“That’s so sweet. I love your parents.”
His eyes softened. “Well, they love you too, baby.”
“Yeah, but they’re the kind of people that love everyone.”
“I don’t know about that.” He looked out the window again. “I told them it doesn’t make sense for them to meet Lizzie because it’s not like we’re married or anything, but they wouldn’t have it.”
“Do you not want your parents to meet Lizzie?”
He turned back to me. “No, not at all. But wouldn’t that confuse her?”
I hadn’t thought about it because I knew this relationship would last forever. All those reservations were gone. “Confuse her in what way?”
“What are they to her, you know? Like, grandparents? I told her we could be friends, that I’m not trying to be her stepfather, so I just…I don’t know. Maybe I’m overthinking it.” He looked out the window again.
“I think it’s a great idea.”
He turned back to me again.
“Whether she sees them as grandparents or just another pair of adults that care about her, it doesn’t matter. I know we’re going to be together forever, so I’m not worried about confusing her. If I’m family, she’s family, right?”
He stared at me for a long time, his brown eyes absorbing what I said. Then he gave a nod. “True.”
It was so nice to be with a man who wasn’t afraid to listen to me say how much I loved him, how much I wanted him forever. And he wasn’t afraid to feel the same way. Whenever I met guys online or wherever, I told them I just wanted a fling and their eyes lit up like Christmas morning, but Derek wanted the exact opposite—with me. “So, would you want to come over on Saturday night?”
There was no hesitation in his eyes. “Sure.”
“Lizzie and I will make you dinner, and then we’ll watch TV…and go to bed.”
“And you think that’s okay? For her to see me stay over?”
“Yeah, it’ll be fine.” She was mature for her age, and I also didn’t care because I was an adult woman with needs. It wasn’t like we were going to be loud and slam the headboard into the wall.
He gave no objection and stared out the window again.
I was looking forward to a simple night like that, the three of us spending time together, having dinner, getting along like a family.
“Does Lizzie know anything about her father?”
“No.”
He turned back to me. “I mean, does she know that he excused himself because he was too young?”
“Yeah, I told her that.”
“And she was okay with that?”
She shrugged. “When she was young, she asked me a couple times, but I thought she wasn’t old enough to really understand. So last year, I told her the truth. Her response was she didn’t think being too young was a reasonable excuse for him since I raised her all by myself and I was a year younger than him.”
He gave a slight smile. “That’s a good answer.”
“But she’s never really had a problem with it. I don’t think she feels like she’s missing anything not having a father, if that’s what you’re asking. She’s got three adults raising her, so she’s very loved.”
“True.”
“And now she has you, and she’s really taken a liking to you.”
He dropped his gaze for a moment, like he was reliving an old conversation between them, reflecting on their relationship and how it was slowly growing into something deeper. He claimed they could just be friends, but I could already see the partner instincts kicking in the moment he marched down to Mr. Franklin’s office and made him shit his pants. “Well, I like her too.”
“You think he’ll like this?” Lizzie asked as she worked beside me. “It’s boring.”
“Yes, he’ll love it.”
“But it’s just chicken and rice. Why don’t we make him something cool? Like lasagna.”
“The chicken will go bad tomorrow, so this is what we’re making.” I turned around and checked the chicken in the pan. “Cut up those veggies, honey. And be careful with the knife.”
Lizzie patted the squash and asparagus dry before she transferred everything to a cutting board and started to slice them into pieces. “Do we have dessert?”
“He doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth.”
“What a weirdo.”
Derek knocked on the door.
I flipped the chicken before I washed my hands and headed to the front door. I opened it and saw him standing there in dark jeans, a white shirt with a black leather jacket on top, looking hoooooot. He had a bag over his shoulder. “Hey.”
“Hey, baby.” He stepped inside and set the bag on the nearby table. He didn’t kiss me like he normally did, probably because Lizzie was standing at the kitchen island with a full view of us. “Something smells good.”
Lizzie cringed. “If you say so. I wanted to make lasagna.”
“Need any help?” Derek asked.
“No.” I rose on my tiptoes and kissed him. “But you can take a seat on a barstool. I’ll get you a beer.”
Derek moved his arm around my waist and pulled me in to place a kiss on my forehead before he moved to the chair directly across from Lizzie.
I placed a beer in front of him.
Derek sat with his elbows on the table, watching Lizzie slice everything. “You’re good at that.”
“Well, Mom makes me cook with her all the time.” She rolled her eyes.
I patted her on the back before I turned back to the stove.
“That’s nice,” Derek said. “I had to learn the hard way.”
“The hard way?” Lizzie asked.
“You know, with YouTube,” Derek said with a chuckle. “I was so busy when I lived at home and then in college that I never took the time to learn. I ate a lot of takeout, which isn’t good.”
“Why isn’t it good? It tastes bomb.”
“Just a lot of extra calories and you don’t know how your food is being prepared. They could be adding a lot of oils you don’t know about, and then they give you large portions, which makes you eat more. And it’s also a lot more expensive. It could be three times the price as eating at home.”
