His curvy surprise, p.11
His Curvy Surprise, page 11
He leaned back and yanked his shirt off, tossing it aside before he covered my body again.
My hands splayed across his chest, the tightly curled hairs scratching my palms. His skin was warm, smooth. I wanted to feel it against my skin.
I pushed him away. His eyes were dark, tracking my movements. I tugged the string that kept my top on, letting the fabric fall from my breasts. His lids fell to half-mast, but that was the only part of him.
He shoved at his jeans, grabbing them before they hit the floor. He dug in his pocket, came out with his wallet.
I knew where things were going, and I was all on board. It wasn’t how I planned, or even hoped, lunch would go, but I wasn’t disappointed by it.
“Let me see all of you, Chelsea,” he whispered.
I swallowed at the thick promise in his tone. My shirt fell from my shoulders, and I reached back to unhook my bra.
His gaze fell to my bare breasts and hung there. He licked his lips and clenched and unclenched his hands.
“Jesus, you’re gorgeous.”
I snorted. “You don’t have to say that.”
He exhaled. “You really have no idea, do you? You really think you were right. That I wasn’t attracted to you. That I’m still not.” He let his jeans fall and cupped his erection through the black boxer briefs he wore. “This is not because of some other woman. This is not because I don’t want to fuck you. I’ve wanted to fuck you for months, Chelsea. If you want me to walk away, I will, but it’s not going to be because I’m the one saying no. That choice is yours. I’ll respect it, without a doubt, you can say no to me. You can tell me to get the fuck out, and I will. But trust me when I tell you that you’re fucking beautiful.”
I inhaled sharply, letting his words sink in. No man had ever told me that before. I’d had my share of partners and enjoyed sex, but usually it was a few quick rolls in the sheets and then we moved on. I’d never had a relationship last long enough that a man told me I was beautiful.
“What’s it going to be, beautiful? Are you taking the rest of those clothes off, or am I walking out of here?”
I could ask why he wanted me, but I didn’t care. Even if this was the one and only time we were together, I wanted him.
Instead of answering him with words, I hooked my thumbs in my jeans and panties and slid both to the floor.
His eyes widened. He stroked himself. He stepped away from his jeans, approaching me. “Let me feel you.” He reached for me, setting the condom on the table by the door before his hand touched my skin. He brushed his knuckles over my belly.
I sucked in a breath, tightening the flabbiest part of me.
“Don’t hide from me,” he whispered. He ran his hand over my stomach, teasing between my thighs with his fingertips. “Open for me, Chelsea. Are you wet?”
I spread my legs and let him feel.
He groaned. “I’m glad I’m not the only one who wants this.” He pressed one finger inside me, drawing it back out to spread the wetness over my clit.
One brush against my clit and my hips jerked.
“Damn,” he hissed. He slapped his hand against the wall behind me, trapping me between his body and the wall. “Wrap your arms around me.”
I did as he said, my body weakening as he stroked my clit. I was already close. Too close for a few seconds. But I couldn’t stop the train once it left the station, and this one was rolling right along.
Derek kissed my neck, nudging my head back so he had access. He licked the column of my throat and thrust his fingers into me again.
I moaned, holding on tighter to him as my orgasm picked up speed.
“Come for me, Chelsea. Let me feel you.”
My brain stopped the fight to hold on to control. My body took over, immediately handing command over to Derek. I gasped and moaned and let go, coming hard and loud. “Yes, yes. Oh, fuck, yes.”
“Yes,” he groaned with me. “Fuck yes.”
The condom wrapper tearing was the only sound I heard above the roaring in my ears. I hung off Derek like a spider monkey, barely able to support myself after the freight train of an orgasm that just bowled me over.
“Couch,” he said, moving his hand from the wall and encouraging me toward the couch.
I opened my eyes to move across the room and laughed when I saw Dozer sitting in his bed, watching us.
“What are you laughing at?” Derek asked.
“Dozer looks confused.”
Derek looked over, chuckling when he saw the look on Dozer’s face. Head tilted, eyes wide, a little bit of fear.
“It’s like he’s never seen people having sex before.”
“He’s definitely never seen me having sex before.”
“What?” Derek asked.
“I’ve only had him a few months.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize.”
We stopped next to the couch. Talking about my dog slowed down the rush I was feeling, but I didn’t want to be done.
The look Derek gave me said he was feeling the same. He took a step toward me, blocking Dozer from my view. “Do you want me to leave?”
I shook my head slowly.
“Good.” He kissed me hard, stealing my breath. His hands explored my curves, reverent and tempting. Within seconds, I was right back in the moment, ready for more.
He took another step toward the couch. My legs hit the edge, and we broke the kiss. I sat down, coming face-to-face with Derek’s crotch.
I licked my lips, and his dick jumped. He still wore his boxer briefs. I reached for them, pulling the fabric wide to accommodate his size.
“Wow,” I whispered when he was free. I leaned forward, licking his dick.
He hissed, one hand going to my hair. He pulled it back, tightening his fist around the ponytail he created. “Chelsea.”
I took him into my mouth, unable to fit most of him in, but groaning at the way he smelled and tasted. A hint of soap was there from his morning shower, but the musk of him had my core flooding. I wanted him. Bad.
