by Anna Blakely
She blinked, her cheeks burning hot as she made her way over to the bed and climbed in. After stripping down to his boxers, Derek got under the covers and curled his body up behind hers.
He felt her stiffen when his full-as-fuck cock brushed against her ass.
“We’re ignoring that, remember?”
She looked at him from over her shoulder and smiled. “For now.”
Because he could, Derek took her mouth with his one last time, forcing himself to break away before he brought them both to the point of no return.
“Goodnight, sweetheart.”
“’Night.”
****
Chapter 12
“What are you working on so early in the morning?”
Still dressed in what she’d slept in, Charlie walked with a leisurely pace into the kitchen. She came to a stop beside Derek who was sitting at the table, typing away at his computer.
He turned to her, his boyish smile bringing light into his handsome face.
“Mornin’ sleepyhead.”
Charlie squealed when he reached over and pulled her onto his lap.
“I’m gettin’ ready to send your soon-to-be-ex a copy of what Grant and I found in the apartment.”
The joy she’d woken up with began to dissipate as she remembered what Caleb had done.
Derek glanced down at his watch. “Mac should be here in the next twenty minutes or so with the divorce papers for you to sign.”
“Already? How did you get an attorney to draw them up so quickly?”
“I called Gracie. She’s R.I.S.C.’s new office manager slash PR guru. She’s great, by the way. You’re gonna love her.” Derek gave her a wide grin before getting back on track. “Anyway, I called Gracie this morning and had her put me in contact with one of the attorneys we have on retainer. I got ahold of her, and she was able to get it done right away.”
“That was lucky.”
“Not really. We pay her a lot of money to keep herself available for when we need her. Plus, I may have offered her a large bonus if she got it taken care of this morning.”
He kissed her on the nose, then the lips, taking the kiss much deeper than she’d first expected.
Good thing I already brushed my teeth.
When the kiss ended, Derek continued to explain the plan.
“Once you sign the papers, we’ll give them back to Mac so she can same-day-air them to a guy named Shane Dunham. Shane’s going to personally hand-deliver the papers to Caleb at his office”
“You trust him?”
“I do. He used to be Navy but was forced to retire for medical reasons after he took some pretty heavy shrapnel to the shoulder. After he recovered, he moved back to New York, where he grew up and is now a legal process server.”
Charlie thought for a moment. “What if Caleb isn’t there when Shane shows up?”
“I hacked into his firm’s server and accessed the lawyers’ shared calendar. Caleb has several appointments and meetings in-house today. There’s no way he won’t be there to get them.”
Charlie felt a little sick to her stomach. “I don’t know, Derek. I’m worried this is going to make things worse.”
“Do you trust me?”
“Yes.” Her answer was instant and without hesitation. “Of course, I do.”
“Okay, then. Trust me to do this for you.” He pulled her against his chest, tucking her head beneath his chin. “For us.”
They were still sitting like that when Mac arrived with the papers.
After triple-checking to make sure she hadn’t missed any of the places she was supposed to sign, Charlie handed them back to the other woman.
“There.” She exhaled. “It’s done.”
Mac smiled back. “Not yet, but it will be. I just wish I could be there to see that asshole’s face when he gets these.”
“Oh, I’m sure we’ll hear from him as soon as he does,” Derek assured her.
Charlie glanced over at him. Arms crossed, he was sitting on the arm of the couch not far from where she and Mac stood.
“How can you be so certain?”
“As soon as Caleb receives those”—he tilted his head toward the papers in Mac’s hand— “Shane’s gonna text me to let me know. When he gets my response he’ll give Caleb a separate envelope with my phone number and instructions to check his email and then call me. Once I make sure Caleb understands what he has to do, Shane will then escort him to wherever he needs to go to get it done. After that, Shane’s gonna fly into Dallas. Grant will be waiting at the airport to get the paperwork from him as soon as he lands.”
“Wow.” Charlie felt her brows go up. “You really have thought of everything, haven’t you?”
Derek held out his hand, and she took it. Making room for her between his strong thighs, he pulled her to him and rested his hands on her hips.
“I have. I know how important this is to you, and I wasn’t about to give Caleb a chance to worm his way out of it.”
“On that note”—Mac waved and headed for the door—“I’ll let you know when these have been sent.”
The other woman bid them both a farewell and left in search of the nearest post office. In her hands were the papers that would change Charlie’s life forever.
Derek really hadn’t missed a step. Per her request, he’d made sure the papers clearly stated she didn’t want anything from Caleb other than enough money to cover living expenses for the next six months. After that, Charlie would be on her own to provide for herself.
At first, she’d argued with Derek over the money, stating she wanted nothing from Caleb. However, after he pointed out she’d more than earned that money after what the jerk had put her through, Charlie finally agreed to request only what she felt she would need to get started.
With what she knew was in their joint account, along with all the other assets she was giving up without protest, what Charlie had asked for was a drop in the bucket.
Caleb won’t see it that way.
