Sundays were typically my day off.

A day to sleep in, run errands, catch up with my parents over the phone, and laze around my apartment watching television.

And apparently, a great day to make out with hot men. Or one man in particular.

Derrick.

Whereas we never got to play out my elevator fantasy back in San Francisco, there wasn't a lick of hesitation once the doors closed this time around. My back hit the wall as his lips claimed mine—so eager, so sensuous, I was surprised my legs didn't immediately turn to jelly. His tongue traced the seam of my lips, eliciting a moan from me, and when I opened for him, I fully sank into the kiss.

So much so that I forgot exactly where we were until Derrick pulled back and the doors slid open on the twentieth floor of Derrick's high-rise.

"Am I the only one who thought that went by way too fast?" I breathed.

A chuckle rumbled his chest. "No," he mused, grabbing my hand to lead me down the hall. "Though it's certainly not over. More of a to-be-continued state."

There was no ignoring the warmth that rolled down my spine, or the quiver in the pit of my stomach surely caused by lust. All anticipation on my body's part, remembering how good it'd been with him. How good it was going to be again.

And judging by the long strides he took and the ease with which he plucked his keys from his pocket and unlocked his apartment, I wasn't the only one keen for this repeat.

"Now," he said once the door closed behind us, voice low as he backed me up against it, "where were we?"

I raised up on my tiptoes, slinging my arms loosely around his neck. "I think—" I stopped a hairsbreadth away from his lips, our breath mingling. "—right about here."

My eyes fluttered shut when he leaned in, his mouth grazing mine softly. Though before we could go any further, we were interrupted by a loud bark and a soft thunder of footsteps.

Pulling back with amusement, I saw he'd clenched his eyes shut. "I'm going to go ahead and assume that wasn't you who just barked," I said teasingly.

"No. No it wasn't."

I held in a laugh, peeking around him to see a fully-grown Labrador bounding our way, paws skidding across the hardwood. "Hey, buddy," I gushed, squatting to run a hand through his golden fur. Clearly happy to see us, his tail wagged and he panted happily. "What's your name?"

"This is Scout." Derrick dropped to our level, embarrassment from having a dog interrupt us gone except for the red tint I spotted lingering on the back of his neck. "He's technically Ryan's, but I think he secretly loves me more. Ain't that right bud? Aren't you a good boy?"

I cracked a smile, watching him interact with the dog he clearly loved as if it was his own. The scene gripped my heart in a tight squeeze, spreading a warmth through me that was only intensified when Derrick turned to meet my gaze.

"You back already, man?" I heard Ryan's voice travel through the apartment and was somewhat startled. Having been so focused on getting back to Derrick's place—or more specifically, his bedroom—it momentarily slipped my mind that he didn't live alone. "What? Couldn't seal the—"

Rounding the corner from what I assumed was a hall leading to the bedrooms, Ryan stopped short—both in steps and words—when he noticed me. He had surely only heard the tail end of our conversation, thinking his roommate had returned alone. Which wasn't the case.

"What I meant to say was," he started, rubbing the back of his neck while quickly veering away from his original thought, "it's good to see you again."

A wry grin pulled at my lips and I stood. "You too."

"How was bowling?"

"Oh, it was great," I replied gleefully. "Especially considering I ended up winning both games."

"Ouch." Ryan winced playfully, laughing as he shot an amused look at his roommate. "That must've been a hit to the ego."

With a quick shoulder shrug, Derrick rose from the ground, leaving Scout to circle around his feet. "Apparently my competitive streak wasn't enough to beat her," he drawled, tossing a small smile my way before turning back to Ryan. "She won fair and square."

I bit my lip, pushing down my full elation as my eyes flitted between them; the silent conversation that stretched between the roommates not going unnoticed. What was said was anyone's guess, but I wasn't entirely stunned when Ryan headed toward the kitchen, returning seconds later with a red leash in his hand.

"Well, I think it's about time I take Scout on his walk," he declared. "A nice, long walk along the riverside. Who knows, maybe we'll even stop at one of the guys' places." He leaned down to attach the leash and ruffle Scout's fur. "Would you like that, bud?"

Ryan's question was met with a loud bark as Derrick rolled his eyes at his roommate's exaggeration.

"Then it looks like I'll be gone for an hour or two." Grabbing his jacket from the hook near the door, he threw it on before turning back to us. This whole thing was clearly entertaining to him as hilarity shone through his features. "You guys good here?"

"We'll be fine," Derrick mused.

"Good." Ryan wriggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

When the door closed behind him, it felt like a deafening boom, punctuating the fact the two of us were alone again.

"He's not subtle at all, is he?" I asked, trying to calm the blush I could feel spreading across my cheeks.

Derrick chuckled. "No, not normally."

As he trailed off, a prolonged silence sprawled between us, not at all helped by the foot or so of space that separated us. And with each second, we veered further into awkward territory. Making me wonder if, somehow, I was unconsciously throwing out don't touch me signals, because surely he would make a move if I wasn't, right?

Or was this him giving me the reins? Letting me be the one to stoke the sexual flames and get them burning once more.

Tick. Tock.

"This place is nice," I finally said before mentally kicking myself for such a lame conversation starter. Couldn't I have thought of anything better? Something more original? How was talking about his apartment in any way sexy?

Admittedly, though, it wasn't a lie.

