Derek

by Ashers, LeAnn

  I don’t even have the words to say anything because, just when I thought he couldn’t get any hotter, I found out he has a little bitty puppy that he calls Princess.

  “That is so stinking cute!”

  “Yeah, she is.”

  It’s official. I am completely jealous of a dog. This five-pound fur baby has me jealous.

  “How did you get her?” I ask because now I want one.

  “She is a rescue. I found her as newborn puppy on the side of the road, so I bottle-fed her, and she just turned seven months old.”

  My mind immediately goes to seeing big, huge, scary Derek bottle-feeding a tiny puppy. My heart just can’t.

  A loud smack on the table brings me out of my thoughts. The waitress practically tossed my drink onto the table. She sets Derek’s down like it’s a precious jewel or something.

  What the fuck?

  Derek glares at her, shifts in the seat, and protectively puts himself practically in front of me. I tell her what we want to eat and she leaves. Derek watches as she walks away, and I can tell he is angry. I am flattered that he is protective of me even over a girl. I can handle myself—trust me—but I am also a woman who wants to be taken care of.

  “You okay?” I ask Derek as he relaxes in his seat.

  He grunts, puts his phone back in his pocket, and rests his arms on the table; then he takes a large sip of his beer. He looks at me with his beautiful green eyes. “I don’t like disrespect, especially when it comes to you, Brittany.”

  For the hundredth time tonight, I am speechless. I just continue to stare at him for a while; then I scoot closer and rest my head on his shoulder, hugging him. His hand comes up and rests on my cheek. He doesn’t have to speak; I understand exactly what he means.

  That’s what I like about Derek: he is who he is, and that’s all he is going to be. We sit together with my head on his shoulder for a while, not even speaking, just enjoying each other’s company.

  A little bit later a waiter brings our bag full of seafood. When he sets it down on the table and opens it, the first thing that hits me is the absolutely amazing smell. He hands us napkins and things to crack our crab legs with and leaves us. I take out my hair tie and put my hair on top of my head.

  I can feel Derek looking at me, and I look over to see him staring at me with amusement. I shrug. I grab a crab leg and crack it open, pulling the meat out.

  I dip it in the butter sauce, and I can’t help but moan at how amazing it tastes.

  “Fuck.” Derek says under his breath, and I look over at him. His eyes are on my mouth.

  I know that probably sounded sexual, but it’s not my fault he has a dirty mind. He grabs a lobster tail and starts digging in. Hell, we don’t speak until we are both done eating. I sit back in my seat, and I am seriously thinking about unbuttoning the top of my jeans. I wipe my hands on the small cloth they gave us.

  The waitress arrives. “Here is the check, do you guys need anything else?” She doesn’t take her eyes off Derek of course.

  Derek takes the check, and I put my hand on his arm. “I can pay.”

  He looks at me like I just kicked his little bitty puppy, and I take my hand off his arm. “I just offered.”

  He hands her his card and she looks down at it. How much do you want to bet she is going to look him up on social media? Bad news for her: he doesn’t have any social media accounts—I checked.

  “If we're out together, I have the check always, doll,” he says softly. I think he is worried that he hurt my feelings.

  I shrug. Honestly, I couldn’t care less, money is just money. I’ve had it and I have been without. Money makes your life easier, but that is not where happiness is.

  “Okay.”

  His brows furrow, like he can’t believe that I agreed so easily. I am probably confusing, but aren’t the best things in life always confusing?

  The waitress comes up and hands Derek his card back. She just stands there looking at him and, honestly, she is dancing on my last nerve. Derek completely ignores her and signs the check. He scoots out of the booth and lifts a hand for me to take, and I slide out of the seat and stand.

  The waitress bends over and looks at the check. “Are you kidding me?” she screeches and I wince at the piercing sound. I’m not sure how the glass is not broken.

  “What’s the matter with you?” I rub my ears, and she glares at me like I’m the whole cause of her problems.

  “He turned me down!”

