Stealing Kisses

by Harmony Evans

  She walked away and he was impressed that she was gracious enough not to react in anger to his sudden change in attitude.

  “My dad was a prince,” he blurted to her back.

  She halted and turned around. “What?”

  His stomach filled with a strange mix of dread and excitement. Once again, although he wanted to reveal more about himself to Natalie, the prospect of doing so frightened him.

  “He bought this house for my mom and not long after...” His voice trailed off. “She left him for another man.”

  She moved toward him. “Oh, Derek, I’m so sorry. That must have been so hard on you.”

  It was, but he didn’t tell her that. Revealing one skeleton in the closet was enough for now.

  “Let me finish the story,” he said.

  Derek walked to the window and concentrated on the streetlights below, so he wouldn’t lose his nerve. He could feel Natalie’s presence nearby.

  He took a deep breath. “My dad wanted so much more for her, for all of us, than what we had at our crummy apartment. This was his first house and he had a vision for how he wanted it to be, even though he knew it would take a lot of hard work.”

  He sank onto the window seat. “The morning of the move my mom announced she wasn’t coming with us. She claimed the renovations my dad would be doing on the home would make her sick.”

  “Did she have allergies?” Natalie interrupted.

  “Not that we were aware of,” Derek replied. “She never even had a cold.

  “Anyway, I remember Pops begging her to reconsider, but she wouldn’t budge. A couple of weeks later, my dad went back and our neighbors told him she’d moved out just a few days after we arrived in Baker’s Falls. They claimed she was with another man. This guy actually used to be a close friend of the family. We never saw her again.”

  Natalie touched his arm, and the sensation rippled through his body. “That must have been so devastating.”

  He looked into her eyes and what he saw in their depths was unnerving. It wasn’t pity, and he was thankful for that. It was genuine caring.

  “Do you know what the worst thing was?”

  Natalie shook her head.

  “He still loved her after all those years,” he said, hating the bitterness in his voice.

  “Why did you tell me this, Derek?” she asked.

  He took her hand in his. “I just wanted you to know that your dream in itself isn’t wrong. You deserve a prince. It’s the imperfect people who are expected to make it come true.”

  “You’re right, but you are forgetting one thing,” she said.

  “What’s that?”

  “I never said my prince had to be perfect.”

  Her words hit hard, knocked the breath out of him.

  Perfection was something he’d always strived to attain. It’s what drove him to succeed and what, ultimately, had destroyed his relationship with his family. The knowledge that he may not have to be perfect to be Natalie’s prince was liberating.

  Wait a minute, he thought, his mind backtracking. Did he even want to be her prince? He wasn’t sure yet, but there was only one way to find out.

  “Where do I apply?” he teased.

  She tugged on one of his locks. “Who’s hiring whom here?” she teased, then sashayed away.

  Just before descending the stairs, she paused. “Your dad sounds like a wonderful man. And you know what? I bet he never stopped loving you, either.”

  Derek leaned against the window, speechless and doubtful.

  Natalie didn’t know him, but somehow she’d unearthed an emotion he’d forgotten how to feel: hope.

  After all these years, it was hard to believe that his dad would still love him. Although he’d dreamed of reconciling with him, he’d never had the courage to do it, until Natalie.

  The woman was amazing.

  He heard the water go on in the bathroom. A thousand thoughts went through his mind and he stared at the hardwood floor, as if he could see through it to the scene he imagined just below him.

  Natalie, her nude body slick with soapy bubbles, relaxed and open. His hands exploring her hot, wet skin. His tongue licking the droplets of steam from her forehead. Their mouths locked together. Water splashing on the floor.

  His lips curved into a half smile.

  Imperfect people.

  Each playing a role in a perfect dream.

  Derek knew he was far from being a prince. Yet maybe it was time to work his own kind of royal magic and to show Natalie just how perfect he was for her.

  * * *

  Natalie eased into the antique claw-foot tub and the hot, steamy water enveloped her body, instantly erasing the anxiety of the day and bringing with it thoughts of Derek.

  She closed her eyes. The man was as complex as the locks adorning his head. His past was dark and littered with unmet needs. Emotionally, she sensed within him a deep desire for love and attachment. And not necessarily for her, based on his track record.

  A lump formed in her throat and, for a moment, she wished things were different. That they’d met under different circumstances. Where there were no boundaries. Professional or otherwise.

  A second later she felt foolish. The way she’d talked earlier about finding a prince and living in a castle was so unlike her. She’d given up her girlish dreams a long time ago. Why had she revisited them now? Why should she dream again?

  Her eyes fluttered open and she stared at the ceiling.

  Because you see something in Derek you want.

  She sucked in her bottom lip. More than six feet of hard muscle. That’s what she wanted. Nothing more.

  Was that so wrong?

  She adjusted her body in the water and her nipples poked through the bubbles. The taut peaks of mocha-colored flesh dimpled a little in the air. She dipped her chin to her chest and with soapy hands massaged her breasts freely. With a low moan, she pulled her now-tight nipples upward, as if offering them to the man on the floor above her.

