Chapter 11
AN: Thanks for the well wishes, everyone; it means so much to me. Thanks also for putting up with my erratic posting. I'm getting my problem fixed next Wednesday; after that, I should be feeling much better and I'll be back to the quick writing Kricket you all know...
Penelope stood in her bathroom, slicking the last coat of lipstick on her lips. It was a deep coral color, that matched the short dress with the fluffy hem she was wearing. She had a chunky necklace on that drew attention to the lower décolletage of the dress, and a little matching bolero jacket to top it off. It was her favorite outfit; it was pretty, and it made her feel sexy.
She'd done that on purpose—dressed sexy to feel sexy. She felt she would need all the ammo she could get for the show she was going to do tonight. It was a group of ladies hosting a bachelorette party. Andi, the maid-of-honor, had told Penelope she'd thought a Private Pleasures party would be a blast before they all went bar hopping. Penelope had reassured her it was a tremendous idea.
She really didn't want to let them down.
P heard a knock on her door, so she put down her mascara wand and ran to answer it. She threw open the door, and immediately began to smile as she swept her eyes up and down over the man leaning in the doorframe.
Derek was wearing a buttoned down shirt, with just the right amount of buttons undone near the collar. The fabric looked soft, touchable, and showed hints of the fantastic musculature she knew was under it. There was a sheen to the black material, too, which highlighted his light mocha colored skin. His black pants were tailored, showing the masculine perfection of his body.
He took a step back and made a little turn in a circle, a bright smile on his gorgeous face. "How do I look?"
She nearly had to wipe the drool from her mouth, he looked so good. His pants were just tight enough, cupping his backside, and his front side, too. Damn, he was fine, and judging from that grin, he knew it, too.
"You're passable," she answered haughtily.
He chuckled, and then pulled her into his arms and kissed the side of her neck by her ear. "You look gorgeous, too," he said, and the warmth of his breath enticed a riot of shivers on top of the goose bumps his kiss had already caused.
And suddenly, just like that, the night seemed heady with excitement and possibilities.
"Let's go, Hot Stuff," she replied, a devilish grin on her face. "Time's a wasting."
"All right, who wants another before we show the first item?" Penelope called out, as the hostess held out a tray of Jello shots she'd made for dessert.
A chorus of "Me's" rang out from the room of very happy, very horny bachelorettes.
The party was a raging success so far. The food had been met with oohs and ahhs, the decorations were tastefully erotic, and the smooth wine had been delicious. Once the party had gotten on a roll, Andi had brought out the jello shooters for dessert, which had the women rolling and laughing, and outdoing themselves with sexiness.
And then there was Derek.
He had been the consummate party host. He'd started just filling wine glasses, smiling that little grin at everyone that made her insides jump, and doling out compliments to the many women in the room. That had made the wine disappear so fast, Penelope didn't see where it had gone.
She started the show then, beginning with the foreplay items and the basic lubricants and edible stuff. Everyone was quiet, just sort of staring at her and the items, as she launched into what they did and how they were used. She felt sort of like Reid, discussing things so methodically and thoroughly. It lost its sexiness on her, and probably the crowd, as well.
She tried hard not to bite her lip in worry as she reached for the next item. The night, which had been so far so good, was losing its luster.
Soon, she was discussing Pecker Pepper. As she held up the tube, droning on about it, Derek remarked, "That product, ladies, is most definitely worthwhile."
He was perched on an armrest near one of the bachelorettes, watching her with an encouraging smile.
"You use that?" the girl nearest to him asked, looking up at him with no small amount of hero worship.
"Hell, yes, woman," he answered with a naughty grin. "Penelope and I both road tested a lot of this stuff."
At that point, the whole room stared at her with the same expression that revealed their thoughts…
You lucky dog!
She realized then they'd assumed she'd road tested the stuff with him, not by herself. She thought seriously about correcting their assumptions, but decided against it. It felt too good to be together with him—to be his—even if it was only in other women's brains.
