Chapter Nine

AN: Alright folks, I was in a mood writing this one, too. As always, thanks for the reviews. Kricket

"Morning, angel," Derek said, kissing the side of her neck.

It was, all in all, a damned good night.

She stretched, then rolled over onto her tummy, raising herself up on her forearms to smile at him. "At least you are still in bed this morning. Last time, you were up and out of bed before I was. What gives?"

"I didn't get to sleep right away."

Frowning, she looked at him with concern. How couldn't he have been tired after all that last night? "Why?"

He shrugged. "Insomnia. I get it sometimes."

"Still?" She knew he used to get it years ago. She didn't know it was bothersome yet.

He laughed and cupped her cheek. "Sometimes I think too much."

She kissed the tip of his nose. "Thinking, Derek Morgan, is overrated."

"This... coming from a.. what was that?" He arched a brow, then continued, "Oh yes, the queen of all knowledge?"

She grinned sheepishly. "Called myself that, didn't I?"

"Along with many other terrific and true things..."

"Well, thinking isn't good for you, then," she said reasonably.

He shot her a quick smile, then shrugged again. "It's been a lot better the last few years because I work out. With my shoulder, I can't, so it's been worse lately."

She raised up on her hands and knees and crawled up over him, like a pampered kitty. "Poor baby," she murmured, kissing his neck this time. "I am going to have to do a better job tiring you out..."

Laughing, he wrapped his arms around her and rolled her under him. "You do a fine job, silly girl."

"Hey," she said, squirming, trying to roll him back over. "My turn to be on top again."

"Uh uh, princess." He held both of her hands in one of his and raised it high over her head. "I'm in charge when we're in bed."

"Derek, your shoulder," she said, looking concerned.

He frowned, then let her go, rolling to his side to look at her. "I told you; you make me forget my limitations when I'm with you."

"Me, too," she whispered as she lay on her side. She brought her hand up to cup his cheek and simply said what she felt in her heart. She couldn't help herself. "With you, I feel like I could fly."

She moved forward so slightly and began to kiss him.

One kiss turned to three, four, five, and soon, they made love.

It never failed. There was a magic the moment they started moving together. She wondered if it had something to do with how much teasing and flirting they'd done for all those years together.

Finally doing it after six years was certainly not anticlimactic. It was more multi-climactic.

She could do this over and over, every weekend, if he felt like it, too. She wasn't sure what his plan was for her, but he sure seemed to like it when she was around. She liked being there. More than she liked being anywhere else on earth. It worried her, how much pleasure she got, not just from the sex, but from spending time with Derek. It felt so right...

This was a place she could lose her heart.

It was a warm and sunny afternoon. They spent the rest of the day out on the deck, enjoying the sun. She had on a pair of boxers and a thin tank top rolled up so she could tan her belly. She didn't know why she bothered; she was always a ghost, no matter what she did.

"So," she said, continuing a conversation they'd had last weekend. "You said you had a fantasy involving my red lips."

"Mmm hmm," he said. Derek was laying in the Adirondack chair next to her with his shirt off. He was wearing his black sunglasses and a pair of low slung black jean shorts.

She snickered. "Not going to tell me, huh?"

"No...I'm just wondering if you can figure it out." He raised his glasses and grinned at her. "You know, surprise me by doing it."

She sat forward and ran her fingertip on his belly. "Tell me, please."

"Here is a hint," he said. "You, your shiny red heels with the little bows on the toes, and your red lips. Just those three, and bam! Instant hard on."

She thought about it for a moment. She hadn't worn those shoes in months. He remembered those shoes?

"That's all?"

"No, sugar." He leaned closer to her and said, "Most men love red lipstick."

"Really?" she asked, quirking a brow at him.

"Mmm hmm. Wanna know why?"

He was smirking at her now with such a leer, she couldn't speak. She just nodded, quickly.

"It makes a nice print," he said.

"That's all?" she asked. That didn't sound that wicked.

He still smirked at her, then lowered his sunglasses and leaned back. "Figure it out."

"But Der-"

"Figure it out."

She huffed, then leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest. She was scowling for a little while longer, until she started to think again, then almost burst out laughing as she did indeed figure it out.

"Derek," she said a moment later.

"Yes, angel?"

She began in a sing song voice, "Since your arm is still healing, we can't do your one fantasy yet."

"No," he grumbled with a sigh. "Twenty pounds max."

"That doesn't mean I can't fulfill the other one..."

She sauntered off into the kitchen, causing Derek to smile even bigger as she walked away.

Sunday came too quickly again. They stood on the front step kissing, not even bothering with pretending it wasn't what they wanted to do. He kissed her neck, her ear, and said the same word he'd said last time that made her heart skip a beat.

"Stay."

"Sweetheart," she said, kissing his lips this time. "I can't."

"You need a drawer over here," he replied, kissing her neck. "One with a variety of clothes so you-"

"Derek, I can't take over your dresser." She pushed away from his chest, aghast.

She already felt like she'd intruded on his life enough; she'd even invited herself over again next Friday. Judging from the multitude of swimsuits and the amount of condoms he had stashed around his house, he could have any number of women in line for next Friday. He hadn't seen her the last two Fridays; she considered herself lucky to even be on his list!

The man had a stripper pole in his basement, for Pete's sake! That didn't say forever, but it did promise a damn good time.

"Yeah, you're right... my bad," he said, holding up his hands and stepping back away from her. "See you tomorrow."

He flashed her a quick smile, then shut the door.

She watched it close, then walked to her car, feeling rather disappointed. She must've been right; he'd given up quickly.

She wasn't really happy about that...

Cursing herself for being contradictory in her thinking, she opened the door, slid in, and drove away.

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