Just a Love Story Read online

  Shae nodded. “My dad had a sister who was an alcoholic. He was so ashamed of her. I can remember once seeing her staggering down the road, drunk as a hoot owl.”

  “Do hoot owls get drunk?” he teased, not wanting her to get too serious.

  “All the time,” she waved a hand at him. “Anyway, I pointed her out and asked who the poor lady was, and he had to admit her identity. Not long after that, he had her committed for rehab.”

  “Did she improve?”

  “She’s gone now, but she lived longer than my father.” Shae smiled at Derek. “I think she was pickled.”

  He reached over and eased the margarita away from her playfully. “You might have her propensity for drink.”

  She stopped her beverage’s forward progress and retook possession. “I am a strong individual and not likely to become dependent after one drink. However,” Shae batted her eyelashes at him, “after last night, I think I could easily become addicted to you.”

  “Holy Mother of Moses,” Derek whispered, feeling his cock come to life. He grabbed a napkin off the table and laid it in his lap.

  “Problem?” she asked slyly, recognizing the tell-tale signs of his arousal.

  “Nope.” He sipped his own drink. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  “Good.” She stood up and offered him her hand. “Dance with me.”

  His frown accompanied a grin and he looked down at his lap. “I’m not sure this is a good time.”

  “Come on, it’s a slow song. We’ll dance close and no one will see.”

  Oh, temptation thy name is Shae St. John. He stood, still holding the napkin. “Do you really think dancing close to you is going to help this situation.”

  “Oh, come on.” She pouted prettily. “It’s my first time to dance.”

  Sold.

  Derek threw down the napkin and gathered her close, moving the few steps to the dance floor. “How could I resist? I enjoy all of these firsts with you.”

  Shae rested her head against his chest as they gently swayed in time to the music. “Firsts are good.” The only problem was – she wanted seconds of him…and thirds and fourths and more.

  * * *

  “Wow, this place is amazing.” Shae rotated in place, staring at the maze of ornate pillars and marble flooring.

  “The Driskill was built in 1886 by wealthy cattle baron Colonel Jesse Driskill. I’ve heard there are some luxurious suites, but…I just got us a regular room.”

  “Don’t apologize, being here with you is incredible.” She grasped his arm. “What’s our room number?”

  He glanced at the key card. “525.”

  “Come on.” She pulled him to the elevator. “I’ve never stayed in a place this grand. I want to see everything! Do we have a balcony overlooking Sixth Street?”

  “No, sorry. I don’t think we do.” Derek hated to disappoint her. “I’ll try and make it up to you some other way.”

  “Deal!” Shae pushed the button for the fifth floor. “Room service, maybe. Later.”

  “Oh, I think that can be arranged,” he promised her, enjoying her enthusiasm.

  When they reached the right floor, they headed off with key card in hand. “Here it is!” Shae announced as they neared their door.

  “Oh, my stars and garters!” a woman squealed as she saw where they were headed. “You’re in 525! That’s the haunted room! I asked for it, but it wasn’t vacant when I arrived. I have a nice corner room down the hall. Want to trade?”

  Derek was taken aback by the animated lady dressed in a sparkly top and jeans. “Uh…what?”

  “This room’s haunted?” Shae asked curiously.

  “Oh, yes. I’ve seen three or four television programs about this room and the other ghosts in the Driskill. 525 is the bride’s suicide room! A couple of brides killed themselves in the bathroom on the same day, but in different years.”

  “Why?” Shae moved closer to the woman, instantly enthralled.

  The woman shrugged. “Disappointing honeymoon, I suppose.”

  “Shae, honey…”

  She waved a hand at Derek, apparently interested in what the woman had to say. He had to hide a grin. If his girl got a little spooked, she’d spend all night in his arms.

  Shae listened a few more moments with wide eyes as their new acquaintance, Connie Street, regaled her with stories of pipe tobacco smells in the lobby when no one was near, and the presence of a lady dressed in white who haunted the ballroom, reflecting forever in a series of gilded mirrors commissioned for Carlotta the Empress of Mexico by her husband Ferdinand. “There also this little girl, Samantha, who was chasing a ball down the grand staircase and fell to her death. She was four years old. Now, they still hear ghostly laughter and the bounce of a rubber ball on the stairs.”

