“I was hoping to catch you all after dessert. My apologies for intruding,” Jason remarked, settling into the seat.
“Not an intrusion at all. Have you eaten?” my mom asked.
Jason graciously held up a hand, “Oh yes, I’m fine. I had a business dinner not too long ago and I was coming to talk to Thomas about it.”
“Well you have to stay for dessert, then,” she replied, finality in her tone.
“You know I can’t resist a little something sweet,” he grinned at her. His eyes slid over to me, “Alina, it’s so nice to see you back here.”
I felt the warmth draining from my face looking back at him.
“Anything for my father,” I managed, weakly.
“Good to know. Derrick, that’s your name right?” he asked, focusing his attention on him.
“That’s right.”
“Are you enjoying your time here at Prescott manor?”
A few beats pulsed between the two of them before Derrick responded, “I am. This is probably one of the most amazing homes I’ve ever seen.”
“Where are you from again?”
“Jersey,” Derrick replied, his tone measured.
“Hmm.”
“Why the inquisition?” I asked suddenly, feeling protective over him. Leave it to Jason to ruin a perfectly great dinner.
“No inquisition. Just curious how much you know about your new friend, ” he said, putting emphasis on the word.
Underneath the table, Derrick’s hand moved, his fingers filling the spaces between mine. He squeezed.
My anchor.
He was keeping me grounded, knowing from earlier that the man seated across from me riled me up. I didn’t have to say a word. He just knew I was reeling at the moment.
“So you’re from Jersey,” he repeated, “living here in New York?
How did you meet our dear Alina?”
I looked at the rest of my family, eating their food and not saying anything, and felt betrayed. How they let this man bombard our dinner and completely change the atmosphere in the room was beyond me.
But it was always like this. Jason had been with us for so long, they didn’t question him or his motives anymore. Anger surged through me and I felt my eyes prickling with hot tears. Derrick squeezed my hand again, bringing me back to him.
“I’m a photographer and decided to travel up here for some inspiration. And I think I found it,” he said, turning his head to look down at me.
My eyes connected with his and we both smiled. My heart surged in my chest over this man and the effortless way he was able to make me feel like the only person in the room that mattered. Having felt hidden in plain sight all of my life, it was a refreshing change.
“Hmm.” Jason made a contemplative sound, disrupting our precious moment once again. Just as I was about to speak, Derrick’s deep voice rang out again.
“Do you mind if I steal her away before dessert? She mentioned something about how beautiful the property is at night and I wanted to catch it before it got too late in the evening.”
I could have kissed him.
And I planned on doing just that.
SEVENTEEN | Derrick
As soon as we were out in the summer air, far enough away from her family — still sitting in the dining room— I pulled her to me. Her body, pressed tightly to mine, felt fucking amazing. Sitting next to her at dinner had been torturous. All I wanted to do was lay her over the large table and lick every inch of her before fucking her to oblivion. But I maintained my cool.
For a brief moment, I’d forgotten who I was to her. Yes, I was her anchor for this weekend, but I’d almost completely dismissed who I really was to her. The part of me she had no idea about. The reality of who I really was that had the power to take her away from me.
Her family knew who I was and they were playing their part well.
It was Jason that was the problem. For some reason, he was shedding way too much light on me. Which made zero sense, considering he was the one who put me in her life. He should be glad I was here, not trying to screw everything up.
I pushed those thoughts from my mind, refocusing on her.
Alina.
The goddess in the light pink dress that was chewing on her bottom lip and staring at me like my kiss was the key to her happiness. I gladly obliged. Tilting my head down to hers, I kissed her. She tasted like wine and butter and I savored it. Her mouth yielded to mine and we settled into an unexpected, passionate kiss that rocked me. It wasn’t frenzied like most of the times we kissed. This time it was something different. Something more.
The sounds of our lips fit perfectly in the night. It was just her and me and the wind as it swirled around us. She clung to me, holding me at the waist just as I held hers, and my world was right. I’d been so focused on being her anchor, that I hadn’t realized how much she was becoming mine.
I pulled away, reluctantly, trying desperately to maintain some modicum of control over myself. She blinked up at me, her eyes glassy and a smile on her face.
“Thank you.”
“For?”
“For taking me out of there,” she answered, “I was losing my mind sitting there across from that asshole.”
A chuckle escaped me, “Jeez, tell me how you really feel.”
She laughed with me, lacing our fingers together and letting me lead the way down the balcony stairs, “You don’t understand, Derrick. I don’t like him. At all.”
“I gathered as much on the ride from the train station.”
