Disclaimer: I don't, as ever, own a single thing =(
A/N: I know it's been a while! Or well a life time! My muse flew away but I decided tonight it needed to be done!
There's only one more chapter after this and then we're done =)
Hope you enjoy, and sorry again for the wait!
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Needing Cupid's Help -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Penelope and Derek didn't really speak much about that night. He'd made sure she'd gotten food and eaten before going back to bed and he'd made sure she slept in his arms until Penelope's alarm went off the following morning.
He stole kisses, careful gropes, wandering glances, longing words.
It was as though Penelope were glass, it was a delicate romance. Derek didn't want to break her before he got her. He didn't want her to be pushed to her limits and everything disappear and he didn't want to spoil anything.
Derek had Penelope exactly where he wanted her, and she had absolutely no idea. He played it calm, played it delicate; he played it like it would end before it begun so that he could blow her away.
"Hey Gorgeous." He said from the doorway and she turned to look at him, she crossed a leg over the other and looked at him. He felt the same surge rush through him with each look intake of her he got. "I was wondering if you were busy tonight?"
"Well you see..." Penelope began, a teasing grin on her lips, a fluffy pen tapping her lip some. "I have this reeeeeally gorgeous man, absolutely mind shattering to just glimpse at and well, you see, it's like this, I think he has something planned for tonight, so I might need to rain check."
Derek chuckled as he leant against the doorway.
"I'm busy if you are." Penelope relented in a more serious tone.
"Then I'm busy." He stepped in, kicked the door closed and pulled her up. "I'm busy with my Baby Girl."
Penelope stood, looking up into his dark eyes, completely supported in his arms and then gently he lowered his head to her tipped up lips and captured them. The chemistry reacted, fizzled before exploding in a perfect reaction. He then let her go a little, letting her feet fall flat onto the floor once again.
"I've got a surprise for you later."
Penelope pouted. "That means I gotta wait."
"That you do." Derek told her with a smile, he thought she was adorable when she pouted. "You'll find out sooner or later." He told her and kissed her once more before fully letting her go.
"Do I get a clue?" She asked tryingly.
"One." He said putting his right index up at her and wiggled his brows at her, she stifled a laugh, and he smirked. "It involves you and me." He then turned and went for the door.
"You're so lucky you're good looking, Hot Stuff." She told him in a whiney tone.
"Part of the charm, Baby, part of the charm." He finished telling her and left her to get on with work. Half way down the hall he stopped, he was going to go back, but thought better of it.
Penelope's flowers were getting old after all.
Derek sat back from his report, and watched as the biggest, brightest bouquet made it ways passed the bullpen doors. He smirked, he was giddy, he was excited, and he was totally enthused with love for Penelope.
He wasn't scared anymore that was for sure. He knew to trust the one, most important mechanism that he'd always hold. He knew to trust his heart on this matter.
He went back to his report and didn't noticed Penelope walking up towards his desk. Even though she was dressed in the most flowery skirt she owned.
"Derek..." She said as she crouched down in front of him. "Handsome." She said he looked up and he saw her eyes were sore and she sneezed hard.
"What's wrong?" He asked sitting up bolt right. "What's a matter, Baby Girl?"
"I love, love, love the flowers you sent. I mean they're gorgeous and I look forward to you picking me up at 8 and I love you too, but we have a problem..."
"What?" He said, not knowing if to smile or not.
"Lilies are not this baby girl's best friend." She said to him and she saw the guilt.
"Shit, baby, I didn't know." He said and he doubted the lessons he was taking.
"Hey, don't start with that guilty look." She said and patted his leg, "call it a learning curve." She assured him. "I just wanted to tell you it all and that you've made me excited for the work day to end."
"I'll make you even happier by the time the days out."
"Oh really?"
"Oh really, really." He told her, and leant in. "Need me to come and talk all lilies away?"
"Would you mind being my hero?"
"Not at all, this way I get a kiss too." He told her teasingly and waited for her to stand up right before getting up himself and following her.
He mentally took down her allergy to lilies; he wouldn't make that mistake again.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Needing Cupid's Help -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Derek shifted uncomfortably on his feet as he waited for Penelope to answer her door to him, he had a red rose in his hand, and a complete tux on.
He was going to wow her from the moment he took her hand to take her to his car.
Penelope answered the door and looked at him; she broke into a huge smile as she surveyed him. Now she didn't feel under dressed at all.
"Wow." Derek uttered as he looked her up and down, his breathing hitching slightly. "You look amazing."
"You scrubbed up well too, Handsome." She told him lightly as she stepped out to lock her door. She was smiling from ear to ear as she locked the door; tonight was the first night they were going out together without any hiccups.
It felt like a real date this time round.
"Where you taking me?" She asked turning to face him.
"That would be telling." He told her seductively. "I've got a blindfold in the car to keep it a surprise."
"Oh..." she breathed out. "A blind fold?" She asked him jokingly. "What type of fun are you after, eh Angelfish?"
"One that'll you just have to wait and find out about." He said and took her hand led her to his SUV, where he sat her in the front seat with a blindfold on.
Penelope complied with the evident rules and kept the banter going to entire way; she even behaved as Derek parked up and then helped her out of the car.
Derek guided Penelope thoroughly and he was extra vigilant to make sure she walked without falling or stumbling. He wanted this to be a success and so far he was comfortable in his ability to do so. He walked in her a bit more before he stood her still.
"Any ideas where we are?" He asked her, still not making an attempt to remove the blind fold.
Penelope was making use of her unhindered senses. "Erm, I can smell Italian and hear good music but apart from that nada." She told him and then she felt Derek move away from her.
Now she felt completely vulnerable.
