Radiant

by Elizabeth Hayley

  Derick shook his head. “Maybe it’s stupid, but I figured if I could save the building, then maybe I could save us, too.”

  Siobhan’s eyes darted to the ceiling and around the room as they misted over. She took in a shaky breath and let it out slowly. “It’s not stupid. Well, I mean, it’s kind of stupid.” She rubbed her hands over her face and turned her back on him. “God, I don’t know. This is all so confusing.”

  Derick stepped around her and pulled her hands away from her face. “Siobhan, talk to me.”

  Siobhan let out a small laugh, but it was a pained sound. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Well, start by telling me how you feel about what I just told you.”

  “That’s the thing, I don’t know how I feel. I knew you had to have looked me up somehow. Obviously. You showed up at my apartment. You had to have done some digging. But I didn’t expect you to say that you came here and watched me for weeks before you got in contact with me. And I’m mad about that but not as mad as I feel I should be, which only pisses me off more. I have a bunch of negative emotions about what you did, but there are positive ones, too. And I don’t know what to do with them all, Derick. This is really overwhelming.”

  He bent down slightly so he could look her in the eyes. He saw the turmoil there, and it gutted him. “How can I make it better?”

  “I think I just need some time to sort it all out. Maybe it would be best for me to go to Marnel’s party alone. Get some space to sort through how I’m feeling, and then we can talk things out afterward.”

  “But we will talk things out?”

  Siobhan brought a hand up and placed it on his cheek. “I’ve forgiven bigger things, Derick. Just give me a little time.”

  Chapter 18

  Siobhan couldn’t believe she was back in New York. She’d been in the city for about three hours, and she was already longing to leave as much as she had been months ago. It didn’t help that every landmark she saw reminded her of Derick, whom she hadn’t spoken to since their fight a few days earlier. She’d said she needed space, and she was determined to take it.

  There was only one thing, well, one person, who could make her return better: Marnel. Siobhan had promised to come back for her birthday, so there she was, walking into the Stone Room, which had been rented out for the occasion—and not by Marnel. Siobhan needed to get the story behind that. That alone might make this trip worth it.

  Siobhan gazed around the bar, thinking how different it looked from the hangouts she frequented in Detroit. The slate-gray couches matched some of the lighter tones of the stone walls, which gave the space an elegant but rustic feel. With its dark hardwood floors and smooth black bar, the Stone Room screamed masculinity. But the delicate crystal lighting fixtures added a more feminine touch. When she’d worked here, she’d never really stopped to appreciate the beauty that surrounded her. Now it was all she saw.

  As she craned her neck to look for familiar faces, she heard a screech that resembled a hyena being burned alive. Or at least that’s what Siobhan imagined that would sound like.

  “Oh, my God, I can’t believe you actually came!” Suddenly, she was enveloped in Marnel’s gangly embrace. And as Siobhan squeezed her back, she realized the trip was already worth it. She was still getting that story, though.

  “Of course I came. I said I would.”

  Marnel pulled back, resting her hands on Siobhan’s forearms. “I know what you said, but I also know how you Detroitians are.”

  Siobhan cocked her head. “And how are we Detroitians? And is that what we’re really called?”

  Marnel shrugged. “Hell if I know. But I picture they’re all like Eminem in Eight Mile.”

  Siobhan nodded in feigned understanding. “So, hard workers with profound rap skills.”

  Marnel’s smile widened. “Exactly.”

  Pulling her friend back into a hug, Siobhan said, “I missed you.”

  This time, it was Marnel’s turn to tighten her arms. “We miss you, too, darlin’.”

  Tears prickled Siobhan’s eyes, but she fought them. She took a step back to get herself under control. “You a Southern belle tonight?”

  Marnel smiled, but it seemed awkward and forced. “Nah, I’m just plain old Marnel. Who was Southern once upon a time but about as far from a belle as someone can get.” There was no trace of the accent when she spoke this time.

