Page 53 of The Money Man
She barely remembered to keep her lips pressed together so that her scream was muffled to a mere groan that got swallowed up in the sound of the jet’s engines.
As the final aftershock washed through her, Derek arched upward and groaned through gritted teeth, pumping so deep that he set off another tremor of orgasm in her belly.
They both collapsed down into the embrace of the big chair, Derek with his head lolling against the headrest, Alice with her cheek on the warm, hard muscle of his shoulder. The plane continued to bounce gently along, lulling her into a half sleep until she felt him shift and slip out of her. She shivered, partly from sensitivity and partly from the chill of recirculated air against her bare skin.
“We should go somewhere more comfortable,” he said. “The sofa in back folds out into a bed.”
“I noticed that on the way down,” she murmured against his shoulder. She willed herself to move but her muscles ignored her.
Derek huffed out a chuckle. “I guess you need some help.”
He held her against him as he maneuvered them both to their feet. Grabbing his suit jacket from the other chair where he’d tossed it, he wrapped her up in the cocoon of wool and silk before steering her down the aisle to the sofa bed. She loved the way his footfalls made the floor sink slightly and his big body seemed to stir the air around them.
When they reached the sofa, she pivoted to face him. “Although you look very sexy in that suit, I don’t think it’s fair that I’m naked and you’re dressed.” She reached for the knot of his tie.
He put his hands on her hips to steady her as the plane bobbed again and lifted his chin to give her room to work the silk loose. “I’m pretty sure it’s a win-win situation.”
“You are such a consultant.” She tugged the tie out of his collar, enjoying the slithering sound the silk made against the cotton.
“They pay me big bucks for an analysis like that.”
She unbuttoned his shirt, letting her fingers trail over the skin as she uncovered it, relishing the contraction of his abs as she touched them. Then she made short work of his trousers and briefs so that he stood in all his bare, muscular glory for her to drink in. “God, I love to look at you.”
She was surprised by the fleeting look of discomfort that crossed his face before he walked behind her and stripped his jacket off her shoulders.
Then his fingers were burrowing into the twists of her bun, feeling for the pins holding it in place. He carefully removed them one by one until her hair uncoiled and cascaded down her back, the brush of it sensual on her skin. When he combed his fingers through it, she let her head fall back to revel in the delicious tingles dancing over her scalp.
She staggered slightly as the plane rocked and he seized her shoulders.
“I think we should take this horizontal before someone gets hurt.” He hit the button that sent the sofa into motion, its taupe leather cushions sliding down and flattening into a double-size bed. “And down we go,” he said, moving her to the sofa bed so that the backs of her knees hit the edge. He wrapped his arms around her and lowered her gently onto the leather, the slippery surface feeling cool against her skin.
He straightened and stood looking down at her so intently that she could almost feel his gaze roving over her body. Despite the fact that he was naked too she suddenly felt self-conscious and exposed. “Hey, come down here and share some body heat,” she said, holding up her arms in an invitation.
“Gladly, but let me add some extra warmth.” He flipped open a compartment behind the sofa and pulled out a comforter, shaking it open to cover her before he slid under it beside her.
“Now I’m sure you’ve had sex on this airplane before.” She shamelessly draped herself over his body, her head on his shoulder, her knee bent over his thigh. “Otherwise how would you know that blanket was there?”
“Because I’ve slept on this plane before. Alone.” He sounded irritated. “After a long, hard day of meetings.”
Happiness flooded through her, and she stroked her palm soothingly over his chest. “Just checking.”
He shook her shoulder so that she lifted her head to look at him. His expression was serious. “I can’t change the way I look. But it doesn’t define the way I behave.”
“You’re right. I’m making assumptions that I shouldn’t. I’m sorry.”
He kissed her and settled her against him more tightly.
Even as she relaxed in his arms, she couldn’t shake off her conviction that this wouldn’t last. After all, his engagement hadn’t.
Chapter 14
The late-afternoon sun slanted through the windows to paint squares of light on the carpet in Alice’s office. Sylvester was curled in one square, his black fur gleaming, while Audley occupied an adjacent square, the gray of his coat shimmering like velvet. Alice rolled her chair away from her desk carefully to avoid squashing anyone’s tail. Jumping up, she paced around the space that usually gave her peace and comfort. But today something was missing and she knew exactly what it was.
Derek. She conjured up his broad, cotton-clad shoulders, his waving brown hair with its glinting highlights, the bump in his otherwise straight nose, and the quirk of his firm, sculpted lips. Now she knew what each one of those attributes felt like under her questing fingers or against her lips.
She felt like she had a hangover, a Derek hangover. Drinking him in for three days and now going cold turkey.
Coming to a halt in front of the window that overlooked her little patio, she crossed her arms and recalled their parting this morning, a smile curling her lips. He’d wakened her as dawn was just brushing pink across the sky and made love to her like a man who needed to imprint it on his memory. Then he’d gone to his office, saying he planned to spend all day and half the night there.
