“Sally,” he commanded, “Look at me.”
Slowly, she lifted her eyes.
“That woman was a nutcase playing at something she didn’t understand and pretending to be something she wasn’t. I didn’t appreciate the head game and told her I would be taking her home. She didn’t like my decision and left against my wishes. You are an unexpected treasure, beautiful, smart, and something deep inside of you calls out to me. I feel it and find you infinitely desirable. I want to lay claim to that.”
“Derek,” she began, “What’s tonight really about? Why bring your friends?”
He flashed a genuine smile. “What tonight is about is a secret, but I’m pretty confident you’ll enjoy it. I need you to trust me. Do you think you can do that?”
“I want to…”
“I brought my friends because I thought you’d feel more comfortable having others around.”
“Where are you taking me?”
“That’s the surprise.” His brows drew together. “You look worried.”
“I’m nervous.” He wanted the truth.
“I appreciate your honesty.” He glanced down and bit his lower lip as if deep in thought. Then his eyes widened, and he gripped her shoulders. “Do you have a friend you can call?”
“How would that change anything?”
“Call your friend. Let her know you’re going out and will check in throughout the night. Give her my number. If you don’t check in on time, she can call me. If she can’t reach me, tell her to call the police.”
“The police? Are you serious?” Maybe she should call Mac? Or even Reid?
“If it means you’ll come with me, then absolutely. I don’t want to pressure you. If it’s too soon, it’s too soon. I’ll take a rain check and walk you back to your car.”
She thought about it for a moment. His reasoning made sense. Hell, what would her bestie, George, think? She pulled her phone out and called him. George picked up on the first ring.
“Hey sweets!” George was out of breath, probably at the gym or running with his dog, Tank. He was the one person she could count on to answer on the first ring.
“You’re not going to believe this…” She stepped away from Derek and explained the situation.
“So, if I don’t hear from you, I’m supposed to call this guy?”
“That’s what he says, but maybe you should call Reid.” If something bad were to happen to her, Reid would take care of things.
“You sure about this?”
She worried her lower lip between her teeth and glanced at Derek. “I don’t know, except I want to see where this leads.”
“Smart of you to call, but now I’m going to be up all night worrying about you.”
“Don’t stay up. I’ll call by midnight.”
“And if you decide to stay the night?”
“George!” But he had a point. “Um, if I do, I’ll let you know.”
“Okay, sweets. I guess I’m officially your safety plan, but tell that Derek guy that if I don’t hear from you, I’m not calling him. I’m going to Reid, and the two of us will take care of Derek.”
“Love you.”
“Luffs you more.”
When she hung up, a dark expression filled Derek’s face.
“Your girlfriend is a George?” Derek’s brows drew together. “Better be short for Georgette.”
“George is my friend.” She tucked her phone back in her purse.
“Friend or something more?” Derek’s tone deepened. “Sounded like something more.”
“George is my best friend. I’ve known him since I was five.” George had been the first to tug her ponytail. Hell, he’d been the first, and only, who’d cut it off. He’d been the first boy she’d kissed, and the last girl he’d ever kissed.
Was that a thread of jealousy in Derek’s tone?
She put a hand on her hip, liking Derek’s possessiveness more than was probably wise. “Well, are you going to tell me where we’re going now?”
He smirked. “I’m not telling, but I promise an interesting evening. And Sally?”
“Yes,” she said.
“My friends have promised to be on their best behavior, but between you and me, they’re incapable of behaving. Especially Karl. He can be a bit over the top. Like I said, the only reason I invited them was because I thought you’d be more comfortable having others around, like a buffer, especially where I plan on taking you.”
“I’d be comfortable with just you.”
He shook his head. “Trust me, you’re not ready to be alone with me.”
He might be right about that. Being alone with Derek could lead to dangerous things. While she wanted to step back out into the world, she wasn’t certain she was ready to dive head first into the dating scene, and he was dangerous. Something to be wary of, because Derek Lemark could very well steal her heart.
