Ashlyn hasn't spoken a word since the age of eight, and her heart's never felt more protected. But, when the confident and ever so charming Derek stumbles into her quiet little world, her emotions-and forbidden desires-have never been so loud.
...
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Ashlyn closed the lid of her computer then turned on the sofa, so she looked at Derek.
She rested her arm next to his on the back of it and rested her chin on the back of her hand. Her eyes were level with his as she searched for the answers to the questions she'd never dared to ask.
She gave a small smile.
Derek reached across to brush her cheek, capturing a stray curl.
"Are you hungry?" He asked, tucking the strand behind her ear, his fingertips tickling the fine hairs that stood on end. She shrugged, her appetite for food not currently on her mind. She was, however, hungry for something else, the untapped desires that his touch inspired.
Her cheek began to feel hot against the back of her hand, and she worried that these desires would be clearly displayed to him, like an open book.
Derek grinned and patted the back of her shoulder.
"I'm starving. Come on, let's make some lunch." Derek pulled himself to his feet and took her hand, pulling the arm out from beneath her chin. She let her jaw drop to the cushion that lined the back of the sofa, but she did not make a move to follow.
Derek let go and crossed the floor to the kitchen, his laughter falling behind him.
With a groan, Ashlyn dropped her head and buried her face in the top of a cushion, mentally begging her body to stop reacting the way that it did.
She banged her head into the cushion several times, willing her hormones to stop embarrassing her whenever he was around.
You're not some lovesick teenager, she mentally chastised herself. No matter how many times she reminded herself of this fact, her mind refused to acknowledge it, always finding an exception. She'd missed out on these experiences as a teen, and her mind thought it was right to make up for that now.
She heard the sound of a throat clearing, and froze, her face smooshed into a cushion.
"Is spaghetti okay with you?" Derek asked with humor in his voice.
Ashlyn lifted her head and gave an awkward grin, her cheeks widening to conceal her chagrin. She felt confident that Derek had seen what just happened. That's what she got for taking out some walls and creating one big open space. She only hoped he hadn't seen it all.
She nodded swiftly, the motion slightly disorienting. Derek only grinned and turned his back to place the bag of spaghetti on the counter.
With a resolute sigh, Ashlyn climbed over the back of the sofa and walked towards the kitchen, pulling her hair back into a high ponytail.
In the few seconds that it took for her to compose herself and cross to the kitchen, Derek had already made quick work on pulling everything from the fridge and pantry. A pot of water was already on the stove, waiting to come to the boil.
