Chapter Five

“ H ey. I hate to do this, but I don't think I'm safe to drive for much longer. Do you want another turn?” Derrick nudged Reese’s leg to wake her.

Her voice was groggy as she slowly opened her eyes. “When are we? I mean where are we?”

“We just crossed over the Richmond city limits on the North side. A little after midnight.” Derrick blew on his hands and considered getting out of the car again to see if the cold air would wake him enough to drive another hour or two. He’d just finished refueling at an all-night travel plaza, and his body had gone into that overtired, overchilled shock as he stood outside in dropping temperatures. He had his lightweight but insulated jacket stuffed into the bottom of his bookbag, but the thought of digging around in there seemed a Herculean task to his stiff, cold, tired body that desperately wanted to eat something that didn’t come out of a plastic wrapper.

Reese sat up all the way. “After midnight? It’s Christmas!”

“I know.” He could hear the heaviness in her voice. “I’m sorry we’re not home yet.”

“We’re only six hours away—maybe a little more. How’s traffic been?”

“Nonexistent in the last hour. That’s another thing. It’s all dark and sleepy out. Just big trucks, a few late-night travelers, and us. You want to drive for a little, or should we get a room and set off in the morning?”

Reese squinted through the windshield. “At that hotel up ahead?”

“I mean, I hope so. I want a shower.”

“Ditto. All right, but back on the road by six. I’ll pay for the rooms, okay?”

“Deal.” With a yawn that popped his jaw and one of those full-body shudders that threatened to burst his ribcage, Derrick set off, maneuvering through the parking area of the gas station and slipping onto the highway for a few minutes before pulling into the SleepEZ Inn, one of those national chain motels known for cheap, clean rooms—and nothing else.

“Damn it, did I scrape the curb?” Derrick gasped as a low, unfamiliar nose filled the car.

“No.” Reese put a hand on her stomach. “That was me. When did we get those burgers?”

“Uh... Six hours ago?”

“Well, apparently my body thinks I need breakfast. I haven’t been eating right for the last few days. Wow. That’s crazy. It’s now been three days since Jeff broke up with me. And it’s Christmas.”

“And nothing is going to be open.” Derrick eased the car to a stop but didn’t get out of it. “You go in and get us a room. I’ll go back to the travel plaza and raid the mini-mart for the most meal-like options I can find.”

“No! I’m going with you. What if there are creeps in the mini-mart? Or skeevy truckers who call you Sissy Boy?” Reese protested, re-buckling her seatbelt.

“Jeez, thanks. Why do you think I’m sending you into the hotel office while I get the food? In case there are jerks waiting to whistle at the hottie in leggings.”

“Hottie in leggings. My God, I love you. You’re so good for my ego. I haven’t washed my hair in forty-eight hours, and my skincare products are flying home without me,” Reese laughed. “Come on, we’ll brave things together.”

THERE WERE EXACTLY two people in the mini-mart—the giggling twenty-something cashiers. They were perfectly nice—maybe a little drunk and definitely too loud as they sang Grandma Got Ran Over By A Reindeer and scratched off lottery tickets—but they wished Reese and Derrick a Merry Christmas as they bought sandwiches and salads in little plastic containers.

“I’m more awake now. I could try driving again,” Derrick offered as they eased back onto the highway.

“Nope. People wreck cars and lives when they drive tired. I’d take a turn, but I get sleepy hard and fast.”

“I saw that on the plane—and in the car.” Derrick pulled back into the motel’s parking lot.

Reese got out and groaned.

“What?”

“I’m counting the rooms. Probably thirty? I see about thirty tractor trailers here, too.”

“Well, truckers need to sleep, too.”

“I’m betting they don’t have two rooms. Or even one!”

“We slept next to each other on a plane. You take the bed, I’ll take the couch. I promise to be a gentleman.”

“I’m not worried about that.” Reese really wasn’t. She would have loved it if Derrick decided to leave his gentlemanly manners in the car—after she’d showered anyway. The little things he did—like being willing to drive back to the mini-mart to get her something to eat, wanting her to have the bed... Jeffrey was about the same age as Derrick, but Derrick was far more mature in the ways that mattered.

