by Isabel North
“A coffee shop,” Derek repeated.
“Yes. Is there room in town for one more? Megan’s is good. But it’s always been a fantasy of mine.”
“To own a coffee shop.”
“Yes.”
“In Emerson.”
“Well, not always in Emerson, I didn’t know Emerson existed until Alex moved back here a couple of years ago. When this place came up for sale and I was alerted to the opportunity, I thought oh, why not?”
“No,” Derek said.
“No?”
“You are not turning my garage into a coffee shop.”
“Wedding present it is. I don’t think Megan would have been pleased with the competition, anyway.”
“You are not giving me my own garage as a wedding present, I don’t know you that well. I don’t know anyone well enough that I would accept a present that big from them. I’m including my parents!”
“You’ll get to know me.”
“I don’t think I want to.”
“Tough. Jenny’s the sister of my heart. Makes you a brother. Can’t stop this, man. You’re marrying into my family. So, do you want a bow on it, or do you want to sign the papers and we’ll go celebrate with a beer?”
“It’s nine o’clock in the morning, I’m not going for a beer at nine o’clock in the morning.”
“So, a bow?”
“No bow. No beer. And I don’t want your charity.”
“It’s pronounced ‘present’.”
“Gabe, for the love of God…” Derek sputtered. He couldn’t give Derek the garage. It was insane.
Gabe leaned against his car. “You know the most frustrating thing about being a billionaire?”
“Having to wear a suit?”
“That’s the second most frustrating thing. The first is how fucking hard it is to get the people you care about to accept a gift.”
“Happy to take the beer. Later. At the appropriate time for drinking alcohol. I cannot take a building from you.”
“Eh, it was worth a shot. I didn’t think you’d go for it.” Gabe reached in through the Aston Martin’s open window and pulled out a manila folder. He strolled across the distance between them. “I was serious about investing in property, though. Here.”
“What’s this?”
“Rental agreement.”
Derek took the folder reluctantly. He examined Gabe’s face.
Gabe held his gaze. “It’s only a big deal if you make it one. I’m your new landlord. That’s all.”
Derek flipped through the document. Whether it was the night of passion with Jenny or the fact a billionaire tried to give him a building, he couldn’t make sense of it. “It’s a trap,” he said.
“Why would I want to trap you?”
“I haven’t worked that out yet, and it’s making me very nervous.”
Gabe clapped him on the shoulder. “It’s not a trap. It’s a standard rental agreement. You’ll find that the terms are the same as you had with Rawlings.” Registering that Derek was still uncomfortable, Gabe continued, “Is it any different paying me than paying the bank, if you’d gotten the loan? Or paying rent to any other landlord?”
“Suppose not.” Derek tapped the spine of the folder against his thigh. “If you and Jenny had been a thing, then, yeah. Since you were never together, you’re no longer Jenny’s billionaire ex-boyfriend. You’re just an everyday run-of-the-mill billionaire.”
“Run-of-the-mill sounds almost as bad as average.” Gabe shuddered. “I prefer unconventional.”
“Don’t you rich folk call yourselves eccentric?”
“No, that’s what you poor folk call us. We call ourselves whatever we like. I like unconventional.”
Derek laughed. Then something Gabe had said earlier sank in. “Wait. Background check?”
“Ah. Hoped I’d slipped that one by you.”
“You ran a background check on me?”
“How else do you think I found out your ex-landlord was selling your premises out from under you?”
“I don’t know. Lila, I guess? She’s the only one who knew, and as it turns out, she’s not very good at keeping secrets.”
“Lila played you, too, did she?”
“I’m starting to think it’s not as hard as my male ego would like.”
“It wasn’t Lila.” Gabe took out a cell phone, swiped, then passed it to him.
Derek accepted it gingerly. Damn thing looked more expensive than his Triumph. He looked at the screen, and blinked.
It was a photo from the day he drove Jenny and Kate to school. They were in the parking lot. Derek was smiling down at Kate, who had her arms around his waist and was leaning back to smile up at him. The connection between them was clear. Guilt dug into Derek like a blunt knife.
When the photo was taken, Kate hadn’t seen him for six months. He sure as shit hadn’t deserved the way she’d looked up at him, with such open trust. Going forward, he vowed, he would deserve it. Every single day.
“Cute photo,” Gabe said.
“Yeah.” Derek’s voice was gruff.
“I gave her the backpack.”
“I got her there.” Derek stared at the photo a moment longer, then his head snapped up and he glared.
Gabe smiled. “What now?”
He thrust out the phone. “Have you been spying on me?”
“Paranoid.”
“Why do you have a photo of me on your phone, Sterling? Either you’ve got someone following Jenny or someone following me. Not cool.”
“Elle sent it. More likely than me having you followed, isn’t it?”
Oh. “Yeah.”
“Don’t get hung up on the background check.” Gabe brushed this off with a dismissive wave. “I do it to everyone.”
“Now who’s paranoid?”
“It’s not paranoia. I’m a curious man, and apparently I have a problem with boundaries.”
Derek eyed him. “You don’t say.”
