Summer’s gurgle of laughter was cut short by a low growl from the door, which neither of them noticed had been opened during their mutual admiration. “That wasn’t funny, Connie.”
Summer rolled her eyes at her friend, adequately concealing that she was a bundle of nerves at Derek’s sudden, silent appearance. Especially since he looked so damned sexy in his dark, European-cut suit. “I knew there was something we forgot, Connie,” she quipped. “Cue cards.”
“Cue cards?”
“Yeah. To tell Derek when to laugh. He has trouble recognizing a joke, you see.”
Connie giggled. “He always has.”
“Are the two of you going to stand on my doorstep and insult me all evening, or would you care to come in?” Derek inquired dryly.
Connie swept past her brother with stylish panache. “Good evening, Derek. Is everything ready?” she asked in an exaggeratedly cultured voice.
“Yes, everything’s ready,” he replied, watching Summer as she limped past him in Connie’s wake. “Both of you look beautiful.”
“Thank you, dahling,” Connie returned with a regal nod of her red head. “And please take note that we are thirty minutes early, just as you dictated, er, requested.”
“Connie.”
“Yes, Derek?”
“Stuff it.”
Connie laughed. “What did you do to Derek last weekend, Summer?” she demanded of her unusually quiet friend. “He sounds almost like a normal older brother. You must have loosened him up.” She stumbled over the latter words, remembering too late how they must sound in light of what Summer had told her about the events of the previous weekend.
Summer shot eye-daggers at her roommate, but her smile was convincingly natural as she glanced at Derek, automatically noting that his eyes were gleaming almost silver. So Connie’s remark had amused him, had it? Perhaps he thought that Summer would blush and stammer in confusion at the implied reminder of his devastating kisses. Well, she’d show the arrogant male that he wasn’t the only one who could keep his opponent off balance. “I certainly tried my best,” she murmured in answer to Connie’s comment, allowing her eyes to hold Derek’s for an extra moment before sliding coyly away.
“Is there anything I can do before the guests arrive, Derek?” Connie interceded hastily, though her round face was alight with suppressed laughter.
“You can make a run-through of the tables, if you like,” he replied. “The caterers have everything set up, but you could just check to make sure it’s all satisfactory.”
“No problem.” Connie walked away, admirably confident on her spike heels. She winked back at Summer just before she disappeared through the doorway into the living room.
Summer would have followed her friend, but Derek’s hand on her elbow stopped her. She lifted an inquiring eyebrow at him, finding him to be making a slow, thorough examination of her from head to toe—just as he had done when she had opened her door to him early last Saturday morning. Once again she had the sensation that the examination had been more than visual. She could almost feel the warmth of his touch on her breasts, her waist, her hips. She knew the warmth was reflected in her cheeks.
“You look lovely,” he said at length, lifting his eyes back to her face.
“Thank you, Derek.” She would have stepped away from him, but his hand tightened on her elbow, detaining her.
“I’ve thought about you a great deal during the past week,” he informed her, his gaze holding hers as captive as his hand held her arm.
She swallowed. “I’m sure you have,” she replied coolly. Probably laughed himself to sleep every night over the way he’d shattered her composure on Sunday. “Excuse me, I’ll go see if Connie needs my assistance.”
“She do
esn’t,” Derek answered bluntly. “You’re not afraid to be alone with me, are you, Summer?”
Determined to keep up with him this time, she placed a beautifully manicured hand on his dark sleeve and lightly rubbed his arm through the expensive fabric. “Of course I am, Derek,” she answered seductively. “You know I just don’t trust myself around you.”
The gleam in his eyes became more pronounced, but he didn’t smile. Instead, he lowered his head to nuzzle her crystal-enhanced ear, murmuring softly, “You know what they say about playing with fire, Summer-love.”
“Mmm,” she replied as quietly, her heart slamming against the walls of her chest. “Sometimes you burn exactly what you intend to burn.”
“Meaning me?”
“I don’t know. Are you feeling warm, Derek?” she asked sweetly.
“I’m beginning to,” he answered, turning his face so that his mouth grazed her cheek.