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"Derek..." Olivia exhaled, her head falling back against the leather headrest as she turned to look at him.

"Soon baby,” he muttered, his voice a low, dangerous vibration. “Soon,”

He drove with one hand, his gaze fixed on the road, but his focus was entirely on the sensation of her soft skin beneath his palm. His thumb began a slow, torturous caress, moving upward along the curve of her leg, grazing the sensitive skin of her inner thigh. Every time he shifted gears or slowed for a light, his grip tightened, his fingers flexing against her as if he were trying to memorize the very feel of her.

The city blurred past the windows—a smear of neon and New Year’s Eve madness—but inside the car, there was only the sound of their ragged breathing. Olivia reached out, her fingers digging into his forearm, feeling the rigid muscle beneath his suit jacket. The friction of his hand against her skin through the slit of the dress was driving her to the brink.

"We're almost there," he promised, his voice sounding like it had been dragged through gravel.

He pulled into the private garage of his loft building, the tires screeching slightly on the concrete. In seconds he was out of the car and rounding the hood to her side. He pulled the door open, his eyes burning with a raw, predatory hunger that made her knees weak.

He grabbed her hand, leading her toward the elevator. The moment the heavy metal doors slid shut and the lift began its jerky ascent, Derek snapped. He didn't wait for the floor announcement. He lunged, pinning her against the cold, mirrored wall of the elevator. His hands found her waist, almost lifting her, and then his mouth was on hers.

The kiss felt like a collision. He kissed her with a starved, desperate intensity, his tongue taking possession of hers as if he were trying to consume her whole. Olivia returned the intensity, wrapping her legs around his waist, her fingers frantic as she tore at the buttons of his shirt. 

"God, Liv. I missed you so damn much," he groaned against her lips, his forehead bracing against hers as the elevator chimed, signaling their arrival at the top floor. "Don't you ever leave me again. Do you hear me?"

Olivia could only nod, her breath coming in short, jagged gasps, her lips swollen and tingling. The doors slid open and they stepped out. Derek unlocked his door in a hurry and as they entered the darkened expanse of his home, the rest of the world ceased to exist.

Derek locked the door, then he turned to face her. Without a word, he took off his jacket, holding her gaze while Olivia shivered. She knew what that look meant. He'd had it all night, but now there was nothing stopping him from carrying out his intentions, and she had no plans to stop him either. 

He closed the distance between them, taking her mouth in what she knew was going to be a heated and hungry kiss. It was delicious, the way her tongue instantly moved to meet his, the way his tangled with hers in a hot duel that felt decadent. He tilted her face as he leaned in closer, deepening the kiss. She moaned and wrapped an arm around his neck. The hand on his chest flattened against his taut pectoral.

“As beautiful as it is, I want this dress off.”

The words were a ragged whisper as he briefly pulled his lips from hers. His teeth scraped along her jawline as she tilted her head back to give him better access. In seconds his tongue was stroking up and down the line of her neck while his words tumbled through her mind. 

The zipper to the dress was on her right side. She could reach it, but she’d have to move her hands from where they’d flattened on his chest and the back of his head. She didn’t want to, but the urge to be naked beneath him was quickly taking charge.

“Now…” he grumbled, lifting her right arm to join the other one locked around his neck.

His fingers eased her zipper down, until the dress felt loose against her chest. He stepped away from her and stood, his breath coming in heavy pants that matched hers.

Then taking her hands, he pulled her towards him again and removed the dress.

For what seemed like much longer than a few seconds, he simply stared at her body. She wore a black strapless bra and matching thin wisp of lace that constituted panties. 

Swallowing and squaring her shoulders, she said, “Your turn,” and reached for the buttons on his shirt.

Derek kept his gaze locked on her fingers as she worked along his torso and then to each wrist until she could push his shirt off. She wasted no time lifting the undershirt up and over his head, wanting to touch his warm skin as quickly as possible. Just a shade darker than his complexion, her fingers looked as if they belonged splayed over his muscled chest. She slid her hands across smooth skin, letting the tip of her pointer finger linger on the tight nub of his nipple before moving down to the cut of his abs. When her hands went lower and brushed his belt buckle, he grabbed each wrist.

“Turn around.” The words were gruff and a bit more forceful than anything else he’d said to her that evening, sending a rush of pleasure through her body. She stepped out of the dress and turned until she was facing the couch, her backside vulnerable to his perusal.

“Ohhh, Liv… Baby,”

His fingers touched her waist, slowly exploring, and she shivered, then his hands moved down farther, until his fingers were slipping beneath the lace panties. He pushed them past her hips and down her legs, keeping an arm around her waist to steady her as she stepped free of them. His hand cupped her juncture and he pulled her hard against his body.

“Soft, wet, hot.” He leaned his face down and whispered into the crook of her neck. “Just how I remember.” His fingers separated her folds, easing between to feel the moisture of her arousal. “So good.” He groaned. “So damn good.”