I feel so bad for not posting as often as I'd like to - life has such a way of interfering with writing. I appreciate your patience, and I hope you're hanging in there! And I'm hoping that life settles down again, so that I can concentrate on updating more often.

For now, this chapter has our favorite 'married' couple out on a date...

Chapter 10 – Get to Know You

I wanna know you that good!
Like no one knows you
Gonna reach way down deep in your mind
I wanna get to know you--
wanna get to know you
Wanna get to know you that good

"So, you're dating, but you're not having sex?" Cristina asked Meredith, disbelief etched in her expression. They were in Meredith's suite, late in the afternoon. Meredith was feeling more like herself, having had a nice long soak in the tub, her hangover just a lingering memory. The gold wedding band hung on a chain around her neck, and she toyed with it as she stood staring out the window.

"Yes…why not?"

Cristina shrugged. "Doesn't sound like you."

"Maybe I want to find out if there is such a thing as a happy ending…a fairy tale…"

"I think all that booze last night addled your brain – three days ago, you weren't interested in finding Mr. Right," Cristina snorted, rolling her eyes. "Seriously, Mer...are you sure about this? I mean, I'll stand behind you all the way, but you haven't known him that long. Too much tequila and a wedding chapel is a bad combination..."

"I know, I know…but I have to admit, I do like Derek…he's intelligent, and he's charming, and he has a sense of humor. And he kisses really…really…good…"

"So how long d'you think you're gonna last before you end up in bed again?"

"Cristina!" Meredith turned and glared at her friend.

Cristina raised her eyebrows. "Should I put money on it?"

"I can do this. It's not all about sex."

"Sure...you say that now..." Cristina smirked knowingly. "Talk to me in a week..."

"You're dating, and not having sex…but you're married to her?" Mark smirked, as Derek tried to explain the situation.

"It's complicated," Derek sighed. "I'm discovering Meredith is complicated, but I like her…"

"You married her, you must've liked her, Mr. Non-Romance…"

"Speaking of romance…you and Delinda? Care to explain that?" Derek asked, changing the subject. "You realize that Danny is an ex-Marine…"

"I swear, I had no idea she just broke up with Danny. She came on to me, wanted to have dinner, and drinks…and who am I to turn down a pretty woman?""

"More than just dinner obviously," Derek added dryly.

Mark shrugged. "It's nothing serious – I leave here in a couple of days anyway, she's not going to follow me. I know her type – Daddy's little girl. But it's fun while I'm here…"

"Fine, just don't come crawling to me when you're bleeding and broken. Danny isn't the kind of guy to give up easily."

Mark scowled at his friend. "Fine."

"I have my own problems to work out – Meredith gave us a month to work this out, and get to know her. No sex…"

"You're going to stay in Vegas for a month? You hate it here."

"Like I said, I'm not sure. We're going to discuss details at dinner. I'm starting to romance my wife tonight," Derek grinned. "I'm bringing her flowers, and we're going to Mystique for dinner."

"Well good luck with that. No sex for a month? Who's going to give in first you think?"

"I can manage without," Derek assured him.

"Maybe when you were twelve…" Mark chuckled, ducking as Derek hurled one of the couch cushions at him.

Meredith opened her door, expecting to see Derek, but found herself looking into a huge bouquet of white orchids, gladiolas and white roses. "Oh…" she breathed, a little smile on her lips. Derek looked around the edge of the bouquet, seeing her surprised expression and he grinned.

"I thought that since you didn't have a wedding bouquet, I would give you one," he said, walking into her suite and setting it down on the coffee table.

"It's beautiful, thank you…" Meredith murmured, reaching up to kiss him on the cheek. He turned into her, catching her lips instead, running his tongue along her upper lip, so that she moaned a little against his mouth. His fingers caught in the thick length of her hair that curled over her shoulder.

"You're beautiful," he said quietly, backing away, letting his eyes travel down her brightly patterned silk dress. It bared one shoulder, and clung to her curves, making him achingly aware of how difficult this was going to be. "Are you sure you don't want to stay in?" he growled, leaning in place a little kiss at the corner of her lips.

"Derek…" Meredith sighed. "Don't mess up on our first date…"

"Sorry, lost my head…" he said, with a sexy smile, backing away. "And we should go now, before I lose anything else."

"That sounds dangerous." Meredith reached up to straighten his tie. "And I know how much you hate to lose at anything…"

"…as much as you do, honey," Derek said smoothly, taking her arm and heading for the door.

They arrived at Mystique, holding hands, laughing happily, and the first person they ran into was Delinda, overseeing the maître'd. Her eyes opened wide at the sight of them. Her gaze flicked from Derek to Meredith and back again, and her mouth opened, as she desperately searched for something to say. "Well, the happy couple…" she muttered, snagging two menus for them. "Derek….this was such a surprise."

"Wasn't it?" he agreed. "You know Meredith, don't you?"