“Ughhh! Get back in the car,” Derrick suddenly said.

“What? Why?”

“The no vacancy sign is on. You can’t see it from the road. You have to be facing the window of the motel office.”

She didn’t get back in the car. “They always say that. They usually have an emergency room for staff—but no staff member is going to hang around on Christmas! They’ll finish their shift and get home. I’ll go in and see what they can do.”

Derrick reluctantly shut the car door and retrieved his bags from the back. “I have faith in you.”

“You do?”

“You’re predictably unpredictable—but you get the job done.”

As tired, gross, and hungry as she was, happiness tingled in her stomach and slid lower. “Predictably unpredictable. I like it.”

REESE MARCHED AHEAD of him and strode into the motel’s small, square office like she owned it. “Hi, Tom. I see the no vacancy sign is lit. That's excellent. We’d like the reserved room, the one set aside for staff,” Reese said in a breezy voice as her card emerged from her wallet.

How’d she read his name tag that fast? Why is she talking like that?

Oh, yeah. Because Reese is about to be Reese.

“I—huh?” The paunchy middle-aged man behind the desk turned down the television he was watching. “Ma’am, sir, there’s no vacancy tonight. If you want to drive about ten miles up the highway, there’s another hotel.”

Derrick’s fingers flexed on his bag strap. He felt like this was the Old West, and Reese and the guy behind the desk were approaching one another at high noon. If he moved toward the door, they’d lose.

“We’d rather stay in one of our own motels, Tom. How would it look if Reese Brittijn, daughter of the SleepEZ motel chain’s CFO slept at a competitor’s hotel? Daddy would be furious! Everyone in corporate would say I’d caused a PR nightmare, and I’d have to blame you , Tom. Can’t you see the headlines? ‘No Room at the Inn—SleepEZ Inn turns away stranded daughter of CFO on Christmas night.’” Reese clucked her tongue. “Naturally, I didn’t intend to need a room, but our flights were delayed, and we had to drive the last leg of the trip, and oh... It’s been a nightmare.” Reese gave a dramatic sigh and flopped against the counter like a ragdoll, causing the alarmed Tom to flee backwards in his rolling desk chair. “And now I have to call Daddy and tell him Tom at Motel #186 won’t let me use the emergency room!”

“Whoa, whoa. I’m sorry, you should have started off by saying that you were part of the SleepEZ Inn family!” Tom bolted from his chair with a nervous laugh. “Just let me see your ID.”

Reese flipped her driver’s license onto the counter between them.

“Oh. No, I meant your SleepEZ Inn Family Discount card.”

“Well, I don’t have it with me, Tom! Like I said, we didn’t plan on this. We were supposed to fly straight into Buffalo, weren’t we, Derrick?”

“San Fran to Buffalo, that’s right. We ended up getting routed to Pensacola, then a puddle jumper to Gainesville, then a rental car disaster to Richmond. Ugh.” Derrick found himself getting into his role. “Sweetie, why don’t you just have Tom call corporate?”

Reese turned, and her wide eyes told him he’d overplayed his hand.

But he hadn’t. He came up and slid a possessive arm around her waist. “Tom, there’s probably some emergency hotline you can call at one in the morning on Christmas day to ask about Ms. Brittijn’s right to stay here as the Chief Financial Officer of the entire company’s daughter? Babe, you could get your father on the phone. I’m sure he won’t mind talking to Tom in the middle of the night if it’s a case of saving his baby girl from getting back on those dark, dangerous highways after all the trauma she’s dealt with just trying to get home for Christmas.”

“Here’s the key card! You go all the way to the end on the left and open the door marked ‘Housekeeping: Staff Only,’ and then you’ll go through the linens and cleaning supplies and there’s a second door. That’s your room. Sorry for the confusion, Ms. Brittijn.”

