Now or Never

by A. J. Bennett

  “Fair enough.” His eyes went back to the road.

  “I was pretty surprised you called me.”

  “Me too. I honestly don’t know why I did. I mean I know why, I just don’t know what came over me; like I said I don’t usually do this type of thing.”

  “Chemistry,” he said simply.

  She unconsciously licked her lips, her body tingling.

  “Chemistry?”

  “Sure, once in a while, two people meet and there’s instant chemistry. It’s natural to want to explore it.”

  “I guess that makes sense.” Grayson pulled her sleeves down to cover her palms. “So you’re saying you felt it too?”

  “Of course I felt it. Wasn’t that obvious?”

  “Not really. You’re kind of standoffish actually.”

  “Am I?”

  “Yeah, a little bit.” It was that trait that made her want to learn more about him.

  “Do you feel it often? I mean with a lot of other women?”

  “Chemistry? Nope, it wouldn’t be as appealing if it wasn’t rare.”

  That’s true. There were tons of attractive guys out there, but she was rarely as drawn to someone through mere eye contact alone.

  Derrick flicked on the blinker and pulled into a hotel. Grayson was caught off guard. Her gaze flew to his face. “A hotel?”

  “I have a roommate.”

  “Or a girlfriend,” Grayson said with a shrug. “If you have a girlfriend, that’s fine. I told you this wasn’t going to be serious.”

  Derrick sighed, pulling into a parking spot. “I don’t have a girlfriend. I’m staying with a guy on the team, and they have a kid. I don’t think it’s appropriate to have sex in their house, and Ethan told me you were living with your mom.”

  Grayson nodded, strangely relieved to have an explanation. She really didn’t want to mess around with a guy who was already seeing somebody. There was too much baggage involved—too much room for error.

  “I’m going to go get a room. Wait here.” He didn’t give her time to answer before he jumped out and went inside.

  To say she was nervous would be an understatement. The other times she’d thrown caution to the wind and jumped into bed with strangers, at least she’d been drinking. She could use some liquid courage that was for sure.

  Derrick walked around the vehicle and opened her door. Her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest.

  This time, it was the middle of the day, and she was sober as could be.

  CHAPTER 17

  They stepped through the doorway, and Grayson looked around, taking in the room. It was pretty nice. It smelled clean and was full of light from the big picture window. The bed was king sized, covered in pillows and a comforter in a demure shade of lavender.

  Grayson stepped out of her shoes, padding in bare feet over the soft carpet until she could see out the window. The glistening blue jewel of the outdoor swimming pool was below the room. She was surprised it was still open for the season. Grabbing the rod, Grayson moved to close the curtains.

  “Leave it.” Derrick’s words fell into the room.

  Her hand dropped, and she looked over at him in surprise. His back was to her as he shrugged out of his jacket.

  “I like the light,” he explained without turning. He took off his watch and dropped it onto the night stand with a thud. “Take off your clothes.”

  Heat rose to Grayson’s cheeks. She really didn’t know what to expect, but she hadn’t been expecting that. It sounded so impersonal—detached almost—Grayson tried not to let it get to her.

  He turned to look at her. His voice was barely above a whisper as he repeated, “Take them off.”

  Grayson shifted back and forth on her feet, uncomfortable beneath Derrick’s hard, green gaze. What the hell had she gotten herself into? She could feel the pulse in her neck beating too fast.

  “Grayson. You called me, remember?”

  He was right. She knew exactly what they were going to do, so it shouldn’t have come as a surprise. But she still shivered as she gripped the hem of her shirt and peeled it off, Derrick watching her every move. She shimmied out of her jeans, kicking them to the side.

  Derrick’s lips quirked as his eyes shifted to her chest. “All of it.”

  Grayson fumbled with her bra, her hands trembling as she freed her breasts to the chill air of the hotel room. The feeling of his gaze on her naked torso sent heat straight to her core. She slid off her panties, trying to act like it was no big deal, but she had never felt so exposed in her life. She had to force her hands to stay at her sides instead of covering her breasts.

