Derek (Hunter PI & Security #1)

by Sharon Cummin

  When he pulled my bottom lip through his teeth, I heard a moan escape me. I pushed away quickly the moment I realized what I was doing. He looked just as shocked as I felt, as we stared at each other. My hand moved across my numb lips to try and dry them.

  “I have to go,” I said, trying to take my eyes off of him.

  “Bridget,” he said calmly.

  “I went to your house and shouldn't have. I wanted to check on Jenny,” I said. “I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have gone.”

  “It's okay,” he said, and I shook my head.

  “Jean was there,” I said, as if I were talking to myself and not to him. “She saw me and came outside. She told me Jenny was okay. She said she didn't think you'd do it to pay me back. She said you'd never missed a meeting. I got scared. I thought something happened. I thought you'd gotten into an accident. I thought you were gone. The second I saw you, I felt more relief than I've ever felt before. I didn't mean to kiss you. I'm so sorry. I'm not her, and you're not him. I know that. I swear I'll never let it happen again.”

  I leaned around him to pull the door shut, but he didn't move.

  “Bridget,” he said. “Wait. It was work. That's why Taylor wasn't there either. We'd gotten a call about a lead I'd been waiting on. I've been there all day while the guys stayed at the office trying to find more. My phone died. I usually have a chance to charge it, but I didn't. I couldn't text you to let you know I wouldn't be there. I swear I didn't do it to freak you out. You do believe me, don't you?”

  “Yes,” I said. “I have to go.”

  “Bridget,” he said in a more serious tone.

  “I have to get home to Gabe,” I said. “I'm sorry. It will never happen again.”

  He took a step back when I pulled harder on the door. Then I closed it and drove away. He stood there the entire time, watching me leave. What wouldn't happen again, I asked myself? I wouldn't kiss him again. I wouldn't see him again. I wouldn't be stupid enough to get close to anyone again.

  When I opened the front door and walked in, my eyes went straight to the urn on the mantle.

  “I'm so sorry,” I whispered.

  “You okay?” Doug asked.

  “I'm good,” I answered.

  “Want to talk about it?” he asked.

  “No,” I answered, as I took Gabe from his arms and walked up the stairs.

  I'd never been so relieved not have to face Gabby. There was no way I could have done it.

  I got Gabe ready for bed, rocked him, and looked down at him as he fell asleep. When I got to my room, I ran a bath as hot as I could take and climbed in. The water covered me, and I felt like staying there and never getting out. I opened my eyes when I heard the ding of my phone. The water was cool, and I was shivering. I grabbed a towel, dried off, and climbed beneath my covers more confused than I'd ever been in my life.

  Chapter 28

  Derek

  I didn't make it to the meeting, even though I thought for sure I would. When I drove by, there were still people in the parking lot, but her car was gone. She wasn't at the coffee shop either. My phone had died hours before. I normally charged it at my desk, but I wasn't able to since I'd been sitting in my truck for most of the day. I'd gotten some information on the fucker I'd been watching and had to follow up. It shouldn't have taken as long as it did, but I'd gotten him. That was what mattered. He was picked up and sitting behind bars. One more asshole off the streets.

  I drove home in need of a shower and some major sleep, sure that I'd have a few messages on my phone once I plugged it in. What I didn't expect was to see Bridget pulling away from my driveway, while Jean stood watching her drive away with a worried look on her face. I stopped at the bottom of the drive and rolled my window down. The woman had tears in her eyes.

  “What's going on?” I asked.

  “Go after her,” she said in a shaky tone. “Bridget is so damn scared that something happened to you, Derek. She is one hell of a woman.”

  I rolled up my window and took off down the street. Why would she be worried, I wondered? She pulled over in front of me. Did she know who I was? If so, how? I walked up to her window and knocked. She wouldn't unlock the door when I told her to. Then I saw her face and felt a pull in my chest. When I asked a second time, she unlocked it. The woman was a mess. I got down on my knees and took her face in my hands. Then her words came, and my heart broke.

