AN: Thank you for the reviews! I was bringing my daughter trick-or-treating and I missed CM tonight... Any good M/G stuff? Hee hee... Well, here we go! Next chapter...

Chapter 5

Derek watched as Penelope finished tying up a few more decorations. She was talking happily with the two remaining older boys, putting them to work. As he surveyed them, he smiled. All day, the kids had been falling over themselves, trying to please her. It appeared that his Baby Girl had worked her magic with yet another group of people.

Magic was the right word when it came to Penelope. When he first met her, he'd been attracted to her blonde hair and her curvy body. Even as a young man, he'd been partial to womanly curves. He liked bodacious breasts and round asses that begged to be spanked, and she had that going on in spades. In fact, he was watching the rips in her tights where bare patches of skin called out, begging to be touched and kissed.

But it wasn't her physical aspects which held him in her trance. She'd bewitched him years ago with her sense of humor and her sweet, almost naïve demeanor. Penelope saw the good in things almost always, believing everything happened for a reason, even while surrounded by senseless violence and murder. Meanwhile, he'd learned to be the opposite in these very walls where he was standing. There was very little sarcasm and darkness when it came to Penelope; she was like a ray of light and celestial lightness in his otherwise heavy workplace.

Quite simply put, there was no one else in the FBI quite like his God-given angel.

Out of nowhere, he yawned. It was a huge, jaw-popping yawn that showed him exactly how tired he was. Damn. If he was tired, Penelope had to be exhausted. She'd had a long flight. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was nearing ten.

"Okay, okay, ya'll," he said, setting his hammer and nails down and approaching the group of three. "It's time to wrap things up."

"Ohhhh," Penelope said with a surprised look. "Really?"

He rumbled with soft laughter. "Yes, it's time."

She blew an errant strand of hair away from her mouth and then in frustration, shoved it back with her hand. "Just a little bit more?"

He took her hand and drew her away from the huge boxes. "No, sugar. You need your rest."

She gave him a sweet smile. "Thank you, my love, for your concern, but I assure you, I'm fine."

"Penelope..." he warned softly.

She lunged for the boxes. "I'm almost done with that box, and—"

He tugged her into his arms. "And it can wait until tomorrow. Woman, you've done more than enough for today. Let me take you home, get you into a bath, and tuck you into bed."

She shot him a sexy, sweet grin, looking up at him through her lashes. "Is that an invite?"

Like always when she flirted with him, he felt the sweet, heavy feeling of desire wash through his body and settle in his groin. Immediately, he pictured himself sharing a bubble bath with her, leaning between her plump, lush legs, her hard nipples tickling the skin on his back as she washed his shoulders. The heavy feeling moved to a throb. Damn, the woman could make him go from zero to horny in five point two. At the same time, he saw her eyes darken from sweet, sweet sherry to a rich, warm brandy, and her lips parted slightly in open invitation. No doubt: she was feeling the mojo, too.

He answered the seductive flirt with one of his own. "What do you think, sweetness?"

"I don't know, tiger." She continued to play with him, bringing her finger up to trace the shell of his ear. "I only know that sounds like fun..."

Derek was half a second away from kissing her and putting the what ifs between them away for good, but that ended quickly when the two remaining boys began to snicker. He'd forgotten they were there; it had been just him with Penelope wrapped in his arms. Amazingly, he could feel his ears heating, the sure sign of a blush. At that second, he cursed the Irish part of his family that gave him a lighter mocha hue.

Of course, he was nowhere near as bad as the sweet peach in his arms. She must've forgotten where they were, too. She was so animated: her cheeks flared an adorable fuchsia, her eyes flashed wide, and her mouth curved into a delicate O. Unfortunately, she also stepped out of his arms immediately.

"Umm... Sorry, kiddos," she said, blushing.

"Al's almost seventeen, and I'm almost eighteen," one of the boys, Tony-O, said with exasperation. Tony-O wasn't short for Antonio; it was after Tony the Tiger. He was given the nickname by the other center kids because he only ate Frosted Flakes for breakfast. He shot a sly look at Alejandro. "Besides... Al knows all about likin' girls, ladies' man that he is..." Ham that he was, he did a little dance that looked like a one person tango with some swag to it.

Al rolled his eyes like he was unaffected, but he couldn't stop the blush that colored him, too. "Shut up."

"Tell them about Cassaaaaaaandra," the younger boy teased, still dancing.

"Shut up!" His blush turning ferocious, he shoved Tony-O. That turned into another shove, and then another, until there was a skirmish of lanky arms and legs.

