“Funny. Pretty sure she just told you to kiss her ass.”
The lawyer’s eyes narrowed slightly before filling with feigned humor. “Keep her, then. You’ll find out soon enough if you haven’t already.”
Derek played along, just for the hell of it. “What’s that, counselor?”
“That she’s a lousy lay. Frigid as hell and can’t fuck to save her pathetic soul.”
Derek’s vision filled with images of him jumping from the porch and beating the ever-loving piss out of the bastard. Unfortunately, they were out in the open and couldn’t risk someone seeing that.
Forcing his fingers to remain loose by his sides, he faked his own smile. “Thanks for the tip, Porter.” Then, because he couldn't help himself Derek added, “Although, I have to say, when she was in my bed last night, she was anything but cold.”
Caleb’s nostrils flared, and his face looked as though it would explode. This time, however, the prick was smart enough to keep his mouth shut and walk away.
Derek waited to go back into the house until after he was certain the other man had left. Shutting the door, he locked the locks and entered the code just as the alarm company called.
When Charlie had opened the door, she hadn’t thought about the system being armed. Even if she had, she didn’t know his code.She will, now.
After giving the information required by the company, Caleb went into the kitchen to make some coffee. Not usually his first choice, but between last night and what happened just now, he needed it.
He also suspected Charlie could use a few moments to herself to process what had just happened.
When it was finished brewing, he fixed them both a cup and went searching. His heart was heavy when he went into his bedroom and spotted her through the French doors leading to the back patio.
Now dressed in a t-shirt and yoga pants, Charlie was sitting in one of his two patio chairs with her knees pulled up to her chest.
As he stepped outside, Derek could actually sense her pain and sorrow. It took everything he had not to howl out in anger at the bastard who’d caused it.
Lost in her thoughts, Charlie didn’t notice him until he spoke.
“You okay?”
The muscles in her shoulders jumped, and her gaze swung up to his. “Yeah,” she breathed out, clearly startled.
He walked over where she was sitting and placed the steaming mugs on the small table separating them. Squatting down in front of her, he cupped the fragile hands fisted on top of her knees with his.
“What do you need?”
Her eyes widened just before her brows turned inward. “I-I don’t...I don’t know.” She licked her lips, her gaze skittering nervously away from his. “No one’s asked me that in a really long time.”
Fucking Porter.As if Derek needed another reason to hate the bastard.
“Well, I’m askin’.”
Staring at their joined hands, she smiled sadly. “You don’t happen to have a time machine, do you?”
“A time machine?” The odd question made him smile.
Charlie nodded. “I want to go back. To before I ever met Caleb.”
A tear fell from the corner of her eye, crushing Derek’s heart as it fell.
“I wish I could make that happen for you, sweetheart.”
She used a shoulder to wipe it away. “Pretty sad, huh?”
“What?”
“This.” She shrugged, looking out at the still water. “Me. Bet you never thought I’d end up like this. Or, maybe you did. I don’t know. I don’t know much of anything, anymore.”
