Risky Replay (Country Stars Forever #1)

Chapter 22

Twenty-Two

EMILY

The car drops us off at Derek’s building as the fireworks start.

“I think we can catch the show,” he says, clasping my hand and leading me to the opposite side of the building, away from the stairs to his condo. His long stride forces me to trot after him. When we reach the third floor, he pulls me around a corner to a step stool under a ladder leading to the roof.

“After you,” he says as he holds my hand, and I climb up and grasp a rung. When I reach the top, a small group of people gather on lawn chairs watching the fireworks. The downtown buildings block part of the fountain-like bursts of red, white, and blue sparkles on the horizon. As the display of patriotism lights up the cityscape, my chest expands. Derek wraps his arms around my waist from behind, and I rest my head on his solid pecs.

When the show ends, everyone claps and the conversations resume. One person notices us, stands, and greets us. Everyone hears the commotion, and eventually, they all greet Derek. He introduces everyone by name. They welcome me to Nashville and chat with Derek about the weather, a new recipe they want to share, or a recent sports team win. One inquires about the opening of Saddles and about Santos. Another, named Tim, tells Derek he bought a new television. Derek asks about a sick relative and another neighbor’s recent trip to Europe. As he spends time with each one, he holds my hand in his. Even if he tries breaking the connection, something deep inside of me demands I don’t let go. Like I have to hold on to the person his neighbors see, the one who cares about others, and others care about him. And the talented country star with the panty-dropping voice is second to all.

When we start our goodbyes, Tim reaches into an ice bucket and offers us an unopened bottle of champagne to celebrate the holiday.

Derek starts to climb down first but he can’t grip the rungs with the condensing bottle in his hand. The chilled glass and humid air make for a slippery bottle.

“When you get down there, I’ll toss it to you,” I say as he hands me the bottle. I wipe it on my shorts, but it’s useless. He reaches the landing and looks up, hands and arms in the air in front of him. “Ready?”

I aim. Before I release it, the bottle slips from my hand and hurls close to the wall. Derek twists and catches it near his knees, preventing it from shattering on the ground.

I rush down the ladder, and we’re both giddy with laughter as we make our way to his place. I’m still in awe of how much love is around this man. His crew gifted him a one-of-a-kind light fixture, his neighbors care deeply about him as does he about them, and he’s smiling like he absorbed the energy and adoration of his fans tonight.

“What?” he asks as we reach his front door.

“Your neighbors love you.”

He focuses on the keypad like he forgot the code. “We’re a friendly bunch.”

“It’s more than that. You make everyone feel special. It’s your magic. ”

He opens the door and holds it for me to enter first. “I don’t have any magic.”

“They gave you a very expensive bottle of champagne. One they know you can afford, but it’s a gift. A we-care-about-you gift. You have the magic with your fans, too,” I say as I walk in.

When I turn, he stands in the doorway, one hand in his jean pockets, and the other holds said bottle at his side.

I walk to him, hook my finger in his belt loop and walk backwards, and slowly take the bottle from his hand. His eyes drop to my lips, and he licks his. Soon, cowboy, soon. Because I’m determined to prove my point, I reach the island and set down the bottle.

I open and close his cupboards, searching for flutes.

“What are you doing?” Derek asks.

I find whiskey glasses and use those instead.

“We’re going to toast to your neighbors. To the Muddy Boots, who had an amazing show tonight, and to you, the man with the magic touch, who makes everyone feel special. Like you did for your crew who bought you this amazing light. And we’re going to do as Tim said. We’re going to celebrate.” I set the glasses next to the bottle and peel the foil off the top.

Derek comes up behind me, wraps his hands around my hips, squeezing them and kisses my neck. “You’re incredibly sexy moving around my kitchen. You belong here, with me.”

I catch the restraint in his voice. This morning, I didn’t consider the aftermath before climbing him like a tree as if a damn bear was chasing me. What are we? A weekend thing. A Fourth of July thing? A summer thing? It’s not, and I don’t know why anymore. Would this attraction, this affair, tarnish the rest of my relationship with Derek and make things awkward until James is old enough to fly from state to state on his own? Will Derek stick around only until James turns eighteen, or are Derek and I truly tied forever?

To keep myself from saying something regretful, I unfurl the cage protecting the cork .

