Chapter 50
Zoe stifled a yawn as she threaded her needle. The adrenaline rush from the morning’s protest had had worn off hours ago.
She smiled to herself as she pinned a custom appliqué onto T ? m’s final costume, which was softer and more feminine than her previous ones. The creamy orange chiffon hinted at the persimmon
tree where the Emperor completed his third and last quest to prove his love to her.
Derek had also completed a quest by standing up for himself, her, and The Brocaded Slipper . After the crowd outside had broken up, he and Th ? o went straight to work to undo Greg’s damage to the show. He’d tried to send the cast home, but they insisted on staying
to rehearse their choreography.
He’d promised to come downstairs when he had a break. They had so much to discuss without an audience following their every
word.
“You should take a nap,” TJ suggested from his worktable next to her. “Shawn set up cots in the extra fitting room.”
With all the late work hours due to their shortened timeline, the costume shop manager had instituted a no-questions asked
nap policy. Sleep deprivation made operating the industrial sewing machines and extra-hot steam irons dangerous, so Shawn
encouraged power naps.
Zoe filed the idea way for Something Cheeky. Her sewists didn’t pull late nights often, but it might be a possibility once she launched her Asian-inspired formal-wear collection. She hadn’t told anyone about her decision, but she was ready.
“I’m almost done attaching the last persimmon appliqué—ouch!” Zoe had stabbed her thumb with the needle.
She immediately dropped everything on the table and stepped back. Blood was the most difficult stain to remove from fabric,
especially from a delicate fabric that couldn’t handle a lot of scrubbing, like chiffon.
“Zoe, are you okay?” Derek called out from the costume shop door.
His forehead wrinkled with concern as he handed Shawn the large paper bags in his hands before rushing over to Zoe.
“What happened? Are you hurt?” he asked.
“I’m fine.” Zoe laughed as she held out her thumb, where a tiny red bead of blood appeared. “It shocked me more than hurt.
I only jumped back because I didn’t want to mess up the costume.”
“Chill, Derek. She’s not going to sleep for a hundred years,” TJ teased as he handed Zoe an antibacterial wipe and a bandage.
“Wrong fairy tale.” Zoe rolled her eyes at TJ but smiled anyway.
“Let me,” Derek offered and took the first-aid supplies from her. He cleaned her thumb and gently bandaged it as if she were
made of glass.
“That was proof you needed a nap.” TJ tsked disapprovingly. “Or to go home.”
“What I need is caffeine. And to rethread my needle.”
“I thought you might, since it’s the midafternoon lull.” Derek jumped in before Zoe could remind TJ that opening night was
in less than a week. “I brought coffee, sodas, energy drinks, and snacks for the costume shop as a thank-you for your hard work.”
“He’s a keeper,” TJ whispered loudly to Zoe. “Oooh, are those shrimp chips?”
TJ pointed to a familiar pink and red bag sticking out of the brown grocery bags.
“That’s very thoughtful of you,” she said to Derek. “Everyone could use a pick-me-up.”
“I need some sunlight while we still got some. And fresh air,” TJ announced. “Anyone want to join me?”
Zoe chuckled at TJ’s not-so-subtle way of clearing the costume shop to give her and Derek privacy.
“Great idea,” agreed Shawn as he winked at her. “Let’s take a fifteen-minute break and stretch our legs.”
The staff murmured thanks to Derek as they grabbed refreshments and followed TJ and Shawn upstairs. The costume shop was silent
without the rhythmic whir of sewing machines and the steam hissing from the irons.
It was also the first time she had been alone with Derek after their breakup. Here was their chance to talk without an audience,
yet Zoe didn’t know how to start. She bit her bottom lip as she spread the costume out on the table to keep the chiffon from
wrinkling.
“I brought you this.” Derek smiled awkwardly as he dug out a large thermos.
“What is it?” Zoe asked as shyness overcame her.
How in the world could she feel this way with a man who had seen her naked multiple times in the past several weeks and made her cry out in pleasure in more ways than she’d thought possible.
“It’s cà phê s ? a ? á,” he spoke the Vietnamese haltingly. The ice clanged inside as he shook the container.
