I don’t know what to say for a moment. It seems crazy that a talk show is inviting me to be interviewed and be on TV. Of course, it’s probably Derek they’re really interested in. They want Derek and his match, which is me.
“You don’t have to do it, Gin,” Derek says as he comes up behind me. He hands me a water bottle. “I wasn’t going to ask,” He says giving Ian a pointed look then he looks at me. “I know you’re not into being in the spotlight.”
I look up at him. “Do you want to do it?”
“Not if you don’t want to.” He touches my chin.
I realize that if I were Sadie or any other famous actress, he wouldn’t need to ask or worry about it being uncomfortable. The thought of being on TV scares the hell out of me but I know it won’t be live. They prerecord these things; I’ll have a few days to let it settle in. Plus, I would do anything with Derek by my side and people already know we’re dating, so why not?
“I’ll do it,” I hear myself say.
Derek widens his eyes in surprise. “Are you sure?”
I nod. “Why not?”
Ian grins at me. “You’re awesome.” He raises his palm at me. “High five this palm right now!”
I laugh then high five him.
“You’re weird, dude.” Derek shakes his head with a smile. He reaches for my hand. “Come on, I have your dress in my room. We should get ready.” He looks at Ian. “That means you too.”
“I only need five minutes,” Ian says as he switches the channel. “Try to keep it down.” He teases with a chuckle.
“I hope you don’t mind him coming,” Derek says as we go up the stairs. “He won’t be a bother, I promise.”
I smile. “It’s fine, Derek. I like him.”
He looks at me and raises an eyebrow. “Should I be concerned?”
I roll my eyes at him. “No.”
He grins amusedly. “Good. He’s annoying but he’s a good friend. I would hate to have to get rid of him.”
I laugh as I follow him down the hall. His room is big. There are big windows on the walls. He has a king size bed against the wall with a TV on the wall across from it. There is a huge bathroom and a walk-in closet all to himself.
“Your room is bigger than my whole apartment.” I note.
He grins as he puts his arms around my waist. “You’re welcome here anytime.”
I smile at him. “So who’s going to be in this event? Just so I’m prepared.”
“It’ll just be my brother, Nick, and his wife, Rachel. You’ll like her,” He says. “Nick is the CEO of his company so it’ll be mostly his colleagues. There will be press. I hope that’s okay.”
“Just don’t leave me alone.”
He smiles. “And give other guys the chance to hit on you? No way, baby.”
I laugh as he leans in to kiss me.
“Are you ready to play dress-up?” He asks wiggling his eyebrows at me.
I look at him suspiciously as he goes in the closet and rolls out a clothing rack with different outfits hanging from it. My eyes widen in surprise. I reach out to look at the dresses. There are also a few suits for Derek. There are heels and shiny shoes on the bottom. This is giving me major Hollywood vibes.
“Are all of these for me?” I ask as I pull out a pretty green cocktail dress.
“Yes,” Derek says. “I asked Stella to give you a couple of options. You can keep all of them.”
I look at him. “Are you sure? These look expensive.”
He brushes his lips against my cheek. “It’s nothing, Gin. Just accept my gifts. Don’t worry about the cost.”
I reach out and press my lips against his. “Thank you.”
He grins. “I’m going to shower so you can get dressed. There’s a bag there with a bunch of stuff in it. I’m not sure what it has.” He frowns.
I laugh. “It’s okay. I’ll figure it out.”
“Alright,” He says as he begins to unbuckle his belt. He kicks off his shoes then goes into the bathroom.
There are four cocktail dresses and I try each of them. The dark green velvet dress is the one that fits me perfectly so I decide to wear that one. It hugs my body in a flattering way. I feel so confident the moment I put it on. It has thin straps and goes down just above my knees. There is a curling iron in the black bag Derek pointed out and I use it to make my hair wavy. I’m applying mascara when Derek walks out of the shower. I look at him through the reflection on the mirror.
He has a towel wrapped around his torso and my eyes travel down his muscular chest and wow—I’ve seen him shirtless on pictures in magazines and on his social media accounts but as perfect as he looks in them, they don’t give him justice.
He has a perfectly sculpted six pack and my eyes linger down to his V-cut abs that I’ve only seen on men in movies. Why does it feel like I’m suddenly in the middle of a porno? And how dare Derek get sexier by the minute? How is he real? He’s so perfectly good-looking. It makes my mouth dry and I gulp and set the mascara down, suddenly unable to do anything right now but look at him.
His lip quirks up in a half grin. “Come here, Gin,” He says seductively.
“Uh—" I look down and shake my head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
He chuckles softly then walks over to me and reaches for my hand. He pulls me up and I stand up and face him. He is literally the sexiest man I’ve ever seen. He’s probably the sexiest man on earth. And I’m here. In front of him. In his room. And all he has is a towel around the bottom part of his body. It’s getting a little too hot in here.