  The room was so quiet, too quiet. She wished there was music playing or something else to fill the silence. As if the room had heard her thoughts, the air conditioner kicked on. The soft hum relaxed her.

  Derrick was still fully clothed. She crossed the room slowly, feeling extremely vulnerable under his intense but approving gaze. He watched her as if she was a piece of art on display, and it made her nervous as hell.

  Every step took her closer to him, yet he didn’t move an inch. He stood with his hands at his sides, his body lazy and confident. Grayson suddenly had an overwhelming feeling she’d bit off more than she could chew with this man.

  With her heart nearly in her throat, Grayson pressed her body to his.

  He reacted immediately, one strong hand moving to cup her butt, jerking her against him possessively. His thumb glided across her bottom lip, the touch of his finger felt like fire. Too fleeting as his hands fell away.

  Derrick tugged off his shirt, exposing his broad, muscled chest. Grayson’s hands shook as she traced her palms over his rippled stomach, her back arching so that her breasts flattened against his hot skin.

  Her fingers fumbled over his pants. She was determined not to let him see how nervous she was, but it took her three tries to open his pants.

  Standing on her tippy toes, Grayson kissed him slowly at first, and he responded with urgency, his fingers tangling in her hair. He tasted like cinnamon, and smelled masculine and earthy. His body was warm and firm against hers.

  Breaking the kiss, Derrick turned her so she was facing the mirror, and then kicked off his pants. He drew close, his hard body a long line against her back. Slowly, he pulled her hair to the side. She closed her eyes and sighed as his warm lips brushed her shoulder. One of his legs nudged her foot, spreading her legs.

  A thrill shot through her as the weight of his body pressed her forward, bending her over the table. She grasped the edge of the wood, her breath uneven. His hand trailed down her neck, going lower until he reached her breast. Her chest heaved as he rolled her nipple between his fingers, causing her body to tingle.

  She was already wet before his other hand strayed and began to caress her. His fingers were gentle and expert. She heard herself making noises in her throat, completely at the will of his touch.

  Breath ragged, Grayson waited. She groaned as his fingers plunged inside of her. His teasing was driving her mad, and she didn’t know how much more she could take. She tried to turn around, but he pressed his body harder against hers. He was in complete control, and he knew it. Sex was the one area she always felt the need to have some control, so this was new to her.

  He lowered his head, his warm tongue on her neck, and then made his way to her ear. “What do you want?” he whispered.

  Their eyes met in the mirror, and what she saw in his green-eyed gaze made her stomach flutter. His lips softly touched the nape of her neck, causing her to lose what little self-control she had left. She watched through the mirror as his hands inched up her stomach to her breasts, moving slowly in circular caresses. Every nerve in her body felt like it was on fire.

  “Grayson, I asked you a question,” he murmured into her ear.

  “You, Derrick,” Grayson whimpered, hating herself because she knew it was true. “I need you. Please.”

  He grabbed her hips with his warm calloused hands and slid inside her. Slowly.
Inch by inch, he opened her and filled her. She closed her eyes, a moan in her throat.

  Derrick wrapped his hand around her long hair and pulled her head up. “Don’t close your eyes. Watch.”

  Her eyes snapped open. Her face was flushed red and her eyes bright. She was surprised to be so turned on by the sight. Gripping the edge of the table, Derrick began moving within her, his body hovering above hers. Grayson watched her chest bounce with each thrust.

  “Oh, God, Derrick,” she gasped out.

  Urged on by her throaty moans, he thrust deeper. Her whole body shivered, her legs shaking in pleasure as the orgasm built. Derrick gripped her hips, moving harder, faster, until stars burst in Grayson’s world, and she spiraled into climax.

  Derrick pulled her back, and they tumbled onto the bed. In one quick movement, he rolled her on top of him. She stared down at his face as she lowered herself onto him. Her hair spilled all around him, and his hand grasped the back of her neck, getting tangled in her hair. He pulled her lips to meet his.

