by Anna Blakely
He took a step forward. “It occurred to me that we haven’t had the chance to go out on a proper date.”
“You’re taking me out on a date?” Charlie’s smile grew wide.
“That’s the plan. Unless you don’t want to—”
“No!” she cut him off. “I want to. I just wasn’t expecting this, that’s all.”
One corner of his mouth curved upward. “Well, that is kind of how a surprise is supposed to work.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Smartass.”
“Speaking of asses.” He raised a brow. “You’d better get yours in gear, or we’re going to be late.”
“For what?”
“I reserved a private room at The Gardens.”
“Lexi’s restaurant? She never said anything to me about it when we met today.”
“She better not have,” Derek raised a brow. “I made her swear to secrecy.”
That explains Lexi’s odd behavior right before she left.
Curious, Charlie asked, “Why The Gardens?”
Even though he’d just talked to her about being short on time, Derek walked over to her as though he had all the time in the world.
“That’s where we began. This time, anyway.”
The scent of soap mixed with a slight hint of woodsy cologne hit her nostrils as Derek took his hands from his pockets and placed them on her bare shoulders. There was another fragrance there. One she recognized as being uniquely, deliciously Derek.
With his thumbs caressing her skin, he said, “The last time you were there, you were with him. I want you to forget that.”
“Not that I disagree, but why is that so important to you?”
The corners of his mouth turned up. “From everything I’ve seen, you and Lexi will be spending a lot of time together. Between you working with Lex and her being married to my teammate, there’s a good chance we’ll spend a lot of time there.”
“Okay,” she drew out the word, still not understanding where he was going with all this. “What does any of that have to do with Caleb?”
Derek brushed some wet strands from the top of her shoulder. His nervous expression made Charlie want to smile.
He always seemed so confident, so it was unusual to see this side of him. Since Charlie was always second-guessing herself, she found his insecurity oddly reassuring.
“I want us to make a good memory there. Together. I want you to think of us when you walk through those doors. Not him.”
Could he be any sweeter?
She stared up into those seas of blue as she placed a hand on his powerful chest.
“I already do think of us, Derek. I remember the moment I turned that corner and nearly ran into you. Of all the ways you’d changed over the years, yet you were somehow still the same. I think about how, with that one chance encounter, my life was changed in all the best ways.”
She could’ve sworn there were unshed tears brightening his eyes, but he blinked them away quickly before clearing his throat. “Well, damn.” He smirked. “There go those plans.”
Raising onto her tiptoes, Charlie pressed her lips against his. “It’s still a good plan.” She kissed him again as he rested his hands on her towel-covered hips. Taking his bottom lip between her teeth, she whispered, “A perfect plan.”
Heat melted into his eyes, and his grasp tightened. “In that case, you’d better get a move-on. Don’t want Lex givin’ away our table.”
Part of her wanted to say to hell with dinner, but he’d put so much thought into the evening she decided that portion of their date could wait until later.
Stepping back out of his reach, she turned toward her closet. “I wish I’d known your plans sooner,” she spoke over her shoulder. “I would’ve gotten something special to wear.”
Charlie still had a couple of nicer outfits from the clothes Derek had shoved into the suitcase that night at the hotel. But it would have been nice to wear a special outfit, just for him.
“Surely there’s somethin’ in there that’ll work for tonight.”
“Yeah. I have a couple of things that—” She slid open the slatted doors and gasped.
Her clothes that were hanging had all been separated. Half pushed down the bar to the left, the other half to the right.
In the center, all by itself, was a gorgeous, little black dress. Taking it off the bar for a better look, she realized it was exactly the kind of dress she would’ve bought for herself.
Its straps were thin, and the neckline was just low enough to be sexy. The dress was somewhat fitted, part of the silky material gathering at one side of the waist.
A slit ran up the center, peaking right at mid-thigh. The dress’s hem looked as though it would hit her just below the knee.
As she went to hang it back up, Charlie noticed a new pair of sexy, strapped heels sitting on the floor below it.
He even bought me shoes.
“You like it?” Derek’s voice had her whirling around.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered. She looked at the dress again and then back to him. With an extra-wide grin, she shook her head. “I can’t believe you did this.”
A slight blush began to spread into his cheeks. “I remember you always used to like wearing black. I don’t know if you still do, but I saw that in one of the shops near our office building, and I don’t know...I just had to buy it for you. If you don’t like it, I can always return it.”
“I love it,” she assured him.
Charlie went to him. Cupping his clean-shaven face, she dove right in and took what she wanted.
Derek wrapped his arms around her waist, his erection pressing against her belly as he pulled her body flush with his.
Their tongues twirled together like a perfectly choreographed dance, and when she finally ended the kiss, the emotions Charlie felt toward this man filled her to the core.
Unable to contain it any longer, she locked her eyes with his and whispered, “I love you.”
Clearly surprised by the sudden declaration, Derek’s brows shot up, and his eyes grew wide. “Yeah?”