Derek touches my chin. “I love the look you have in your eyes right now.”
A smile plays on my lips as I look up at him. “I’m not looking at you in any special way. That’s how I look at everyone.”
He narrows his eyes at me. “Liar.”
“Am I, though?” I tease.
“Yes,” He says. :Tell me you’re lying or I’m going to lose my mind.”
I laugh. “You really do have the biggest ego on earth.”
“I know,” He says looking amused. “It’s a talent.”
“Oh? Really?” I laugh.
He places his hand on my lower back and pushes me closer to him. “Tell me you’re lying, Gin.”
My eyes roam over his handsome face. I’m trying to not be intimidated by how gorgeous he is but he’s making my knees feel weak. It feels like I’m going to fall to the ground if he lets me go. He already knows he’s the hottest man I’ve dated, and will probably ever date, why is he making me say it?
My eyes meet his. “You know I am.”
He smiles, looking satisfied with his smug self. “You like what you see, don’t you?”
I purse my lips as I look down at his strong chest. I reach out and touch his abs with my fingertips. “You’re so…hard.”
He looks at me, clearly amused. “Why yes, I am.”
My mouth opens in surprise and then I start laughing. “I didn’t mean that!”
He chuckles. “Well, you’re not wrong, Gin.”
My mouth is dry again. I’ve never felt this way about a man in front of me before. I feel hot and bothered. What is happening to me? “Shut up.” I tell him but I’m smiling. Then I look up at him. “I don’t…want to go too fast, Derek,” I say in a quiet voice, almost a whisper.
As much as I want him right now in this very moment, it’s too soon for me to have sex with him. The thought of him seeing me naked…my body is nothing special. I don’t have abs or toned arms. I was blessed with my mother's hips and booty but that's about it. My left boob is slightly bigger than my right so I don’t even have that right. Seeing Derek like this…his expectations for women must be over the roof and he would be right to. I mean his body is so perfect. It makes sense that he likes women with perfect bodies and mine is not perfect.
A smile plays on his lips. “That's fine with me.” He strokes my cheek with the back of his hand. “I’ll just keep seducing you until you can’t resist me.”
I rol
l my eyes at him. “You can try.”
“And try I will.” He promises then leans in to kiss me. His kiss is hard and hot, exactly like his body.
He bites my lower lip and an involuntary moan escapes from my throat.
“Fuck, Gin, don’t moan if you want me to behave,” Derek says against my lips.
I open my eyes and look at him. “I think it’ll be better if I wait downstairs.”
His arm tightens around me. “You don’t want to watch me get dressed?”
Yes.
“I shouldn't.” I whisper.
Derek’s lips spread into a grin. “You’re so fucking adorable.”
I smile as I push him away playfully. “I’ll be downstairs.”
I feel his eyes on my body as I lean down to pick up the black heels I had decided on wearing.
“You make that dress look deadly,” He says as I straighten up. I feel the back of my neck get hot.
“You sure know how to flatter a woman.” I tell him with a smile then I turn and make my way towards the door. “Hurry up.”
“Whatever you say, Gin,” He says behind me, making me smile as I close the door.
I stand in the empty hallway for a moment. My cheeks feel hot. I feel hot. It feels like I need another shower. I take a deep breath. My head keeps replaying how good Derek looked shirtless. He’s so gorgeous. It’s not fair.
I don’t have a perfect body or luxuries to give him. All I have are my kisses, my thoughts…and my heart. I don’t want to fall in love with Derek. I can like him. I can feel attracted to him. I can feel desire for him. But I have to fight against love. Love is dangerous. It can be the best and worst feeling at the same time. It can make you happy and feel like you’re walking through the clouds. But it can also consume you and make you feel like you’re walking on thorns.
And probably worse of all, it can break you in a way that you would never be the same again.
20. how we met
I’m so glad Derek was able to find me something to wear because I would’ve been way too underdressed otherwise.
There is press outside taking pictures of everyone walking into his brother’s company building. The word COLLINS is written on it in big, black and elegant letters. I wonder what it’s like to have your family name written on such a big building. It must feel pretty great. On the way there, Derek explained that his brother, Nick, runs the company brand along with his wife, Rachel. According to Derek, Rachel is a very well-known fashion designer. I can’t believe that not only is Derek a successful celebrity, but he has a brother who is CEO of his company and is married to a famous fashion designer. And let’s not forget about his oldest brother that owns clubs and bars. Success must run in their genes.
From the internet, I discovered that Derek’s father is the Richard Collins. Richard has been an actor for most of his life. I’ve watched many of his movies. I guess he started the legacy of his children’s successful careers.