“Oh, don’t worry, Tom! I’m going to tell Daddy how you took such good care of me.” Reese put a candy cane down on the desk and blew him a kiss. “You guys are the ground troops that make SleepEZ Inn a nationwide success!” Reese seized the key and swayed off.

“Good night! Merry Christmas!” Derrick waved at the relieved-looking Tom, who was turning the television back up.

Outside, Reese stuck up her hand. “High five! Totally sold it,” she whispered.

“Not until we’re inside.” He nudged her along, looking anxiously back over his shoulder.

THE INSIDE OF THEIR secret room wasn’t what Derrick had expected. He’d expected either an emergency fold-out cot or a palatial secret suite. Instead—it was just a normal motel room crammed into half the space. The lone double bed was flush with the outside wall. There was no couch, chair, or desk like motel rooms usually had, but there was a microwave, coffeemaker, mini-fridge, and television mounted on the wall.

“Shower!” Reese threw her bags on the bed and bolted toward the bathroom—only to stop with an almost comical flail. She turned to face him, “Do you want to go first?”

“No, I’m good. I’ll go next.”

“We could share?”

The heavy feeling of sleep poofed out of existence. “Say again?”

“We could share the shower. So we don’t have to take turns. Except with the hot water.” Reese didn’t look at him, turning back to the bathroom and flicking on the lights. A loud whirr from an exhaust fan accompanied the sickly golden glow. “It’s a full-size tub, not a stall shower.”

Derrick’s inner planner was sitting at the desk inside his head, tearing up papers and to-do lists regarding relationships. Showering was intimate. It came after months of dating and definitely after having sex with someone. Reese kept making him rewrite his rulebook.

“You go first,” he croaked.

“Okay!” With a hop and squeal, she was gone, and clothes came kicking out the door, attached to one long, bare leg. “I don’t know where my razor is! I’m stubbly.”

“Uh. You wanna borrow mine?”

“No! But I promise I usually have smooth legs!” Reese called.

I’m so confused, Derrick thought to himself, sinking onto the edge of the bed. He peeled off his shirt and looked for his sleepwear in his single piece of luggage.

Oh, yeah. His pajamas were just a particularly soft and worn pair of baggy boxers. The only clean shirt he had left was another polo. His skin crawled at the thought of sleeping with a collar pressed against his neck.

She was going to shower with you. Nakedness, dude. I think she can live without you wearing a shirt.

He looked in the streaked mirror mounted over the “kitchenette.” Going to the gym had given him some muscular definition in his chest and arms. Nothing to put on a swimsuit calendar, but not bad.

“Can you look in my suitcase and bring me my shampoo? There’s none in here. Oh, and see if you can find my pajamas.”

Why does it feel like I skipped dating and went right into marriage? “Okay, what do they look like?”

Derrick slowly unzipped the single surviving suitcase Reese had managed to hold onto. Underwear, socks, jeans, bras, and a bag that looked like it had been attacked by a bottle of Elmer’s glue. “Uh... I think your conditioner exploded.”

“What?”

“I think your conditioner exploded—oh, God!” Derrick juggled the plastic bag containing several bottles. The thick white hair product had seeped through the plastic zip.

“My what did what?”

“I’m coming in!” Derrick bellowed after realizing there was no other source of water in the room and his hands were covered in lavender-scented slime.

“Ee! Okay!”

Reese’s head was poking out from around the curtain when he entered, shirtless and holding up the bag. “Your hair products, m’lady.”

“Oh, hell. My conditioner exploded,” she moaned.

“That’s what I said, and I’m covered in it, and so is half of your luggage. Also, that bag is full of underwear and jeans. And socks.”

“Gimme the bag. I’ll wash off what I can and—Jeff!! That bastard! The lid wasn’t shut.” Reese shook a teal bottle angrily.

He tried not to stare, really. It was just that in her rage, she’d come out more and more from behind the curtain, revealing slender shoulders, a cascade of thick, silky hair turned into a wet, dark river, and two of the most perfect breasts in existence.

