Chapter Nineteen Jasmine
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Jasmine
There are lots of ways to wake up in the morning: a blaring alarm clock, the sun shining through a bedroom window, or the wail of an ambulance siren zooming down a city street.
The best way by far is waking up with Derek Carter’s head between my legs, with his tongue caressing all of my intimate places, and with his fingertips gripping my thighs to hold me in place.
“That feels so good, Derek,” I said in a sleepy moan before reaching down to caress his scalp with my fingernails. He stopped moving suddenly and before I could ask why, a smile spread across my face, and I added, “Sir. That feels so good, sir.”
He returned his attention to my core before I peeled back the duvet to watch him work.
He briefly picked up his head and smiled at me before leaning down and sucking the pulsing button between my labia, eliciting a guttural moan of pleasure.
I desperately hoped he wouldn’t make me wait before coming this time, because I was on the edge of an explosion that was in no danger of stopping.
“Yes, please,” I screamed a moment later as an orgasm ripped through my entire body, making me spasm, twitch, and dig my nails into Derek’s scalp.
The sensations were so overwhelming that I tried to squirm away from his frenzied tongue, but he held me in place while continuing to devour me like I was his last meal.
He finally relented once I begged him to stop, and he kissed his way up my body, finally planting a firm kiss on my lips.
“Good morning, kitten,” he purred in a low growl, wearing a self-satisfied grin that displayed two rows of perfect, gleaming white teeth.
“Great morning, sir.” I sighed and pressed our lips together before sliding my tongue into his mouth, savoring the lingering taste of my pleasure.
“What do you have planned for the day?” He played with one of my nipples through the cotton fabric of my T-shirt.
“I told Eleanor I’d help her with some planning for the annual Founders’ Day picnic today,” I answered, “but that’s not until later this afternoon. What do you have planned for the day?” I planted a kiss on his nose.
“Well”—he took the hem of my shirt and began to slowly slide it up my waist—“I was hoping that I could spend the day making love to you in every corner of this bedroom.” He raised an eyebrow before pulling my shirt over my head.
“You are so beautiful, Jasmine. Every inch of you is beautiful.” He lowered his face between my breasts, inhaling loudly before planting kisses and licks on my sensitive flesh.
“I would love to spend the day making love to you,” I said in a half whisper, half moan. “Has the day already started?”
He chuckled and sat up before his face grew serious.
“Jasmine, before we do this, I have to tell you something.”
“You can tell me anything.” I placed my palm on his cheek, caressing the stubble with my thumb.
“I need to tell you this before things go any further with us, because this could change things between us, and I would hate for you to do something that you might regret later.”
“Derek, I’m a big girl. I make my own choices, so whatever you’re about to tell me, I can handle.
” I fought to maintain eye contact with him, but my heart was racing.
I desperately searched his face for any clue of what his next words might be.
The silence between us stretched for long moments before my patience cracked.
“Do you have an STI?” I asked. “Because if that’s it, it’s nothing to be ashamed of if you—”
“No, Jasmine. I don’t have any STIs.” He cracked a small, relieved smile, which disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared. “Do you have an—”
“No, I don’t.” I shook my head. “So what do you have to tell me?”
He heaved a deep sigh, but he didn’t answer me.
“Derek!” I almost shouted. The suspense was killing me.
“I love you,” he blurted out. My heart stopped, and my stomach dropped. Derek was wearing a shocked expression, making me wonder if that’s what he had really been planning to tell me, because he looked just as surprised by his words as I felt.
“You love me?” I repeated and pushed myself into a sitting position.
“Yeah,” he said in a whisper. “I do. I love you. I’m in love with you, Jasmine.” He sounded as if he was talking to himself more than to me. It was as if he was just discovering his feelings in this moment.
“Is that really what you wanted to tell me?” My heart was still racing, trying to wrap my head around everything that Derek was saying to me while still trying to recover from the massive orgasm Derek had just given me.
That moment felt like it happened a lifetime ago to a completely different person.
“I needed to tell you.” He clasped my hands. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.”
“Derek,” I whispered, unable to form any other words.
“But it feels right. It’s the only thing in my life that I don’t have any doubts about, but it scares the shit out of me.”