“Jenny’s important. She matters. She deserves the best. Kate, too. I have resources. I saw the picture. Anyone with half a brain can see where you all are headed. I did what any big brother would do. Asked around to see if there are any red flags.”
“And?”
“Apart from being declined for a loan and about to lose your garage, no flags at all, Tate. You’re a choirboy. With a cock piercing.”
* * * *
Jenny stood in front of the garage bay door alongside Lila. Jenny was holding the tray of coffees, Lila had the muffins.
As Jenny watched, Derek laughed at whatever Gabe had said. Gabe joined in. They shook hands, and followed it up with a bro hug.
Jenny’s stomach dropped. She’d have been less surprised if they’d started rolling around on the floor trading punches.
“We should run,” Jenny said to Lila. “Right? Whatever they’re talking about can’t be good. Can it?”
“Kiss him,” Lila whispered.
“I will in a minute.”
“I’m talking to Derek.”
“Come on, quick. Before they… Oops. Too late.”
Derek and Gabe had turned to stand, shoulder to shoulder, and were looking at her.
“Hi, guys.” Tamping down her nerves, Jenny straightened her spine and sauntered across the forecourt. “Who wants coffee?” She took one of the cups from the tray before Gabe, the rabid caffeine fiend, could knock her over, and handed it to him. “Here you go.” She handed the one she’d picked up for herself to Derek.
“Thanks,” he said.
“You’re welcome. No problem. Hi. What’s going on?”
Derek gave a dark laugh. “Clarity. Clarity is what’s going on.”
Nope, things were not looking good. “Can I interest you in a muffin?”
“Not if it’s chocolate.”
“Blueberry.” She held it out to him. Derek accepted the muffin, took the folder he had tucked under his arm out and slapped it lightly against Lila’s chest.
Lila jumped and grabbed it.
/> “Check that out for me, will you?” he asked. “No offense,” he said to Gabe. “Due diligence.”
Gabe shrugged as Lila said, “Ooh,” and opened the folder up with excitement. Whatever she read made her eyes grow big, and dart between Derek and Gabe.
“Jenny?” Derek hooked her elbow. “With me, please.”
“Wait,” Gabe called after them.
Derek turned back impatiently.
Gabe grinned. “My keys? I’m heading back to San Francisco. Unless you want to hang on to the car, have a little slap and tickle? You’re very welcome to. I’ll steal Alex’s truck. He’ll never notice.”
Derek was tempted, but he might never give it back “Here.” He dug the keyring out of his pocket and walked it over, taking Jenny with him.
“Gabe, you’re leaving already?” Jenny said. “I didn’t get to thank you properly for Bill. I didn’t get to thank Bill properly.”
“Forget it. Come and stay with us before Nora has the baby, and bring me a bag of Megan’s house blend with you. Woman refuses to ship me any.”
“Will do.” She went to hug Gabe as usual, then remembered Derek and stiffened. She stuck out a hand instead.
Gabe laughed and hauled her into a full-frontal hug, lifting her until she was dangling a foot off the ground. “I’ve missed you, lover,” he said. “Now. Kiss me goodbye. Make it wet.”
“Very funny.” Derek plucked Jenny from Gabe’s arms and dragged her into his side.
“I’ll kiss you goodbye,” Lila said to Gabe, still flipping through the file. She looked up at him with a smile full of teeth. “Once we’ve cleared up this little point right here, that is.”
“Which point?” Gabe scowled and leaned over her shoulder to read where she was tapping her finger.
Leaving them to it, Derek towed Jenny after him. She ran to keep up, and as soon as he’d shoved her into the office, she opened her mouth to defend whatever stupid game Gabe was playing.
She never got the chance.
Derek backed her into the door and braced a hand either side of her head.
She took hold of his hard waist. “I have no idea what that whole kissing crap was about—” she began.
To her astonishment, Derek brushed it off. “That was for my benefit,” he said. “Your buddy’s a douche.”
“Hey!” She smacked him. “No one talks about Gabe like that!” Everyone talked about Gabe like that, but Jenny wouldn’t hear it.
“He’s a douche. He does it on purpose. Deep down, though, I can tell he’s a good guy. I can totally see how you’d fall for someone like him. How you’d end up inviting him into your bed. Sneaking around. Seizing the opportunity to have a wild affair. To experience your moment of passion in the blazing sun of his billionaire attention.” Derek ducked his head and nibbled on her lips.
Jenny arched away, narrowing her eyes. “You know.”
“Oh, yeah, baby. I know.”
“I don’t,” someone else said in a gruff voice, “and I don’t want to. If y’all will be kind enough to step aside, I’ll get out of your hair.”
Jenny screamed and Derek flinched as Burke stood up from his seat behind the desk.
“When did you get here?” Derek demanded.
“About ten minutes ago.”
“Why are you hiding…? Oh. Right.” Derek shuffled Jenny aside, opened the door and glanced out, then said to Burke, “She’s busy arguing. Make a break for it.”
Avoiding Jenny’s gaze, the big man sidled out through the door and disappeared into the gloom at the back of the garage.
Derek closed the door behind him and gave the office a thorough scan before taking up his original position. “Where were we? Here?” He kissed her neck.