Derek palms my ass and squeezes, making the bottle wobble in my hands, and I rub my ass against him. We both moan, because we want this too much, and I don’t know why I’m opening a bottle when we should be naked in bed. I give one final twist, and as soon as the restraint is removed, the cork shoots into the air with a loud bang. It disappears. At the sound of shattering glass, Derek yanks me away from the island. I clutch the bottle as shards rain down in front of us, and liquid flows over my hand.

Oh shit.

A section of the light fixture is ruined. My hand flies to my mouth. “I’m so sorry.”

“Are you okay?” He twists me in his arms and inspects me.

My core shakes because seconds ago, I finished a moving speech about the damn thing, and then I go and destroy it.

Since I’m shivering, Derek continues his perusal. When he decides I’m unharmed, he loosens his grip, and I swig champagne straight from the bottle. The carbonation stalls in my throat, and I cough. “I’m so sorry,” I say again when I can talk.

I help him clean up. I will fix this for him. I can’t believe I broke something special to him.

“Hey,” he says. “It was an accident. I distracted you.”

I shake my head. “I insisted, and we threw this bottle down one floor. Of course, it was all worked up.”

Derek chuckles, taking the bottle out of my hand and taking a swig himself. “Well, at least we can enjoy this.” He grabs my hand and drags me toward the bedroom. “And we can do it here where there is no danger of falling glass.”

“Do you think the guys will tell me where they found it? I can fix it.”

Derek sets the bottle on the nightstand and shuts me up with a kiss. A hard press of his lips, and his hands slip under my shirt, gripping my ribs. A finger slips under my bra, caresses the underside of my breast, and awakens the empty ache between my legs.

I moan. I push at his chest .

“It’s one of a kind,” I say, my voice cracks from the brewing guilt. I’ll do whatever it takes to fix it.

“Worry about it later.” He nuzzles his nose into my neck and lays tender kisses along my skin.

My mind loops on the image of the broken light. I’ve cost him.

His lips land on my cheek as if I were something precious about to explode and trail to the spot behind my ear. “In my bed. Now.”

When I don’t move, he captures my cheeks in his hands and tilts my head until I can only see his face. “It’s fixable. But you don’t have to worry about it.”

He kisses me again, this time, holding me in place as his lips move in a slow reverent pace, turning my insides into warm honey. I press my hips into his, pinning his hard cock against my stomach, and my inner walls flutter with need. My body remembers Derek’s skilled touch, making me ache until I shatter into millions of pieces and land back together. Never the same.

As Derek’s tongue sweeps into my mouth, I accept my fate. Everything will change after tonight. We’ll exhaust ourselves trying to fit into each other’s lives. We’ll end up not wanting to be near each other. Then he’ll stop coming around.

“Em,” Derek says softly. “Tell me you’re in this with me. Or are you worried about the light?”

I suck in a shuddering breath. “I’m here. In it with you.” I force the thoughts of our potential to fuck this up out of my mind and focus on the honey brown flecks in his eyes.

“No more thinking,” he says before he guides me backwards to the bed until my calves hit the edge. He resumes the spine-melting kiss. He slips his big warm hands under my top, and unlatches my bra. He captures one nipple between his thumb and forefinger, drawing it to a peak. Derek’s roughened touch sends sparks throughout my sensitive skin.

I groan, and it sends us into a frenzy. Clothes fly around us. I fumble as I unfasten his jeans. Fuck, why do they complicate men’s clothes? Derek smiles against my lips before his hands join in and shoves them down his thighs. He stops, because he forgot to remove his shoes. His balance teeters, and I laugh. With a wicked grin, he puts his hand on my shoulder and pushes me enough to lose my balance and land on my ass on the bed. Laughter takes over.

Derek, still struggling with his shoes, gets down on his knees and drags my ass to the edge. My panties are still on, and he works them down my leg. He stops when he gets to my boots.

He growls and rips the panties on one side leaving them dangling around my ankle.

He hooks his big hands over my thighs, and holds me to the mattress. His lips land on the inside of my knee and work their way up, avoiding my apex. The jerk. He trails down the other leg, and I sink my head into the mattress. “You tease.”

He laughs against my skin. “You wait your turn, angel.”

