Savior

Chapter 24

-xx-

"Where are we?" she mumbled as her eyes fluttered open.

Derek smirked from next to her. "I figured you could use a few days of R & R."

Cate blinked a few times to clear the sleep from her eyes. She didn't realize just how much she fought sleep at her parent's house.

She unbuckled herself and turned to Derek standing next to her. "I cashed in on a favor," he mentioned as he helped her out of the vehicle. Derek placed a hand to the small of her back to help steady her as her body was still waking up.

The brunette looked up at the hotel in front of them. As soon as she had her bearings, she took a few steps forward until she was hit with the smell of the beach.

She closed her eyes, letting the ocean breeze blow over her. Cate slowly turned to Derek and beamed in his direction.

He smiled back at her. "We're already checked in if you want to head in."

She nodded and took the hand he offered.

-xx-

Cate placed her hands to the railing on the balcony as she watched as the waves crashed in the moonlight. Her hair blew behind her as the soft breeze blew past her.

She fought the emotions hitting her hard; Cate had never had someone treat her the way that Derek did. She knew now that he was not joking when he said he'd do anything to make her happy.

It had been the week from hell, but this was the perfect thing to make her forget about everything that had happened. She knew she'd return to town and have to deal with the Cole situation, but for now, she was content watching the ocean.

She had not been to Virginia Beach in years – since her sister-in-law's bachelorette weekend eight years ago to be exact. But she knew this weekend would be much more relaxing than when ten women descended upon the Beach.

"God, you're beautiful," Derek said from the threshold.

The brunette jumped at the voice, and turned to see him standing in the doorway wearing just a pair of shorts that hung off of his hips perfectly. Cate bit her lip as she eyed him up and down. "Now that," she began, and waved in his direction, "that is just not fair."

The black man chuckled. In just being at the hotel for under an hour, her entire demeanor had changed. She seemed much more content and at ease. The overall change in personality since arriving made the three hour journey worth it to him.

He lifted his cell phone to capture her beauty on camera. The glow of the moon behind her reflected in her soft curls; only he would know those came from having pigtail braids in. His FBI Academy shirt hung off of her petite frame and hid the shorts she had on underneath.

After snapping the photo, Derek tossed the phone behind him to the bed. Cate laughed when the two heard it bounce off of the mattress and hit the floor.

Derek shrugged it off as Cate turned back to watch the water. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder. "I hope this is okay," he mused as the two enjoyed the scenery.

"It's perfect," she replied. Cate craned her neck to the side to catch a glimpse of him from the side. "Thank you."

Derek smiled against her shoulder. "You are very welcome, baby."

Cate filled her nostrils with the scent of the ocean mixed with Derek's cologne. The crashing waves helped clear her mind, and keep her in the moment with her boyfriend, rather than linger on things outside of her control at the moment.

She never expected that one conversation with Derek about the beach being her 'happy place' would lead to this, but she was so happy.

"I didn't get to pack much," he began to explain. "I basically have what's left in my go bag. So I was thinking after breakfast tomorrow, we could hit some local shops and grab some beach gear?"

Cate's face lit up. "I'd like that," she agreed. "It's so beautiful," she mused, taking in the scenery.

"It is," he agreed. Derek ran a hand up and down her arm. Cate turned in his grasp, a bright smile taking over her face. "It's almost as beautiful as you are." Blush grew in her cheeks, and Derek stopped her from dropping her gaze from him.

The softness of the kiss he placed to her lips was perfection. Derek found himself intoxicated in the woman in front of him. He was filled with dread at the thought of having to leave her again on Monday morning to head to work, not knowing whether they would be travelling for a case.

"Let's move to the beach," she said with a laugh. Derek chuckled as they both knew full well that was not going to be a possibility.

In a swift move, Derek picked the brunette up. Cate instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist and giggled. Her arms rested on his shoulders and she leaned in to kiss him once more. "I'd move anywhere with you," he replied.

Cate grinned. "I guess we can enjoy this as our little secret get-away."

Derek pulled the door to the balcony closed behind him as he carried his girlfriend into the hotel suite.

"So," Cate began as he placed her down on the bed. Her body reacted quickly as Derek knelt over her petite frame. "What exactly did you have to cash in to get this room?"

He smirked. She narrowed her eyes jokingly in his direction. "Nothing shady, I promise." Her smirk mirrored his. "A buddy of mine is the General Manager here. I've done some side work for him on the side, mostly at his house. He's a friend, so he never owed me for the labor."

"So instead, you get free access to this place," she said as she lifted her arms above her head and ran them across the bed.

"Basically," he replied. Between kisses along her neck and shoulder, he continued, "Though I've never brought anyone here with me before."

Cate felt the blush grow in her cheeks like rapid fire. "I must be special," she said with a wink.

Derek grinned. "You have no idea how special."

-xx-

Cate peeked inside partially opened door as she sat on the balcony. She knew Derek had also had a long few days, so an extra hour or two of sleep would not be a bad thing.

She enjoyed her coffee on the balcony overlooking the ocean, with her phone to her ear. Jackie had called earlier in the morning while the two were still sleeping. "Well Maddy wants to know when she's going to see Auntie Cate next. That's all I hear – Auntie Cate."

The brunette rolled her eyes at her sister. "Have another cup of coffee, Jack," she said with a laugh. She could hear her sister mimic her on the other end of the phone. "We'll plan something now that school is out. My condo is covered in boxes."

"So you're really doing it?"

She wasn't sure what emotion she heard in her older sister's voice. "What do you mean by that?"

Jackie scoffed into her ear. "You're really moving in with Derek."

"I am," she replied confidently. "It's really happening, Jackie."

Cate could almost hear the smile in her sister's voice. "I'm proud of you." She blushed at the statement. "He's really good for you, Cate."

The brunette peaked through the doorway and grinned. "He's the best, sis." She took a sip of her coffee as she took in the scenery. It was beautiful in the middle of the night, but the water was crystal clear during the day. "He snuck me off to the Beach last night."

"Ugh," Jackie replied, "I didn't think it was possible for him to become any more perfect," she sighed on the other end of the phone. "Do you think he can give Steve some tips?"

Cate chuckled. "I'll see what I can do." She pursed her lips and took in the scents of the beach below. "Jacks, I don't think any one has ever made me this happy before."

"Because no one has, Cate," her sister replied simply. "But you deserve it." Cate grinned, knowing full well that her sister wouldn't be able to see her reaction. "Now if you could just get married and give me nieces and nephews, I'd greatly appreciate that." The brunette rolled her eyes.

"If only it was that easy, Jack." Cate sighed. She could feel the heat rising through her body at the mention of babies. "Breakfast should be here soon, so I'm going to wake my boyfriend up."

The statement brought a goofy grin to Cate's face. "Call me later. Love you, Cate."

"Love you too, Jackie. I might be too busy, though."

The two sisters laughed as they disconnected the call.

-xx-