, a slight glimmer in her eye. “I say you’d better be on your best behavior, Mr. Miller.”

  Chapter 10

  In the two days after Siobhan and Derick changed their relationship status to “on again” and Derick decided to extend his stay by a week, they hadn’t spent much time out of bed. But Siobhan already knew they got along well sexually. If they were going to try to make a go of things, they needed to spend their time doing activities that required clothing.

  She walked over to the bed and smacked Derick’s bare ass. “Get up.” He didn’t move a muscle. “God, how did you ever found a billion-dollar business when you can’t even be bothered to sit upright?” She smirked as she leaned down to smack him again. “Let’s go, Roderick.”

  Quick as lightning, he turned and grabbed her hand before it made contact with his skin, causing her to sprawl next to him on the bed. “Don’t call me that.”

  She looked at him curiously. “It’s your name, isn’t it?”

  “It’s not one I go by anymore.”

  “Why not?”

  Derick scrubbed a hand over his face and sighed. “Because it was my father’s middle name. When he left, I didn’t want any part of myself associated with him, includi
ng my name. So I had my mom and my brother start calling me Derick instead.”

  “I’m sorry. I never knew.”

  “It’s fine,” Derick assured her as he placed a hand on her. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “It matters to me. I should’ve let you explain a long time ago,” she said. “It’s your name. It’s who you are.”

  “It’s not who I am anymore.” And with that, Derick wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “The only thing that matters is that we’re here together now. Let’s just let the past stay in the past.”

  “Okay,” she answered quietly.

  “Now,” he said, a previously absent smile lighting up his face. “Less talking, more nudity.” He let a hand drift down and pull up her shirt, though he stopped at her ribs and dug his fingers in.

  Siobhan began laughing as she tried to escape his grasp. “Stop. Stop!”

  “Tell me you love me.” She could feel his smile against the back of her neck.

  “No.” He dug his fingers in again, causing an unladylike snort to leave her as she gasped for breath through her laughter.

  He flipped her onto her back so he could perform his tickle assault with both hands. “Just say it. You know you want to.”

  She bucked and thrashed as she tried to dislodge his muscular body from where it straddled her hips. “You’d better not fall asleep tonight, Miller.”

  Pinning her hands to the bed, he leaned in close. “And why would that be?” His smile was smug, which would have infuriated her if he wasn’t so damn gorgeous.

  “Because I’m going to exact my revenge as soon as your eyes close.”

  He quirked his lips to one side as though he were pondering her words. Then he looked down and smirked. “I’m not worried.”

  He resumed his tickling until she yelled out, “Okay, okay, I’ll say it!”

  As soon as he released her, she narrowed her eyes at him. She contemplated continuing to be difficult, but as she took in the wide smile on his face and the light in his eyes, she found herself wanting to say the words. She brought her hands up to his cheeks, pulled him down, and kissed him. “I love you.”

  He pulled back and gazed at her for a bit. He pecked one more kiss to her lips and said, “See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Then he leaped off the bed.

  She watched him grab a pair of boxers and head for the bathroom. “I still may kill you,” she muttered.

  “I’ll keep it in mind,” he replied, the lightness in his voice making it clear that he wasn’t concerned. He walked into the bathroom but poked his head out just before he shut the door. “Siobhan?”

  She let her head flop to the right so she could look at him.

  “I love you, too,” he said, before shutting the door and taking a shower.

  Siobhan got off the bed, straightened out her clothes, and fixed her hair in the mirror while she waited for Derick. Once he was finally ready, he called for a car that would be there within fifteen minutes. As they made their way down to the lobby, Derick asked where they were going.

  “Belle Isle,” Siobhan informed him.

  “What’s that?”

  “Honestly, I don’t really know. I’ve heard it mentioned a bunch since I got here, but I’ve never been there.”

  Derick grabbed her hand and interlocked their fingers. “So we’re going to explore a new place together?”

  Siobhan smiled at him. “Yup.”

  “Awesome.” Derick led her out to the black SUV that was waiting for them, slipping his Aviators on as soon as they got outside.

  He told the driver their destination, and they were off. Siobhan pointed out the limited number of landmarks she could remember. When they passed the warehouse with the mural that her friends had fought to save, Siobhan told Derick the story about it.

  “Your friends sound like good people. I’m glad it worked out for them.”

  “Me, too.”

  They arrived at Belle Isle, an island park on the Detroit River.

  “It’s really beautiful here,” Derick said.

  “I know. I’m glad we came.”

  Derick bumped her shoulder with his. “Well, I’m always glad when that happens.”

  Siobhan laughed and bumped him back. “You’re so immature.”

  “All part of my charm.”

  Since she couldn’t disagree, she stayed quiet.

  They hiked the trails around the island before deciding to head toward the Nature Zoo.

