Race For Love Page 16

  He was worried about her? Usually he was verbally harassing her. She had to admit, she liked the feeling. His scent enveloped her and she inhaled deeply.

  The smell of sandalwood and spice wrapped around her like a cocoon and intoxicated her mind, lulling her body into a pliant, needy state. And his body heat had long since chased the chill away.

  When his hands moved to her shoulders and massaged away the ache, her eyes fluttered shut and she moaned. Derek leaned in and whispered against the shell of her ear. "Why are you so afraid to get in and drive?"

  "You mean, besides that little accident...fire, brimstone? That whole thing wasn't that fun."

  His chuckle was low, making his chest rumble against her back. "You got into a car the other night."

  "I don't know, it's different. This is something I used to love. Now I'm scared of it."

  He nuzzled her neck with his nose and inhaled deeply. "What if there was some way I could help with that, take away some of the fear."

  "You got a magic wand I don't know about?"

  His chuckle was low. "Will a magic stick do?"

  Kiss rolled her eyes. "Okay, 50 Cent. Just how do you propose to take away the fear?" Despite herself, she laughed. Even when she was irritated with him, he made her laugh. This guy was everything she said she didn't want. Except, in this case, she did want. She wanted it bad. She wanted it now. And she wanted it hard.

  Her nipples ached under the threadbare T-shirt, the soft fabric abrading them. Pebbling them. Derek moaned low as he slid his hands up the front of her T-shirt smoothing his large hands over her belly and up over her ribs. When they cupped her breasts, he teased her nipples with his thumbs and she cried out.

  His voice was low, gravelly, against her ear. "Well, for starters, I'm going to give you some positive car associations by making you feel good." He spoke to her in low, hushed tones as his fingers pinched and twisted her nipples, gently pulling at them, dragging a response from her body.

  The wetness between her thighs only intensified as she throbbed for him, her body instantly remembering where they left off last night. With promises gone unfulfilled. A promise she needed fulfilled now.

  By now she knew the truth, there was no walking away from a guy like Derek Donovan. There was only enjoying the ride while it lasted. When he slid a hand down the waistband of her sweatpants, she dropped her head back onto his shoulder and surrendered, letting her knees buckle slightly.

  "Baby, widen your legs a little bit," he muttered. His fingers slid down over her lower belly to the top of her sex, then slipping over the wet, silky flesh and gently resting on her clit.

  He tapped softly, before rubbing slow circles and she held her breath, trembling from toes to fingertips. He added not too much pressure, but just enough to make her want more, teasing her, foreshadowing the coming possession.

  When he slid further to her opening her knees were ready to give out. She called out his name on a ragged breath. Hell, she didn't even sound like herself right now, he had her so twisted with need.

  Derek was good. He knew what he was doing to her. Knew just how to play her body until it sang.

  Against her back, she could feel the thick length of his erection as he pressed into her. Her hips canted backwards and he let out this almost feral groan.

  He abruptly stopped tormenting her and led her down the short steps to the Audi.

  The movement was so surprising and abrupt she dropped her car keys. He gently took her hands between his and planted them both on the hood of the car. "Don't move.”

  Derek kissed her neck and her shoulders, whatever flesh was bared and available. Sliding his hands over her skin from her tight nipples to her belly, he drove her slowly mad.

  He slid his free hand up the back of her neck into her hair, and that got her undivided attention. When he fisted the curls she gasped and a low, keening moan escaped out of her mouth.

  All he did was gently tease her with his finger over and over again, never quite entering her, just enough to tease, to make her roll her hips back, begging with her body and pleading with her softness.

  When he finally drove into her hard, with his fingers, she moaned low as he penetrated her with one finger. Shallow, steady penetrations of his finger into her sex, testing, teasing, tormenting her as his tongue delved deep. As he kissed her, he tasted every inch of her, leaving no corner of her mouth unexplored.

  Kisima whimpered into his mouth and he swallowed every sound she made. When he broke the kiss he panted and whispered against her lips, "Jesus, what are you doing to me?"

  Another searing kiss and two fingers stroked deep into her, curling his fingers slightly as he searched for her G-spot with the tip of the middle finger. He hit his target, and her body gave out.

  Wobbly legs refused to stand solid and she pressed her body unto the hood of the car. Behind her he whispered, "Fuck. Why do I want you this bad?"

  She didn't have any answers for him because he was doing the same thing to her. He was everything she said she didn't want, but she wanted him, bad. She wanted him, now. And she wanted him, hard.

  Derek dragged her T-shirt up over her back, the soft fabric bunching at her shoulders before he lifted her up so she could work it over her head. When she was free, he tossed aside the fabric.

  Kisima's arms gave out and she pressed her breasts unto the hood. But the heat of his body diminished any hint of the cold.

  All she heard behind her was the rustling of clothes reverberating in the silence of the garage. The soft sounds of cotton hitting the floor had her shaking with anticipation. Derek didn't say a word, but she sure as shit felt it when he rubbed the tip of his cock against her center.

  His erection pressed against her ass and she tried to get them to speed up the process by canting her hips slightly up and down, caressing the thick length of him. "Kisima. You're killing me."