  Siobhan’s eyes narrowed. This was all news to her. Marnel had never really opened up much about her past, and the only time she’d ever spoken with a twang was when she’d been playing a character. “Really?”

  “Yup.”

  Siobhan opened her mouth to ask more but was interrupted when she saw Blaine and Cory running toward them. And while they squealed and hugged her, Siobhan kept her eyes on Marnel—someone she suddenly felt she didn’t know as well as she’d thought, someone who was somehow both familiar and foreign.

  “Where’s Derick?”

  Siobhan’s eyes snapped to Cory. “What?”

  “Derick. You know, the gorgeous billionaire who chased you to Detroit? Where is he?”

  “Home, I guess.” Siobhan shrugged, hoping her nonchalance would cause the subject to drop.

  “Why the hell is he at home? He knew he was invited, right?” Blaine asked.

  Siobhan’s eyes drifted over the large crowd in the bar. “Let’s talk about it later. I want to know all about the man who’s throwing Marnel this party. And why he chose to have it where she works. Aren’t you sick of this place?” She cast a sly glance toward Marnel, who blushed. Siobhan was getting weirded out. She’d never seen Marnel even remotely embarrassed during the months they’d worked together, and she’d seen Marnel do some epically dumb shit.

  “Ooh, you want to know about Nate?” Cory taunted.

  “Yes, I would love to know about Nate,” Siobhan replied.

  They trained their attention on Marnel, who was inspecting her freshly manicured nails with the focus of a brain surgeon. When the silence finally caused her to look up, she sighed loudly and smacked her hands against her thighs. “Stop staring at me. And I had it here so my friends wouldn’t have to call off work to attend. A decision I’m suddenly regretting.”

  “Aw, that’s sweet. And we’re not staring. We’re being attentive,” Blaine explained.

  Marnel shot them an exasperated look. “Attentive to what?”

  “The story you’re about to tell us. About Nate. Feel free to include all of the indecent things you’re doing with him that would prompt him to rent out an entire bar for you.” Blaine stepped forward, making their little circle tighter.

  Marnel’s eyes darted to each of them. She straightened, flicked a piece of her long blond hair over her shoulder, and said, “It’s my party, and I’ll ignore you if I want to.” Then she stalked off into the crowd.

  Siobhan turned to the girls. “So you guys don’t know anything about him, either?”

  “We know who he is.” Cory pointed toward the bar. “He’s the super-hot one with the light hair and dimples, in case you were wondering,” she said with a teasing smirk.

  Siobhan strained to see through the crowd to get a better look at him. “Oh, I see him now. He is super-hot.”

  “Well, now you know as much as we do. Something’s obviously up, but she refuses to talk about it,” Cory said.

  Siobhan’s eyes widened. “Marnel’s being tight-lipped about something? That’s…unfathomable.”

  Cory and Blaine nodded in agreement.

  Conversation shifted to catching up with one another. Siobhan was feeling more relaxed than she’d been all week.

  “Hey,” Blaine said, drawing Siobhan’s attention. “I thought you said Derick wasn’t coming.”

  Siobhan felt her shoulders tense at the mention of Derick’s name again. So much for feeling relaxed. “He’s not.”

  “Then why is he walking this way?”

  “What?” Siobhan yelped. She whirled around, but as she did so, her heel caught on the floor,
causing her to stumble. And for the second time since she’d met him, Derick Miller saved Siobhan from falling flat on her face in the Stone Room.

  Chapter 19

  “Why are you here?” Maybe some sort of gratitude for catching her was warranted, but she was too shocked to be tactful.

  “I promised I wouldn’t miss it,” Derick replied simply, as he made sure she was steady and then let go of her arm.

  She glanced toward the girls, who had silently retreated into the crowd. “I said I wanted to come alone.”

  “You did. And then I met you here,” he replied with a small smile, his eyes averted in a way that reminded her of a young boy trying to get away with something.