  To Derek’s delight, Shae shivered deliciously and he felt his own body tremble with anticipation. “Shae…”

  She heard his frustration and knew exactly what he was frustrated about – and it made her tingle between the legs just thinking about it. “Thank you, Ms. Street. I think we’ll stay in this room tonight. If we hear or see anything interesting I’ll let you know.”

  Derek stood in the open door, shaking his head as the woman gave Shae some last-minute instructions.

  “Here’s my card. Just be open to something happening and if it does, go with it.” She started off, then held up her cell phone. “And take pictures! Send them to me and I’ll post them on my YouTube channel.”

  “Okay, bye!”

  “Get in here, woman.” He playfully tugged her into the room, his hands immediately busy divesting Shae of her garments. She did the same with him, laughing as he hopped on one foot trying to remove his pants. For most of the time, their lips were joined, kissing as they made their way to the bed, leaving a trail of clothes behind them. “Oh, I like your spirit,” she told him as he pulled her close enough to reach behind and unhook her bra.

  Derek chuckled as he bent to lick one of her nipples. “I’m glad, seeing I may be competing with other spirits for your attention.

  Shae ran her palms over the warm skin of his shoulders. “Oh, there’s no competition, Alden. You do it for me.” She nipped him on the neck. “You do it for me so good.”

  “Is that right?” He held his breath as she sank to her knees in front of him.

  “Look at you,” she whispered, sitting back on her heels. “You’re so handsome. So strong.”

  There are certain fantasies all men have, and seeing a sexy woman kneeling at his feet is one of them. Derek’s cock was as hard as a railroad spike, his heart thumping in his chest. He couldn’t get enough of looking her – those big blue eyes, long silky hair, and two full round breasts, rising and falling with each breath she took. “Oh, I’m looking, all right, Miss Shae. I’m looking at you.” Derek tightened every muscle to prevent himself from exploding right then and there.

  “And what do you see?” she asked, hoping he couldn’t read everything she felt in her eyes. Shae wanted this time with him, it might be all they’d ever have – but she wanted it desperately.

  He raised a hand to her head, threading his fingers through her hair. Not a harsh grip, just letting her know he liked her right where she was. “I see a very beautiful woman, one I want very much.”

  “You’re very sweet.” A tiny smile betrayed her pleasure as she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his hard, washboard abs. “And sexy.” The muscles beneath her mouth flexed as he exhaled a harsh breath.

  “You’re playing with fire, sweetheart,” he hissed the words as he felt her soft tongue dance over his skin.

  “I hope so,” she whispered, trailing more kisses down the happy trail that led from his navel to her planned destination. “I’ve been cold for so long.” As her teeth raked over the flat planes of his abs, she curled her fingers into the elastic band of the cotton briefs he wore and began to work them down his hips.

  When his cock sprang free, Derek was mesmerized by her somewhat dazed expression
. There was a look of pure feminine desire on her face as she gazed at his painfully swollen shaft. “Before the night’s over, you’re going to be burning up, Shae. I promise.” He swallowed hard when her head lowered, her tongue darting out to lick a slow circle around the broad, throbbing head. “Oh, sweet Lord, have mercy.” His whole body jerked as he fought off the urge to wrap her hair around his fist and fill her mouth full.

  “You’d better sit down for this,” she gave him a slow wink of promise. Placing her hand on his chest, she gave him a gentle push to sit on the bed. She didn’t exert enough pressure to force him, but she didn’t need to – he wouldn’t have missed this for anything.

  His eyes became hooded as they followed her fingers trailing down his staff. She appeared a little uncertain, her touch was barely there, light and smooth as silk. Derek couldn’t help but hold his breath as she curled her fingers at the root. “I can’t reach around it,” she muttered as she attempted to encircle the thick stalk. Looking up at him with a plea in her eye, she held him gently, moving her thumb up and down the shaft. “Just be still and I’ll…”

  She licked her lips and Derek had to grab the side of the mattress and hold on tight. “Oh, hell, no. I’m not going anywhere.”

