“Why wouldn’t he tell me?” I asked, but my voice was barely audible.
“Maybe because he cares about you more than just as a friend? Just a thought,” Jennifer said with a small smile.
She handed me a flash drive. “Everything’s on here. It’s all encrypted since Derek was very specific about protecting your privacy.” She paused. “He has been protecting you for a long time, Paige. Longer than you probably realize.”
I left her office in a daze, the flash drive burning a hole in my purse. By the time I made it back to the office, anger and gratitude and something akin to love were all tangled together in my chest.
I found him sitting in his office chair, tie loosened, sleeves rolled up, looking exhausted yet beautiful in the lamplight. He glanced up when I entered, and his expression immediately shifted to concern.
“How did it go with Jennifer?”
I closed the door behind me and leaned against it. “She showed me what you’ve been doing. The evidence you collected.”
He set down his pen and said, “It’s my job, Paige.”
“No, it’s not,” I said, moving closer. “I’m not your client, Derek. I’m your fake girlfriend, remember? That’s what we agreed to.”
“You needed help.”
“Why are you doing this?” I asked, stopping in front of his desk, close enough to see the shadows under his eyes, the tension in his jaw. “Really. Why?”
For a long moment, he didn’t answer. Then he finally looked at me, and the raw emotion in his eyes stole my breath.
“Because you deserve someone in your corner, Paige. Someone who will fight for you when you’re too tired to fight for yourself,” he said, his voice firm. “And if Jack’s going to fight dirty, someone needs to fight back. Someone needs to protect you and Lily.”
“Derek, but you don’t have?—”
“I-I can’t—” he said, dragging a hand through his hair. “I can’t stand by and watch him hurt you. I won’t. Not again.”
Not again. Like he had stood by once before and regretted it.
I moved around the desk before I could second-guess myself. Derek’s eyes widened as I stepped into his space and sat on his lap. I could feel the heat radiating from his body when he wrapped his arms around me.
“Thank you,” I whispered, pressing my lips to his cheek.
It was meant to be quick but I let my lips rest against his skin long enough to feel his sharp intake of breath, to smell his cologne, to feel the rapid beat of his pulse. When I started to pull back, his hand came up, cupping my face with a gentleness that made my chest ache.
“Paige,” he said, tightening his hand on my waist. “I need to tell you?—”
I kissed him.
Because I’m a coward.
Derek made a sound low in his throat and pulled me closer, deeper, his hands sliding into my hair as he kissed me back with an intensity that stole my breath. This wasn’t the careful, controlled Derek from that first practice kiss. This was a raw need that was barely restrained.
When we finally broke apart, both breathing hard, he rested his forehead against mine.
“What does this mean?” he whispered, mostly to himself.
I didn’t have an answer.
“That I’m extremely grateful,” I said, licking my lips and pushing my hips into his with a needy sigh. “And horny.”
25
SOMETHING MORE
DEREK