And I’m standing here—with my wet, goopy hands and my jeans half-unzipped. And no shirt.

And this is. Not. How. I. Date!

Reese was staring at him as he avoided staring at her. A glistening wet arm reached out and gently removed his glasses and set them on the edge of the sink. “You’d better put your hands in here,” she whispered. “If you flush the toilet or turn on the sink in these places, you scald the person in the shower.”

“Will you go out to dinner with me in Pine Ridge?” Derrick blurted, looking at the ceiling, even as he nodded and allowed himself to be pulled by the wrist.

Reese laughed. “Yes. Will you go out for coffee with me?”

“Yes.”

“And a movie?”

“Mhm.”

“So, we have three dates set up?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t know about you, but I usually wait until the third date before...doing things.”

“Right. Or longer.”

“Let’s see. We’ve had breakfast, lunch, and dinner together already.” Wet hands landed on his chest.

“And a kiss. A little one.” Derrick’s nearsighted eyes focused on the rest of the body being revealed. Sleep was forgotten. His body went on high alert, jumping when one hand slid down to his jeans.

“So, three dates in the books, and three dates planned,” she teased.

“More than that, okay?” One hand slid past her, rinsing the creamy mess from his fingers.

“Okay.” Her smile was blinding, ripping through layers of carefully controlled plans and ideas to brand his heart. “Want to know a secret?”

“Absolutely.”

“I told God—or Santa—or both, that I wanted you for Christmas. And I didn’t just mean sex with you. I meant... You. Like, you’re the kind of person I’ve always wished would come into my life, and here you are. I don’t want someone like you. I want you.”

Derrick switched hands, his clean hand now joining hers at his waistband and pushing his jeans to the ground. He used his feet to push off his socks, then finally slid into the warm wetness beside her, scooping her right against his chest for two reasons. One, so she couldn’t stare at his average-ish body, and two, so he could finally hug her and hold her like he’d been wanting to do for hours.

“Say something?” she whispered, kissing a line along his shoulder.

“You are nothing like I wanted for Christmas,” he confessed and felt her stiffen in his arms. “You are the surprise. And the surprise gifts are the best ones, Reese. I would never, ever, ever in a million years have imagined I could find someone as amazing as you.”

Tense limbs relaxed against him, and she pushed him back enough to retrieve her bag of burst toiletries. “Want our fourth date to be at the spa?” she asked with a playful wink.

“Spa? Here?” Derrick’s eyes widened as Reese removed a bottle of body wash from the bag and poured a generous amount in her palm.

“Mmhmm. Massages on the house.”

REESE HELD HER brEATH . Impulsive behavior had never led her to impulsive flings before.

This isn’t even a fling. This is for real. Derrick isn’t the flinging kind.

“Ohhhh,” a relieved moan tore out of her throat as his hands massaged her spine, soapsuds trailing down her cheeks and thighs. Be a big girl. Ask for what you want.

“Tell me what kind of a massage you’d like,” Derrick asked, his chest against her back.

She could feel his hardness against her cheeks, and her pussy jumped.

“I don’t want you to skip any places,” she gasped out as his hands began to knead her breasts.

His touch was firm, not demanding, touching and rolling her flesh until every inch of her torso felt like it was lit up and her nipples were so hard they hurt. Her fingers started to sneak between her thighs, only to find her arm captured.

“Let me try,” he whispered, and his hand took her place.

His fingers glided across her folds, exploring.

“You’re so soft. And so wet.”

“Mmm!” She could only manage a mewl when his thumb found her clit.

“I bet you taste as sweet as you feel.”

She bore down against his hand, her own hand sliding back and gripping his cock. “Oooh, I thought Santa was mad at me this year!”

Derrick rubbed more insistently against her, one hand between her legs, the other teasing her nipple, working together in a flawless, even rhythm.

She wasn’t surprised. She’d expect nothing less from him.

“But he wasn’t?” he led.

