Under Control

by Shannon Stacey

  She straddled his lap, making sure the lace between her legs skimmed over the hard flesh of his naked erection. He groaned, his fingertips clenching her hips so hard she was sure they’d leave dents. She didn’t care.

  He caught one nipple between his teeth, through the lace, and bit down with just enough pressure to make her squirm. Considering her position on his lap, she wasn’t surprised when the squirming made him moan low in his throat and lift his hips for more contact between him and the lace.

  “God, I want you,” he unclenched his jaw long enough to say.

  She reached behind her back and unclasped her bra. And she watched his tongue flick over his lower lip as she slowly slid the straps down her arms. His hands replaced the lace—warm and rough—and she sighed as his thumbs brushed over her nipples.

  “Oh...shit.”

  Olivia jerked her head up to see a person standing in the kitchen and it felt as if her heart skipped before going into overdrive to make up for the missed beat. The woman she assumed was Amber—his ex-wife—turned around, which left her staring at the door and Olivia staring at her back. “Sorry.”

  Mortification heated Olivia’s skin and, since she was naked, she knew it was visible. When Derek pulled the lightweight throw off the back of the couch, she held it in front of her and scrambled off him, belatedly hoping she didn’t do him any permanent damage. With one hand clutching the blanket in a poor attempt to cover herself, she snatched up her clothes and retreated to the bedroom and kicked the door closed behind her.

  Even over the pounding of her heartbeat in her ears, she could hear the conversation taking place in the living room.

  “You can turn around now,” she heard Derek say, which she took to mean he’d put pants on or at least covered himself with a throw pillow. Or two.

  “I’m so sorry, Derek,” Amber said. “I should have knocked.”

  “I should have locked the door, I guess.”

  “I have a key.”

  Olivia frowned, her fingers tightening on the blanket she was still holding over her breasts. A guy’s ex-wife having a key to his apartment didn’t seem typical to her. The divorces in her own family had started out with open warfare and settled into lingering, long-term hostility. None of them would have dared give an ex a house key.

  No matter what he’d said about their friendship and lack of animosity, it seemed weird.

  “Isaac left the book he was reading here,” Amber was saying. “And you know how he is. There’s no reading something else until he can come back and get it and he doesn’t want to fall behind on his summer reading list.”

  “I tried to get him to read on that tablet you bought him, but he said it’s not the same.”

  “I’ve tried, too. I mean, Jason and I both read on our phones and Julia reads on her tablet, but he wants the paper books. I even tried showing him that I can carry dozens of books with me all the time and they don’t weigh anything. He said that carrying books is exercise and makes him stronger than me.”

  Derek’s laugh rang through the apartment and Olivia sighed. There was an easy familiarity in their discussion—which made sense for two people who’d been married for ten years—and she moved away from the door. After pulling on her clothes, though, she wasn’t sure what to do, so she wasted another minute neatly folding the throw blanket and setting it on the foot of his bed.

  They were laughing about something again and she put her hand on the doorknob. Unless he really was sitting on the couch wearing nothing but a pillow on his lap, it was a little rude for him not to have popped his head in to check on her. It was Amber who’d busted in unannounced and embarrassed them. Or her, at least. It didn’t sound like Derek cared.

  Of course he didn’t. Amber had seen him naked hundreds of times. Thousands, even.

  Olivia frowned at the unexpected jealousy that rose up in her. Derek had an ex-wife. He probably had a bunch of ex-girlfriends, too. Neither of them were virgins, so there were exes. And she was genuinely glad he had a good relationship with the mother of his children. She wouldn’t wish unhappiness and conflict on any of them, so she was being ridiculous.

  And she believed him when he said he had no interest in getting back together with Amber.

  After taking a deep breath in an unsuccessful attempt to center herself, she opened the door and almost walked right into Derek’s naked chest.

  She looked down to make sure he was wearing pants and then lifted her gaze back to his face. “I was just getting dressed.”

  “Sorry,” he said quietly.

  “I’m so sorry,” Amber called from the living room. “I’m just going to grab Isaac’s book and then I’ll be out of here.”

  “It’s not a problem,” she said, because the mood was pretty much gone, anyway. “Take your time.”

  “I was just planning to run in and out. I’m not used to Derek having company, so I didn’t even think to knock. I will from now on. And a text first would be good, I guess.”

  When Amber disappeared into the other bedroom, Derek gave her an apologetic look. “I should have locked the door.”

  Olivia smiled to conceal the mixed emotions she was experiencing. On the one hand, it was nice to hear Derek wasn’t in the habit of having women in his apartment all the time. On the other, it seemed odd to her that they didn’t have more boundaries.

  When Amber returned with the book, Olivia watched Derek shifting his weight from foot to foot, and then he took a deep breath. “So you guys probably figured it out already, but this is Olivia. Olivia, this is Amber, my ex-wife.”

  The formality of introductions steadied Olivia, and she smiled as she stepped forward with her hand out. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  Amber laughed as she shook her hand. “It’s probably a weird way for us to meet, but I’m glad we finally did. And I also want to say thank you for getting on board with Village Hearts. It means a lot to my family.”

