Maybe she should move his beloved Dr. Pepper supply out of the fridge in the break room, forcing him to leave his hidey hole. Roni thought about her plan to get Derek to show his true personality to the staff. Deciding that he would most likely forgo the Dr. Pepper fix rather than talk to his employees. She couldn’t stand hearing people talk about someone as kind and open as Derek as a cyborg.
“Can you please get him to go home and rest? He is driving the staff nuts.” Alex’s voice boomed from behind her.
“I have tried to convince him to go home after this meeting and sleep, but I am not sure my pleading did any good.” Roni answered Alex as she turned around in her chair. “Maybe you should invest in a tranquilizer gun or something. That is the best idea I have at the moment. “
“I might have to do that. I’m worried about him. He is pushing himself too hard this time.” Roni studied Alex’s face. His square jaw was set firmly. “Maybe you could use your womanly charms to get him in bed.” He said completely deadpanned.
Her jaw dropped at the suggestion. He remained serious for a few more beats before a smile broke across his face. She of course smacked him in the stomach. “Hey, you have been hanging out with Izzy the Barbarian too long.” He grunted.
“Wimp. And you are the only person I have ever seen her hit. Repeatedly.” She smiled when he glared.
“Ok, so womanly charm is clearly out. How about you trip him or knock him over somehow with your clumsy superpower so he hits his head and passes out for a while?” He was smart enough to take a step back from her as he makes the smart ass remark.
“HA HA I plan to convince him to come over to watch a movie, ply him with food guaranteed to make him tired and watch him pass out. How does that plan sound?” She said crossing her arms across her chest, feeling her plan was a good one.
“If that doesn’t work, I’m buying a tranquilizer gun. .tonight! And I am charging back to the company.” With that Alex began to walk off. He walked only a few steps before he stopped and turned. “Oh, tell the Barbarian I am looking forward to her cooking for me this weekend.” He winked at her and continued on his way.
All Roni could do was shake her head. Rising, she let herself into Derek’s office. “Now that your meetings for the day are complete and you have worked,” she pretended to look at her watch, “oh, I don’t know the last million hours in a row, I think it is time you closed up shop for the day. We can go to my house, order in and watch a movie.”
She paused in her stroll to his desk. Realizing he was not paying attention to her at all. She stayed where she was being sure to be as quiet as she could as she studied him. His hands were on the keyboard, yet still. His head was down, but further down than it would be if he was focusing on any of his monitors. She slowly stepped closer to his desk. That is when he let out a little snore. She had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. The big bad tech mogul was sleeping like a baby at his desk. She was half surprised his fingers did not continue their incessant clickity clack on the keyboard, despite his slumber state.
Now she had a dilemma. Let him sleep in the most uncomfortable position she had ever seen or wake him and have to try to convince him to go back to sleep. She bit her bottom lip as she debated her choices. “I can feel you watching me.” He spoke in a dry gravel voice that made her jump.
“I thought you were sleeping, I was debating if I should wake you or just turn off the lights and let you sleep. I hope I didn’t wake you.” She moved to his side. He pulled her into his lap as he opened his eyes.
He kissed her quickly. “I am glad I woke up. I would have missed kissing you.” With that, he kissed her again. Her body melted against his.
She reluctantly broke the kiss to put her ‘get Derek to sleep plan’ into effect. “I was hoping to sweep you away from here now that your meetings are done for the day. We can grab some to go food and head to my house, what do you say?”
Derek looked like he was having the internal debate of a lifetime. She would bet he had never left the office while the sun was still up before. She sat patiently, waiting for the internal debate to conclude.
He slowly smiled, running his hand chastely up her thigh. “Ok, you win. I have hit a wall. Food and more importantly spending some time with you, sounds great. Let me close down all my programs and you go grab your stuff and order something we can pick up on the way to your house.” He kissed her again, this time with a little tongue and set her on her feet.
Too bad he was so tired or else she would be having him for dessert.