“Nooo. He gave me the big ticket item—you.” Reese pulled away from him suddenly, turning to face him, her fist able to mold around his cock better at that angle. She pumped him, first slow, then fast, then gliding and twisting, watching his eyes go back and his hands form into clenched fists at his side. “But he not only brought me the best gift—he included one hell of a sexy accessory.” She bent back, hair sliding under the water so the salvaged conditioner she’d applied could rinse out. “I can’t wait to test it.”

“It might need to charge before it has peak performance,” Derrick groaned.

“I took a nap. I’ll make sure I do the hard work—this time.” She bent with a wink, grabbing his manhood in her mouth and sucking in one long, gulping motion that made his back hit the tiles and his knees buckle.

“Oh, my God. I love you. Jeff is a fucking idiot.”

“Perfect gift, and he knows just what to say.” Reese stood up and patted him all over, making inquisitive sounds. “Hmm. No. Not here. Can’t find it...”

“What? What are you looking for?”

“I was kind of wondering what guardian angel decided to drop you onto my failed flight.” She licked a long line down his chest, eyes looking into his. “But I can’t seem to find a tag or a gift receipt anywhere.”

Derrick beamed and took his turn rinsing. “Guess you’ll just have to keep me.”

THE HUMAN BODY CAN do all sorts of things. You hear about soldiers, doctors, and nurses going on three-day shifts with next to no sleep for the greater good.

He was going on nothing but fast food and a three-hour nap for the power of love. Well, he hoped it was love. Derrick had never felt this strange, all-consuming, instant attraction to anyone before. As he and Reese tumbled into the double bed with its scratchy comforter, he realized that his goals for girlfriends were organized like his work schedule. Neat, practical lists of requirements that had always outweighed emotions.

Not this time. Reese wasn’t perfect. He’d thought that Reese was a mess, a wild, silly, gorgeous mess that would normally make him run the other way. But in just one day, he found he loved her flaws with a sense of wonder and delight usually reserved for children at Christmas.

“You’re beautiful. And wonderful.” He kissed her hand, and she slid on top of him, curling up on his chest.

“You’re handsome. And wonderful.”

Reese giggled into a long kiss that left him breathless. Her hand slid down to grab his cock as he settled his hand on her satiny smooth hips, pulling her higher so he could capture a nipple with hungry lips. “You should keep coming forward. All the way up here.” Derrick licked his lips pointedly between nibbles.

“I’m too tired to be fancy,” Reese confessed.

“That’s good, because so am I.”

“I’m safe. I got the shot that lasts twelve months.”

“I’m safe. Haven’t been with anyone in a long time. Like, calendar years,” Derrick confessed ruefully.

“Oooh, a man with discernment.”

Derrick wanted to argue that, no, it wasn’t really discernment on his part. It was probably stupidity and his thinking he could organize emotions like staff meetings. Or maybe it was discernment on the part of women. They knew a boring guy when they saw one.

And what had Reese said? Women who are ready for relationships don’t want thrills—except in bed?

This is my shot. Tired or not, here I come.

“DERRICK, DERRICK! WHAT—WHOA !” Reese laughed and squealed when Derrick dragged her up and scooted down, legs and arms flailing as she found her balance—with her pussy right over his face. “Seriously, you don’t—”

His tongue flicked out and over her clit, swirling up and around several times before he closed his lips over it and sucked.

“Never mind,” she gasped. “Yes, you do.”

“Good. Because you taste amazing, and I’m not going to stop.”

In seconds, she could have been back in the shower. Her pussy worked over time, soaking with excitement and adrenaline. Something new, something daring, and someone who knew what the fuck he was doing.

Derrick slid two fingers deep inside of her and rocked them as he lapped at her folds and sucked on her clit.

A perfect pattern. And the pattern changed to respond to her body and her sounds.

Ohhhh, God, organized engineering types are secret sex gods. And he’s goal-oriented, too.

“Like that?” Derrick asked, voice muffled.

“So much.”

In minutes, her stomach began to cramp in that familiar way, a bundle of pressure that she got before she came, but she needed something more.

