Derek felt the impact of Bree’s silent agreement, and it was like lightning struck. Stepping into her house, he wrapped his arms around her. He hadn’t realized how much he’d needed to hold her, to kiss her, until he’d seen her open her door. Cupping her face, he brought his mouth to hers and tasted her. She was soft and pliant in his hold, and he let his hands roam all over her. Her perfect ass. Her soft skin. Her silky hair.
She kissed him back, wrapping herself around him as he slid his hands up the back of her shirt. Her breath hitched and she shivered against him.
“Upstairs,” she breathed.
She didn’t have to ask him twice. He got her in her bed, naked, and stretched out for him almost before he could count to ten. He tasted her all over now, using his lips and his tongue to drive her crazy. She purred, a hungry needy sound, and he was so hard he was ready to burst.
“I have to get inside you, baby.” He kissed her beautiful mouth again, letting her feel just how far gone he was. Her skin was hot against him. Wet. “Now.”
“Please,” she urged.
He grabbed a condom from her nightstand, he’d put the box there himself last week, and took care of it.
He rubbed his mouth against her throat, nipping gently. “This is going to be fast, Bree.”
“Fast or slow,” she panted. “Don’t care.”
He shifted and entered her, taking a heart-stopping second to revel in how right she fit him. How perfect. Her hands were tight on his arms as he started to move, her body bowed back as she took all of him. He wasn’t inexperienced. Not by a long shot. But he’d had Bree so many different ways over the past few weeks, he couldn’t remember what any other woman’s body felt like. Tasted like.
She was sobbing now, saying his name as she neared her release. His head was filled with her and, closing his eyes, he drove himself over the edge and took her with him.
After, he fell to his side next to her. “God, Bree.”
She sighed, turning to tuck herself up against his side the way he was really starting to like. “Nice to see you, Derek.”
He laughed low in his throat. “I didn’t mean to rush you, baby.”
“Mmm, I’m not complaining.” She nuzzled his neck, another thing he really liked. “I thought this wouldn’t happen tonight.”
“Me, too.” He ran his fingers through her hair, straightening the mess he’d made of it. “My mother practically threw me out of the house.”
She smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling. “I like your mother.”
He shifted a little, drawing her closer. “So we’ve met each other’s mothers.”
“Yeah.”
“What does that mean, exactly?”
She turned, stacking her hands beneath her chin as she furrowed her brow. “I’ve met plenty of guys’ parents, Derek. This doesn’t have to mean a thing.”
He wondered about that for a minute, thinking about that dick Kip and his ice-cold parents, and then shook his head. “I’ve never met a girl’s parents.”
“Truly? I mean, I know you said that you hadn’t been interrogated by a father before. But, never?”
“My relationships were never about more than what they were.”
“What does that mean?”
What did that mean? “Casual, I guess. Only once in a while. I don’t know. I didn’t really date.”
“You?” She stroked the center of his chest, her fingers working in a small circle. “But, how is that possible? You’re gorgeous.”
“Thank you for that, but I think that’s the orgasm talking.”
She laughed softly, dipping her head to kiss his bicep. “I feel too good right now to argue with you.”
“That’s a shame. You know how much I like to argue.”
She nodded. “Due Diligence.”
They laid there, just breathing and gently stroking each other until he found himself needing her again. This time she took the lead, climbing on top and riding him until he thought he’d pass out from his climax. Holding her tight against his chest, he let himself breathe her deep inside.
“What is this, Bree?”
“What?”
“Us.”
She jerked her head up so fast she knocked him in the chin. “Us?”
He’d bitten his tongue, so he took a few seconds to answer. “Yes, us. What are we doing?”
She pushed herself up on her arms, and he took a long look at her plump and rosy breasts before meeting her gaze.
“We’re dating, Derek. That’s what we’re doing.”
“All right.”
“Where is this coming from?” She slid off of him, gathering the sheets over her as she folded her knees beneath her. “We never talked about this before.”
“I know.” He brushed his hair back from his face, blowing out a breath. “This is all new to me. I’m sorry.”
“Hey, no sorries remember?”
He found a smile. “God, that conversation feels like eons ago.”
“Just a few weeks, actually.”
“I don’t want to fuck this up, Bree. Whatever this is.”
“Then we’ll just go on as we have been. No expectations. I’ve had them in the past and no one ever ended up happy.”
He’d never had any expectations. Not as far as relationships were concerned anyway. There were a few things he wondered about, though.
“Are you seeing anyone else?” he had to know.
She blinked at him and then flashed a cute smile. “I’m not. The guy I’m seeing keeps me way too happy.”
He let out a breath he hadn’t been aware he was holding. “Then this is exclusive.”
“Unless you’re seeing Lettie, I’d say so.”
Grinning, he shook his head.
“You really are clueless about this,” she added.
“I am.” He grabbed her and turned to pin her beneath him. “But I’m a very fast learner.”
