She laughed. “It’s in my bedroom because that’s where I really relax.”
“Your bedroom.” He nodded, pressing his lips together for a moment. “I can and will exercise restraint, but I can’t lie. Watching a movie in your bedroom isn’t going to be relaxing for me.”
“I’m not as certain as you are about my ability to exercise restraint, so I doubt we’d make it through the opening credits anyway.”
It was incredibly hot, the way she didn’t feel a need to be coy about the fact she wanted him as much as he wanted her.
“I did promise you a meal, though,” she added.
“Not hungry.” He popped the button of her jeans open.
“I can put it in the oven now, so it’ll be waiting when...we’re finished with the tour of my bedroom.”
“How long is it supposed to bake?”
“About thirty minutes.”
“It’ll burn.”
She grinned. “There you go putting pressure on yourself again.”
“I told you. I work well under pressure.”
“Prove it.”
* * *
Note to self: Don’t challenge Derek Gilman.
Olivia wanted him. She wanted him naked and in her bed and in her. She’d imagined this moment so many times since that day in the elevator—though not always in this setting—and now that it was finally happening, she wanted it to happen.
But Derek was lingering at her bedroom door, watching her. And she knew he was going to make sure dinner would have burned to a crisp if she’d put it in the oven.
“You coming in?” she prompted, hoping to move things along. Her body ached with the need to feel his hands on her.
“Just looking for a minute. Now when I talk to you on the phone, I’ll be able to picture you in this room. On that bed.”
“Get over here and you’ll be able to picture me naked on this bed.”
That got him moving, though he still wasn’t showing the sense of urgency she felt. She expected him to go straight to pulling her shirt over her head so he could get to the boobs, but he ran his thumb over her bottom lip.
“I love kissing you,” he said, his gaze fixed on her mouth. “I could happily do nothing but kiss you for an hour.”
“Don’t even think about it.” But he was thinking about it. She could see it in his eyes.
“Do you have us on a schedule? Was there an agenda for tonight written down in that planner of yours?”
“You know what it says in my planner because you made me write it.”
“Have great sex with Derek,” he said, and then his mouth curved into a wicked grin. “But a plan’s only as good as its execution. And the key to a successful execution is attention to detail.”
“Expediency is good.”
He shook his head. “It’s not good to rush things. You don’t want me to miss anything, do you?”
Though she had no doubt he was going to take as much time as he wanted teasing her, she could do a little teasing of her own. She pulled her shirt over her head, tossing it aside, and when Derek sucked in a ragged breath, she felt sexier than she ever had before.
“You’re cheating,” he said in a husky voice.
“I could put it back on.”
But his hands were on her already, running over the ivory lace to cup her breasts. “Nope. But I’m taking the jeans off of you myself.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
She caught the flash of his grin before his mouth closed over hers again. His thumbs stroked her nipples through her bra while he kissed her, and she cupped the back of his neck with her hand before sliding her fingers up into his hair.
“Did I mention I could kiss you for hours?” he said against her lips.
“You can kiss me all you want as long as you can multitask.”
He lifted his head so she could see his amused expression. “What happened to the evils of multitasking?”
Tugging his shirt out of his jeans, she gave a guilty laugh. “Okay, it’s not always a bad idea.”
His shirt joined hers on the floor and Olivia ran her hands over his broad chest as his mouth claimed hers again. Tongue dancing over hers, he kissed her harder and she scraped her fingernails over his taut back.
Her bra was next in the pile, and she sighed when his hands skimmed over her naked breasts. His hands felt rough against the soft skin—but not painfully so—and she moaned as his thumbs flicked over her sensitive nipples.
Reaching down, she popped the button on his jeans and smiled at the sound he made. He caught her bottom lip between his teeth for a few seconds before leaving a trail of hot kisses down her neck and chest. With his hands pressed against her back, he closed his mouth over her nipple and sucked hard enough to make her gasp as he backed her toward the bed.
Her knees hit the mattress and still he didn’t stop. He switched his attention to her other breast, licking and biting until she fisted her hand in his hair, which was just long enough to catch between her fingers.
He chuckled and paused long enough to slide his jeans down and pull them and his socks off. But when she unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans, he shook his head. “I told you I’m taking those off.”
Since he was standing there looking hard and delicious in nothing but snug gray boxer briefs, she wasn’t about to argue with him. But she wasn’t going to wait all night, either.
She didn’t have to. With her knees already against the bed, all he had to do was kiss her again and push her back onto the mattress. His hands were at her breasts and she stroked his back, her fingertips kneading the muscles that flexed as he moved.
Then he stood and took a step back, looking down at her with so much heat, she was surprised she didn’t burst into flames. He lifted one of her legs, running his hands down the denim until the black heel was in his hand.
“I do love these shoes,” he said, and the rasp in his voice left no doubt of that. “But they’re in the way.”
He slid the shoe off and tossed it aside before repeating it with the other leg. Then he tucked his fingers in the waistband of her jeans and tugged. She lifted her hips so he could wiggle the denim over her hips.
