Page 85 of Dealing Dirty
Crossing the small space between us, I fist my hands into his suit jacket as his fingers grip my tapered waist.
“Jackie didn’t betray us,” I blurt, defending him yet again. I don’t understand it, but somehow, someway, he became my friend.
His shoulders slump with relief. “Where’s Hazel?”
“Ben gave me a meeting point and told me to be there at ten,” I say.
The soft glow of his phone lights up his face in the darkness. “We’ve got fifteen minutes.”
The space between us shrinks by the second, and the warmth of his chest teases mine. His gaze shifts down to my rhinestone-accented cleavage, quickening my breaths.
Excitement builds as I gently remove his mask. I’d cursed myself once for not telling him how handsome he was, and I’m not about to make that mistake twice.
“You’re stunning,” I admit.
Withdrawing from my waist, he tickles my flesh with a single fingertip, drawing it along the exposed portion of my collarbone before lazily dragging it down. Goose bumps pucker beneath his touch.
“Thank you. For, um, coming here for me,” I say.
His chuckle forms a light breeze against my cheeks. “By the look of the man I just shoved into the coat closet, you didn’t need me.”
There’s no jealously or contempt coating the statement, only pride.
“No, I didn’t need you,” I say, splaying my hand across the darkened plane of his cheek. The rough stubble brings warm memories of our bodies pressing together in heated pleasure. “But I wanted you here, Derrick.”
His hand snakes up to cup mine as he leans into my touch. Minutes tick away from us, but I cherish every burning second.
“I was such an ass, Juliana. I should have never acted that way.”
Snorting a laugh, my belly flips as he brushes a kiss to the inside of my wrist. “I can’t disagree that you were a completeimbecil, but it was wrong to storm out on you.”
His easy smile places a matching one on my lips.
“I don’t know why it’s taken me this long to see it. Growing up with my mom always atPapá’sbeck and call… it seemed like a prison. But living my life with random strangers warming my bed wasn’t giving me the freedom I sought, either. Instead, it was creating a void.”
His voice is a delicate caress. “That night I spent with you in Vegas was one of the best nights of my life.”
“Even though I passed out?”
“Especially because you passed out.” His wandering finger finds its way to the other side of my chest. “Don’t you know how adorable you are when you snore?”
Gasping, I move to swat him, but the hand that teased me wraps loosely around my wrist.
“What if we were to make another deal?” That mischievous grin warns me of trouble, but Derrick’s eyes soften as he keeps them steadily trained on mine. “If I promise to never go caveman on you again, may I kiss you?”
“We both know that’s a promise you can’t keep,” I say weakly.
My knees shake as the tender brush of his warm lips presses against my temple, and cool air touches my face when my mask is removed.
“Just once,” he whispers against me.
To let Derrick kiss me would mean terminating our original agreement—the one put in place to keep me safe. It would mean exclusivity and giving him my trust and…
Oh,screw it.
“It’s a deal,” I say before hauling him against me.
I inhale his laughter and brand his smile with my lips. White-hot lightning flashes behind my closed eyes, and I whimper. “Derrick.Por favor.”
