All it could take, is a look my way.

As they entered the bar, Meredith took of her coat, which Derek then took from her and hung up by the door with his own. "Thanks," she smiled as they headed over to the bar.

"What are you drinking then?" He grinned at her as they sat on stools at the bar beside each other.

"Tequila for me," she sighed with a small smile.

"Then tequila for you it is," he turned to the bartender, "Tequila, and double scotch, single malt," Meredith laughed softly, remembering his order from when they first met. As soon as Meredith's drink was in front of her, she picked it up and drank it straight.

"Might need a few of those…" she said with a soft laugh and the bartender nodded, fetching her another, which was gone just as quick as the last. She needed the liquid confidence.

"If that's the case, we'll take a basket of fries as well," Derek added, cautious in case she hadn't had another chance to eat that day, which he doubted.

She raised an eyebrow at him as he took a sip of his own drink, "hungry?" she questioned.

"I thought you might be," he said with a small shrug. He shuffled his stool closer to her, "So, I want to know more about you, Meredith," her name rolled off his tongue with ease, a short flashback to the previous night they had spent together played in her mind.

She bit down on her lower lip, trying to push the images from her mind as she spoke, "I feel like you know more about me than I do about you at this point, Derek," her eyes were fixed on his at this point, his eyes searching hers for any sort of clue.

A loud rush of noise entering the bar distracted the pair and they pulled back from each other slightly, previously not realising how they had moved toward one another. Meredith was suddenly aware of the interns and residents who had just entered the bar. This place was a popular hang out for the doctors, after all. Noticing a slight look of panic written across her features, he took her hand in his. "Let's move somewhere quieter," he murmured, he dropped his hand from hers to pick up his drink and the basket of fries that had just arrived.

She nodded slightly, ordering herself another drink, just a single vodka lemonade, to be brought to the table they were headed towards in the far corner of the room. They both took a seat at the small, secluded table, glad to be out of the earshot and eyesight of their subordinates, "You know enough about my family. Tell me about yours," she asked, genuinely curious to know more about him. She gave a quick nod to the bartender who had passed her drink and a fresh drink for Derek, before resting her eyes back on his, awaiting his response.

He took her hand again, his eyes moving to look between her eyes and the thin, red straw between her lips, "Well, I have four sisters. Three in New York, Kathleen, Nancy and Liz, they all have many children, and one in LA, Amelia, no kids," a sadness flickered in his eyes as he mentioned Amelia, but she didn't press, "My mom also lives in New York, which reminds me, I really owe her a phone call," he laughed softly, and she joined in with his quiet laughter. They continued like that, sat close to each other, neither releasing the other's hand as they shared bits of their lives with each other. Stories from college and med school, places they'd been, things they'd seen.

Over the course of the night, both had become rather tipsy and the fries they shared between them were long gone. After a short moment of silence, Meredith spoke softly, her eyes focused on their hands joined together still on the table, "So, I'm actually on a day off tomorrow, I just need to go in to visit my mother, check a few things…" her eyes looked up to meet his, "and I'd like, if it's okay with you, to continue this conversation elsewhere?"

"That's very okay with me," he said with a small grin, which he covered by bringing her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles softly, causing butterflies to invade Meredith's stomach, "I don't have anything scheduled in work till the afternoon, and then I'm on call all night, so I'm in no rush right now, any particular preference on where we go?"

"Maybe we could go back to your place? Only, Maggie said she would be out of the house tonight, but best not to risk it just in case," Meredith replied with a small shrug, unable to take the smile off her face as he continued to leave soft kisses on each of her knuckles.

"Sounds good to me," a look she couldn't quite place crossed his features for a moment, but was gone quickly as he stood up, keeping hold of her hand as they walked towards the door, "I think a taxi is best?" He suggested, helping her get her coat back on. She nodded in agreement as they walked outside and grabbed a waiting taxi.

A short taxi ride later, stolen glances between them the whole time, and her fingers locked with his, they arrive at Derek's apartment building. The place she hurried to escape from not two mornings ago. His arm slid around her back as he led her inside and up the elevator to his floor, high up in the apartment block. Both very aware of the sexual tension between them. Derek opened the door for them, and Meredith slid her shoes off as Derek helped her with her coat. She walked further in, taking in her surroundings, "you have a nice place, I mean, I know I've seen it before, but I think I can appreciate it more now," she said with a soft laugh.

