Chapter 14: Chicago, Day 4
Derek's POV

The skin of Penelope's back was warm under my hand as we followed the hostess to our table. I'd been holding her hand until the young woman came to lead us into the dining room, and then I moved my hand to her lower back to steer her around the tables. I thought about just keeping my hand above her shirt, but I'd been holding her hand all day, and I desperately needed to feel more of her skin on mine.

Just as we entered the dining room, I slid my hand under the back hem of her pretty pink shirt, resting it above the top of her short black skirt. My palm settled warmly in the delicious curve of her lower back, and I felt her shiver under my touch. I knew she was just as affected by my touch as I was with hers, and that thought nearly made me tremble with need.

The hostess sat us in a fairly private little booth in the back, away from prying eyes. I was thrilled with the choice of booths because I planned to do even more touching before the night was through. I let Pen slide into the booth first and then sat beside her, scooting close enough so we were touching as much as possible.

"Your server will be right with you," the hostess said cheerfully before handing us our menus and walking away.

"What do you feel like eating, sweetness?" I opened my menu and turned to Pen.

She smiled, her eyes twinkling. She was already looking at all the choices in the folder in front of her. "I was thinking about the salmon, but I can't bear to think I'm eating Nemo's cousin. Not after today!"

I barked out a quiet laugh and got lost in a memory of the afternoon we'd spent at Shedd Aquarium.

~*~PC~*~

"I still say the little fishies we just saw are my favorite," Penelope argued.

I shook my head and pulled her along beside me, holding her hand tightly. "Baby Girl, trust me. You're gonna love the sharks."

A minute later, we were standing in front of a huge glass wall, and several large, scary-looking sharks were swimming back and forth in front of us. I felt Pen freeze beside me.

"Wow," she breathed. "They're so...menacing-looking."

I laughed and nodded. "They are. It's like you should be terrified because they're so close to you, but you can't help but feel like you want to sit and watch them and see just how mean they can be. They really are beautiful creatures, maybe simply because they're so frightening."

She breathed heavily for a moment. "You're right. I do love them."

I squeezed her hand and then pulled her in front of me, wrapped my arms around her waist, and squeezed gently. She leaned back against me, and with my cheek pressed against the top of her head, we stood for a few more minutes, quietly watching the sharks glide through the water.

~*~PC~*~

"Derek? Hey, Hot Stuff..." Pen giggled, nudging me. "Where'd you go? I called your name four times!"

I laughed. "Sorry, I was just remembering the sharks from earlier. Okay, so no fish. What about shrimp?"

I pointed to the fettuccine with gulf shrimp and asparagus, and when her eyes lit up, I knew she was hooked.

"It's still seafood, but it's seafood I can live with," she said happily, closing her menu. "What about you?"

I took a quick look through the menu and decided, "I'm in the mood for a steak. Sarah said she had the crab cakes for a starter when she came here last month. Wanna share those?"

"Sounds good. I want a glass of wine, too, please."

"I'll have one, too. I'm driving, though, so I'll stick with a single glass, although you can have as many as you'd like. In fact, have three or four, and then maybe I can have my way with you later," I teased.

"Oh, my sweet chocolate hunk, you know you don't have to get me drunk to have your way with me," she teased back.

I stared into her big brown eyes and watched her cheeks turn a warm pink under my gaze. I leaned down to whisper into her ear, "I'll have to remember that, Penelope. You know, one of these days, I'm gonna take you up on your offer."

She blushed even darker when I pulled away and grinned. She opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by our server.

I ordered our crab cakes, drinks, and my steak, and then let Pen take over as I thought back again to our afternoon.

~*~PC~*~

"Baby Beluga," Pen sang as we walked over to the Beluga Whales.

I stood there quietly, silent laughter shaking my shoulders.

"What? Haven't you ever heard that song?"

I shook my head. "Can't say I have, honey."

"Oh, you're missing out! I used to love singing that song. I watched Stephanie, Danny, and Joey sing it for Michelle on Full House."

This time, I didn't bother holding in my laughter. "Really? Well, sing it for me, then."

I watched the determination come into her eyes, and I knew she was going to do it—if for no other reason than to prove she could. Just another reason I loved this woman. She never backed down from a challenge.

She began singing some cheerful, happy song about baby beluga whales, dolphins, waterbeds, and other strange things. I just stood there and grinned, arms folded across my chest, watching. About mid-way through the song, a large family walked up, and several of the younger kids began to sing along with her. They'd just started on a second time through the song when the mother of the group stepped up to me.

"Your wife is good with children." She pointed at Penelope. "Do you have any of your own?"

My throat tightened at the thought of not only Penelope as my wife, but her stomach rounded with my child. I shook my head. "Not yet," I murmured softly, a longing I didn't even realize I had taking root deep in the pit of my belly.

~*~PC~*~

"I had a good time today," Pen said quietly, pulling me back to the present.

"So did I," I echoed, smiling. "Especially the baby beluga song. You certainly seemed to have fun with the kids when they showed up."