She arched an eyebrow. “Should I be frightened?”
“If you’re ever frightened by me, I’ve made a horrible mistake. As for them…” he jerked his thumb toward the limo. “They’re something else. Uninhibited to say the least.”
Wow. She hadn’t expected that.
“Oh…okay.”
“I am too, but I won’t take you there until you’re ready to follow.”
She wanted him to explain, but Warren poked his head out of the limo interrupting them. “Hey, if you guys are going to be much longer we’re all going to starve!”
Derek nudged Sally towards the limousine. “Come, the night awaits, and the natives are getting restless.”
Chapter 6
Dinner
Derek held her hand as she climbed inside the limousine. At the very front, Karl and Justine were tucked into a corner. Karl was in the process of smothering his date with kisses while Ellen whispered something into Warren’s ear. Karl pulled himself off Justine, but only after claiming one last passionate kiss.
“About time, what was taking you two so long?” Karl motioned Justine to scoot over and buckled her in place. He took a window seat and fastened his seat belt.
Derek had expressed concern over his friends’ potential behavior, but so far, she hadn’t seen anything out of the ordinary.
Derek took the seat beside her on the bench in back. “Took some time to convince Sally not to run. Had her call in a safety check with a friend.”
A long bar with piped lighting lined the driver’s side of the limo. It glistened with the reflection from the recessed strip of ceiling lights. Sally reached out to run her fingers over the top of the bar. Polished to a high gloss, it looked like it was wet, but it was buttery smooth and dry as a bone.
Warren and Ellen had taken the long row of seats on the passenger side. Ellen gripped Warren’s thigh. Warren dangled his arm over her shoulder, his fingers brushing her breast.
“I see you’ve been keeping yourselves entertained,” Derek said with amusement.
Warren shifted in his seat. “Well, we’ve been sitting here with our hands in our laps like good little boys.”
Derek gave an exasperated sigh. “Sally called a friend and will be checking in with him every two hours. Ellen, please make sure she doesn’t forget.”
Ellen crossed her arms over her chest. “Isn’t that your job?”
Somewhere between leaving the theater and piling in the limo, the entire feel of the night had changed. An outsider of the group, she felt like a voyeur, but Derek grounded her with his heavy hand on her thigh and she leaned against him seeking the comfort of his touch.
“Ellen…”
Derek’s tone caught Sally’s attention, snapping her head up, and doing something strange to her insides. A lingering sense of the forbidden hung in the air, and she was smack in the middle of it, although very much out of the loop.
“Do you really want to go there?” His fingers squeezed Sally’s thigh, a firm touch, but the hardness of his gaze landed squarely on Ellen who curled her shoulders inward and ducked her head.
“No, Sir,” Ellen
said. She rolled her eyes. “I’ll make sure she does.”
“Good girl,” Derek said. “We’ll speak later about that nasty habit you have of rolling your eyes.”
Ellen gasped, and some of the color drained from the woman’s face. “Yes, Sir.”
Warren patted his wife’s thigh, then curled her fingers in his hand.
Unconventional might not scratch the surface of whatever this was. The interactions between the men and women intrigued her. On one hand, it seemed out of place. On the other, it flowed as natural as water and breath itself.
The driver lowered the divider between the front of the vehicle and the back. “Master Derek, are you ready to leave?”
Master?
“Yes, Dan,” Derek said. “Everyone buckled?”
“Check,” Karl said.
“Check,” Warren said.
Derek checked Sally’s seatbelt. “Check,” he echoed. He whispered in her ear. “Are you a fan of seafood?”
“Oh, yes!” She loved seafood, as long as it had nothing to do with fish.
“Good,” he said as he kissed her temple. Derek wrapped his arm around Sally. “Warren, how about doing the honor and pouring drinks.” He twined his finger in her hair and wrapped a strand around his finger. “No one will be driving tonight, Sally. If you decide you need to leave, I’ll make sure you make it home with a designated driver.”
