Unexpectedly Yours(7)

 

The heat in that glance set his blood humming again. "Just kinda?"

She licked her lips. "Okay, more than just kinda." Suppressed excitement vibrated in her voice.

The sight of her tongue wetting her lips had Derek choking for air. For a  moment he thought of Caleb and felt guilty. He wasn't the squeaky clean  boy scout Caleb wanted for his sister. On the other hand, Hannah knew  what he was. He wasn't deceiving her, like her ex had.

He reached out and placed his hand over hers. "I'm relieved. I was afraid you'd shoot me down in flames."

"I doubt many women would shoot you down."

Chuckling, he stroked his thumb over her fingers. "I think you're hitting on me, Hannah."

"No, no. I don't know the first thing about hitting on anyone."

"You're doing just great. Keep it up."

She hesitated for a few seconds. "But I shouldn't be doing this."

"Why not?"

"I'm divorced, I have no money, and I'm starting college soon."

"So?" He liked the feel of her hand. He imagined it running over his body. Oh, yeah …

"I have enough complications in my life already," she said.

"I'm not looking to complicate your life."

"But you are because you're Caleb's best friend."

He sighed, the heat ebbing. Caleb, again. Yes, Caleb wouldn't like him  hitting on his sister, but Caleb didn't know about his secret crush on  Hannah because Derek was good at hiding his emotions. And besides, he'd  never really thought about acting on his feelings until he'd bumped into  Hannah tonight and sensed that she was attracted to him, too. He'd  never have hit on Hannah if she wasn't putting out these  more-than-friendly vibes.

"There's no law against admiring a best friend's sister," he said.

She blushed, and there was pleasure in her expression mixed with  confusion. "I'm flattered, really I am." He read the admiration  reflected in her eyes, and felt himself grow hotter in response. "But … "

The word hung between them. Was she still viewing him as a kid? God, how  he hated that. He wasn't the deprived teenager she used to know. He was  an adult, a success. A man. Couldn't she see that?

She pursed her lips, and the sight of her soft, cherry-red mouth pouting at him had his blood thumping.

He might never get this opportunity again. This was his last night in  Pine Falls, and Hannah was more gorgeous than ever. And dammit he needed  her to see him for the man he now was.

"Why does there have to be a ‘but'?" He tightened his fingers around her  hand. "Why can't we live in the moment without worrying about the  buts?"



"Live in the moment?" Hannah said, almost gulping. She couldn't even  breathe properly while Derek was holding her hand. "Is that your motto?"

"It is for tonight."

"Tonight feels like a hallucination." She twisted her half-empty mojito  glass. "Or maybe it's the mojitos. I've never had a head for liquor."

Derek plucked the glass from her fingers and set it aside. "Right. No  more mojitos for you. I don't want you saying I took advantage of you."

"I don't think any girl would complain if you ‘took advantage.'" Oh my  goodness. Why did she keep blurting out these flirty lines at Derek?  "Er, I mean, yes, you're right. I'm sure you don't need the publicity,  especially after Marla." Shoot. She was making this worse. She hadn't  intended to mention Marla.

Derek's lips twisted. "You're not like Marla."

Her heart fell. "You're right. I'm no Marla Beaudry."

"No, I …  That's not what I meant." He tugged on her hand, and his gaze focused on her. "You're much hotter than she is."

The intensity of his blue eyes stole the air from her lungs. "God, Derek, you shouldn't say things like that."

"Why not? It's the truth. I think you're beautiful and gorgeous and incredibly sexy."

He stroked his thumb across the tops of her fingers, his clasp warm and  sure. She watched, mesmerized, as he lifted her hand to his lips and  kissed each finger, slowly and gently. His lips were soft, contrasting  with the graze of his jaw. Desire rippled through her.

Derek was so close she could smell his musky cologne and glimpse the  faint smattering of chest hair revealed by his open shirt. An image of  herself unbuttoning his shirt and sliding a hand over his superbly  defined pectorals rose in her mind. Heat flamed in her, three quarters  desire and one quarter guilt. She shouldn't be fooling around with her  kid brother's friend, but she'd never felt such an instant, intimate  connection with a man before. Her senses yearned for more …    





 

His eyes held hers as he turned her hand and pressed his mouth to her palm.