  “That’s weird,” Derick mumbled as he looked at the map they’d picked up when they first arrived.

  “What is?”

  “This says we’re at the zoo.” Derick looked around. “But that can’t be right.”

  Siobhan scanned the area before tapping Derick on the bicep and pointing. “There’s a deer.”

  Derick looked in the direction she indicated. “What?”

  “Right there. There’s a deer.”

  Derick looked from the deer to the map and back to the deer. “That can’t be all there is.”

  “I think I see a sign for turtles over there.”

  Squinting to see the sign, Derick sighed before turning toward Siobhan. They looked at each other for a moment before they both broke into laughter.

  Swinging his arms around, Derick gestured around them. “This is not a zoo,” he said, somewhat breathless from laughter. “The brochure is false advertising.”

  That made Siobhan start laughing all over again. These were the carefree moments she loved. The times when the two of them got out of their own way and just enjoyed life together.

  “I’m sorry I made us walk over here. This is a total disappointment.” Derick put his arm around her shoulders, his fingers gently tracing soft patterns on her arm.

  “Nah, it was an adventure,” she assured him. “It’s a great story we’ll be able to tell people. The time we went to the zoo that really wasn’t.”

  “I love how you do that.” His gaze was intense.

  “Do what?” she asked.

  “Take life as it comes to you. You don’t wallow in the letdowns or tough times. You just keep it moving.”

  Siobhan shrugged, feeling both appreciative of and embarrassed by the praise. “Thank you.”

  Derick placed a kiss on her temple. “No, thank you. I sometimes struggle with that—letting life unfold as it will.” He gave her a gentle squeeze. “You’re a good influence on me.”

  She smiled at him. “Back at ya.”

  Afterward, they decided to walk down toward the water and watch the gentle waves lap onto the shore. Derick put his arm around her waist and pulled her in close.

  She relaxed against him immediately. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  “Me, too. You never would’ve found your way out of that enormous zoo without me.”

  She slapped his chest lightly and then left her hand there, pressed against his heart. “That’s not what I meant, Captain Sarcasm.”

  He looked down at her, his expression soft and loving. “I know what you meant, baby.”

  And as Siobhan burrowed even closer to him, she was glad they were finally on the same page.

  Chapter 11

  Eight days. That’s how long it had been since Derick had seen her. He’d had business to tend to in New York, and as much as it killed him to do so, he’d had to leave Siobhan. And now, as he stared out the back of the car and watched the dark, unfamiliar city flash by him, he couldn’t believe he’d ever been able to go more than a month without seeing her.

  He leaned back against the headrest and tried not to focus on what had been. Instead, he did his best to focus on what was.

  Derick was on his way to see Siobhan. And he was only minutes away from the bar she had told him to go to. He’d missed her so much the past week he had half a mind to kidnap her back to his hotel room and keep her all to himself.

  But he knew he had the next five days with her. He also knew how important it was for her to attend the celebration for one of her friends, who had recent
ly landed a showing at a high-end handcrafted-furniture boutique. Art nouveau, Siobhan had called it. Derick pulled his phone out, thinking he should probably google what the hell that meant, but it was too late.

  The driver pulled up in front of Cass Café, and Derick looked up at the nondescript tan stone building in front of him. It didn’t seem to be anything like the large, artsy hangout he had pictured when Siobhan had told him about the place.

  But when Derick pulled the door open, he knew he’d come to the right spot. The open space had an industrial feel, especially with the loft seating area above the main dining room. The restaurant doubled as an art gallery, which Siobhan had said made it more appealing to local artists.

  Derick headed toward the bar on the left side of the restaurant and looked around for Siobhan. He smiled when he saw her, and her face lit up. She waved him over to where she stood with five other people.

  “Derick,” she said excitedly before pressing her hands against his chest and giving him a kiss. “You made it! Derick, this is everybody. Everybody, this is Derick.”

  Derick gave the group a nod and said hello. They all introduced themselves, and as he scanned the eclectic mix of people—wearing clothing that Derick could only classify as art hipster—he immediately felt out of place in his dark gray Henley and relaxed jeans.

  “I’m going to grab a drink. What are you having?” he asked Siobhan. “I’ll get you another.”

  “A sea breeze,” Siobhan answered, and he headed to the bar.

  He returned a few minutes later with a sea breeze for Siobhan and a beer for himself. “So who are we celebrating?” Derick asked. Siobhan hadn’t even told him.

  “Oh, sorry,” Siobhan said. “Jacob.” She pointed to the guy in ripped skinny jeans and a faded orange T-shirt.

  Derick congratulated him and asked him a bit about his work. He might not understand art, but he understood furniture, and he was happy that he had something to contribute to the conversation.

  A minute or so later, the shots he’d ordered arrived. “Tequila okay?” he asked everyone as the server handed them over.