  Shae gave him a grateful smile, nodded, then parted her lips to cover the wide hot crest. Derek closed his eyes and let out a sigh at the incredible feeling of her mouth enveloping his cock.

  As his body jerked, she watched him, seeing how he loved what she was doing. She felt emboldened by his reaction, so she closed her own eyes and savored the moment. This was Derek and he’d given her free rein to pleasure him. Shae was fascinated by the way the iron hard flesh throbbed in her palm. Swirling her tongue, she massaged the tip, tasting him, a little moan of hunger rising in her throat. She loved his earthy taste, it reminded her of a warm summer night on the beach. As she sucked, her hand moved in an up and down caress.

  “Suck me, Shae,” Derek moaned as she loved on him. “Fuck me, that’s it. So good.”

  Joy rose in her heart as she heard him voice his pleasure. Wanting only to please him, she continued to stroke his heavily veined manhood, taking the head as deep as she could, lapping at it with her tongue like she’d seen women do in the photos and films she’d found while doing research for her books. God, she loved doing this for him – licking, sucking, swiping, tasting – rubbing her tongue on the underside of the flared crest.

  Glancing up, she became lost in his eyes, witnessing the effect she was having on him. His teeth were clenched, his pupils dilated, his expression one of enthralled ecstasy, and all the time he held her hair in his grasp, pinpricks of erotic pain blazing each time she bent her head to suck him deeper.

  “Baby, sweet baby, don’t stop. You’re so beautiful. So perfect. Please don’t stop.”

  With every word Derek uttered, Shae’s heart swelled with love for him. She knew it was his arousal talking, but she couldn’t prevent the response of her body. Her nipples swelled, her clit throbbed, and a moan rose to her lips. Naïve, she didn’t realize until he growled that the vibration in her throat felt so good the muscles in his neck corded and a drop of sweat trailed down the side of his face.

  “Oh, you’re something,” he gritted out the words, his eyes narrowing, a look of hunger lighting up his eyes. “How do you know how to do that?” His fist tightened in her hair. “You’re a natural, aren’t you, doll?”

  She shook her head, but she couldn’t keep another moan from vibrating in her throat, and his reaction was more of the same. More moans. More demands. “Deeper, baby. Hum around me, swallow me whole.”

  Shae complied enthusiastically, taking him deeper, humming a few notes. It was only when she noticed him chuckle that she realized she was humming When The Saints Go Marching In.

  With an embarrassed giggle, she let him go, lifting her head. “Sorry. I guess you can take the girl out of church, but you can’t take the church out of the girl.”

  Derek looked at her tenderly. “Don’t apologize for being who you are. I think you’re adorable.”

  Shae was so worked up, so emotionally involved in what she was doing, tears welled in her eyes. Placing her lips on him, she sucked him deep, feeling his cock clench. His hips were flexing faster as he moved against her, keeping up that erotic tugging of her hair. Instinctively, she knew he was about to come and she wanted it. She wanted to feel his surrender, taste his release. To her surprise, she loved the feel of him in her mouth, it made her high, the way she thought a drug might. With her own need mounting, she suckled him harder, her tongue bathing the wide head, the place between her legs so sensitive she squeezed her thighs together for relief.

  With every stroke of her tongue, with each pull of her mouth, Derek hovered on the edge of a climax. God, this felt so fucking good! He was literally shaking with the effort to stretch out every moment. This was unlike any experience in his past, for there was nothing practiced about her touch. Sometimes Blair would deign to touch him, but her actions were just a routine she’d memorized – every move and moan were rehearsed. Meaningless. In contrast, Shae was real. Sensual. The enjoyment she felt from being with him was obvious – and the sight of her plump, pink lips stretched around his cock was the sexiest damn thing he’d ever seen.

  “Precious, so precious,” he grated out the words as she suckled on the head the way she’d eat a plum. Between his legs, his balls were riding high, the need to cum in the hot haven of her mouth built and built as pure fiery ecstasy swept through him. Any moment, he would jet down her throat… “Enough!”

