The Stripper Chapter Seven

A/N – not mine. I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to update. Life has been really busy and a little rocky. I hope I still have some folks out there reading. I've got maybe a chapter with an epilogue left. Un-beta'd - Any errors are all mine.

The incessant buzzing finally woke her. Emily sat up and blinked over at her alarm clock. It couldn't be morning already, she felt like her head barely hit the pillow. She frowned as the numbers came into focus. It was 3:19 in the morning! As her cell came to life once more she jumped, startled, then reached for it hurriedly, thinking that maybe it was JJ. Maybe she was in labor, maybe she had the baby. She frowned at the text on her screen. "Open the damn door." She barely read it when another one chimed in directly behind it. "Seriously. Your neighbor said she was going to call the cops." Dropping the phone on her bed she stomped towards the front door and flung it open angrily. "Why are you here?" She snapped before the door was even fully open.

"Are you kidding me? You didn't even check to see who was at your door before opening it." Derek reprimanded, gently pushing her back and stepping into the apartment, quick to close the door behind him.

Blowing out an annoyed breath Emily growled. "I didn't imagine the caller changed from the time I left my bedroom until the time I made it to the front door."

"You still should have verified it was me." He grumbled, not satisfied with her response.

"Would you like to step outside and we can try it again?" She questioned sweetly, glaring up at him.

He seemed to realize that he wouldn't be getting another opportunity to enter the apartment if he stepped outside again. "Nah, I'm good." He looked around the darkened room recalling the last time he'd been there. "Were you sleeping?"

"No, Derek, I was cleaning house." She rolled her eyes. "It's three in the morning! Of course I was sleeping." She let out an annoyed sigh and questioned "Why are you here?"

The infuriating man only shrugged. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

She couldn't stop the snort the statement produced.

His head swung around to her. "What was that?"

"I didn't say anything."

"I know, but I feel like there was a message directed at me nonetheless." He tilted his head as he studied her. "Why do I get the distinct feeling that you're mad at me?"

It was now Emily's turn to shrug. "Why would I be mad?" She challenged. He seemed to give the question some consideration so she decided to give him a clue. "I mean, it's not like you left before the EMTs cleared me. It's not like you didn't bother to stick around to make sure that I was okay then or that I got home okay."

He stared at her for a moment puzzled by the charge. "Both Blake and Reid were there to make sure you got home. You told me yourself that you were fine." He stated, clueless.

Her eyes narrowed. "Then why are you showing up at my home at three in the morning to verify it? You already know your answer. I'm fine. Go home." She pointed towards the door.

Derek frowned, he'd been so sure that she would welcome him with open arms. She'd given him every indication that was the case before the operation went sideways. Maybe she had a change of heart. Maybe that scare forced her to re-evaluate her feelings. Maybe running away from the scene hadn't been his wisest decision.

Emily frowned again as he continued to carry on an internal debate with himself. Finally when she couldn't stand it any longer she yelled, "Derek?"

The sound of his name being hollered startled him and shook him out of his reverie and had him focusing on the sexy brunette he'd gotten out of bed. She looked tired, with her face scrubbed and her hair pulled back into a ponytail she looked much younger than the age he knew her to be. She also looked a tad annoyed. "I'm sorry I took off earlier." He told her softly.

Her left shoulder lifted and she replied with nonchalance that she didn't quiet feel. "I'm sure you had your reasons." She was equally as sure that she didn't understand them.

"Yeah, I did." He did, she scared the bejesus out of him. Or more to the point the way he felt about her scared him. He wasn't quite ready to admit as much to her though.

When he didn't elaborate she clenched her jaw. "There you go." She pursed her lips tightly before the anger that she felt bubbled out. "You know, maybe we could talk about this at a more reasonable hour. I kind of had a shitty day." Her voice broke with emotion.

He completely disregarded her suggestion and charged forward, now seemingly eager to talk. "You know, I've always been attracted to you." He grinned disarmingly only to ruin it by further stating, "Even though you're not the kind of girl that I usually go for."

"Yeah, well considering that I've seen and met your usual kind I'm going to take that as a compliment." Emily smirked.

He chuckled at her comment. "You're a conundrum, Princess."

"Have you been reading Reid's word a day calendar again?" She quipped. "Maybe next year Santa will bring you one too."

She was baiting him but he ignored it. "You aren't going to ask why I said that." When she just carelessly shrug her shoulder again he grinned. "You're not easy."

