I Like Your Unique Taste

My mind went blank the moment Derek kissed me.

His lips were so soft. He lifted a long, chilly finger to tip my chin upwards as he deepened the kiss. I could feel the

goose bumps appear all over my arms.

I wasn't in a state of mind to resist him, but I didn't kiss him back either.

"Wow!"

I heard a few exclamations from the people around us, followed by some applause and raucous whistles.

That was what brought me back to my senses. I was just about to pull away when Derek himself ended the kiss.

He stayed close, however, and he stared at me tenderly.

I like your unique taste."

His voice was magnetic and sexy, pulling me deep into the illusion that we were truly lovers

I averted my gaze, inadvertently catching sight of Shane's glum face.

"There are very few women in the world who can make Derek lose control of himself like this." A male voice suddenly called out, his tone teasing.

I turned around and saw a man in a casual black shirt sauntering over to us. He had one hand tucked into the front pocket of his jeans, while the other one was holding a cigarette. He was smirking

I remembered this guy. He was from that night at the mountainside, the one who had said Derek was good at picking up chicks.

It seemed like he didn't recognize me at all, which was expected. After all, I looked nothing like I had when we had first met He stopped in front of us and blinked at me with a playful smile. Then he patted Derek's shoulder

'lll be waiting for you at our usual card table upstairs."

Derek responded without turning to look at his friend, and his warm breath brushed against my forehead.

"You should know better than anyone, Mr. Felix Chadwick, that a beauty is more important than any game of cards.

You can go upstairs first."

His words made me flush, and I could feel my ears burn with embarrassment. The man called Felix Chadwick said nothing more.

He gave Derek another pat on the shoulder, then left while humming a song under his breath.

"Don't forget that you are still a married woman, Eveline," Shane blurted out, his tone spiteful

Louise rolled her eyes and flipped her short hair. She then tilted her head in his direction and sneered, "That's rich, coming from you. Aren't you a married man yourself?"

A round of mean laughter came from

our little audience. It appeared that they had already figured out the messy situation that was unfolding before their eyes. For my part, I simply couldn't comprehend how Shane still had the nerve to say these things.

As for Vivien, the shameless mistress, she took the opportunity to stir up more trouble. "Do you see, Shane? This should be enough to make you believe what I said. Look, she isn't faithful to you at all. How dare she kiss another man in front of her husband? What a bitch!"

How ironic that she was dishing out the word "bitch" when she was the one who deserved the title the most.

It was all so ridiculous, it was almost hysterical

But to see Shane's livid face was well worth it. It felt gratifying.

Meeting his furious eyes, I gently snaked my arm around Derek's and said, "Are you off to play cards now? Let's go!" Derek straightened and gave me another doting look. "Shall we?"

I'd thought that he wouldn't care about the conflict he had walked into, but I was mistaken. Just as we were about to pass by Vivien and Shane, he stopped in his tracks and glared at her.

"Are you sure you know what a bitch is? I think you're rather confused with its definition. Try looking in the mirror and see what a bitch actually is."

Louise chortled at that. She raised an eyebrow at Shane "You're here to have fun, Shane, aren't you? I wonder if you have the guts to engage in high stakes gambling."

Despite her taunts, I was convinced that Shane wouldn't take the bait. He didn't like gambling, nor did he have the means to do sO.

Derek pulled me into the elevator, Louise in tow. The doors closed slowly, shutting out the bar's loud music. He reached out and pressed the nine with a slender finger

I realized then that it wasn't appropriate.

for me to be holding on to him like this. I began to withdraw my arm, only for it to be held in place by his other hand.

His palm was warm against my skin, that single contact making my whole body heat up.

I was flustered. Louise shot me a pointed look, her lips curling mischievously. I knew I would have to suffer her aggressive questioning again later.

The casino on the ninth floor was massive, and everyone knew Derek. People turned their heads and greeted him as soon as we arrived, and then they would peer at me curiously.

At some point, someone stopped him to discuss something at length. I grabbed the opportunity to pull away, and fortunately, he didn't stop me this time.

I stood to the side and waited for them to finish their conversation. Felix spotted us then, and began to wave at us conspicuously.

Derek dismissed the other man and took my hand again, his movement smooth and graceful, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

We walked over to Felix's table. They happened to have just ended a round, and they all stood and gave us their seats. Of course, Felix remained. He toyed with a deck of cards, a cigarette between his teeth.

Louise was fond of playing cards as well. This kind of scene was nothing new to her. She chose a seat and plopped down.

"I haven't played in so long. Please allow me to join you."

Felix took a drag on his cigarette and whistled at her. "Of course, sweetheart, you're most welcome here." He flashed her a cheeky smile.

Derek tuned to look at me. "Do you know how to play?"

I shook my head sheepishly.

"Let me teach you, then." He ushered me to a chair, his hands on my shoulders. He pushed me down to sit.

But I wanted to flee. Not only did I not know how to play, I also didn't have the money to gamble at all. I didn't even know how much the stake was. I probably couldn't afford it.

As though knowing my thoughts, Derek squeezed my shoulders and smiled knowingly.

"Don't worry. If you lose, I will pay on your behalf."

"Shane! I didn't expect you to actually show up here. Are you sure you brought enough money with you? Or are you planning to toss that woman beside you as your bargaining chip?"

I whirled around before Louise had even finished speaking. Needless to say, I was shocked speechless to see Shane and Vivien walking toward our table.