“What was that about?” Jenny asked.
Derek slid a leg between hers. “Burke? He’s scared of Lila.”
“Has he even met Lila?”
“No. He’s trying not to. I think he’s got a bit of a crush.”
“Aww.”
“Jenny.”
“Admit it, you think that’s sweet, too.”
“I think it’s adorable. I also think you played me.”
She tugged her lower lip between her teeth. “In my defense, telling you I was sleeping with Gabe was a spur-of-the-moment thing. It wasn’t well thought out.”
“Not like your genius plan to borrow his lawyer and bluff Dean. Not like that plan.”
“Hard to believe, but no, it was not even as good as that plan. So, you know we never had an affair?”
“I know.”
“He told you?”
“Yes.”
She smoothed her hands around to his back and tucked them under his waistband. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know what to do. I woke up and you were there. I wanted you to stay there so much Derek, and I couldn’t handle it. It was too perfect. Everything about you is too perfect.”
“I wouldn’t go that far.”
She pinched his lips together, stopping his words. “You are, and I’m not listening to any arguments. You’re perfect for me. And it takes a lot of getting used to, you know?”
“Mmmph mmph?” What does?
“Getting what you want. I woke up in bed with you, it was perfect, and it scared the shit out of me. It was too soon. And then, as time went on, I got used to the idea of it, and you would barely even look at me. I missed you.” She caught his face between her hands and kissed him fiercely. “I missed you, and if my stupid car hadn’t choked when it did, I’d have stuck a screwdriver in the back tire, and called you myself.
“I wouldn’t have done it on Kate’s first day of kindergarten, though. I’d have chosen a good day. Blocked out a morning. I don’t think I could have ignored it for much longer.”
“What if I hadn’t come? What if I’d sent Burke with the tow truck?”
“I’d have tried it again.”
“Or, you could have called me without stabbing your car. Any time in the past two years, Jenny. You could have called me any time, and I would have come.”
She sighed. Derek’s dimples flickered in his cheeks. Jenny cupped his face, stuck the tip of one forefinger in one dimple, then inserted the other into his other dimple.
“Stop fingering my dimples,” he said.
“Make me.”
Derek caught her wrists, transferred them to one hand and stretched them over her head.
“It has come to my attention, Tate,” she said, “that you seem to like holding me down. I’m starting to think you have a kinky side.”
Derek gave a delicious, dirty laugh. “Starting to? The cock piercing didn’t tip you off?”
“It should have, shouldn’t it?”
He nodded.
“I’m sorry.”
“I don’t want your apology, baby. All I ever wanted was for you to choose me. And you did.”
“I did. I do. I always will.” She pulled at her wrists until he freed them, and went to frame his face again.
He jerked his head back. “I’m serious. Don’t finger my dimples.”
“I’m not fingering… Derek, come here. I’m not going to touch your dimples. I’m being romantic. I was trying to be romantic. You ruined it.”
Derek picked up her hands and placed them on his cheeks, rough with stubble and bunched with a broad smile. “Try again.”
“Okay. I did choose you. I do choose you. I always will choose you. And I would like to marry you and make a family with you. I’m ready for anything you want to give me.”
“Mmm.”
She ignored the pulse of arousal that threatened to derail her at the look in his eyes, and continued before she lost her thread again, “Any time you want to ask, you go ahead.”
“Are you proposing to me?”
“No.”
“Sure sounded like it.”
“I’m proposing that you propose.”
“All right. I’ll take it under advisement.” He bent and murmured against her lips, “Did you have a particular timeframe in mind?”
“Sometime this century,” Jenny said. She gasped when his tongue dipped in for a swift, teasing stroke. “Other than that, I’m wide open.”
Derek grinned. “Good to know.”
She’d intended the comment as a flippant joke, only it came out as her deepest truth.
Jenny was wide open to this man in every possible way. His patience, persistence and determination had broken down every barrier between them, left her nowhere to hide.
She had no walls left, nothing to protect her.
Derek’s grin faded. “What is it?” he asked, drawing her closer.
She shook her head.
“Jenny—”
The foundations of her world had changed and she should be terrified, but she wasn’t. She just wasn’t. She picked up his warm hand and placed it on her chest, holding it there with an almost painful pressure.
“What is it?” He shifted against her. “Jenny. Look at me.”
She did. She let him see the truth in her eyes, and she could tell the moment it sank in.
The hand on her chest swept up to her throat and curled around her nape. He pulled her roughly up onto her toes to meet him for a passionate, consuming kiss that finished with his laughter rumbling through her.
“I love you, Derek,” she said, and held on tight.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Six months later
Derek sat at one side of the kitchen table. Kate sat at the other.
She was staring at him.
Don’t say anything. Give her time. It’s a lot to process.
Kate tilted her head to one side and considered him with somber, thoughtful eyes.
Derek cleared his throat and sat back. He cleared his throat again. Dry. Was it hot in here? He grabbed for the glass in front of him and took a gulp.
“That’s mine,” Kate said.
Yup. It wasn’t his water. It was her glass of milk. “I’ll get you another.”
“No thanks.”