by Odell, Roxie
“I guess it was kinda different,” she replied with relief.
He took her face in his hands and looked her straight in the eye. “Did I scare you?” he asked very gently.
Corrine didn’t like that question or the tone in which he asked it because it felt like he was chalking up their little tiff before to her being oversensitive, as if he was denying that he was acting strange and secretive. Once again, she felt like he was working very hard to hide something, and she wondered what it could be.
His expression was warm and endearing as he slipped his hand down to graze her body with a whisper-light touch. He took her hand in his and led her toward her living room.
It took a moment for Corrine to catch on, but there, on the table, was a brilliant bouquet of tulips, bending gracefully over their vase. Derrick had never bought her flowers before, so she was a bit taken aback. “Gosh, I love them,” she said, throwing her arms around him, no longer caring about getting his clothes all sweaty.
His fingers splayed across her wet back, and she flinched, her skin still sensitive from the sun. “Wow, you had a pretty good workout, huh?” he asked with a chuckle.
She was self-conscious that she was a sweaty mess, but the air-conditioning was beginning to chill her. “I’ll get cleaned up,” she said.
“Okay,” he said, then pressed his lips to hers, just a peck and not really a kiss at all.
Corrine turned her head. “Are you in a hurry again?” she asked, sounding a bit disappointed.
“Actually, I have a meeting down this way,” he said.
Corrine glared at him. His gorgeous appearance was meant to kill two birds with one stone, her and his business appointment. Not only that, but he’d interrupted her workout in the process. “Well, that’s fine. I’ve got things to do, too.” Annoyed, she pressed her hands on him to turn him around.
He continued to smile but still looked confused. “Okay,” he remarked as she nudged him toward the door.
“Thanks for the flowers,” she said in a very businesslike tone. “I’m just kind of in the middle of stuff.”
“Corrine, you were just on a treadmill,” he protested. “How busy can you be?”
She started at him harshly. “Look, Derrick, I have a life and a job, too, you know? I don’t always have time to keep you company while you kill time.”
“Are you kidding me? Just like that? You’re happy to see me one minute, but now you’re not?” His voice was filled with disbelief, and his eyes were full of something that resembled pain.
She didn’t want to hurt him, but unless he told her what was going on, she refused to be there for him. In the meantime, she needed to take care of herself. “Bye, Derrick,” she said and closed the door on him.
She really didn’t feel like it, but she decided to get back on her treadmill anyway. She was not going to let a guy derail her from her objectives. She grounded herself with a schedule: exercise, eating, and working. A simple but effective strategy to keep her focused on what was most important.
After her workout, Corrine showered and was prepared to hunker down to work in her living room. There, though, she was met by the larger-than-life bouquet Derrick had brought. Those torturous tulips seemed to mock her pain. If they weren’t so gorgeous, they would have ended up in the trash, but Corrine felt an odd sort of pity for the flowers. After all, it wasn’t their fault the guy who purchased them wasn’t on the level with her. She decided to let them stay.
The tulips kept her company while she checked things off her to-do list. When she reached a suitable stopping point, Corrine made a grocery list and headed to her favorite store, Sprouts Farmers Market. Paradise, like everywhere else, had been infiltrated by national big-box chain stores, but she still preferred her mom-and-pop go-to spot.
She was pushing her cart along, praising herself for not letting Derrick ruin her head, when she heard her phone buzz in her purse. She stared at Derrick’s message for a few seconds, muttering it to herself and wondering why it didn’t make any sense. “Thanks. I’ll pick them up later,” it said, to which Corrine just replied with a couple of question marks.
“Oops, wrong person,” he texted. “Or right person, wrong text. Kisses.”
If that had happened while she felt good about them, Corrine wouldn’t have thought twice about it, but as things were, the mistake sent her into another emotional tailspin. She felt bad, the same aching sensation she’d felt before, just before her breakup. A deep fear overcame her, and she worried that now that they had cultivated their affair into a normal relationship, Derrick was simply no longer interested.