I sucked and licked him enough to tease him, and when he pulled back, I didn’t fight or argue. He rolled the condom on and kneeled on the couch, pushing me to lie down. He lined himself up and eased into me.
My body stretched to make room for him, the underutilized muscles needing steady encouragement to accommodate him. Every stroke brushed against my clit and provided more than enough encouragement.
“Derek,” I whispered, an orgasm building.
He held himself up with one hand on the back of the couch. He reached the other between us and pressed down on my clit. He surged in deeper as I started to come and triggered another orgasm.
“Fuck! Derek!” I screamed, the suddenness and intensity shocking me and feeling so fucking good I wasn’t sure I’d ever have another one that gave me so much pleasure.
“Oh, fuck,” he groaned, slamming all the way into me. His hips surged back, then pounded in deep, setting a rhythm that had my back arching and my body flooding, ready for him again.
I tried to keep up with his strokes, lifting to meet him for one out of every three or four. He didn’t seem to mind, grunting his way closer until he slammed in deep and stilled.
“Chelsea,” he groaned, a grunt and a sigh adding to the sounds before he lowered himself onto me.
I trembled with his body on mine, the weight of him a comfort to my previously battered heart. He definitely proved I was wrong about him not wanting me.
And that was almost as good of a feeling as the orgasms he gave me.
12
We laid on the couch for a few minutes, Derek’s breath soft on my neck and his weight pressing me into the cushions.
I didn’t want him to leave. I didn’t want our lunch date to be over. But I knew it was temporary. He had to go back to work, and us having sex didn’t mean everything was fine between us.
Hell, I didn’t even know if there was anything between us. Did he want to see me again? Did I want to see him? Was this a secret fling? Were we going to date?
“I can hear you thinking,” he whispered, pushing his weight from me to look into my eyes. After a second, he avoided my gaze. “I should go.”
“Okay,” I said.
He crawled off me, his head down as he returned to his clothes. “Um, do you mind if I use your bathroom?”
“Yeah, of course. It’s off the kitchen.”
He nodded and carried his clothes toward the kitchen. Dozer watched him go, only looking at me when Derek disappeared from view.
“I know,” I hissed at my dog. I sucked in a breath and rolled off the couch. Naked. I was naked in my living room in the middle of the day because I just had sex on my couch with my next-door neighbor who I was at war with since the day I moved in.
What the hell was wrong with me?
I scrambled to grab my clothes and get dressed before Derek came back. The bathroom door opened just as I was pulling my shirt on. I fumbled with the tie, racing to secure it before he was back.
“I… I have no idea what I’m supposed to say right now,” he said.
I forced a smile and turned to look at him. “You don’t have to say anything.”
He narrowed his eyes as he studied me. When he closed his eyes and sighed, I knew it meant he was relieved I wasn’t pushing him for more. “This isn’t me brushing you off, Chelsea.”
Well, that wasn’t what I thought. “Okay?”
“I meant what I said. I’ve wanted you for months. I’m… Shit. I knew I shouldn’t have barged in here like I did.”
“Why? Because now you think I’m going to create problems for you?”
“Jesus. Fuck. I liked the woman I talked to. The woman on that dumb app. The one who was honest and kind and funny. And I wanted my neighbor with all her curves and sexiness and temptation. Finding out you’re the same person is like someone is gifting me a sports car. It’s the best of both worlds.”
“I’m not… I don’t want you to feel like you have to say things like that.”
He stomped across the room so fast I didn’t have time to back up and get out of his reach. His lips covered mine, his tongue prying my lips apart with far more ease than I should have given in to. He stole my breath, and he righted my sanity as his tongue swept through my mouth and told me he wasn’t done.
“I want you, Chelsea. I want the woman who loves her job and cares about her friends, and I want the woman who adopted a pain in the ass dog who is going to destroy my quiet and disrupt my sanity. I want the woman who has me wanting to say fuck it and tell my employees I’m not coming back to work. I want the woman who takes in my son when he’s alone and scared and does everything possible to make sure he’s okay. I want all the different sides of you. If you are okay with finding out where this could go.”
“No one’s ever said things like that to me.”
“They’re all idiots. And I’m lucky to be the first one smart enough to see who you are. Even if it took me far too long to figure it out.”
“Is all of this real? You’re not just messing with me?”
He shook his head slowly. “Definitely not messing with you. I’m sorry I gave you that impression.”
I inhaled deeply, nodding. “Okay.”
“Okay, what?”
“Okay, let’s find out where this can go.”
“Yeah?”
I nodded again.
He leaned in again, then stopped and pulled back. “I… I hate to ask this, but can we keep this between us?”
“Why?” All those fears I was trying to ignore, the doubts that were ringing in my mind, got louder with his request.
“Because of Jude. No other reason. His mom… I’ve never introduced him to a woman I’ve dated. I don’t want him getting attached to someone and then having her walk away like his mother did.”
I didn’t like it, but I did understand it. It sounded reasonable. There was only one problem. “Jude already knows me. He loves Dozer. How…?”
“I know. And I don’t know. But… Can we try? For his sake. That’s the only reason.”