“Oh.” She sliced the veggies then turned around to add them to the other pan. They immediately started to sizzle in the hot oil. She turned back to Derek and continued to talk to him. “Mr. Franklin won’t even look at me. Even when I ask him questions, he won’t make eye contact with me.”
“Probably because he’s embarrassed.” He drank from her beer.
“He should be embarrassed,” Lizzie said with a chuckle. “He pooped his pants after all.”
Derek chuckled too.
I worked the pans with my back to them, listening to them talk the way Lizzie talked to her grandma.
“Are you still working on that rover thing?” Lizzie asked.
“Yes,” he answered. “I’ll be working on that for a long time.”
“What about your rocket? What’s happening with that?”
“It’s being put together. Making a lot of progress.”
“Wow. Can I come see it?”
“It’s not done.”
“But still, that sounds pretty cool. I’d love to see where you work.”
I pushed the veggies around then turned off all the burners since the food was ready. I waited for Derek’s response.
“Sure,” Derek said. “We can do that.”
“Cool,” Lizzie said. “I want to see what rocket scientists do all day. When can I come?”
“What about after school on Monday?” Derek asked. “We can drive out there and take a look.”
“Sick!” She turned to me. “Mom, did you hear that?”
“Yes, that’ll be a nice field trip, honey.” I carried everything to the kitchen island and started to plate the meal. “That’s very generous of Derek to do that for you.”
“Nah, we’re friends,” Lizzie said. “Friends hook each other up.”
Derek smi
led before he took a drink of his beer.
I carried the plates to the dining table, and we took our seats together so we could eat, all three of us. “Bon appétit.”
Lizzie looked down at her food then turned to Derek. “I’m sorry.”
He cut into his chicken and smiled. “Don’t be. I like it.”
“No, you don’t,” she said quickly. “You’re just saying that because you have the hots for my mom.”
A playful look came into his eyes. “Hey, don’t throw me under the bus.”
“Whoops.” She glanced at me.
I kept eating like I didn’t hear anything.
The front door opened, and my mom came inside. “Sweetheart, do you have any—” She shut her mouth when she saw the three of us having dinner together. Her eyes went to Derek and stayed there.
“What do you need, Mom?” I asked. “Help yourself to anything you need in the fridge.”
She continued to stare at Derek, surprised he was there, joining us for dinner like a member of our family. “Just need some eggs. Making something for your father.”
Derek wiped his mouth with a napkin then stood up to greet her. “Nice to see you again.” He extended his hand to shake hers.
She stilled before she took his hand. “I didn’t mean to interrupt…”
“There’s no interruption. Would you like to join us?” For someone who hated socializing, Derek was pretty damn good at it, at least when he tried. He obviously wanted my mother to like him, so he put aside his unease and did whatever was necessary to earn her favor.
“No, it’s okay,” she said quickly. “But while you’re here… I’m sorry about the way I spoke to you before. I was just being protective of Lizzie and kinda got carried away. But you’ve obviously been great with both Emerson and Lizzie, so…I was wrong.”
“Please don’t apologize,” he said. “You were being protective of your daughter, and I respect that. It’s water under the bridge.”
“Thank you.” She turned her eyes on me. “I’ll just get those eggs and go.” She moved to the fridge and got what she needed before she left.
Derek took a seat again and picked up his fork like nothing happened.
Lizzie pushed her food around like she couldn’t eat another bite because she didn’t like it. The downside to letting her eat our more often was she got used to all the salts and oils and didn’t want to eat anything I made at home.
The door opened again, and my dad walked in, twenty pounds lighter since his surgery because he went for a daily walk and actually moved all day.
Derek turned around at the sound of the door and stilled when he saw my father.
My father wore a smile and greeted Derek warmly. “I had to come over here and meet this man who has won over all three of my girls.”
Derek smiled before he set down his napkin and stood up. “Derek Hamilton, sir.” He took his hand and gave him a firm handshake. “I’m glad to see you’re up and about. Emerson has told me how well you’ve recovered.”
“Yes—because of you.” He pulled his hand away and patted him on the shoulder. “If you hadn’t given my girl that job, it never would have happened. So, thank you, Derek. And don’t call me sir. I watch way too much I Love Lucy and eat too many cookies to be called sir.”
Derek chuckled. “Alright.”
“Call me Ron.”
“You got it, Ron.”
Dad patted Derek on the back before he waved to us and headed out.
“Bye, Grandpa,” Lizzie said as he left.
Derek took a seat again. “Your dad seems nice.”
“Yeah, he’s a sweetheart,” I said.
“Now I know where you get it from.” Derek looked at me across the table before he continued to eat.
I loved having Derek around because it was nice to spend time with him on the weekend, but he was also a great influence on my daughter, watching her witness a highly successful man retain humility, treat my parents with respect, be good to me. He was a role model for what she should look for in a man someday, and he had no idea.
I didn’t get to sit next to Derek on the couch because Lizzie took my spot.
I got stuck in the armchair.
We watched a movie together, but Lizzie talked the whole time, asking Derek questions.
