Dead By Morning

even going so far as to strike out at his wife’s best friend.”

“Don’t go back to see Browning again. I have a very bad feeling about it. Please, Maleah . . .”

“I have to go. Don’t worry about me. I’m tough.” Maleah faked a laugh. “Besides, I have Derek. If Browning chews me up and spits me out in little pieces, Derek will put me back together.”

“Oh, Maleah.”

“Hey, you take care of yourself and that husband of yours. I’ll be fine. I need to hang up now and go fill Derek in on the news from Luke.”

“Call me tomorrow, after you see Browning.”

“Okay, if it’ll make you feel better, I’ll call.”

As soon as they said their good-byes, Maleah went to the bathroom, freshened up and changed into a pair of faded navy sweat pants and an oversized yellow, navy, and white striped T-shirt. After slipping into a pair of navy Skechers, she slid her room key into her pants pocket and left her room.

Maleah stood outside of Derek’s closed door. Once she had worked up enough courage to knock, he opened the door in two seconds flat.

They stared at each other, neither of them saying a word.

He wasn’t wearing a shirt. Swirls of thick black hair formed a perfect T across his upper chest and disappeared into his unsnapped jeans.

Why oh why did he have to look so good? All lean and muscular, handsome and sexy, he was dark, tantalizing temptation wrapped up in a to-die-for package.

Say something, you idiot.

Say what? I want to jump your bones?

Tell him about Nic’s phone call. Give him the latest information from Luke Sentell. Don’t keep standing here staring at him. Just open your damn mouth and say something.

But when she opened her mouth to speak, Derek forcefully grabbed her shoulders, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her.

Chapter 25

Derek drove his tongue into her mouth, deepening the kiss, taking her breath away. Capturing her neck and threading his fingers through her hair, he pulled her into his room and kicked the door shut. Without conscious thought, going strictly by instinct, she wrapped herself around him and lost herself completely in the kiss. His lips were firm and warm, his tongue moist and hot.

He walked backward, taking her with him step-by-step, his hands roaming over her shoulders and back, and then delving lower to cup her butt. Her femininity clenched and unclenched in an age-old preparation for mating, as her mouth worked feverishly against his.

When he toppled them over and onto the bed, she went with him willingly, as hungry for him as he was for her. Changing the dynamics of the kiss, he eased his tongue from her mouth and nibbled on her lower lip. She moaned deep in her throat as he slid his hands between them and lifted the edge of her T-shirt, exposing her naked belly and the lace bra covering her breasts. The moment he lowered his head, his breath scorching her skin, she forked her fingers through his hair and brought his mouth to her breast. He suckled her through the thin material and then flicked his tongue across first one hard nipple and then the other.

Squirming, her body throbbing, she rubbed herself against him and felt how much he wanted her.

“Oh, baby . . . so sweet . . .” He shoved his hand between her thighs and palmed her mound. “We’re going to be so good together, honey, so good.”

Baby? Honey?

Generic terms, endearments he had probably used countless times with numerous women.

He had not called her Maleah. He hadn’t even called her Blondie.

Her vow to Nic echoed inside her head, softly at first, but growing louder with each passing second. I refuse to become another notch on his bedpost.

Gradually coming to her senses, she shoved against his chest. His deliciously warm, hairy, muscular chest.

Stop this right now. You are not going to have sex with Derek Lawrence.

“Get off me,” she told him, her voice a ragged whisper.

“What’s wrong?” He lifted his head and stared at her. “Did I hurt you?”

Yes, you mortally wounded me. With words. Baby. Honey.

“No, you didn’t hurt me.” She shoved him up and off her.

He rolled over onto the bed while she sat up, took several deep, steadying breaths and started to stand. He reached out, grasped her wrist and held her in place on the edge of the bed.

“Look at me, Maleah.”

Now he remembers my name.

“What just happened?” he asked.

She looked everywhere but at him. “We almost made a terrible mistake.”

He sat up so that they were side by side. He cupped her chin and turned her to face him. “Why did you stop what was happening between us? You were into it as much as I was, wanted me as much as I wanted you—as much as I still want you. You can’t deny the truth.”

“I’m not denying anything.” When she looked at him, it was all she could do not to give in to her baser instincts. God, how she wanted him!

“Then please tell me what just happened? What did I do wrong?”

How did she answer that question? With a lie? The truth? A half-truth? “You didn’t do anything wrong. I just came to my senses before it was too late.” Unable to continue direct eye contact for fear he would know she was lying, she averted her gaze.

He squeezed her chin. She glared at him, and then jerked out of his grasp and got up. “Put a shirt on, will you? You shouldn’t have come to the door half naked.”

“Are you afraid if I remain partially unclothed, you won’t be able to keep your hands off me?” he asked jokingly as he rose to his feet.

“I’m not the one who grabbed you and kissed you,” she reminded him.

He came up behind her, lowered his head and kissed the side of her neck. Shivering at his touch, she closed her eyes and stood perfectly still as he whispered in her ear, “The moment I opened the door, I knew what you wanted. You were begging me to kiss you.”

Snapping around with the intention of blasting him for his accusation, she didn’t realize until it was too late just how close his body was to hers. Her breasts collided with his chest as her belly encountered his erection. She sucked in her breath and shoved against him. Smiling at her, he stepped backward.

“I wasn’t. I didn’t . . .” That’s it, Maleah, lie to him again. “Despite what you think, I knocked on your door to tell you that Nic called me with information.”

He looked at her questioningly. “Business first, huh?”

“Yes. No. Damn it, you know what I mean. Business only.”

“Ah, Blondie, do I have to keep telling you that you’re no fun?”

When she glared at him, he laughed as he walked over to the dresser, opened a drawer and removed a white T-shirt. While he slipped into the garment, Maleah pulled out the desk chair and sat. He turned around, his gorgeous chest now covered, and grinned when he saw that she had avoided sitting on the sofa.

“You sure do blow hot and cold, don’t you?” He flopped down on the sofa, propped his feet up on the coffee table and crossed his arms over his chest. “You went from not being able to keep your hands off me to not even wanting to sit by me.”

“Will you please drop it? If you want me to take full responsibility for what happened, then I will. You’re irresistible. I fought my attraction to you for as long as I could. I took one look at your magnificent bare chest and went wild. Pick your fantasy, Mr. Lawrence. But that’s it. I am not going to discuss what happened.”

He ran his gaze over her slowly, appraisal in his eyes, as if she were an object on the auction block and he