The charity event takes place in a big ballroom. Derek hands the receptionist our tickets as we’re walking in. Then he gives her his autograph when she asks. There are a couple of things happening inside. There is a group of people having a little casino night and there is another group playing trivia. There is also a long table with silverware on it and there are waiters serving food. It smells delicious. The people are dressed in expensive suits and cocktail dresses with shiny watches on their wrists and beautiful diamonds around their necks and wrists.
Everyone greets Derek as we walk in. Everyone seems to know him which shouldn’t be that surprising. They approach him for a handshake or just nod at him cordially. I wonder how many of those people Derek actually knows. He holds my hand as we walk so everyone glances at me naturally. I try to keep a polite smile on my face and try to hide how foreign this environment is for me.
I feel safe in between Derek and Ian. They’re easy going. People like them instantly.
“There’s my brother,” Derek says then he leads us to the dining table. “Wow, y’all couldn’t wait for us?” He asks as he stops behind a man.
His brother, Nick, pulls away from the woman next to him and they both look up at the sound of Derek’s question.
Nick raises his eyebrows as he stands up. “Well, look who decided to show up.”
He is tall with short blond hair and he is wearing a gray suit with a white shirt and a gray tie. He’s very handsome. I see Derek’s resemblance immediately. They have the same strong jaw and same blue eyes. I wonder if they favor their mom or dad. I’ve seen pictures of their dad on the internet and while I do think Derek looks like him, I can tell they get their blue eyes from their mother.
“What are you talking about? You know I always come to this amazing event hosted by my favorite brother,” Derek says with a grin as he places his hand on Nick’s shoulder.
Nick raises an eyebrow at him. “You have a favorite brother every day of the week.”
Derek shrugs. “And whose fault is that?”
Nick shakes his head with a smile and Derek grins then they hug, slapping each other’s backs. “Miss me?” Derek asks after they pull away.
“We haven’t seen you in almost a year,” Nicks says then nods his head towards Ian. “He sees you more than me.”
“Jealous?” Ian asks with a smirk.
“Now, now,” Derek says. “There’s enough Derek for everyone.”
Nick and Ian share an amused look before laughing.
The woman Nick had been speaking to stands up and puts her arm through Nick’s as she stands next to him. She’s wearing a lace red dress that shows off her figure perfectly. She has shoulder length honey-brown hair and brown eyes. She’s wearing red lipstick that stands out and compliments her very well. She must be Nick’s wife, Rachel. She’s so beautiful and has this graceful aura around her. It intimidates me a little and makes me even more nervous.
“Seriously, Derek, you sure love making us miss you.”
“I didn’t miss him, what are you talking about?” Nick teases with an amused smile.
“Yes, you did,” Rachel says looking up at him.
“He cries at night for me, doesn't he?” Derek grins.
“Every single night.” Rachel amuses him then laughs as she reaches out to hug him.
“Not too tight,” Nick says behind her.
Rachel rolls her eyes as she pulls away then her eyes land on me. Her eyebrows raise in surprise. She smiles. “Hi,” She says and then everyone’s eyes are on me.
I realize that I had been hiding behind Derek. I just felt like I needed to stay out of their little reunion though I’ve been enjoying seeing Derek interact with some of his family. I can tell that he shares the confidence with his brother. I can also tell that if I were to come across Nick Collins in the street, I would be afraid to approach him. He could easily be the most intimidating man in the room. Nick and Rachel look so good together. They’re the powerful couple.
Derek reaches out and places his hand on my lower back. He pushes me forward gently. “This is—" He turns to look at me and smiles mischievously. “—my girlfriend, Savannah.”
I don’t have time to react to his introduction because Rachel is extending her arm to me. “It’s very nice to meet you, Savannah. I’m Rachel,” She says offering me a kind smile.
I shake her hand and smile at her. “Thank you. It’s nice to meet you too.”
Nick offers me his hand as well. “I’m Nick, Rachel’s husband.”
Rachel laughs at his introduction but she’s beaming. She looks proud. I laugh with them as I shake Nick’s hand. He has a strong grip.
“So it’s true,” Nick says looking at me then at Derek. “The whole thing with the app? Rachel told me about it.”
Derek nods. “Yeah, that’s how Gi—" He stops himself then puts his arm around me. “It’s how we met.”
“Through my app.” Ian adds then looks at me and Derek. “You guys are welcome.”
“Very cool.” Rachel smiles. “Are you from New York?”
“Uh, no,” I say. “I’m here for school. I’m from Portland.”
She nods slowly. “Portland, wow. Nick and I went there a couple of years ago before the kiddos. Very beautiful place.”
I nod. “Yes, it is.”
Derek puts his arm around my shoulders. “She’s a chef.”
DEREK'S MATCH Page 14