She must have made a face because Derek lifted her chin with his thumb and forefinger and said, “Hey. You sure you’re okay with this? ’Cause I don’t want to push you into something you’re not ready for. I can get ahold of Mac right now and call the whole thing off if you want me to.”
Charlie shook her head. “I’ve been ready for this for years. I’ll just be glad when it’s over.”
He exhaled with relief and wrapped his strong arms around her. “It will be soon. I promise.”
With her cheek against his shoulder, she asked, “How certain are you that he’ll agree to everything?”
“If he doesn’t, life as he knows it will be ruined. Both personally and professionally. From what you’ve told me, the only other thing he values more than controlling you is keeping in his father’s good graces. There’s no way he’s going to let everything he’s done to you and those other women become public. That would ruin not only his name but also his family’s.”
She tilted her head back to see his face. “What if a judge doesn’t grant the divorce? Then, what?”
“My instructions to Caleb are clear. He’s to sign the papers and get one of those judges he has in his pocket to push it through. They won’t be able to deny his request any more than he’ll deny mine.”
“How long do you think it’ll take before everything is finalized?”
Derek tucked a few stray strands behind her ear and smiled. “You’ll be a single woman again by nightfall.”
****
It was late afternoon, and Derek was on the back deck sliding freshly-grilled burgers onto a plate when his phone dinged from his pocket. He sat the plate down and quickly read the text from Shane.
With a smirk, Derek typed out his response. Then, after opening his email, he pulled up the message he’d written this morning and hit send.
Four minutes later, his phone rang. Without bothering to look to see who it was, Derek answered the call with a smile.
“Derek West, blackmailer extraordinaire.
To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?”
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” Caleb’s hushed, angry voice hit Derek’s ear.
Derek’s lips curved up even more. “Oh, I’m a lot of things to a lot of people, Caleb. Most currently, I’m the man with the power to destroy your life.”
“You listen to me, you sonofabitch. You have no idea who you’re dealing with. I know people. I can—”
Derek chuckled. “Don’t really think you’re in the position to shovel out useless threats, counselor. You have your instructions. Sign the papers and get one of those judges you know so well to finalize it. The man who delivered them will go with you. Once it’s done, you’ll simply give him the papers and walk away. He’ll take care of the rest. Think you can handle that?”
There was a long, drawn-out pause before Caleb let out a frustrated breath. “Doesn’t really look like I have much of a choice, does it?”
He grinned. “Glad you see things my way, Porter.”
“Fuck you, West.”
Over the nice-guy routine, Derek’s voice became deadly. “Just sign the papers, asshole. Make it official and get them back to me. You have two hours to get it done. Oh, and Porter? You’re being watched, so don’t even think about doin’ somethin’ stupid. You deviate in the slightest, and dear old dad will be the first to receive those files. He’ll know he’s been right about you all along. After that, the world will know it, too.”
He could hear Porter swallowing through the phone, his voice jittery as he said, “Y-you could be bluffing.”
Derek nodded, even though the other man couldn’t see him. “Could be. Or I could have more eyes on you than Kim Kardashian’s ass at a photo shoot. You willin’ to take that risk?”
Caleb’s silence was all the answer Derek needed.
With one final warning, he told the coward, “You fuck this up, and you’re finished. And if you’re ever stupid enough to come after Charlie again, I swear to God, there won’t be a rock on the face of the goddamn planet big enough for you to hide under.”
With that, Derek ended the call.
“I take it that was Caleb?”
He turned to see Charlie stepping out onto the patio. “Yeah. That was him.”
Charlie’s shoulders raised and her chest bloomed out as she inhaled deeply. “H-how did it go?”
“Good as I expected. He tried acting tough for about two seconds, but he knows he’s screwed.”
She stepped toward him, her teeth sucking in her plump, bottom lip. “I hope you’re right.”
He smiled with confidence. “I am. In the meantime”—he turned and grabbed the plate full of burgers—“these puppies are ready. What do ya say we go inside, get ’em all fixed up, and then come back out here to eat?”
Her mouth turned up. “Sounds good.”
Two hours later, Charlie had told him she was going down to the beach to clear her thoughts. Knowing her nerves were shot from waiting to hear the news, Derek stayed put and gave her the space she needed.
From his lounge chair, he watched her slowly stroll along the water’s edge. She’d only made it a few yards down the shoreline when Derek’s phone rang again.
His greeting to Shane was short and to the point. “Tell me it’s done.”
“It is. And I gotta tell ya. Abusive prick aside, that man’s not stable.”
He found Shane’s strong, New York accent amusing. “Tell me about it. You headed to the airport?”
“Checking in my luggage now. According to the airline, I should be landing in Dallas about four hours from now.”
“Hill will be waiting for you. Give him the papers, and he’ll give you the rest of your payment, along with a ride to your hotel. Reservations have already been made, and the room’s been paid for.”
“Thanks, man. And, it might sound weird, since I don’t know her, but tell your girl I’m happy she’s rid of that jackass.”
Derek grinned. “I will. Thanks, Shane. I knew I could count on you. Oh, and can you go ahead and send me pics of all the documents? You can just send them to this number.”