  Siobhan wanted to be indignant. To demand the time he had agreed to give her. But something about Derick in a well-tailored charcoal suit made the words die on her tongue. “You’re really annoying, do you know that?”

  “I may have been told that a few times in my life. But let’s talk about you,” he said, letting his gaze trail up and down her body. “You look really remarkable in red.”

  Siobhan tried not to glow at the compliment. She had to admit she felt good in her form-fitting wrap dress. “That was very alliterative” was the only reply she could come up with.

  Derick looked thoughtful. “I could also say you look ravishing. Refined.”

  Siobhan glared at him.

  Derick snapped his fingers. “Radiant. That’s how you look. Completely and utterly radiant.”

  Rolling her eyes, Siobhan had to fight hard to hold back her smile.

  He rested his cheek against her temple, which put his mouth by her ear. “You’re not still mad at me, are you?”

  “No,” Siobhan said, though even to her own ears it didn’t sound all that convincing.

  “Don’t be mad at me anymore. It sucks.”

  Siobhan snorted. “How eloquent.”

  He drew back so he could look at her. “I mean it. I know I do some dumb stuff, but I can’t take the silent treatment anymore. I’d rather have you yell at me than not talk to me at all.”

  Siobhan slid her arms around him. “I don’t want to yell at you.”

  He drew her in tighter against him. “Good. Because I don’t particularly enjoy that, either.”

  It took her a minute to realize they were dancing. The firm press of his body against hers as they swayed to the delicate notes of the music was intoxicating.

  But then his words ruined it. “So, just to be clear, you’re not mad, or you are?”

  Siobhan couldn’t help it—she burst out laughing. “Loving you is infuriating sometimes.”

  The serious look on his face sobered her. For all of his swagger and confidence, the beautifully irritating man in front of her truly did need to know the answer to his question. In that moment, Siobhan realized that as much as she was enchanted by Derick, she held the same power over him. It was equal parts empowering and terrifying.

  She tightened her embrace around him. “No, Derick. I’m not mad.”

  Chapter 20

  “What time is it?” Siobhan asked.

  Blaine pulled her phone out of her bag. “Quarter after eleven.”

  “Really?” Siobhan’s eyes widened. She couldn’t believe she’d already been at the party for almost three hours. “I feel like I just got here.”

  Cory took another sip of her wine. “Nope. We’ve been drinking for hours. I promise.”

  Marnel steadied herself against the bar stool. “Then why am I not drunker?”

  Blaine raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think drunker is a word,” she said. “And you’re drunk enough. You look like you’re a cheeseburger away from a remake of that David Hasselhoff video.”

  “Stop.” Marnel gave Blaine a shove, but it only made Marnel even more off balance than she already was. “I’m not that bad.” She flipped her hair and straightened her dress. “Enough about me. Siobhan, tell us how things are going in Detroit.”

  Siobhan finished the last bit of her drink and set the glass on the bar. “They’re good.”

  “That’s all you’ve got for us?” Cory said. “‘They’re good’?”

  Siobhan smiled and lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “There isn’t really much to say that you guys don’t already know. My art is still selling, which is awesome, obviously.” She thought for a moment. “I still have great friends and a shitty apartment. Oh,” she said, remembering something she hadn’t told them yet. “Derick bought a place out there.”

  “Seriously?” Blaine asked. “Is he moving there?”

  “Nah, just commuting back and forth. I guess he thought it was stupid to keep staying in a hotel when he has no idea how long he’ll have to keep flying out there. He figured he’d invest in something more permanent.” For the first time since she and Derick had gotten back together, Siobhan felt a twinge of guilt about what Derick was sacrificing to keep their relationship going. Sure, he had the money and time to make the frequent trips. But flying back and forth every few days had to be exhausting. And yet he hadn’t once complained or asked her again about her thoughts on moving back to New York.

