Derek shook his head slowly. “I’m not giving you up so easily this time.”
His heart damn near exploded when she said, “I don’t want you to.”
Unable to keep from it, Derek leaned in and gently pressed his lips against hers. He’d seen her eyes just before they’d closed. Not only was she expecting the kiss, but she’d welcomed it.
He went slowly as to gauge her reaction, but almost immediately, Charlie was kissing him back. The way she moved combined with his trembling nerves made Derek feel like a teenager again.
It was as if they were both experiencing what it was like to kiss for the first time. And in some ways, they were.
He brought his other hand to her face, framing her soft cheeks as he tilted her head to the side for better access. Taking things a step further, he ran the tip of his tongue along the seam of her lips, thanking the gods above when she welcomed him in.
That first taste was explosive. He could taste the salt from her tears as their tongues moved together in a way that made Derek think of everything he’d been missing in his life.
That’s all it took. Just one touch...one kiss, and he knew...
I can’t ever let her go.
The thought had barely run through his mind when he felt Charlie backing away, breaking the magnetic spell she’d put him under.
“I-I’m sorry.” Conflict swirled behind her chocolate eyes as she sat there, staring back at him with red and swollen lips.
Derek shook his head as he ran his tongue along his lips loving that he could still taste her. “If anyone should apologize, it’s me. I thought you—”
“No.” She was quick to shake her head. “I wanted to.” She looked away. “I’ve wanted to do that for almost as long as I can remember.”
“Well, I sure hope it was worth the wait,” he teased, hoping to get a smile out of her, which, he did.
“It was.” She chuckled softly.
“But?” he asked, sensing one coming.
Charlie licked her lips and met his eyes again. “I’m still married, Derek. I-I know that probably doesn’t make any sense, given who I’m married to, but—”
“It makes perfect sense, darlin’. You made a commitment. You want to honor that.”
“No, it’s not that,” she admitted shamelessly. “I mean, yes. I took my vows seriously. Even though he accused me of it numerous times, I’ve never cheated on him.”
“So, what’s got you all worked up? Other than me, of course,” he winked. He was rewarded with another, timid smile.
“I just...I want to be with you knowing there’s nothing standing between us anymore. Especially Caleb.” Her shoulders fell as she sighed. “I know that sounds stupid, and if you don’t want to wait on me, I underst—”
Derek grabbed the back of her neck and kissed her again. Hard. When he pulled back, he leaned his forehead against hers.
“It’s not stupid, Charlie. It’s what you want. As for me...hell, yeah, I want to be with you. Have for a long damn time. And it will happen, but not until you’re ready.”
A tear escaped the corner of her eyes. “What are we going to do about him, Derek?”
He leaned back. “I’ll have our company lawyer draw up divorce papers.”
“Good luck with that.” She stood and took a few steps toward the door. Turning back, her expression turned serious. “He’ll kill me before ever agreeing to a divorce.”
Derek shot up and went to her. With his hands on her shoulders, he vowed, “That’s not gonna happen, Charlie. I promise I’ll keep you safe.”
“How? You said it yourself. We can’t stay here forever. You have a job to get back to, and I”—she ran her hand through her hair—“hell, I don’t even know where I’m going to go.”
“Like you said, we’ll figure it all out. Together.”
She looked up at him, her wide eyes full of hope.