Karl chuckled. “Sally, I look forward to getting to know you, and I hope you enjoy what Derek has planned.” He turned to Warren and placed his drink order. “Scotch on the rocks. Justine will have a ginger-ale.”
Justine’s eyes flicked to Karl, and her expression narrowed with irritation, but she said nothing. Sally still hadn’t heard the woman speak.
Warren mixed Karl’s drink. “What would you like, Sally? We have wine, champagne, hard liquor, mixed drink, or water?”
Sally considered carefully. She’d already had two glasses of champagne, but that had been almost two hours ago. Something which would help her relax sounded perfect, but she didn’t get to answer because Derek took the decision away from her.
“Pour us more champagne.”
Ellen clapped. “Oh, I love champagne. Please, may I have some too?” She turned those unique sapphire eyes to her husband and begged with a pout.
Warren rolled his eyes and vented an exasperated sigh. “I should make you drink water tonight.”
Ellen’s eyes widened, and her pout disappeared.
He laughed at her distress. “Fortunately, I’m in an overly generous mood, considering our special guest. I’ll let you join Miss Sally in a drink.”
“Oh, thank you, thank you, M.” Ellen kissed his cheek, then turned to Sally. “You need to come out with us more often. Warren doesn’t usually let me drink like this.”
Warren poured four glasses of champagne. The bubbly liquid fizzed and popped and soon the heady bouquet filled the entire limousine.
“Never liked that stuff myself,” Karl growled. “Stinks the place up.”
“Shut up and drink your scotch,” Warren said.
Derek made a toast, and they clinked glasses. He allowed her one small sip before he took the glass from her and placed it on the bar. When he turned to face her, Karl and Justine, even Warren and Ellen, all but disappeared behind the heated desire in Derek’s gaze.
He dipped his head, and slanted his lips over hers, sending a sliver of apprehension surging through her veins. Fear faded beneath his onslaught while something else came to life. Her body hummed in his arms, igniting passion, desire, and so much more. She wrapped her hands around his neck, pulling him close, and opened herself to his demands.
Determined not to let her social shyness deprive her of whatever might happen tonight, she surrendered to his control and ignored the impulse to withdraw into her shell. She would follow Derek’s lead until she absolutely couldn’t anymore. She refused to wake in the morning riddled with disappointment because she’d allowed fear to limit her actions. No matter where he took her, she would follow.
The kiss was provocative, and not because of his oral skills. He took, and she gave. The voice in her head, telling her to slow down, was silenced beneath her determination to explore where the night might lead.
And he took as much as he returned. Her body responded to every lick, nip, and glide of his lips in a way it never had with Thomas. This was uncharted territory. Something she didn’t understand, except Derek made her feel alive and set her heart free. She needed more of that.
He pressed her against the seat, encouraging her to leave her inhibitions behind. And with each stab of his tongue, each violation of her mouth, she opened for him, encouraging him to take whatever he wanted. Their tongues tangled, engaged in a desperate dance. He sucked on her tongue, coaxing it out of her mouth and into his, where he licked and sucked it some more. Her hands lifted and gripped his nape, desperate for something to hold on to, then she dropped them to the powerful muscles of his arms, cleaving to him, feeling as if she would be swept away if she didn’t hold tight enough.
The assault on her lips intensified, sending her heart racing and heating her blood. Pulsating warmth coiled in her gut and tunneled down where it set up a needy throb between her legs.
He wrapped his fingers around her throat, holding her for a second, showing his strength. Then he let go, and his fingers traced a line of heat from the angle of her jaw, down the curve of her neck, following the line to the tip of her shoulder. Her nipples hardened, needing his chaste touch to move onward, but she understood why he didn’t pursue.
