The Feel Good Factor

by Blakely, Lauren

  He’s stolen the biggest piece of my heart that anyone has ever had. And he can keep it.

  39

  Derek

  Not gonna lie.

  I’m a kid at Christmas, riding home. I park my bike, ready to run inside and see what’s under the tree.

  I open the back door, flick on the lights, and listen for her. I don’t expect to see her, based on her call, but you never know.

  The house is still, so I vault into the kitchen, hunting for whatever she’s left.

  My heart sings when I spy the blackboard.

  My smile is out of control. It somersaults and backflips, and I don’t ever want to forget this moment. I snap a photo of what she wrote, and then I get ready, dressed in jeans, a Henley, and my boots. I hop on my bike and ride to the Windermere Inn.

  The whole time I replay her note in my head.

  What would you think if we revised those ground rules? We could throw them out the window entirely and start over from where we left off the other night. If you like this idea, meet me at seven at the Windermere Inn.

  I review my plan to tell her how I feel during the most passionate kiss category. When I reach the inn, I park and head inside, ten minutes before seven.

  The sign for the fundraiser hangs from the ceiling of one of the hallways.

  Kisses for dollars!

  I walk to the check-in table, peering past it into the ballroom. A man and a woman on the dance floor are locked in a kiss, and I suspect they’re in the marathon category. Other categories are listed on a sign on the wall—the movie kiss reenactment, the sweet kiss, the air kiss, and more. At the top of the sign, the name of the hotel is written in calligraphy.

  That’s when it hits me.

  That’s when I find a better plan. How to go all in. How to let Perri know in the fashion she deserves that my heart belongs to her.

  I hoof it to the front desk, asking for Claire, the head of events and the mother of one marble-loving kid.

  The skinny man at the counter tells me he’ll find her, and a minute later, the brunette appears in slacks and a crisp blouse.

  “Hey there, nose saver!”

  “Good to see you, Claire.”

  “What can I do for you?”

  “Well, the other day, you did say I could perhaps call on you for a favor, and I was hoping I could cash in on that.”

  “Hit me up.”

  “It’s about the kissing contest.” I gesture toward the ballroom, then I tell her my idea.

  She furrows her brow, taking her time before she answers. “And it wouldn’t really be an official category for raising money or anything?”

  “No. I would just like it to be announced because I think she’d like it.”

  Claire smiles. “I bet she’ll love it. Let me go talk to the event organizer and ask them to do it. Give me five.”

  I wait, checking the time until she returns a few minutes later, giving me a thumbs-up. “You’re on in three minutes.”

  “And I can’t thank you enough.”

  “Go get your girl,” she says with a wink.

  When I walk into the ballroom, I spot Perri in the far corner, chatting with Vanessa and Arden. It’s one minute till seven. My lovely redhead fiddles with her shirtsleeves and flicks her hair off her shoulders. I want to tell her she’s perfect in anything and everything and nothing.

  And I will.

  I stride across the room, passing the lip-locked couples and weaving past a pair of women who’ve entered in the reenactment category, doing Scarlett and Rhett as two ladies. More power to them.

  As I pass Scarlett, Perri’s eyes land on me. A hint of nerves seems to flicker across those green irises. But when I smile at her, locking eyes, the nerves disappear.

  I reach her, wanting to yank her into my arms and kiss her senseless. But first, words. “I found your note.”

  “Seems you did.” Her voice is nervous, but hopeful.

  “It was perfect and beautiful, and my answer is—”

  A voice cuts across the ballroom. It’s the master of ceremonies, a Sandra Bullock look-alike holding a mic. “And now, we have a new category recently added to the lineup.”

  Perri stares curiously at the actress’s doppelgänger. “I thought passionate kiss was next?”

  I simply shrug, keeping my secret for another second or two.

  The dark-haired woman speaks again. “And this category is the kind of kiss you give someone when you’ve fallen in love with them.”

  Perri snaps her gaze to me. The expression in her eyes is everything I never knew I wanted, and everything I have to have.

  Wrapping a hand around her waist, I pull her close. “Want to enter?”

  She whispers a shuddery yes, and that’s all I need.

  Taking her hand, I lead her to the middle of the room. In front of everyone—her boss, our fellow Lucky Falls residents, her best friends, her parents, and so many people I’m getting to know—I kiss her like I’ve fallen in love with her. Because I have, and I want to keep falling in love with her every single day.

  She kisses me back with a little bit of passion, a whole lot of tenderness, and all the love I could ever want.

  When we break the kiss, I go first. “Just so you know, I’m in love with you.”

  Her smile can’t be contained. “Funny thing. I’m in love with you too.”

  And when you’ve fallen in love, one kiss is never enough. I kiss her again, and as I do, the clapping begins, followed by hooting and hollering. Everyone cheers us on.

  Briefly, I break the kiss, whispering to her, “Kitten, we’re going to win the most passionate one too.”

  “We better.” She grabs the back of my head and smacks a hot, wet kiss on my mouth, like we did in the waffle truck. She kisses me passionately, deeply, and with a consuming kind of fire. I kiss her like I’m going to be taking her home and fucking her and making love to her, because that’s what I intend to do.

