Chapter 6

AN: Thanks as always for the reviews. Next installment is here...

Penelope wished that she'd heeded Derek's advice the night before, because she woke the next morning with a thumping headache. Not only that, she hadn't slept well. She'd tossed and turned like she were the princess and the pea, agitated and uncomfortable. That made for one very grumpy tech kitten!

Strolling into the BAU's kitchenette on the way to her office, her sunglasses still on to hide her bloodshot eyes, she ran into a rather chipper looking Derek. He was holding his coffee in one hand, his tablet PC in the other, and he looked well rested and chipper.

Obviously, last night's discoveries didn't work him up anywhere near as much as it had her.

"Good morning, Princess," he said.

"Morning, Hot Stuff," she grumbled.

He gave her a sideways glance. "Why the sunglasses, sugar? Going for the Gaga look?"

"Headache, bright screens, my eyes…they simply don't mix."

His look was sympathetic. "Poor baby."

Reaching into her huge hobo bag, she pulled out a bottle of Excedrin. Opening it, she popped two into her mouth, grabbed his coffee, and took a big drink before handing it back.

"There. That should help," she grumbled.

He finished the coffee and tossed the paper cup away, put his PC down, and then wrapped his arms around her to pull her closer. "Can you take the day off?"

"No."

"Can you at least take it easy?" he questioned.

"I'm swamped, lover. I'm pulling a long one today."

He didn't respond to her, so she looked up at him.

He was grinning down at her.

Ten seconds later, what she'd said hit her. She shook her head with a groan. "You have a dirty mind, Derek Morgan."

He kissed the top of her head. "Pot calling the kettle, sweetheart."

She sighed and leaned into him, not bothering to argue with him. "I'm so tired, D."

He held her for a long time, stroking her back with one hand, while the other cuddled her close. She loved the feel of his hard chest under her cheek, his warm arms around her. He could hold her all day, and she wouldn't complain.

"Tell you what," he murmured, and she could feel the rumble of the words in his chest. "Since I am the one that caused this discomfort, let me be the one who makes it a little better."

"How?" she grumbled against his chest. "Decapitate me?"

He chuckled. "No; then I couldn't see your pretty face, and that would be a crime."

"How, then?"

"Lunch. I will treat you to lunch."

"Too busy."

"I'll order in. Sushi?" he asked.

"Meeting, guys," Reid said, coming into the kitchenette to make his sugar with a touch of coffee. The man was a walking billboard for the high carb movement.

She stood up more and stepped away from Derek, feeling bereft at the loss of his touch. "Two spicy tuna, two avocado."

"That's my sunny California girl."

"Oooh! You're ordering sushi?" Reid asked, obviously interested in getting in on the deal.

Derek glared at him. "We're ordering sushi. Not you."

Looking at Reid's puppy dog face, complete with sad brown eyes and a fabricated pout, Penelope glanced at Derek and murmured, "Derek…"

Derek growled.

Reid beamed, knowing he'd won. "A bowl of shrimp Udon noodles and six California rolls."

Penelope giggled as Derek picked up his PC with a pretend scowl on his face—Morgan had known he'd lose, too—and they proceeded into the meeting room.

"So," Derek said, popping an edamame in his mouth from the green salty pod. "Did you look at any more goodies after I left?"

He'd held off as long as he could from asking about it, but now that they were in the middle of lunch in her office, he felt like he was about to burst.

All night, lying in his hot and lonely bed, he'd pictured her caressing that damned dildo. Her fingers closing around it, stroking it with sure movements to a full erection, and then putting her lips against his darker head, teasing the crown with her pink tongue, before taking him in her mouth. That warm and wet heat would…

He swallowed hard. Okay. So it wasn't just the fake penis he'd pictured…

Penelope took a sip of her miso soup. "No, I didn't. I went through the paperwork in the briefcase, instead."

"What did you find?"

"I found the planner with show dates, order forms, instructions on how to order, and catalogs," she answered.

"Hmmm," he said. "Let me see the catalog."

She blushed brightly, leaning over to take the catalog out of her bag. "There's stuff in there not in the collection we have."

Her blush intrigued him. He arched a brow at her, moved his sushi out of the way, and then reached for the magazine. "I gotta see that…"

Private Pleasures…for him…for her…for both the bright pink lettering called out. He opened it up and laid it on the table.

"We shouldn't do this here," she said cautiously, glancing at the door. "What if Strauss walks in?"

He moved his chair so he was sitting directly next to her, and then lowered the seat so they were on the exact same level. His thigh pressed against hers, he was so close.

"There!" he replied with a grin. "We'll do this secret-like."

She giggled, leaning closer to him. "Deal."

They turned the pages together, relatively silent, peaking at different things, and she turned to a page towards the back.

"This thing, Derek," she asked, pointing at the page, curiosity obviously killing her. "How in the hell do you use a sex swing?"

"Damned if I know," he answered honestly.

"I thought you knew everything," she teased. "Whips, chains…the whole kit and caboodle."

"Hell, no, woman," he replied, looking at her, somewhat affronted. "What kind of person do you think I am?"

"I'm just teas…"

She looked up at him a second later, and his nose was lined up perfectly with hers. Her luminous blue eyes seemed to look right through him, and he was inches from her lips. How had he not noticed how deep midnight blue her eyes were—so dark, the color of her pupil was hard to discern?

He was so wrapped up in looking at her, he didn't hear the door open.

"Got my sushi?" Reid asked, coming into the office. He frowned in confusion. "What are you guys looking at?"

Derek watched Penelope turn a bright shade of red, as she quickly turned away and tried to hide the magazine. "Ummm…ummmm…"

"None of your business, kid," Derek answered, standing up. "Here's your sushi. Where've you been?"

Reid blushed. "Prentiss needed some help with some figures she was working on."

Derek smirked. It was a long known fact that Reid had a crush on Emily Prentiss, although Prentiss was dating someone else currently.

Derek grumbled internally. Maybe BAU men were meant to moon over unavailable women?

Shaking that thought off, he teased, "I just bet you were helping Prentiss with her figure."

"Are you done eating?" Reid asked, cleverly changing the subject.

He wasn't a genius for nothing!

"Yeah, I'm done," Morgan said, glancing at his watch. "I'd better get back to work."

"Me, too," Penelope added, her cheeks much less scarlet than before, but still prettily pink.

"Okay, I'll head out and find other dining companions. Thanks," Reid said, taking a bite of his noodles.

Penelope smiled. "You're welcome."

He left the office with a smile, probably off to find Hotch or Rossi.

"I hope he doesn't find Emily. She is going to be pissed when she sees we ordered sushi without her," Penelope said to Derek.

"She'll be all right," he said, shrugging.

She was quiet for a moment, before saying, "Derek, I think we should look at this at my house tonight. We need somewhere more secluded."

He laughed. "I guess they don't call it Private Pleasures for nothing!"

She grinned. "Tonight, then?"

"Of course."