It's here...the chapter you've been (im)patiently waiting for! Not even Mer's run-in with Jack is going to ruin this date, so I hope you're all ready to enjoy it as much as she is! (And for those of you Mark/Izzie fans - thanks for the enthusiastic reviews to the last chapter. There will be more steam for those two in coming chapters as well!)
Chapter Fourteen - It's Time
Derek surveyed the dining room table with a critical eye. It wasn't extravagant; nothing in the small house was, after all. Some fresh daisies and springs of lavender graced the centerpiece, flanked by white taper candles. There was a bottle of California cabernet waiting and a choice of steaks or halibut for grilling. He decided to cook for her, rather than make a big evening out. He wasn't sure if she was ready for that, and he wanted to take it slow. At any rate, he didn't want to draw any comparisons to his brother, or even try to compete with the amount of money he'd spent.
His phone rang then, and he checked his watch. Almost time to leave to get Meredith, and he snatched the receiver up, doing his shirt cuffs up as he held it wedged against his shoulder. "Alex…? What the hell…Jack was there? That sonofabitch…damnit! Is Mer okay?"
"Shook up a bit, but she was heading home. Just wanted to let you know, dude."
"Thanks, Alex. I'm leaving right now to get her."
"Have a good one…"
After all this time, why did Jack pick today to show up? Derek grabbed his car keys and headed outside, calling his brother vile names under his breath. He tried Meredith's cell phone several times, only getting her voicemail. He pushed down harder on the accelerator, weaving through traffic to get to her faster. Wishing for the first time that she still lived in her little Venice Beach home so that he didn't have to drive so far.
By the time he reached her new house, perched on a hill overlooking Hollywood, his imagination was working overtime. He swung into her driveway, relieved to see that Jack's car was nowhere in sight. Breathing hard, he rushed towards the front door, checking over his shoulder. "Meredith!" he called out, pushing the doorbell urgently. "Honey…?"
The door swung open after a moment, and Meredith smiled happily to see him. "Derek…" she sighed, holding out her hand to him. "Alex called you, didn't he?"
Derek nodded, stepping inside the cool tile of the foyer, as she closed the door behind him. He put his hands on her shoulders, and looked carefully at her. "You're okay with it? I mean…" His voice was low with worry over her, and she put her fingers against his lips.
"Shh…I'm fine. He surprised me, but I know he can't hurt me anymore. I want to have this evening, this dinner with you, and whatever happens after that…" Her eyes shone with her trust in him, and he caught her small hand in his. He kissed her fingers, pulling her closer to him.
"Meredith…" His voice softened, and he cupped her face in his hands. He lowered his lips to hers, and kissed her, long and wet and deep, making love to her mouth, her tongue, and her lips. Meredith made a small sound of satisfaction, kissing him back just as eagerly. It felt so right and perfect, like coming home after a long absence.
His hands wound in her hair, as she lifted up on her toes to get as close as she could. Her hands trailed along his back, her body suffusing with heat. More little whimpers escaped her, and he finally backed away, to look into her eyes. "Are you okay with this?" he murmured, pressing little kisses along her cheek, and down her throat. The sheer promise of those kisses made her knees weak, and she nodded happily.
"Oh, yes…more than okay, Derek."
"Good, because the evening is just starting, and I do have dinner planned," he teased her. "Are you ready to go?"
Meredith pouted prettily, tilting her head. "Are you sure you're hungry?" she whispered.
"Absolutely starving," he said quietly, his eyes travelling hungrily along her lithe body. She was dressed already, in a soft cowl neck sweater that brought out the green in her eyes, and winter white slacks. Her feet were still bare, her pink tipped toenails peeking from beneath the slacks. Her hair was just tousled enough to be tempting, making him think of seeing it spread out on a pillow. "And you look amazing…" he added, finally able to take the time to look at her.
"You said nothing too dressy, so…"
"It's perfect." Derek still had his arms around her waist, loathe to let her go yet.
"Where are we going?"
"It's a surprise," Derek teased, not sure if she would be okay with his plan.
"Well, that sounds mysterious. Just let me get my shoes." Meredith eased away, her heart still pounding in anticipation. At this rate, dinner wouldn't be an issue. She hurried back, shoes and purse in hand. Admiring his laid back attitude. His black trousers fit his body perfectly, the white shirt with just a hint of blue stripe set off his tanned skin and dark hair. He was trim and fit, exuding that sensual charm that she found so intoxicating. In fact, she always felt a little twinge of possessiveness when they were out together. He got so many admiring looks from the women and even phone numbers passed to him, that she was happy that he seemed only interested in her. All these weeks, she knew he had been holding back his desires, and she appreciated that. Tonight she was going to see just where the feelings between them would take them.