"Derek..." She called out worried, but as she heard the song change to the next song and the music up in volume she relaxed some, and then she completely gave up fear when Derek grabbed her and started to move her to music.
The blind fold still in place.
I'm more than just an option
Hey, Hey, Hey
Refuse to be forgotten
Hey, Hey, Hey
I took a chance with my heart
Hey, Hey, Hey
And I feel it taking over
I better find your love and
I better find your heart
I better find your love and
I better find your heart
I better find your love and
I better find your heart
I bet if I give all my love
Then nothings gonna tear us apart
Penelope felt Derek moving he to the rhythm. It wasn't a power Ballard, or a typical romantic. It was song that Derek could easily dance to, one she'd never dance to but he was making her and she was loving it.
Derek finally removed the blindfold; he did it with one hand while the other kept Penelope hugged closer.
Penelope look around as the dim lighting flooded in, they were at Derek's. No where fancy and Penelope wasn't in the least bit put out. The place was beautiful.
Candles and roses scattered the many surfaces, the table set ready with wine.
She felt the tears begin to well in her eyes and she looked at Derek. He was the man for her and she knew it and she never wanted to let him go. Not after this. So she allowed him to keep her dancing to the song, to keep her in the moment.
Too many times I've been wrong
I guess being right takes too long
I'm done waiting, there's nothing left to do
But give all I have to you and
I better find your love and
I better find your heart
I better find your love and
I bet if I give all my love,
Then nothings gonna tear us apart
I bet if I give all my love,
Then nothings gonna tear us apart
Come the end of the song, Penelope was completely Derek's. She couldn't believe there was more bliss after this, that there was more for him to offer her. Just being in his arms for three and a half minutes felt like a perfect lifetime.
"Want a drink, Sweetness?" Derek asked Penelope, arousing her from her distant look.
"Yeah." She said, slightly disappointed that the moment had ended.
"There's more later." He promised her honestly and took he to the table. "I got your favourite." He told her as he grabbed the bottle from the cooler, opened it, and poured a glass before he handed it to her.
Penelope didn't need to look; she took a sip and groaned in pure pleasure as the liquid hit her taste buds.
"Perfect?" He asked her.
"Perfection in a glass." She replied and then found Derek making his way to get her to seat down.
"Dinner is a couple of moments away. I'll bring out some starters and we can get settled." Penelope didn't reply to him, she just watched him leave to go to the kitchen and she felt the butterflies in her flutter about again.
The feeling she'd waited too long for.
Penelope waited for Derek to bring out starters and he did, successfully. She was stunned from then on, it was her favourite. He'd made her bruschetta, she'd looked at him the moment the plate was put in front of her and he'd just winked, smiled and sat down to eat his own.
"I'll think you'll like the mains." He told her as he'd taken the dirty dishes and went into the kitchen.
Penelope heard the back door open and Clooney came running in. "Hey boy." She said as he paid her attention, she loved this dog as if it were her own and it loved her right back. "Did your mean daddy keep you outside eh?" She said as she stroked him.
"Yes, I did." Derek said poking his head around the doorway. "He's going back out, I know him as well as you do remember. He'll see food and presume it's for him."
Penelope laughed, "I guess you need some love before it's you out in the yard again, Cloon." She said to the overgrown puppy, she then sat back as Derek called him back through, opened the door, closed it appeared with two newer, bigger dishes.
"For you, Goddess." He spoke as he put the plate down and watched Penelope's face.
"You cooked this for me?"
"Not only that but the Cavatelli di Ricotta recipe I used was from your favourite restaurant back in California." He told her and Penelope just looked at him adoringly. "I hope you enjoy."
Penelope looked down to halt the tears. "Thank you, Handsome." She told him and looked up at him with a watery smile.
"Eat up, Baby Girl; I want to take you dancing." He gestured and smiled at her lovingly.
"What no dessert?"
"There's a selection." He quipped and took a bite of the food.
Penelope liked that idea of dessert, and then looked at her meal, she had a rough idea what was up for her picking and she was quite sure it wasn't all entirely edible.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Needing Cupid's Help -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Every day I bring the sun around,
I sweep away the clouds.
Smile for me (Smile for me)
I would take,
Every second,
Every single time spend it like my last dime.
Step to the beat of my heart.
Derek looked at Penelope; she was perfectly content against him. She was spent, she was drained and all because the last song had taken things up an immediate notch.
He still had the song in his head when the iPod had put it on shuffle. He didn't need just somebody to love, he needed Penelope love. He'd only ever need Penelope to love. No one else would amount to it anyway.
He continued to twist her hair in his fingers as she slept. He looked down, passed his hand, and at her bare back, the perfect of its softness, the paleness of it all. He loved every piece of her and she'd shown him that he was allowed to worshiper body and each and every inch of her.
It hadn't taken long for the moment to take over and the pair just stopped dancing in sync and the passion rose and their bodies needed to feel a fulfilment. One that only the other could do.
They undressed one another and the moment their bodies hit the bed the lust and the want exploded and the chemistry only grew and magnified.
Derek looked up at the ceiling and thanked his lucky stars for that bad date.
He now had everything he wanted and he'd gotten it exactly how he'd wanted to it.
Nothing was pushed, forced, made to be here like it was.
He'd successfully wooed Penelope and in turn just given his hearts desires in exchange for hers.
I just need somebody to love,
I don't need nothing else,
I promise girl I swear.
I just need somebody to love.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Needing Cupid's Help -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
A.N:Epilogue and that's it after this!Hope you liked! Let me know...
Songs:
Drake – Find Your Love
Usher (ft Justin Bieber) Somebody to love... it was originally the other way round but I was more inspired by the one off Usher's deluxe album... weird I know =P
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