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A/N: Sorry it's taken me a few days to update! Thank you for all of the kind reviews and for sticking with this =) Enjoy!

The Eligible Bachelor – Part 4


The next morning Penelope felt miserable. It wasn't how she liked waking up. She liked bringing in a new day as if it were a new slate and forgetting about yesterday's troubles. However, there was just something about Derek Morgan that got under her skin. Exactly like he had when they were little and still running around playgrounds and messing around in sandboxes.

He'd flash a smile, lure her into a sense of security, but if she fell over then that was it, he was playing elsewhere. If a better offer came up he would snatch it up and Penelope had learnt a long time ago she was never someone's better offer.

It didn't take her long to realise that the two girls from last night were always a better option. Anyone with eyes would see that two attractive skinny girls were a better option than Penelope.

She didn't want to be jealous. This was going to be a pseudo-marriage. It wasn't real; it was just a route to parental happiness and wealth. She knew full well he wouldn't change, he would be a player and she had gone into this life with that open mindedness. However, the second day in and she didn't need to be told that she was falling for Derek - Especially waking up in her newly painted room.

It seemed that Derek Morgan was going to be a source of constant eye candy and irritation.

Getting up, she pulled her dressing gown on and protectively hugged it around her body. She didn't care about appearances, she just wanted coffee and maybe something that would make her feel guilty afterwards for breakfast.

Walking in, she inwardly groaned as she saw Derek sitting reading a paper. He was looking pristine as ever, no lasting signs of last night's escapade marring his features at all. God, there was another reason to hate him.

"You're up earlier," Penelope grumbled as she entered the kitchen and ignored Jeffrey and made herself a cup of coffee.

"I don't like sleeping in," Derek remarked warmly and looked up at her, tearing his attention from the sports pages.

"Even when you have a double work out that night?" Penelope quipped and saw how Derek didn't like where this conversation was going. "I'm going to go back to my room," Penelope said not wanting to indulge in small talk with someone that clearly had her best interests nowhere near his priorities.

"Penelope," Derek said getting up and grabbing him, "Is everything okay?"

"Mm hmm," She said with a curt head nod. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"You just seem a little off," Derek tried to work out what was wrong with her from just one look.

"Yeah, well failed plans hit me hard," Penelope shrugged, "I shouldn't expect anything less really should I? I know what you're all about, Derek. I shouldn't expect to change you just because we're both... forced into this predicament."

"Look I'm sorry," He started with a genuine tone of apology.

"Why are you apologising?" Penelope asked him heatedly. "We both know we don't like one another and this isn't ideal, but we have to do what we have to do to get money." She hated that she felt like she was just a money laundering bitch when really she was just striving for acceptance she wasn't getting. "So live your life, Derek, but don't make plans with me and then ditch them."

Derek watched her leave entirely and he felt awful.

Running a hand around his neck to rub the back of it, Derek concluded that it was up to him to make this better and make Penelope see how valued she was. Especially seeing as she looked like she was the one drawing the short straw right now.

He turned and left when she closed her bedroom door, his mind racking up a plan that would have to work.

Penelope pushed against her bedroom door and hated herself for being hurt by something so ridiculous. She was disappointed at herself for getting so worked up over it so easily. God, Penelope hated being a woman. She was usually good at covering her emotions, but being here in this unfamiliar place with a man she was thrust into life with, Penelope felt beyond weak. She had no control in this and for that she did just dissolve into tears.

If she had it her way, she would living back in Paris in a place she could get lost in the native tongue and explore to her heart's content, but that wasn't what life had planned for her. That wasn't what was going to make mommy and daddy happy in the long run. So she knew she had to make this her home.

She had an empty room and billions of boxes and hours to get lost in. For now her days were about her, and when she was settled she would venture out and bring her friends here. All so they could see her new skyline, penthouse apartment and her deliciously gorgeous fiancé.

If only this was real Penelope sighed and headed to the boxes to start making this a home.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The Eligible Bachelor -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

It had been hours since Penelope had ventured out of her bedroom and Derek was just feeling worse and worse. He had been working himself into the ground to get stuff in and get everything ready to make it up to Penelope and applying the finishing touches, he was more than satisfied.

