Chapter 31
Zoe set down her fabric shears and unlocked her phone. But there were no new texts since she’d checked two minutes ago.
“Relax. He hasn’t missed a day in the past two weeks,” TJ whispered as he brushed past Zoe on his way to the sewing machine.
“Don’t forget his schedule isn’t as flexible since rehearsal started last week.”
“What are you talking about?” Zoe feigned ignorance and shoved her phone into the front pocket of her work apron.
“Your lover boy who delivers your afternoon coffee.”
“He’s not my lov—”
“Then explain why you take private ‘meetings’ in the fitting room every afternoon at three?” TJ glanced at the clock. “Maybe
quarter after, since he’s late.”
“I’m showing him the costumes in the fitting room. So he can see how they’re progressing.” She wasn’t lying to TJ, only omitting
what happened after she updated Derek.
Like yesterday, when Derek had pinned her against the wall as he pleasured her with his hand while his kisses swallowed her
cries. Zoe’s cheeks weren’t the only part of her that blazed with heat.
“You mean those costumes?” TJ pointed to the garments hanging on racks on the far side of the costume shop.
She swallowed hard. She didn’t know how much longer she could hide her relationship with Derek from TJ. He was twice as nosy as he was observant.
“Those aren’t ready for the actors’ fittings yet.” Those pieces were only partially constructed because they were working
in order of most complicated costume to simplest.
“Liar, liar, pants on fire,” TJ accused.
“I’m wearing a skirt,” she tossed back. She’d taken to wearing skirts or dresses every day to make her afternoon “meetings”
with Derek flow more smoothly.
TJ cocked his head and set his hand on his hip. She returned his stare with a sweet yet mischievous smile.
“I will get the truth out of you.” He waved a finger at her.
“The truth about what?” Derek asked as he walked into the shop. He held a cardboard tray with four drinks.
TJ looked at Zoe, then Derek, and back to Zoe. He held two fingers to his eyes before pointing them at Zoe in an I’m watching you sign. She laughed nervously. Derek stood in the doorway with a confused expression.
TJ grabbed two coffees from Derek and delivered one to the shop manager, Shawn, who was working in his tiny office with glass
windows looking into the costume shop.
“Um, here’s your cà phê s ? a ? á,” Derek said tentatively as he passed Zoe her usual order.
“I’m taking my break,” TJ announced loudly. “You two better behave.”
“What was that about?” Derek asked after TJ left.
“He’s just being dramatic.” Zoe leaned in closer and whispered, “I think he’s on to us.”
“How? We’ve kept our relationship very professional while we’re at Prestige.”
“I wouldn’t call yesterday’s two orgasms HR-approved.”
“You’re right. I think it needs to be a lucky three.” He leaned in closer, his voice deepening.
“Well, Mr. Bui, we’ll have to test your theory,” Zoe replied in an even tone as a shiver ran down her back. She closed her
eyes as she recalled the sensations that ran through her body the prior afternoon.
“If you insist,” he replied with a gleam in his eyes.
“You didn’t text me that you’d be late today.” Zoe pouted and hated herself for feeling so dependent on him to brighten her
day. She’d been totally fine during the years when they’d grown apart. Or maybe she hadn’t been fine but didn’t realize it
until two weeks ago.
“Sorry.” Derek rubbed her back in apology but dropped his hand quickly. “I don’t think he saw that.”
They both glanced at Shawn, who hadn’t budged from his computer. Zoe sighed in relief even though she ached for the warmth
of his hand on her back.
“Greg popped into rehearsal after lunch.” Derek tucked his hands into his jean pockets as if to keep himself from touching
her again.
“Again? How many times has it been this week?”
“Every damned day since rehearsal started two weeks ago.”
Zoe grimaced.
“But I didn’t come down here to talk about Greg.” He pulled his hands out of his pockets and sipped on his coffee. No sugar
with a splash of half-and-half if she remembered correctly.
“Oh?” She feigned innocence as she pursed her purple lacquered lips around her straw.
“I’m here for my daily update, obviously,” Derek said before lowering his voice to say, “We wouldn’t have to make excuses
if we went public about our relationship.”
“We’re having fun aren’t we? And the sneaking around with you makes sex even hotter.”
He pressed his lips together as if to keep from speaking. They’d been having fun with their afternoon trysts. Until today, he hadn’t given any indication that their secrecy bothered him. Then again, they’d barely had time to see each other since he’d confessed his feelings for her. He had a full rehearsal schedule, plus working with Th ? o to polish the script and the songs.