"What does it do again?" another woman asked, looking at Penelope.
She began to explain. "The active ingredient—"
"Adds heat…lots and lots of heat," Derek interrupted.
"Why is that good?" another woman asked.
"Like Penelope said about Hot Kisses Cream earlier, it creates extra blood flow," Derek answered, standing and walking until he stood next to her. "And you know what extra blood flow does…"
"What?" one of the more innocent, younger looking bachelorettes asked from her spot on the floor.
Derek squatted down next to her and smiled, and the woman's eyes widened and darkened.
"Basically, the more blood there is, the harder and hotter we get," he explained, clasping his hands together and tapping his long first fingers in thought by his mouth. "The harder we are, the more we can satisfy you ladies."
He winked at the woman, who turned scarlet with embarrassment and gave a visible shiver of excitement.
"I'll take two tubes!" someone called out.
"Me, too!" cried another woman. "No! Three!"
"I can do that!" Penelope exclaimed. She glanced over at Derek; he simply grinned and winked at her.
That started an avalanche of sales. The excitement of the women in the room grew. She mentioned several items, really talking up the Minty Muffin and the rabbit vibe she'd used.
"Why would you need that?" the innocent woman asked, glancing over at Derek, and then back at her.
It reminded Penelope again that they thought she was with him. She almost lost her courage, but then looked at Derek, who was shooting her hot, dark looks.
The women in the room weren't the only people excited by all of this.
It really amazed her. She knew that she was getting turned on by all of this stuff, but so was Derek. She hadn't thought about his reaction to it—she was too embarrassed by her own wetness!—but now…now, she saw an opportunity for fun…and to be the goddess he loved to flirt with on an even grander scale.
"When they're out of town, at a ball game, or home late from work, we get to thinking, wanting…needing…" She looked over at Derek wistfully through lowered lashes, licked her lips, and then smiled at the girl in the front row. "Honey, sometimes a girl simply needs to take matters into her own hands…"
The crowd whistled and hooted at that, and she smiled, pleased with herself.
"Or sometimes…far more than you all would realize, you should do it when we're home," he said, his voice huskier and darker than before, with a hint of a growl. He took a few steps towards her, advancing like a panther on the prowl. "We like to watch."
As Penelope's eyes locked on his, she had no doubt that he was telling her the truth. He wanted to see her using those things, playing with herself. His gaze was dark, so hot, and so downright horny, he nearly scalded her with the heat he was giving off. She swallowed hard and felt her heart pounding in her chest.
"And after we watch," he murmured, his velvet voice a deep purr that stroked over her, "we like to play, too."
Her breath was coming faster, her lips parted to allow the air in as he took a few steps closer. He cupped her cheek in his hand, his thumb running over her cheekbone. She felt faint, dizzy, and so turned on. Never in her life had she wanted anyone as much as she wanted Derek at that moment. Her stomach clenched, and she could feel her core throbbing with zings of exhilaration and lust.
"Can I play, Baby Girl?" he whispered darkly, mesmerizing her with his erotic appeal. He leaned forward just a bit more, his mouth so close to hers…
"Oh, hell, yes! You can play with me any old time you want!" a woman from the second row cackled out drunkenly.
Penelope jerked to an upright position, not realizing until then that she had been leaning towards Derek. Until that woman had spoken, she'd forgotten completely that she was doing a show, in front of a room full of women.
"Maybe another time, honey," he said to the woman regretfully, and then looked back at Penelope, squeezing her cheek, with twinkling eyes and a teasing smile.
And Penelope realized then with a painful crushing ache in her chest…
Derek hadn't forgotten the crowd at all.
It's all a tease, like always with him. Never forget it's a tease.
Shaking off that stupid painful feeling, she smiled back at him, and then looked at the crowd. "All right, ladies…now who wants one?"
The hands flying up for sales made her tender heart—and her aching libido—feel a whole lot better.