Page 83 of Inevitable Inheritance

“That’s what she said. She said she was celebrating her engagement and having her last night of fun tonight. That’s why the champagne,” Nan said with a shrug. “Get your fiancé to bed, Derrick. The longer you hold her, the more you risk she’ll throw up on you.”

Derrick stared at the disappearing figure and then shook his head. He scooted into his old room, shutting the door behind him with his foot. The dress Taylor was in looked uncomfortable. Maybe he should …No way, his subconscious yelled.Danger zone! Remember how she reacted last time, he reminded himself. Besides, that would be like cutting a piece of cake and then not eating it—damn near impossible to resist.

Derrick laid Taylor on the bed like she was glass and pulled the covers up. He stood back and then leaned down and kissed her forehead. He just couldn’t help himself.

Taylor’s eyes fluttered open at the kiss, and her gaze locked with Derrick’s. God, those eyes, those beautiful blue eyes. He could get lost in them, and she was looking at him, just looking, and he was paralyzed by them. “Kiss me,” she demanded softly and smiled that sweet smile.

“No, Taylor,” Derrick said quickly as he straightened away from her. They needed to talk, like a lot, before they did that again. As he went to step back from her, Taylor grabbed his arm and pulled him back down to her. Damn. For a drunk girl her reflexes were crazy good.

“Come on, Derrick. You know you want to,” she said, pulling herself up and bringing herself millimeters from his face. “Just kiss me.”

“Why?” Derrick asked. “You always seem mad after, so why should I kiss you?” He knew he was being childish, but he just couldn’t help himself.

“That’s just cause I like it so much, and I still want to be mad at you,” Taylor admitted. Derrick made a mental note to get her drunk whenever he needed answers from her. This night had been irritating but highly informative. “You make me forget,” Taylor whispered. “You kiss so good, Derrick. It makes me forget it all. And I like that, and then it makes me feel hot and bothered, and I can’t get enough of it, and it freaks my shit out. But I like it and I want it and I want you. Bad.”

Oh fuck, I should never have asked, Derrick thought. His breath hitched, his cock throbbed, and his hands itched to touch her.You should have just dropped her and run, his inner angel told him, but it was too late now. “No, Taylor, you’re drunk. This is wrong …” Geez, was he trying to convince her or himself? He really wasn’t sure.

Taylor propped herself up on one arm and, using her free arm, unzipped a hidden zipper on the side of her dress and let the fabric fall. She was gloriously naked except for a miniscule scrap of material at her hips.

Derrick scanned her body. He just drank it all in. He couldn’t stop himself even though he realized he was being an asshole. When he brought his eyes up to her face, Taylor’s lips were practically on his. “Tay—” he whispered, his voice strangled, hoarse.

“Ssshhhh …” she said and kissed him softly.

Derrick returned the kiss hesitantly and then dove in full force, grinding into her mouth, his tongue seeking hers. It was urgent, and they were crushing each other. Taylor had her hands in his hair and was pulling him down to her, pulling his chest against her exposed breasts. And they felt like Heaven crushed against him. Her nipples were hard and ready.

Taylor groaned and tried to tug him down.

Derrick pulled back.She’s drunk, she’s drunk, she’s drunk, he chanted to himself.

“Come on, Derrick, please,” Taylor whispered to him. She lay still against the bed and had her hands in his hair, but her eyes were closed.

His internal struggle was quelled when there was a knock at her door. “Sir, do you want your car in the garage for the night?” It was Harry. Derrick had left his car parked in the middle of the carport. He didn’t know if he wanted to thank God or punch the wall for the interruption.

“No,” Derrick said, but it was croaked or hoarse. He cleared his throat and tried again. “No, I’ll be right there.”

“Very good,” Harry said, and Derrick heard retreating footsteps.

Derrick looked back. Taylor was asleep, her hands now lax at his shoulders. He drank her body in again and laid her across the bed, pulled the sheets up, and turned away. He should get her some clothes, he thought, but decided the less he put his hands on her nearly naked body right now, the better. Stepping back, and making certain she was sufficiently covered, Derrick backed out of the room. Out in the hallway, he closed the door and then pressed his forehead against it while he took a deep breath. He apologized to his balls for the millionth time in the last week because they were as blue as a Smurfs.

Home, he told himself,go home.

But with every step he took, he felt like he had just left his home naked in bed.

Chapter Twenty-One

Taylor woke with a groan.Who the hell put the fucking vise on her head, and why was the wall clock ticking so frigging loud?

She flung an arm to protect her eyes from the bright light in the room, and the pumping in her head subsided minimally. Slowly images of the night before filtered in. Taylor mentally cracked the bottle on the bow and congratulated herself for her first sail on theS.S. Hangover.

One bottle, then another of champagne, cocktails with Marty, then dancing, and—oh shit, Derrick, and he was pissed, something about a chase scene and then …

Taylor sat bolt upright and found her naked breast coming out under the comforter. She furrowed her brow, held her breath, and checked to make sure her thong was still intact. She let the air rush out of her and fell back against the pillow. All the movement made nausea a passenger on her voyage.

She didn’t remember it all, but she had most definitely thrown herself at Derrick. “Oh God,” she muttered and threw her arm back over her head. She hesitantly peeked at the clock and saw it was 11 a.m.

It had seemed like such a good plan. And everything, that she could remember, had gone according to her plan.

Yeah, right up until you tried to get Derrick to have drunken sex with you, her conscience reminded her.

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