“I want to spend time with you outside of this theater. I’m here twelve hours a day and it gets old really fast.”
“We agreed on opening night, remember?” she said under her breath. “How about we see who can make the other come first?”
“I’ll win. You can never hold out.”
“Maybe this time I will.”
His eyes darkened with lust.
“Let’s make our way to the fitting room so I can share what we’ve accomplished since yesterday,” Zoe said in her normal tone.
“It would be my pleasure.” His low growl was an invitation to carnal pleasures.
“Shawn, I’m showing Derek the costumes,” Zoe called out.
“If Greg comes looking for me, I’m not here,” Derek added.
The shop manager nodded and gave a thumbs-up without looking away from his spreadsheet. Zoe grabbed Derek’s hand and dragged
him out of the shop and down the hallway.
Once they rounded the corner out of earshot, Derek stopped her and gently pushed her against the cold concrete wall of the
basement hallway. He looked deep into her eyes as their breaths mingled. Zoe’s body, now primed for his touch every afternoon,
had gone hot with arousal.
“I’m sorry I didn’t text you that I’d be late,” he whispered into the space between their lips.
“All forgiven because you’re here now.”
Her lips tingled in anticipation of his kiss. She tilted her head back to close the gap between them, but Derek only caressed her collarbone.
Before she could protest, he pulled back her hair and pressed his mouth to the sensitive skin on her chest. She’d never thought
of the collarbone as a source of pleasure, but her mouth fell open as he dotted it with kisses, each one making her temperature
rise.
“How can I make it up to you?” he asked, nibbling her earlobe as his hands explored the curve of her hips.
Zoe moaned. Even after a week of them sneaking around, she was still amazed by how easily he stoked her desire. She’d long
accepted that desire would be elusive since realizing her demisexuality. Yet all it’d taken was her best friend—now lover—to
wake up her body with a glance or a whisper.
“You can start with a kiss,” she grumbled playfully and turned his chin until he faced her again.
His eyes glinted mischievously in the shadowy hallway. He smiled before paying homage to her neck, teasing her with light
bites and kisses. Zoe leaned to the side and arched into his body as she wrapped her leg around his and pulled him even closer
to her. She gasped as his stiff cock pressed against her belly.
“That’s not what I meant,” she explained in between the aftershocks that his lips and teeth created in her body.
“Tell me.”
“My lips, you jerk.” She laughed as she lightly hit his arm.
Derek grinned with no hint of guilt on his face about teasing her.
“I fucking love your lips,” he growled, running his thumb over her bottom lip. “It took all my willpower not to throw you
across that table and flip up your skirt.”
“The cutting table is too high for you to lift up a woman of my size—”
“I’ve been working out. Maybe we should test it after-hours when no one’s around.”
Zoe laughed. No one she’d ever dated had attempted to pick her up, but even the thought of Derek’s strong arms lifting her up for that , well, her entire body blazed.
“Where was I? Oh yes, your soft lips,” said Derek.
“Derek, please, kiss me—now.”
“I’ll never get tired of hearing you beg.”
Finaly his mouth covered hers as he kissed her so deeply that she wanted—no, needed—him even closer. For their bodies to join
so they could be connected physically as well as emotionally.
Zoe fisted his shirt but fought the urge to rip his clothes off. With her leg still hooked around his thigh, she wrapped her
other arm around his neck and reveled in the feel of his mouth on hers.
“I’m sorry I’ve been working so much,” he apologized hastily in between their gasps for air.
“Your work is going to change the world.” She accepted his apology by closing the almost imperceptible gap they needed to
speak. She kissed him hard and so deeply that she couldn’t remember where his lips ended and hers began.
Zoe needed Derek in her life. Not just because he made her body shudder with pleasure, but because she loved the way he made
her laugh. His ambition and the way he saw the best in her always.
She loved him as a friend. A lover. Maybe even as a life partner.
She loved Derek.
Zoe shuddered as the realization struck her. Interpreting her reaction as arousal, he grunted and cupped her ass to pull her
impossibly closer to his body.
“Let’s move this to the dressing room,” he suggested.
“Yes, perhaps you should get a room.” A stern male voice broke through their reverie.
Zoe’s eyes flew open.
“Greg!”