“Careful,” he said. “I don’t want to be the one who rips your favorite old jeans.”
Right now, she didn’t give a damn about jeans. She wanted them off her. She wanted the ivory lace panties off her. And she wanted Derek on her.
Once he’d dropped the jeans on the floor, he reached for the panties, but he didn’t pull them down. Instead he ran his fingers over the lace in a light, teasing touch that made her squirm.
“These are so pretty, I almost hate to take them off,” he said.
“I can take them off, don’t worry.”
But when she reached down, he grasped her wrists and lifted her hands over her head as he bent over her body. “I’ve got this.”
He kissed her throat and then slowly—so slowly she wanted to pound a fist on his back to hurry him up—made his way down her body. Her breasts slowed him down even more, since he took his time sucking each nipple in turn. He released her wrist to cup her breasts and then pinch her nipples between his thumb and finger as his tongue flicked over the tips.
When she moaned, arching her hips, he started moving again. His mouth blazed a trail down her stomach, and when she tried to wiggle free, he put his hands on her hips to hold her down. Then he ran his tongue across the elastic edging of the panties and she sucked in a breath.
“You’re torturing me on purpose,” she said in a strained voice.
His chuckle against her lower stomach vibrated through her. His fingers brushed over the lace, making her whimper, but he took his time. He stroked her through the flimsy fabric until she grabbed his shoulder, her fingernails pressing hard into his skin.
When his mouth closed over the lace, a shud
dering sigh escaped her lips and she let go of his shoulder to slide her fingers into his hair. He hooked his finger under the leg elastic so the back of his knuckle brushed over her naked flesh and she had to remind herself not to hold her breath.
When she growled in frustration, he pulled back and slid the panties down over her legs. She was vaguely aware of him fishing a condom out of his jeans and the anticipation quickened her pulse. Finally.
Derek slid his arm under her and lifted her just a little, pushing her farther back on the bed. But instead of moving over her, he slid his hands to the inside of her thighs. She made a sound—surprise or need or both—as his mouth closed over her.
Her frustration melted away as he took his time tasting her. The sound he made, echoing the hunger and desire she felt, inflamed her and she put her hand on his head, holding him close. His tongue flicked over her clit as he pushed one finger slowly into her, testing and twisting, before he sucked hard enough to make her hips buck.
But she wanted him. She wanted to feel him inside her, and she scraped her fingernails over his shoulder. “Now, Derek. I want you now.”
He groaned and gave her a punishing bite on the inside of her thigh, but he stood and peeled off his briefs. She only had a few seconds to appreciate the view—he was definitely ready for her—before he opened the condom wrapper and rolled it on.
Slowly kissing his way from her thigh to her neck, pausing only briefly at her breasts, he moved over her and settled between her thighs. His gaze locked with hers as she reached between their bodies to close her hand around him. He groaned, his eyes closing for a moment as she savored the hard length of him, and moved his hips.
He took his time entering her and she could feel the effort of his restraint in the slight tremble of his muscles. Slowly, he pushed deeper into her. Pulling back, then pushing forward. She rocked her hips, her hands on his hips, until he filled her.
Derek paused, his breath slightly ragged as he smiled down at her. “How you doin’?”
She skimmed her fingernails over his back and felt him twitch inside of her. “Doing great, and about to be even better.”
He grinned and then his hips moved in a hard thrust. She gasped, and her hands grasped his arms. “Yes. More of that.”
Olivia lost herself in the sensation of him as he complied, moving in and out with hard strokes. The heat of his skin against hers. The feel of his firm muscles moving under her hands. The sound of his breath and the way their gazes locked together.
Then he hooked an arm under her leg and shifted his position so he could thrust harder and deeper. She was so close—so ready—and she moaned low in her throat as she reached down and pressed the heel of her hand against her clit. He groaned as the arch between her thumb and finger closed lightly over his erection, and he drove into her.
The orgasm took her breath away, and she dug her fingertips into his hips as her back arched off the bed. Maybe she screamed or said his name. She didn’t even know. All she knew was the explosion of pleasure.
He came almost immediately after, groaning and grinding as he pulsed deep inside of her. Then he collapsed on top of her, his breath coming in short bursts against her neck. He kissed her skin as their bodies trembled in the aftermath.
After a few moments to catch his breath, he kissed her neck again and then lifted his head to kiss the side of her breast as he secured the condom and slid out. Olivia gave a satisfied moan and wrapped her arms around him, holding him close for a few more seconds. She didn’t want him to move yet.
But after a few minutes, when she could feel his breath slow and wondered if he might fall asleep, he kissed her before sliding away. “I’ll be right back.”
While he was gone, Olivia stretched, enjoying the delicious ache of a body that was deeply satisfied. Then she pulled back the covers and oriented herself properly on the bed, so her head was on the pillow, and closed her eyes.
Derek climbed onto the bed and pulled her close, but he didn’t yank the covers up over himself. Instead, he propped his head on his hand and smoothed her hair away from her face as he smiled down at her. “Do you want me to go?”