  She imagined his body like a ghost floating downward through wood and steel, past wires and pipes, and descending onto her wet flesh with a hunger only he could satisfy.

  Her whole body shuddered and she knew she wanted the real thing, the real Derek, not just a fantasy.

  Grabbing her mesh sponge, she squirted some of her favorite apricot soap on it and washed her body, hoping that at the same time, she’d wash away her desire for Derek. But the more she rubbed, the more her skin trembled as the material passed over it, leaving her wet, wanting and squeaky clean.

  Finally she gave up and stepped out of the tub. If she could get into bed before he did and pretend she was already asleep, she could get through the night without a sexual meltdown.

  She toweled off quickly and brushed her teeth. After slipping into her nightgown, she glanced in the mirror and splashed her face with cold water to get rid of the telltale flush in her cheeks.

  Upon exiting the bathroom, she tiptoed to the bed, already turned down for the evening, and slipped between the sheets.

  She laid ramrod-straight for a few seconds, barely able to keep her eyes open, listening intently. Derek wasn’t roaming around upstairs and the house was quiet. Perhaps while she was in the bathroom, he’d gone downstairs to chat with his brother.

  While she wanted to wait up for him, the subtle tingling in her body indicated she’d only get herself into trouble if she did.

  She reached over and turned off the lamp on the nightstand. Her eyes slid shut and she covered a deep yawn with her hand. As she burrowed her head into the pillows and fell asleep, her last thought was of Derek snuggling right next to her.

  A short time later, or it could have been hours, Natalie felt her body being lifted. It hovered for a moment, exposed to time and space and the night air.
Her limbs quivered and she wanted to cry out in strange anticipation, but no words came.

  Her body was planted and then gently harvested like ripe fruit. She descended, feeling safe, wanting more of the warm cocoon that was her new home.

  Roughened fingertips awoke new sensations as they traced her eyebrows, then down the bridge of her nose, only stopping to pause at the vee above her lips, brushing her skin, slightly dry from sleep, below.

  Her mouth trembled when those tips took the time to lightly smooth the front of her nightgown free of wrinkles, not wanting to disturb the sleeping beauty.

  They hovered over, yet didn’t devour or touch her breasts. Instead they seemed to draw strength from the large orbs hidden from sight. Her inner thighs parted involuntarily when roughened tips traveled there, but when they, too, didn’t explore, her back arched away from the warmth of the cocoon with subconscious need.

  She relaxed again when a palm cupped her flat abdomen and pulled her closer into the cocoon.

  “Who are you?” she whispered, her voice round with sleep and pleasure, in her mind or aloud, she didn’t know and didn’t care. She didn’t want whatever she was feeling and experiencing to end.

  She stretched her hand behind her and discovered rounded silk. It pulsed and leaped in her palm, and even seemed to grow as she stroked, unaware that the rhythm of her movements was lulling her into a deeper slumber.

  She released her hand and burrowed against the iron-stiff hardness resting against her spine. The cocoon growled low, shifted and wrapped her against itself tighter, tasting her skin until just before dawn.

  Chapter 6

  The next morning, Natalie rolled over in bed and sat up with a startled gasp. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief, but when she opened them, nothing had changed. The other side of the bed appeared untouched. Derek wasn’t there.

  But how can that be? My dream. Her and Derek. It seemed so real.

  Or maybe you just wanted it to be.

  Was she delusional?

  She slumped back against the pillows in dismay. There was one thing she would admit. She’d missed having a warm body next to her at night. She stretched her arms over her head, still aroused from her dream.

  Sunlight filtered through the ruffled curtains and made triangular shapes on the bed. She was idly counting them when there was a sharp knock on the door.

  “Come in,” she said.

  Derek entered the room, holding a tray. Clad in a pale blue polo shirt and tailored khaki pants, he looked like he could really take charge in a boardroom.

  Yet, in Natalie’s mind, the man was far too gorgeous to be doing anything but taking charge of her body. In fact, unknown to him, he already had in her dreams. There was an involuntary yet painless tug of need deep in her lower abdomen as he approached the bed.

  “Good morning,” he said, smiling cheerfully. “I brought you some breakfast.”

  Before she could react, he set the tray down in front of her on the bed.

  She sat up and clutched the covers around her, suddenly feeling self-conscious. Although the cut of her V-shaped nightgown wasn’t revealing, just one look at Derek and it felt as though her breasts were bulging out of the fabric.

  “What time is it?”

  His eyes flitted down, widened slightly and returned to her face.

  “A little after nine.”

  Her cheeks warmed with embarrassment, yet part of her was pleased that he noticed her body.

  “You missed the breakfast hour,” he continued, his expression friendly. “But lucky for you, I convinced Janet to let me use the kitchen.”

  She scanned the tray, inhaling lightly. Besides a single rose in a tiny silver vase, there were fresh scrambled eggs, bacon, a blueberry muffin, a bowl of fresh fruit and coffee. Her stomach growled at the feast in front of her. It looked good. A little too good.

  She met his eyes and her own were skeptical.

  “You made all this?” she said, unable to keep the shock and surprise out of her voice.

