Chapter 4

AN: *Squee!* Hubby got me season five of Criminal Minds for one of my birthday presents...but I am not going to be home to watch it for a while. Dagnabit! LOL...Still, what a treat! Come Monday, Exit Wounds, here I come!...

"Talk?" she squeaked, then swallowed and repeated the words.

He gave her a smirk. "Yeah, talk."

He moved over into the darkened corner and sat his long, rangy frame in the small wicker chair. He crossed his ankle on his knee, and reached forward for his beer.

She simply started at him for a moment. She wasn't sure what was happening. A big part of her was certain he was calling her Baby Girl. If he was, was he really interested in her, or just curious? Or even worse, was he playing with her, teasing and acting a part, because she was doing the same thing?

Or did he not know, and just called random women Baby Girl and Sweetheart? Her heart panged and ached. That thought hurt worse than him just teasing her.

Plus, she wasn't sure if it was a good idea to talk to him. She was far more likely to give something away just talking to him like a best friend...

That was probably because he was her best friend. She almost slapped her forehead, thinking, Duh, Garcie!

"Come on, sweetheart," he coaxed, patting the chair across from him with his tapered fingers. "I won't bite unless you ask me to."

She had to fight back a giggle. It was such a Derek comment, it touched something inside her. Regardless of what could happen, she wanted to give this a chance. She took the seat next to him, and reached for her drink. It was a fuzzy navel, her favorite.

She looked at him skeptically. "How did you know I love fuzzy navels?"

"Easy," he drawled with a smirk. "Saw the vampire order it for you. At least it had looked like a fuzzy navel."

"Oh," she answered, then took another little sip. She thought she had him there for a moment, but now she wasn't sure again. She decided to make vague conversation. "So, what brings you here tonight?"

"I was hoping I'd find the love of my life here, tonight," he said, his eyes twinkling in the mask he was wearing.

The skeptic in her arched her brow. "Really? How's that going for you?"

He leaned closer to her and grinned. "I'd call my night a raging success."

She laughed, that same, throaty laugh she'd been doing all night. "Sure, gorgeous."

"Mmm hmm," he answered noncommittally, tipping his bottle of beer. She watched as the smooth muscles of his throat worked as he took a long pull. "How 'bout you?"

"You don't want to know about that," she said, looking away, blushing uncomfortably.

"Yes, I do," he replied, reaching down to pick up her hand from her lap. He lifted it and kissed the back of her hand, then smiled at her. "Even if you tell me it was to meet your lover."

She smirked. "Why would that be okay for you?"

He lowered his voice. "Because you'd be out here with me instead of that poor bastard, now, wouldn't you?"

"Mmm hmm," she purred with a giggle, giving him a sultry smile. "And I can guarantee that would be a good thing for you, sugar."

He chuckled and grinned. "Of that, I have no doubt, momma."

Again, she stiffened at the familiar nickname, but he didn't seem to notice her reaction.

Instead, he responded quickly again, asking, "So, are you going to tell me?"

"What?" she asked, being purposely obtuse.

"Why you came here tonight?" he replied again. "Because I don't think it's to meet your lover."

"Don't think I have one?" she asked defensively.

"No, I don't," he answered, "because no man bright enough to have you would be so stupid to let you out of his sight tonight."

She smiled softly at the compliment again. He had her feeling like she was on cloud nine tonight, so beautiful. It was going to be hard to go back to being just Penelope again. She really didn't want to...

She decided that was what she needed to tell him, her real reason for being there tonight. If there was one thing she didn't want to be pretending about, that was it.

"I came to escape," she began, taking a soft breath.

He leaned forward, taking both of her hands in his. "From what, beautiful?"

"Just…from being me, from my every day, ordinary life." She sighed, then smiled wistfully at him.

"Nothing wrong with you that I can see."

"No, there isn't," she said, and really believed it in her heart. There wasn't anything wrong with her. She was beautiful, and confident and strong. She may not have the man she wanted in life, but a lot of women had that, and were still strong.

She thought about Katherine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, even Scarlett O'Hara. All strong women who didn't get to be with the man they loved. They were fine, and they were thought of as beautiful and admirable.

"So, still needing to escape?" he asked, with a smile. "Because I think that would be a huge mistake."

"Really?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Yes," he said, touching a curl in the short bobbed wig she had on. "Seeing that you're the most beautiful woman I've seen tonight by far, I am guessing under this wig and that suit lies one hell of a foundation."

She snorted. "Under this suit is a great pair of control top panties."

"Woman," he commented with a laugh, "you are something else."

"I hear that a lot," she retorted with a grin. She stirred the ice cubes in the orangy liquid in her cup, then took a little sip. "So, what is the love of your life like?"

"Around five seven without heels, tight cat suit..." He moved his fingers up to touch her pointed kitty ears. "...nice ears and tail."

"Seriously," she replied. This was an opportune moment for her to figure out what exactly Derek's type was. She'd seen him with redheads, blondes, brunettes, tall, short, thin, athletic, delicate. She'd seen him with so many women at this very pub.

"I was being serious," he answered.

"No," she said, tossing her hands up. "What's your type? I mean, you're tall, dark, and handsome, which is just about every girl's type-"

"That's nice," he said flatly. "I've already been out with just about every girl, too." He took a sip, then shrugged. "They didn't do much for me."

She started to laugh again, too lost in the conversation to hide it. "Oh, come on. Every man has his type of girl he's attracted to. Partial to blondes, redheads, big butts…what are you partial to?"

"Well," he said, sitting back, stroking his chin. "I am completely impartial to hair color. That can change. Blonde, redhead, brunette, pink, purple, green-"

"Green?" she interrupted.

"If she is confident enough to carry it off, and knows she is damn sexy in it, hell, yes. I have a friend, absolutely gorgeous, who's been almost all those colors, and she really shines."

She couldn't help herself. "Sounds like you really like this friend."

His eyes warmed as he answered, "She's the best friend I've ever had."

She had to fight her eyes tearing up, and she swallowed before saying, "She's lucky to have such a devoted friend."

He grinned back at her. "She's just as devoted to me."

"What else?" she asked, stepping away from that thought. She couldn't think about their friendship, not now. However, his next comment interrupted that thinking, anyhow.

"I'm as partial as they come to really big tits."

"Ha!" she exclaimed. "Score a point for me-I got one, there."

"Oh, sweetheart," he said, leaning forward so that his masked nose nearly touched hers. "You got 'em all."

She took a quick intake of breath. "I-"

"Dark, sulty eyes, long legs, rounded hips, a soft tummy." His words were rough, yet soft like velvet, wrapping around and caressing her as he spoke. "And your ass…I want so badly to spank it, just so I can watch it jiggle."

She began to blush again, a bit embarrassed by the strong sexuality of the words, and yet her body was heating up to warmer than when she was on the dance floor. "Whew! Okay-"

He put his fingertip on her lips. "I'm not finished. These lips, ones that can say so much, make me smile on a sad day, and kiss me into oblivion. I couldn't live without these lips, Baby Girl."

She gasped, her mouth opening against his finger. "Derek-"

"It's midnight, Penelope. The time to dress up, to hide behind a mask, is over for me." He raised his hands to his mask and removed it, revealing the handsome face she'd already known was behind there.

"Question is," he asked, his eyes dark, swirling with black heat and intensity. "Are you done hiding, too?"