“You’re scared?”
“I don’t want anything to ruin this, to take you or this away from me.”
“Derek, are you talking about our jobs?” I squeezed his hands back.
“Because we don’t have to let them affect what we have.
I mean, one of us will be out of a job anyway.
” I smiled. “It will probably be you, but I wouldn’t mind being a sugar mama until you find something else.
” My chest flooded with relief at the sound of Derek’s chuckle at my joke.
“I love you, too, Derek Carter. I probably have for a long time. I thought you were gone from my life forever, but after seeing you again and spending all of this time together, it just feels like…” I drifted off.
“… we were always meant to be together.” Derek finished my thought. I nodded, wrapped my arms around his neck, and kissed him with everything I had in me. I wanted to tell him how much I loved him, how much I’d always loved him, in a way that words would fail to accomplish.
“I wanna be with you, Jasmine.” He smoothed his palm on my chest and gently pushed me back on the mattress until I was fully reclined.
“You are with me,” I whispered. “You’ve always been with me.”
He lowered his body onto mine, and we kissed again. I spread my legs for him, and he pressed his boxer-clad hips between my thighs, caressing my bare sex with his erection.
“I need you, Derek,” I whispered into his ear, grinding myself into his waist, desperate for the pressure and friction of his body. It wasn’t enough. It would never be enough with this man. “Make love to me, now, right now.”
He reached between our bodies and freed himself from his boxers, teasing the head of his cock through my slick folds.
“Protection,” he said in a pained whisper. “We need protection.”
“No, we don’t,” I protested. Nothing short of an act of God would make me move from this spot when I was so close to getting what I wanted.
“I’m on birth control.” He opened his mouth to protest again.
“I want to feel you, all of you, even if it’s only one time.
” My expression must have matched the desperation I felt in that moment, because in the next, I felt Derek press himself into me.
He entered me inch by scintillating inch, and it felt more amazing than I could have ever imagined.
I’d spent my entire adult life comparing every man I’d been with to Derek.
Now that fantasy had become reality, my dreams couldn’t compete with the way Derek made me feel with every powerful stroke, every gentle caress, and every whispered word of pleasure and emotion.
“Why are you so perfect?” he murmured as he rolled me onto my belly and kneeled behind me.
His fingertips dug into the flesh of my waist as he tugged my hips up to meet his before entering me again.
He leaned forward to cover my shoulder and back with kisses.
He painted the cheeks of my ass red with slaps that sent delicious shock waves to every nerve ending in my body.
I’d never made love like this before. It was powerful and punishing while also so filled with love.
Then we shifted so we were lying on our sides, facing each other with one of my legs draped over his waist as Derek punctuated each thrust with a groan of ecstasy between tender kisses.
His movements became erratic before he clutched my hips so tightly, I was sure I’d have bruises.
Another declaration of love was shouted as he filled me with his release before rolling onto his back, his chest heaving and covered with sweat.
“Damn, girl,” he whispered and pulled my body into his, planting a kiss on my sweaty forehead.
“Exactly,” I responded and draped one leg over his and rested my head on one of his pecs, listening to his heartbeat slowly return to normal.
I’d sent Eleanor two messages letting her know that I would be running late before I could tear myself away from Derek to take a well-earned hot shower. We said goodbye over lingering kisses while my taxi waited outside. By the time I made it to Eleanor’s, I felt like I was floating.
“I’m so sorry I’m late,” I called after removing my shoes and stepping into the slippers Eleanor had left out for me.
“You don’t have anything to apologize for, dear,” she called over her shoulder as I followed her into the kitchen. “I was a newlywed once.” She shot me a knowing smile, and I felt my cheeks flush with heat. “You know we could’ve rescheduled.”
“Oh no.” I snapped back to the present and away from the bed I’d shared with Derek this morning. “I was really looking forward to this. I love baking, and I can’t wait to hear all about the Founders’ Day picnic.”
“Good.” She smiled and handed me an apron. “I’m glad you’re here. I was looking forward to today, too. You remind me so much of my sister, and I miss spending long afternoons cooking and gossiping.”
“I didn’t know you have a sister.” I tied up the apron before washing my hands in the giant stone farmer’s sink.