AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I give him a pointed look. “You invited me to your hotel room.”
“And that makes you nervous?”
“Of course.”
“Good.”
I lift a brow. “Good?”
“Yeah, good.” He sips his wine, but it doesn’t hide his smirk. “Because I’m nervous too.”
My heart flips. “You are?”
“Yes.” He places his glass on the counter. “I am.”
I watch Derek round the counter with a slow, steady pace that’s equal parts sexy and determined. His eyes don’t leavemine. When he reaches my side, he lifts his hand to cup my cheek. My pulse quickens.
“What are you doing?” I ask, breathless. My entire body is attuned to every detail of this moment. The way Derek’s hair falls over his forehead. How he smells like a mix of woodsy cologne and the tart scent of wine. The subtle roughness of the callouses on his fingertips. I notice it all and will myself to commit it to memory. I don’t want to forget anything about this moment. It feels like I’ve been waiting for it my entire life.
“You’re beautiful, Liv,” he murmurs, ignoring my question as his thumb strokes my cheek. “I’ve been aching to do this all night.”
“Do what?” I whisper.
“This.”
I suck in a breath as Derek leans down and kisses me. I clumsily put my drink on the counter, then grab onto his dress shirt, tipping my head back to deepen the kiss.
His tongue slips past my lips. I moan in pleasure, and the sound triggers something in Derek. The hand that had been gently cupping my cheek moves behind my neck. The other rises to meet it. Derek unleashes himself on me—his passion robs me of my senses. There’s only the feel of his mouth and the heat building in my core. Everything else fades to the background.
Derek’s hands slide down to grab my waist, and I release a tiny yelp of surprise when he picks me up and walks us to the bedroom.
I’m finally going to sleep with the man I’ve been in love with for most of my life, and nothing has ever felt so right.
CHAPTER 15
PRESENT DAY
Olivia
Derek’s kissis as heavenly as I remember. Warmth flows through my limbs, making my knees weak as his lips move against mine in perfect rhythm. I’m glad for the arm he has wrapped around me, helping to hold me up. I’d be a puddle of lust on the floor without it.
His other hand rests against my face, and every press of his fingers shoots sparks across my skin. My head tilts to the side, and my lips part as his tongue presses forward. Heat coils in my core, pulsing. I dig my fingernails into his biceps, rising on my tiptoes to get even closer, but I can’t get close enough.
Derek must have the same idea. He spins me around and presses me against the building’s wall. I barely notice the cold brick chilling my back. The heat from the kiss is more than enough to keep me warm.
His body presses against me, and his hands move down and squeeze my hips. I feel the evidence of his arousal, and it heightens my own. He bites my bottom lip gently, and I feel the pleasant sting from my lips to my toes.
Before our rendezvous in St. Kitts, I never knew Derek had such a passionate side. I try not to think about his experiences that must’ve led to his skill. Instead, I focus on us. On here and now.
“I was freaking in love with you.”
Derek’s confession amplifies my lust.
I’ve been in love with him for as long as I can remember. So in love that I compare every man I meet to him. I never wanted to damage our friendship by acting on my feelings, but I couldn’t resist asking him to prom. Or agreeing to go with Hector to see if it would make him jealous. I’d mourned how things turned out thanks to my immature actions all those years ago, but now that I know the reason for Derek’s change in behavior… maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea.
He loves me.
This feels like a dream. It’s too good to be true.