“I will never turn down iced coffee,” she said a little too loudly for the now quiet room. “Hey, that was good!”
“Thanks. I’ve been watching videos online to work on my Viet pronunciation.” He blushed.
“That’s really smart, Derek. But you don’t have to learn it for me.” She dug through the pile of snacks that TJ had dumped onto the counter. “Almond chocolate Pocky! I didn’t know there was a place near Prestige that sold it.”
“I’m learning for myself,” he admitted. “I had them delivered from H Mart. After this morning’s excitement, we could bond
over some childhood snacks. I got a bunch for the cast, too.”
“I love that you’re always thinking of others,” she said as she glanced at the clock. The staff would return from their break
soon. “But I’m done sharing you with others for a while. Let’s go somewhere we can talk in private.”
“Fitting room?” he said the same time she did. They laughed.
Those two words conjured flashes of their various afternoon “meetings.” They’d only been apart for a week, but it might as
well have been a month. She hadn’t realized how much she needed Derek in her life and in her arms until he wasn’t.
“This time we won’t be interrupted,” Zoe added in a husky voice.
His eyes darkened and he grabbed her hand. “Let’s go.”
As soon as Derek turned the lock to the spare dressing room, Zoe pinned him against the door. She grabbed his hair as his
lips crashed into hers. He was as hungry for her as she was for him.
She deepened their kiss as she pressed her breasts against his chest. He groaned, grabbing her ass and pulling her impossibly
closer. Heat flared through her torso as her body reawakened to his touch.
For six days—at least 144 hours—she’d deprived herself of everything Derek. She’d avoided looking at his handsome face, laughing
at his jokes, and feeling the heat of his naked body in her bed. They had lost time to make up starting now.
“I’m sorry for making you choose,” Zoe said as she broke their kiss to catch her breath.
“You’re not a mind reader. I should’ve told you how bad things had gotten,” replied Derek as he swept her hair back to drop kisses on her neck.
She shivered as tiny jolts zipped across her back. Her eyes closed as she sighed in pleasure.
“You were so hot this morning when you took charge,” she whispered. She rubbed her cheek against his jaw, allowing his stubble
to tickle her. He smelled of coffee and cinnamon.
“You’re the one who was sexy in the spotlight,” he said as his thumb drew circles around her nipple through her top.
“I’m usually a behind-the-scenes person.” Zoe’s mouth went slack as she reveled in the delicious sensations his thumb created.
“Zoe, I wish you could see how beautiful you are right now.” His eyes widened. “I have an idea.”
He turned off the fluorescent lights and flicked the switch for the bulbs that framed the vanity’s mirror. A soft, warm glow
filled the small room.
“What are you doing?” Zoe laughed. “I’m not putting on makeup or costumes. I’d rather rip your clothes off and do unspeakable
things to you.”
“Fuck, yes.” Derek’s voice deepened. “But first, I want you to see how beautiful you are when you come. Trust me?”
Things had gone sour between them when she’d stopped believing that he’d support her. She vowed to never make that mistake
again.
Zoe answered with a slow, deep kiss. He began undressing her until all that was left were her bra and panties. She was very
glad that she’d taken care to match her undergarments today.
“Your turn.”
Her costuming skills made quick work of the buttons on his shirt. Soon his clothes were a pile on the floor except for his
black boxers. The thin fabric couldn’t hide the thickness of his hard cock.
He walked her backward to the vanity and turned her around so that she faced the large mirror. Standing behind her, he met her eyes in the mirror and cocked his head as if to ask Are you ready?
Zoe bit her lip and nodded as her body tingled in anticipation.
“Relax into my arms,” he said as he wrapped his arm around her waist.
“Yes, Director,” she murmured as she readjusted her feet to do as he asked. She sighed as her almost bare back rested on his
naked chest. Heat surged between her thighs as she imagined all the ways he might touch her in this position.
“Open your eyes and see how I see you.” He lifted her chin up.
Her eyelids fluttered open. Zoe’s breath hitched. The woman in the mirror with flushed cheeks and swollen lips was stunning.
Was this how she looked to him whenever they made love?
“How have I missed thee? Let me count the ways,” Derek said as he met her eyes in the mirror.