She smiled even as tears began to fall down over her cheeks. “Yeah. I...” She licked her lips before admitting, “I always have.”
Charlie had barely gotten the words out when Derek grabbed her face and kissed her with the same passion and desire she’d just given him. Pulling away, he leaned his forehead against hers.
A tear escaped from the corner of his eye as he whispered back, “I love you, too, darlin’.
“I-I should have said it years ago. I’m so sorry I didn’t. I’ve just heard those words from so many people who didn’t really mean them.”
His thumb moving back and forth against her jaw as he held on to the side of her neck.
“I know. First your parents...”
“Then, Caleb. But with you, it’s different.” She prayed he understood what she was saying. “Everything with you is different. I know it’s probably crazy since I just got divorced and you and I have only been together this way for two weeks, but I can’t help it. What I feel for you is more real than anything I’ve ever known, and I couldn’t go another second without telling you.”
“I’ve only been holding back because I didn’t want to scare you off. I finally got you back in my life, and I didn’t want to do or say anything to make you question this. Us.”
“I don’t.” There was no hesitation in her voice. “I see the way you look at me, Derek. The way you touch me. I’ve felt your love for me since the moment we saw each other again.”
“I feel your love, too, baby. Just think”—his voice was low as one corner of his mouth curved up—“we’re just gettin’ started.”
****
Chapter 16
The Gardens was definitely Dallas’s new “it” restaurant. After having eaten here a few times, Derek could easily see why.
The food was out-of-this-world delicious, and the atmosphere was open and romantic. With hundreds of plants and flowers strategically placed t
hroughout, it was easy to see how Lexi had come up with the name.
For Derek, however, it wouldn’t matter if they were eating here or getting drive-thru burgers and fries. As long as he was with Charlie, he was happy.
He still couldn’t believe she’d said she loved him. He wanted to hear those words fall from her lips again and again. She could say them a million times over, and Derek knew he’d never get tired of hearing them.
He’d been damn tempted to tear that towel from her body, throw her to the floor, and take her right then. The only thing holding him back had been the night he’d wanted to give her.
Dinner was first. When they left here, he was going to take her to a new, classy dance club that recently opened.
After that, when he couldn’t wait any longer, Derek planned to take Charlie back to his place where he’d spend the rest of the night making sweet, slow love to her.
“Do I even want to know what you’re thinking right now?”
Shit. He’d totally zoned out, imagining all the wonderfully dirty things he wanted to do to her later.
Ignoring the massive hard-on in his pants, Derek cleared his throat and brought his eyes to hers. Picking up on the humor there, he chuckled and said, “Probably not.”
Charlie laughed. “That’s what I figured.”
The waiter came and cleared their dinner plates away and handed them a dessert menu. Just as he walked off, Lexi approached their table.
“Hey, guys. Sorry I haven’t made it over here before now. How was dinner?”
“Delicious.” Charlie smiled back at her new friend.
“Amazing, as always, Lex.” Derek patted his non-existent belly.
“Good. Listen, I have to get back to the kitchen, but I wanted to make sure I got to say hi before you left. You two kids have fun.”
With a wink, she gave Charlie a knowing grin and quickly made her way out of the private dining area.
From beneath the table, the tip of Charlie’s shoe began slowly rubbing up and down the lower half of his leg. Even with the room’s low, romantic lighting Derek could still make out the smoldering heat burning behind her brown eyes.
His thick cock jumped behind the zipper. Damn thing was already so swollen there’d probably be a permanent imprint there by the time they made it back home.
Charlie glanced down at the list of delicious sweets but then gave him a seductive smile.
“What do you say we skip the rest of the evening and go back home for dessert?”
Thank Christ. “I’d love nothing more.”
By the time he paid the check, Derek’s mind was so focused on what he wanted to do to her first he didn’t notice the car alarm mixing with the soft background music.
It wasn’t until after the waiter had brought Derek back his credit card and he was putting it into his wallet that he froze. Tilting his head slightly, he tried to hone in on the added noise.
His expression must have changed because Charlie looked over at him and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Fuck. “That’s my car.”
Her eyes grew wide, and the two quickly weaved through the maze of tables. After a couple of close calls with a waiter and a family of four, they finally made it out the entrance and down the sidewalk.
The parking area for the restaurant was behind the building and butted up against a tree-covered lot. Derek had originally thought the privacy of the lot added to the restaurant’s cozy image.
As they rounded the corner and he took in the scene, he decided it was a criminal’s paradise.
Charlie gasped loudly. “Derek, your car!”
He growled as he took in the extensive damage. “Sonofabitch.”
They made their way to the back row where his mangled car sat. He’d purposely parked there because no other cars were in that area, and he’d wanted to avoid potential door dings.
“Fuck me.”
Derek ran a hand along his jaw before letting out a string of other more creative curses. His car was destroyed.
Someone had smashed all of the windows and the windshield, and there were large dents covering the once-pristine hood and doors. Upon closer inspection, he realized all four tires had also been slashed.
His head swung up and around, his narrowed eyes searching.
