tongue over his cotton briefs. She aimed for the tip of his erection and tasted his salty essence through the cotton barrier.
“Mmm.” She hadn’t let go of his rigid length, nor did she stop at one taste.
His hips jerked upward and his body shook. “That’s it,” he ground out.
Gabrielle smiled, pleased she was still able to make him as crazy as he made her. So many things hadn’t changed. They’d gotten even better with age, she thought as she sat up, meeting his gaze.
Derek couldn’t hold out another minute. If she kept up the pressure, he’d come in her hand.
He was finished waiting and thankfully so was she. He pulled her into his arms at the same time she reached for him.
She came warm and pliant, molding against him and making the thin fabric separating them a mere nuisance. He pulled one of the straps over her shoulder and trailed damp kisses down her neck, over the scented skin on her shoulders and arms, before she helped him by wriggling her upper body out of the sexy garment. From there it was easy for her to lift her hips and, with his help, slip off the negligee completely.
He sucked in a shallow breath, stunned at how her body had changed. Either that or his memory had failed him. She was curvier than he remembered, her breasts lush and full. His gaze traveled over her silken flesh to the small triangle of hair between her thighs.
She didn’t cover herself in embarrassment but let him drink in the sight of her.
“When is it going to be my turn to look?” she asked, a sultry glint in her eyes.
He’d be happy to release himself from the confining boxers. “Whenever you’re ready.”
“Now sounds good.” She slid her fingers beneath the elastic waist and began to ease them over his hips.
He helped and soon she was the one staring.
“Keep looking at me like that and it’ll be over before it begins.” He didn’t know how he’d held on this far. But giving her pleasure, while holding back his own, had let him feel her orgasm rush through her. It was an incredible sensation, feeling her release, while still surrounded by her warm body and delicious scent. He hadn’t been able to resist savoring every moment of it.
She backed up to the top of the bed and beckoned to him with a crook of her finger, her eyes gleaming with delight.
At last he joined her. He ripped the foil open. She took the condom back and together they rolled it over his hard length.
Protected and more than ready, he came down on top of her, hard and fast. Her skin was warm, her body soft, so opposite of his.
Finesse went by the wayside. He slid his hand through her slick, dewy folds, finding her damp and ready. Her hips twitched and her body trembled as he parted her and pushed hard and fast inside. He found himself cushioned in unbelievable warmth and he exhaled a slow groan, unable to hold back the sound. It wasn’t the physical sensations that floored him, but the rampaging feelings he couldn’t control. Connected with her, body to body, his heart swelled with deep emotion that shook him to his core.
And when he met her gaze, it was obvious in her eyes and her expression she felt the same.
She shifted beneath him, and the subtle change in position made him catch his breath. He began to move, sliding out, then in again. She synchronized her rhythm to his, as if they’d never been apart, as if they’d made love just yesterday.
The old bed creaked beneath them and Gabrielle laughed. “I hope nobody’s going to complain to Mrs. Rhodes. She’ll never look at me the same way again.” Amusement bubbled in her voice and she grinned.
He propped himself up with his hands and placed a long, lingering kiss on her lips. One she answered by locking her arms around his neck and kissing him back. Once again, their bodies began to move in unison. He didn’t remember starting up again, but everything with Gabrielle came instinctually.
Without warning, she raised her legs, locking them tight around his back. She held him captive with her body, and there wasn’t another place he’d rather be. He rocked his hips from side to side, thrusting as best he could, seeking the friction their united bodies created.
He succeeded. Waves of desire built higher with each plunge he took deeper and deeper inside her. Her breath was warm and hot in his ear, becoming rougher with every thrust. Just when he thought she was about to come, he deliberately slowed his pace.
It nearly killed him, but he took his time, wanting to see her clearly. He knew it was selfish, but he wanted to mark every moment in time a she plunged in, then out again. He needed her to feel every hard inch of him branding her, inside and out.
He pulled out of her until only the tip of him touched her moist opening. Reaching down, he circled her breast with his palm, cupping and molding her in his hand. Her hips jerked beneath him, her small feminine mound thrust upward, wet, wanting.
“God, Derek!” She reached for him but he remained out of reach.
Instead he leaned down and pulled one hard, distended nipple into his mouth. He suckled on the engorged tip, teasing with his teeth, laving with his tongue. Back and forth until her hips shook in a frenzied rhythm.
A frantic plea.
His groin throbbed desperately and he knew he’d reached his limit.
“Dammit, Derek,
She grabbed on to his shoulders and dug her long nails into his skin, and with her heels, she pushed his body back toward hers.
He didn’t need any more coaxing. He plunged into her so fast his world spun. He didn’t remember anything after that except the heat suctioning all around him and Gabrielle’s screams of pleasure. Release didn’t hit him slowly but slammed into him with the force of a Mack truck.
At that moment, everything around him suddenly cleared. He inhaled her warm, sweet scent. His face was close to hers and her soft hair brushed against his cheek. He was inside her. She surrounded him. And the explosion that followed rocked his world.
Although he was filling her body, she did the same for his heart, completing him as no woman ever had.
DEREK DOZED BESIDE Gabrielle. She knew she’d have to wake him soon so he could go home before Holly realized he’d slept out, but she wanted a few selfish minutes first. She let her gaze travel over him. Asleep, he was so much more vulnerable than awake and definitely less guarded. Not that he’d been remotely guarded when they made love, she thought, a smile curving her lips as she remembered.
Their connection had been even stronger than when they were younger and she’d dare him to challenge her on that. When she and Derek joined together, it was a connecting of hearts. She knew it just as she knew now she had something to fight for.
No, she thought, correcting herself. She had
Wanting a little more quiet time before he had to go, she snuggled in to him. He reached out and pulled her close, spooning his body around hers. She shut her eyes and savored his heated warmth until, little by little, her body relaxed and her mind wandered.
GABRIELLE AWOKE WITH a start. Sunlight flooded the room through the window curtains she’d forgotten to draw shut last night. She glanced at her alarm clock and realized it was 9:00 a.m.
Wow, she must have really been exhausted to sleep so late. Then again, Derek had definitely worn her out, she thought wryly. She quickly glanced at the other side of the bed, hoping he hadn’t slept through the night along with her. With relief, she realized he was gone, which hopefully meant he’d gotten home before Holly missed him. She placed her hand on the space beside her. The sheets were cold. He must have left not long after she’d fallen asleep last night.
She wasn’t worried that he’d left her bed with regrets. She knew it was Holly that had drawn him away. She trusted Derek enough to know that if anything had changed between them, he’d tell her face-to-face.
But she wasn’t going to give him the time or space to panic about what they’d done or the implications. She could work as easily here as she could at her apartment. She was in no rush to get home.
Gabrielle tossed the covers off and headed to shower for the day ahead. Now that she was sure of her own feelings, she planned to include Derek in every area of her life, lavishing him and his daughter with enough affection that he wouldn’t be able to deny they belonged together. And if that wasn’t enough, she’d arm herself with enough
