Lucky Charm

by Carly Phillips

  She glanced at her watch. Another fifteen minutes to go and even then she didn’t have any sort of plan.

  She rose from her seat. “I have to go to the bathroom.”

  “Do you want me to go with you?” Gabrielle pushed back her chair, ready to be Sharon’s shadow.

  “No.” Sharon waved her hand. “Sit back down and relax. I’ll be fine. Derek, take my chair, please,” she said, walking away.

  “Hurry back,” Sharon heard Gabrielle call to her.

  Sharon headed through the crowd, which was marginally younger than she was, and definitely hipper. She found the ladies’ room down a long hallway and was about to push open the door when someone jostled into her.

  She whirled around, her heart beating hard in her chest, and bumped into a woman exiting.

  “I’m sorry. I tripped,” the woman said as she righted herself.

  “No problem. Are you okay?” Sharon asked.

  “I’m fine.”

  Sharon walked inside, heading for the mirror and sink area.

  Alone, she leaned both hands against the counter and blew out a long stream of air. God, she had to calm down. She consoled herself with the thought that soon enough, this would all be over.

  She just wished she knew when.

  GABRIELLE KNEW SHE HAD just a small window of time alone with Derek before Sharon returned, the drama of the evening with her.

  “I appreciate you being here. So does Sharon despite how she’s acting. She’s a nervous wreck,” Gabrielle said.

  “I can’t say I blame her. I’m just glad you don’t have to face it alone.”

  She nodded in agreement.

  “But Sharon needs us sitting here with her. I don’t think you’re going to get that dance you wanted after all,” he said, not sounding too disappointed. But she was.

  “I guess it wasn’t realistic to think we could have a romantic evening while Sharon was being blackmailed.” She’d just wanted to feel Derek’s arms around her again. She needed him to pull her close and press his cheek against hers while they moved to the beat of the music.

  The collar on his polo shirt was crooked. She reached out to adjust it and her hand skimmed the razor stubble on his jaw. At the simple touch, her skin tingled and her body burned.

  Instead of pulling her hand away, she caressed his jaw, giving him exactly the signal she wanted to send. “Maybe we can’t dance here, but there are other places,” she said, her voice ripe with innuendo.

  His eyes darkened in understanding. Her body craved intimacy and closeness with him in the most basic way.

  “I’m back,” Sharon said, joining them again.

  Gabrielle pulled back. She glanced at Sharon and smiled.

  Derek rose from his seat, insisting Sharon take it again.

  The rest of the night passed in a drawn-out blur of drinks that turned into diet sodas after a while and anxious conversation from eight until 11:00 p.m. Three hours later, they finally had to accept the fact that nobody was coming to contact Sharon.

  “Well, this was a bust,” Sharon said. “Now what? I wait until he contacts me again?” Her voice shook.

  Gabrielle glanced at Derek. “Unfortunately, you don’t have a choice.”

  She nodded. “Let’s get out of here. I just need to find my keys.” She dug through her purse, clearly upset.

  “If you’d just leave half that crap home, you’d be able to find something in there,” Gabrielle said laughing, attempting to ease her friend’s tension.

  Sharon ran her hand through her hair. “I know. I have got to clean this bag out,” she muttered. “Aha!” She pulled out her keys.

  Together they walked to the parking lot. Derek walked them to Sharon’s Ford Escort.

  “Call me,” Gabrielle said to Derek, her gaze lingering on his. What she really wanted to say was, Meet me back at my room, but she refrained.

  Sharon opened her car door. “Oh, for God’s sake. Derek, take Gabrielle home, will you? You two want to be alone so badly, I can feel it.”

  “But we didn’t do anything,” Gabrielle protested.

  Derek merely shook his head.

  “You didn’t have to do anything. It’s obvious. I spent the afternoon at the beach, watching you two stare at each other, remember? It was just like when we were in high school and I was the third wheel.”