The apartment was a bit of a bachelor pad, which wasn't surprising considering two single men lived here, but it did have a modern style to it. One wall had floor to ceiling glass windows and a sliding door that led to a balcony overlooking the city, the walls were painted a subtle light grey, and the hardwood floors were stained dark brown. There was a large flat screen bolted to the wall and the rest of the furniture seemed upscale, while still comfortable. The living and dining rooms were open and spacious, while most of the kitchen was closed except the pass-through, and there were presumably at least two bedrooms down the hallway.

One I was hoping to explore. And soon.

"Yeah," he replied, trailing off while his gaze arced around the apartment. It almost seemed like there was a hint of sadness that slithered its way out of the shadows as well, but I didn't feel it was my place to prod. "It's definitely nice to split the rent, and the space, especially considering we're both out of the city so much of the year."

"Right, right." I nodded, knowing I needed some other way to spin this conversation back onto a sexier track. And then it hit me. "Actually, I just remembered something."

He lifted an eyebrow. "Oh?"

See a wariness cross his face, I realized my words could've been misconstrued as a lead up to wanting to go home. Which was the last thing I wanted in that moment.

"I never collected on that kiss from back at the bowling alley."

Understanding flared in his irises, replaced in a blink with pure, untethered heat. "Is that so?" His voice was smooth and deep as he took a step toward me, eliminating the open space. Raising a hand, he slid his fingers beneath my hair and cupped the side of my neck, his thumb running softly along my jaw. "Well, I wouldn't want to deprive you of your winnings."

My breath hitched as his mouth brushed against mine, a featherlight touch so soft it felt like a whispered cue. One that told me things were about to heat up.

And when he pulled back, eyes searching my face, he found exactly what he was looking for. My libido—an open book in my expression—ready and raring to go.

We met in the middle, both of us having had enough of skirting around each other, and the kiss immediately deepened, his tongue sliding alongside mine as we each worked to pull the other's jacket off.

With that layer gone, Derrick wrapped his arms around my waist and palmed my ass, pulling me flush against him. Enough so I could feel every hard ridge of his body, making my grip on his biceps tighten in want and with need.

And damn were those biceps just as good as I remembered.

Realizing what was building between us was in no way leading to a slow or romantic time, but instead a frantic and intense craving needing to be fed, Derrick took the lead. Without breaking the kiss, he bent down slightly, gripping my thighs and guiding my legs around his waist while walking purposefully toward his bedroom.

There was no time to close the door as he marched straight for the bed, the two of us tumbling onto the mattress in a tangle of limbs.

"I think I forgot to tell you how gorgeous you look today," he said, whispering against my throat as his lips began tracing a path down my body. "How much I love this blouse." He popped the top buttons open with ease, exposing the lacy blue bra I'd worn for just this occasion. "And how much I'd love to rip it off."

Cupping both his cheeks in my hands, I yanked his lips back to mine. "Permission granted."

A shiver danced across my skin as a husky chuckle escaped him, and it wasn't just my blouse that was stripped off. In the moments that followed, our hands were desperate, pulling at every bit of clothing between us until they were scattered across his room and we were skin to skin.

Leaning over me, his lips slowed to a torturous pace, making every nerve ending in body scream for more. "Derrick," I whined in desperation and his bark of laughter pierced through the haze of lust.

Moving his attention southward, his palms coasted across my breasts, over my stomach, and down between my legs, searing a trail along my skin as his mouth followed in quick pursuit. When he hit his destination, stroking his tongue along my center, my hips all but leaped from the bed, wanting anything and everything Derrick was willing to give. My hands gripped the sheet beneath me as he added his fingers into the mix, drawing out noises I couldn't fathom while my muscles began to tighten in anticipation.

But before I could reach my peak, he pulled away, leaving me frustrated and breathing heavily on the bed with heavy eyes and what was sure to be wild hair.

Though before I could ask why, he flipped me over with the speed and finesse of a hockey player. Hearing the telltale rip of a condom wrapper, I bit my lip, moving with him as he situated himself behind me and propped me up on my knees.

"This okay?" he rasped, gripping my hips in his strong hands to line himself up.

"Y-yes," I replied. "Please."

Needing no further encouragement, he filled me in one smooth motion, pushing all the way to the hilt before pulling back. Then he did it again, over and over in a rhythm that drove me mad. There was nothing sweet about it; it was hard, raw, and rushed. Only made better when I rose up on my elbows and moved along with him, improving the angle so he hit just the right spot.

I knew I wouldn't last much longer, but when he dropped one hand from my hip and applied the pressure I needed to my clit, I was a goner. Whimpering, I let wave after wave of pleasure wash over me, my heart pounding in ecstasy, but it didn't stop there. Derrick, yet to finish, picked up the pace, leaning over me to place wet, messy kisses along my spine. The sensation was almost too much for my languid limbs, and when I finally felt him shudder through his own climax, the two of us collapsed together on the bed, absolutely spent.

"So," he started after a stretched silence, still breathing hard, "how was that for a first place prize?"

Concealing my grin in one of his pillows, I mumbled my reply.

"Sorry, what was that?" His fingers brushed against my ribs, causing me to squirm and giggle. "I didn't quite hear you."

Cheeks flushed, I turned my head, not hiding the fact I was ogling his naked body before meeting his eyes. "Worth it."

Definitely worth it.

a/n: well, this was going to be my thank you note for getting this story past 5k reads, but it's now past 6k! So I guess this is just a giant THANK YOU FOR READING overall <3

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