She peeked out from beneath her shuttered lids. They weren’t the only ones lost in themselves. Warren nuzzled Ellen’s neck, and Karl had Justine unbuckled and in his lap and buried in a passionate kiss.
Derek brushed the curve of her breast with his fingers, and silenced her cry as jolts of electricity surged straight to the juncture between her thighs. Her pussy pulsed with tiny electric shocks and the most delicious pleasure morphed into an aching need.
He pulled away, giving her space to catch her breath, then his hand traveled lower, flattening over her belly and the curve of her hip, and lower still, until his fingers played with the hem of her dress. He stroked her knee, and his touch skated up her inner thigh, where it stopped well short of where she wanted to feel him most.
Pleasure shot through her body, and he hadn’t even touched her most private place, but she wanted his fingers there. She eased her thighs apart, encouraging more of his torturous exploration.
“And he told us we had to behave.” Karl’s thick Texas drawl pulled her from the ecstasy of Derek’s deft touch.
She squeaked when she realized exactly what had been about to happen and snapped her legs shut. Heat filled her face, and she wanted to curl into a ball and disappear.
“Having problems controlling yourself there, Derek?” Amusement laced Warren’s smug tone.
Beside him, Ellen giggled. “I like Sally.”
Derek kissed Sally lightly on the lips. The low rumble of his voice eased the beating of her heart. “When I’m with you, it’s just you and me. Don’t ever feel ashamed by how I make you feel.”
He separated from her, turning to face the couples in the limo. She discretely adjusted the hem of her dress and looked anywhere but at the two other men in the limousine. Derek closed his hand around hers, lacing their fingers together. That simple act eased her embarrassment, as if he were telling her everything would be okay, and she had nothing to be ashamed of when she was with him. The heat faded from her face and she relaxed.
Ignoring his friends’ comment, Derek asked, “Are we there yet?” He leaned forward, picked up the champagne glasses, and handed hers back.
“May I have another glass, M?” Ellen asked.
Warren glanced at his wife, and then looked out the window. “No dear, I believe we are almost there.” When she pouted, he patted her leg. “Don’t worry, we’ll have plenty to drink on the boat.”
“Boat?” Sally sat up
straight. “What boat?”
PART TWO
A Surprise
Chapter 7
Not a Boat
Derek leaned forward and slugged Warren in the arm. “Nice way to ruin my surprise.”
With the tinted windows, Sally couldn’t see outside unless she pressed her nose to the glass. Leaning forward, only spots of lights from street lamps and the impenetrable dark stared back.
They were in downtown San Francisco, or had been; there should be lights everywhere. Craning her neck, she struggled to see if they were still surrounded by buildings.
“No peeking.” Derek pulled her back. “I’m planning on taking your breath away.” He draped his arm around her shoulders and snuggled her against his chest.
It was a gesture she was beginning to understand meant more than she realized. Why did that simple act make her feel like she belonged? Had always belonged, if that were possible. As if her place was right there, tucked under his arm, and sheltered by his large frame. His heady scent filled her senses, and a calming presence settled over her. How easy it would be to let him take care of her.
She curled into his embrace, tracing the seam of the starched fabric of his shirt. The shiny black buttons wriggled when she slipped her fingers inside, wanting to feel the hardness of his muscles underneath.
“You already did that,” she teased. “But, what if I don’t like surprises?”
He shrugged. “You’ll love this one.” Full of confidence, his voice remained deep and sure.
The limousine pulled into a parking lot and rolled to a stop. The engine cut out leaving them in relative silence. The quiet echoed in her ears, or maybe that was the beating of her heart. Her insides knotted and a tremor skated down her spine, drawing her shoulder blades back. Those nerves had returned.
A moment passed, and she forced herself to relax. This was nothing more than dinner. Derek kissed the top of her head, and a thrill fluttered across her skin, lifting goose bumps and standing the fine hairs on her nape on end. What was this surprise?
Learning to Breathe: Part One - The Collective - Season 1, Episode 3 Page 4
