Savior

Chapter 25

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Derek watched in amazement as Cate made her way across the beach. They had previously hit up a local shop to purchase beach wear, as well as clothes for dinner and their drive home tomorrow.

He could barely contain his smile as she took in the sights and sounds of the beach life, all while rocking the swimsuit he had picked out for her. The black suit fit her perfectly, and had cut outs to show off the body Derek loved, but enough fabric in the front to cover her scars.

The black man tried his best to talk her into a two piece suit, but the frown on her face when she ran her fingers over the scar made him want to rip apart the pieces of fabric. He decided to make it his mission to help her see how beautiful her body was, and realize that the scars did not change that.

Her long brown hair fell over her shoulders and blew in the breeze. She turned to him and smirked behind the aviator sunglasses adorning her face.

Derek was proud to be the reason she was so happy. On one of their first dates she explained how much she loved the beach, especially after the attack. The water calmed her nerves and brought peace into her mind.

He relaxed back on his elbows to watch his girlfriend dance in the sand. Derek had spread out the towels they grabbed at the shop and let the rays from the sun wash away any thoughts of Cole Hanson.

Moments later, Cate plopped down on the beach towel next to him, letting out a relaxed sigh as she laid back. "If you keep surprising me like this, you'll never get rid of me."

The brunette tried her best to keep a neutral face, but failed when he rolled to his side to watch her. She broke out with a massive grin as he ran his fingers down her arm. "Good thing I'm not trying to get rid of you."

Derek broke the space between the two of them and placed a soft kiss to her lips. As he pulled away from her, Cate relaxed her body on to the towel covered sand. "This is exactly what I needed," she said with a content sigh.

"That makes two of us," he answered. It was only a short get away for the twosome, but it was much needed alone time. They vowed to keep their cell phones in the hotel room when they hit the beach that afternoon. Cate knew she would come back to several e-mails and voicemails, but they were the least of her concern at the moment.

She planned to stay in the moment with Derek, and appreciate the man who wanted to do nothing but make her happy. She was so proud of the man she called her boyfriend. The man she secretly wished to make more than her boyfriend at some point.

It almost scared her – she could see herself married to Derek Morgan. The dreams made her so happy, but ultimately scared; scared that she may not be able to give him everything he deserved.

"I hope you wouldn't mind going on another trip with me," his voice broke through her thoughts. Cate lifted her sunglasses just enough to watch him. "My younger sister's bridal shower is coming up in a few weeks, and I was hoping you would join me on the trip home."

The brunette swallowed away the lump in her throat. "I'd love to," she replied with a smile.

Through phone and video calls, Cate had begun to get to know the Morgan family, but had longed to meet them in person. She felt it was only fair, as Derek got along great with her family, and was becoming a staple at family events.

"I would have never pegged you for a guy who wanted to go to a bridal shower," Cate joked.

He chuckled. "When Desi asks for something, I can't usually say no to her. Unless work gets in the way, that is."

Many people did not see how family oriented Derek was, but Cate found it to be one of his most endearing qualities. He was usually Desiree's first phone call when the youngest Morgan had any issues, and he prided himself on that fact.

He would admit, it was tough being the only male in the family, but he stepped up to take care of the family from a young age.

Derek pushed a few stray strands of hair from Cate's face and smirked. "Mama has been dying to meet you," he mentioned quickly.

Cate locked eyes with Derek and grinned. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited to meet your mother and sisters."

"I have a feeling you're going to fit in perfectly," he mused. Cate blushed; she could only hope so. He checked his watch as Cate rolled to her stomach to even out her tan. "Another hour and we can head in to get some dinner?" he asked.

Cate nodded before resting her head down. "That sounds good."

Derek brushed her hair to the side as to not let it get in the way of the sun. He could only shake his head as he eyed his girlfriend from head to toe. She prided herself on being in great shape, and usually beat him to the gym in the morning. Cate recently started taking kickboxing classes with JJ first thing in the morning as well.

She wasn't covered in tattoos, but the ones she had perfectly accented her frame. Cate often mentioned that she wanted to add to the artwork on her body, but tried to limit it because her mother was not found of body art.

My brother has a full sleeve and she doesn't say anything, but I have two tattoos and she loses her mind over it. He could vividly remember the night she brought it up as the two lay in bed, and her fingers travelled over his ink. She had explained why she had tattoos in places she could easily hide or cover – her shoulder and ribcage.

I always wanted to be some sort of rebel, she joked with him. I had my nose pierced at 18 and I thought my mother was going to disown me. I used my sister's ID to get my belly button pierced in high school.

Both pieces of metal had been taken out over the years as Cate felt she needed to grow up for her profession.

Derek tried to picture his rebel girlfriend in high school; as an adult she was the picture of perfection and professionalism. Long brown well kept hair, minimal but perfected make up and always tasteful with her clothing when she was in a work situation. Even if the two had gone out on the town, she liked to look her best, but preferred simple outfits that were comfortable.

He shuddered when he thought of her heel collection. She favored her kitten heels, noting that she was tall enough on her own, but he was dying to see her take her stilettos out on the town.

Note to self: take them out for the next date night. Derek could not contain the smirk on his face as he laid back to let her relax on her own, and left himself to his own thoughts.

-xx-

"Change of plans," Derek stated from the other side of the hotel suite. Cate turned to him and furrowed her eyebrows. "I can't take you out when you look like that," he joked.

She rolled her eyes in his direction. "You picked this dress out. It's your own fault."

Within seconds, Derek crossed the room and placed a hand to each side of her waist. "It's not my fault you'd look amazing in a paper bag." She shrugged. "You look gorgeous," he added.

"Thank you," she replied. Spending a few hours in the sun definitely helped not only her tan, but her entire attitude. She felt refreshed and relaxed, but ultimately sexy in the maxi dress Derek had picked out. The turquoise fabric complimented her tan, and the lace inserts in the bodice were sexy without being too revealing.

He jokingly tugged on the string holding the top of the dress up, his eyes twinkling as he watched Cate's reaction. She could only bite her bottom lip as her blue eyes watched his face closely.

Cate slowly lifted to the tips of her toes and placed her lips next to Derek's ear. "If you're good, you can find out what's under this dress later."

She kissed his cheek and she planted her feet back to the ground. With a wink, she stalked into the bathroom, closing the door behind herself.

The brunette rested back against the counter and let out a deep breath. There was something about Derek that made her feel so sexy and bold. She was confident for the first time in her life, and she loved it. It was one of many reasons she loved the man in the other room.

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