  “You were never the—”

  “Relax. I’m kidding!” Sharon laughed. “Besides, I just want to go home, crawl under the covers and pretend none of this is happening.” She waved her hand toward them, indicating they should leave. “So go.”

  “Don’t be silly. I want to make sure you get home and inside your house safely,” Gabrielle said.

  “Which you wouldn’t be able to do since I’d be dropping you off at Rhodes Inn, anyway. Stop worrying and acting like my mother. I appreciate it but I’m fine.” She turned Gabrielle around and pushed her toward Derek.

  “But…” As much as Gabrielle wanted to be with Derek, she did not want to leave Sharon alone.

  “We’ll follow you to your house and make sure you get inside safely. Then I’ll take Gabrielle home,” Derek said, appeasing both women.

  Gabrielle smiled at him. “He’s a true diplomat.”

  “No, you’re just easy to please,” he said in that deep voice she loved.

  Sharon rolled her eyes. “Oh, brother. You two have it bad.”

  Gabrielle grinned. Her friend was right. She did have it bad for Derek. And it was time he discovered just how bad.

  DEREK FOLLOWED GABRIELLE into her room. She flipped on the lamp beside the bed, illuminating a sparsely decorated area. He’d been here before, but this was the first time he’d really looked around. Besides the bed and a night table, there was a dresser and a TV stand with a small television on top. In the corner, her suitcase was propped open on a chair.

  All in all, there wasn’t much living space. “Aren’t you getting tired of being so cramped?” Derek asked.

  She shrugged. “I haven’t spent much time in here so it hasn’t been too bad. Anyway, I’m enjoying catching up with you and Sharon. Who cares where I sleep?”

  He cared. A lot. He wanted her sleeping with him, in his bed. Or hers. He wasn’t fussy as long as they were together.

  “I’m enjoying spending time with you, too.” Not that getting out of the house had been easy tonight. Holly had wanted to spend more time with Gabrielle and a nightclub had sounded fun to her. She hadn’t appreciated being left behind, and he had a feeling she’d be heaping on the guilt for a while.

  “I just wish we’d had a more productive night.” Gabrielle interrupted his thoughts.

  Derek agreed, but he didn’t want to spend the time they had thinking about Sharon’s problems. “Since we can’t change it, let’s try to forget it for a while.”

  “You have a point,” she said, her voice suddenly more sultry. She stepped toward the nightstand and pushed a button on travel-size iPod speakers.

  Soft music filled the air.

  “Do you want to dance with me now?” she asked, reaching her hand out to him.

  He grinned. “You know I do.” This was her fantasy and he intended to give it to her. He linked his fingers through hers and pulled her close.

  Her breasts pressed into his chest, her hips swayed in unison with his, and her soft curves cushioned him in molten heat. His groin hardened and swelled thick in his jeans. They moved together slowly, with an ease born of familiarity. It seemed his body had never forgotten hers.

  “Mmm. This feels good,” she said, splaying her fingers across his back. “I’ve missed holding you.”

  “Same here. Reminds me of prom.”

  “Minus the rented tux, the fancy dress and the chaperones.” She laughed.

  “You’re such a brat,” he said, chuckling. He eased her closer. Burying his face in her hair, he inhaled deep. “Chocolate?” he asked, guessing her scent.

  “Mmm-hmm. Isn’t it delicious?”

  He breathed in again and g
roaned. “You’re delicious.” He swept her hair off her neck and nuzzled the soft skin there. She swayed against him, her body sensuously brushing against his, deliberately provocative.

  Remaining still enough to continue the dance wasn’t easy, but he was determined to pace himself.

  She cupped her hands around his cheeks and pulled his face to hers, capturing his lips in a long-awaited kiss. It wasn’t their first since her return, but because they were alone, because there’d be no interruptions, he savored it.

  Prolonged it.

  Made it last.

  She didn’t rush it, either. She slid her lips back and forth over his, teasing with her tongue, heightening the foreplay and his arousal until he slanted his head and deepened the kiss.

  She took the lead in the dance, easing them toward the bed. She braced her hands on his shoulders and pushed him down before stepping away.

