When Bees Sing - Part 1

Chapter 13

Derry came out of the bathroom, wearing only his cargo shorts. Small beads of water glistened on his shoulders as he dried his hair with one of the lush hotel towels. "So, Lucy, since we've become physically intimate, I think we need to get to know each other better."

Laughing, Sadie buttoned up her sleeveless blouse. "That sounds a bit backward."

"True, but I feel I should make you an honest woman."

"You're going to marry me?" She squealed with mocked delight, grabbed his hand and bounced onto the bed, pulling him with her.

He kissed her nose. "Not tonight, dear."

Her heart skipped a beat and she grinned like a silly schoolgirl. "I assume you want to know my real name?"

Derry scrunched up his face. "Oh God, no! Why ruin that fun right now? I want to know deeper, darker secrets."

"Like what?" Her stomach tensed, her tone hesitant.

His eyebrows lowered. "I want to know..." He took a deep breath. "Do you prefer Pepsi or Coke?"

Sadie slapped his arm. "That's the deep, dark secret you want to know?"

"One of them. Which is it?" Derry lay on his stomach, propped up on his elbows, laugh lines dancing along his eyes.

"Neither. I'm a water girl."
"Okay. Then, pizza - deep dish or thin crust?"

"Deep dish, but not greasy. Dough needs to be doughy, if that makes sense?"

"Absolutely and I agree. Beer or wine?"

"Ooh that's a tough one. Both? Local if beer, red if wine."

"Movies – theater or Netflix?"

"Again, tough call. I love the theater experience, but prefer to Netflix most movies because of time, money and convenience and I like the power of fast-forwarding the slow, boring scenes." Sadie traced the curve of his bicep, recalling how the muscle had held her up against the wall. A buzzing tickle started between her legs and when his hand found her inner thigh, it intensified.

He laughed. "I have been accused of destroying the cinematic beauty of most movies because I can reduce them down to forty-five minutes when I put the closed captioning on. Next - cats or dogs?"

"Cats."

"Really?"

"You sound so disappointed."

"You were batting a thousand until the cat preference. I'm a dog guy."
"Man's best friend?"

"Exactly. Now, for the rapid round of favorites."

"Rapid round?" Sadie tilted her head back into the pillow. "Derry, if you're going to expect me to answer quickly, you might want to stop drawing circles on my thigh. It's a bit difficult to think fast when you're doing that." She picked up his hand and deposited it on his hip.

"Oh really?" He shifted and placed the tips of his finger on her bare ankle. "Consider this the challenge portion of our game show. We'll see how quick you are under pressure. If you can finish this round before my fingers reach their goal."

Sadie exhaled as an odd sensation, like a Fourth of July sparkler, lit up in her chest. "And what do I get if I win?"

He looked up at her with a devilish, dimpled smile. "Ready?"

Anticipation surged through her. Her hands clenched the comforter. "Go."

"Favorite season?"

"Fall."