We stopped at the bottom of the stairs in front of the sprawling lawn behind the manor. Even in the night with only the moon and a few strategically placed lights illuminating the grounds, it was spectacular.
The lawn was lush and even, covering flat plains and tiny rolling hills.
There were gardens and trees and impeccably trimmed bushes throughout the landscape.
I let Alina lead the way, since she was more familiar with it than I was. We maneuvered passed a few gardens and I saw a sapphire colored pool of water just off in the distance.
“Did you come out here often as a child?” I asked, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between us.
“Mmhmm,” she said, a smile in her eye, “when my brothers and I were younger, we used to come out here all of the time. My parent’s friends would bring their children and it was our job to entertain them.
This place makes for a great game of hide and seek.”
We stopped walking just as the grass turned into slabs of stone surrounding the pool. The pool itself was dimly lit from within and surrounded by soft lighting. The design of it was something out of a magazine. One level, surrounded by stone, flowed into another pool beneath it. Just off to the side of the pools, a stone waterfall filled the jacuzzi.
“This pool…” I trailed off, “wow.”
Alina dropped my hand, walking toward the water, “It’s been at least five years since I’ve been in this thing.”
I watched as she slipped off her shoes and dipped her feet into the water. It must have felt inviting because she gathered her skirt and sat down on the edge of the pool, slipping both of her feet in the water.
“Five years?” I walked over, sitting next to her, “Is it warm?”
She nodded, “Always.”
I followed suit, slipping off my dress shoes and socks and rolling up my slacks. The water was unnaturally warm, feeling more like a jacuzzi than a pool. Our feet kicked lazily in the water next to each other and I placed one hand on top of hers.
“Five years is a long time, “ I said quietly, an idea sparking in my head.
She nodded solemnly again, “The cost of being a Prescott.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I haven’t been able to do what I want with my time in so long.
Everything is scripted and planned. Down to the very last detail. Even before my father decided to run for office.”
I noted that sadness had crept into her voice. S
he seemed more sullen than I’d ever seen her and that pulled on me in a very physical way. The urge to make her happy was overwhelming.
“You don’t have to do what they tell you to do, Alina. Not while I’m around.” She looked up at me with her sad eyes. I leaned over and cupped her face, lifting it up, “I mean it,” I whispered, before tilting my head down and kissing her.
I felt the familiar bolt of electricity I’d grown accustomed to shoot down my spine. She sighed against my mouth, leaning in closer to me.
As our kiss deepened, I smoothed my hands down her neck, over her shoulders and down to her hips, lifting her in one fluid movement to settle her over my lap. Her knees bending around me, her wet feet soaking the legs of my slacks.
Her hips rolled over me and she pressed down, making me instantly hard again. I held onto her waist, pushing my hips upward to show her what she was doing to me. She gasped into my mouth, wrapping her arms around my neck. I dragged my lips down to her chest, kissing the soft flesh of her cleavage, coaxing another moan out of her.
“Do you trust me?” I whispered, huskily, remembering the idea I had earlier.
“Yes,” she answered without hesitation.
Holding her lower back with one hand, I used the other to slide my hips over the edge of the pool. Her eyes widened and she gasped loudly when she realized what I was doing. We slid fluidly into the water,
her legs wrapping around me when my feet touched the bottom. It was just over five feet in depth and my chest was still above the water line.
Her dress billowed around her in the water. I cupped her ass, holding her there.
“Derrick!” she exclaimed, “what are you doing?”
“Five years is a long time,” I repeated, a smile on my face.
She pulled on my neck, lifting herself to kiss me while giggling.
The sound of her laugh made my chest ache in the best way. I loved her this way. Happy. Carefree. Uninhibited.
“You’re amazing, you know that?” she said pulling back.
“I just want you to be happy.”
She unlatched herself from around me, sinking into the pool. Her arms flowed out around her as she stepped gingerly away from me to spin slowly in the water. Looking every bit an angel, twirling in slow motion.
“You make me happy,” she said softly, glancing over her shoulder at me, “and brave.”
“Brave?” I asked.
“Mmhmm.”
With her back facing me, her hands smoothed up her arms and gently tugged on the capped sleeves. The top of her dress slid down her body into the water, revealing a flesh toned bra.
I leaned against the edge of the pool, not bothering to hide my fascination with her body. I watched her, intrigued, as her fingers deftly unfastened the hooks in the back, releasing her bra. She slid the garment down her arms and let it float away in the water.
Tossing another glance my way, she pushed the soaked dress down her hips, stepping out of it before sinking beneath the water.
Completely submerged, she swam back over to me, rising out of the
water slowly. I swallowed, feeling the strain of my water soaked slacks against my growing cock.