  I eye the check and burst out laughing. She put her number on it, and Derek marked it out and wrote, “no chance in hell.”

  She takes a step toward me. Derek automatically steps between us, but I push in front of him. I point my finger in her face. I am done with this cow. “Listen here, I have let you ogle him, but I am not going to take a second of your mouth. He doesn’t want you, no means no, and obviously he’s on a date with me. You may as well have laid on the table and spread your legs, because desperation isn’t attractive, honey.”

  She stares at me with her mouth wide open, like she can’t believe I just talked to her like that, but she is lucky that I didn’t do more than that.

  When I turn around, Derek puts his arm around me, and we start out of the restaurant. I hear her scream, and I turn around just as she reaches me. Derek snatches her out of midair and throws her to a waiter. “Get this bitch.” The waiter can’t hold her up, and they both crash to the ground.

  I laugh and we walk outside and get into the truck. That was absolutely hilarious, but I have to admire his strength; he legit tossed her like a sack of flour.

  “What a bitch,” I tell him and he nods. “Thank you for dinner, Derek.”

  He smiles and kisses the back of my hand. “You’re welcome, doll.”

  That accent, it gets me every time!

  I notice that we’re going in the opposite direction from my house. We’re heading out of town, toward where my brother and my mom live.

  “Uhh…where are we going?” I eye him, kind of confused. Should I be afraid that he is crazy?

  “My house.”

  I blink a few times and my mouth dries. “Yeah, but why?” I ask.

  He chuckles. “I am getting my Princess and we’re going back to your house.”

  I laugh at the balls of this guy. “Why do you think that’s going to happen?”

  He smirks. “Darlin’, we can stay at my house too. Either is fine with me.” He continues thundering down the road without a care in the world.

  “I hope you know sex is out of the question.” Take that, Derek. I fold my arms across my chest, dislodging his hand from mine.

  He laughs out loud at this. “Who said anything about sex, doll. One thing’s for sure. I am not ready to let you go yet.”

  My mouth opens and my eyes widen at his admission. That was incredibly sweet. The way he is going about it is completely backward, but these men go by a different code, and that’s the alpha male code.

  I don't want him to let me go; I want to know so much more about this mysterious man.

  We pull up in front of a large three-story house. I’ve always admired it when going to my parents’, but I never realized that it was Derek’s. He pulls in and helps me out of the truck. “You staying here or your house?” he asks.

  “I don’t have any clothes.”

  He nods. “I will get P’s stuff.” He unlocks the door. “Baby girl!” he yells, and he bends down to scoop up the smallest fluff of puppy I have ever seen.

  “Oh my God, she is so precious.” I move to stand next to him, and he hands her to me. She rests her little head on my shoulder. “I am stealing your puppy,” I tell him sternly and he laughs, his eyes shining beautifully in the golden lighting of the house. “I can just borrow some of your clothes,” I inform him. I would hate for him to have to pack up his fur baby and drive me all the way across town.

  “Are you sure?” he asks.

  “Yeah, I am sure.” I smile and go back to loving on his baby, and he leaves me with
her and goes upstairs. I take my phone out of my pocket to see if I have any messages from clients or family.

  I have an evening appointment tomorrow for a wedding makeover, but until then I have the day off. So there’ll be plenty of time to go home and get ready.

  Right now I am trying really hard to get inside my head and think of all the possibilities as to what could happen. I know Derek would not push me to do something that I’m not ready for, but the thoughts are in my head. Its nerve-racking.

  It’s my trust issues and my habit of talking myself out of stuff, whether it involves relationships or family and friends. I feel like things are too good to be true, and I take that to heart and run. I made a promise to myself that I won’t do that anymore.

  A few minutes later Derek comes down the stairs. He is carrying a bundle of clothes and a few other items on top of the pile. “Here you go.”

  On top is the face wash and lotion I use. I pick it up and look at him. “How did you know I used this?”

  “Doll, I know you. How many times have I watched over you as you’ve done someone’s makeup?” That is very true. When something frightening has gone down within the family, I’ve always had someone to watch over me, and sometimes that was Derek.