  Breathless, she broke free from the kiss and leaned back.

  She slid her palm over his chest. His skin was taut over his hard muscles. God, he was so sexy, it was amazing. She rocked her hips slowly and leaned down, her lips finding his once again. Her taut nipples were sensitive to the friction of rubbing back and forth on his skin.

  Somehow, in the blink of an eye, Derrick was back on top and trailing his warm tongue down her neck. His tongue circled her nipple, and then moved down to her belly button as she squirmed from pure pleasure beneath his mouth. He worked his way down until his lips were on her inner thigh. Grayson closed her eyes and groaned in anticipation.

  Grayson moaned and lifted her hips. “Derrick, please.”

  He slid an arm under her thigh and pulled her closer. His mouth left her leg, and his warm tongue slowly trailed along her core, while his expert fingers teased her at the same time. Talk about stimulation overload; this man she barely knew had the ability to make her insane with desire. Grayson’s moans got even louder, her legs trembling as another orgasm ripped through her. She relaxed, legs falling to the side with a satisfied smile.

  “I’ve wanted to taste you since the day we met,” Derrick said gruffly, moving up her body on his hands and knees. His lips met hers in a deep kiss, and then he leaned back, threw her legs on the crook of his arms, and buried himself deep inside.

  Grayson gasped at the intrusion, her head sinking into the pillow as she rode his movements. She met him thrust for thrust, her skin slick with sweat against his. Derrick moved faster, his eyes drifting shut momentarily before he let out a primal growl and came.

  Heart beating fast, Grayson could hardly move. Derrick rolled off of her, his weight disappearing so fast it left her bereft. They lay next to each other, catching their breath.

  Finally, Derrick grinned, running his fingers lightly up her arm. “So? Did I pass the test?”

  She stretched, rolling onto her side. “With flying colors.” In the moment of silence that followed, Grayson studied him. She felt a pang—there was no way she could let herself fall for this guy. Her sister-in-law swore he was a heartbreaker, and just by looking at him, Grayson agreed. “Look. We need some more ground rules.”

  “I’m not sure I like the sound of that,” he said wearily. “More rules?”

  “We just had sex without protection. If you want to have sex with me again, there will be some rules.”

  “OK, let’s hear them.”

  “Number one: If you have sex with anyone else, you need to use a condom.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “And you? How do I know you’ll use protection?”

  “I’m on the pill, but if I have sex with anyone else—which, I probably will—I promise I’ll use condoms.”

  “What else?” he asked, running his fingers along the crook of her waist.

  She shivered under his touch. “Do you have a girlfriend? I don’t care if you do, but I don’t want to be taken by surprise either.”

  “No girlfriend.” His eyes met hers, and he looked sincere, but there was still a little nagging voice in the back of her head telling her that he was lying. She had learned long ago to listen to the little voice in her head, but she wanted to believe him.

  “If you get one, we’re done.”

  “OK. I guess. That doesn’t really make sense, but I’ll go with it for now.” Derrick continued to trace his fingers up her forearm. “Anything else on your rule list?”

  “I’m sure there is, but you make it hard to think.” Grayson sighed. “I’m going to be sore as hell tomorrow.”

  “So tell me, Gray. Where do I fall in your long line of conquests?”

  Grayson grinned. “Did you just call me Gray?”

  “You don’t like to be called Gray?”

  “Actually, I love it. As a kid, I insisted that everyone called me Gray instead of Grace, but no one listened except my grandmother.”

  “You’re avoiding the question.”

  Grayson propped her head in her hand and stared at his profile. “No, I’m not. I’m thinking about it. I’m not sure I should inflate your ego so early on.”

  “You don’t have to lie. I’m a big boy.”

  “I haven’t been with very many people.”

  Derrick looked at her, his expression saying, “Yeah, right.”

  “I’m serious. Up until three weeks ago, I had only been with one guy. And since then, I’ve had two one night stands.”