***
Forty-five minutes later they were snuggled on Roni’s couch watching Entourage reruns on HBO On Demand, eating their dinner they picked up from Chili’s. Again he wanted to stop and eat somewhere expensive and she had insisted they keep it simple and quick. They ate their meal in a pleasant silence, punctuated by their laughter at the show.
Despite his protest that he would clean up, she took his food container in the trash in the kitchen and returned to the couch with a blanket. All part of her plan.
“Are you trying to seduce me or get me to sleep?” He asked her with a wry smile on his face.
“Why does it have to be one or the other?” She asked innocently.
He only laughed as he pulled her to lay in front of him on the couch. Essentially spooning her when she landed. “Can I choose which one I think we should do first?” Derek said stifling a yawn.
“I think that yawn just chooses for you.” She smiled over her shoulder at him.
“Well, maybe a quick nap wouldn’t be a bad thing. But when I wake up you are in trouble.” He said before kissing her almost desperately. Once he released her from the powerful kiss that she felt all the way to the apex of her legs, he snuggled her close and turned on another episode of Entourage. Before E and Vince had even found a date for the night, Derek was out cold. He held her tight as though she was his own security blanket. She snuggled closer to him. Enjoying being wrapped in his warm arms as his spicy scent engulfed her.
Even though it was still early and she had not worked half as many hours as Derek had, she felt her eyes closing, suddenly very heavy. Before the second show ended, she too was out cold.
***
Derek woke with a start, when Roni kneed him in the groin in her sleep. He had to restrain himself quickly before he screamed out in pain. He was amazed that even in sleep, she could cause him bodily harm. He reached down to gently move her knee away from his family jewels. This got her to roll over. He cupped his boys, as the pain subsided. Once he knew he wasn’t going to cough up one of his balls, he tenderly moved her so he could get up from the couch. He used the bathroom and returned to the couch. Looking at the clock on the cable box, 10:45. Wow, he slept for almost five solid hours.
He knew he should just snuggle back with Roni and give his body the rest it was screaming for. His mind on the other hand was screaming for him to work. To complete his masterpiece. He sat on the edge of the couch stroking Roni’s hair.
“She won’t wake up you know?” He looked up to see Izzy, standing in the kitchen doorway. Clad in Hello Kitty pajamas.
“Sorry I didn’t mean to wake you when I used the bathroom.” He apologized quietly.
Izzy laughed, taking a drink of her tea. “It wasn’t you moving around the house that woke me, it was the groan of pain I heard prior to that.” She smiled still giggling a little. “She kneed you in the boys didn’t she?”
Derek chuckled. “Yes, how did you know?”
“Roni and I have shared a bed on trips before, if I had been a guy I would have been singing soprano too. She’s a kicker too, so be careful.”
Derek had to chuckle again. “Thanks for the warning. I didn’t even hear you come in earlier.”
“I went out after work with Gracey for a bit.” She said all too quickly. “When I got home you two were snoring up a storm on the couch.” As if on cue, Roni snored loudly. Causing both Izzy and Derek to laugh loudly.
“Wow, she really doesn�
��t wake up for anything, does she?”
“Nope, the light rail could come barreling straight through the living room and she would simply roll over. The girl likes her sleep.” Izzy replied with a shake of her head.
“Should I leave her here or take her to her bed before I go?”
Izzy’s face scrunched tightly. “Leaving?”
“I need to get back to work. And home to shower. I think I am out of clean suits at the office.” He replied shyly.
“Do you ever just stop and enjoy the moment Derek?” The way Izzy looked at him was the way Alex’s mom or Mrs. Frostberry looked at him when they were concerned for him.
“When the moment is important I do, I guess. Right now I have no time to enjoy the moment. I have to work.” He affirmed with a speck of sadness intruding on his normally strong voice.
Izzy said nothing, only stared at him for a few long minutes. He was about to ask her what she was thinking when she seemed to shake off her deep thought. “You should put her in her bed so that she hears her alarm in the morning. Lock the door on your way out. Good night Derek.” She turned to go to her room.