Derek took her arm and led her outside, waiting for her to set the alarm system, and make sure the doors were locked. "Just precautions – I'm sure Jack won't try to get in, but…."
He squeezed her hand. "I doubt he's that stupid." Helping her settle into the low slung Corvette, before jumping behind the wheel, Derek wanted no thoughts of his brother to intrude on this evening. He gunned the motor and backed out of the driveway, and Meredith only giggled at his enthusiasm, already accustomed to his driving. He navigated the narrow streets expertly, finally reaching the freeway. Rather than being annoyed, Meredith laughed at his need for speed, teasing him about his secret desire to be a race car driver.
They bypassed all the exits she assumed he might take, and finally realized he was heading back to Venice Beach. She raised one eyebrow at him, meeting his eyes. He shrugged. "Thought you might want a small, intimate dinner – and I'm cooking."
Meredith giggled in delight, touching his arm. "No one has ever done that for me. I can't wait!"
He grinned back her, as they pulled up in front of his house. "It's not as palatial as some places, but it's home." The look he gave her was partly nervous about her reaction – in all the time together, he hadn't brought her here before. He took her hand in the twilight, searching her expression.
"It's lovely – I mean it. And I'm here for you, not the house," Meredith said softly, squeezing his fingers. "Now, you promised food..?"
Derek laughed, winking at her. "You're right."
Once inside, he opened the wine and prepared the barbeque, as Meredith wandered around the small house. He could see her through the patio doors, looking at the family pictures grouped along the bookcases, and a couple of framed posters from the old movies that were his passion. There was a well lived in leather sofa and recliner, with stacks of scripts and books on the table beside it. The old hardwood floors gleamed with fresh polish, reflecting the warm light from the lamps. She walked outside to join him again, enjoying the unusual warmth of the December day. "It's all so you, Derek – thank you for bringing me here." She took another sip of the rich wine, savoring it. It left her feeling a little reckless, and she crossed the small flagstone patio to join him. "Can I do anything?"
Derek leaned over to kiss her, enjoying the sight of her in house. It seemed just like it was supposed to be this way. "Just relax – I'm looking after this."
She kissed him back, her small tongue darting in to meet his this time. She wanted to taste him again, feel that solid masculine strength that had been in her dreams since that night in the wine cellar. For a moment, Derek abandoned restraint, wrapping his arms around her. The taste and heat of him were unbearably sweet as his tongue delved into her mouth. The pure pleasure of it went through her in like fire, igniting passion that she didn't want to deny any longer.
His mouth broke away, searching down the side of her throat, kissing the pulse point, making her clench in desire. One of his hands slid upwards, cupping her breast, touching her gently over the soft sweater. Meredith moaned softly, achingly aware of the muscular length of him pressed against her.
Then the steaks hissed sharply on the grill, reminding Derek of the bad timing. He broke away, swearing a little, as she giggled. "Are you sure you're still hungry?" she asked, meeting his eyes as he pulled the meat off the fire.
He turned to her again, brushing his hand along her cheek. "Seriously, Meredith, all I can think about is you. I want you more than I can say – all of you, honey. Can you handle this?" he asked, searching her eyes. "Damn, I just wanted to give you a nice dinner, and take my time, but hell…" He raked a hand through his hair. "I'm not doing this right…" He hated himself for rushing her, for being too consumed with the thought of taking her to his bed, to think straight.
"It's okay, Derek," Meredith whispered, "you're not doing anything wrong. I want to be with you, I want to explore how it feels to be with a man that cares about my feelings. I trust you, honey, or I wouldn't be here." She kissed his mouth gently, and he relaxed a little, deepening the kiss again, until they were both a little breathless. When she looked up, meeting those decadent blue eyes, she was touched by the depth of the emotion he was able to portray in that look.
"We're going to explore that together then – we won't do anything you don't want to, is that good?" he asked, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand.
"That's good," she sighed happily, as he took her hand to lead her back inside to his bedroom.
Meredith felt that same little flutter of anticipation building, as Derek led the way inside. As they passed through the kitchen, he grabbed the wine and another two glasses, then moved along the short hallway to the bedroom. The room was warm and inviting, with a large bed covered in navy bedding. An antique stained glass lamp shed muted lighting in the dimness, and she smiled to recognize it from one of their excursions.
