Page 43 of Prudence (Balfe Family #1)

“Camille,” he said, eyes hot as they traversed my breasts and hips. Ever since the concert, a flip had switched, and he was no longer hiding his attraction. It was a little overwhelming to be honest, and I wasn’t sure I was equipped to handle the full force of Derek Balfe’s interest.

“Did you just come from work?” I practically squeaked because he hadn’t looked away from me once, and it was frazzling me in the best way.

He nodded wordlessly, eyes sliding back up to my face before resting on my lips. He blew out a soft sigh and whispered so low under his breath I almost didn’t hear him. “This might be a struggle.”

“Long day?” I went on because I was far too worked up to address his whispered statement.

“Uh huh. You?”

“Not too bad. I’ve been visiting showrooms to decide on a new kitchen. I think I found the cabinets I like best.” This was good. Talking about mundane, boring topics such as kitchen cabinets might douse some of the fire burning between us.

Derek’s lips twitched, his gaze softening when he replied, “Let me know if you need help finding a reputable installer.”

“I will, thank you.”

Roberta arrived and turned on some soothing ocean sounds, a blessed distraction from Derek’s heated intensity.

I tried my level best to focus, but it was useless with him next to me.

He completely fried my concentration, and all I could feel was his heat, all I could hear were his deep breaths going in and out.

By the end of the session, I was no calmer.

My head was even fuzzier than it had been before, full of all the things I wanted him to do to me.

“I’ll walk you to your car,” Derek said as we left the class and exited the building. I noticed he’d parked his SUV right next to my bright red Suzuki.

When we reached our vehicles, he stepped close, boxing me in against the back door of his car.

His arms bracketed me, one hand flat on the metal behind my head, the other resting beside my hip, but he didn’t touch me, much to my disappointment.

His body radiated heat, a presence I could feel without contact, like the air between us had thickened.

He didn’t say a word. Just looked at me in that same slow, searing, deliberate way that had the ability to steal my breath.

The car park was relatively empty, and though it was late evening, the sun hadn’t set yet.

“I’ve missed you,” he murmured while tucking an errant strand of hair behind my ear, his thumb hot against my earlobe.

“I’ve missed you, too. It’s a pity you’re so busy with work right now.

We could have—” Before I could finish the sentence, Derek’s arm slid around my waist, pulling me forward just slightly as he reached around me to open the door at my back.

Before I knew it, he’d oh-so-carefully lifted me into the back seat.

I shimmied backwards while he crawled in after me and pulled the door shut behind him.

“Sorry,” he said, the word choppy. “I really wanted to take you to dinner first, but I can’t wait.”

Didn’t he know that I craved him just as fiercely? After lusting after him throughout the entire meditation class, everything inside me was rejoicing. It was like he’d read my mind because if he hadn’t lifted me into the back seat of his car just now, I might’ve made the first move myself.

My head fell against the spacious back seat while Derek climbed between my legs.

I lifted his T-shirt at his back, running my hands up his spine as he lowered his mouth to the hollow of my throat and just breathed me in.

It was all I could do not to moan as he pressed his nose to my skin, inhaling intensely.

“Don’t apologise. Touch me,” I begged before he grazed his teeth over the sensitive spot below my ear.

“These tinted back windows came with the car when I brought it. Never found them useful until right this moment,” he said with a smirk while nipping his way down to my breasts.

He nuzzled into the soft, stretchy fabric of my yoga top.

“Milly, have you any idea how torturous that class was? Did you wear this top specifically to torture me?” His tone was husky and playful.

“No, I—” My words cut off when Derek brought his mouth to mine and kissed me so hungrily that all other thought fled my mind.

My hand went to the back of his neck, tugging him close while his crotch nestled between my splayed thighs, and I felt just how much he desired me.

I was so lost in the moment that I didn’t even care if someone got nosy and tried peering past the dark tint on his car windows.

In fact, a tendril of excitement took hold, and that slight edge of fear that we could be caught heightened my senses.

It was unlike any sexual encounter I’d had before, but then again, I’d never wanted a man like I wanted Derek.

Since all I had on was a pair of leggings and Derek only wore his shorts, I could feel his cock prodding at my clit so much more than if we were wearing thicker clothes.

Derek’s hand came to my jaw, his thumb stroking the underside while he smoothly thrust his erection against me.

I gasped at the sensation, need curling in my core as his tongue plunged deep into my mouth.

I wanted to see him, feel him, make him go mad with pleasure like he’d done for me the other night.

