Candy Store

her turtleneck, teasing her taut peaks.
    “Squeeze your thighs together,” he said.
    Callie barely managed to obey him, she was so concentrated on the feel of Derek over her. On her. In her.
    She wrapped her hands around his shoulders to pull him closer while she squeezed her thighs together as tight as she could.
    She felt him grow impossibly bigger within her with every stroke and suddenly she was floating and he was coming and saying her name and she was moving with him, bucking her hips up off the blanket of his jacket, trying to get closer to him, as close as she could possibly get.

    * * * * *

    Afraid of crushing her, Derek tried to prop his weight up on his forearms, but she was holding him so tightly to her that he decided to just let himself go.
    He rolled them over slightly, so that he was cradling her in his arms, their bodies still joined together. The truth hit him like a bolt of lightning.
    He was in love with her.
    He had never been so sexually compatible with any woman, but it was more than just the incredible sex that made him so positive that Callie was the one.
    She was funny and bright and just seeing her smile made him want to do or say something to make her smile again.
    Her breathing began to slow to normal and he rubbed her back, savoring the feeling of having found the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.
    They needed to get back to the rink, but he didn’t want to move too fast back to real life. He slowly pulled out and zipped his pants back up.
    Callie blinked and then fumbled for her snow pants. Pulling her to her feet, Derek took care of getting her back in order within seconds.
    He took her face in his hands and kissed her, long and slow and sweet.
    “This isn’t a one-night stand,” he said, his voice firm and tender all at the same time.
    Callie smiled back at him and covered his hands with her own.
    “I know.”

Chapter Nine

    The next two weeks were the best of Callie’s life. After their incredible lovemaking in the forest, they had gone back to the rink to pack up her sales table. Much to her surprise, Derek had insisted that they talk about their relationship. She had never met a man like him before, one who was willing to broach difficult subjects. Every man she’d ever known before had hidden from emotions, had ignored anything that wasn’t cut and dry.
    “I want to date you,” he said, and she said, “Me too.”
    “I know I’m working for you,” he said, and she said, “And I’ve hired you.”
    “I want to be your lover as well as your business associate,” he said, and she said, “Thank god.”
    They had both laughed and suddenly the air was clear and full of endless possibilities.
    Not only was Callie constantly glowing with joy, but her business was growing by leaps and bounds as well, with a huge spike in business from Internet orders.
    One night after a romantic dinner at her house where they had done more hand-holding and kissing than eating, Callie said, “You really are the Candy King, you know,” her tone teasing.
    Derek stiffened slightly at her words, but then relaxed again so quickly she was certain that she had imagined it.
    “How did you know that you were so darn good at selling candy?”
    Derek kissed her on her neck, right below her ear, in just the way that was guaranteed to make her nipples hard and aching.
    “You don’t want to hear about my boring business,” he said, trying to coax her into another incredible sexual interlude, his palm coming to cup her between her thighs, searing her with his heat even through her jeans.
    But even though she was already responding to his touch, her breasts heavy, her mons throbbing, Callie'd had enough of his putting her off. Last night after making love in her bathtub, she had finally realized that whenever she asked him questions about his company, he deftly changed the subject. Usually by kissing or touching her, until she was naked and coming beneath him, all thoughts of business gone.
    Callie scooted away from Derek on the couch, hating how empty she felt without his touch, but knowing they needed to have this conversation more than they needed to have sex.
    “Why do you keep pushing my questions away?”
    Derek looked at the empty place on the couch where she'd been just seconds before. “What are you talking about?”
    She sighed. “Every time I bring up your business, you change the subject. For the past two weeks all we’ve talked about is Callie’s Candies.”