Derek set down the wine and glasses, and stood behind her quietly, his hands on her shoulders. Letting her take in his space, not pressuring her for anything else. His lips brushed her temple, and he inhaled the soft feminine scent of her. He could hardly believe this moment was here, that she was here with him, and he hoped like hell he wouldn't totally mess this up.
Suddenly feeling a little wash of nerves, Meredith moved to sit down on the bed, to slip her shoes off, wondering if she was really ready for this. Derek knelt down in front of her, and took the shoe from her hand, his thumb caressing the arch of her foot before taking the other shoe as well. From there, he moved slowly forward, kissing her with a quiet assurance as he eased them backwards onto the duvet.
For a few moments, he held her, kissing her lips, her cheeks, her eyelids, as his hands soothed her body. As if he could feel the nerves firing, his touch was relaxing all her fears. "You're safe with me, Meredith. I want to make you feel good, and whatever you want or don't want, is fine with me." His hand drifted lower, sliding beneath the soft wool of her sweater, along the waist of her pants. Meredith sucked in her breath as he carefully explored the skin exposed, letting herself get lost in the sensations. "I just want to find out everything that you like…" His fingers gently loosened the button and eased the zipper down, kissing her lips again.
"What do you like, Derek?" she asked, a little breathless, feeling his tender exploration a little further along her hips.
"Hmm…" he murmured, his eyes warm as he looked at her as if she was a special present to open, just anticipating where to begin. "Oh, I'm pretty easy to please, honey." Then his touch moved higher again, inching towards her breasts, touching her over the lace of her bra. His mouth traced a delicate trail over her throat, as his fingers teased her nipples one by one. Before she realized it, he was easing her sweater up over her head, letting her hair fall around her shoulders. Her breath caught, as he smoothed her skin with the palm of his hand, dipping towards the swell of her breasts. "Relax…" he murmured, touching his mouth to her then, licking lazily to where her nipples were begging for attention, lifting them away from the lace. "This has got to go," he finally muttered, and she laughed softly.
"Here…" she offered, undoing the delicate clasp and letting the lace fall away from her. She looked up at him, tracing the line of his cheek in the soft light of the lamp. "I want to see you too…"
Derek slowly unbuttoned his shirt, pushing it away from his shoulders and tossing it away. He was just as muscular and toned as she remembered from that night he helped her, the soft trail of hair along his chest narrowing to his trim waist. She moved towards him, letting him fold her into his arms, her breasts crushing against him. Derek kissed her again, teasing her lips, pressing kisses in random spots, exploring all of her sensitive skin, learning what made her shiver, and moan for more.
Her own hand moved towards his hips, touching the hard heat of him that bulged against his slacks. Derek groaned softly, rolling to his back, letting her take her time with touching him. His breathing hitched, as she leaned forward to kiss his chest, her little tongue stroking over his nipples. Her hand played along his length, making him buck upwards. "Meredith…" he managed to say, his voice low and sensual, sending a shiver along her spine at the way she was able to make him feel.
"You are easy to please," she giggled softly, as he pulled her closer again, his mouth more demanding this time. She reveled in the sweet intimacy of this, the way he was taking his time, even though she could tell it was getting more difficult for him.
"You please me," he assured her, now easing the pants away from her hips, and down her legs. He returned to her abdomen, his tongue dipping over her navel, and then lower still. "Are you all right yet?" This as his tongue made dancing patterns along her inner thighs, and moving closer to where she ached and throbbed. More so than in a long time, more wet than she remembered being, and she nodded. Caught in the way the blue of his eyes seemed more intense as he looked up at her, waiting for her permission to keep going.
"Oh yes…don't stop," she whispered.
"Good," he smiled, before touching her again. This time rubbing his thumb along the damp silk of her thong, inching it away from her trembling flesh. Then his tongue invaded her, with delicate moist strokes that sent pleasure rocketing through her. He stroked her, licking and teasing, adding his fingers slowly to take her to even higher bliss. Her hips rocked upwards, as she squirmed and cried out for more. This was heaven, it was so good, and she felt the pressure building, as he continued to move his fingers in and out in a rhythmic motion, his tongue moving over her clit in an unending touch. Meredith let herself go at last, tumbling into the sweetest spasm, arching against his mouth, her fingers buried in his hair.
When she finally stopped shaking, Derek slowly released her, moving upwards to cradle her against his chest. His hand stroked her hair, as she caught her breath again. "You okay?" he asked against her ear. "Should we stop?"