  She groaned. "I'm the one who's dying."

  "Every time I think about what you said. About me sliding into you bare. I can't think about anything else. Just the idea makes me hard."

  "I want that. With you. I—I'm on birth control."

  "Kiss..." Her name sounded like a plea. The words were harsh as they tore out of him. “I’ve never…without a condom. Tested…”

  She knew she should be paying closer attention to what he was saying. Tested, clean, never had sex without a condom…but all she could focus on was how he felt. "I want this, Derek."

  He dragged down her sweatpants, and she exhaled on a shuddering breath when he kicked her feet apart, nudging her cleft with his cock. But he didn't enter her right away.

  Instead, he teased. Sliding his thick shaft against her lips, up and down, never quite entering her.

  Only daring to with the tip. Just enough to drive her crazy, to make her beg with her body. She rolled her hips back so he would enter her, but he still didn't give her what she wanted. "Jesus Christ, Derek. Just—"

  He cut her off by sliding deep into her in one stroke. And they both hissed low. "God, I'm so fucking deep." His tone was reverent.

  As he sank into her, he told her about all the dirty, filthy things that he wanted to do to her on this car.

  His strong hands gripped her tight, holding her in position. She was reduced to a begging pile of hormones. Soon the only sound in the garage were moans and begs for more and “That's so good.”

  Derek leaned over and placed a kiss on her neck as far down as her position would allow. The tingling low in her back spread from her core as a wave she couldn't control took over her body. All she could do was hold on tight as it tried to overtake her.

  When the wave crashed into her, she screamed out his name. He didn't relent on his pace, his cock hitting that bundle of nerves deep inside. With thrust after thrust and his harsh, muttered whispers, he came hard, his whole body shaking as his cock pulsed deep inside of her.

  There was no way Kiss was ever looking at a car the same way again.

  25

  Derek stared at
the appeal letter in his hands. He'd had his mail forwarded for the duration of the job and he'd been anxiously waiting for this. Then why don't you open it? He tapped his fingers over it, willing it to say what he wanted. He knew Kiss was at the track so he had some privacy to deal with this. But instead of getting it over with, he was staring at the envelope, willing the answer to be what he wanted. If they'd granted his appeal, then he could go back to his normal life. Back to the team, his friends, just what he wanted. Except, it would mean leaving Kisima.

  A part of him hoped that she'd ask him to stay. Ask him not to leave. But his job was over. She was in great shape. Beyond some residual soreness, he had nothing left to do. There was no way he could make Orgasm Giver an official title.

  He'd promised her he was staying until her race and he was determined to keep that promise. But he had to go. He had to get back to his life.

  He fingered the letter. What if the answer wasn't what he needed? Then what? He still couldn't stay. If it was over in New Orleans, then he had to figure out what the hell to do with the rest of his life. The first thing being, getting off his ass and finding a new job. He'd even work with high school athletes if that's what was called for. And no doubt TJ would leave a favorable recommendation, but he wasn't sure what Kisima would say. Would she see his leaving as abandonment?

  Fuck it. One way or another, he needed to know. He held his breath as he tapped the envelope on one of the short sides, then opened it on the other. The sound of tearing filling the silent room. Derek swallowed hard and opened the letter.

  "We regret to inform you that your application for appeal has been...." With shaking hands, he let the letter flutter to the table. Shit. His heart thundered and his head fogged as the pressure compounded. He'd dared to hope. But now that was gone. What the fuck was he going to do now? How was this his life? He'd always done everything right. One mistake and he'd be paying for it with his dream. Now everything he'd worked for was slipping right out of his grasp and he had no idea how to deal with it.

  It took several moments, but his breathing regulated and his brain kicked in. He wasn't giving up. It wasn't in him. He pulled out his cell and called his father. Maybe there was another legal avenue they could go down. Something. There was no way he was giving up just like that.

  His father answered on the first ring. "Hey, D3, what's up?"

  For a moment, the words caught in his throat and he couldn't speak. But finally the words broke through. "My appeal was denied."

  His father's soft expletive said it all. They'd all been operating on the idea that this would blow over. That Kallie would come to her senses and cool off. They'd made a strong argument and put it all out on the table. She really couldn't fire him just because he didn't want to date her. She was trying to be vindictive. "Did they say under what grounds?"

  Derek scanned the letter again. "They're using the Keshon situation as their reason to release me from my contract."

  "That's bullshit though, that kid didn't disclose the level of his injury because he wanted to play."

  There was no other feeling in the world than knowing your family had your back. "Well that's what they're using. Claiming I received special privileges to stamp him for play. They don't even have to prove it. They can suspend and fire me while an investigation plays out. The only piece of good news that the letter delivered is that the terms of separation will remain sealed. Who the fuck knows what that means? Or if they'll keep that to themselves."

  There was a creaking of a chair on the other end of the line and Derek could practically see his father leaning back in his worn leather chair. "How do you want to proceed, D3?"

  Despite the pit in his stomach, the answer was on the tip of his tongue. There was no world where he would roll over and play dead. "Fight. I want to fight it. She's not going to take my dream away from me."