  “You weren't there,” she said. “I didn't know where you were.”

  I said I was sorry more than once. Shit! I hadn't thought about it. I figured she would just assume I was busy. I hadn't wanted to leave her there alone, but I couldn't help it. I had to catch the fucker. Not for one second did I think she'd freak out. I hadn't had anyone worry about me in well over four years. It wasn't something I was used to.

  She went on about being pissed at me. Then she mentioned Jenny and wanting to check on her. She'd gone to my house to check on my girl. When she said she thought I'd done it to fuck with her, I was pissed but trying damn hard not to show it. I'd never do that. I'd never hurt her on purpose. I took her chin in my hand, lifted it, and our eyes connected. I felt that shit hit me in the chest. Then she leaned in. She was worried about me. She was worried about my daughter.

  When her lips touched mine, I was lost. It had been well over four years since I'd had a woman's lips on mine, and my cock twitched instantly. Without thinking, my hand went to the back of her head. When she opened for me, my tongue took over, and I kissed her hard. I pulled her bottom lip through my teeth, and she let out a moan that shot straight to my dick. Then she pulled away and tried to get the hell out of there as fast as she could.

  She was rattling off apologies and how it would never happen again. I tried to explain why I'd followed her. I told her why I hadn't been at the meeting. I told her it was because of work. She said she believed me, but I knew she was just saying it to get out of there. I stepped away and let her go. I knew I didn't have a choice. As she drove away, I thought about what I'd done. I'd kissed her back.

  I got back in my truck and went home. Her words played in my ears over and over.

  “I'm not her, and you're not him.”

  What the fuck was that supposed to mean? When I walked through the door, Jean sat on the couch watching me. I knew she wanted to say something, but I was too pissed to hear it.

  “Not a word,” I said, as I headed up the stairs. “That woman is a pain in the ass. I don't have to explain myself to her.”

  I heard Jean let out a loud groan just as I closed my bedroom door.

  “I'm not her, and you're not him,” I said, as I walked into my bathroom.

  So she wasn't my wife. That was what she was saying. Of course she wasn't. I never claimed her to be. I knew that picture had gotten to her, I just hadn't realized how much. Maybe she hadn't even been talking about the picture, I thought. What else could she mean? It was the you're not him part that was really pissing me off. Did she mean my looks? I looked nothing like Gabe. I couldn't possibly look any different than him. We were complete opposites. Was that what she meant? Did she think I didn't look as good?

  I turned on the shower as hot as I could get it. Then I stripped down to nothing and stepped in under the water. It ran down my skin, hitting every tense muscle on the way down. I was sore, that was for sure. It had been the first time I'd gotten physical with anyone since my SEAL days. Sure, I worked out in the gym all the damn time, but I didn't fight. I normally didn't chase people, but I hadn't had any other choice. The fucker saw me and was running. If I didn't get him, his ass would have been gone. I hadn't put all those hours in for the punk to get away from the law. My brother called it in to the police when I took off after the guy. By the time they got there, I had the fucker on the ground with my knee between his shoulder blades. I had a few scrapes from the punk trying to fight like a pussy, but he was going to have bruises and pain for days. The hot water stung when it crossed my scrapes, but I didn't care. I was busy thinking about her words.


  “You're not him.”

  I didn't run a damn billion dollar company, but I wasn't so bad. I'd built my company from nothing, with his help. Fuck! He'd been the one that gave me a break. He was getting something out of the deal too. His company and building had security because of me. I could have done it without him. It just would have taken a hell of a lot longer. Shit! Did she think I wasn't a good enough man? Was that it? Fuck that! I was more man than the men she knew.

  When I shut the water off, I felt no better than when I'd turned it on. I wiped the towel across my skin a few times before throwing it to the side. Her face popped into my head. When I opened her door, she'd been crying so hard she could barely breathe. Without thinking, I grabbed my phone and typed out a message.

  Me: I really am sorry. I didn't mean to scare you.

  Then her damn words came into my head again. “You're not him.”