  * * *

  After that epic kissing fest, we grab a drink, holding hands and talking. There’s so much to say, and words and truth spill out.

  “I was so worried you didn’t feel the same way, and that I was going to ruin everything,” she confesses.

  “I felt the same way.”

  “I was worried, too, I’d lose my edge at work.”

  I bring her closer. “I know you were concerned. What changed for you?”

  She loops a hand around my back. “I didn’t want to miss the chance at this kind of love.”

  My God, am I ever glad I decided to go for it with her tonight. “I’m not going to let you get away. Also, I’m here for you. I want to be the one you lean on. I want to be your support and your shoulder to cry on if you need one. I want to be the man you come home to, the one you know always has your back even if work is tough.”

  She sighs deeply, almost dreamily. “I’m taking you up on that. And I want to be that for you too.”

  “You will. You are. We can be that for each other.” I kiss her forehead, savoring the sweet smell of her skin, the feel of her melting in my arms.

  She hums against me. “What do we do next? Also, when can we get out of here and get naked?”

  I laugh, loving her dirty desires. “How about as soon as winners are announced? And how’s this? After we go home, after I get inside you, after I make you come five or six times and you’re all nice and warm and snuggly in my arms, then we can talk about what’s next. But I promise what’s next will be even better.”

  She smiles up at me, splaying her fingers across my shirt. “You’re such a snuggler.”

  I nuzzle her neck. “And you love it.”

  “I love it a lot. Kind of like how I love you.”

  * * *

  We win two prizes, nabbing most passionate and the newly added one, since the event organizer said we nailed it so perfectly it simply had to be a real category. With my arm wrapped around my woman, we make our way toward the exit.

  But the chief stops us before we reac
h the door.

  “Keating, there’s something I need to talk to you about.”

  40

  Perri

  My nerves skyrocket as Jansen pulls me aside for a one-on-one chat. “Listen, I’m sorry to do this on a Saturday night.”

  My heart slams against my rib cage and all I can think is he’s letting me go, that passing me over was the first step in saying sayonara.

  I swallow, steeling myself.

  If I lose my job, that will suck royally. But somehow, I’ll manage. I have my friends, my family, and my man.

  With my shoulders held high, I wait for him to say more.

  He clears his throat, his voice a little gruff. “Listen, I know you didn’t get the promotion, and I wanted to tell you why.”

  “Okay.” I brace for impact. This is when the rug comes out from under me, but I’m ready.

  His lips quirk up, and he grins.

  The man actually grins.

  “The reason you didn’t get the promotion, and the reason I couldn’t tell you right away, is I had some other paperwork to tend to.” His smile widens like he can’t rein it in.

  What the hell? Does he like bearing bad news?

  “I understand.” I give nothing away, staying strong.

  “I had paperwork to deal with because there’s another opening. I think it’s a good match for your fine skills.” He takes a beat, and I’m not sure I’m hearing him correctly. Did he just say fine skills? “How would you like to be a detective?”

  Chills spread over my flesh. The hairs on my arms stand on end. “Are you kidding me?”

  He laughs, shaking his head. “I’m completely serious. We made an arrest today on the jewelry store case thanks to your intel. You impressed me with your commitment to solving it, and that’s simply the tip of the iceberg. You’ve been a stellar officer. Every year you improve, and you excel. I wanted to give you the news the other day, but I had to iron out some final details to move you up the ranks. It’s the perfect position for your experience, know-how, and smarts.”

  And I guess I don’t have to wait for another promotion. An amazing one is coming my way. One I earned with time, attention, and dead-on focus.

  Hell, I’m damn good at my job.

  And I love my job. My smile takes over my face.

  “You’ve demonstrated that you deserve it, and I hope that you’ll accept,” he adds.

  “Thank you, sir. I accept.”

  * * *

  I say goodbye to Arden and Vanessa before I leave, hugging them and thanking them for being the best friends a woman could ask for.

  “You were my besties in grade school, high school, and now. We’ve been through everything, and I love you both.”

  They hug me back together. “Group hug,” Arden says.

  “Also, we decided you won the bet,” Vanessa adds.

  “I did?” I ask with a smile as we separate.

  “Didn’t you hear? Your most passionate kiss raised the most money.”

  I shake my hips. “I had a feeling we’d own that category.”

  * * *

  We choose Derek’s bed.

  “The scene of the first crime,” I remark.

  “Then expect me to be guilty a helluva lot, officer.” He smacks his forehead. “Excuse me. I meant Detective Keating.”

  I grin as I take off my top. “That’s right. I want you to keep calling me ‘detective.’”

  “Can I call you ‘detective’ when I cuff you to my bedpost, put you on all fours, and fuck your sweet pussy with my tongue?”

  I shiver at the tantalizing possibility. “My cuffs are downstairs.”

  “Then consider it an unbreakable promise for next time.” He tugs me close, rubbing his hard-on against my hip through his jeans.

  I groan, leaning my head back. “You need to get naked and inside me now.”

  “Then undress me, kitten. I’m all yours.”

  All mine.