"Take a seat on the couch, I'll be right over," he motioned toward the couch as he walked over to his kitchen area, locating a bottle of red wine and two wine glasses before going to sit beside her. He set the glasses down and poured half a glass for both of them, before passing a glass to her, which she took with a thanks, holding it with both hands.

She studied his quite demeanour a moment, taking a sip from the wine glass he had just given her. Tilting her head to the side, she started, "I feel like you want to tell me something."

He laughed softly and sat back a little on the couch, trying to relax as he prepared himself, "Is it that obvious?" She gave a small nod, sliding her hand to his thigh and giving a gentle squeeze of reassurance, his arm slid round the back of the couch behind her.

"It's okay, take your time," she bit her lip gently. Was she so sure she wanted to hear what he was about to say? She had a feeling, given how he was acting, she might not like what he has to say.

"I used to live in New York," she nodded along, he had previously mentioned this, "I worked for a private practice, making a name for myself. I had a wife," he watched as she processed this first bit of information, raising a finger gently against her lips as she opened her mouth to respond, he looked at her with pleading eyes, "Please, let me finish?" He could see her thinking for a moment before she nodded, taking a sip of her wine, and he followed suit, taking a sip of his own before continuing, "I mean, long story short, she cheated on me, and I caught her. With my best friend, he was like a brother to me," a flicker of anger flashed across his face but he caught himself, remembering who he was speaking to, "And I wanted you to know, before we go any further. I wanted you to know that I'm separated from her, I've already filed for a divorce, I'm just waiting on my attorney to write up the papers for her to sign," he let out a short breath as he finished, carefully watching her reaction.

He watched as she placed her wine glass on the coffee table in front of them, and she stood up. Crap, I've blown it, he thought, keeping his eyes on her as she paced a little, deep in thought. And he waited for her to say something.

All of a sudden, she stopped pacing. He put his glass down beside hers as he stood up. She turned to look at him, "Okay."

He moved towards her cautiously, not yet sure what exactly what she met, his hand reached toward her, "Okay…?"

She took his hand in hers and grinned softly, "Okay," she nodded and continued, "Thank you for telling me, I mean, I debated for a moment there, running, I run, I'm a runner, but I also thought, why not? You're being open and honest with me, and you deserve the benefit of the doubt, and I mean, when I said earlier today that I'm interested, I really, really meant that," she laughed softly as he gently pulled her against him, "I'm sorry, I'm rambling a little, you're just, I just," before she could even begin to order the words in her mind his lips were pressed against hers and all her nerves fell away. This felt right.

As their kiss deepened, her fingers curled into his hair and he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. Moments later, her legs were wrapped around his waist as he lifted her with ease and sat her on the back of the sofa. His lips kissed along her jawline, travelling down her neck, eliciting the soft moans he'd been dying to hear from her all night, one hand holding her against him and the other unbuttoning her blouse. He felt her dainty fingers unbuttoning his own shirt, and he shrugged it off his shoulders, as she did the same with her blouse. He held her close as their foreheads pressed together gently, both of them catching their breath.

"You're sure?" His eyes pierced her own, both of them breathing heavily.

"I'm sure."

She woke, not quite ready to move, with a light pain throbbing in her temple. Always with the red wine, she thought with a soft groan. The arms around her, keeping her in a close hold, moved slightly at the slight noise. Her eyes opened slightly, looking out the window to the sun rising, too early. She turned in the hold to face him, seeing his eyes open slightly, "Morning."

"Good morning," he murmured softly, pressing his lips softly against her forehead before lowering them to her own lips, "feeling okay?"

"Sore, a little sore," she laughed quietly, pressing her lips back against his before he could pull away. His hold on her tightened slightly, before he pushed her on her back, hovering above her but keeping their lips interlocked.

"Let me help you with that, then," he chuckled softly, earning another soft giggle from her lips.

"Please do."

Honey, don't you see? There's no more need for hide and seek.

Safe - Regina Price.