Happy Grey's Day - I haven't seen the episode yet, soon though! I wanted to get this chapter posted, and enjoy some happy MerDer moments, just in case tonight is painful...

Chapter 14 – In Your Eyes

In your eyes
The light the heat
In your eyesI am complete
In your eyes

I see the doorway to a thousand churches
I want to touch the light
The heat I see in your eyes

Derek wiped the sweat from his forehead as he finished his workout. His hair was damp and unruly, and his muscles felt pleasantly tired. He always felt like it was a good accomplishment when he finished – blood pumping, muscles working, sweat running down his chest. Taking a long drink of water, he slung the towel around his neck and grabbed the gym bag.

It was almost as good as sex, he thought with a faint grin – well, not quite as good. Especially not as good as with Meredith, who was still waiting for him in his bed.

She had declined his invitation to join him, stretching like a contented cat, her breasts peeking out from under the sheet invitingly. "I think I had enough exercise last night," she'd murmured, trying to pull him back down, her sea green eyes sparkling playfully. Meeting his mouth in a slow, languid kiss that nearly made him lose track of his intentions.

"You're very tempting, but I have that race in two days, and I have to be physically prepared," he'd said resolutely. But his hands strayed along the delicate skin of her throat, sliding down to tease one nipple, before flicking his tongue across it.

"Tease…" she'd pouted.

"I'll be back before you know it, and then we can continue…." He'd backed away, keeping the image of her tousled hair, and pouting lips, in his thoughts as he'd worked out. It probably made his heart pulse a little faster, as fleeting images of her smooth curves and damp flesh assaulted him.

Now he grinned again, heading for the elevator, ignoring the admiring glances from the women running on the treadmills who tried to get his attention. There had been a time when he would have gladly taken advantage of their obvious invitations, but that time was gone. His only focus lately was Meredith – maybe it was time to settle down, stop being the playboy, and think about having a family. The only problem was he didn't know if Meredith felt the same way.

The elevator descended, then stopped, and Derek looked up to see the owner of the Montecito, A.J. Cooper. "Mr. Cooper," he said, extending his hand. "How are you?"

"Just call me Cooper," the older man said, with a smile, as he shook Derek's hand. Tall, well built, with a head of dark hair, and a knowing twinkle in his eye, A.J. Cooper was a mysterious figure at the Montecito. Derek had met him briefly before, on a previous trip. All Danny told him was that Cooper was a fellow Marine, a self-made billionaire, and that he had a ranch in Wyoming. He was nothing like Ed Deline, Delinda's father, who had retired – but he seemed to know how to keep his staff on their toes, nonetheless. "Bad luck about the poker tournament, Derek."

Derek blinked in surprise that Cooper recalled his name after only one meeting. He shrugged a little. "It happens, but things turned out good in the end."

Cooper nodded. "That's right – you married your competitor, Meredith Grey, as I recall. Do I offer congratulations?" One eyebrow raised as he studied Derek intently.

"So far."

"Good, glad to hear it. I know how it works around this city – don't always approve, but that's just the old fashioned guy in me." The doors slid open again at the next floor, and Cooper moved towards the exit. "So, good luck then. If you need anything at all, let me know. I like happy guests." And with a wink, he was gone, leaving Derek alone again.

Meanwhile, Meredith was relishing the pleasant ache in her body from the previous night's physical activity. She felt perfectly content to stay in bed, surrounded by Derek's scent on her skin, and the sheets; her skin still feeling the imprint of his mouth and hands. It had seemed perfectly natural to fall asleep with him, their limbs heavy and tangled together, his arm around her waist as they spooned together.

Then she sat up, hearing the faint ring of her cell phone. Her eyes fell on her purse, sitting on the bedside table, and she grinned. Derek must've brought in for her before he left, cause she certainly didn't bring it with her last night. Still smiling softly, she snagged the phone and discovered it was a text message from Cristina.

Mer – check this out…

The incoming photo that followed had Meredith dissolve into a fit of giggles. "Oh god…" she murmured, looking at the shots of Alex from the night before. In the first one, he was dancing with Keesha, his hands on the ass of his partner, and a look of pure lust on his face. Subsequent shots followed, each one showing Alex getting progressively more intoxicated, until he had Keehsa sitting in his lap, his hand on her/his thigh. Several of the models, and some of the strippers crowded around them as well. The last shot was a close up of Alex's face, as he discovered Keesha's true persona, and it was a look of utter shock.

Meredith collapsed back against the pillows, clutching the phone, unable to control the laughter that bubbled out of her. Oh, that was perfect. She could hardly wait to talk to Cristina to get all the down and dirty details in person. Her phone trilled again, and this time it was Cristina in person.

"Didja like that?" she asked dryly. "You should have seen him, Mer. It was priceless. He ran out of here like a bat out of hell. I bet he's still running."

Meredith wiped her eyes, still giggling. "Too funny, Cris. Thanks for sending me those pics. I can just imagine what was going through his mind…."

