Candy Store

important.
    But he couldn’t let himself think about anything other than getting Callie warm. Otherwise he would have to face anger and pain and hurt so strong he thought he might never laugh or smile again.
    Sitting on the wide rim of his large whirlpool tub, still cradling Callie in his lap, he leaned over and turned the knobs until steaming water was pouring into the tub. Quickly, he stripped her dress off and as he undid the clasp of her bra and slid it from her shoulders, he tried not to notice that her nipples were hard buds from the cold. He stripped her panties from her legs and forced himself to ignore how much he wanted to bury his face against her slick heat and taste her one more time.
    Gently lowering her into the tub, his hand brushed the soft mound of her breasts and he heard her gasp.
    Knowing it was wrong, hating himself for being so out of control, he leaned into her and took one of her nipples in his mouth, suckling hard, wanting to punish and pleasure her in equal parts. She arched up into his mouth, and threaded her fingers into his hair.
    With a groan that hid none of his anger at himself or at her, he ripped off his own wet clothes. Callie reached her arms up to him and within seconds he was naked and between her legs.
    “I love you, Derek,” she cried out as he entered her.
    He tried to block out her words. He tried to concentrate on the wet warmth that encased him, her perfect breasts rubbing against his chest, her round ass in his hands as he pounded in and out of her.
    But even as he tried to use her for his pleasure – and nothing else - he couldn’t escape the truth.
    Cupping her cheeks with his hands, he stilled.
    “I love you.”
    In the space of one heartbeat, they both came apart.
    After the madness had subsided, the water sloshed around them in the tub and he pulled away from her.
    “Don’t leave me again,” she said. “We need to talk.”
    He stood up and water poured off of him into the tub. “Fine,” he said, trying to rouse his anger again. “Talk.” He grabbed a towel and roughly dried himself off.
    She stood up too and grabbed a towel. “Why did you leave the restaurant like that?”
    He answered her question with a question. “Why did you lie to me?”
    She sat heavily on the rim off the tub, the towel all but forgotten in her hands. “I’ve never lied to you.”
    “Bullshit,” he said, his eyes flashing dangerously. “I saw the way you were fawning all over my brother.” His voice grew high pitched as he imitated her. “Your job sounds really exciting.” Derek snarled before resuming his parody. “Wow, I didn’t know accountants made so much money.”
    Callie gasped in outrage. “How dare you make me sound like…like such a money-grubbing bitch.”
    He grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her to stand face to face with him. “Haven’t you just been playing at being the nice little candy maker, pretending you wanted me to live my dreams, when all along you just wanted money. And power. Just like Gina.”
    Callie’s fighting stance fell away. “Gina? Who’s Gina?”
    He let go of her shoulders, trying not to wince at the red marks his fingers had left on her smooth skin.
    “My ex.”
    Callie’s voice was soft. “You’ve never mentioned any ex before.”
    “She left me at the altar. On the day of our wedding.”
    Callie took a step closer and put her hand on his arm. “Why?”
    He pushed her comfort away with a harsh laugh. “You should understand her motives perfectly. After all, who would want to be married to the Candy King?”
    She licked her lips and swallowed once before saying, softly, “I would, Derek.”
    He turned back to her, anguish etched in the lines of his face. “No, Callie, you don’t. You want me to be just like Jed, just like she did. Just like everyone does.”
    Carefully stepping out of the tub, Callie came toe to toe with Derek. “Your brother is jealous of you. I was stroking his ego in the hopes that he would shut up so that I could get to know your parents better. I thought you knew me better than that,” she said, her voice shaky. “I thought you knew how much I love you for being you.”
    Everything in her was telling her to run away, to leave Derek, to give up on them. But she knew it was the coward’s way out. She had vowed to fight for their love and now she was being put to the ultimate test.
    Callie forced herself to keep talking, hoping that she could keep him from leaving again, hoping that