He groaned raggedly when I easily slid my hand inside his shorts, past his boxers to palm his thick, throbbing cock.

Derek was large. I’d always suspected he would be since he was a tall man, but having the evidence right there in my hand sent my hormones into overdrive.

I squeezed him, and he tore his mouth from mine, his breathing desperate as his brown eyes practically glittered in the dark car.

“Camille.”

My name leaving his lips was half plea, half warning.

I slid my hand languidly up and down his length, fascinated by the desire etched into every part of his face.

“Let me,” I whispered, leaning up a little so my lips brushed his ear, and he emitted a spine-tingling growl as I continued moving my hand over the head of his cock, savouring how my touch seemed to make him pulse even harder.

I wanted to make him come. No, I needed to.

But my hand was dry. I didn’t think I’d be able to achieve my goal without lubrication, and for a second, I imagined holding my open palm out to him, letting him drip his saliva onto it before I went back to work, but I was too shy for such a bold move and besides—

Before I could finish the thought, Derek’s face was buried in my neck as he whispered indistinct words of praise, and I felt hot liquid spurt into my hand.

Well, okay, maybe he was more turned on than I’d given him credit for.

He’d come surprisingly fast, and my cheeks flushed to think he wanted me so badly that less than a minute with my hand had him coming so hard he was still groaning into my neck.

“I promise,” he began as he endeavoured to catch his breath. “I’m not always so …” he trailed off when he found me smiling up at him.

“Don’t worry. I’m taking it as a compliment.”

His gaze softened. “You should. Stay there a second, yeah?”

I nodded, and he rose up, stretching his long body and reaching into the front of the car. Opening the glove box, he pulled out a box of tissues and some sanitary wipes before making quick work of cleaning us both up.

“Your turn,” Derek said after he discarded the tissues and wipes and brought his mouth back to mine. He deepened the kiss just as his phone started ringing. He broke away, swearing in annoyance as he cast me a look of apology. “I have to take this. It’s work.”

I placed my hand on his chest. “That’s fine. Go ahead.”

I honestly wasn’t bothered that we’d been interrupted.

We were lucky no one had happened by and peered in at us by now.

Derek sounded stressed on the phone, and he ended the call with a sigh before he brought his attention back to me.

“I have to stop by the hotel. We’ve been having trouble with one of our suppliers, and it needs sorting before tomorrow morning. ”

“You don’t need to explain yourself. I understand,” I told him earnestly then leaned over and kissed the corner of his mouth. “This was a nice surprise, but I know you’re busy.”

“I’ll make it up to you.”

“Looking forward to it.”

His expression darkened. “I am going to make it up to you, Milly,” he repeated, and my stomach fluttered when I realised he was talking specifically about returning the orgasm.

I was about to argue that he’d already given me one on the night of the concert, so technically we were even, but his expression was so determined that I decided to keep quiet.

I climbed out of the car, and Derek did, too.

He walked me the two feet to my Suzuki before wrapping his arms around my middle, pulling my body flush to his and leaning down to press his forehead to mine.

He exhaled a hot, minty breath then said, “I’m going to call you and arrange dinner.

I want to take you out. I just don’t know when I’ll be available. ”

“That’s okay. With Deirdre in London, I have a lot of free time this summer, so I can work around your schedule.”

“Quit being so perfect, or I’ll be tempted to drag you back into my car,” he rumbled with a grin, and I chuckled before softly patting his chest.

“Go handle your work emergency. I’ll be waiting on your call.”

Reluctantly, he released me and returned to his car.

The following day, I joined Nuala to go visit Charli and the baby.

She’d had a little girl and named her after her biological mother and Nuala’s aunt, Nadine.

As far as I knew, she’d died young, so passing on the name was particularly emotional for the whole family.

I adored babies and was excited to hold her, as well as help Charli out around the house if needed.

What I wasn’t anticipating was for Derek to be the one to answer the door.

He was clearly on his lunch break because he wore his usual work suit and in his arms was the cutest little baby girl I’d ever seen.

She had a tuft of sandy brown hair and big brown eyes that were a replica of Charli’s.

Seeing Derek with a newborn, not to mention how he was holding her as if he’d done it a thousand times—which he probably had with Gigi and Pablo—had a heady effect on me.

Derek glanced at his sister before his gaze landed on me, managing to be both tender and heated at the same time.

“Come on in,” a voice called before Charli appeared, waving us into the house.

As I moved by Derek, our gazes connected once again, and I fought the urge to swoon at the sight of him carefully holding such a precious little bundle in his arms.