  “I'm just as good as him,” I said, as I threw the phone back down.

  Then I thought about her acting like it would be the worst thing in the world if Gabby found out we went to the same meeting. Bridget didn't feel I was good enough. That was exactly it.

  I fell down onto my bed and let out a loud, long breath. She never even answered my damn text. Fuck her, I thought. Fuck all three of them. I didn't have any reason to feel bad for not telling her I wasn't going to be there. I was nothing to her, and I didn't want to be either. My life was perfect just the way it was. It was none of her business where I'd been.

  When I closed my eyes, that damn kiss popped into my head. My dick twitched, and I let out a growl. That was an even bigger sign that I needed to stay the fuck away from her, and that was exactly what I was going to do.

  The two months that followed were perfect. We both went to the meetings. She even sat with me and Taylor. We met for coffee each week. I talked about work and Jenny. She talked about the baby and things she was doing around the house to make it more of a home like mine. I still didn't get that shit, but it didn't matter. She'd text when she got home, and I'd text the same. We'd gone to the park two more times with the group. I'd sit with Gabe while she played like a kid. Everything was great, just the way it should be.

  That all ended one Monday morning. We hadn't talked since coffee the Monday before, just as it had been each week. I got up and dressed in a suit, since I knew I'd be meeting new clients. Then I had breakfast with my little girl and headed to the office. I parked in my usual spot and walked toward the building. I grabbed the door and pulled it open. Not two steps in, I heard a laugh, her laugh. I brought my eyes up from where they were on the ground, and she was looking right at me.

  “Check it out, big man,” I heard Gabby say from next to her. “My girl came back.”

  “Good morning,” Bridget said, in a tone that was all business.

  I nodded my head but didn't take my eyes from her as I walked. When I got to where they were standing, I stopped. Gabby had turned toward me. Bridget's eyes were still on mine, but she didn't speak. With another nod, I walked toward the elevator.

  “He hasn't changed a bit,” I heard Gabby say.

  “No,” I said, as I stepped into the elevator. “He hasn't changed a bit.”

  Then the doors closed.

  “Fuck,” I growled out.

  Gabby was wrong. So much had changed in those five months, and it was all wiped away in the few seconds that I stood there looking at Bridget.

  Chapter 29

  Bridget

  I'd been so nervous. I was going back to work. That meant Gabe was going to be away from me for eight hours each day. I'd be able to see him from a camera thing on my phone, but that wasn't making me feel any better. Gabby seemed excited that I'd be back, and Doug did a little bit too.

  The only person that didn't know was Derek. I'm not sure why I hadn't told him. I'd made the decision that Tuesday and hadn't seen him since. Part of me figured that he wouldn't really care. Things had been very different between us after that night. The one where I acted like a crazy lady and showed up at his house. If that wasn't bad enough, I'd made it even worse by kissing him. I hadn't responded to his text that night, and neither of us had mentioned it again.

  Every time the door in front of me opened, I felt my body tense. I knew Gabby thought it was my whole nervous around guys thing, but that had nothing to do with it. There was only one person I was looking for, and when he walked through that door, it went even worse than I thought it would.

  We'd talked a few times about when I'd go back to work. He thought I should wait until Gabe was at least one. He said Gabby had invited me to live with her and that I was doing everything around the house, there was no reason for me to contribute monetarily too. He thought Gabby and Doug would understand and want me home with the baby. But when I'd mentioned going back to work to them, neither of them objected.

  As soon as he stepped through the door, I knew it was him. I'd seen him in nothing but jeans for months. When my eyes landed on his feet and moved up his body, I felt my heart beat faster. He had on black suit pants, a white dress shirt, and his jacket was slung over his shoulder. He had his eyes covered behind those damn glasses, so I couldn't see the expression in them. He stopped for a second before moving again, so I knew he was surprised to see me. I couldn't get over the way he looked. Part of me wanted so badly to reach out and hug him, but I knew that would be a bad idea. Touching him at all was a bad idea. When Gabby mentioned me being back, I could feel the tension all around him. I said good morning, but all I got in return was a nod. He stopped when he got to us. Then he nodded again and continued walking.