Looking around the living room, Derek was impressed with himself. He had been invited to three parties and all three he had declined. He had gotten in what looked to be close to a hundred DVDs just so that he could give her an opportunity to pick a film. He also had ten pizzas on their way ready for her to pick her favour and he had made sure Jeffrey stocked up on as many flavoured ice cream as possible. This didn't include the alcohol and snacks he had added to the cupboards

He had to make it up to her and he would. He might be a cruel man to most, but to Penelope he felt like he didn't want to be. He hated the idea of hurting her in any way, shape or form. So he sucked in his pride and put Penelope first. Going to her room from the corridor that led away from the main room, Derek took his steps slow and listened out. Not hearing much, he worried that maybe she was asleep, but he still knocked. "Hey Baby Girl," Derek said as he knocked and opened the room a little. "You awake?"

"Yeah," Penelope grumbled from the far side of the room.

Going in, Derek found Penelope going through her boxes, most of her stuff now out and finding its place in this room and he had to admit, it was like a slice of Penelope was finally settling in. "Looking good in here."

"Thanks," Penelope spoke as she went into yet another box and pulled out more of her stuff. "Can I help you with anything, Derek?"

"I was hoping you'd come and accept my apology," He started to tell her and slumped onto her bed, "And to tell you, you got the comfier bed."

Penelope couldn't resist a laugh, "Least there is a good part to this then."

Standing up, Derek approached Penelope, "Look, I'm sorry, Penelope. I got called out and wasn't going to be long. That was the plan anyway."

"And let me guess, you just lost track of time?" Penelope asked him and stood up straight, her arms crossing across her chest. "Look, Derek, you don't have to apologise to me. I get it. You had a life before me, there'll be a life after this," She shrugged, "I get it. I really do."

"But I want you to be a part of my life," Derek mentioned quickly and Penelope stilled in her actions. "We're in this together and so we need to be more of a team. Can you let me attempt to say sorry?"

Penelope twitched her lips, biting down a little, wondering if letting him wait for an answer would be desirable.

"Mr. Derek," Jeffrey said as he approach up the corridor cutting into Derek's attempt, "Your pizzas are here."

"Thank you, Jeffrey; I'll be just down," Derek commented with a smile, "Can you pay it for now please?"

"Of course, Sir," Jeffrey said before retreating.

"Now, that apology?" Derek said turning back to Penelope, even adding in a dose of puppy dog eyes, "Please?"

"Fine," Penelope relented and allowed him to take her hand and draw her out to the large TV room. When she got in there, the blinds were down, the curtains shutting out the remaining light. Upon the coffee table were millions of DVDs – new and old – and in amongst it were sweets upon sweets.

"You did this?" Penelope asked as she looked at everything he had done. Every tiny detail was taken care of and Penelope was left spellbound. "Why?"

"Because I let you down," Derek replied solemnly, "I need to make it up to her."

"Take a seat and I'll go grab the pizzas," Derek said and was suddenly gone from the room, leaving Penelope to sit and wonder.

Listening she sat down and fished through the DVDs, finding a fair few that she loved and some she hated. She was quite astonished at the amount of thought that went into this.

Walking in with the pizzas he saw Penelope look up at him surprised, "I thought I would be prepared so ordered as many flavours as I could that I thought you might like," He told her and was almost embarrassed and feeling shy. "Now what film do you want to watch first?"

"Top gun," Penelope told him with a sweet smile and saw Derek just staring at her. "What? If you don't like that film we'll watch something else. I have no problem with that, Derek."

"Slow your roll," Derek calmed her down and smiled. "I love Top Gun."

Penelope melted into a bright smile, "It's one of my favourite movies."

"Mine too," Derek replied to her with ease. "Seems the first films decided then, now what about pizza?"

"Have you got one with everything on it?" Penelope asked and watched him, "And when I say everything I mean everything."

"I have, but I didn't expect you to go for that one," Derek commented, trying not to let his hopes get too high.

"Why not?" Penelope asked him.

"Because only I'm the one that loves one with everything on it," Derek replied honestly. He was becoming pleasantly surprised that he and Penelope were more alike than he had even thought.

"Are you okay sharing, Hot Stuff?" Penelope asked, impressed with how compatible they seemed to be becoming even if she knew it would just be the thing that made them closer as friends.

Pulling her back, he grabbed the pizza and settled down, "For you, Baby Girl? I'll share anything." He said with a teasing tone. "Now take that and I'll put the DVD in," He told her and left her for the few minutes to kick start their little moving in movie party whilst she opened the pizza box to reveal a delicious pizza.

Just how it was meant to be the day before.

She should have been hungry, but sitting here with Derek; Penelope felt other carnal needs erupt in her rather than the need to fulfil necessary survival skills. Watching him, Penelope felt her heart race quicker.

So this was what it felt like to fall in love with a man that would never want you.

She was surprised that it actually hurt.