Enslaved (The Inbetween Novels) (39 page)

Deryck held the towel in place, unwilling to cause a scene if the cloth happened to fall, and crossed over to take the clothes. They smelled like a mix of flowers and a hint of dust. “They’ll work just fine. Thank you.”

He ducked into the bathroom, out of sight, but with the door open so he could talk to her while he dressed. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. The shower helped a lot.” Shayla paused. “What will happen now?”

Deryck pulled on the sweat pants, grabbed the shirt, and came out of the bathroom. “Whatever you want, Shayla.” Her eyes dropped to the floor. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Honestly? I don’t know. So much has happened and I can’t tell which way is up.”

“If it will help, I can leave.”

“Where will you go?”

He hadn’t thought that far ahead, but he refused to burden her with worry. “I can obtain money and find a hotel room to stay in for now.”

“Get money with magic?”

“Yes, I am able to produce something as small as money with my powers to hold me over until I find a legitimate way to earn it.”

Shayla shook her head. “I can’t let you stay in a strange place by yourself. You have nothing here, Deryck. No ID. No car. You have one change of clothes, which you don’t have a way to clean.”

“It isn’t right for me to stay. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. You’ve been through more than one woman should have to deal with in her life.”

“Exactly.”

He frowned. “Excuse me?”

“You’re right, it’s my life. I call the shots now.” She came to him, stopping just out of his reach. “You’re staying here with me until things get sorted out.”

“Where will I sleep?” He had to force himself not to look over at the hastily made bed to his right.

Shayla pointed to the bed. “There.” Without another word, she turned around and walked out into the hall.

Her footsteps headed toward the living room. Deryck listened, wondering what she had planned. If she meant to sleep on the couch while he remained in here, they would have a problem. He’d just as soon eat dog shit before he deprived her of the comfort of her own bed.

Deryck stepped into the hall. Shayla had doubled back, coming his way. The lights in the living room were off. Halfway down the hall, she slid her hand over a plate in the wall, turning off the lights running down the middle of the house. She wasn’t leaving him to curl up on the couch; she was locking up the house for the night. His mouth went dry. Shayla intended for them to share the bed.

When she stepped past him into her bedroom, Deryck remained in the dark hallway. “Maybe it’d be better if I slept on the couch.”

She pointed back to the bed. “It is a huge bed, Deryck. We’re adults, fully capable of sharing a bed without something happening—unless we want it to.”

He moved into the doorway. “I can’t lie to you; I want this to become more. There is no pressure on you to comply just to make me happy.” Deryck made for the living room, his mind set on sleeping elsewhere.

A hand closed on his wrist. Deryck turned, surprised Shayla came after him. She tugged him toward the bed. His feet were rooted to the wood flooring.

Shayla gave a sigh, stepping in until her chest pressed against his. She wrapped her arms around his waist. “I can’t make you move, but you’ll be very uncomfortable standing like a weirdo in the hall all night. Come to bed.”

“Is this what you truly want?” Deryck moved a damp piece of hair off her forehead, tucking it behind her ear. His fingers traced a path down the side of her neck to her shoulder.

“No matter how many times you ask, I won’t change my mind. I need this, Deryck. I need to be with someone right now who makes me feel something other than sorry for myself. I’ve spent the last month hating my life, hating everyone I’ve ever met because they all used me and threw me away like a tissue.”

He swallowed past the lump in his throat, all too aware of how good she felt pressed against him. Deryck wished he’d met her under better terms, where he wasn’t forced to be yet another person manipulating her to get what he wanted. “Isn’t that what I did, though?”

Shayla laughed. The sound surprised him. “I went to you, remember? Despite the shit Harry pulled, I still found you and offered to help. Don’t belittle my kindness. It’s all I have in my life that is pure and honest.”

“I’m sorry, Shayla. I didn’t mean to.”

“Then shut up and come to bed.”

She didn’t give Deryck much of a choice. Shayla took his hands and walked backward, drawing him to the foot of the bed. Dropping his hands, she crawled onto the bed. Her eyes held the hope weighing his chest down.
How can I say no to her after everything we’ve been through?
The answer was easy.

Deryck brushed his thumbs along Shayla’s jaw, over the soft skin under her ear, and back into her wet hair. It captured his fingers, tangling around them. He tugged gently to tilt her head up and dipped his head down. His lips caught her bottom lip. Shayla sucked in a breath. He stole a taste, swiping his tongue across hers. Her arms caught him around the back of his neck. Her tongue caressed his and swept over his bottom lip.

She pulled back, green eyes locked on his. Her hands slid down his spine. Deryck stepped in closer, drawing her against his chest. He laid a kiss on the top of her head and forced himself to calm down, to treat her right.

Shayla seemed to have other things in mind.

