Page 11 of Hidden By His Side

Summer couldn’t get enough air. She couldn’t do anything but shake and endure.

No. She wasn’t the same girl as the one in that memory. She could make it stop.

Her mouth tried to close, teeth scraping his penis as he pumped inside. Her hands flailed out, finding purchase on his thighs and shoving him back.

Derek’s hands left her hair as he swore.

She hit the edge of the bed, the nausea twisting and sending her scrambling for the bathroom. Deep breaths kept the vomit in her stomach. She wasn’t sure how much time passed before she stood, pushing away from the toilet. She stared into the mirror above the sink, realizing she was crying.

She wanted Ramiro.

No, she needed to stop running to him like that. She was fine. She’d stop crying soon.

“Oh no, baby. You didn’t like it?”

She met Derek’s gaze in the mirror. His eyebrows pulled down, a sad frown on his face. She’d done that. She’d made him sad.

“Move aside so I can wash my hands. I want to hold you.”

She shifted to give him room, staring at his cum-stained hands. While she’d been freaking out, he’d been finishing himself off. A flare of anger rose but then faded. No, this was better. Now she wouldn’t have to feel guilty about leaving him with an erection.

He washed in the sink, and she realized his penis was still out, dangling in front of his pants.

She only had on her underwear and heels. Being naked with a man made her feel vulnerable for the first time in a while.

His water-dampened hands tried to pull her against his chest, close to his hanging penis.

Summer stiffened but forced herself not to pull away. “Can you get my dress?”

She breathed more easily without him in the small space. Her arms crossed over her chest, covering most of her breasts.

“Here,” Derek said, setting her folded dress on the counter, along with her purse. “I thought you might want to…” His hands waved at her face before he slipped back out.

At least his penis had been tucked away.

Summer put her clothes back on, still hating the dress, she admitted to herself, but at least it covered her, mostly.

She washed her face with his hand soap. As she patted it dry, she stared at herself in the mirror, hating what she saw there. She lowered the towel. She needed to be stronger than this.

Her eyes slid to her purse. Her cell phone was tucked inside. Ramiro said she could call him. He’d be mad at her if she was in trouble anddidn’tcall him.

She wasn’t in trouble, though. Derek had stopped.

If she told Ramiro what had happened, he’d try to kill Derek. The man didn’t deserve death for being horny.

Ramiro had tried to teach her how to be strong on her own. She couldn’t handle showing him how pointless all his efforts had been, not on top of how she was already feeling about herself.

Her hand pressed into her stomach harder. The test was in her purse. She still needed to talk to Derek and take the test.

Not tonight. She couldn’t handle anything else tonight.

Ramiro didn’t want her to go home alone. He only had her safety in mind. She couldn’t worry him again, not twice in one day.

He’d told her not to go to work tomorrow, she remembered. Tears flooded her eyes. She was such a crybaby, even at twenty-seven. When she finally stopped, she washed her face all over again.

Summer left her purse in the bathroom as she edged out to find Derek pacing in the bedroom, his expression tight.

“Can I still stay here tonight?” she asked.

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