Meredith shook her head, resting her hand against his hip again. "I'm not quitting now, Derek Shepherd. I want you to make love to me, completely, fully…I'm ready for more." Her fingers slid inside the loosened waist of his slacks, touching the velvet skin at the head of his cock. "Take these off for me…" she urged. "I want to see you now."
"If you're completely sure…" he said quietly, never taking his eyes off her. "I don't want to hurt you."
"You won't…" she whispered, as he eased away from her and stripped away the rest of his clothes. As he joined her again, Meredith let her admiring gaze take him in completely – the flat abdomen tapered to his narrow hips, the muscles in his thighs toned, the dark hairs dusting his legs, and lastly his cock, hard and waiting for her. Then he settled over her, pressing her gently against the pillows, between her legs. He nudged against her, strong and demanding, yet taking his time to let her get used to him. Her legs parted easily, welcoming him, feeling his hardness sliding against her softness; his fullness needing her wetness to take him inside.
She met his eyes in the lamplight, the blue turning drowsy with passion, his smile so intimate and sensual enough to encourage her. "That's it, baby…take me inside of you…just like that…" he coaxed her, nearly groaning at the pure silk of her body around him. Entering her in a slow, languid glide, lifting her leg up higher to accommodate him. "So good, so beautiful, Meredith…are you okay…?"
"Yes…" she sighed, loving the way he looked at her now, so hot and intent. As if her pleasure was the only thing he wanted, not rushing her, like Jack used to. She pushed that memory out of her mind, refusing to let any bad thoughts interfere. Her fingers splayed along his back, tracing his spine, arching a little to meet him. "Feels so good, Derek…"
"Ah, god, Meredith…don't move…please baby…" he growled, clenching his jaw, as his cock threatened to do him in sooner than he wanted to. He wanted to stay there, locked in her body, for as long as he could. He pulled back, slowly, then pushing in again, making her gasp. Her body responded, squeezing around him reflexively, reveling in the moment. "Oh, hell…"
"Don't stop moving, I'm okay…I want you so much…" she nearly sobbed, as he moved faster, taking her deeper, angling his body against her so that she felt on fire. She clung to him, wrapping around him, as he gave in to the inevitable pleasure, as she spasmed around him. His cock throbbed and drove harder, each thrust taking them both to the edge and then back again. He kissed her then, his tongue dancing with hers, as he felt her climax again, this time letting himself go with her. Little sounds of satisfaction mingled with their heavy breathing, as they kissed again and again, tangled together, sweaty and sated.
"Oh my god," Meredith whimpered, feeling suddenly more relaxed than ever, unwilling to move a muscle from his embrace.
"Good?"
"Damn good…" she giggled, closing her eyes.
Derek smiled in the darkness, rubbing his hands along her back, feeling her delicate body relaxing against him. Within moments, his own eyes drifted shut, and they fell into a sated slumber. Meredith stirred later, unsure for a moment where she was, with Derek hard inside of her, not demanding, just gentle and slow. He had her beside him, one of her legs over his hip, letting them move together in a slow sensual slide. Kissing this time in a leisurely way, just enjoying the pure delight of the moment, content to let her set the pace. Her hips moved against him, her tight lush body pulling at him. "Come for me again, honey," he urged, thrusting just enough to send a flare of heat through her core, enough to make her beg for more. Derek took his time, retreating and thrusting, until she was shaking. "Now…" he whispered, thrusting deep, as she came in great shuddering waves over and over.
As they curled together again, Meredith played her fingers along his chest, tickling him just a little. He clenched, sucking in his breath, before his laughter rumbled under her touch. "Careful, sweetheart - I might get even with you later..." he warned her, capturing her fingers.
He moved them over again, pouring a glass of wine, and then propping himself up on one arm, surveying her with a smile. "You look thoroughly sated," he observed, taking in her flushed skin, her disheveled hair, her lips swollen from kissing. Meredith pushed back against the pillow, sharing the glass with him for a moment.
"I feel thoroughly sated," she confessed, "for now..."
Derek raised his eyebrows. "Trying to do me in the first night?"
"Complaining?" she teased, leaning in to kiss him again, the wine taste lingering on her tongue, as she took more of the initiative this time. He managed to set the glass on the nightstand before the wine sloshed out, then returning to hold her tightly, kissing with more passion than before.
"Oh, no complaints," he vowed, before finding more places on her delicious body that made her beg for more....