  "All right then." There was a note in his father's voice that said the old man was proud of him. "I'll draft another appeal and file it today. And in the meantime, I think it's time we involved your sister. Let her use her powers for good and for evil."

  Delilah was a fixer and a damn good one. If anyone could make him look good and get the real dirt on Kallie, it was her. "Yeah, I'd just hoped I wouldn’t have to do that."

  "Well, it seems they're willing to fight dirty. And we're Donovans, we protect our own."

  It was time to pull out the big guns. He should have done this sooner instead of trying to only depend on himself. "You're right, Dad. I'll call Dee."

  "Derek, we'll handle this. Keep your head up. In the meantime focus on the job you have. It's going well, right?"

  "Yeah. Fantastic actually. She's back in the car. Matter of fact, today she's doing test laps."

  "That's amazing."

  "She's really strong. Doesn't give up on anything. I'm really proud of her. I mean, you should see the way she attacked that track her first time back."

  He father was silent for a moment. "Is that a hint of more than admiration I hear in your voice?"

  Shit. "No, Dad. I think I have my hands full already, don't you think?"

  "You and I both know that's a different situation. But regardless, I'm proud of the work you've done."

  "Me too. It'll be a shame to leave, but she doesn't need me anymore. I'm going to have to keep looking for another position while we appeal."

  "You do what you need to do. I'm on this. Call your sister."

  "I will." He was getting his life back. It didn't matter what it took.

  ***

  Everything hurt. But it felt good. Kiss groaned as she dragged herself through the front door. She was stronger than she had been before. Derek had done that for her. All she wanted to do was crash at home and hang out with him on the couch. Home. It was funny how she looked at the guesthouse now.

  When she'd been growing up here, she was desperate to be on her own. She'd always been aware that she was just a visitor and held herself back a little. To her, the opulent lifestyle was just a temporary stop, never home. But tonight, she was looking forward to a typical night with Derek at home. Home. She'd never looked at it that way before. He'd helped change that. What happens when he leaves? She knew she only had a couple of weeks left with him. But she was determined to enjoy every day of it. She'd known what this was. It hadn't stopped her from falling in love with him, but she didn't regret it. Not for a minute. She would just need to figure out how to deal when he was gone.

  As she hung up her keys in the foyer, she checked her phone again. She'd sent Christian a couple of texts since their fight, but he didn't respond. TJ said he was staying at a hotel somewhere near Hollywood. Tamping down the pang of guilt, she shook her head. It's not like she wanted to hurt him, but if she didn't feel it, then she didn't feel it. No amount of hoping and wishing was going to change that.

  The person she did want wasn't going to stick around. Not unless you do something about it.

  "Derek? You here?" The house felt too still, too quiet. Usually if he was there, he was making noise, talking on the phone, yelling at the television if a game was on. Something. She checked the gym looking for him, but he wasn't there. Had he forgotten to tell her about some plans?

  There was a faint thud sound in the distance and she frowned. What was that? No, the sound was closer than that. She grabbed her jacket and jogged out toward the sound. That's where she found him, sweaty and slick going hard in the paint for the basket. She stared agog. Holy cow, he was really good. She could see why losing his ability to play had hurt so badly. He was amazing.

  She joined him on the court with a smile. "You want to show me how to do that around the back twisty thingy, because that looked awesome."

  At first he didn't acknowledge her, just lined up for a three pointer, which he hit with ease. "Did you stretch?"

  She frowned. Why did he sound so flat? "What's the matter?"

  He shook his head. "Nothing. You know you should be stretching."

  He was lying. Something was clearly the mat
ter with him. The truth was in his tense jaw, his pressed lips, and the way he didn't look at, or smile at her. Something was bugging him. "I can stretch up here. Besides, I thought there was a massage in it for me."

  He sighed. "Sorry. I forgot. I'll come down, grab a quick shower and we'll get started."

  She strolled up to him. Sweat dripped off his brow and his T-shirt was soaked as were his shorts. His arms dripped with perspiration, but she didn't care. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she said, "Hey, remember, the same rules apply to you. You can't hide when something is bugging you. This only works if we're a team, so why don't you tell me what's the matter. Then we can find a solution."

  He stared at her for a long moment, like there was something he wanted to say. But then he sighed, and bent to kiss her briefly. She almost acquiesced...almost. He was very good. But she wasn't letting him hide just like he hadn't let her hide. "Nice try. You're very skilled, but I still know something is bugging you. You might as well tell me."

  "I know you want to help, Kisima, but it's better I just deal with it on my own, okay?"

  She blocked his path. "No. Not okay." She dragged in a deep breath. "How about this, I'll play you for it. I get a basket, and you start talking."

  He smirked. "Are you serious right now?"

  She took the ball from him. "Yeah. Why not? I can do this."

  The smirk was back and she wanted to wipe it off his face by scoring a basket. "If you say so."

  "I do." Except, she'd never played basketball a day in her life. But how hard could it be? Aim and shoot right?

  They took their positions at center court and she frowned at him. "What are you doing?"

  His faint smile was humored. "This is called bringing the D. You know, defense?"

  Defense? Who said anything about defense? "So you plan on blocking me? That wasn’t our agreement."