Before it could get too heated, Derek grabbed both young men by their shirts and pulled them apart.

"Hey," he said sternly. "If I remember right, this center has a no fighting rule." He arched a brow at Al. "Is that true?"

"Yes, sir."

Derek turned his gaze to Tony-O, who was looking at his feet. "Jerome?" he said, using the boy's real name.

"Yes, sir."

"Ummm..." Penelope smiled sheepishly. "I'm heading to the bathroom to wash my hands...so...yeah."

As quickly as she said the words, she hurried away, leaving Derek with the boys.

Derek sighed and released them. "Guys. We're all tired, so our tempers are up, and we're not thinking coolly. Head home, and we'll deal in the morning."

"Okay," the two young men mumbled.

"You did good work today." He smiled warmly at them and clapped them on the shoulders. "Have a good night."

Al snickered. "Not as good as you're gonna have..."

Derek shook his head. "Hey... We're just friends."

Tony-O and Al looked at each other with the universal expression for the statement, Yeah, right.

Derek felt his ears heating again, too. He'd had that same thought many times over the years!

Penelope returned with a bright smile. "Ready to go?"

Looping his arm around her, he said, "Yes."

She smiled at the two boys. "Do you have rides?"

"Nah," Al said. "We're gonna walk."

"How far?" Derek asked.

"Mile...two," Al replied.

Penelope frowned. "Not at this time of night."

"We do all the time," Tony-O said. "No biggie."

"Well, not while I am here," she said staunchly. "Come with us."

After a few more grumbles, the entire crowd headed to Derek's rental car, and they were off.

Delivering the boys to their homes took only a few minutes. Tony-O did live about ten blocks away, but Al had lied to them. The boy lived no less than four miles away. It was one of the things that wore on Derek. He knew some of the kids lived far away, but he hadn't anticipated them living that far away and having to walk. It was dark, in a seedy neighborhood D knew all too well, and both boys were young and tired. They needed to raise funds for a van to bring the boys back and forth to the center. He might have to call on some friends about this.

He looked over at Penelope, who was quiet in the seat next to him. She looked tired. Lovely, but tired. Her hotel was in a different part of town, one that was far safer and more suburban than where the center was located. He was glad for that. He wished he could talk his mother into moving to one of the burbs, but she was staunchly set against moving.

"You worked wonders with those kids," he said to Penelope. "You're magic, Baby Girl."

She smiled over at him. "I bribed them with pizza. No magic in that, angelfish."

He shook his head. "No, sweetheart. It's your magic."

He knew that if he could see in the low lighting of the car, she would be blushing with pleasure.

"You make me sound like Reid—a magician. I need magician's garb for the part."

"Hmm...a top hat and a coat wouldn't do you justice," he teased. "More of a magician's assistant outfit for you—a little bathing suit outfit, collar...bunny tail."

"That, my love, is more Magic Mike than magic," she replied with an eyebrow wiggle.

He chuckled. "I wouldn't mind a little song and dance from you."

"Oh, no," she answered. "In that movie, you'd have to do the dancing for me."

He winked at her. "Say the word, angel, and I'll shake it."

She gave a low, throaty laugh that was as sexy and sensual as she was. "You, chocolate thunder, are a tease."

The warmth of the evening, the closeness they'd shared, made him bold and daring. "What if I'm not teasing?" he asked softly.

His heart stopped, and it felt like an eternity. Maybe it was his time? They'd grown so much closer after London, and she was a free woman. Maybe...

"Oh! There's my hotel."

The warmth Derek was feeling slowly ebbed away and was replaced by a lonely coldness he'd felt many times since he'd fallen in love with her. He pulled into the parking lot and to the shielded entrance of the building.

She wasn't ready. Not for him.

Maybe never for him.

"I'll get your bags," he said, putting the car in park and stepping out.

When he retrieved her bags, she was standing, waiting for him. They went to the lobby, checked her in, and started to her room on the first floor.

She opened the door and smiled hesitantly. "Want to come in?"

He needed to get out of there, pronto. It was dangerous to his heart to be that close to her right now. He placed her bags in the doorway and then stepped back.

"No," he answered. "We got a big day tomorrow."

She nodded, but a disappointed look graced her face. "Okay."

He sighed. He needed to get his best friend face back on. He cupped the side of her face with his hand. "Thanks, sweetheart, for everything." He leaned in, kissing her cheek, just shy of the side of her mouth, like he had many times before.

"Y-You're welcome."

"Good night." He turned quickly and started down the hall.

"Good night...my love," she said just before she closed the door.