  “He hasn't changed a bit,” Gabby said.

  “No,” he said from over his shoulder. “He hasn't changed a bit.”

  Then he was gone.

  Gabby went on and on about work and how happy she was that I was back, but all I could think about was Derek. Things had definitely changed in the five months I'd known him outside of work. We were friends, or at least that was what I'd thought. He'd walked through the lobby of the building as if he didn't know me at all. Sure, after the whole kiss thing, we'd both stepped back a bit, but we still talked every Monday night. Maybe we weren't close at all, I thought, as I tried my best to hear what Gabby was saying. Was he pissed at me, I wondered? I hadn't done anything wrong.

  “Are you even listening to me?” Gabby asked.

  “What?” I asked, having no idea what she'd just said. “Sorry.”

  “Are you worried about Gabe?” she asked.

  “I'm fine,” I said. “I'll get back into the groove.”

  “I guess I'll get upstairs and get some work done before Doug comes looking for me,” she said.

  Then she turned and walked away.

  I tried to concentrate on what I was supposed to be doing, but I couldn't do it. When the door opened and Taylor walked in, I smiled. It was nice seeing someone I'd seen in the last five months.

  “Good morning,” I said.

  “No way,” he said, as he walked closer to my desk. “You're back.”

  “I am,” I said.

  His smile faded and he shook his head.

  “Is he here yet?” he asked.

  “Derek?” I asked, and he nodded. “Sure is.”

  “Shit,” he mumbled. “He's gonna be in a real mood today.”

  “Why is that?” I asked.

  “Because I know damn well that he had no idea you were going to be here,” he said, with a look of concern in his eyes.

  “What's that supposed to mean?” I asked. “It's not like I'm going to interrupt his day or anything. I'm not planning on bothering him.”

  “You are something else,” he said, as he shook his head and began walking toward the elevator. “This should be an interesting day.”

  I sat down at my desk and began working. Gabby had some things she wanted done. I was pretty sure she was saving the shit for me to do when I got back. She'd brought her friend from Michigan to be her assistant, so I was a bit surprised when she handed me wor
k. I figured everything I'd be doing would be for Doug, but I was happy knowing I would be staying busy.

  No matter how hard I tried to concentrate, I couldn't stop thinking about Derek and the way he'd acted when he walked through the door. We hadn't text each other much since the whole kiss incident, but there was no way I could wait until the meeting that night to say something. I picked my phone up and typed out a message three times before I finally sent it.

  Me: You didn't seem very happy to see me this morning.

  After thirty minutes of getting nothing back, I sent another.

  Me: Well?

  When I heard the ding of my phone, I quickly checked it.

  Derek: Well what?

  Me: You didn't say anything.

  Derek: About what?

  Me: My text.

  Derek: I didn't realize I was supposed to. It seemed like a statement to me.

  I read the text a few times, unsure of what to say back when a new message came through.

  Derek: You and your friend seemed to be having a good time. I didn't want to interrupt.

  Me: Are you okay?

  Derek: Why wouldn't I be?

  Me: You seem pissed about something.

  Derek: Everything is fine here. You don't need to worry about me.

  Me: You're definitely pissed. What is it?

  Derek: Not pissed at all. I was surprised to see you though. Maybe a bit shocked that you hadn't mentioned you were coming back.

  Me: I decided on Tuesday and didn't think you'd really care to know. You looked very nice this morning.

  Derek: I caught you checking me out.

  Me: You did not.

  Derek: Sure did. You looked over my entire body. Don't try to lie about it.

  I could tell my cheeks were turning bright pink. He'd totally busted me.

  Me: That's so not true. I thought you had a spot on your suit and was trying to figure out if I should tell you or not.

  “What are you smiling about?” I heard Doug behind me and jumped.

  “Nothing,” I said, as I put the phone down.