“Do you have time to kill with me tonight, all night?” he asked.
Of course, her answer to such a tempting proposition was not an automatic no. She was honestly upended by the offer and his recent behavior. Is something really wrong, or am I really just overreacting?
“I’m listening,” she wrote.
“Well, how about the Bellagio? It’ll be a new place, not yours or mine. We can book a deluxe suite, order some decadent food, and have even more decadent sex.”
Derrick’s message was flowing so rapidly, she wondered if his fingers were getting sore. Even though her reply felt as if it came out of nowhere, it took her some time to type and send it: “Are you sure this message is for me?” she asked. She meant it mostly as a joke, but it was obviously a shot at him.
Derrick, clearly insulted, called her instead of sending another text, and Corrine knew the second she saw his name on her phone that she had taken it a little too far. “Excuse me?” he asked with great heat in his voice as soon as she picked up the call.
“What?” she asked, playing it off.
“Where on Earth did that come from?” he asked. “Are you really that pissed because I had to leave you after last night?”
She took a deep breath. “Well, kind of,” she admitted. “I mean, it was really unexpected.”
“I’m so sorry, Corrine,” he said sincerely, his voice softening a bit. “I just had lots of work.”
Suddenly, Corrine felt like a fool and a selfish child. Derrick had a high-powered, high-pressure job, yet he always carved out time to be with her. She had really let herself get worked up, and now that he was putting things into perspective, she was compelled to apologize to him.
“No, I’m sorry, and you don’t have to make it up by taking me out, even if it is just around the corner,” she said with a giggle. “It would be different, though, something new.” That was true. Despite the sameness of the Vegas casinos and hotels, each seemed like its own universe with its own atmosphere. She knew she could completely change her reality by stepping through an entryway other than that of the Tresor.
“Well, it’s not a completely selfless offer,” he said in a voice as smooth as silk. “I’ll benefit greatly from the deal myself.”
Corrine felt her tension melt away. It felt as if he was standing right there and she was buried deep within his arms. The slightest little moan escaped her lips.
“I take it you feel better now,” he said with a smirk she could almost hear through the phone.
“Yes,” she mumbled with a sexy lisp. “So much better.”
“You know, Corrine, whenever you have a problem with me, I wish you’d just say so. I just had my head up my ass with work. That was all there was to it. That other woman doesn’t mean a thing to me.”
She sucked in her breath so deeply, it she sounded like a sawblade.
“Just a joke, missy,” he said with a laugh. “I’d have to be insane to go after anybody else. I’ve got the finest woman on Earth, not to mention very little time to spare.”
“Stop, Derrick,” she said, stomping her foot in the middle of the store. “That’s not funny.”
“Actually, it kind of is,” he retorted. “I like getting you all worked up. Now, pack a bag, slide that hot body into a great-looking dress that I’m not gonna leave on you for very long, and join me at the Bellagio, if you dare.”
“Wow. We�
�re really going to stay at that place? What will your boss say?”
“Meh, he’ll just think I’m scopin’ out the competition,” he replied. “What do you say? We’ll spend the next couple days there. Bring your work along if you need to because I might have to cut out a time or two for work myself. But, Corrine?”
“Yes, Derrick?” she asked with a smile in her voice.
“I’ll be totally yours for the rest of the time,” he promised.
“And I’ll be totally yours right back,” she said. “It sounds wonderful.”
“It always is with us, baby,” he said, and she didn’t bother denying it.
Chapter 26
After the phone call, she ditched the produce section and headed for the frozen goods. She knew it would be wasteful and silly to buy a bunch of fresh fruits and vegetables if she wasn’t even going to be home for a couple days. When she checked out, she asked the clerk to keep her stuff in the walk-in freezer until she got back from a couple errands.
