Page 98 of Devil's Kiss

“Mother,” Jordan finally managed, and pulled out of his mom’s arms. “I didn’t realize when you called the other day that you meant you would be stopping inthisweek.”

“Well, your father had to come back for some boring business meeting,” she said with a flick of her gloved wrist, and then leaned in to press a kiss to his cheek. “And I needed to speak with you. But more importantly, aren’t you going to introduce me to the young man standing beside your bed, dear?”

Jordan shook his head and then stepped around her. He loved his mother more than he could put into words, but he knew for some she was more to take than other moms.

He was about to check on Derek when he heard a cough from behind his mother, and she turned so she was standing beside him and they were both staring at a widely smiling Derek.

“Yeah, Jordan. Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

Oh, okay. Sothat’show this is going to go, is it?Raising an eyebrow at Derek, he accepted the challenge, and gestured from his mother back to the smug man grinning at him.

“Mother, I’d like you to meet Derek.”

As she flashed a smile, which Jordan knew was identical to his own, in Derek’s direction, he continued.

“He was formerly a student of mine and also lived here at the Palisades for a year or so somewhere in there. Now, don’t be all scandalized—back then it was in separate bedrooms, of course.” He paused and placed his hand on his mother’s arm, and when she looked down at him he thought,Hell, if ever there’s been a time to say it out loud.“But just recently, he told me in no uncertain terms that he loved me madly and would no longer just let me use him for his body. Luckily for him…” Jordan let his eyes slide to Derek, who was staring at him with his mouth agape until he winked at him, then Derek glared. “I feel exactly the same way.”

The room plunged into silence after his monologue, and as he kept his eyes locked with Derek’s, his mother was the one to break through the quiet.

“Well, that’s quite a story. But I’m positive there’s more to it than that. I’m going to go and freshen up and rummage through your wine fridge, J. I’ll meet you boys out on the balcony when you’re ready.” She was about to walk out, but at the last second turned back to Derek and said, “Good for you. He needs someone with a firm hand. And you sure have the muscles for it.”

“Mother.”

“Okay.” She laughed and gave a waggle of her fingers as she turned and headed back toward the door.

When they were alone, Jordan rounded back to Derek and noted the furrowed brow still firmly in place.

“Before you get all mad,” Jordan began, and raised his palm. Derek walked forward, backing him up across the room, as was Derek’s way. “My mother is under no illusions as to who her son is. So if I’d tried to pretend you were in here looking at my clothing selection, she never would’ve—” His back hit the wall and he let out a soft “oomph” as Derek placed a palm on either side of his head.

“Why would I be mad?”

“Umm…” Jordan floundered for a second. Derek’s intense gaze had him unnerved. “You’re not?”

Derek lowered his mouth to his and whispered, “Nope.”

“Oh,” Jordan sighed.

“Mhmm,” Derek agreed, and then sucked Jordan’s bottom lip into his mouth as he trailed the back of his fingers along his neck and between the lapels of his robe. When his fingers then moved to the knotted belt at Jordan’s waist, Derek slipped them behind the loop and tugged him forward from the wall. He pressed a sweet kiss to Jordan’s mouth that had him reaching for his arms to keep himself from sliding down to the floor, and then Derek raised his head andwinkedat him.

“You love me.”

“Huh?” was Jordan’s intelligent answer.

Derek backed away, and as he did, he started doing some stupid little dance with his hands and shoulders that made Jordan snort. Then Derek pointed at him and said, “Youloveme.”

“And that makes you what…ridiculous?”

Derek nodded as he continued, making his way backward toward the door of the bedroom. “It makes me ridiculously happy. Now put some clothes on. For God’s sake, Jordan, anyone would think you spent the last couple of hours having hot sex.”

As Derek disappeared, Jordan caught sight of himself in the mirror on the door of his walk-in closet and barely recognized the sap smiling back at him. Derek Pearson had him standing there with hearts in his eyes wanting to twirl around his fucking bedroom, and as he pushed off the wall to get ready for his guy, he couldn’t help the chuckle that slipped free.

He’d known from the very beginning that man was going to be trouble, and hell if he hadn’t been spot on with that assessment.

“SO TELL ME about Jordan,the boy.”

It was easy to see where Jordan got his love of life from as Gabrielle Devaney tipped her head back and laughed joyously. Derek and Jordan were seated opposite his mother, and they were well into their second bottle of wine as they enjoyed the fire pit and comfy couches out on Jordan’s balcony.

Jordan had pulled on some faded jeans with holes all over the place, a gray crew-neck T-shirt, and a navy-blue beanie that was sitting halfway off the back of his head, and he looked fucking hot.