She gasped. It felt like he was kissing the most intimate part of her.

"You like that?" he murmured against her palm, eyes fixed on her all the while.

All she could do was nod, mesmerized by his touch, his gaze. Derek  looked at her as if there was no one else in the bar, as if she was the  only person in the world, the only woman he wanted to be with. And as  she basked in the blue glow of his eyes, for the first time in years she  felt empowered and sensuous. Felt beautiful and gorgeous and sexy, just  like Derek said.

She ached for his mouth on hers, ached to lose herself in him.

"Show me, then." He brushed his lips across her fingertips. "Show me how much you like it."

A new, extraordinary energy streaked through her. It felt like she was  having an out-of-body experience. She arched her palm against his lips,  then curved her fingers around his chin as she stretched her upper body  across the table. The soft scratch of his bristles against her fingers  excited her. The sudden flare in his eyes aroused her.

She pressed her lips against his. For a second she was still, relishing  his softness, his surprise. Then she intensified the kiss, and Derek  returned it, taking his cue from her. His lips were gentle and  restrained, though she sensed him holding back. She lost herself in the  kiss, tumbling headfirst into a sensuous whirlpool. Kissing Derek was  like nothing she'd ever experienced. Her mouth clung to his as tiny  gasps of pleasure shuddered from her. His lips moved over hers, asking  for more, and she gave it to him, parting her lips to the pressure. The  sweep of his hot tongue inside her mouth jolted her.

She pulled free, surprised at the deep surge of lust overwhelming her body.

"Hannah?" Derek's pupils were fully dilated. A pulse kicked in the base of his throat.

"W-wow." She sat back, helpless to the sensations pounding through her.

"Wow is right." He threaded his fingers through hers.

She fanned her hot face with her other hand. "Must be those mojitos."

"I thought it was my irresistible charm."

"No, I think I'd rather blame the mojitos."

He tugged at her hand. "Why don't we put it to the test again? Somewhere private."

"Private?" Her heart jumped.

"Yeah, like your place."

Her poor heart hopped again. "You mean you want to … " Oh God, she couldn't even say the words.

"You want to, too." His thumb drew circles on her palm, maddening her with desire. "Take me home with you, Hannah."

"I … " She bit her lower lip. She couldn't deny her need. Derek was all  man, and if she let him, he could make her feel all woman again. Didn't  she deserve that? Wasn't that exactly what she needed to kick off her  new life? One night of hot, no-strings-attached sex to boost her  confidence? "I want to, yes, but I don't want anyone to find out."

Especially Caleb. Since she'd moved back, her brother had become so  over-protective. He seemed to blame himself that her ex had cheated on  her, which made no sense. But he appeared determined she wouldn't fall  for another player, and with Derek landing squarely in that category,  she knew Caleb would get all worked up if he found out about her and  Derek.

"No one will find out. I'm leaving tomorrow, remember?" Derek reminded her.

Plus, Caleb was out of town. And she was a woman with needs. And a hot,  young man who knew his way around in bed was dying to take her home and  take care of those needs. If ever she had a chance to throw off the  shackles of her cheating ex and feel young and confident and sexy again,  then this was it. Tonight only. A one-night chance for a one-night  stand to make her feel like a real woman again.

"It can only be one night." She felt compelled to make sure Derek knew  this, even though she was sure he was no stranger to one-night stands.

Holding her hands, he drew her to her feet. "One night is all I need to rock your world."





Chapter Four

Is this really happening?

The question floated through Hannah's mind as she found herself being  driven home in Derek's SUV. She could barely believe this luxurious  Range Rover was his. Back in high school, he'd driven a rusty old  clunker that belched black smoke like a steam train. Now he had leather  seats, climate control, and a serious sound system pumping out Red Hot  Chili Peppers. In contrast, her beat-up old Ford Fiesta didn't even have  working AC.