She grinned. "I was just glad that someone else knew the song and could sing it with me. I have so much to teach you, Hot Stuff." She shook her head. "You are sorely lacking in the finer things in life. You need someone to show you a good time," she teased.

"Mmm, maybe." I leaned down to nuzzle her neck. "I have a feeling you're just the right person for the job, my sexy lady."

She shivered under my hot breath, but she was saved from having to answer by our server putting our crab cakes and drinks on the table in front of us. "Saved by shellfish," she laughed, her voice shaking.

I brushed my lips across her cheek and sat straight to dish up a crisp, hot serving for each of us. She smiled and relaxed again, and we were quiet as we began to eat.

After we finished the crab cakes, we talked more about our plans for the next day. Even as we talked, I couldn't seem to keep my hands off her. As I told her about planning to meet with James in the afternoon at the center, I slid my arm around her shoulder and let my hand move slowly up and down the bare skin of her arm. I took a drink of wine and then set my hand down on her leg, just barely teasing the warm skin of her thigh below the edge of her skirt.

I nearly came undone when her legs parted just enough that my fingers could move up slightly to brush under the edge of the fringe on her skirt. "God, Derek," she whispered.

I looked down to see her eyes closed and her lips tempting. "Baby Girl," I said quietly as I lowered my head to hers.

I kissed her like I'd been wanting to kiss her for days. My lips caressed hers, coaxing them open so I could suck the lower one into my mouth and nibble gently. She moaned quietly and moved her hand up to cup my face. It seemed like we'd been kissing for hours when we were interrupted by the quiet clearing of a throat.

We jerked apart, breathing heavily, and I looked up into the laughing eyes of our server, who said, "Sorry, folks! Here's your dinner." She set the plates down in front of us and asked, "Would you like more to drink?"

We both looked at our empty wine glasses.

"Another one for her, please. I'll have some ice water."

"All right, I'll be right back," she said, taking our glasses with her when she left.

I chuckled and shook my head. "Guess this isn't the place to do that, huh?"

Pen giggled. "Probably not. But you know I'll never turn down a kiss from the Derek Morgan!"

Just like that, the atmosphere was back to being light and fun and flirty, and we both relaxed and began to eat our dinners. Pen twirled some of her pasta around her fork and then wrapped her lips around the bite. She slowly slid the fork from between them, and I felt my body harden in response. I wanted so desperately to be the one sliding between her lips at that moment.

When she moaned in delight, I groaned. Her eyes rolled back into her head in ecstasy, and I nearly came in my pants like a virgin on prom night.

"Damn, baby. You're killing me here," I grumbled.

She just laughed. I watched as she stuck a small bite into her mouth and began slowly sucking a single piece of pasta into her mouth. I moaned and closed my eyes. Fuckin' hell. I jerked as she surprised me by wrapping her hand around me through my slacks.

"Hmm, I take it you like my pasta just as much as I do."

My eyes flew open when she removed her hand.

I couldn't help but stare at her mouth. Those perfect red lips meant for pleasuring a man. "Oh, baby...what am I gonna do with that dirty mouth of yours?"

Her eyes widened, and she gulped, hard. She licked her lips, making me throb and ache even worse than before, and then looked away and took a deep, long, shuddering breath. "M-Maybe we should finish our dinner," she stuttered.

I nodded, sighing internally. I needed to stop pushing; I didn't want to scare her away.

It wasn't going to be easy, though.

"Maybe so. After all, we have to get to dessert, right?" I teased, trying to keep it light.

We got through the rest of dinner with our normal amount of fun, casual flirting, feeding each other bites of food from our plates. Except this was nothing like normal. There was a heat ricocheting between us, an electric chemistry that was begging for completion. By the time we got to dessert, I was so hard that I was afraid I was going to bust right out of my jeans.

~*~*~PC~*~*~

Penelope's POV

I worked hard to slowly release him, not just pull my hand off Derek's lap like I'd been burned. I don't know how or why I'd gotten up the nerve to wrap my fingers around the bulge threatening his zipper, whether it was the wine or the heat of the moment, but I was glad I had. When he closed his eyes, I suddenly had the overwhelming desire to touch him. To feel his reaction to my teasing.

Then he opened his mouth to tease me back, and I felt like I was going to pass out. I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly too dry to speak. I had to look away from his stare to be able to breathe. I was so far out of my depth now. I needed to get back to the lighthearted, fun flirting that we normally had. I was comfortable with that. I was damn good at it.

"M-Maybe we should finish our dinner," I said, my voice cracking as I tripped over the words, trying to sound confident.

"Maybe so. After all, we have to get to dessert, right?"

His voice was light, but there was a wariness in his eyes that hadn't been there before, and I mentally chided myself for putting it there in the first place. If only he knew just how much I wanted him to be my dessert. How much I wanted to be his.

When we finished dinner, our server took our plates and dropped off two dessert menus. I flushed, surprised, when he slid his menu across the table and spoke.

