Savior
Chapter 65
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Cate stepped on to the balcony and slowly slid behind Derek on the chaise. He turned is head at the motion and smirked as Cate placed a leg to either side behind him.
He rested back just enough so Cate could place her chin on his shoulder. "What came over you?" he asked with a laugh.
She shrugged as she placed a playful kiss to his neck. "I missed you," she answered. "We never got to properly celebrate."
"So jumping me in the shower is the 'proper celebration'?" He chuckled as she wrapped her arms around his torso the best she could from being behind him.
"Something like that," she replied. "I take the moment when I see it."
Derek laughed. The two released content sighs as they watched the city beneath them. It was still bustling from the Friday night rush, but it was calm on their balcony. Their hiding place, as Cate called it.
"I'm going to miss this," she muttered against his shoulder.
"Me too," he agreed. "But it's not enough to keep us out of that house, Catie."
She nodded as water droplets from her hair trickled on to his neck. "Do you think we can build a balcony off of the master bedroom?" she asked with a laugh.
"If that's what you want," he answered. "Has it sunk in yet?" Derek turned in her grasp to look at her.
She nodded. "It took a few days, but yeah," she replied. "I don't know which I'm more excited about, though."
Derek placed his hand on top of hers and gave her ring a soft nudge. "I am pretty stoked that you said yes," he said honestly.
"Did you actually think I wasn't going to?" He shrugged. "I could never say no to you, my love."
"What was up with all of the pictures you sent me earlier?"
Cate chuckled. "Leave it to my sister for having this idea, but she mentioned that we should get married at that vineyard."
She watched the idea ponder through Derek's mind. "Is that what you want?"
Cate scoffed. "It's about what we want, Derek."
He pursed his lips as he watched her. He could tell from her tone that she already loved the idea of it. "It doesn't matter to me where I marry you, Cate. All I want is to make you mine for the rest of our lives."
Cate tucked her head into the crook of his neck. She always lost herself in his scent; it was so masculine and so perfect for him.
"I would say we should go and check what dates they have available, but I'm sure you already did that."
The brunette slowly pulled away from him, wearing a sheepish grin on her face. "Maybe," she answered, trying her best to keep her smile small.
"Uh huh," he replied. "What did they say?"
"I want you to check it out first," Cate said, trying her best to be serious. "It's a little expensive, so it needs to be something we both love."
Derek nodded. "And you still want something small?"
Cate nodded. "Us, our close family and friends. It doesn't need to be crazy big." She pecked his cheek. "I just want to celebrate finding the man of my dreams and him being insane enough to want to marry me."
"I'd be insane if I let you walk away," he added as Cate placed her chin back on his shoulder. "But I want to go check out this venue that you love. The sooner we book something, the sooner you become a Missus."
Cate moved her arm to wrap it around his bicep and found herself at peace, finally. "Well, according to Shelby at the vineyard, they have nothing open until next spring."
"So spring it is," Derek agreed. A grin took over Cate's face as she did her best to burrow her face in his back. "We'll head over there at some point this weekend to check it out. If you love it so much, I'm sure I will too."
Jackie's words rang in Cate's ears "that man would do anything to make you happy," and it was pretty obvious. "Are you sure you want to wait that long?"
Derek shrugged as he rested back against the petite brunette. "Like you said, we'll be busy with the house for the next few weeks. We'll grab the earliest date they have and go from there."
"You really are Mr. Perfect," she said with a laugh.
Derek scoffed at her comment. "Hardly," he answered. "Just tell where to be, at what time and what to wear, and I'm all yours, Catie. Nothing is going to make me happier than making you my wife."
"Good," she started, "because I'm pretty excited to be Mrs. Derek Morgan."
Derek stood as a grin took over his face. He held his hand out for her to help her stand from the chaise lounger. He leant back against the railing of the balcony and placed a hand to each of her hips. "I don't know how I got so lucky, Catie."
She turned her face away from him to hide the blush taking over her cheeks. "I should probably tell you that I ran into Savannah on the way upstairs."
Cate cringed at Derek's sharp intake of breath. "What happened?" he asked with a sigh.
"I didn't knock her ass out like I wanted to." The brunette crossed her arms over her chest as she rested against the railing next to Derek. She watched as he stared back into their apartment; his left arm wrapped around her waist when she moved to stand next to him. "We can't move quickly enough," she whined.
Derek smirked. "I told you, just ignore her."
"She called for me when I was walking to the elevator. I wanted to just walk away," she sighed without finishing her sentence.
"I know, baby," Derek answered. "We'll be out of here soon enough."
Cate sighed again as she turned to look out over the balcony. "She's such a bitch," Cate mumbled.
Derek laughed. "She's jealous, Catie. Did she see your ring?"
A grin spread over Cate's lips. "I didn't even mean for her to see it," she admitted. "I wasn't flaunting it in front of her, though I wish I did."
Derek pulled the brunette to him and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "We'll be sure to send her a wedding photo." Cate watched Derek try to keep his smirk at bay, but it was not working so well. "In the meantime, can we head to bed now?"
Cate laughed and nodded. She let Derek step into the apartment and made sure to close the balcony door before following him in.
-xx-
"Nothing like rushing to plan everything Cate," the brunette laughed as she adjusted her cell phone in her hand.
"What can I say?" Cate asked as she rested back against the counter in the coffee shop next to their apartment. "I'm thorough." She laughed with her sister on the other end. "And it's not really rushing when it's 315 days away."
Cate tapped her nails against the counter as she heard her sister scoff over the phone. "You really counted that out? You're nuts."
She shrugged though her sister could not see her. "June 22nd, 2019." She sighed contently as she said it. "It feels like it's forever away."
"It'll fly by when we start planning, Cate," her sister warned. "Take it all in now."
Cate stepped up to the counter as her order was called out. She gave a smile as she took her coffee cup. "I'm sure you're right, Jacks. It was the earliest they had available. Derek loved the vineyard just as much as I did."
"I told you he would."
Cate rolled her eyes as she stepped back into the apartment building. "Yeah, yeah," she said with a chuckle. "Either way, I am headed back upstairs to get some work done. Derek is out with some friends from the Academy so I am settling in for the night to put in some offers."
"Stay off of Pinterest and get some work done, woman," her sister scolded.
"Oh, shut up," Cate quipped. "I'll be texting you pictures shortly."
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