AN:Thank you so much for the reviews. We've reached the end of another story (Unless I do a epilogue!). Thanks for the strong reception for my millionth word story. I am so proud, and you are all so good to me... This is pretty spicy, so warning and contains some BDSM themes...reader discretion advised... Love and hugs, Kricket

Chapter 21

The kiss was soft, sweet, perfect...a melding of their bodies, minds, and spirits. It was exactly what she needed to validate what was burning so brightly between them. There was nothing separating them anymore, no misunderstanding or pain or regrets. There was nothing but love, like he liked to say to her.

She cupped his face as he cupped hers, feeling the bristle of his goatee against her palms and the warmth of his skin. Every part of him was precious to her, and she was so grateful he was hers. She may not technically be a slave, but he owned her, just as she owned him, and she would take very, very good care of him.

When they finally pulled apart, she smiled up at him, a teasingly wicked grin on her face. "So..." she drawled, tracing a finger over his chest, "now that I am naked...and seeing that we have this fun room to use with no time limit—momma isn't cheap, you know—what are you going to do with me?"

He smiled softly at her. "Baby, we don't have to—"

"Hush!" She put her fingers over his mouth and peered up at him.

"Sweetheart, I'm—"

"I came here to have a little fun, Derek Morgan. To further my education...and I am a really wonderful student," she interrupted urgently.

He grinned and touched her nose. "Baby Girl, I know that-"

She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "So are you gonna play or not?"

At first, Derek's eyebrows shot up, and then he gave her a slow smirk that caused her toes to curl and the hair to stand up on the back of her neck.

Oh, yes—he was going to play...

"OKay, sweetness," he said, locking his gaze with hers. "You did show up wearing a corset...and what did I say about those?"

Oh, shit. He meant business.

She raised her chin defiantly and stepped back farther in self-preservation. "It was necessary."

"Noooo," he drawled, raising his brow at her. "It was a poor decision."

She tossed her hair and glared at him. "Are you going to tell me you weren't turned on by me in that black leather corset?"

He waved a hand in the air. "That's irrelevant. I—"

"It is not!"

He arched a brow at her. "Are you interrupting me?"

He held her eyes with a look that brooked no argument. There was something very commanding about Derek in that room...something exciting and a bit forbidden.

She liked it.

She blinked for a second, but wisely held her tongue.

"You directly disobeyed my orders. I am going to have to punish you."

She scoffed. "Yeah, right. You've been threatening with that for days."

"And you've been deserving of it...but only some of the time. Like ninety percent angel," he said soothingly when she balked, taking her hand and leading her across the room to where a large black armchair was waiting for him. He took a seat and said, "Lay across my lap, sweetheart."

They made love.

"I love you, Derek," she said moments later. She kissed the stubble roughened column of neck. Tears came to her eyes... tears of pure, wonderful release.

"I love you, too, Penelope." He kissed her forehead, her temple, her lips. "Are you okay?"

"Mmm hmm. I liked it," she answered. She felt lazy, content, satisfied as she contemplated the thought. "I mean...it's not something I'd want to do every day, but maybe in a month or so, we—"

She was interrupted by his chest vibrating and rumbling. She looked up at him. "Why are you laughing?"

His eyes were twinkling with merriment. "Here I thought you wouldn't understand any of this, and now you're planning return trips in your head!"

"What's so odd about that?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. I'm just an idiot. I should've known better."

"You should've," she said in a silken purr, bringing her lips against his. "After all, we're a perfect match."

His eyes darkened, and she felt him growing hard again, even while still inside her. "That we are, Baby Girl. That we are..."

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