"I don't want anything on that menu. What do I have to do to have you for dessert, Penelope?" His voice was low, husky, and his eyes were flashing with something I was afraid to identify.

I shivered. Internally, I was doing cartwheels. There was this feeling inside, like I'd won the lottery.

I couldn't squee in delight like I wanted to; that would simply not do in this situation. Instead, I straightened my shoulders, looked him in the eyes, and winked. I needed to keep this light and teasing. "Why, sugar, all you have to do is ask."

His mouth dropped open, and he looked surprised. "Well, then—"

I interrupted. "But honey, we are up at your mother's, after all. I'm afraid that, for now, crème brulee will have to be all the sweetness that passes through those luscious lips of yours." I winked again and continued to study the menu in front of me.

~*~PC~*~

The short ride back to Fran's house was quiet. Dinner had been so intense. There'd always been a spark between us, but tonight... It was like all the flirting and building heat had exploded onto a different level. I was still reeling from everything, my body tingling from the ways Derek had showed me that he wanted me. He was holding my hand, and the occasional brush of his thumb against my skin was shooting bolts of electricity up my arm and down my spine. It was so quiet that I could swear I heard the little zaps every time he touched me.

Derek pulled into the drive, put the truck in park, and shut off the engine. He hopped out and headed around to open my door. He took my hand to help me out of the SUV and then shut the door when I was clear.

"Thank yo—"

I didn't get to finish what I was saying. Within a heartbeat, he had me pushed against the door of the truck, and his mouth was on mine.

His kiss was demanding, filled with a desire that matched, or even surpassed, what I was feeling. I was overwhelmed. I couldn't think; I could only feel.

Oh, what I was feeling!

A dizzying rush of heat flowed through me. I had to have more of him. I raised on my tiptoes and opened my mouth, inviting his tongue to play with mine. I wasn't disappointed. He tasted so sweet. I pressed myself against him. Still, it wasn't close enough.

That electric surge returned when the pressure of his mouth increased, and his tongue continued to explore my mouth. I started to sway a little; my knees felt weak. Derek must've sensed that I needed his support. He pressed a thigh between my legs, holding me upright against the truck. His hands came around to my ass and pressed me higher, harder, against his thigh.

I broke away from his lips and moaned. I hadn't intended to, but it felt so good that I couldn't help myself. Derek looked down at me. Something in his eyes was hot, primal...carnal. I knew there was nothing stopping us tonight.

At that moment, the front porch lights flipped on.

Good Lord. I was standing in the middle of Derek's mother's driveway, riding his thigh. What the hell had I been thinking?

I wasn't thinking. And from the heat of his erection pressing against my hip, neither was Derek.

"Ah, Hot Stuff," I said, feeling a little sheepish. "I suppose, I—"

"Just give me a minute, P, okay?"

He continued to hold me close, his hands on my ass, his face buried in my neck. He took a few deep breaths, and then slowly, we began to untangle our limbs. By the time we were finally standing apart from one another, I was feeling marginally better. Derek, on the other hand, looked rather uncomfortable.

I looked in the rearview mirror. My hair was a mess, and my lips were puffy; I looked like I'd been ravaged. I tried to fix it, but there was no use. Derek looked rather ravaged, too. Maybe we'd get lucky and be able to sneak inside?

That hope was dashed when we walked into the house and came face to face with the three Morgan women, sitting on the couch and looking pleased as punch.

"Have a nice time, dears?" Fran asked, a twinkle in her eyes.

I blushed and nodded. "Yes, it was wonderful."

"I told you Park Grill was delicious," Sarah teased.

Silence filled the room for a moment as we stood uncomfortably in the entry.

Finally, Derek mumbled, "It's late. We'd better head to bed. Big day tomorrow."

He began leading me out of the living room, when Fran called, "Good night, dears!"

We were about halfway up the stairs when we heard a voice in the living room say, "It's about time!"

When we got into the bedroom, Derek shut the door behind us. I turned toward him and started to speak, but he just shook his head. "Let's talk tomorrow, okay, sweetness?"

From the look on his face, his emotions were as raw as mine at the moment, so saving the heavy talk for the next day was probably the best option. I nodded, kissed his cheek, and began taking off my jewelry. Derek looked at me for a moment and then went into the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

By the time he came back into the bedroom, dressed in only his boxers, I had a T-shirt in one hand and a clean washcloth in the other. I smiled and slid past him to the bathroom to change clothes and wash my face. When I came back into the bedroom, the overhead light was off and Derek was on the bed with the blanket pulled back for me.

I slid under the sheet beside him and tucked the blanket around me. He turned off the bedside light, leaving the room in darkness, and scooted closer to me. I automatically turned so my back was to his chest and raised my arm to allow him to cuddle close behind me. He pulled my back against his chest and molded the rest of his body to mine.

I swallowed hard when his voice whispered across the top of my ear, "Good night, Penelope. Sweet dreams."

Gah. Sweet dreams indeed.