"We've met," Delinda said tersely. "Congratulations…" She spun on the heel of her Prada shoe so quickly Meredith feared for her safety, and she exchanged a little look of amusement with Derek. Delinda stalked along ahead of them, swiveling her hips under the clingy tube dress, her long blonde hair rippling down her back. "Enjoy your meal…" she murmured, as they reached their table.

Derek held the chair out for Meredith, and helped her into place, placing a possessive little kiss on her bare shoulder before he took the chair opposite her. Delinda gave a little sniff, and tossed her hair, before marching away.

"She was a little nasty," Meredith murmured, as Derek took her hand, playing with her slim fingers.

"I don't want to talk about Delinda, I want to talk about you."

Meredith's pulse jumped crazily at the touch of his fingers on hers, his thumb making circles on her palm. Before she could answer, the waiter came by to present a bottle of wine to Derek. "Compliments of Ms Deline," he murmured as he popped the cork. Derek's eyebrows arched in surprise, both at the vintage, and the unexpected gesture.

"Are you sure?" Meredith asked, with a little smirk. The waiter gave her a puzzled look, as Derek swirled the wine and tasted it. Once he approved, the waiter filled her glass as well, took their orders for appetizers, and left them alone. "Not what I expected from her. Maybe it's poisoned..."

Derek lifted his glass. "It's excellent, let's not complain," he chuckled, as they toasted each other. "Now, about you…" he said again. "Besides winning at poker, and making love, what else do you enjoy?"

Meredith laughed softly, the candlelight playing along her throat. "Well, I've never had time for a lot of hobbies, poker keeps me pretty busy. But I have to admit, I love to dance. And my guilty pleasure is watching 'Dancing with the Stars' when I can."

"Seriously?" Derek laughed easily.

"Seriously…and the dancers…my god…they're so amazing! Maks especially…" Meredith laughed, with a wink. "So sexy…"

"I guess I'll have to brush up on my dancing skills, then."

"So what about you?" Meredith asked, admiring the way the candlelight emphasized his cheekbones.

"Well…I got involved in car racing a few years ago," Derek admitted. "That's where a lot of my money goes when I win…"

"Ah, when you win…"

"I do win sometimes, you know."

Meredith grinned. "I'll bet you do."

The waiter arrived with their appetizers, and Meredith picked up a small morsel of food on her fork. "Isn't racing kind of dangerous?" she asked, placing the piece of crab cake on her tongue. Her tongue licked along her bottom lip almost seductively as she savored the taste of it.

Derek had to drag his focus away from her mouth. "What? Oh….the racing.. it can be. I think it's sexy – the sound, the speed. It's about constantly being on the edge – how far you can push yourself without losing control."

He stopped talking, mesmerized by her, watching her eat.

"You're not talking," she murmured, a little amusement in her voice. "This is really good…maybe you should eat…"

"I'm sorry, I'm sitting here trying to think of something intelligent and witty to say to charm you, and all I can do is stare at you," he finally confessed, taking a long drink of his wine. He leaned back in his chair, and raked a hand through his hair. "Mrs. Shepherd, you have a very intoxicating effect on me. I'm finding it hard to concentrate…"

Meredith worried her bottom lip playfully, and managed to snake her foot along his calf under the table. "Mr. Shepherd, you are being very bad. This is only our first date, and you're already trying to break the rules."

Derek leaned forward again, and snatched her hand in his, pulling her closer across the small table. Meredith could almost feel his breath against her mouth, and the arousing scent of his aftershave and his own unique maleness, surrounded her, as he looked into her eyes. There was a moment of silence, before he took her hand and kissed her palm. "If I was going to break the rules, Meredith…then by now I would have pulled that dress away from your body, and had you in my arms, my hands on your breasts. I would be kissing you, and licking your soft skin, until your nipples were hard and aching, and then I would bite them very gently…"

Meredith felt herself leaning closer to him, as he continued in a rough murmur. "…and I would kiss my way down to your thighs…inch by inch…and when I reached that sweet place between your legs, I would lick deeper and deeper, until I found your clit…and I would place my tongue on it until I felt you throb. I would be circling and stroking…I'd lick you until you begged, and then I would suck you. Not hard…just light, and gentle…so that you would be screaming with the need to come…I would slip my tongue into you…taste you…eat you.. I wouldn't stop then until your body was shaking and wet. And when I tortured you enough…I would move into you, and come inside you, and take you…and take you again…"

Derek stopped, and they remained frozen, aroused, breathing deeply, and Meredith shifted in her chair, a sharp sudden ache in her pussy.

"You're wet, aren't you?" Derek demanded, his voice low and sultry.

Meredith managed a tiny nod.

"Good, I'd hate to be the only one sexually frustrated right now," he said, releasing her hand, with a smile. "But I'm not breaking the rules…"

Meredith took a took breath, and a gulp of wine. "No…definitely not breaking the rules…"

Song lyrics from '(Wanna get to know you) Real Good' by Shania Twain