  He reeled back and put a hand on his chest, as if he were offended. “I can do a lot more than bounce basketballs and make coffee.”

  Natalie pursed her lips. “Oh, really? What else can you do besides make a hot breakfast?”

  He plucked the rose out of the vase and sat on the edge of the bed, so close it made her tremble.

  “I can make a hot woman—” he dragged the rose lazily along her jawline and then down to the base of her neck “—even hotter.”

  Her skin flushed. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  She gently wrested the rose from his fingertips and dropped it back into the vase. “But first, do you mind telling me where you were last night?”

  “Why?” he asked, tilting her chin with his fingertips. “Did you miss me?”

  Her lips parted. “N-no,” she stammered, jerking her chin away. “It’s just that Janet said that all the rooms were filled, and I thought we’d agreed to...you know...make the best of things.”

  He crossed his arms. “Yes, but when I came down from the Turret Room, you’d already fallen fast asleep. You looked so peaceful that I didn’t want to disturb you, so I left.”

  Natalie breathed a sigh of relief. So he had been there, she thought. Had he merely watched her sleep or had he touched her as he had in her dream?

  She narrowed her eyes. “So you didn’t get into the bed at all?”

  He gave her a strange look and then shook his head. “No, you would have felt it if I had. It can take me a while to get comfortable, especially in a new bed.”

  She was touched by his concern, but she still couldn’t help being disappointed that her dream was just...a dream.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “I just thought... Oh, never mind. Don’t mind me...”

  I’m only going crazy.

  She took a deep breath. “If you didn’t sleep here, then where did you sleep last night?”

  Derek covered a yawn with his hand. “A very uncomfortable couch in the parlor downstairs,” he replied, the words muffled. “Were people really that short back in those days?”

  Natalie laughed. “I’m not sure, but I think that as a whole, they were concerned more about aesthetics rather than comfort.”

  He stretched and there was a loud crack. “Yeah, my back can attest to that!”

  Natalie winced. “Ouch. That sounded like it hurt.”

  He leaned in close, dreadlocks swaying away from the edge of his shoulders, and whispered lowly, “Not as much as it did to miss the privilege of sharing your bed.”

  Natalie wanted to say, “There’s always tonight,” but she also didn’t want to encourage him so she kept her thoughts to herself.

  Besides, hadn’t she planned to find other accommodations for the rest of the weekend? He could stay here in his boyhood home and turn on the mirrors instead of her.

  She was glad when, without waiting for her response, he pointed to the breakfast tray. “Dig in, before it gets cold.”

  As she retrieved the napkin from his hand, the touch between them was electric. He stood and she couldn’t help watching his hand quickly brush the wrinkles from the front of his pants.

  He bowed. “As much as I don’t want to, just like last night, I’ll give you some privacy.”

  Her heart wrestled with her mouth as she watched him walk away. He didn’t have far to go. His long legs covered the distance between the bed and the door in two steps.

  “Don’t leave,” she blurted out to his back.

  When Derek turned around, a wry smile on his lips, Natalie dropped her head and got busy spreading the napkin across her chest, equally surprised and embarrassed at the urgent tone of her voice.

  He knows you want him.

  She looked up at his curious stare a
nd immediately classified the thought as ridiculous.

  “I mean, why don’t we talk about what’s on the agenda today while I eat this delicious meal you’ve prepared for me,” she said, speaking in a less intimate tone.

  She eyed her plate greedily. She knew what God did on the seventh day. He didn’t rest. He created bacon. She bit into a piece, and almost died on the spot, it tasted so good.

  He took a step forward and leaned against the bureau. “I want to go see my father.”

  She sipped her coffee. “Do you think that’s a good idea? It sounded like Wes wanted you to hold off for a while.”

  Derek nodded. “Yeah, he did, which is exactly why I want to go see him.” He pulled out his cell phone and waved it at her. “I got his address and phone number from Wes at breakfast. As soon as you’re done, we’ll drop by.”

  She nodded and couldn’t help but smile. His excitement was palpable. She could see it in his eyes and she hoped he wouldn’t be disappointed. She couldn’t imagine why Wes was so leery of Derek seeing their father, but he must have his reasons.

  She speared some eggs, chewed and swallowed. “How did the conversation go with Wes? Are you getting more comfortable with him?”

  Derek nodded. “Natalie, I’m telling you, it’s like I never left.” He paused and chuckled. “I haven’t seen him since he was a sophomore in high school, but my little brother is the same jokester he always was, just a little bigger around the middle. He claims it’s all that good food Janet feeds him, but I think it’s something else.”

  “Like what?”

  He stepped to the foot of the bed. “I think he misses playing football. He was a big deal around here when we were in high school. After college, he had the opportunity to play in the pros, but he gave it all up to marry Janet.”

  “What’s wrong with that?” Natalie replied. “They seem happy and very much in love.”

  He scratched his chin. “I know. But I just have to wonder... Is giving up your dreams for a woman really worth it?”

  Natalie looked down as she wiped her mouth and placed the napkin on the tray. To her, the answer was simple.