Chapter 17
Derek
I’m embarrassed to admit it took me longer than it should have to react and kiss her back. Pulling back, I looked at Mia and saw indecision and uncertainty in her eyes. Suddenly I was overcome with the urge to erase both. My inner caveman was screaming loudly. Pulling her body flush against mine, I brought my mouth down back over hers, tracing the seam of her lips with my tongue, hoping she’d open up and let me in.
Then she did and fuck me, I was not disappointed.
I didn’t know women could taste so sweet.
Hell, I didn’t know anything could.
I don’t know how long we sat there devouring each other, but I was starting to get light headed and craving oxygen when I pulled back, panting.
Resting my forehead against hers, I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to think of anything to re-route the blood back to my brain. “Mia…that was…” I didn’t have the words. I doubted the Oxford Dictionary did.
“Derek, I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me,” Mia’s humiliation was evident as a rosy pink coloured her cheeks and she attempted to slide from my lap, moving away from me. I wasn’t letting her go. Not like this.
Holding her firm, I cupped her chin, forcing her to meet my gaze. “Mia, sweetheart, you can attack me like that anytime you feel the urge.”
Giggling, she buried her head in the crook of my neck, and her warm breath did absolutely nothing to help my current situation. If anything, it made everything slightly less comfortable. Trailing my fingers up and down her spine, I held her against me and was shocked by how right it felt. We fit perfectly. My tiny pixie was in my arms.
When someone knocked into our beanbag, we were jolted from our bubble and back into reality. With a scowl, I watched as Mia wriggled out of my lap and onto the bean bag beside me, tugging down her dress as she went, but not before I managed to steal a glance of her creamy thigh. Damn, these jeans were tight.
After adjusting myself as discreetly as I could, I smoothed out the blanket over our legs and set up the food before tucking Mia up against me. Now I’d had a taste I wasn’t about to stop. This woman was turning me into an addict.
Stealing a glance at Mia, she was nibbling on a cracker, and I said a silent thanks to Zoe for pulling this whole thing together. It couldn’t have gone better. Mia looked happy, and it wasn’t just the flush in her cheeks and the down her neck, there was something in her eyes I hadn’t seen before, but I’d be damned if it didn’t look good there. Like it belonged. And I’d been the one to put it there. I couldn’t help but puff out my chest a little.
“So,” Mia began, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “What movie is this?”
“Honestly?” She quirked an eyebrow at me, unsure. “I have no idea.”
“Really? Then how?”
“Zoe,” I said in way of explanation.
“Ah.” Mia’s eyes dropped. It felt like shit. Maybe I shouldn’t have told her, but I wasn’t going to lie. Zoe wasn’t my dirty little secret, and she wasn’t Mia’s competition, so I didn’t get what the issue was, but before I had a chance to say anything more, the screen lit up and I watched as people around us scurried about like ants into their spots before the credits finished.
As the credits rolled, I decided I wanted to hug Zoe and kill her at the same time. A frigging chick flick. I was going to have to sit through two hours of soppy, lovey-dovey, romantic Nicholas Sparks-inspired bullshit. If it’d just been me, I’d have stood up and walked out the moment the girl tugged on the cowboy boots and headed for the rodeo. These movies were so damn obvious what was going to happen next. But the smile dancing on Mia’s lips kept me frozen where I sat.
Twenty minutes later, it was a good thing I was lying back, because you could have knocked me over with a feather. Mia sat up, and I would have sworn she was going to walk away. We hadn’t spoken a word since the movie started. She’d seemed content to just sit back and watch, and I was more than happy to watch the fading sun settle over her. Then she shocked the shit out me. She packed up the array of goodies, wriggled herself over further, pulling my arm around her shoulder, settling my hand on her hip, and draping the blanket across us before letting her head come to rest on the centre of my chest. Taking a deep breath, I breathed in the scent of her coconut shampoo and I realized I’d never felt like this. It was a strangely powerful and intoxicating sensation. I had this overwhelming desire to claim her as mine.
I’ll admit it wasn’t a bad movie. I certainly won’t admit it out loud and I’m not exactly going to run home and get a copy on DVD, but it wasn’t the worst thing I’d ever sat through. Or maybe it was the woman in my arms that made it bearable. Either way, I didn’t give a shit. About fifteen minutes before it ended, I’d looked down and seen Mia swiping a stray tear from her cheek and the urge to protect her was greater than ever…even if it was only from a corny romantic love story on the big screen. Instead I’d said nothing, just placed a kiss on her temple and held her a little tighter.
“You ready to head out?” I asked, offering my hand to help her up. Those bean bags might look comfortable, but climbing out of them was a bitch.
“Thanks.” Mia took my hand and I helped her to her feet. After collecting the rest of our belongings, we fell in step with the crowd and headed towards the exit.
When I felt Mia’s tiny hand slip into the back pocket of my jeans, I had to look twice to check if I was seeing things. It didn’t seem like something she’d do. But there’s no doubt about it. There it is. Adjusting the bag of leftover food and the blanket in my other hand, I wrap my free arm around her shoulders before dropping a kiss in her hair and whispering into her ear, “You’re going to be the death of me.” She giggles in response. I don’t think she realizes how seriously I mean it. But fuck, do I ever!
We make it to the car and regretfully I untangle her from my arm, fish the keys out of my pocket, and help her in before kissing her again. It’s like I can’t help myself. And it’s not some innocent kiss, either. I pour everything I have into it. Thankfully, I’d scored a parking spot on the edge of the road and now the sun has long vanished and it’s dark and somewhat private, so when Mia moaned and I yanked her towards me, no one was exposed to the floor show we were undoubtedly putting on.
“Fuck me!” I panted, pulling away.
Her hair was mussed from my hands and her lips were wet and swollen from my kisses, but she’d never looked sexier. It was her hazy, lust-filled eyes, though, that made me dizzy. “Not tonight, Rooster.” She winked.
I heard the growl come from the back of my throat and it surprised both of us, causing us to laugh again. I meant to move away and shut the door, I really did, but I needed another taste. Just one more. I couldn’t leave without it. Stepping into the open doorway, Mia’s knees opened and I closed the distance before her knees clamped around my ribs, locking me in place.
When her forehead touched mine, I felt like I was on fire. She was hot, placing soft, sweet, teasing kisses along my jaw. I shifted awkwardly. I was hard as hell. “Derek…”
