Page 81 of The Sound of Silence

With one hard thrust, he plunged deeper. My sensitive tissues rippled and spasmed uncontrollably, his words sending me into a heart-pounding orgasm. Colors flashed before my eyes as the rush surged through me.

“Derek!” I cried out, unraveling around him, my body overwhelmed with the sensation of blinding white heat. I was mindless, writhing against him shamelessly as I split apart at the seams. My fingernails clawed at his back, pulling him closer. His body shuddered before he stilled, then his cock became impossibly harder, pulsing deliciously as his own climax burst forth.

35

Gianna

Thirty minutes later, Derek and I were still a tangle of limbs and sheets. I didn’t want to move, wanting to extend the after-bliss of the most intense sexual experience of my life for as long as possible instead. I suspected Derek felt the same because every time I shifted, he’d groan and pull me tighter to his hard, warm body.

I didn’t know what was happening between us and found my mind racing to keep up with my heart. He’d stumbled into my life at the most inopportune moment. I was building a new life here, and I meant what I said to him—I wanted him to be a part of that. There was only one thing truly holding me back from completely giving into my feelings for him—a marriage certificate. Filing for divorce meant returning to Cincinnati and seeing Ethan. I knew it was only a matter of time before I had to face my demon again. I had hoped to allow more time to pass, but I didn’t want to live my life like this. I needed an exit strategy—one that didn’t include hiding and would allow me to be free of Ethan once and for all.

I rolled onto my back and giggled when I heard Derek’s stomach rumble.

“Worked up an appetite, did you?” I teased.

“You damn near killed me, woman. If I had known it would be that good, I might not have been so patient these past six months,” he teased back. “But now we need sustenance. Do you have eggs in the fridge?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Perfect. I’m going to make us some breakfast.”

Disentangling himself from bedsheets, Derek stood. Foregoing his boxer briefs, he slid his jeans over lean, muscular legs and buttoned the fly. He didn’t bother with a shirt, just tossed me a wink and sexy grin before disappearing into the kitchen. When I heard him rifling through my cabinets in search of ingredients and pots and pans, I knew I should get up to help him.

Dragging my sex-laden body from the bed, I went into the bathroom to get dressed. One look in the mirror and I cringed. My wet hair had long since dried and was sticking up in all directions. I wet a hairbrush and worked to smooth it out. As I combed through the snarled strands one yank at a time, a familiar feeling of trepidation came over me. It was the same sort of feeling I’d felt the other day when the toothpaste was out of place. Instinctively, I glanced down at the counter.

The toothpaste wasn’t there.

My stomach sank. I knew I left it out. There’s no way I’d accidentally put it away a second time—especially after what happened when it was out of place the last time. I yanked open the vanity drawer, and sure enough, the toothpaste was there, but what was worse—it had been rolled up from the bottom. I was one hundred percent sure I hadn’t done that.

I placed a hand over my mouth and stifled a scream. Either someone was playing a very sick joke, or Ethan had been here. Nobody knew about his toothpaste obsession except me. If he had been here, when? I retraced my steps. The last time I’d used the toothpaste was last night before going to bed. That would mean he’d have been here between last night and… I felt all blood drain from my face as the realization dawned.

He might still be here now.

Fear seized my gut, and I ran to the kitchen. The pressure in my chest was so severe, I could barely breathe. Derek was at the counter cracking an egg into a bowl. When he saw me, his concern was immediate.

“Sparky, what’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“The toothpaste. Did you use it?”

Derek scratched his head, a perplexed look on his face.

“Uh, yeah. This morning actually. I hope you don’t mind. I didn’t use your toothbrush though. I just used my fing—”

“I don’t care about that. I just need to know—did you put the toothpaste away in the drawer?”

“Maybe. To be honest, I don’t remember.”

“What about rolling the tube up from the bottom? Did you do that?”

His confused look transitioned to genuine concern. I was sure I sounded like a crazy person but I didn’t have time to worry about it.

“No, I don’t think I rolled it up…maybe. Gianna, Christ. It’s only toothpaste. Why are you so upset?”

His placating tone reminded me of Natalia when I asked her to drive by my old house. It made me remember I hadn’t heard back from her. Immediately, I snatched my cell phone up from the kitchen counter and dialed Natalia.

“Nat,” I said once she picked up. “Did you ever do that drive by like I asked you to?”

“Good morning to you, too,” she mumbled. “What the hell, Gia? It’s not even eight o’clock yet… and it’s a Sunday.”

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