“What are you looking for?” Charlie asked from beside him.
“Cameras.”
She followed his gaze. “I don’t see any.”
Derek shook his head. “Because there aren’t any. Damn it!”
He looked back at his car and shook his head in frustration before pulling out his phone and calling his brother. When he ended that call, he immediately made another.
“We’ve got a problem.”
Charlie looked at him questioningly, so he held the phone to the side and told her it was Trevor. She stood out of the way as he gave his teammate the rundown of what had happened.
He took in the damage to his car again and then looked at the other cars parked in the lot. This was no coincidence.
None of the other vehicles in the lot had been touched. Only his.
This was personal.
A few minutes later a police cruiser pulled up, followed by one that was unmarked.
“Damn, man.” His brother got out of the unmarked car and walked over to where they were standing. “Who’d you piss off this time?”
The two brothers shook hands.
Derek grinned. “Got a ream of paper handy? I could make you a list.”
Eric laughed. “I bet you could.”
Eric’s gaze fell on Charlie’s, his half-smirk spreading into a wide, toothy grin. “Hey, Charlie Girl.” He grabbed ahold of her and gave her a tight squeeze. “Man, it’s good to see you again.”
To look at his brother, you’d never know he was Derek’s twin. The shape and color of their eyes were the only things the two men had in common.
Unlike his, Eric’s nose was straight. His brother also had brown hair, like their dad’s, where Derek’s was a lighter, dirty blonde like their Mom’s.
Eric’s blue eyes stared back at Charlie with both affection and concern. “I’m sorry I missed dinner the other day. I really wanted to be there.’
“That’s okay.” She gave him a small grin. “Were you able to solve your case?”
A shadow fell over his brother’s face, but Eric recovered quickly. “Not yet. But we will.”
Derek made a mental note to find out later what that was all about.
Charlie smiled up at his brother. “If anyone can do it, it’s you.”
Eric chuckled. “I appreciate the vote of confidence. If you could pass that along to my captain, that’d be great.”
Derek watched as his brother glanced down at her dress then back up to her face. With a shake of his head, he put his hands on his hips and smiled again.
“Damn, Charlie. You sure grew up nice.”
“Thanks.” She tucked some hair behind her ear. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”
“Meh.” Eric brushed away the compliment.
Derek was about to step in and tell his brother to quit flirting with his woman when Eric slapped him on the shoulder and said, “You finally picked a good one. Don’t screw it up.”
“Oh, don’t worry.” Derek smiled down at Charlie. “I don’t plan to.”
“Good.” Eric grinned. “I always hoped you two would find your way back to each other.”
He could tell Eric’s comment surprised the hell out of Charlie. Derek just gave her one of his winks and moved on.
In full detective-mode, Eric pulled a small notepad and pen from his pocket. He clicked open the pen and asked, “What do you know?”
Derek opened his mouth to answer but didn’t get the chance.
“It’s my fault,” Charlie spoke up.
Both men’s attention landed on her.
“No,” Derek argued. “It’s not.”
Charlie looked at him pointedly. “It is, and you know it.”
It only took on
e large stride, and Derek was standing right in front of her. With his hands holding the tops of her arms, he tried to convince her she was wrong.
“No, Charlie. I don’t know that. And neither do you. This wasn’t Caleb, so get that idea out of your head. Okay?”
“Okay.”
She’d agreed, but Derek knew she thought otherwise. As the two brothers began walking around the car, he convinced himself he hadn’t just lied to the woman he loved.
He went through the night’s events with Eric as the other officer on the scene took pictures of the damage. Derek got out his phone and did the same, knowing the insurance company would need them.
Several customers returned to their own cars, taking a few extra seconds to gawk at the flashing lights and what was left of his car. Thankfully, none of them interfered.
A few minutes later, a truck pulled in and parked at an angle beside the police cars. Clearly upset, Trevor got out and walked over to them.
“What the hell happened?”
Derek tipped his chin toward his car. “Someone did a number on Charlie.”
Charlie’s ears perked up. Blinking, she stared back at him with confusion. “What?”
“Not you.” Eric smiled as he squatted down to look at one slashed tires. “The car.”
Charlie’s eyes flew to Derek’s. “You named your car after me?”
Embarrassment threatened to sink in, but he simply smiled back at her and shrugged. “Yeah.”
See, baby? I really have been thinking of you all this time.
When Trevor spoke up again, he sounded pissed. “Those cameras were supposed to be installed a week ago.”
“What cameras?” Eric asked.
A muscle in Trevor’s jaw bulged before he growled, “Security cameras.”
“Were there not any when Lexi first opened?” Derek was surprised Trevor had allowed Lexi to park back here without solid, working cameras.
“There were.” Trevor nodded. “But they got fried during the storm that came through a couple of weeks ago. I personally called the company that next morning and ordered a whole new setup. Then, I called again the other day when Lexi informed me they hadn’t been by to put them in yet.”
“Damn.” Derek rubbed the back of his neck.