AN: Thanks so much for the reviews... What is our Baby Girl like when she's a bit green? We get to see next... and a bit more fireworks, as requested...

Chapter 14

As she climbed the ladder to board the Tina Christabel, Derek close behind her, Penelope was smiling brightly. She couldn't be much happier. For a moment there, she'd lost her nerve and had been afraid that perhaps she was wrong yet again when it came to her appeal and him, but Derek's words had told her differently.

His kiss had proved it.

Even though the kiss had barely been a minute long, she could feel the yearning behind it, the flame of desire hotter and brighter than anything she'd ever experienced before. Derek Morgan wanted her as badly as she wanted him. This only strengthened her bravery and her resolve to end up in his bed during this vacation.

"Morgan...you're following that girl mighty closely there," Juan commented from the bottom of the ladder. "You making sure she doesn't fall, or are you looking up that short skirt of hers?"

"A little of both," Derek commented as if he were answering a question about the weather, and Penelope giggled as she took the hand of a handsome, younger man waiting at the top rung.

"Why, hello, there," he greeted her with a bright, appreciative smile. "Watch your step, and welcome aboard."

"Thank you," she said conversationally.

"I've got her," Derek interjected, immediately taking Penelope's hand and drawing her near him in a show of possessive jealousy that made her heart flutter. He kissed the hand he now held. "Where to, sweetheart?"

"I'd think I'd like a drink, Cabana Boy," she teased.

"At your service, angel," he replied. He leaned close to her and whispered with a husky tone, "By the way...nice blue panties. My favorite color."

As usual when he teased her, she blushed. "You are a naughty boy, Derek Morgan."

"But I'm so nice," he retorted with a wicked grin as he stepped away to the bar.

The handsome man who'd helped her onto the boat approached her again. "I didn't get to introduce myself," he said with a smile maybe a shade less devastating than Derek's. "I'm Enrique Lopez, Tina's brother."

"My younger, trouble-making brother," Tina said, coming from behind Penelope. She gave Penelope a quick hug. "I am glad you could make it. Where's Derek?"

"He's at the bar," Penelope answered.

Tina looked very stunning tonight in a gauzy white dress that showed off her petite yet strong figure. She glanced over to the bar area and laughed. "Oh, look at that boy. He moves fast."

Sure enough, a pretty redhead with breasts maybe a shade less devastating than her own was flirting with her hot stuff while a bartender poured a drink. Penelope couldn't help but frown a little bit as the girl tossed her hair, her pendulous breasts shaking with the movement. She was going to grab that woman by the hair and toss her overboard in about four seconds.

"You know my secret, but I don't know yours," Enrique said cryptically.

Penelope wasn't paying attention, so when she gave him a confused look, he laughed and said, "I didn't get your name."

"Penelope," she said absently, focused on Derek.

At that moment, the girl tossed her hair and executed a perfect two point turn that said to any man she was available. Enrique was still talking, but she didn't hear a word he was saying.

"Excuse me," she murmured, leaving a sputtering Enrique flat, before making her way toward Derek at the bar.

He was laughing at something the woman said, but he didn't move closer to her. She seemed a bit disappointed in that and was trying to inch her way downward, and then she tried to put her hand on his arm.

Oh, no. Penelope was having none of that.

"Hey handsome," she remarked, shooting the woman a possessive look as she stood between him and the femme fatale. "How are those drinks coming?"

His brows shot up with pleased surprise. "Hi, beautiful. They should be here any minute now."

"That's good," she replied silkily, touching Derek's chest directly over his heart.

It should've been an obvious gesture of ownership, but the redhead must not have been the brightest crayon in the box.

"Excuse me! I was talking to him first," the girl said, glaring at Penelope while still trying to come on to Derek.

"Oh, no, my little Moulin Rouge gone bad. I started talking to him eight years ago," Penelope answered coolly, "and right now, you're done talking." Turning her back on the girl, she snuggled closer to Derek, who placed an appreciative hand on top of hers and then brought it to his mouth for a kiss.

She didn't turn back to see, but she and everyone else could hear the stomping click of the redhead's heels as she walked away.

Penelope was tempted to tell her to not let the door hit her butt on the way out...

"Tell me, sweetheart, what brings you over?" Derek asked, interrupting her thoughts as he folded her into his embrace. "Did you miss me?"

By the teasing glint in his eyes, she knew for a fact that he was playing with her about her little display she'd just had. She didn't care; victory, no matter how small, tasted sweet.

Looping her arms around his neck as she'd done before he'd kissed her, she replied with a sexy smile, "You aren't the only one who can get a little jealous, Hot Stuff."

"Really?" he murmured, watching her mouth with no small amount of interest.

She stepped even closer, letting the peaks of her breasts just barely touch the hardness of his chest."Yeah, really."

"That's nice, angel, but there's no need for that," he answered, lowering his head as her body tightened in sweet anticipation. "I'm all yours..."

"Umm," the bartender said, interrupting them. "Excuse me?"

Derek glared at the bartender. "What?"

Penelope groaned quietly in frustration and put her forehead on his chest. She wanted so badly to experience more of the sweet pleasure he'd given her with their earlier, interrupted kiss. She wanted to be alone with him, away from any interruptions or distractions.

Derek must've been feeling the same way. "Fuck the drinks," he growled, raising her chin and kissing her anyway, a hot, sweet kiss that was far too short and promised more.

The rest of the time on the boat was spent dancing, cruising, and drinking. Many women had flirted with Derek, but he only had eyes for her. Their bodies couldn't touch more; they wore each other like a second skin, trading tiny, publicly-appropriate kisses whenever possible. By the time the sun had set, Penelope's entire body pulsed with a sensual want she didn't think she was capable of feeling. It actually hurt. She'd never experienced desire so acute she ached from it.