I was happy the two of them got along so well, but I was also frustrated that my daughter was basically a cockblock. I wanted to snuggle with Derek on the couch, smell his cologne, do something we’d never done before. My eyes kept glancing to them, a little jealous that they were two peas in a pod.
“My phone has been doing this weird thing.” She held it out to him. “I tried restarting it and everything, and it doesn’t fix the problem. I even took it to the store, and they couldn’t fix it. But Mom says I can’t buy a new one.”
Derek took it from her and played around with it a bit before he figured it out. “You must have accidentally changed your settings. I altered it so you shouldn’t have that problem anymore.”
“Whoa, that’s so cool.” She took her phone back and looked at it like it was brand-new.
Derek watched the TV again, but he seemed to know I was staring at him because his eyes shifted back to me.
I smiled.
He didn’t smile back, but he gave me an affectionate look like he wished I could take Lizzie’s place. He looked back at the TV.
“I’ve been reading your book.”
Derek turned to her. “Yeah?”
“I like it a lot.”
“Really?” he said. “Because you don’t have to say that just to make me feel better.”
“No, I mean it. I’ve never been into sci-fi stuff, but I’m totally into this.” She sat there and questioned him about the characters and the story, ignoring the movie on the TV.
Derek answered most of her questions, but also said he couldn’t give her all the answers because she would have to keep reading to find out for herself. “I get a lot of inspiration from work. I’m building this equipment to do things, but there are machines I wish I could build to do other things, but it’s beyond my skills. So that’s when my imagination comes into play, getting me to places I can’t venture to on my own.”
“That’s really cool.”
They kept talking until the movie was over. Lizzie didn’t watch any of it because she was too absorbed in Derek the entire time.
I turned off the TV. “Time for bed.”
“It’s like eight o’clock,” Lizzie argued.
“No, it’s ten.” I got out of the armchair. “Look at your phone.”
She glanced down at the screen. “Wow. Time flies, huh?” She got off the couch. “Night, Derek.”
“Night, Lizzie.” He watched her go.
She walked past me and down the hallway. She went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and get ready for bed.
I turned off the lights and made sure the front door was locked before Derek grabbed his bag and we walked to my bedroom together, this time not having to be quiet and make sure the floorboards didn’t creak.
We stepped into my bedroom, and he set his bag on my dresser.
I was on him quickly, moving into his chest before he even knew what was happening. I kissed him as my arms locked around his neck, finally getting that hot mouth on mine. I tugged him close and devoured him, wanting to get that jacket and shirt off his body the second he walked inside.
He went still at my initial touch, but he responded quickly, his arms wrapping around my body, hugging me close, gripping my ass, one hand moving into my hair as he kissed me like it’d been forever since he’d last had me.
I couldn’t believe I got to bed this man, and no other woman could. I couldn’t believe he was mine, that he joined us for dinner when he could be out doing a supermodel in a bathroom. I appreciated him every single day and never took him for granted. I felt like the luckiest woman in the world to have him, and I wanted those clothes off as soon as possible so I could enjoy him, love him, sink my nails into his
muscular back and leave my mark.
Clothes fell on the floor as we filled the room with the sounds of our heavy breathing and smacking lips, gripping each other tightly and forgetting everything else but each other. His solid chest pressed against my bare tits, warm and comfortable, and I explored his body with my fingertips, loving all the muscle, all the strength.
He lifted me effortlessly then laid me back on the bed, silently moving on top of me and getting between my legs with a smooth transition of easy moves. He entered my wetness and took a deep breath because that was the only reaction he could make.
My ankles locked around his waist, and I pulled him close, digging my nails into his back, feeling his lips against my neck as he kissed me. I closed my eyes once we were reunited, getting swept up in that perfect unison of lust and love, his strong heartbeat against mine. “I love you.” Unrestrained, I spoke every thought that came into my mind, told this man how much he meant to me, put all my cards on the table so there was no mistake about the depth of my feelings.
He thrust inside me gently as he moved his face over mine, breathing with me as we rocked together on top of my made bed. His eyes were lost in that intense gaze, like my words turned him on rather than turned him off. “Baby, I love you…”
When I woke up the next morning, he was already awake.
Naked beside me, his arm was around me, his eyes looking into mine. His brown eyes were sleepy and heavy-lidded, like he was still tired even though he’d been awake a while. The sunlight from the window behind me lit up his fair skin, showing the shadow that had grown throughout the night.
It was the first time I’d woken up with him next to me.
It was like a dream.
His hand slid up my thigh until he hiked my leg over his hip. He moved in and kissed me. “Morning.” His deep voice was raspy like he hadn’t fully woken up just yet. “It’s nice to see you first thing when I open my eyes.”
My hand cupped his cheek and felt the stubble on his face with my thumb. “Yeah…it is.”
He moved in and pressed a few kisses to my neck and shoulder, smothering me with his love.
I held him close and hugged him, enjoying the most beautiful Sunday morning of my life.
The Boy Who Has No Belief (Soulless Book 7) Page 20