While she appreciated that he’d asked because she hadn’t been sure how she’d feel about it when the time came—though she’d stocked up on breakfast foods, so maybe she’d had a hunch—now that he was in her bed, she wanted to keep him there. “I want you to stay.”
He buried his face in her neck, nipping gently at her skin. “Good, because I’m not done with you yet.”
Seconds ago, Olivia would have guessed she was about as sated as a woman could be, but as soon as he said the words, her body responded. “You were right. If I’d put dinner in the oven, the smoke alarms would be going off right now.”
* * *
Derek woke before Olivia did, opening his eyes to a bedroom awash with light. He had room-darkening drapes in his apartment because sometimes he needed to sleep during daylight hours, but he didn’t mind the sun streaming in this morning. Olivia was warm against his body, her breathing slow and even, and he was content to lie there.
It was almost unnaturally quiet this high up in a luxury building, though. Sunday mornings in his neighborhood weren’t quiet. Doors slamming. Cars starting. Kids playing. Lawn mowers running. People yelling at neighbors who mowed their lawns too early on a Sunday morning.
He loved his messy, loud, slightly—or maybe not too slightly—tattered-around-the-edges neighborhood. It suited him and though he hoped to upgrade to a nicer apartment or a small house at some point in the future, he couldn’t imagine himself living anywhere else. And he sure as hell couldn’t imagine himself living in a place like this. If Olivia hadn’t worn him out, he wasn’t sure he could even sleep in a place like this.
And even though it was way too early in the morning and far too premature in their relationship to be worrying about it, he couldn’t help acknowledging that after seeing her here, he couldn’t picture her living in a place like his.
It wasn’t long before Olivia stirred. After opening her eyes for a second, she closed them again before making a sleepy sound and nestling against him.
“Good morning.” Her only response was another sleepy sound, so he kissed the top of her head, letting go of the pessimism that had been on a slow but steady roll through his mind. “Not a morning person?”
“I usually am, but I also usually go to sleep when I go to bed.”
“Regrets?”
She laughed softy, and her breath was warm on his skin. “Not a single one. Well, except for the food situation. I think I promised to provide you with a meal. A midnight raid on the fridge isn’t a meal.”
“You didn’t specify which meal.”
“Good point. And I just happened to buy everything I need to make a good breakfast for two.”
He slid his hand down her arm. “Just happened to, huh?”
“Just in case.” She pushed herself up, taking the sheet with her, much to his disappointment. “And now that I’m talking about it, I’m starving. Time to get up.”
“I’m going to jump in your shower for a quick minute if you don’t mind.”
Her shower blew his mind, though, and he was in there for a lot longer than a quick minute. Multiple shower heads. Water hot enough to produce billows of steam. And water pressure that felt almost as good as a massage. It was so good that he didn’t even mind that her shampoo and body wash smelled a little less masculine than he was used to.
When he reluctantly dragged himself out of the shower, he pulled on his jeans and went to find Olivia.
She was in the kitchen, the place smelled like bacon, and Derek couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this damn happy this early in the day. Or at any time of the day, honestly.
He stepped up behind her and kissed the side of her neck. “Where do you keep the coffee?”
“I don’t drink coffee, remember
?”
He froze, unable to comprehend how a person transitioned from waking up to being a fully functioning human being without caffeine. “But I see a Keurig. Why do you have a Keurig with no coffee?”
“Herbal teas,” she said matter-of-factly.
“On a scale of you-don’t-care to you-never-want-to-see-me-again, how bad is it to do a walk of shame to a coffee stand and back?”
She laughed. “Kelsey keeps coffee in the cabinet over there, so you can help yourself. I swear her blood type is caffeine-positive.”
Crisis averted, Derek brewed a mug of coffee and brought it to the table. After talking a sip, he set it down and walked to the tall windows to look at the water.
“I didn’t think the view could get any better,” Olivia said. “But you shirtless is definitely an added value.”
He grinned at her over his shoulder. “I don’t know if I could stand here in less. I might be too shy.”
“You are definitely not shy. And nobody can see you.”
“Is that an invitation?”
“Depends on how burnt you like your bacon.”
“Nope.” He sighed and shook his head. “Can’t mess with the bacon.”
“Then leave your pants on and breakfast will be ready soon.”
They’d worked up an appetite, so he did as he was told. Sitting at the table, he drank his coffee and wondered again what it was like to live in this building. Everything felt hushed to him, but he supposed a lot of that was superior construction. But did she know the other people who lived in the building? Or even on her floor? Were there polite nods in the elevator instead of block parties? A discreet email sent to the building management with a noise complaint rather than a threat shouted across three yards?
Derek had a hard time wrapping his mind around the fact this wasn’t a fancy hotel. Olivia lived here. This was the home she’d chosen for herself and it represented the world she belonged in.
She’s out of your league.
He couldn’t picture Julia and Isaac in a place like this, either. For a little while, maybe. They’d be on their best behavior and sit quietly with their tablets or talk to each other. But where did kids play around here? Where did dads take them out to play catch or to teach them how to ride a bike?
Under Control Page 10