Because I’m not the only one attracted to Derek.
I take a sip of wine and try for a smile. “I’ll take a pass. There’s a really cozy chair next to the fireplace with my name on it, and half a dozen books to work through while I’m on vacation.” Not to mention the fifty others that are sitting unread on my e-reader. I keep meaning to stop buying new ones until my reading catches up to my purchases, but it never happens.
Derek drops into the chair across from us. He really should put on a shirt. It’s distracting as hell to watch his muscles move beneath his skin as he sits forward and back. The man is all restless energy, and always has been.
He catches me looking and skates his own perusal down my body. I’m suddenly achingly aware of how my black leggings cling and the fact that I didn’t bother with a bra under my slouchy sweater. Derek grins. “You two are almost a matching pair.”
I glance from Grayson’s sweater to mine. They’re both gray, though mine is light and his is dark. “That happens after being married for a small eternity.”
“Seven years last summer.” Derek sips his wine, watching us with his witchy eyes. “The seven-year itch is a real thing.”
I give a nervous laugh. “Right. As if you’d know with all the long-term relationships you’ve been in.” In all the time I’ve known him, I haven’t met a single significant other, though I know there have been a scattering of both boyfriends and girlfriends because Grayson told me.
“We’re not talking about my relationships. We’re talking about yours.” He leans forward, expression intent. “How are you spicing things up these days?”
His willingness to ignore any and all social niceties is something I love and hate about Derek in equal measures. I can’t count on him to back off from asking questions no polite person would ask. He and Grayson are too close, too willing to share things. Neither are particularly good at boundaries.
I very carefully don’t look at Grayson. “Our sex life is fine.” Better than fine, really. Even after all this time, we can’t get enough of each other. At least a few days a week, he stops by on his lunch break and we bang like a pair of horny newlyweds. We meet in bars and pretend to be strangers and fuck in the bathroom, in the parking lot, in the car itself. The games just get more elaborate as time goes on.
“Fine,” Derek repeats slowly. He glances at Grayson, and I don’t miss the fact that he gives my husband the same thorough once-over that he gave me. “That sounds depressing as hell.”
Grayson laughs. “So we’re back to you being jealous.” He finishes his wine and sets the glass aside. Both Derek and I have most of our glasses left, but there’s a new tension in Grayson that wasn’t there before. I recognize it even before he looks at me. “You finished?”
There’s only one answer to that question, and I’m already nodding, my body flushing hot in anticipation. “Yes.” I set my glass aside and take his hand as he rises. He moves quickly, scooping me up and tossing me over his shoulder. My exhale whooshes out in a breathless laugh. “Grayson!”
“If you’ll excuse us, I’m going to go have fine sex with my gorgeous wife.”
“Well, fuck you, too.” Derek laughs. “Have fun, kids. I’ll be in my room with my hand to keep my company.”
I catch sight of him through the long fall of my blond hair as Grayson hauls me away, watching us with a visceral heat in his eyes. I can’t tell whose ass he’s most intent on, mine or my husband’s. In the end, it doesn’t matter. I’ve survived yet another conversation with him, yet another round of teasing that isn’t quite teasing.
Grayson carries me into our bedroom and drops me on the bed. I barely get my hair out of my face before his mouth is on mine. It doesn’t matter how many times we’ve done this, he kisses me like he might never get another chance. I’m already going for the front of his jeans, desperate to purge the uncomfortable thoughts, the forbidden desire that I have no business feeling. It doesn’t matter where it originates, only that I slake it with my husband.
Unfortunately, that reasoning feels flimsy at best. Especially when I’ve fantasized about Derek more times than I care to count.
Grayson breaks the kiss long enough to pull my sweater over my head. He huffs out a laugh. “No bra.”
I shake my head and grab his hand, pressing it to the apex of my thighs. “No panties, either.”
He curses and goes to his knees between my legs, kissing his way down my stomach. “Tell me the truth, Emma. You finger yourself while you read those dirty books, don’t you?”