“Love you too. I think I’ll bug Faith. She sounded down when I talked to her earlier in the week.”
“Good. Tell her that I will personally kick her ass if she doesn’t have a date for the Halloween party in another two weeks.”
“Okay. Good plan. Later. Oh, one more thing.”
“Yes?”
“Tell Derrick I said hi.” Hailey disconnected, laughing.
So much for keeping her life private. Sydney wanted to be mad but couldn’t. Hailey knew her too well. Probably better than she knew herself. She’d be a perfect sounding board. Maybe she could explain why Sydney couldn’t stop thinking about Derrick. The sex was incredible. Had to be a physical thing. So why did she take such great comfort in just seeing him?
Men. They made a muddle of everything.
Glaring down at her hands, at the same fingers that had clutched Derrick while he’d kissed her, she tried to talk herself out of her excitement about tonight. On the drive home and the quick shower to relieve herself of the daily grime—and Derrick—she tried to talk herself out of her stupid fascination with the man.
She deliberately tossed aside the garters and stockings she’d worn and dressed in sweats and a long-sleeve T-shirt. She swung her hair into a ponytail and refused to put on make-up. If this didn’t scare Derrick away, nothing would.
All set to finally put the man from her mind, she answered the doorbell when it rang, ready to end their pseudo-relationship before it had a chance to begin.
Except when she opened the door, she couldn’t look away from him. The stubble on his cheeks looked sexy. His green-eyed stare mesmerized her. Full of an odd combination of longing and irritation, they seemed to mirror exactly what she felt. He wore the same clothing from today, minus the T-shirt he’d sacrificed to clean her up. A minor, selfless thing that shouldn’t have stuck in her mind. Yet it had.
He eyed her up and down. But instead of frowning, he grinned. “Perfect. Here.” He shoved a pizza box at her and walked in with a six-pack of beer and a bottle of wine tucked under his other arm. And not just any wine, but her favorite Cabernet.
She set the box on her table and turned to confront him. But he’d already moved into her living room and made himself at home. His shoes lay by the coffee table and he’d relaxed on her sofa. Two sweaty and bloody men grappled on the television in the middle of a cage, and he had taken a beer out of the six-pack and set it on a coaster.
“Come here.” He patted the spot next to him.
Bemused at the lack of a grand seduction, she walked to his side and propped her hands on her hips, not sure what to do with him.
He looked tired. Handsome, but the shadows under his eyes didn’t lie.
“Have you lost weight?”
“I could ask you the same thing.”
How could she be mad at him for saying such a sweet thing? “You commandeered my remote.” She glanced at it tucked by his side. A definite foul.
“Yep.” In a surprising move, he tugged her down next to him. She lost her balance and landed on the couch, half sprawled across him. He didn’t let her go.
He actually hugged her tight. “Nice.”
Was he sniffing her hair?
She should pull back, set some boundaries. Make sure he knew to keep it casual.
Then he apologized. “Hear me out. This is a peace offering. I’m sorry I called you and left messages. I know we’re just friends, I promise.”
“Oh right. Casual acquaintances who just had sex a few hours ago.”
“Right.”
She leaned back and saw his lips quirk. An answering smile lit her mouth, and a chuckle worked through her. “Exactly.”
He started laughing. She joined him.
They watched the match, her in his lap, as he explained the rules. Not long after, they devoured the pizza, which had her favorite toppings—pepperoni, mushrooms and black olives—and she found the beer to be just as good with the pizza as her wine.
But what shocked her most about the night was waking up the following morning in her bed, fully dressed, next to Derrick. They hadn’t had sex. The night had been one of the best she’d had in ages. And she knew to her toes there was nothing remotely casual about her feelings for this man.
Damn, damn, damn.
Chapter Six
The past week had been sheer hell. Somehow Sydney and Derrick had gotten their clichéd roles reversed. She wanted sex, and he had a constant headache. Tonight made their eighth night together in a row. A solid week of being together, and to her shock, she loved spending time with the man. The celibacy she could have done without, but his company actually made the trouble of seducing him worth it.
She only had herself to blame, though. She’d insisted on a casual relationship. Just friends. Without benefits, apparently. Who knew the man would be so literal? He called her just to talk during lunch, and they’d resumed their discussions about any and everything.
Eight days of seeing, laughing with, and being with Derrick, with no sex.
They walked around the fairgrounds, the lights of the carnival rides giving the night a special glow. Together, they watched families laughing, children playing and teenagers daring each other to ride everything from the speedy Himalaya to the vomit-inducing Vortex.
He’d won her a stuffed kitten. She’d beaten him ringing the bell at the strongman booth, which she found hilarious. He’d taken her ribbing with good humor, which didn’t surprise her. Derrick Warren was an easy man to like. He had a great sense of humor and a gracious heart. When a small boy bumped into him and dropped his ice cream on Derrick’s shoe, Derrick bought him a new one. Not one complaint about swirly strawberry all over his boots, or that the kid had barreled into him, not the other way around.
“Cotton candy?” Derrick nodded to a booth in front of them. “You’ve been eyeing the pink stuff all night.”
Actually, she’d imagined rolling Derrick in the stuff and licking it off bit by bit.
She must have given him a look because he practically ran toward the booth. She rolled her eyes and followed. Her secret weapons seemed to be working. The form-fitting jeans and low-neck peach sweater she wore had garnered her breasts and ass more lingering attention from Derrick than she’d had all week.
“Hey honey.” She turned. A large man sitting at a picnic table with his friends waved at her. “Need a friend?”
“She’s got one,” Derrick answered from over her shoulder.
“Bummer.” The guy shrugged and turned back to his friends.
She let him steer her away and accepted the stick of cotton candy, thrilled at his possessiveness despite her resolve to keep things casual. Though she’d insisted they not hold hands, hug or do any of those other relationship things, she allowed him to grab onto her hand just this once. She liked his large, warm grip. The feel of calluses reminded her he worked for a living. Those muscles in his arms, chest and thighs weren’t just from a gym.
“Mmm,” she moaned and licked at the confection, pleased when his gaze locked on her mouth. His eyes darkened and his breathing grew raspy. Was it evil to seduce him? No. Not when the man hadn’t said yes all friggin’ week.
There had been a few kisses, some heavy petting, that iron-hard bulge between his legs tempting her to grab hold, and then he’d pull away and find some lame excuse to leave for the night. He was killing her!
“Stop it.” His voice was husky. “You’re putting bad thoughts in the minds of men and teenage boys everywhere.”
“How about yours? You thinking bad thoughts, Father Warren?”
“Father…? Oh, very funny. Though come to think of it, I would make a fine priest. I did make you shout out for God not too long ago. God, please. Oh God, yes,” he mimicked in falsetto. “Harder, deeper, dear God…”