Page 59 of The Cupcake Standard

It wasn’t like I was a virgin. I’ve slept with other guys, so this shouldn’t be any different, right? I could sleep with Derek, use him for sex and maybe the dreams would calm down. Then we could go back to normal.

When I turned around, I found my body flush with his front. All my softness pressed against his hard angles. And I wanted it, wanted so much more of that delicious friction. What would he do if I just reached up, grabbed a handful of that silky, black hair, and devoured that delicious mouth of his?

A loud snore rumbled through the hall, making Derek laugh and snapping me out of my daze. We stepped away from each other.

“Guess Liam’s out. Want me to carry you to bed?” His eyes twinkled, teasing me.

I was so far past teasing, I might combust if he looked at me wrong. “Nah, I’ll grab my jammies then meet you there. Unless you want me to sleep on the couch.”

His eyes narrowed a bit. “My bed’s big enough for both of us.”

That’s settled then. I went to my room, picked out a matching shirt and shorts PJ set, then brushed my teeth and changed in my bathroom. On a whim, I grabbed my book from the end table on my way through. If nothing else, I’d read in the living room, go to bed a bit later, avoiding all the awkwardness.

Derek perched on the end of the bed when I came in, socks discarded. His shirt was next. Then he saw my book. “Whatcha got there?”

“It’s called a book.” Sarcasm weighed my tone.

His eyelids settled halfway down, giving me a dry look. “No shit. What’s the book about?”

“Just a romance.” This was a bad idea. I hadn’t realized he’d be interested. It was one of those old romance novels with the half-naked guys on the cover. I found them a dime a dozen at yard sales and thrift stores. They were so deliciously fun to read, plus I could afford them.

Interest sparked in his eyes.

Crap, I was too nonchalant.

“Let me see it.”

I shook my head. “Nah. I thought maybe I’d go read on the couch for a few.”

The muscles in his thighs bunched as he stood then slowly stalked toward me. “Why can’t I see the book, Cupcake?”

Biting my lip, I glanced behind me, angling for the door. “It’s not that you can’t see it. It’s just really none of your business.”

Then he pounced.

I ran. He chased me around the kitchen island. His warm hand brushed my hip, almost getting a handhold, but he came up empty. We circled the couch in the living room, narrowly missing the end table. On our second lap around the kitchen, his long arm stretched farther than mine, plucking the book from my hand.

“Ha hah!” He got a good look at the cover even as I chased him. “Seems like some good bedtime reading.”

“Give it back.” I couldn’t even play dirty and grab his shirt because he wasn’t wearing one. Stinker.

He darted down the hallway, and I put on a burst of speed, catching him as he turned into the bedroom. We landed on the bed, me on top, pinning his arms above his head.

I breathed heavily. From the running or from the tension between us, I wasn’t sure. A thrill tore through me as I looked down at him, his wrists under my hands. “Now, say ‘uncle.’ And I’ll let you go.”

Those deep blue eyes locked with mine, my hair forming a strawberry blonde curtain around us. “Why would I want to do that?”

I tightened my grip. “I have you pinned, so I win.” Duh.

His chuckle rumbled through me, sending shockwaves rippling up my core in a most delicious way. “That’s a matter of perspective.” He shifted ever so slightly, and suddenly I could feel every solid inch of his hard length against my apex. “Maybe I like the view.”

I glanced down at the V-neck sleep shirt. The way I leaned down gave him a full view of my bare chest. My eyes flicked back to his, my breath catching at the intensity there.

“Maybe I like the way you feel, too.” His hips rolled, pressing his cock against me, separated only by a few thin layers of cloth. “What about you, Cupcake? Are you going to surrender?”

It wasn’t in me to surrender. Ever. I shook my head infinitesimally, keeping my eyes locked on his.

He smiled. “Good.” Then he closed the gap and kissed me, rolling his hips once more.

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