  “Going somewhere?” He patted the space beside him, encouraging her to join him.

  “I’ll be right back. Why don’t you get undressed in the meantime?” Her eyes gleamed in anticipation as she sashayed toward the bathroom, stopping only to open a drawer and pull out something that looked like flimsy lingerie on the way.

  CHAPTER NINE

  GABRIELLE HAD GONE BACK to her apartment for clothes and for the garment in her hands—baby-doll-style lingerie with lace covering her breasts and a pleated fall of silky material that ended high on her thighs. The peach color complemented her tanned skin and gave her a boost of confidence. She quickly slipped into the sexy negligee, needing all the confidence she could get.

  She dusted shimmery powder on her chest in the fragrance Derek had noticed earlier before opening the door and stepping back into the room.

  She’d hoped to blow him away, but when she found him lying on the bed, she was the one undone. Sure, she’d seen Derek in a bathing suit earlier today. She’d marveled at how much his body had filled out, how he’d matured and changed. But they hadn’t been alone. She hadn’t had time to drink him in, remembering the past while hungry for a future.

  He leaned back against propped pillows, resting comfortably against the headboard. She’d think he was relaxed…if not for the erection tenting the black cotton briefs. Her mouth grew dry and she swallowed hard.

  In her dreams, he was always the boy she’d lost. But now she was facing the man—a sexy man wearing nothing but short black boxers.

  “I’ve never known you to be speechless,” he said as he held out a hand.

  She’d never lied to him before and she wasn’t about to start now. “You’re suddenly real.” She walked toward him and placed her palm in his. “I’m overwhelmed.”

  “Same for me.” He ran his fingers over the pulse point in her wrist.

  She knew he could feel her heartbeat pounding through her veins.

  “I can’t wait to be inside you,” he said, his voice husky and deep.

  Her pulse skyrocketed even more and moisture pooled between her thighs.

  Unexpectedly, he closed his eyes and groaned, a sound of frustration, not pleasure. “I don’t have protection,” he said through clenched teeth.

  Derek couldn’t believe now that he was here with Gabrielle, finally about to make love to her, he’d have to call a halt. He’d been so busy thinking about how not to act on his desire, he wasn’t prepared.

  She reached over and put her hands on his. “I’m on the pill.”

  He raised an eyebrow, surprised. “I thought you hated the thought of putting hormones into your body,” he said, repeating what she’d told him when he suggested that form of birth control when they’d been teens.

  She smiled. “You’d be amazed how quickly terrible monthly cramping will change a woman’s mind,” she said wryly. “So don’t worry about pregnancy. As for the rest, I’m safe.”

  He understood what she meant. He wasn’t sure he wanted to discuss her love life at the moment, but then, he couldn’t think of a better time.

  Before they shared anything else, he needed to know. “What has your love life been like?”

  She tipped her head and laughed. “Helluva question right now.”

  “Humor me.”

  “Well, after you, there wasn’t anyone for a good long while. I went to the University of Miami and majored in psychology. I threw myself into school.”

  “Miami has its share of athletes,” he said, knowing there had to have been guys in her life.

  She shrugged. “There were men, Derek. You didn’t think I would become celibate, did you? It just took me longer than it took you.”

  He winced, but he deserved the dig.

  “But there wasn’t anyone serious for a long time.”

  “And once there was?”

  “There was an assistant to one of my professors, but he was too uptight. No sense of humor.”

  He held on to her hand. “You need a man with a sense of humor,” he said gruffly.

  She nodded. “After him, there was a publicist I met while on a book tour.”

  He bit the inside of his cheek. “What were his flaws?”

  “He was too slick.”

  “Slick?”

  She nodded. “I couldn’t trust him.” Her eyes twinkled as she spoke.

  Damn, but she was enjoying this. “And then?”

  “Another author. My editor introduced us at an awards ceremony.”

  “Too messy, being in the same profession?” he guessed.

