Chapter 10

AN: Thank you so much for the reviews, beautiful readers! You are all blowing my mind!! Makes me keep typing, typing, typing. And a special thanks to Harley and Jen for all their support....

AN2: Rated M won by a landslide. Coming next chapter...

Derek was doing his best to hide his smile. She looked so cute, so hopeful, and yet, still nervous. He realized now he really shouldn't tease. Amazingly, the woman seriously had no clue how crazy in love he was with her. Her eyes reminded him of Bambi when he was first born; cautious, but excited, too.

He had to put her out of her misery. "Well, I know exactly what I am going to do."

She blinked. "What?"

"In fact, I already started this morning," he said, kissing the tip of her nose. "First thing I did when I woke up, I called Tamara and said I needed to end this."

"Oh?"

"It hit me then, I wasn't being fair, marrying another woman when I wanted you so badly." His eyes had so much heat in them, they nearly melted her.

She gave him a quavering smile, and her eyes were glossy. "That's a good thing."

"It certainly is. After last night... after kissing you and telling you how much I loved you-" He looked over at a gaping Penelope and nearly started laughing. "Oh, yes, I remembered, sweetheart."

She shut her open mouth, but still looked a little confused. "Why didn't you say something to tell me you remembered?"

He sighed. "Honey, you came in here looking so nervous, I thought you were upset at the whole thing. I lost a lot of inhibition and a lot of control last night-"

"That's a good thing, too," she interrupted with a wicked grin.

He smiled back and continued, "Then, when you did start saying what I wanted to hear, you wouldn't let me talk."

"I didn't know what you wanted, if it was just the alcohol talking, or if you remembered, or nerves, or something." She sighed heavily. "I didn't know if you really wanted me."

"Oh, Baby Girl," he said. "I have always wanted you. Damn, girl, how I've wanted you."

"I thought you did," she said, warily. "At least, you looked like you wanted me at the dress shop, really and truly, but then I wasn't sure. I seriously thought so, but then you picked that ugly dress-"

"Self preservation," he interrupted, flushing with color. "I need to be honest. I wanted you so badly after that first dress, I wanted to haul you over my shoulder and run away with you."

She smiled, more than a little shell-shocked. It was a terrible thing to do to her at the time, but it was mighty flattering now.

"Second thing I want you to know. I started thinking long before last night about being with you. I wanted that so badly, P. Last night just magnified it. The more I thought, the more I came up with the same conclusion: all I wanted was you." He held his arms out to her. "All I have ever wanted was you."

"Oh, Derek," she went back into the circle of his arms. "I was dying, thinking you'd be with her."

"I didn't think I stood a chance, either," he said, fiercely hugging her. "I thought you wanted Lynch."

She sighed. "We're both idiots. Seriously."

She was so matter-of-fact about it, he couldn't help but laugh. Shit, he'd been a blind fool for such a long time. Not anymore.

"Woman, we need to get this out in the open, make it crystal clear, and never have any doubts about it again." He cupped her face in his hands, gave her a quick kiss, then said, "I am in love with you. I have been in love with you most of my career at the BAU, and I want to spend my whole life with you."

She gave him a little kiss, too. "Awww, I love you, too. No doubts at all over here."

He gave her his smirk. "Better not have any doubts."

Soon, she lost her smile, then wrapped her arms around him tightly and buried her face in his chest. "My God, Derek, I almost lost you. I couldn't have lived without you."

He had to swallow a lump in his throat. He held her tighter and kissed the top of her head, contemplating. Then he put his hand under her chin and smiled at her. "You know what? I don't think that would've happened."

She scoffed. "Married to another woman... I would not have been welcomed, Hot Stuff."

"It wouldn't matter; I still would've found my way to you. You're a necessity to me, Penelope, like water and air." His expression was dead serious, but his eyes were warm. "I don't have these same feelings with anybody but you. You're the one person who keeps me sane, makes me smile, and warms my heart. I think it's destiny."

"Sweet Cheeks-"

"Obstacles like Lynch, or any woman I've ever dated, they never stopped how I've felt about you. I've never talked to anyone like I talk to you. The team, my family, I love them, but not like I love you." He stroked her cheek, her neck with his hand. "You are the one thing in life I absolutely need."

She smiled warmly at him, her heart in her eyes. "I feel lost without you, too, honey. And I think you're right; we would've ended up together, somehow." She grinned impishly at him. "But I'm really glad it was sooner rather than later!"

He laughed. "You're crazy, but I love you anyway."

She smiled. "I'm tired of wasting our time. We wasted too much time in this rat race, being scared and being stupid, don't you think?"

"That's true," he said, pulling her into his arms, " but now that we're racing together, we're finally at the starting line."