  “Really?” His attention was fully on her now. “Were you and your ex high school sweethearts?”

  “We might as well have been. I met him during the first year of college, and didn’t really date in high school. Other than that loser, Chase, who felt me up at a dance, and then went out with my sister the next day.”

  “You expect me to believe you were a virgin until college?”

  “I don’t expect you to believe anything, but it’s the truth. I’ve always lived in my sister’s shadow. That’s the way I like it, too.” Grayson turned and stared at a water spot on the ceiling.

  “You certainly don’t seem very inexperienced.” Derrick’s hand caressed her stomach, and she could see he was clearly aroused once again.

  “Just because I haven’t been with many people doesn’t mean I haven’t had a lot of sex. It was just with the same person.”

  “On a scale of one to four, where do I fall?” Derrick was now on top of her and had her hands pinned above her head.

  Grayson’s breath hitched. She wasn’t about to tell him that just his touch was enough to drive her crazy, or that when his warm lips touched her skin, she was like putty in his hands. He made her want to forget that Todd, Jerry, and Josh had ever laid a hand on her. She couldn’t tell him that three years of sex with Josh couldn’t even come close to one night with him.

  She smiled coyly. “I’d say you’re number two.”

  “Number two, huh? I guess I have to work a little harder.”

  CHAPTER 18

  The next day while driving back from the grocery store Grayson’s phone rang. Her eyebrow rose in surprise when she saw it was Derrick. Just the sight of his name across the screen made her stomach drop. She pulled into the driveway hitting the brakes too hard causing a bag to spill on the floor. She frowned as she watched an apple roll under the passenger seat.

  Taking a deep breath she answered, “Hey, didn’t expect to hear from you so soon.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Maybe because you’re a womanizer, she thought.

  “I was just calling to see how your day was going.”

  “Really? You just called to see how my day was?” A wide smile spread across her face as she grabbed the items that had been fallen out and threw them back in the bag.

  “Yes, really is there something wrong with that?” He chuckled.

  “I guess not. I’m just surprised.”

  “Well, I can hang up if that would make you feel better?”


  Grayson laughed. “No, don’t do that. My day has been fine. Yoga in the morning, then I took my jeep to get an oil change and got groceries for my mom. How about you?”

  “Good. I’m on lunch break now. I thought I’d say hello and let you know I enjoyed yesterday.”

  “Me too.”

  “We’ll have to do it again soon.”

  “Are you asking to see me today?” Grayson immediately wanted to take back those words. Desperate much Grayson? Get it together, play it cool.

  “Not today. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  “Oh. Okay then. I guess I’ll talk to you later.” Grayson clicked off the phone, feeling like an idiot. She had a feeling this was going to get complicated real quick. The fact that he called so soon kind of freaked her out, but also made her way happier than it should have. Perhaps he saw her as more than someone to just hook up with. Or maybe he was just a nice guy and calling the day after was out of respect. She scolded herself. She was pathetic and had no idea how to even act around guys. She wished she could talk to Luna about it, but she was keeping Derrick to herself.

  She pushed the jeep door open and grabbed the rest of the groceries from the back.

  No strings attached Gray, she said over and over under her breath.

  A couple of hours later, Grayson was blissfully soaking in the tub, the scent of lavender soothing her nerves when her phone vibrated. Derrick’s name flashed across the screen, and she reached for the phone dropping it on the floor with her wet hands. Ugh, she could just get back to him after the bath. She leaned backward and rested her head against the tub. Who was she kidding, seconds later she caved. It was driving her crazy; she wanted to know what he had to say. Pulling herself out of the tub she slipped and knocked her chin on the edge of the tub.

  Seriously! That freaking hurt!

  The coppery taste of blood filled her mouth as she rubbed her chin blinking back tears, and grabbed the phone.

  I changed my mind. I want to see you.

  Grayson decided that a text back would be a better option than calling, after nearly knocking herself unconscious.