  “It’s a great organization and I’m proud to be a part of it.” She almost offered congratulations for the baby news, but at the last second thought better of it. She didn’t know if Amber was actually telling other people yet, or if Olivia had gotten insider information she should keep to herself.

  “Okay, I’m going to run now.” Amber held up the book. “Again, I’m sorry for busting in like that, and next time I’ll text first.”

  Once she was gone, Derek walked to the door and locked it before turning to face Olivia. “That was awkward for you. I’m sorry.”

  Awkward was definitely an understatement. “I’m just glad it was her and not one of the guys you work with. Or that she didn’t wait outside while your son ran up and grabbed the book himself.”

  He made a face and then crossed the room to pull her into his arms. “That’s definitely not how I wanted you to meet her.”

  “That’s not how I ever want to meet anyone, but especially not your ex-wife.”

  “I can almost guarantee it’ll never happen again.” He kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry.”

  As embarrassing as the moment had been, she didn’t want it to ruin her first night at his place. “Where were we?”

  Heat flared in his eyes again, replacing the guilt. “I guess now that you’re dressed again, we should do something about food before I get you undressed again. Would pizza make you forget what just happened?”

  She pushed back enough to look up at his face. “Have you been talking to Kelsey?”

  “Uh, no. Why?”

  “Pizza is my ultimate comfort-food-slash-reward.” She laughed. “And since I just met your ex-wife for the first time while naked, but didn’t cry, it can be both at the same time.”

  “Pizza and a movie it is.”

  But he kissed her first, biting her bottom lip gently while his hands slid under her shirt, and it was almost an hour before he got around to calling in the order.

 
* * *

  “Would those air ducts really support a grown man like that?” Olivia asked, waving a hand at the television screen. “And that would make so much noise in real life. They’d find him in, like, a minute.”

  “You’re overthinking it.”

  “It’s a valid question.”

  “Maybe you should write all your questions down in your book and then we can go over them when the movie’s over. We can schedule a meeting.”

  She laughed and slapped his arm, which was wrapped around her. They were on his overstuffed leather couch, which had seen better days, but was surprisingly comfortable. Especially if you were holding an amazing woman wearing nothing but a scrap of pink lace between her legs and your T-shirt.

  “I just don’t understand why they don’t make realistic action movies,” she said.

  “Because they’d be boring.”

  She sighed, but stopped talking long enough to watch a few more minutes of the movie. Then she gave a derisive snort and he knew another round of picking apart his favorite movie was about to start.

  Obviously she needed a distraction. He slowly slid his hand from her hip to her stomach. She stilled, but kept her eyes on the screen. Her back was pressed up against his body, though, so he could feel the way she tensed up and how her breathing quickened.

  He didn’t kiss her neck or cup her breast. He just tucked his fingers under the pink lace and kept going. Olivia shifted a little, her thighs parting just enough to give him access to her slick flesh. With his middle finger, he found her clit and circled it. Then he slipped the finger into her, working it from tip to knuckle until she made a low growling sound deep in her throat. Then he went back to her clit.

  “Oh my god, Derek. What are you doing?”

  “Keeping you distracted while I watch my movie.” It was a lie, of course. At that moment he didn’t really give a shit what John McClane was doing on-screen.

  She tried to laugh, but her breath caught in her throat as he pressed the heel of his hand hard against her mound. Her hips moved, grinding against him, and it wasn’t long before she arched against him as the orgasm racked her body.

  She was so fucking hot. He kissed her hair as her breathing slowly returned to normal and pulled his T-shirt back over the pink lace.

  “I see what you’re doing here,” she said, her voice husky.

  “I told you I was distracting you.”

  “You think if I associate orgasms with Die Hard, it’ll become my favorite movie, too.”

  He laughed and kissed the side of her neck. “You’re too smart for me.”

  “It’s kind of a long movie. Is there a ratio of orgasms to ridiculous plot points?”

  “If you make it to the end, I’ll take you to bed and make you forget every question you had about the movie.”

  She wiggled against him, making him groan. “And if I don’t make it to the end of the movie?”

  “You’ll have to take me to bed and make me forget my girlfriend has questionable taste in movies.”

  They almost made it to the end, and she not only made him forget his girlfriend didn’t like his favorite movie, but she made him forget his own name.

  Not enough hours later, he woke and his first thought was Olivia’s in my bed. He could get used to that.

  Between having kids and being a creature of habit in general, Derek didn’t usually sleep in, but the room was already bright when he opened his eyes because he hadn’t closed the heavy drapes over the sheers. He rolled onto his side to face Olivia, who was sleeping on her stomach with her hair across her face. He was tempted to reach out and brush it back so he could see her face better, but he didn’t want her to wake to her face being tickled by her hair.

  Derek closed his eyes again, listening to her soft breathing, but he knew there was no chance he’d go back to sleep. Maybe it came from years of having to shake off sleep in an instant when the alarm toned, but once he was awake, he was awake.

  He knew the instant she woke up. Her breathing changed and she made a little sound as she shifted in the bed, stretching her muscles without actually moving.