"Poor guy'll never look at another woman the same way," Cristina chuckled. "So where are you? I checked your suite, and either you got up really early, which isn't like you, or you shacked up with Shepherd…"

"Um…would you believe I got up early?"

"No."

"Okay, you got me. Derek and I never made it out of the hotel last night. I'm still in his suite."

"I knew it!" Cristina hooted triumphantly.

Meredith could just picture her friend's face at this revelation. "Yes, you were right. We didn't last very long at the abstinence thing…"

"Was it worth waiting for?"

"Cristina…" Meredith said slowly, closing her eyes. "I think I'm in love with him. I've never felt like this before."

There was total silence on the other end of the phone, as Cristina absorbed this. "Does he feel the same way?"

"I …don't know…"

"So ask him – he's your husband, for god's sake."

"But…" Meredith's voice trailed off as she heard the suite's door opening. "Gotta go, Cris. Talk to you later."

Meredith dropped the phone just as Derek appeared at bedroom doorway, and her heart fluttered as she looked at him. Without even thinking, she pulled herself up to her knees, letting the sheets fall away from her, smiling invitingly at him. Derek was across the short distance and on the bed with her in moments, his arms sliding around her. "I missed you," he murmured against her mouth, his hard body against hers.

"Derek, it's only been an hour," she sighed.

"Far too long, and all I could think about was this," he confessed, his hands sliding into her hair, before he kissed her again. His mouth was hot and demanding, parting her soft lips eagerly, and his tongue met hers, as she swayed towards him. His body felt hard and unyielding against her, his skin damp with sweat and hot from the physical activity. Meredith is caught in the feel and the scent of him – all male arousal and primal need.

"God, I need you so much…" Meredith moaned, her hands shaking as she pushed his t-shirt up. Need you in my life, she thought distractedly.

Derek groaned as a bolt of desire rocked him when her hands touched his skin. "I need you too, honey."

Meredith smiled softly, grazing his cheek with her lips. "No, I mean, I need you in ways I never thought possible."

"I understand," he murmured, his body tight, as he stared into her eyes. He pulled the t-shirt over his head impatiently, and took her face in his hands. Touched his lips to hers again, trying to control the raging desire that wanted to burn him into her skin. More than you know…

"I'm serious, Derek…" Meredith countered. "I think I need something more than just a temporary fling." She took a deep breath, before feathering soft kisses along his chest, butterfly light, tongue dancing over his skin, around his nipples, down the beckoning trail of hair to his navel.

Derek groaned again as her soft hands tugged his shorts down, and she took his cock in her fingers. "What are you saying?" he managed to ask, before she made him lose complete track of this conversation.

"Have you ever been in love?" she asked, looking up at him. "Truly, madly, deeply in love, like lose your mind, stand in the rain with the boom box on your shoulders, give up the last piece of cheesecake kind of love?"

Derek raked a hand through his hair in frustration. "Stand in the rain…?"

"You know…the movie, 'Say Anything' with John Cusack?"

"Right…"

Meredith straightened, and looked into his deep blue eyes, so full of desire, so full of emotion. "I feel like that…" She touched his chest, feeling his heart pumping beneath the warm skin. "Like I want to be with someone for a lifetime."

"And who would that someone be?" he asked softly, placing his hand on her chest, feeling her tremble. His mouth caressed the corner of her lips, as he waited.

"I think…that someone…could be you…" she said hesitantly, as if unsure of his reaction.

"Do you think I can promise you forever?" he asked softly.

She closed her eyes, gathering herself, her breath soft and sweet against him. Derek wanted to kiss her long and deep and slow, but he held back. He wanted to worship every inch of her luscious body, starting at her pouting lips and ending at the pure womanly essence of her pussy. "Meredith…?" He kissed her closed eyelids, and her temple, and her cheek, holding back from her mouth.

"I hope so…"

"Meredith, you captured my heart the first time I saw you. I can do forever, sweetheart, if you'll have me. I can promise you every tomorrow." His voice coaxed her eyes open, and she stared at him, trying to understand.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously." Derek chuckled at the look on her face. "Wait right here for a second, okay?"

"Sure…but…?"

Derek moved off the bed, and went to the closet where his suitcases were stacked. He turned back to her with a smile, his hands behind his back. "I have something for you."

Meredith eyed his body, with a giggle. "Well, I can see that…"

"Besides that," he said with a wink, joining her on the bed again. He took her left hand and slid a ring onto her finger, beside the plain gold band already there. Meredith gasped as she looked at the heart shaped, one-karat diamond ring glittering there.

"What…where?"

"I bought that the day after we were married, because I don't want to let you go. I don't want to go to bed every night without being in your arms, or wake up without you. You're the one for me, now and always, Meredith Grey Shepherd. I love you. Will you marry me again…this time so that we remember?"

Meredith was shaking harder, her breathing ragged. Biting her quivering lip, she threw her arms around his neck, raining kisses over his face. "Yes…a thousand times yes…I love you Derek Shepherd…"

Song lyrics from 'In Your Eyes' by Peter Gabriel.