“Good night Izzy.” He was still confused over what she could have possibly been thinking.
Derek shook off the unease he suddenly felt. He stood, pulling the blanket from Roni so that he could pick her up. He easily picked her up, her arms automatically wrapping around his neck. He tucked her into bed and kissed her on the forehead without her even so much as twitching in her sleep. Not wanting to be a complete bastard, he found paper and pen on her night stand leaving her a quick note. One more kiss on the forehead and he was gone.
Chapter Fourteen
Roni heard her alarm going off, but could not bring herself to leave the security of her dreams. Finally, after the annoying clock’s volume increased, she sat up smacking the blasted thing as hard as she could out of frustration of having to leave her dream. She was dreaming of her future with Derek.
With happy thoughts running though her brain, Roni stretched. Suddenly she realized she was in her room. Alone. Did she dream falling asleep with him on the couch? Possibly. She looked around and then listened to see if maybe he had gotten up before her. No such luck.
She got out of bed, gathering her clothes for the day before she went to shower. As she grabbed her panties and bra from her drawer she saw a note. She smiled, knowing Derek had left it most likely because he could not wake up from her death sleep state to actually say goodbye.
Roni,
I tried to wake you, but Izzy was right, there is no waking you.
I am heading back to work, I know, I know, but at least I slept first. The best nap, I have ever had!
I miss you before I even leave you.
Derek.
Roni squealed like a high school girl whose crush had left a note in her locker. She read it again, and again, before finally folding the note up and put it in her nightstand drawer. Her happy mood was out of this world happy mood. She bounced into the shower and through her morning routine.
She was in the kitchen eating a bowl of oatmeal when a groggy Izzy came in looking for coffee. Roni had learned a long ago not to even say ‘good morning’ to her before she had her coffee. She waited as Izzy poured herself a cup and drank down a few sips. “Good morning.” She finally said, knowing it was now safe.
“Morning.” Izzy said between gulps of coffee.
“Did you see Derek before he left?”
“Yes, that boy works too much. But he did make sure you were comfortably tucked in bed before he left. And he looked torn between his first love and you.”
“First love?” Roni said through a smile.
“His company. He loves that place. And he seems torn between being at work and being with you. I take it as a good sign for you that he has this inner debate going.” Izzy replied in her mother tone.
“But?” Roni knew there was more.
“But, he is eventually going to have to even out the time he spends with his ‘mistress’ and the time he spends with you.”
Roni shook her head at her friend. “His ‘mistress’? Izzy he is in the middle of a huge, complicated government contract. Work will slow down and then he and I can go out more, get to know each other, you know date.”
“By the look on your face this morning I can already see that you are picking out china patterns.” Izzy paused, before she continued in a more serious tone. “I don’t want to see you get hurt. And this has heartbreak written all over it.”
Roni knew her friend’s opinion was correct. Her heart was in serious jeopardy here after only a week of really knowing Derek. Sighing, Roni looked down as she spoke. “I know. I have been infatuated with him for six months. And the Derek behind the workaholic CEO asshole façade, is worth the risk.” Roni looked Izzy in the eyes as she continued. “I know that when it comes to guys you like to play it safe. Go after the harmless men who are polite at all times, but that is not my type. Love is about risk, and Derek is a huge risk.”
Izzy stood there motionless and soundless, for a few beats. “Are you saying the guys I date are…. boring?”
Roni looked up, her finger going to her mouth as she thought of a polite response. “Let’s say they are all predictable, and that is why they don’t last. You need someone fun, exciting, completely unpredictable.”
“Unpredictable is trouble. Trust me.” Izzy muttered the last words under her breath, but Roni still caught them. “Anyway, I have to get ready to go mold some young minds.”