  She shook her head. “Too needy. I want a man who’s independent and doesn’t have to know where I am 24-7. Besides, he worked at home and he was around. All. The. Time.” She groaned at the notion. “After that, there was the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker. The butcher was a slob, the baker too heavy and the last guy always smelled like another woman’s perfume,” she said, laughing.

  “Wench.” He realized by the end she was teasing him, although he also sensed there’d been some truth in each of them.

  No man had suited her.

  “How about me? What are my flaws?” he asked.

  “Honestly? The fact that you don’t have any. And that brings us back to the issue at hand. Protection and how we don’t need any.” Her eyes darkened as she met his gaze. “I want you, Derek. I always have.”

  His body throbbed with anticipation. He’d been hard since he’d seen her again. And he’d wanted her ever since they’d said goodbye years ago.

  “The problem is we do need protection.” He swallowed hard. “Ever since Marlene got pregnant, I’ve made it a nonnegotiable rule to always wear a condom,” he said, more serious than he’d ever been.

  She nodded slowly. “I respect that. And it just so happens that I believe in protection, too—with everyone in my past. Even though I was on the pill.” She licked her lips. “But I had a hunch you might feel this way, so look what I picked up?” she asked, obviously pleased with herself. She held up a box of condoms.

  “You’re still thinking ahead,” he said, amused that this one character trait hadn’t changed.

  And though he’d like nothing more than to feel her around him, her hot slick walls cushioning him in moist heat, he couldn’t break his rule. He needed to protect them both from the damn curse.

  The time for talk was finished. He flipped her onto her stomach in the center of the bed. The hem of her lingerie slipped upward and cool air rushed over her bare buttocks.

  He groaned and rubbed his hand first over one cheek, then the next. His body shook over hers and he knew he was building their arousal and anticipation. Knew he wanted her as desperately as she wanted him.

  Derek leaned down and pressed a kiss against her skin.

  Gabrielle’s body trembled, and before she could think beyond the erotic sensation of his lips against her flesh, he straddled her derriere and began to massage her back and shoulders. A delicious pulsing began between her thighs. And as he worked on her shoulders with his hands, he rocked insistently, erotically against her back, his erection obvious. His hard length lay in t
he crevice of her bare behind and she felt him there, an oddly arousing sensation.

  “If I let myself go, it’ll be over in two seconds,” he said, his breath hot in her ear. He swept her hair off the back of her neck and leaned forward to press his lips against her skin. As he moved upward, so did his penis. Rigid and unyielding, he pressed himself against her bare cheeks.

  Her thighs clenched of their own volition and her body quaked in reaction.

  She attempted to roll over, but Derek placed a hand against her back, stopping her. “Not so fast. I’m not finished with you yet,” he said in a gruff voice.

  He kissed her neck, nibbling with his lips and tongue, traveling from the sensitive flesh on her shoulders down the length of her back. His touch burned and she writhed beneath him, pressing against the mattress, seeking relief from the building crescendo of need.

  There was no relief to be found. With each pivot of her hips, his erection thrust harder against her, heightening her excitement and her desire until she ground herself harder and faster against the mattress, pushing and pressing her lower body until just the right spot hit the bed, sending her closer to the release she desperately needed.

  All the while, his movements mimicked hers. His hips rocked faster, harder, his erection exciting her beyond belief. Between her mound grinding against the mattress and his erection thrusting at her back, she could barely catch her breath. She gasped for air, unwilling to choose between breathing and coming apart right here, right now.

  Finally, tiny flickers of light danced in front of her eyes. The fulfillment she’d been seeking hit and a fast and furious orgasm followed. And continued until she collapsed against the sheets.

  Her body still trembled, her breath still came in shallow gulps, long after the sweet release had ended. When she was able to focus again, she took stock of her surroundings, how her body felt. And she immediately realized something was missing.

  He was missing.

  She needed him inside her.

  But with his delicious weight on her back, he was still calling the shots. She cleared her throat.

  With a chuckle, Derek eased off her and she flipped over onto her back. His heavy-lidded gaze met hers.