After sunset by the pool, Penelope was even more certain of Derek's interest in her. She'd finally left him to put the tankini on.

Derek couldn't take his eyes off of her as she arrived back at the pool a few minutes later with her new suit and matching sarong covering her hips. When she undid the sarong to reveal her bare legs, the barely banked fires in his eyes burned again. Reaching for her, he drew her against him, as if the miniscule distance between them had been too far.

"You look exquisite," he growled softly, the warm breeze of his breath tickling the pulse point directly below her ear.

She leaned back and took in his long, lean frame in his dark swim trunks. "So do you."

Derek lowered himself into the pool as she sat down on the edge. He reached up for her waist and said, "I got you."

With that, he lifted her off the edge and lowered her into the water. Her body slid against him, softness against strength, but he didn't let her touch bottom.

"No...just let me hold you," he said. "Nice and easy."

Lowering a hand, he guided her leg around his waist. She could feel his hard torso, every defined inch, as he held her close, suspended in the water. She looped her arms around his shoulders for support as they stood in the corner, and she closed her eyes and rested her cheek against his. The coolness of the water lapped against her bare back, causing her nipples to peak immediately.

She felt his hot lips moving as he dipped his head and kissed her shoulder. At the same time, she could feel the burgeoning heat of his erection, pressing against the heated core of her being. He had her raised just the slightest bit above him, the water and his hands keeping her buoyant and light.

The energy simmered around them, alive and electric. For so many years, they had chemistry that was off the charts, and now that they were acting on it, the reactions were purely nuclear. Everything seemed to vanish, except the warm, vital male pressed against her. She raised her hand to his neck, feeling the warmth there. It seemed like he retained the heat from the sun. The scent of clean male and a hint of chlorine rose to tease her senses.

"I want to hold you like this all night," he murmured against her skin, starting a new riot of sensation in her body. As he raised his head, he captured and held her gaze with glittering, obsidian eyes filled with the want that she felt.

She couldn't form a word, couldn't speak if her life had depended on it. She could only do one thing that urged her forward with ruthless intensity. She took an uneven breath, and then lowered her head to take possession of his mouth.

The kiss grew heated, nearly violent, as she cupped his head, taking what she wanted, what she needed, from him. She felt like she would die if she couldn't get more of his kiss.

He pressed her against the side of the pool, anchoring her with his hips as he joined in the kiss, thrusting his fingers into the fall of her hair. His body, hard and solid, felt so supremely masculine, so steady and sure, she could feel herself melting into that strength.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she could hear laughter and the splash of water from other swimmers. Again aware of their public surroundings, Penelope tore her mouth away before they became too intimate. She could feel the rasp of Derek's new beard growth against her neck as he breathed unsteadily into her skin. He was breathing as harshly as she was, drawn tight as a bow with unresolved tension.

"Woman..." he groaned softly, burying his face in her hair. "I don't think I can take much more of this..."

Wrapping her arms and legs around him tighter as if he were the only lifeline in a storm, she echoed the sentiment without words.

"Hey, kids!"

She looked up and saw that Juan and Tina had greeted them. Juan was smiling in a knowing fashion, and Tina looked genuinely surprised when she saw them, wrapped in each other's embrace.

Penelope held Derek closer, staking her claim, making certain there was no doubt in Tina's mind whom Derek belonged to. Although she trusted Juan to be a devoted husband, she was still wary of Tina's intentions.

"Hey, you two," Juan said as they approached closer. "Having fun?"

Penelope answered honestly, "We're having a blast."

"That's great," Juan said happily. "We have a big surprise."

"We have a private island for tonight!" Tina exclaimed, giving away the secret with a squeal of delight. "One of Juan's clients owns a small, uninhabited cay that we're going to dock at. Lots of privacy... You guys want to go?"

"Yes!" Derek and Penelope said in unison, which caused them both to smile and laugh.

"You can walk in privacy, but don't swim in the water," Juan warned. "There are a lot of sharks around here."

Tina kissed her husband's cheek. "More than just you, dear."

Juan chuckled and tugged her closer. "We're docking soon. About ten minutes."

"Want to come out and get dried off?" Tina asked Penelope. "It gets chilly on the island. I know Derek will be fine, but we girls tend to get cold."

Penelope nodded. "In a minute."

As Tina and Juan walked away, Enrique and the redhead approached again them, looking a touch upset. Tina took both of their arms and steered them away promptly.

Penelope was thinking she might owe Tina after this was all done...

Derek lowered her so that her feet touched the ground and cupped her face in his hands. "Alone...finally."

She chuckled lightly. "Amen to that."

The fire in his eyes lit again, causing delicious chills of awareness to race down her spine.

"I want you," he whispered, urging her head back as he kissed a trail from her jaw to behind her ear. "All to myself. All mine—only mine."

Penelope's heart surged at his words, but she squashed them back. She wasn't foolish enough to believe this was anything more than a fun romp between sexually-ready friends. She thought about when he'd gone to Jamaica with Elle. They'd probably had a fling, too. How could any woman resist him? She remembered that the thought back then had devastated her and had made her jealous, but she dismissed it quickly now. He was hers... for this vacation.

"I'd better get dressed," she said quickly.

"Okay, angel," he said, placing his hands on her waist. He lifted her to sit on the edge of the pool. When she rose to her feet, he grasped her ankle and said, "Hurry back to me."

She felt that aching sting in her chest again and answered him honestly, "Always."

They were connected—two souls, soul mates. No matter what happened, she'd always return to him, always put him first, and always love him. Before she could be too maudlin, she reached for her sarong and headed toward the dressing room where Tina was waiting with the towels.

Sadly, one last thought remained: she wondered deep down if Elle had wanted forever with him, too...

AN2: Next up, a conversation with Tina and some island time...alone.