The mood was considerably lighter as they focused on making each other feel rather than think. It was only later, when Derek was back home stretched out alone in his big bed, that he realized he’d asked for a sort-of commitment from Bree. And gotten it, amazingly. She wasn’t seeing any other guy and he’d told her he only wanted to see her. Not in so many words, which was a first for him about…anything.
No expectations. No obligations. Then why did he feel like he was missing something?
***
“So what’s up with you and Mr. Tall, dark and not-so-gloomy?” Oliver asked when she arrived back at her desk the next afternoon.
“I guess we’re dating, Ollie.”
“You guess?” He smirked at her. “Then you’re doing it wrong.”
Bree waved a hand. “It’s early days.”
“It took the Pixie all of a week to fall for Noah.”
“Jessie was half in love with Noah from the day he came to Cypress.”
“Mmm, weren’t we all?”
“Um, no. Still, Derek and I are not Noah and Jessie.”
“And none of you are me and Todd.” Ollie shrugged. “So what?”
“I’ve been out at the model home all morning, Ollie.” Bree tried to make sense of Oliver’s circular logic. “What are you asking me?”
“I met Derek Stone’s mother this morning, she is such a lovely lady, and she mentioned having dinner with you and Derek last night.”
“We did.”
“She also mentioned her son staying out afterwards.”
Bree swallowed, fixing a cool expression on her heated face. “Is Lettie saving you a seat at her table this afternoon?”
Oliver laughed. “I’m just happy you’re getting some. I was worried.”
“I don’t need you to be my hookup fairy godfather,” she said. “Aren’t you supposed to be in charge of Tammy’s life?”
He snorted. “She’s so happy with her very own Chapman there’s absolutely no drama there.”
“I’m sorry for your loss.”
Oliver gaped at her, and then grinned. “Bree James, throwing shade?”
“No. Just asking for you to leave the subject of my love life out of your field of expertise.”
“You’ve got it, girl.” He held up splayed hands. “Just making conversation.”
“Oh, I can’t be mad at you Ollie. You’re a sweetie.”
“I am.”
With that, Oliver hurried over to his desk and settled down in front of his laptop. Shaking her head, Bree hid behind her own computer and clicked through the afternoon’s coming appointments.
As she reviewed her schedule, she couldn’t help but think about Derek. Not that what Oliver said bothered her. She and Derek knew what was what and everyone else could jump in the lake. Still, he’d driven her crazy in more ways than one last night.
What the heck was up with that conversation? Derek, her perfect, in-the-moment kind of guy, wanted to be exclusive? She’d been stunned, and had she been completely in control of her faculties she would have questioned just what the heck had brought that on? His mother’s arrival couldn’t explain all of it.
She’d sensed something ever since he’d gone with her to her parents’ party. Something very tempting. She’d leaned on him and it had felt so right she’d had little trouble imagining doing that forever. She so didn’t do forever. She hadn’t done it to make her parents happy and she wouldn’t do it to make anyone else happy. Even if the guy was perfect for her in every way.
Her fingers froze on the keyboard. Since when did she think of him that way? Yes, he was perfect. Perfectly gorgeous and perfectly wonderful in bed. But perfect for her?
“No,” she murmured. “That’s crazy.”
“What’s crazy, Bree?” Oliver asked without looking up from his desk.
“N-nothing.” She took a breath, her heart racing.
This felt a lot like when Kip had proposed his ridiculous idea last year. Like things were out of her control. Derek wasn’t pushing her, though. And he certainly wasn’t an idiot like Kip. Still, she felt like she was being forced. Forced to be something she wasn’t. She so wasn’t any guy’s girlfriend. She never had been.
Derek had never dated before? She sure had. Tons of dates with tons of guys who never meant a thing. What she had with Derek, though? It was dating. Real, exclusive dating. That, truly, was a first for her.
Putting a hand over her chest, she breathed slowly in and out. Why hadn’t she taken more yoga classes? Then she could refresh. Or revive. Or something like that.
“Mr. Forbes called a meeting,” Jessie said as she rushed in. “Something about the launch.”
Bree silently thanked Jessie for giving her something else to focus on at the moment. “What time?” she asked as she pulled up her schedule.
“Three thirty,” Jessie said as her fingers flew over her keyboard. “That gives us just about twenty minutes.”
Bree was only half listening now. She had her own stuff going on, but now she could turn her attention to something completely unrelated to her situation with Derek.
“Let’s go, let’s go!” Jessie grabbed a notebook and her tablet, bouncing on her feet. “Noah hasn’t let me see any of Ben’s plans, even though he’s been working with him.”
“Noah’s been keeping secrets?”
“Only that one.” Jessie tapped on Bree’s desk. “Come on!”
Bree gathered her own things and closed her laptop. “Ollie, let’s roll.”
Oliver joined them and they made their way to the conference room. Bree stepped inside with a smile for Rick Chapman and Mr. Forbes. Then her gaze fell on Derek, standing just to the side of them. Her heart thudded and she knew. This was more than dating. This was even more than exclusive dating.
This was love, and she was in a lot of trouble.