Chapter 15
AN: Thanks for the reviews, folks. Sorry so late posting. Been working really late hours...
Laying in Derek's massive bed without him was a very lonely place. Penelope was wearing one of his plain white t-shirts, because they were so worn and comfortable, and her panties, because her sweatpants would be too warm once she was snuggled up in his comforter. She never packed pajamas anymore. It was a moot point; they never stayed on longer than a minute after she put them on. She'd even stopped packing sexy clothes; he tore those off of her in quick succession.
"Pretty little thing," he'd murmured, holding a scrap of lace that had rent in his hands.
"You know, you could buy stock in Victoria's Secret," she'd quipped. "That way one of us would be getting some money."
He'd been unrepentant, but loved her throughout the night, so she really hadn't complained too loudly.
She'd tossed and turned for about half an hour, before giving in to the fact that she wasn't going to get any sleep. She sat up, turned on the bedside lamp, and decided to look for something to read. Derek had one book on the table. She picked it up, looked at the title, and immediately put it back down.
For some reason, Firearm Safety didn't appeal to her in the slightest bit...
She looked in his den, his family room, everywhere else and found a book about some baseball player that she really didn't care to read, a Muscle and Fitness© magazine, and something about golf. Those didn't interest her, either, but it gave her gift ideas. Especially the golf one. She'd love to see Derek in a pair of those awful plaid golf shorts and an Izod polo shirt! Maybe even a jaunty little chapeau cocked just so on his head...
He'd never wear any of it in a million years, but it would be the thought that counted.
She found a Men's Health© magazine with some quarterback on the cover. There were some interesting looking articles on the front, so she picked it up. Derek had flagged a page; she turned to it out of curiosity...
Make her climaxes even more intense.
She blushed and shut the magazine. Really, he didn't need any help in that department, although she did think it was sweet that he was doing research! She'd read similar articles in Cosmo© recently!
After searching some more and coming up empty, she thought about traipsing farther down the hall to find a book in the basement or somewhere like that. However, she was kind of cold, her gorgeous human heater was still out with Terry—she tried really hard not to whine that name!—and she didn't want to drag her sweatpants back on. She climbed back in bed, yawned, and turned the light out, intending on just sleeping.
Ten minutes later, the light went back on.
Sitting up, she opened his bedside drawer. In there was a stash of condoms that would've lasted them for about a week at the rate they were going. Maybe he could donate them to Reid, Rossi, or Hotch? She blushed, thinking about it—what a gift to give!—but she hated to think about them going to waste. She was decidedly frugal about some things, despite her spend-happy image.
Moving those aside, she saw a weird looking, metallic object. It looked like a torture device. On the side, it said it was a nose hair trimmer.
"Ewww!" She giggled, then wondered if he'd look like a walrus if he didn't use it, and was quite grateful Derek was into grooming.
Next to the trimmer was a bottle of generic, non-smelly lotion and a little jar of Carmex lip balm. It was all kind of no-frills, in comparison to her bedside drawer. She had pear lotion and a fancy lip intensity treatment from Paris, France, that had cost her eighty dollars. His beauty routine probably cost sixty cents!
She opened the jar of Carmex and smeared on a little bit. After all, whatever he was doing, it was working for him. No one would ever doubt that the man was mighty fine.
Moving those aside, she noticed a corner that looked like paper in the front of the drawer. She must've missed it when she'd first been rifling though. If she were laying in Derek's spot, instead of leaning over, it would've been the first thing she grabbed. She pulled it out of the drawer and gasped when she saw it.
It was a picture of the two of them together. Not just any picture; one that she'd given him three years ago, just before she was shot. JJ had taken the picture at the annual BAU holiday party. She'd been wearing her hair long and blonde, with bright pink stripes, her red glasses, and a low cut, matching red shirt. He'd been wearing an ordinary shirt and tie, and he looked about three sheets to the wind.
She specifically remembered that party. He had indeed been about three sheets to the wind. It had been a blast. They'd been flirting and chatting a lot before that party, but they'd really cemented their friendship about a month before it. He'd flirted like crazy with her there. He'd been single, and she'd been single at the time, too. So, they'd decided to be each other's date for the evening.
