Author's Note: Thanks for all of the reviews for last chapter, guys! Now, getting into their heads a bit…

Enjoy!

~ Angie


Penelope had done a pretty good job holding herself together…at least she thought she had. But as the cab rolled to a stop in front of Derek's house, her heart suddenly felt like it was going to beat out of her chest, her palms practically dripping with sweat.

Of course, Derek's face appeared calm in the dim light. And why shouldn't it? He'd been trying to get her into bed for years, and tonight he was finally going to achieve success! He was going to conquer her—Penelope Garcia. Ok, so maybe that was a bit archaic, but that was exactly what it felt like in this moment!

As he moved to open his door, a slight panic made its way through her chest and she made a mad grab for his hand. "In the morning…I get to go," she said, looking for confirmation. Of course he was going to let her go, she knew that, or she was pretty sure of it, anyway. But she just needed the security of his words before she could move another muscle.

"You get to go," he assured her. "Just as long as you know you don't have to." With that, he stepped out of the cab and held his hand out to hers. As she took it, that same sensation that had sparked through her entire being earlier when they'd 'shaken' on it returned when he grasped her hand and gave her a light tug, urging her out of the cab.


He already knew what was going to happen, and once Derek Morgan knew what he wanted, there was no beating around the bush. So he closed the door behind Penelope, and headed straight for the stairs in the back corner of the living room. He proceeded slowly, waiting to make sure she followed. He was relieved when he heard the sound of her footsteps behind him.

Only he knew how long he'd waited for this. He'd teased and taunted her endlessly, but she'd never flirted back with him. He couldn't understand it…he'd watched her flirt with other men at the office, but never him. Either she truly disliked him, or she was scared. He preferred to think she was scared…that she was insanely attracted to him to the point where she avoided him because she wasn't sure what she'd do if she were left alone with hm. Yep. That's what he liked to think.

After all, it wouldn't be good for his confidence if the only woman he'd been having wet dreams about for the past two years didn't want him.

He headed for his bedroom door and pushed it open, relieved to see the bed had been made. Good. His once a week housekeeper had made an appearance today. When he turned around and looked at Penelope, he couldn't stop the twinge of guilt that flashed through him. She looked like the last place in the world she wanted to be was in his bedroom.

Was he really going to make her go through with this? Was this really how he wanted this to go? Did he really want her to walk out of this room hating him, and pull any future chance he might have with her off the table? The answer to that was a resounding no. So he said the words before he could talk himself out of it. "We don't have to do this," he told her.

Penelope, being Penelope, lifted her chin in defiance. "Of course we do," she argued. "A bet is a bet…and you won fair and square."

Derek had to bite back a grin at her return. "Your rules, Penelope," he said softly. "I won't do anything that I think will make you uncomfortable."


Well that was a bit of a disappointment. If there was one thing Penelope liked, it was a man who pushed the envelope in the bedroom. Not that she'd ever share that with him. The entire office knew about his conquests. In all fairness, it wasn't from his lips. He'd chosen to confide in Reid, which seemed like a good idea on the surface, but since Reid rarely had any exploits of his own, he tended to discuss Derek's.

Penelope, on the other hand, kept her mouth shut about her conquests. And she had to admit, while she might not excel at long term relationships, the bedroom was certainly her forte. She wasn't big on one night stands, but there were a few men in her little black book she could call when she wanted to get some.

Penelope looked curiously around the room; it was surprisingly tasteful. The walls were a warm cream color, the furniture a cherry finish placed just so around the room. Her eyes, against her better judgment, moved to his bed. The mattress was high, coming nearly to her waist. The comforter dressing it was a dark brown color with thin light blue strips running through it; the shams and pillowcases matched it perfectly.

Shaking herself from her reverie, Penelope waited curiously to see how Derek was going to proceed. Well, she thought as he reached for the hem of his t-shirt, apparently he was going to get right to it. She'd always known that underneath his clothes Derek's body had to be hard as a rock—had even tried to picture it a few times, as a matter of fact. But she was quick to realize that her mind hadn't done him a single bit of justice. The only word she could think of to illustrate the beauty of his shoulders and arms was powerful. His torso was like sculpted chocolate, and all Penelope wanted to do was binge on him.

She couldn't help it; she licked her lips as he unbuttoned his pants, the crotch of his jeans separating as the zipper opened. He was quick to push them down over his thighs in one fluid motion, taking his boxers along for the ride. When he straightened, Penelope had to stop her jaw from dropping. She certainly was no prude; as she'd reflected earlier, she'd seen her fair share of manly equipment. But never in her life had she seen such an imposing erection.

She knew immediately that Derek had lied to her. He was going to make her uncomfortable, all right. But she was going to enjoy every damn minute of it.