“Sure. It’ll give me something to do while I’m waiting to board.”
“Thanks, Shane.”
“Any time, brother.”
After ending the call, Derek shot up a quick prayer of thanks before getting up and making his way down the steps to the sand. Picking up his pace, he half-jogged to catch up to where Charlie was still walking.
“Hey, Charlie. Wait up!”
She turned, her brown hair blowing in her face from the cool, evening breeze. She brushed the wild strands away, tucking them behind her ear.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” He slowed his pace. Closing the distance between them, he rested his hands on her shoulders. “It’s done. Shane’s at the airport right now getting ready to board. The papers have all been signed.”
Her hopeful tears glistened in the moonlight. “Are you sure?” she asked with a whisper. “Did he open them to make sure?”
Derek nodded. “He’s going to send me pictures of them.”
His phone dinged. Perfect timing.
Pulling it from his pocket, he quickly opened the message from Shane. Holding his phone up for Charlie to see, Derek slowly scrolled through each and every one.
As they both looked over the forms, Derek scanned them with expert eyes, making sure every line Caleb was supposed to sign contained his signature. Every I had been dotted. Every t had been crossed.
Included with the divorce papers was a decree signed by one of the judges Caleb was blackmailing. It officially stated that Charlotte Lucille Porter and Caleb Michael Porter were no longer married.
It also broke down the financial agreement per Derek’s specifications. The form explained that Caleb would transfer the amount Charlie requested to an account Derek had set up this morning.
Closing his message from Shane, he quickly accessed that account. Sure enough, the money was there. He showed Charlie.
“You’re officially free and clear to start your new life.”
“Oh, my God.”
Charlie’s entire body shook as she stood in front of him. “It’s over?” Her eyes pleaded with him to confirm that what they’d both just seen was real.
“Yeah, baby. It’s over.”
Before he could stop her, Charlie dropped to her hands and knees. Hard, gut-wrenching sobs tore from her body as tears of overwhelming joy and relief poured from her eyes onto the sand below.
Derek squatted in front of her and gathered her in his arms. Dropping on his ass in the sand, he pulled Charlie into his lap and held her while she continued to cry.
When her tears finally ceased and her hiccuping breaths had become calm once again, Charlie looked up at him and smiled.
“Thank you. I don’t know how I will ever be able to repay you.”
Blinking back his own tears, Derek cupped her face with his hands. “You can thank me by allowing yourself to be happy.”
Her bottom lip trembled as she struggled not to break down again. “I’m not sure I even know how to do that.”
Leaning in, Derek put his lips to hers. The saltiness of her tears hit the tip of his tongue as he ended the short kiss and licked them away.
“It’s okay, darlin’. We’ll figure it out together.”
He was confident in his words even as an unfamiliar insecurity tried creeping in.
With everything finalized, Charlie was free to do whatever she wanted. Suddenly, Derek couldn’t help but wonder if she’d wake in the morning still wanting him.
****
Chapter 13
Charlie stood beneath the showerhead, letting the steamy water wash away eleven years of tears, heartache, and pain.
After her embarrassing breakdown at the beach, she was finally starting to accept what she never thought would happen.
I’m free.
Her emotions were mixed. A combination of elation and feeling a little lost.
According
to the papers the judge signed, she could finally live the life she’d always wanted. But what if she wasn’t sure what that was anymore?
Thanks to Caleb and his controlling ways, she had no formal training. Charlie had never gone to college or attended any sort of trade school.
For the past decade, she’d spent her days making sure everything in his life was perfect.
She’d played hostess more times than she could count, planning hundreds of dinner parties and helping with his firm’s charitable events. Besides that and being an expert at keeping a clean house, she really didn’t know how to do much else.
Maybe I can do something with that?
An idea began to form, and the longer she stood beneath the water, the more excited she became. It would be hard starting from nothing, but it was like Derek had said.
She had a support system, now. She had him. His parents. And though they still had yet to reconnect, Charlie knew she’d have his brother, Eric, in her corner, too.
She’d be starting from scratch, but with their support and a lot of hard work, she would get there.
There were a lot of decisions that needed to be made before that could happen. Charlie needed to figure out where she would live and exactly what all owning her own business would entail.
Most likely, she’d need to rely on Derek’s help for a little longer. Just until she could find a place of her own and get back up on her own two feet again.
It was all so overwhelming, she wasn’t even sure where she should begin. Derek will know.
Charlie’s thoughts turned to the man in the other room. Butterflies that had lain dormant for years awoke and began fluttering about. Her heart began to race a little faster as she thought maybe that was the perfect place to start.
Determined to start living life on her terms again, Charlie got out of the shower and dried herself off. She glanced at the clean pair of panties and short set neatly folded on the edge of the sink but decided to leave them where they were.
Grabbing the lotion she’d bought during her spa day with Mac, Charlie squeezed a bit out into her palm and began rubbing it into her skin. The tiny room filled with the scent of plums and crushed freesia as she layered the fragrance with the matching body spray.