“My favorite sonnet?” Zoe arched her eyebrows in surprise. He’d remembered her love for Elizabeth Barrett Browning. “You’re
such a romantic.”
“But this is my own version. For your ears only.” He stroked her shoulder as he continued. “I miss the way your eyes light
up whenever you get a new design idea.”
She turned her head to face him as much as she could without leaving the strength of his chest. He kissed her hard and deeply,
his hot tongue thrusting into her mouth and claiming her as his. She moaned into his mouth as she eagerly returned his kiss.
When he finally pulled away, she grumbled impatiently.
“How have I missed thee?” Zoe said as she tried to catch her breath. A sonnet could be a duet. “I miss the way you bite your
bottom lip when you’re super-focused. It’s so cute.”
Derek’s eyes were dark as he unhooked her bra. She lifted her arms one at a time so he could slip it off. She sighed as her breasts hung heavy and ready for his attention.
“I miss your silky breasts.” He cupped both breasts in his hands. “And hard nipples.”
He reached up and rolled her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers. Groaning as they tightened, she forced herself to
keep her eyes open. He continued until he was satisfied with the hardness of her nipples.
“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” He rubbed his palms across her sensitive nipples. “I love your courage to try
new things on your own—and succeed at opening your own boutique.”
Zoe sighed as tiny jolts zipped through her body. She was weak in the knees, but she knew that Derek would keep her steady.
He’d be there to support her like he always promised.
“How do I love thee?” Zoe murmured softly. “I love the way you envision a future that puts our people in the spotlight.”
Her entire body tensed with anticipation as she followed his reflection. He caressed her hip and then her ass. She held her
breath waiting for him to touch her even more intimately.
“You’re the only person in my spotlight, Zoe.”
Derek tucked his fingers into the lace and pulled down her panties. He helped her step out of them. The cool air on her thighs
and pussy only intensified the heat growing inside her. He ran his fingers between her lips, grazing her clit to send sparks
through her. But it wasn’t enough.
“Please,” she begged his reflection as she pushed her ass out to meet his hand. “Touch my clit.”
He met her eyes in the mirror and grinned. “How do I love thee? I love how you’re always ready to stand up for your values
and yourself. It’s so fucking sexy.”
Derek emphasized his words as his fingers found her most sensitive spot. He caressed it with the pads of his fingers, adding the right amount of pressure to make her moan. Zoe’s eyes rolled back as the waves of pleasure pulsed through her body. Her hips bucked against his hands. She needed more than his fingers.
“Abso-fucking-lutely beautiful,” he whispered. “See how you’ve bloomed, Zoe.”
With effort, she blinked her eyes open to meet his in the mirror. He smiled encouragingly and gestured for her to watch herself.
The woman in the mirror was incredibly sexy as she undulated in time with her boyfriend’s hand. That woman was her.
And then there was Derek. His eyes were slightly unfocused behind his glasses. He bit his bottom lip as he concentrated on
giving her pleasure. Zoe swallowed a sob. He truly loved her and would do anything to make her happy. It didn’t matter what
she chose to do next. She knew that he’d support her completely.
Zoe loved him so much that she thought her chest could burst. She’d been a fool not to have seen it sooner. It’d taken her
too many years to recognize how she’d felt about it.
“I love the way you found your voice this morning,” she panted. “I promise to never give you ultimatums again.”
“You won’t have to because I’m never keeping secrets from you again.” He nibbled her neck as she bucked into his hand.
“I love you, Derek,” she cried hoarsely. “Now fuck me.”
“As you wish.”
He quickly ditched his boxers and grabbed a condom from his wallet to slide onto his cock. She smiled hungrily at his hard-on
before meeting his eyes in the mirror. Derek gently bent her over the vanity table but tapped her chin to remind her to keep
her eyes open. He groaned as he slid into her.
“How have I missed thee? I’ve missed your cock.” Zoe’s laugh turned into a grunt as he thrust into her. She held on to the table as their bodies reunited again and again. Her eyes threatened to roll back but she’d promised him to keep her eyes on the mirror.
Derek’s eyes bore into hers in the mirror. Together, they watched as the other came and shattered into a million pieces. Zoe
knew that he’d always be there to hold her up. And her him.