He returns up my body and kisses my hipbone and my lower stomach, draws a circle around my belly button, and then heads down again. He hums as his lips graze over my overheated skin from one side to the other. I’m familiar with the lined pattern of marks from hip to hip. “Got them from James.” He stops. I tuck my chin at the same time he looks up at me.

“Beautiful.”

I drop my head back and shiver. Derek crawls up my body, trailing kisses over every inch of me. He takes his time licking, sucking, and flicking one nipple until I squirm, shoving my pussy into his body desperate for friction. He moves to the other, repeating his ministrations. I groan, a deep, guttural sound full of anguish. Derek’s amused chuckle makes his body vibrate over mine, worsening the torture. I pull at his hair, forcing him to break contact and shimmy down the bed so I can line my pussy up with the tip of his cock.

Derek grins. “So impatient.”

“I need you to fuck me,” I growl with his hair still in my grasp.

He holds my waist and presses me into the bed. He kneels between my legs, grabs my wrists, and places them over my head. With one hand he locks me in position.

“Patience,” he growls.

He returns to laying kisses over my collarbone and up my neck. I clamp my knees around his hips, and he stops what he’s doing. His eyes narrow. “You have two choices. Lay here and take what I give you, or I let you go on one condition.”

“What’s that?” My voice is all breathy.

“You run so I can catch you.”

Oh.

My.

God.

I break out into goosebumps as my overeager pussy floods with desire.

He smiles. “You want to play?”

“Is that…is that what you’re into?” I struggle to get the words out.

Instead of answering me, he loosens his grip on my wrists. Maintaining eye contact, his free hand works its way down my abdomen, and two fingers sweep into my pussy. He brings them to his mouth and tastes.

“Mmm, sweeter than I remember.”

A shudder runs through my spine.

His wet fingers enter me, and my hips snap up on their own.

He growls his disapproval of me moving. He releases me and his eyes narrow. “You won’t get far.”

He’s serious? My body is on fire, and my libido screams yes, yes, yes .

I love this game already.

I push off the mattress with both my hands. He blocks one side of the bed, so I pivot and scamper off the other end. He moves to block the door.

I bite my lip, and he grins. I can barely breathe I’m so turned on.

I see the moment he’s distracted, and I bolt. He catches me with one hand and presses me against the wall. With his hands holding my hips, he kneels. Derek’s mouth covers my pussy. Oh god, yes. My nails dig into his shoulders. He licks a stripe, the second one is slower, like he’s savoring me. My hips buck. He looks up at me as he sucks my clit into his mouth.

My toes tingle as my body melts into the door.

He taps my thigh, and I hook it over his shoulder. He hums, and waves of pleasure crash into my core. The top of his head and the slope of his back move under me, like a lion feasting on fresh kill. The sound of my labored breathing fills the room. My legs quake.

My clit swells and throbs under Derek’s attention.

He stops. I whine. His mouth and chin glisten with my arousal. “I need more, angel,” he says, his voice is rough like shards of glass. “I was going to wait, but I need to come inside you.”

I nod. “I’m on birth control. Still need a condom.”

He moves towards the bedside table, and produces a few square packets. I stumble to the bed because my legs won’t hold me. He rolls one on, scoots me up the bed, and lines his body up with mine. His cock nudges at my entrance.

“Angel,” he whispers reverently, and presses his tip into my pussy.

I’m done waiting. “I swear, Anderson, if you don’t get inside me, I’m going to?—”

A guttural moan escapes me as his massive cock invades my body. I don’t breathe for what feels like forever. I lift my knees and hook my heels onto the back of his thighs, allowing him in deeper. When he’s seated all the way inside, he stills. “So damn perfect.”

I agree. I let out a breath. “Fuck me, cowboy.”

His eyelids are heavy with lust and his mouth parts.

His dick moves and stretches me. My inner walls clamp onto his cock like they never want to let go as he moves sinfully inside me. With each thrust, he curses, and praises me. Our bodies rock in unison. The rhythm of my breath matches his. Our sweat mixes and pools in the valley between my breasts. My heart beats at a frantic pace.

He hooks his arms under my knees and when he re-enters me, I feel him everywhere. He invades and probes every inch of me, summoning my orgasm from the deepest cells of my body. Waves of satisfaction roll into the fluttering need to let go. To come. To release all the tension of the past month and let Derek catch me. Because when he does, I doubt I’ll be strong enough to run again.