Standing tall and proud in front of me, the water framed her breasts. Her nipples were hard and begging to be touched. I lifted a hand, palming one of her breasts, letting my thumb drag over the sensitive peak. Her chest heaved and she bit down on her lip.
“Brave?” I asked again.
She nodded slowly, holding me in place with her seductive stare.
I stared back at her magnificent looking body in the dimly lit pool. She was perfect. I let go of her breast and slid my hand down her front, over her belly, settling my palm on her sex. Her mouth fell open and her breathing shallowed in anticipation.
I pushed a finger passed the lips of her sex, feeling her soft flesh. Her legs softened and opened, giving me more room to touch her.
I licked my lips, pushing another finger in. She moaned, her body molding around my fingers. Rolling them gently over her clit, I watched her reaction. Her head lolled to the side and she arched her back, prompting me to caress her other breast tenderly.
Soon, her body sagged against me as I continued kneading the tender flesh of her pussy and the tight rigid peaks of her nipples. I loved to watch her this way. Completely taken over by sensation and need.
She was all reaction.
As I moved my fingers in and out of her, rubbing her clit, her breathing quickened. I could feel she was close, her pussy tightening around me, when I heard a voice calling out our names.
“Alina, dear? Derrick? Where are you two?”
It was Vivian, her mother.
Her eyes popped open wide and she dropped down into the pool, hiding her naked body under the water.
“Oh my gosh,” she whispered.
“Shit,” I said at the same time.
“Alina? Are you still out here?” her father’s voice rang out.
Fuck, they were both out here.
We looked at each other, panicked and needing an escape plan.
“What should we do?” she whispered.
“We have to get out of here,” I said, stifling a laugh. This was bad. Really fucking bad. If they caught us — I didn’t even want to think about the possibilities.
I pulled myself out of the pool, turning to grab her. She had waded away from the edge to grab her dress and bra, “Hurry up!” I whispered to her. I could hear her parents voices growing louder as they approached the pool.
She made her way back to the edge, half-running and half-swimming, clutching the heavy fabric. I lifted her out of the pool and set her on her feet. She started to ring out the excess water from her dress when we heard the footsteps on the stone patio. I pulled her backwards, flush against the pool house, where we were hidden by a few thick trees.
“Shhh,” I said as quietly as I could muster, holding a finger to her mouth. She looked up at me with wide eyes, biting her bottom lip.
Her back was facing the pool, but I could see her parents as they walked hand in hand over the patio. Their voices were low and muffled, but I could tell they were still looking for us. I just hoped they wouldn’t notice the trail of water from the pool and follow it to our hiding spot.
Her body tensed as she realized her parents were just on the outside of the trees. She was naked from the waist up, only donning a pair of panties and clutching her soaking wet dress.
“I see those dreadful shoes she always wears,” Vivian said, toeing the flats Alina had kicked off.
Thomas chuckled, “I don’t know why you hate those shoes so much.”
“They’re dreadful, darling,“ Vivian repeated, “They must be out here somewhere.”
“Or maybe they went back inside and she forgot her shoes,”
Thomas offered.
Yes, go with that, I thought.
They walked around the patio for a few more seconds before turning and walking back towards the manor. Alina made a move to step outside of the tree line and I pulled her back against me.
Her eyes widened when she felt my erection resting on her lower belly. I grinned at her, remembering exactly what we’d been doing before almost getting caught. I tilted my head down, kissing her full on the mouth, and pulling her closer. No matter how close she was, it was never close enough.
“That was close,” she whispered, pulling back from our kiss.
“Yeah. It was,” I poked my head out to see if the coast was clear, “let’s get you inside, baby girl. I definitely don’t want to get caught out here like this.”
She laughed, kissing me again lightly, and pulling me toward the back of the pool house, “There’s another way in through here. Follow me.”
Trying to hold back our laughter, we ran back into the house, clutching our wet clothes. I followed behind Alina, leaving wet droplets in our wake, as we dodged the staff and her family. Thankfully, we didn’t run into anyone on the way in.
We stumbled through her bedroom
door, kicking it closed behind us. She ran back into my arms and we fell against the door, our
lips locked in another kiss. Her laughs were silenced as she registered that our bodies were pressed together. Rubbing my damp chest, she groaned softly. Hearing her pleasure from simply kissing me revved me up again, and I couldn’t believe how much I craved her.
We’d been so close to getting caught out in the pool, I half-worried about taking her here in her room. But the way her hands were caressing down my body and smoothing over my still hardened cock, all hesitation faded . I needed her. Right. Fucking. Now.
Losing Her (Lost and Found Book 1) Page 18