Page 39 of Silver Fire

“OK, Lockwood. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow for the debrief.”

After Derek hung up with Maia, he went to grab a beer from the refrigerator. He lingered in the kitchen drinking the beer while staring broodingly down the darkened hallway leading to Sophie’s room.

Fuck it. Derek tossed back the rest of the drink and silently made his way to Sophie’s room. He leaned his ear to the door and knocked. “Sophie?”

He heard rustling and then foot falls padded softly to the door. The door cracked open and Derek had to catch his breath at the glorious sight before him. Sophie’s big gray eyes were heated, her skin was flushed, her lips were moist and slightly parted and she was panting.

“Are you OK?”

Sophie shook her head and slowly reached out to pull Derek through the door. “Sleep with me.”

Derek could not be more shocked if she had shot him. She was wearing one of those damned nighties again, and he could see her form clearly through the translucent silk. He just wasted a cold shower because now he was painfully hard.

“Sophie, I don’t think this is a good idea.”

“Make me forget him,” Sophie raised herself on tiptoe and brushed his lips, her hand reaching down to stroke his erection.

“Not like this, Angel,” Derek said gruffly. When had he become so noble? The woman whose panties he’d been dying to get into was offering herself to him and he was the one retreating?

“Will you stay with me tonight?” Sophie asked. “I don’t want to be alone.”

“That I can do,” Derek replied gently. It would be torture, but he wanted her in his arms so fucking bad. She climbed up the bed and smiled at him shyly. He felt a lurch in his chest again as he got in behind her.

He tagged her around her waist, pulling her to him, her back side fitting so snugly to his front. Derek stifled a groan as her butt hit his crotch. He’d probably be awake all night, but he wasn’t complaining. He had her exactly where he wanted her. Not exactly in his bed, but close enough. He lifted her hair to the side so he could plant a kiss on her neck, his fingers lightly stroking her torso.

“That feels nice,” Sophie murmured.

“What, Angel?”

“Your hands. They feel good.”

He planted another kiss on her neck. “Sleep, baby.”

A few minutes later he heard her even breathing. But he was still wide awake and damn he needed to think of dead puppies, sports stats and fuck! What did he agree to? He’d just slip out when she was asleep so he could jerk off in his bathroom. That was the only solution. Derek realized that this was also the first time he was sleeping with a woman. And they were not even having sex.

* * *

In another partof New Park City, in an apartment building penthouse, the scene was starkly different. The floor right outside the elevator leading to the foyer was strewn with a robe and objects that used to belong on top of the half moon table in front of the elevator.

A woman with flame red hair was naked, half-sitting on the table, while a man whose trousers were hanging loose, had his hips wedged between her thighs, thrusting forcefully into her, one hand cupping her ass to leverage against him, the other trapping her wrists above her head in a gesture of dominance.

Their grunts and moans echoed distinctly through the darkened apartment. The intensity of their coupling and the smell of sex permeated the air.

“Look at me, Maia,” Jack demanded as he thrust into her, balls deep. “Do you want to come, sweetheart?”

“Stop teasing me,” Maia glared into his eyes.

“You smell so fucking good,” he groaned as he buried his face in her still damp hair.

“Jack—”

“I need to mark you—”

Thrust.

“Stop it!”

“So no one will think to take you away from me.”

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