Page 47 of One Hot Deal

"Well, come in and join the festivities."Hugh pretends he's just now noticed me."Oh, there you are, Derek.You're invited too, naturally."

"Gee, thanks.Your invites are always so cordial."

Hugh walks over to us and throws an arm around Dominic's shoulders."Your girl couldn't come, eh?"

"Chelsea is not my girl.She's a mate, that's all.And she rang me earlier to say she won't be here until tomorrow."

"At least you'll have a date for the wedding."He slaps Dominic's back."A platonic date, naturally."

Then he winks.

Dominic shakes his head and goes into the dining room.

I try to head that way, but Hugh hooks an arm around my neck to stop me.He whispers, "Did you and Diana shag in the summer house?"

"What?No."Not technically.Diana giving me head doesn't qualify as sex.I think.

"Hmm.Avery wanted to hurry out to the summer house to make sure you hadn't gotten eaten by a wild animal—I kid you not—but I managed to stop her.We heard a strange noise, but I told her it must have been a fox."He leans in closer, his arm encircling my throat."She doesn't know what foxes sound like, but I do.That was the satisfied roar of a man who just got his end away."

"Anything I might have done is none of your business."I peel his arm away."Go lay your patented smarm on the guests, Lord Sticky."

"It's Lord Steamy.Will you never learn how to pronounce my secondary title?"

"Sure.On the day you stop butting your nose into my personal business."

He throws his hands up in surrender."From this moment on, I shall not comment on your sexual proclivities."

"Thanks a bunch."

We walk into the dining room together, but split off to find our respective dates for the evening.Maybe Diana doesn't think she's my date, but we have been seated together at one of the two long tables that have somehow been stuffed into the space.The room is large and has always seemed kind of cavernous to me, but it feels downright cramped now, with all these wedding guests in residence.

And this group isn't even the whole crowd.The others are eating at their respective hotels, motels, and bed-and-breakfasts.

Though I take my seat beside Diana, she's talking to Dane Dixon and his wife Rika, not paying attention to me at all.Dominic has been assigned the seat next to me, so I get to talk to him some more about professional cricketing.He tells me several amazing stories about his time as an athlete.I had no idea cricket was such an exciting game.Now I'm jazzed about the matches Hugh wants to have this week.Dominic even offers to coach me so I can participate.

By the time dinner ends, I'm bushed.I stumble upstairs to my room and barely manage to undress before I collapse on the bed.

I dream about Diana's mouth wrapped around my dick.

So yeah, I need a nice long shower in the morning to get rid of the hard-on that dream gave me.Diana is the most incredible woman I've ever met, not only because of her sexual skills, but because of her intellect and determination too.

I've just walked out of the bathroom when the adjoining door is yanked open.

Diana leans against the jamb, roving her gaze over me from head to toe.

I pause in the middle of drying my hair with a towel.The rest of me is on full display, and she clearly likes getting another gander at my body.

She licks her lips."You look good wet and clean."

"Thanks."I saunter over to her and drop the towel."You feel good wet and dirty."

Diana is wearing her PJs, and her hair is messy, like she just crawled out of bed.I love seeing her this way.She's shown me different sides of her lately that make me want her even more—and not just for sex.I'd love to snuggle up with her in bed.

"I'll see you downstairs," she says.

Diana shuts the door.

But she hasn't shut me out.I call that a win.

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