While her groceries were safe and sound at Sprouts, Corrine headed to a nearby boutique to pick out a brand new, never-seen-by-Derrick gown, with shoes to match. While she was at it, she bought sexy lingerie, then walked to the closest salon.
By the time she returned to the market to pick up her frozen foods, she looked and felt like a living doll. She took her food home, packed, stuffed some of the food in a bag, and headed over to the Bellagio. She was so excited to see what Derrick’s expression would be upon her arrival, and she hoped it would be a true Derrick-and-Corrine moment, the kind of happy reunion they usually shared.
It was almost as if he was watching her because as soon as she dropped her car keys with the valet, she received a simple text: “Honeymoon suite. Keys are waiting.”
The valets at the Bellagio were every bit as gracious as they were at the Tresor, and they made her feel like royalty. She stopped at the front desk, picked up her keys, then fearlessly stepped into the elevator. It helped that the ride to the honeymoon suite wasn’t taken in a glass-enclosed elevator, like the one that had originally terrified her at the Tresor. She strode down the corridor, heavy with a new nervousness, her stomach filled with butterflies. She had to consciously work at placing one high-heeled foot in front of the other to get to the room.
When the door opened, Derrick was standing behind it, clad in a tux. He was so gorgeous that Corrine thought she might faint at the sight of him. He held a glass of Champagne to her mouth for her to take a sip, then moved the flute away from her and placed his lips on hers. His kiss was hot against the chill of the champagne as he parted her mouth and explored her with his tongue, sexy and commanding. “Welcome home, beautiful,” he murmured against her lips.
Corrine snaked her arms around his broad shoulders, pressing all of herself against all of him. The bubbly beverage was sweet and delicious, and it trickled down to her stomach with both a chill and a warmth and helped to take the edge off the drama of the past couple days. Even sweeter still was Derrick, so amazing she could have just eaten him up.
Derrick led her to the living area of the suite, where hors d’oeuvres and drinks awaited her. “I know we agreed to cut back, but I feel like we’re due,” he said. He picked up a shot glass and encouraged her to do the same.
“Shot glasses? What are we drinking here?”
“Just enough ta kill ya,” he teased.
She gasped in surprise. Just that morning, after her bourbon incident, she’d told herself she wasn’t going to drink again unless it was a special occasion. Of course, if an impromptu honeymoon away with my boyfriend isn’t a special moment, I don’t know what is.
Derrick frowned. “No?” he asked as if sorely disappointed that she was foiling his plans.
“Yes,” she quickly corrected, letting a big smile splash across her face before she tipped the drink back like a truck driver. “Now, what was your question?”
He grinned back at her and followed suit, gulping his drink down as quickly as he could. “Can’t remember,” he answered as he swept her up into his arms.
Derrick kissed her with intense passion. His tongue entered her mouth right away with a slow sweetness. He made her feel so incredibly wanted, so desired. He dipped her back in a flirtatious dance move and kissed the curve of her neck ever so lightly that she cried out, almost shouted, at the thrill of his touch. She was completely aroused as he whipped her back up to stand upright. She swooned, feeling as if she was on a delightful amusement park ride, but her ride conductor held her steady.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Oh, my goodness! Better than okay. Do that again.”
He obliged, but the swinging around, combined with the booze and the arousal, made her head spin. He paused and gazed into her eyes as he embraced her while her back arched perfectly.
Corrine lowered her lids, bracing herself, knowing she was about to once again experience the overwhelming, electric sensation. Such a small bit of contact of feather-light pressure on perhaps the most sensitive part of her body made her feel helpless, as if she might explode.
“I’m jealous,” he whispered, and the light puffs of air on her skin were too much to bear. “I want to have that much fun, too. I mean, it’s fun turning you on, but—”
“Then we shall just have to make sure you do,” Corinne announced with promise, suddenly seized with wanton power. She pushed on him, to signal to let her up. She stalked him backward, staring him down.
Derrick grinned, totally thrilled, appreciating her boldness.