God, they'd had such fun. That was why she'd given him the picture, to show him what he was giving up, dating all those other women.
He'd teased, his eyes dark and wicked, and said, "Anytime you want me, sugar, you can have me. Straight up."
Pen made a thoughtful face. At least she'd thought he'd been teasing. Now...she wasn't so sure.
Looking at the picture, at Derek's possessive, albeit drunk, arm around her waist, his hand splayed on her ribs, how close his body was to hers...they looked so happy. Really, really happy.
Like she felt right now.
"Oh, Derek," she whispered, looking at the picture. Truth be told, she hadn't believed him. He'd hit on her like that over and over, and she'd always had some excuse not to dance with him or go out with him. She'd never given him a chance; she'd never seriously thought she'd even had a chance with him.
She let her fingertips touch his face gently, so she didn't leave a mark. There were other fingerprints there, but she noticed that her side of the picture was spotless. Her side looked brand new. She smiled wistfully. He was protecting her, even in a picture. Like he'd always done with her. It made her heart swell even more.
Penelope put the picture back, and put everything in the same order. Then she shut the light off, snuggling with with Derek's pillow, savoring the lingering masculine scent of him still there.
She knew she had a lot to think about.
Derek came home at around midnight, after piling through some research with Terry. He had to cut his time with her short. He felt terrible about having to do that; Terry's situation wasn't good, and she was in quite a jam. However, he'd planned on spending the entire weekend with Penelope. He would have to make it up to Terry another day.
Understanding and kind woman that she was, Terry had completely understood.
"I'm sorry, Derek," she said. "I never would've bothered you, but—"
"Hey, it's all right. You need a friend, and that's what I'm here for." He glanced at his watch and smiled. It had only been four hours, and yet he couldn't wait to get back to Penelope. "Ah, Terry, I—"
"Go! Be with your woman," she said with a laugh, shoving him out the door.
Now, he was home. He smiled when he entered his bedroom. Laying in the middle of his bed, all tousled red curls and sweet rounded curves, was exactly what Terry had said.
His woman.
Seeing a glow in the corner of the room, he looked over and gave a short laugh. There was a little nightlight plugged in and turned on. A nightlight which hadn't existed before he'd left this afternoon. True to her word, Pen had left the light on for him.
Silly girl, he thought, shaking his head. Didn't she know? He didn't need any illuminating objects; she was all the light he'd ever need.
P was sound asleep. She was even snoring, clutching his pillow tightly. She looked so damn cute, he hated to wake her.
As quietly as he could, he stripped and moved to the edge of the bed. The minute he put his knee on the mattress, she opened her eyes.
"We need to get one of those memory foam beds," Derek quipped, giving her a rueful smile as he started to lay down. "When I crawl in, I won't wake you up."
"Oh, Derek," she cried, scrambling to her knees, then launching herself at him and knocking him backward into his pillow.
He laughed a little. "Whoa, baby! What—"
He didn't get to answer. She put her hands on his face and began to kiss him, like she was starving for him. He immediately went hard; that seemed to be his natural state around this woman. He kissed her back, each kiss causing her to moan loudly.
She was kissing him with more fervor than she'd ever done before. She clutched at his head, her tongue licking between his lips. She tasted exactly like heaven to him; sweet, warm, slightly minty and delicious. So damned delicious, every inch of her body was a divine treat to him. He could easily get carried away, if he let her keep kissing him like this.
"Bab-y," he said in between kisses, trying to slow things down. He wanted to make it good for her, and slowing things down would accomplish that. "Sweet-heart..."
"I need you," she demanded, crushing her body against his, straining to get even closer. She started kissing his neck as she pressed him even farther back into the pillows and crawled on top of him. "I missed you so much."
"Aw, angel," he murmured.
They made love.
"Sweetheart," he murmured, intending on telling her how wonderful she was, how much he was falling for her, but she interrupted him.
"I love you," she whispered, sounding positively exhausted.
"Penelope," he said, his heart pounding. They'd said it before to each other, but he knew that this time...it was the real deal.
He intended on telling her the same thing. He cupped her face, brushed her hair from her cheeks, but he'd already lost his audience.
She was fast asleep.
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