  Those words both turn me on and make me unimaginably happy at the same time. I strip off his clothes, he yanks off the rest of mine, and I pull him to me on the bed. Grabbing his chin, I bring his face closer. “I love you, Derek McBride. Will you fuck me like you love me?”

  He nuzzles my neck with his trim beard. “Easiest thing you’ve ever asked me to do.”

  When he slides inside me, I feel it. Not just his cock, which I adore. But I feel the love between us. The intensity, the connection, the need.

  He does fuck me. And that’s what I want. He takes me like he loves me, like he needs me, and as I let go, I give in to love at last.

  41

  Derek

  A few weeks later

  I raise the bar in another rep, and then one more while Shaw spots me. Once I finish, I wipe my hands and say, “You ready to grab a beer?”

  “I’m always ready for a beer.”

  We head to the Barking Pug, trading stories about some of the crazy calls we’ve had in the past few weeks. Shaw’s become a good friend in that time.

  “You know what’s cool?” I ask as we stop outside the bar.

  “What’s that?”

  “That you never pulled one of those don’t date my sister routines,” I tell him as I push open the door.

  “You never gave me a chance to, but I’m happy to do it now.” He shakes a finger and adopts an old man tone. “Keep your paws off my little sister.”

  I laugh as we grab stools at the bar, but his laughter fades quickly as he clears his throat, turning more serious than I’ve ever heard him. “Speaking of, I need to ask your advice about something.”

  “Hit me.”

  “So listen, it’s about Vanessa.”

  “Yeah?” I ask, remembering the chemistry between them at the bowling alley. “What about her?”

  The bartender swings by, and we order. When he takes off, Shaw continues. “I don’t know if you’re aware of this . . .”

  I’m pretty sure I’m aware of exactly what he’s about to say.

  “But I’ve kind of had it bad for her for a long time.”

  “I figured that out.”

  He looks at me. “Did you?”

  “It’s patently obvious. The two of you flirt with each other as if it’s literally all you want to do.”

  “That seems a reasonable assessment.” He heaves a sigh. “Trouble is, Perri’s made it pretty clear she doesn’t want anything to happen.”

  “She definitely has.”

  Shaw drums his fingers on the bar. “Do you think you could talk to her? Maybe try to smooth the path for me?”

  I wince. “Ouch. I do value my life, you know that?”

  “You’re saying I have my work cut out for me if I’m ever going to go after Vanessa?”

  I nod vigorously. “I’m happy to help you any way I can, but Perri is going to be one tough nut to crack.”

  Shaw rubs his hands together. “Then here’s what I’m thinking.”

  While the bartender brings our beers, I listen as he tells me what he wants to do.

  I raise a glass when he’s done. “Good luck with that. I can’t wait to hear how it goes.”

  Epilogue

  Derek

  A little later

  Shaw juggles some chocolate chip cookies that Arden made.

  “Look at that!” He tosses three in the air, spinning them in circles out here on the deck.

  I clap a few times. “You’re a master juggler, but I don’t think anyone wants to eat those.”

  “That’s cool. I do.” After he lets the cookies fall into his palms, he stuffs them into his mouth, one after another.

  “You’re kind of a pig, Shaw,” Vanessa calls out from the kitchen.

  He winks at her, and I make a note to talk to Perri again later about these two. Pretty sure I have a good inkling as to what’s up between them.

  Perri’s dad joins us on the deck, clapping me on the back as I help him at the grill on a Sunday afternoon.

  “How’s everything going at work, Derek?” he inquires.


  Perri’s dad is one sharp fellow. Smart, involved, and thoughtful. Her mom is pretty awesome too. I know because I go to her parents’ house most Sundays for dinner. They’ve welcomed me into the family and treated me like her partner from the first time we met.

  Sure, I’m still her roommate, but we share a room now. Her bedroom. Actually, we share the whole house, and all the bills. There is no more lease, no more month-to-month deal, and there are no more separate doors and hallways.

  There is only one home, and it belongs to us.

  “Work is good, sir. I landed a promotion and a raise, so I have zero complaints.”

  “Excellent. And how’s everything with your sister?”

  “Her husband is coming home in a few months, and Devon is walking, so Jodie has her hands even more full.”

  “But she has more hands to help her too,” Perri chimes in from her spot lounging on a deck chair. “I happen to like the kids.”

  “Maybe you can give me a grandkid, then,” her dad says, winking at her.

  “Dad!”

  He shrugs. “Just saying. Sooner rather than later would be good.” He leans in closer to me, whispering, “Maybe you could make her an honest woman, son.”

  I say nothing. I simply head inside and enjoy the meal with my woman, her family, and all our friends.

  * * *

  Later that evening, I unlock the front door and toss the keys on the entryway table. “I’m thirsty. Want some wine?”

  She wiggles her eyebrows. “Wine is always a good idea.”

  “I’ll pour some glasses. You get comfortable, kitten.”

  She sinks down on the couch, grabbing her knitting bag, pulling out the hat she’s making for Jodie.

  I head to the kitchen and open a bottle, but it’s not wine. It’s a bubbly beverage. Call me confident, call me cocky. Or just call me certain of this love.