She paused to pour him another shot, then served it to him.
“Hey! No fair. I’m gonna be smashed before we even get started.” He shook his head and smiled.
“So we’ll split it,” she offered as a compromise.
He drank his share and handed the shot glass back to her.
Corrine tipped the tequila back with complete abandonment, then gave Derrick a swift shove that forced him to take a seat on the sofa. She leaned into him and kissed him like she was going to eat him whole. His fresh, masculine scent filled her nostrils as her breathing escalated. She loved the way he smelled.
Their hair, both hers and his, scattered about her face, and she pressed her cheek against the smooth softness of his, then delicately teased his ear with her lips.
Derrick shivered and let out a forceful moan that made her giggle. “Sorry,” he said. “Maybe you should get earplugs.”
She dreamily looked in his eyes. “Hmm, maybe,” she said.
His face crumpled with momentary uncertainty, as if he feared they were about to travel into unexplored territory. It was hard to imagine that was possible after all they’d shared and all they’d done. Yet, just as they were about to begin, their imagination and passion unfolded in new and different ways they could never take the time to sit down and plan for.
Corrine pushed her knees up and over his lap and straddled him. She was a lithe woman, and the couch was plush enough that she didn’t create any uncomfortable pressure on his legs. She unfastened his bowtie and smiled at him.
“So much for the James Bond look,” he muttered.
“Did you really think that was going to last long, as hot as you look?” she asked assertively.
Her directness made him blush, and his vulnerability made him all the more adorable to her, rare as it was.
Corrine exposed his Vegas-bronzed neck. Against the stark whiteness of his shirt, his color was deeper and richer. She extended her tongue and drew a line down the center with the tip of it. It worked because when she sat on his lap, she could feel how hard he was, positively stone. She bucked her hips gently, toying with him, giving him a slow-motion lap dance as she continued to torture him with her mouth.
Finally, she knelt at his feet, pressed her torso against his thighs, and reached around his waist to remove his cummerbund. She made a point of pressing her chest against his manly muscles. She’d chosen her garment wisely, as her breasts were covered only by thin, stretchy fabric of a halter dress, n
ot all scrunched up to the point of unnatural firmness. She flung his cummerbund aside like a stripper, then proceeded to open his pants, freeing his remarkable erection from its fabric prison. She took hold of him with a firm hand and enveloped him with her mouth.
Derrick slapped his arms against the couch with the wave of pleasure she unleashed. In her estimation, it wouldn’t take long. Corrine was conflicted by that: Should I delay his gratification or let it run its rapid course?
He gripped her skull, tangling his fingers in her hair, gently guiding her as she worked him up and down. Little prayers escaped his lips with each of her up-and-down movements. He tapped out in just a few seconds, pushing on her shoulder and shoving his fingers under her arms to signal that he wanted her back on his lap.
Corrine understood his unspoken request completely. She shed her new lingerie and, still wearing her high heels and her hot little halter cocktail dress, moved to straddle him again. She gasped as she impaled herself upon him, sinking down to take him into her body completely.
He pressed his thumb between her legs with one hand and, with the other, rocked her body at the speed that suited him best. In a fury, they bucked without stopping, and his loud, animalistic cries startled them both, so noisy that they wouldn’t have even heard a knock at the door.
Corrine smiled through the sudden rush of euphoria that engulfed her. The blast of pleasure caught her off guard. She was so focused on him that she had forgotten her own needs, but she was rewarded sweetly just the same. She could hardly move as her body clenched his with a hard-hitting orgasm, one that completely consumed her. She sat still for a moment, save for the slightest movement to urge the rapture along.
After she rolled off him, the two of them savored their moment on the comfortable couch before scurrying to the powder rooms, appreciating that their deluxe accommodations offered two.
The delicious climax mixed with the effects of the tequila to create a lovely high, and it wasn’t long before Corrine meandered out to join him for the next phase of their evening.