Jeff would get so upset if she “interrupted” him during sex. He’d mentioned that her hints or requests in the middle of his pleasuring her annoyed him and made him feel like she didn’t trust him to get the job done.

And he didn’t get the job done 90% of the time. Not making that mistake again.

“On my back, on my back!” Reese panted, and Derrick simply nodded and rolled to his chest as she collapsed on her back on the bed. Like a guided missile, his head slid right back home and his fingers dove inside of her. This time, the curling, probing motion was in the right direction, strong fingers pulling the sensitive spot on her upper wall towards a throbbing hot peak that would drench him.

“I want to come on your cock,” she hissed, fists clenching in his hair.

“Oh, God, I want that, too. I’m not going to last long.”

“I don’t mind, because I’m not either. I just want to feel you in me. I need you in me.” She did, for purely selfish reasons. Her pussy wanted something to work itself against, her muscles had already put his fingers in a chokehold, and it wasn’t enough.

Derrick lifted himself up and over her, then paused. “Want to be on top?”

Pounding into him, or letting him pound into her?

“Selfishly speaking, I’m going to come harder and faster if I’m on top,” she admitted, thinking about sinking her hips down onto his long, smooth shaft and letting it bottom out inside of her tight, squeezing tunnel.

“Why the hell is that selfish? I’m going to get to feel you come, and there’s no better feeling! Up!” Derrick flopped to his back and pulled on her arm like an excited kid.

“We’re doing this again,” Reese laughed, a playful warning in her voice. “You’re way too good at this.”

“I didn’t even pull out my best moves. Well, moves I want to try anyway.”

“And he wants to be adventurous, ladies and gentlemen. I’m sold.” Reese bent to kiss him, licking the salty sweetness of herself from his lips as she sank fully onto his cock with one long, slow push.

Twin groans erupted from both of them.

“Oh. That’s so perfect.” Derrick looked up at her, wide-eyed, mesmerized. Awed.

No man had ever looked at her with that kind of worshipful appreciation.

Her hips sank and swiveled, up and down, faster and faster, pulling tortured breaths from Derrick as she felt him sluicing pre-cum inside of her. “Someone’s ready,” she whispered between her own soft, uneven moans.

In answer, Derrick’s hips rose to meet hers. “Oh! Oh, like that!” her eyes widened in revelation.

In seconds, Derrick had matched her, his body syncing with hers, like software that changes based on the user’s input. He moved in perfect cadence with her, speeding up or slowing down so expertly that she wondered if she was actually dreaming.

Nothing has ever felt like this—and this is us at our worst, she thought wonderingly as the sizzling hot knot inside her belly started to unravel.

“Nothing has ever felt like this,” Derrick whispered, hands suddenly up on her shoulders. His thumbs came together at the base of her throat, massaging and kneading.

He dug in harder, pulling her down just as she was craving his entire length, wanting to feel him buried to the hilt as her pussy danced its final frantic pulses that would push her over the edge.

Did he really say that? Just what I was thinking. “Love this. Love you!” she grunted, head bowing and finally feeling herself topple off the cliff into long, blissful waves of orgasm.

“Love you. And this. Oh, fuck! Fuck, Reese, you’re perfect. This is perfect.” He hissed, and his hips finally lost their measured rhythm, going wild as he spurted inside of her.

Reese rolled off, sloppy, sleepy, and deliciously happy. “Am I dreaming?”

“Nope. But maybe in five minutes.” Derrick wrapped his arms around her and snuggled into her with a happy nuzzle that melted her heart.

“You said I was perfect. That’s not something anyone would say in the waking world.”

Derrick paused, face turning thoughtful. “No one is perfect. But the person who really loves you thinks you’re perfect. For them.”

“People don’t fall in love in a day or two, though.” Stupid reality. Ruining her afterglow.

Derrick stroked a finger down her cheek. “I’m pretty sure some have. If not,” he curled his fingers possessively through hers and tucked her more tightly against his chest, “then we get to be the first.”