  Derek’s exclamation surprised her. With a disappointed whimper, she pulled away. “What?” Had she done something wrong?

  He had a choice, and he’d just made it. “As good as this is, darling. I want to cum inside you. Deep inside you.” Bringing her to the bed, he eased her back, spreading her thighs with his knees. Moving up the bed, he fit the desperate head of his cock to the swollen folds of her pussy. “Want me?”

  Shae raised her hips in answer, attempting to impale herself on the thick rod of his masculinity. “Want you,” she whispered, gazing up into his face. “So bad.”

  No prelude was necessary, neither wanted it.

  Shae was beyond ready for him. She needed him as much as he needed her. “Please.”

  “Oh, God, sweetheart,” he moaned, throwing his head back as he eased inside the warm, wet core of her femininity. Absolute bliss tingled up his spine as he began pushing deeper into the narrow, clasping channel.

  Shae clutched his shoulders, digging her fingernails into his skin. The feel of him entering her, becoming one with her, was beyond wonderful. This was pleasure personified. Closing her eyes, she let herself be swept out into a sea of pure joy.

  Derek was dizzy with need. He bucked his hips, working himself deeper, pulling out and pushing in - again and again. The friction was exquisite, the act was incredible – but the reality of making love to Shae topped everything. As he took his pleasure, pumping in and out of her – sliding his primed cock into her softness over and over, the moment became more than sex.

  He was making love to Shae St. John.

  The realization of how he felt swamped Derek with a mix of joy and panic.

  He remembered her declaration of love and almost – almost – he spoke words of his own. Poured out his feelings at her feet like a sacrificial offering.

  But he couldn’t – the time wasn’t right. He couldn’t offer something he couldn’t guarantee.

  Still…this was the sweetest, most mind-blowing thing he’d ever shared with anyone. “You’re so sweet, honey. So good.” He might not be able to make promises, but he could give her the credit she so richly deserved. “You feel perfect. You were made for me, weren’t you?”

  “Yes. Yes.” Shae’s breath caught in her throat as he took her passionately, his hips pounding into her, his erection filling her so perfectly. “I was created for you. Just you.”

  A harsh groan of desperation escaped his lungs. �
�I can’t take much more, baby. I need to cum.”

  Shae lifted her legs and hooked them around his hips. “Cum for me, Derek,” she whispered as she planted kisses all over his chest. Her whole body was lit up, energized, starving for what only Derek could provide. “Faster. Harder. Whatever you need, baby – take it.”

  “Not until…you…” He continued to fuck her, sinking deep, circling his hips, becoming drunk on the reality of – him and her. Together.

  Wrapping her arms around his neck, Shae gave them what they both wanted. With a whimpering moan, she acknowledged the searing pleasure flowing through her with his every thrust. “Kiss me, please?”

  Kiss her. The first and only thing she’d ever asked of him.

  “Yea,” he whispered as he lowered his head and fulfilled her wish, kissing her with abandon. Letting it happen. Making it happen. “Now, give me what I need, girl.”

  Shae wanted to give him the world. She wanted to give him her soul as well as her body.

  Who was she kidding? She wanted to give him her heart.

  But…that wasn’t what Derek was asking for.

  So, Shae gave him what he’d accept. Willingly. Freely. Each thrust, each stroke, each kiss was celebrated. And with each touch, the euphoria built and strengthened until they were frenzied in their quest to please the other. Her body not only welcomed his, but tightened around him, seeking to keep him as close as she could while he moved harder and faster, driving them both to the point of no return.

  “Derek! Oh, Derek!” she cried and he stole those cries with kisses, holding her tight, her pussy tightening and fluttering, rippling around his cock in a storm of pure ecstasy.

  “Hold me, baby.” He cradled her to him as their mutual releases shook their bodies. Sheltering. Covering. Possessing.

  Shae had never felt so alive, so cherished.

  So…claimed.

  She lay there very still, for if this was one of her dreams, she had no wish to awaken.