Page 89 of The Cupcake Standard

As I arched into his touch, I moaned.

“That’s it. I like to hear you.” The mattress dipped under his weight as he settled between my legs, his body radiating heat against my bare skin. He slid a finger inside me, and I tightened around him. His finger pumped in and out, establishing a rhythm as his thumb brushed against my clit, making me jump. Then his hot breath hovered over me. “I’ve been dreaming about tasting you again.” His eyes found mine, waiting for permission.

I nodded feverishly, and his mouth was on me. His tongue lavished me, massaging my clit. It wasn’t long before I hovered on the brink, then tipped over, calling his name as I quivered around him. My body felt as if it were made of Jell-O when he raised his head to grin at me.

“So sweet, so delicious.” He licked his lips before crawling up the mattress to kiss me.

I felt his hard length through his sweatpants even though I could hardly keep my eyes open. “What about you?”

He forced a big glass of water into my hands, making sure I drank it all. “I just had everything I need. You get your sleep.” He brushed a knuckle across my cheek and whispered, “I’ve got plans for you tonight, so you’re going to need it.”

* * * *

In nothing but his T-shirt, I tiptoed my way out to the hall, feeling energized and refreshed after a two-hour nap. Derek had his back to me, leaning against the island. I still couldn’t believe he was home and how thrilled I was to see him. But I’d worry about that later.

Right now, I had a debt to repay.

My sneak attack in the kitchen led to a quickie on the island and a mental note to sanitize the kitchen ASAP. Then we got ready for the party. One of the requirements for my dress was that I could get in and out of it on my own, since I hadn’t been sure when Derek was going to arrive. Plus, this way I could show him the finished product.

Everything was perfect an hour later when I stepped out into the living room. Derek looked up from where he sprawled on the couch as I said, “Ta-da,” with a huge grin on my face.

The black dress had my favorite V-neckline, the bodice a silky material with a lace overlay that covered my shoulders and ended just above my elbows. The bottom was multilayered, with just enough fluff to give it body without making my hips look blockish. Its hemline brushed the tops of my knees. A wide black sash wound around my middle, bunched into a rose-like shape, the ends fluttering down over my left hip.

When I’d first seen it on the hanger, I’d wrinkled my nose, thinking it looked innocent and childish. But the black lace was sheer and sexy, the wide neckline showed the shape of my shoulders and the deep V combined with that awesome bra to highlight my décolletage. There was no mistaking me for a little girl.

I did a quick twirl as Derek stood up from the couch, stalking over to me. “What do you think?”

“I think it was worth the wait. You look amazing as always.” His deep blue eyes trailed over my exposed collarbone, my cleavage and beyond. “Do we have to go to this party? I’m sure we could think of some other way to occupy ourselves.” He trailed a warm finger along the edge of my dress, down my shoulder toward my chest, stopping just short of being indecent.

My smirk was coy, hiding all kinds of secrets to come. I can’t wait. “My birthday, my decision.” With a sly wink, I waltzed around him, taking the time to look him over like he deserved. “I guess I can be seen in public with you.”

The truth was he looked magnificent as always. The gray sports jacket over his tight black shirt and black pants was the perfect mix of dressy and casual. His long, black hair curved and curled around, framing his perfect face. I brushed a lock back from his eyebrow, wishing he had a tie I could pull on. Instead, I touched my lips to his, letting my fingers drift down to thread through the hair at the nape of his neck.

“Sure I can’t convince you to stay home?” His mouth brushed mine with each word.

“I bet you could, but I’d be so incredibly pissed at you later that it wouldn’t be worth it. C’mon, Captain. Let’s get this show on the road.” I reached up to pat his cheek, grabbed my purse and sashayed toward the door.

He sighed, trailing behind me. “At least I can enjoy the view.”

Our arrival at the party could not have been timed better. We’d told the rest of the guests to be there by five-thirty p.m., so there wouldn’t be any confusion of meeting his friends on the stairs. I sent a quick text to Gina when we were on our way, and she met us just outside the event room.

“Hey, guys! Happy birthday, Avery. You look fabulous!” She gave me a hug, whispering that everything was all set. “Derek, I have a quick question for our girl here, so I’m going to steal her away for a sec. But Josh is coming up with the cake any minute. Would you mind waiting to help him?”

Of course, he was more than happy to do that. Gina rushed me inside, and I beamed as I scanned the room. The banner I’d ordered looked great. Rhonda and Gina had organized photo boards beneath it on the cake table, next to the gifts. I waved to Patty, who grinned as she peeked out from a swinging kitchen door. The counters looked good and sturdy, thankfully, otherwise I’d be worried they’d buckle from the mountains of food.

The bartenders gave me a thumbs-up from behind the bar, which was divided into a whiskey-tasting side and a regular bar. One of Liam’s more brilliant suggestions had been to hire a photographer for the night. His cousin had just finished an internship so had affordable rates but did an amazing job. I grinned as she got into place. Waving and smiling at all our friends, I winced as Gina grabbed my arm.

“All right, Josh is on his way.” She signaled everyone to take their places.

With one last glance around the room, I frowned when I didn’t see Rhonda. Now wasn’t the time, though. Quickly, I rearranged my face back into a smile and gripped the captain’s hat I’d found for Derek to wear.

Josh came in first with the decoy box, stepping to the side.

As soon as Derek walked in, we all yelled, “Surprise!” Then, as planned, we sang Happy Birthday.

I never looked away from his face, my smile growing wider at his stunned expression. Those blue eyes, so sharp, so intelligent, scanned the room, taking in the décor, the details, his friends. When they came back to land on me, my grin grew until my cheeks hurt.

Our song finished with the majority of us ending at the same time, and all eyes fixed on Derek. We waited with bated breath for him to say something, anything. The last thing I expected was for him to blink rapidly, spinning on his heel to rush back out of the door he’d just come through. I met Gina’s shocked eyes, then Liam’s.

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