  Siobhan and the girls had another drink and chatted about the Stone Room and the new band Cory had hitched up with on vocals. They even tried to press Marnel for more information on Nate. But she slurred a “Wouldn’t you like to know” before excusing herself with a smirk and heading over to where Nate was talking with some other guys.

  “I’m going to grab a drink for Derick,” Siobhan said, pointing to where he was standing across the room with two people. “You guys want anything?”

  They both declined.

  When Siobhan walked up next to him, Derick put an arm around her and gave her a light kiss on her temple. “Thanks,” he said, putting his nearly empty glass on the table before taking the beer Siobhan had brought over.

  He introduced her to the two people he’d been speaking with, and the four of them talked for a few minutes before the other couple headed to the bar for refills.

  “Thank God,” Derick said once they were out of earshot. “Those people were crazy. The woman told me how she collects porcelain doll heads. She puts them on her windowsills facing outside to ward off evil spirits.”

  Siobhan laughed. “Only you would get stuck talking to someone like that. Who were they?”

  Derick slid a hand casually into his pocket. “I have no idea. They just came over to me and started up a conversation.”

  “That’s because you have one of those faces.”

  Derick lifted an eyebrow, prompting Siobhan to continue.

  “You look approachable. You smile a lot. And you make eye contact with strangers,” she explained. “That’s always a big mistake in New York.”

  Derick chuckled.

  “See? That’s the face right there. Your eyes get all crinkly, and you look happy.”

  Derick’s face sobered a bit, and he reached a hand up to the back of Siobhan’s neck as he stared into her eyes. “I am happy,” he said.

  Siobhan gazed at him, his deep amber eyes sparkling in the dim overhead lighting. “So am I.”

  A few silent moments passed between them before Derick’s mouth was on hers, sliding it open with his tongue and pressing her back against the stone wall behind her. It was a sweet, slow kiss, but when he pulled away, it left her breathless and wanting more. “Why’d you stop?” she whispered.

  Derick threw his head back toward the people behind him. “The party isn’t over. And if I don’t stop, I’m gonna want to touch more than the back of your neck. I figured you might appreciate some privacy for that.”

  Siobhan licked her lips before pulling on her bottom one with her teeth. “Privacy’s overrated.”

  Chapter 21

  Derick’s cock hardened instantly at the implication of Siobhan’s words. There was no way she’d be okay with him taking her against the wall in front of an entire party of people. But the image excited him just the same. The thought of her skin warm against his as he pushed insi
de her had his whole body aching for her.

  He pulled back to look at her, taking in her gentle eyes, her soft lips. “Dance with me,” he said, his voice deep with desire.

  He didn’t wait for her to answer, and instead, he took her hand and led her out to the middle of the Stone Room, where the tables had been cleared for a dance floor.

  Their dance started off innocently enough, with Derick’s hands sliding over her hips as she moved seductively in front of him to the music. His pulse raced as he watched the smooth sway of her hips and the curves of her breasts as she danced. It was an image built for fantasies. “God, you’re sexy,” he said.

  He let his fingers trace over the soft skin of her arm and down to her hand, pulling it up to kiss it before spinning her around so her ass was against him. He stifled a groan at the contact, though he wasn’t sure why. The hot flush of her skin told him Siobhan was enjoying this just as much as he was.

  Despite the other people moving all around them, he felt like they were alone. The music drowned out everything but the two of them.

  Her ass slid lightly over his cock as she moved against him, and his entire body seemed to catch fire at her touch. His hands roamed every inch of her they could reach, and he brought one of them up to sweep her hair off her exposed shoulder so he could kiss her neck.

  Her skin was warm and salty from a thin sheen of sweat. He wanted more. God, he wanted all of her. “You keep rubbing that tight little ass of yours against me, and I’m gonna smack it.”

  She released a sound that was somewhere between a moan and a laugh. “Is that a promise?” she asked, never breaking contact with him.