  Then she lifted her head a couple inches off the pillow, frowning. “What is happening right now?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Outside. There’s noise and yelling. It sounds like we’re under attack.”

  He chuckled as her head dropped back onto the pillow. “It’s just a weekend morning in the neighborhood.”

  “I don’t like your neighbors. Especially the one mowing his lawn.”

  She’d probably really hate winter, when his neighbors fired up snowblowers in the pre-dawn hours so they could try to make it to work on time. Hell, she’d probably really hate the late nights after a big game when guys who’d had too much to drink in front of their buddies’ televisions stumbled down the sidewalks, hooting and hollering as they made their way back to their own houses. He’d suspected from the beginning this wasn’t her kind of place, but he could do without the confirmation.

  “Maybe breakfast will cheer you up,” he said, hoping to get her out of the bedroom, which he’d chosen because the others were on the back side and quieter for the kids.

  She gave him a sleepy smile. “I do like food.”

  He pulled the sheet down far enough to bare her breasts. Then he bent his head and gently sucked one taut nipple until she squirmed. “I know what else you like.”

  “I had no idea you’re a morning person.”

  He grinned and pinched the same nipple between his finger and thumb, a little less gently. “I’m a you person. Any time of day or night, I want you.”

  Chapter Eleven

  On Tuesday morning, Olivia stared at Kelsey’s Keurig, reconsidering her life choices. Not all of them. Mostly just the ones that had led to her giving up caffeine.

  She knew there was a good reason she had, but right now she’d be damned if she could remember what it was.

  “You’ll be sorry if you do it.” Kelsey’s voice drew her attention away from the coffee-giving machine. “While I’ll personally never understand not drinking coffee, you don’t drink it and the caffeine will make you feel worse instead of better.”

  “I know you’re right, and yet...” Derek was wreaking havoc on her sleep schedule and it was almost worth feeling jittery if it helped get her butt into gear.

  “No and yet. I’m right, so just drink your juice and read the notes. You have a busy day ahead of you, as usual.”

  “A long one, too.” She groaned, casting another wistful glance in the Keurig’s direction. “Don’t forget I’m going straight from my last meeting to the Broussard Financial offices to meet Jessica, so I’ll be late. We can do the end-of-day review in the morning, I guess.”

  “I can handle it. Then we’ll just do a quick end-of-day recap before we start work tomorrow.” She gave Olivia a firm look. “I’ve got this. Nothing’s going to fall through the cracks.”

  “I know you can handle it.” Olivia frowned, resting her hand on her planner. “With the benefit only about six weeks away, there’s probably going to be more of this stuff popping up and it’s a little frustrating because they should have started nailing some of this down as soon as it was over last year.”

  “That’s probably why they’re so happy to have you involved. Once you’ve seen it in action, you can map out the way to handle an annual event like that most efficiently, so next year they’re not overwhelmed at the end.”

  “That’s my plan.”

  “Of course it is.” Kelsey arched an eyebrow at her. “And does your plan also include seeing a certain firefighter after you’re done for the day?”

  Olivia sighed. “He has to work, unfortunately, so I won’t be seeing Derek tonight. Or maybe it’s fortunately because I’m so tired and it takes forever to get there and back. But I spent a good chunk of the weekend with hi
m, so it’s okay and he’ll call me if he gets a chance.”

  “You guys talk every day?”

  “Mostly, unless he’s on a call and doesn’t get a chance. But even then he usually sends me a text message, at least.”

  “It sounds like he’s into you,” Kelsey said, but she sounded hesitant. “But you haven’t met his kids yet, right?”

  “No, not yet. He talks about them a lot, but they were with their mom so they weren’t home.” When Kelsey made a sound but otherwise didn’t respond, Olivia gave her assistant her full attention. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Nothing. I was just curious.”

  “I can tell when you’re trying not to tell me something you think I won’t want to hear.” Kelsey would be the worst poker player ever. “And trying to figure out what you’re not saying will distract me, so just out with it, already.”

  “It just means he’s not sure about you yet.” Kelsey shrugged. “You guys have been seeing each other long enough so it’s clear he doesn’t take introducing you to his kids lightly, so the fact he hasn’t yet probably means he’s not sure you guys are serious enough yet.”

  It felt pretty damn serious to Olivia. “There’s a reason he hasn’t told them yet, and we’ve talked about it and I understand.”

  Kelsey looked skeptical. “If he’s really serious about you, it would have to be a damn good reason for him to be keeping you a secret because he should want you to get to know them.”

  “It is a good reason. And I’m not a skeleton in his closet or anything. You’re making it sound more sinister than it is.”

  “Sinister?” She laughed. “Now you’re being dramatic. I’m just worried about you. I’ve been telling you for a long time to put yourself out there, but I also don’t want you to get your heart broken.”

  “It’s a little early to worry about that,” Olivia lied. Maybe. It seemed to her as if it was definitely too early in the relationship timeline to worry about her heart, but her mind shied away from imagining what it would feel like if Derek wasn’t in her life anymore.