Her hands slid below the elastic band at the back of his pants. Fingernails scraped lightly over his ass. A shiver ran up his spine. An electric jolt punched his groin. Deryck’s groan was muffled by Shayla’s hair. He felt her smile where her cheek lay pressed against his chest.

Deryck untangled from her and pushed her gently back onto the bed. “You know, I’m loving the cartoon mouse look. Very sexy.”

“Sorry, it was all I had.”

“You misunderstand me.” He knelt on the foot of the bed. Raising her leg, he kissed her ankle. His fingers slid under the loose fabric of her pants to tease the soft skin of her calf. “I can use my imagination before the pants come off. That is far sexier than flimsy gowns with see-through busts.”

“Good thing I own a lot of pants like this, huh?” Shayla slid her leg around his waist and pulled him on top of her.

Deryck caught himself on his arms, moving so he straddled one of her legs. “Impatient?”

“Very.”

Chuckling, he slid a hand up her thigh. His palm cupped over her heat. He pushed the heel of his hand gently against her. Shayla bit her bottom lip and spread her legs wider. Deryck drew circles over her center, loving the gasps she gave when he hit a particular spot. Impatient to truly feel her, he sat back on his heels and pulled the sleep pants away. She wore nothing underneath. The curls at her center were golden red, neatly trimmed. He had a feeling her time in the shower was used on more than washing away the dirt from the temple.

Sliding down the bed, Deryck nestled between Shayla’s legs. He laid a row of kisses up one thigh, then the other.

She squirmed and sat up on her elbows. “If you keep teasing like that, I’m going to go insane.”

“That’s the point.”

Shayla groaned, dropping her head back. “I don’t have nearly as much patience as you do.”

He kissed the crease between her thigh and where he truly wanted to be. “I promise it’ll be worth it.”

She gave him another look. Deryck slid up her body to capture her lips in a quick kiss before he sunk down between her thighs. His fingertips parted her, baring her most sensitive part. He licked his thumb and drew a circle around the nub at the top of her sex. Her hips bucked at the lowest point in the circle. He wet his thumb again and stroked her, listening to the hitches in her breathing to set the pace of his movements. Shayla slapped a hand against the blankets under her. Her fingers dug in tight. He grinned and dropped his head down to take his first real taste of her.

Shayla knew of the existence of gods, plural. She’d met a couple face-to-face and lived to tell the tale—not that anyone would believe her. Despite what horrors she knew, she still thanked the gods for the man between her thighs, making her world tremble with licks and kisses and just a little bit of suckling.

Deryck knew what he was doing. His golden eyes watched her face, reading every reaction to his attentions. Each time she met his gaze, the intensity ratcheted up a notch or two. She felt special under his gaze and knew everything he did was for her pleasure, not his.

He slid a finger through the wetness at her core, teased it around her entrance, and dipped it inside just deep enough for her to experience the delicious pressure of being entered. Deryck pulled his finger back, repeating the shallow tease. Shayla couldn’t stand it. Her foot caught his right elbow, pushing it closer when he tried to tease her again. He smiled against her, his tongue losing the rapid rhythm he’d set.

“Don’t stop. I’m close.”

She didn’t need to ask twice. Deryck dove in again, his tongue swiping over her in the right spot to make her gasp. He teased around her entrance once more before his finger plunged into her. He crooked it and rubbed the sensitive spot inside with the same rhythm as his tongue. It didn’t take long for the building pressure to become too much. Shayla’s hips bucked off the bed with the force of her orgasm. She muttered a string of curses, riding the pleasure. He slowed, coaxing the most he could out of her before she couldn’t take any more and pushed toward the headboard to get away from his evil, talented mouth.

Deryck sucked his finger into his mouth and watched her retreat. “You can’t be done already, Shayla.”

Her body throbbed. She bit down on her lip to keep from whimpering. When she caught her breath, Shayla moved over and motioned for him to lie down in the middle of the bed. “No, but if you make me a puddle of stupid, I can’t do anything for you.”

Deryck crawled up from the foot of the bed and laid down on his side facing her, his head propped on his hand. God, she could watch him move for the rest of the night and be just hunky dory. The man was made of sex—no, created to have sex, she reminded herself. Suddenly, she felt extremely outclassed in the realm of bedroom know-how.
How the hell will I figure out anything to stand out as a lover? He’s seen and done it all.
Shayla smoothed out a wrinkle on the comforter, unsure of what to do next.

“Is something wrong?”

She shook her head. “No. Not really.” Her eyes rolled up to meet his. “I’m not too experienced, if you know what I mean. It’s been a while and I’m pretty sure I forgot everything but the basics.”

Deryck chuckled. His hand came down over hers and gave a squeeze. “Do what you want, what your body says is right. There are no new tricks to master when it comes to sex. You just have to get your mind out of your body’s way. Thinking too much is the sole cause of bad sex.”

“You make it sound so easy.”