Page 132 of All In Good Time

Becca’s heart skipped, and the heat from his stare went down her entire body. She shifted on her feet. “Don’t be gross.”

“Gross?” He raised a brow and his hands around her lowered, sensually moving down the sides of her body until they passed her waist, then settled on the back of her hips. He took a small step forward, until their chests were flush together.

Becca blinked and swallowed.

“I love you, Becca. I am so ridiculously in love with you that the thought of anything else pales in comparison. I would sleep next to you forever,loveyou forever. I don’t think that’s gross.” His head lowered with each sentence, and when he was done, his lips were nearly touching hers. His breath brushed over her face.

Her breath caught, and without another word, he closed the minuscule distance.

It was slow and tender, his mouth working hers with such care, her heart melted in her chest. It grew deeper, his fingers digging into the fabric of her pants.

Again, her arms wrapped around his neck, and her lower half pressed against him. She sighed into him.

“Please,” he mumbled into her mouth, “let me love you.”

He asked her permission, and she granted it.

Becca nodded eagerly, and Derek moved to pull her legs up, so they wrapped around his waist. She gasped in surprise, then chuckled without breaking the movement of their lips as he started forward.

He climbed the stairs and entered her bedroom. The lights were off, so he flicked them on as he walked past, and then carried her to the bed.

His fingers grasped desperately at the flesh below her hips, and he knelt on the bed and lowered her softly so her back lay on the pillows.

Pulling away, his eyes followed the path from her mouth…down, down, down every inch of her body. His irises were blown out black, and Becca matched the desire she saw in them.

She bit her lip and let her own eyes dip down his body. Her breath caught at the sight of his tented pants.

“I’m going to show you…” he said, leaning forward again so his hands were positioned on each side of her head. His face came down, gently encouraging her neck to expose itself. “Just how much I love you.”

She would never forget the way Derek Stokes loved her.

His hands brought her to life and made her feel things she never knew were possible.

This boy, that had once been a stranger on the side of the road, was the only thing in this world that could make light spark on the back of her eyelids with his lips and his hands. He touched her bare skin like she was the most precious thing in the world, and when they collapsed, panting, she held him tight in the soft moments afterward because sheknewhe was.

One of his hands brushed the side of her cheek, as his eyes closed. A small smile lingered on his face.

She never thought she’d be able to love someone the way she loved him. Never considered it would happen with someone who’d been by her side for so long.

Her own hand came up and stroked his upper lip.

He was gorgeous, lovely, kind. How did she become so lucky?

“Will you be my girlfriend?”

Becca gasped and laughed. She smacked him playfully on the shoulder. “Isn’t that something you’re supposed to askbeforewe have sex?”

He opened his eyes and positioned himself so he was leaning over her on his forearms. “I was going to, but then I got a little distracted.”

She laughed and reached her hands up to his face. “You’re so lucky I love you.” She pecked him on the lips.

He bit his lip and ducked in again for another, longer kiss. Soft and content.

When he pulled away, Becca pushed strands of his hair behind his ears so she could see him clearly. “Stay here, Derek. I’ll talk to my mom. It can be just until you figure out what you want to do. You both have a home here, if you’ll take it.”

He cupped the side of her jaw and grinned down at her. God. He was beautiful. And he was all hers. He nodded. “Okay.”

49

---