His comment was met with another snort. "Again, unlike the usual type of girl you're attracted to."

Derek shook his head. "No, not easy, easy, you're hard to pin down. You never quite react the way I expect you to."

Emily's hand fisted on her hip. "Ah, so is this because I didn't swoon when you rescued me? Every good hero thrives on saving a damsel in distress and getting properly rewarded." Her expression told him exactly what she thought of that.

He remembered in a flash what he had felt when they discovered her missing. "I was scared shitless that we wouldn't get to you in time." He admitted freely, clearly surprising her. He moved a closer. "But you know what? I think you would have probably done okay either way. You don't need me to rescue you, you can do it yourself."

Emily frowned, she knew first hand that some men did not like strong, self-sufficient women. "And that's…"

"Awesome. " He interrupted. His sigh had her doubting his sincerity until he continued. "No, honestly, you are awesome. Professionally, I can read you like a book. I know what you're going to do almost before you do it. We're so much in sync that I am never in doubt of anything. But personally?" He shook his head and blew out a breath. "Sometimes I have a really hard time reading your signals." He stared at her. "You confuse the hell out of me. And I kind of pride myself on my ability to read the ladies. You make me feel like a damn young fool."

Emily felt the knots in her stomach loosen at his heartfelt confession. "Derek."

He glanced down to see her grin. "It not funny."

His frustration has her smile growing. "Oh, I know." But she liked the fact that she unsettled him. She liked that he was man enough to admit it.

He shook his head. "I don't like this Princess."

Testing herself she moved closer and dropped her voice an octave. "What don't you like?"

He threw his hands up. "I don't like not knowing where I stand with you. You run hot and cold." He accused.

That surprised Emily. "I do?"

"Yeah, one minute you're giving me the bedroom eyes and the next minute you're giving me the back the ef off eyes." He accused.

Emily's eyes popped open wide at the charge. "Oh, Derek, you're confusing yourself. I am pretty certain I was very clear with you. I told you flat out that I wanted. Earlier today I told you that I was done with boundaries and holding back. You are the one that turned tail and ran. There was no question in my mind on how I was going to be spending the night." She frowned. "Well, at least there wasn't until you left me with Reid and Blake."

Morgan opened his mouth to speak then closed it without saying a word.

Acting purely on instinct Emily got right up in his face. "You know what? I think we're at the put up or shut up stage here, Morgan. You don't want whatever this is between us? Fine, I'll deal with it. But don't come knocking on my door at three in the morning whining about the fact you think I'm giving you mixed signals." She stepped back. "Now, if you don't mind I'm going to bed."

She walked back towards her bedroom leaving him standing there stunned. He spun around just in time to get a tee shirt in the face. "How's that for a signal? Clear enough? You can join me or not. Again, it's your choice, big guy."

He held her shirt in his hand for about half a second before his brain kicked in and he started moving down the hall after her.

"You should know I'm still going to be here in the morning." He advised.

"O-kay. Sooo do you want me to show you where I keep the coffee?" She asked, not sure what he was implying.

He stood at the threshold of her room. "No, I'm just saying I'm not going to sleep with you then split. I'm not here to have sex."

She couldn't help the laughter that bubbled out. "Well that's kind of disappointing. If that's the case can I have my shirt back?" She cross one arm over her chest and held out her other hand.

He grinned at her as he advanced and reached for her hand pulling her to him. "I just want to make sure you understand that I'm not here just for sex." He clarified. "I plan on being here in the morning. I want more than just a physical release. I want a relationship."

"Well, gee, thanks for spelling that out for me. Just so you know I assumed when you followed me back here that you were interested in more than just a tussle in the sheets. I believe I told you before that I wanted the whole enchilada. It's an all or nothing deal, pal." Her hand fisted in his shirt.

Derek chuckled as he backed her into the room. "You like don't have kids names picked out, do you?"

"Sergio and Clooney." She was quick to quip.

He nodded. "Works for me. So now that that's all clear would it be in bad taste to ask you to put on the outfit that you had on earlier?"

"Only if you promise to try it on after I take it off." She responded cheekily.

He hooted with laughter as he pulled her close and dropped them both on the bed. "You know that I'm nuts about you, right?"

Emily smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Yeah? Well I don't want to scare you, but I'm pretty sure that I'm in love with you."

"Well," he teased, "I don't want to brag, but if you weren't now you would be by the morning."

Thanks for reading!