Izzy refilled her coffee and headed back to her room to get ready for work. How she spent all day with 30 kindergarteners was beyond Roni. She looked at her watch, realizing she was going to be late if she didn’t get her butt out the door. Placing her bowl in the sink and grabbing her things she was headed off for the day.
***
Derek had worked at home last night instead of at the office for once. The simple act of showering at his home instead of the office was enjoyable. Leaving Roni last night had been really hard. He wanted nothing more than to lay down in her bed, sleep the entire night with her in his arms.
If he was this hung up on her after a week he could only imagine what he would feel for her after a month. Or ten years. Or fifty. He had to stop thinking that way. After a week, those thoughts should not be in his mind. He was a guy, he should be thinking about getting her in bed, not keeping her forever.
Though he was thinking of getting her into bed. He thought about it often. After the passionate kisses they had shared he knew when they finally did make it into bed the sex would be incredible. And who could forget about those sext she accidently sent. She had a naughty passionate side, he was sure of that. Now he just needed to find the time for them to have some naked fun time together.
Shaking his head to get his mind off Roni and back in the game. He turned to his monitors and began signing into his programs. His iPhone rang as he reached for his headphones. Sighing, he answered his phone. “Callaway.”
“Mr. Callaway, its Jemma.”
Derek noticed Jemma’s voice was weak and tired. “Jemma, are you ok?”
There was silence for a moment on the other end of the phone. “I’m sorry, sir, what did you just ask me?”
It was at that moment Derek realized he had never asked her that question or any of his employees even how they were on any given day. I am an asshole. The sentence passed through Derek’s brain slowly as though to emphasize the fact. At a loss for something better to say Derek simply repeated his question. “I asked if you were ok. You sound upset. How is your mom doing? “
More stunned silence greeted him. “Um… actually sir...”
“Jemma, call me Derek. Not Mr. Callaway or sir. You have worked for me for too long to continue to address me so formally. Now tell me how things are going at home.” His voice softened at the end.
“Well… Derek… …I called to check in to be sure everything there was being handled accordingly. Since you asked, though,” Jemma sounded as thoug
h she was doing her best not to cry. “Things are not going well.”
“Oh Jemma I am so sorry I know your mom is all the family you have. What can I do for you?” The words tumbled from his mouth as though he was speaking with a dear friend and not his employee. A line he had never crossed in the past.
“I’m sorry, sir, I mean Derek. I’m not going to be able to be back as soon as I anticipated. My mother does not have the flu she has Leukemia. And it has progressed since it has gone undetected for so long.” Jemma was no longer able to hold in her emotion. Derek could hear her sobbing on the other end of the phone.
“Oh Jemma I am so sorry. You take as long as you need your job will be waiting for you when you return. If you need anything else, please don’t hesitate to ask.” Derek’s own mother might not mean much to him, but he knew that for Jemma her mom was everything.
“Are you sure you’re doing ok without me there? I can log on if need be, I brought my laptop.” Jemma almost sounded fearful. Did she not believe him that her job would be waiting?
Derek let out a breath of agitation, not at Jemma but at himself. “Jemma, listen. I know I have not been the greatest boss. I want you to know that after only a few days of you being gone I realize how much I value everything you do for me. Your job will be waiting, when and only when you are ready to come back. I do not want you logging on for any reason. Right now focus on your mom.”
“Thank you, Derek. Who did HR send up to help? Does your new assistant have any questions?”
“I actually brought in a friend to help. She’s doing ok.” He laughed, then thinking of Roni’s reaction to the computer. “Well, let’s just say she is doing the best she can but her computer skills are nowhere near yours and she makes me appreciate you.”
“You hired someone without computer skills? That is a first. If she needs anything please have her call me.” He started to protest. “Really, it would be a welcome distraction.” Her last words held such sadness.
“I promise to have her call if she truly needs something.” They spoke for a few more minutes about the work including the work she was doing for Alex. Before he hung up, he emphasized one more time for her not to worry about her job and to take her time.
Falling Into You (Geek to Chic) Page 11