“Okay.”
“Are you sure?”
“If that’s what’s best for Jude, then yes. I get it.”
“Thank you. I know it’s a lot to ask, but it means a lot.”
I nodded, uneasy about the request, but unable to find an argument that didn’t make me a bitch. Maybe he was being honest. And maybe he didn’t want anyone to know he was dating me. Either way, I was going to play by his rules.
For now.
I heard from Derek sporadically over the next few days. I was unsure about the whole thing, but he reached out a few times to see how I was doing. Nothing earth-shattering or personal, but more than zero contact, so I was cautiously optimistic.
Haley talked me into going to book club Sunday evening, not that it took too much convincing, and she offered to pick me up. I had a feeling there was something she wanted to talk to me about.
I was right.
“I found a ring,” she breathed when I got into her car.
“You what?” I gasped.
Haley backed out of my driveway and started down the street. Her hands were tight on the steering wheel, her knuckles white. “Knox has a ring. A suspiciously engagement looking type of ring. What do I do?” Her voice bordered on panicked with a hint of terror.
“Do you not want to marry him?”
“I do. God, so much. But what if I’m wrong? Or what if he’s holding it for Daniel or someone? What if he changes his mind?”
“Whoa. Where is all of this coming from? You and Knox are solid. You’ve been so good together for months. I thought all the craziness was behind you.”
“I thought so, too.” She was quiet for a minute, focusing on the road instead of sharing her thoughts. “I love him.”
“But?”
“But nothing. I just… Dawson really messed with my head. And all the men before him. Knox has always felt like he was too good to be true. And marriage?”
“Do you want to get married?”
She nodded, rolling her lips in and clamping them between her teeth.
“You’re so excited you’re scared, aren’t you?” I asked.
She swallowed roughly and nodded again. She found a parking spot near Book Boyfriends Unlimited and turned off the car. “I’ve always wanted to feel like I belonged somewhere. With someone. He’s been so much a part of this town his whole life that I kind of worried everyone who didn’t like me would change his mind.”
“Oh, Haley. He loves you. It doesn’t surprise me at all that he wants to marry you. But you have to let go of these fears. If you want to belong here, you do. You have been here for long enough that people know you. And people like you. Hell, even Madeline has come around and likes you.”
Haley exhaled a laugh. Madeline was one of our previous boss’s clients, one who hated Haley. But Madeline finally gave Haley a chance and learned the truth about who Haley was and became Haley’s client.
“If Madeline can change her mind, you know the whole town loves you.”
“I guess.”
“Including Knox. He knows letting you go would be a huge mistake.”
“You think?” Haley asked.
I nodded. “Now, tell me about the ring.”
Haley exhaled. “It’s stunning. Absolutely perfect for me. And way too expensive. He didn’t need to spend as much as he did.”
“You’re worth it, Haley. Every penny. And I have no doubt Knox would agree.”
“Thanks, Chelsea.” She drew a breath. “And thanks for letting me freak out and not telling me I’m being stupid.”
“Never.”
Haley grinned and lunged over to hug me.
I laughed and hugged her back.
Haley pulled back and opened her door. I met her on the sidewalk, and we walked to Book Boyfriends Unlimited.
Before Finley let us in, Haley tugged my arm. “Should I tell the others?”
“That’s up to you. Someone might know something and ruin any surprise Knox has planned. You know they’re all going to be so happy for you, though. Whether you tell them now or later.”
Haley nodded, a hint of fear shining in her eyes. “Maybe I’ll keep it to myself for now.”
“Have you told Sofia?”
Haley shook her head. “I was worried it might be a ring for her and didn’t want to ruin her surprise.”
“Then it’s our secret for now.”
I forced my lips into a smile and tried not to think about the other secret I was keeping. I wasn’t always good at keeping things to myself. It felt gross.
“Hello, ladies,” Finley said, letting us in with a hug each.
“How are you?” Haley asked Finley.
“Good. Things are quiet around here now that it’s October.”
“That’s good?” I asked her.
Finley nodded. “For me it is. I used to fight it, but I can get more reading done and spend more time at home with George.”
“How is George?” Haley asked.
“He’s perfect,” Finley said, with a dreamy sound to her voice. “He’s keeping us running.”
“Any siblings for George?” I asked.
“I asked the same thing!” Elise said when we made it to the section in the back of the store we used for book club.
Finley shook her head, but her cheeks turned pink.
“You’re trying,” Blake said, blowing Finley’s attempt to hide the truth out of the water. “So are we! Maybe we’ll have cousins the same age again.”
“That would be so awesome,” Finley said. “And yes, we’re trying, but Trent didn’t want everyone to know. We got pregnant with George by accident, and it’s been a few months, so he’s stressing.”
“Every pregnancy is different,” Zoey said. “And there’s no reason to be worried.”
“Try telling him that,” Finley grumbled.
“I got pregnant with Cameron in a few months, but it was a little longer with Alexis. Nina was the biggest surprise. We were only together a few months before I was pregnant with her,” Zoey said. “And if he’s stressing you out, distract him. Do something that makes it about enjoying each other instead of trying to make a baby.”