  I slide off the couch. “Where’s the bathroom?” He directs me to the bathroom, and it hits me. “Wait, how did you know I would be here?”

  He sits down on the couch, with a shit-eating grin on his face, and turns to look at the TV. Someone was cocky, but I guess he has a right to be, because I am here in his house.

  Derek

  I know it was daring on my part to show her the shit I bought her, but I always fucking knew she was going to be here in my house one day. For a solid year I have watched her from afar, watching her change, before my eyes, into the most beautiful woman. A year ago I should have approached her, but I didn’t want to be selfish. I know shit happened in her childhood, and I know she was going to therapy and her career was taking off. So I sat on my ass, even though it killed me, but she needed that. I was her silent protector, and she didn’t know. I didn’t want her to. Every single time she left and did someone’s makeup, I followed her home to make sure she was okay.

  She has driven me insane. The way she walks, the way she talks, the way her hair flows down her back—and don’t get me started on how beautiful she is…and her temper. God, that is a fucking killer.

  Soon her family is going to find out that I took her out and she stayed the night. That means I am very likely to get my ass beaten, but I couldn’t care less if I get punched in my face every day as long as I get to be with her.

  She walks out of the bathroom, makeup free and in my clothes. That shit hits me right in the chest. Every time she looks at me, I feel it. She smiles at me and it hits me.

  I am fucked.

  Brittany

  One part of me was afraid to leave that bathroom; I was scared of what awaited me outside that door. But I had no choice. it was either sit inside the bathroom until I die or face it. So I chose the latter.

  Here I am fixing to plop my big booty down on the couch next to him, and here he is holding his little baby on his chest like it’s the most natural thing in the world to be that sexy.

  “You know, I don’t know how old you are,” I mention as I sit down beside him.

  “I’m twenty-eight. Want to rent a movie?” he offers and hands me the remote. I take it from him and look at the movies for rental. “Scary, action, or what?” I ask.

  “Doesn't matter, darlin’.”

  I close my eyes when he says “darlin’.” His voice is so deep, and it kind of reminds me of Josh Turner.

  “Can I ask you to do something for me?” I try not to laugh because I know it’s going to piss him off. He arches an eyebrow waiting for me to ask, and I clear my throat and sit up straighter on the couch.

  “This is super serious.” I make the most serious face I can muster.

  He looks confused but nods,

  “Can you sing “Your Man” by Josh Turner?”

  He sighs and leans back on the couch, covering his face. Princess jumps off of his lap and into mine. “Look, Daddy, she wants to hear it too!”

  He drops his hand and his eyes snap to mine. Alarm bells go off in my head just as he tackles me on the couch, not before he gently sets Princess onto the floor. I stare up at him just as his fingers dig into my side, and I scream with laughter and try to push him away. He laughs and uses both hands.

  “Take it back,” he demands.

  “BABY, LOCK THE DOORS AND TURN THE LIGHTS DOWN LOW!” I scream through my laughter, tears rolling down my face.

  “Take it back!”

  I shake my head and buck my hips, trying to throw him off. He stops tickling me and I open my eyes, wondering what he is up to next. That’s when I realize how we ended up. He is on his elbow by my head, and his face is inches above mine.

  I lick my lips without thought, and his eyes latch onto my lips. Is this about to happen?

  With his free hand, he wipes the tears from my cheeks. That was really sweet, I have to admit.

  I smile and, unable to help myself, I touch the back of his neck, and my fingers drift into his hair, scratching the back of his head. His hair is coming loose from his bun.

  I can’t resist pulling the hair tie out of his hair; I have been wanting to do this from the moment I first saw him.

  His face moves toward mine, and I close my eyes, expecting his lips to touch mine, but they touch my forehead. Butterflies swarm my belly, the kind that put your whole body on edge, and goose bumps break out across my skin.

  His lips are so soft and full, and I am ready to beg him for a kiss. I have dreamed of it for so long, and right now he is so close.

