Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 102834 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102834 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
“I love babies,” one of the brunettes that Tristan had been chatting up said with a flirtatious smile, and he threw his arm around her shoulders. “They’re so cute.”
“You’re cuter,” Tristan countered, and Nuala made a disgusted face, which caused me to chuckle.
When I looked up, Derek was smiling down at me, his expression full of tenderness. He stood close enough that our arms brushed every so often. I was hyperaware of each time it happened, my stomach in flurries of nervous tension mixed with excitement. I liked being near him, just existing in the same space. It struck me that I’d never felt that with anyone else. I’d felt attraction, sure, but never the kind of pleasure merely to be in proximity. Derek was the only one who could make me feel that way.
When Alanis finally took to the stage, I let myself get lost in the music. Nuala sang along to all the words, although I could only remember the choruses. I was relieved that Derek didn’t bring up what we’d spoken about in his office earlier that day. I was enjoying being carefree and wasn’t ready to return to serious topics.
When the concert was over, it took us a while to get off the castle grounds, and when everyone was splitting up to go their separate ways, I found myself suddenly alone with Derek.
“I’ll walk you home.”
I rubbed at my overheated skin, a mixture of endorphins from the show and pent-up need from being around him. All night, I couldn’t stop staring at him, the way his shirt hugged his broad shoulders, tapering down to a trim waist.
“You don’t have to.”
“It’s on my way.”
Was it? Technically, Derek’s apartment was on the way to my house, with the addition of a five-minute detour, but he seemed determined to walk with me, so I nodded, and we started our stroll in companionable silence.
“Did you enjoy the concert?” I asked, breaking the quiet. Good, Milly, a nice normal question. So far, I was keeping it together when all the while my brain was shouting at me to tell him how sexy he was and that I was obsessed with his five o’clock shadow and the way his dark hair highlighted the gold notes in his eyes.
“I did. Did you?” The aforementioned eyes met mine, and it was all I could do not to swoon. Why was he so … so … smouldering?
“I had a lot of fun. And I liked that you were there.” Okay, I hadn’t meant to blurt that last part.
A handsome smile slowly shaped his features. “Yeah?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Another few moments of quiet elapsed before we finally reached my house. I’d made it. God bless my self-restraint for holding onto decorum and not throwing myself at him. I dug in my bag for my keys while stepping up to my front door.
“Well, thank you for walking me home. Good—”
Before I could finish Derek said, “I should come in, check out the finished repair work.”
Oh, no. This was dangerous. Suddenly, my mouth was parched. “Um, it’s a little late.”
His smirk had my stomach flip flopping, especially since it was paired with a sexy arched eyebrow. “It’s barely eleven.”
“Yes, but—”
“Camille.” The way he said my name garnered my attention, and suddenly I was unable to say no to him. Besides, if I were being honest with myself, I didn’t want him to go yet.
“Well, all right, if you insist. I can make us some tea.”
Slotting my key in the door, I’d barely gotten inside before Derek had me pressed up against the wall. His knuckles caressed my jaw before reaching up and pulling free my hair tie. It fell around my shoulders in long, silky tresses, and Derek growled, “I’ve been wanting to do that all night,” before his lips crashed into mine, and I lost the ability to think coherently.
21.
Milly
In the space of a second, my entire history with Derek flashed before my eyes. Every moment of yearning, every instinct I’d denied, every time he touched me and I’d wished for him to never stop, it was all there in vivid technicolour. I just barely had the ability to open my eyes and ensure the front door was closed before his tongue slid along mine, and his deep groan had me gripping the collar of his shirt in both hands and tugging him closer.
I was running on pure adrenaline when I curled my leg around the back of his knee, bringing the thick, hard length in his pants flush with my centre and sending tingles right to my core.
“Milly,” my name was a puff of air leaving him before his lips returned to mine, kissing me like he was desperate for my taste. One of his large hands gently closed around my throat, tilting my head back for greater access, while his other hand went to my thigh, caressing the outer curve before venturing inward. In less than a second, he had the skirt of my dress shoved up, his fingers whispering over the delicate silk of my underwear, and my entire body undulated in response. I wanted him to touch me—my inhibitions had left the room—and when he roughly commanded, “Open your eyes,” I did as I was told, never dropping my gaze as his fingers pushed past the barrier of my underwear to my slick centre.