  Little by little he makes his way down to my lips. I open my eyes just as his lips touch mine.

  Finally.

  I open my mouth and he takes over the kiss. His hand is on my cheek. He is being so sweet and gentle, something a lot of people wouldn’t expect of him. His lips move over mine softly, thoroughly, and so full of emotion that my toes curl.

  This is the kind of kiss you wish for your whole life, the one that ruins all other first kisses for you.

  His hand drifts from my cheek, and he buries it deep in my hair. I wrap my arms around his neck, dragging him even closer. The kiss goes from passionate to a full-on blaze of fire, and I’m getting wet between my legs. Oh boy, this could get out of hand fast.

  All of a sudden he stops kissing me. I open my eyes and ours connect. He strokes my cheekbone.

  “Why did you stop?” I blurt out before I can think. Oh my God, why did I do that? He is going to think I’m wanting sex! In my defense, when it’s gotten hot and heavy with other guys, they didn’t want to stop, and they got pissed when I told them sex was not on my radar.

  “Doll, you’re not ready for more than that.” His finger moves over my swollen lips. “I want you so fucking much, but even if I have to protect you from myself, I will.” In that single second, a piece of my heart goes to Derek. That is the sweetest thing.

  My eyes start burning; tears are threatening to fall. What he just said to me made me feel so safe with him. I don’t have to worry; he has me no matter what.

  A tear falls, leaving a hot trail behind, and he catches it. He looks confused as to why I am crying.

  “That was so sweet, Derek.” I lean forward and kiss him, wishing I could say more about how deeply his words affected me. I put up this front that nothing can faze me—it’s the Aquarius in me—but down below, I am a really deep person.

  He kisses me back softly, so sweetly. He pulls back and smiles at me. “Come on, let’s go to my room and relax.” He stands up and scoops Princess off the floor and tucks her to his chest. He takes my hand. I love that he so thoughtful. I let him lead me up into his bedroom, admiring his house as I go.

  One part of me is nervous about getting into a bed with a man, but he is not just any man. It’s Derek, and he has done noth
ing but treat me with the utmost respect. I feel safe with him. That is not something I say lightly, but I do.

  He pushes open his bedroom door, takes Princess over to a small cage, and sets her inside.

  “You cage her?” I ask.

  He puts a blanket over the front but leaves the back open for her. “I don’t want her to get hurt or eat something that can hurt her as I sleep. I would let her sleep with me, but I’m afraid of rolling on her.”

  He throws back a black comforter and looks over at me. I suck in a sharp breath because that look is full of possessiveness.

  He grips the bottom of his shirt, lifting it over his head, and my mouth dries as I take in his tan, muscular body and the tattoos covering his arms and his sides.

  Dear God, give me strength so I don’t jump his bones.

  “Darlin’.” He reaches out to me, and I walk over to him. I pause, looking at him for a second before I place my hand in his. He helps me into bed, and it’s like I’m something precious to him. He goes to the other side of the bed and climbs in.

  My stomach is doing flips, and my mind is going in a hundred different directions, waiting to see what he is going to do next.

  One arm goes around my back and the other under my legs, and he drags me across the bed until I am lying against his chest, his arm tightly around my back.

  Heaven.

  I close my eyes and just breathe in his scent; he has this manly scent that drives me crazy.

  His fingers drift up my back until he buries them in my hair and rubs my scalp. That is my weakness. I bite my lip so I don't moan and make a fool of myself.

  “You’re making me sleepy,” I whisper and run my hand up his bare chest.

  He laughs. “Am I that boring?” he teases and I roll my eyes. I sit up on my elbow so I am facing him. I smile at him and touch the side of his face. “I’m glad that I am here with you.” I lean forward and kiss his cheek, and his face softens. He pulls me down onto his chest, my face tucked under his neck.

  He kisses the top of my head and I smile to myself. I love this sweet side of him. One you’d never expect him to have. I am glad that I’m getting to see it.