Thank you to everyone who is reading this fic and especially to the people who reviewed the first story in this series. I was having problems logging in so I couldn't respond to each review.

Second story: Every Time That's She's Close By

"Night, Garcia," Derek said, nodding his head at her as he walked by, while they were both getting ready to leave work one night.

"I'll show you a good night, handsome."

He had already walked past but he stopped, cocked his head to the side, and looked back. It had been a while since she threw back that kind of response at him and he had missed it. "You seem in a really good mood."

She walked right up to him. "Something happened a few weeks ago and I've finally processed it."

"What's that?"

"Kevin and I called it quits."

A smile curved his lips. "Oh yeah?" He tempered his own happiness so he could make sure she was all right. "Sorry to hear that. You okay?"

She looked happy enough about it that he didn't think she was crying her eyes out of her ex- a guy Derek never thought was in Penelope's league anyway.

"I think it's a really good thing for my future," she told him. "After all, everything happens for a reason, right? Being with Kevin was good, don't get me wrong, but it was never great, amazing, out of this world, mind blowing and I deserve that...don't you think?"

"You deserve all that and more, baby girl."

"So why don't you take me home with you and give me all that and more?" The way she asked it was flirty but her voice shook just enough for him to know she wasn't joking and this was far from easy for her. Far from meaningless. Far from wanting a one night stand.

His body immediately reacted to her suggestion. Lust and hunger- for years barely repressed around her...always right there ready to explode- surged through his veins. Leaning down so his lips were by her ear he said "Careful, woman, I just may call your bluff."

"If you think you've got what it takes then go for it, handsome."

Their eyes held for a long moment before he said, shortly, "Lets go."

He placed his hand on her back and moved her toward the doors. They already both had their coats on. Penelope startled and looked all around, as if everyone suddenly knew what they were up to, but she allowed him to guide her to the elevators and out of the building.

XXXXXXXXXX

The ride to his house was filled with a sizzling through the air sexual tension. They barely spoke at all except when they came to a certain intersection and he asked "You sure you don't want me to drop you at home?"

"Hot Stuff, I'm up for this if you are."

"I've been up for this for years now, Goddess."

When they got to his house though she was as skittish as a cat. Derek smirked at her jumpiness. She was adorable to him. His baby girl who he had wanted to call his own for years.

There were few things he wanted more than to make love to her but not like this. He didn't know if she was trying to get over Kevin, prove something to herself about how hot she truly was, or if this was about Derek and her feelings for him. He just knew he had to handle this delicately so she wasn't hurt.

This could be the start of something amazing for them and he would hate himself if he messed that up.

He asked her "You want a drink?"

"No. Yes. What do you think? Are you having a drink?"

He placed his hands on her arms. "Relax. Its just me."

"Just you? You're a chocolate God!"

He chuckled. "If you say so." He moved away from her and flipped on some more lights. Then he went to the back door and let his dog out into the backyard. When he came back Penelope was still acting jumpy.

Derek helped her out of her coat. The closeness of her was wrecking havoc on his senses. It hadn't been easy to resist her all these years but he never wanted them to get to this place a day too soon. After she hooked up with Lynch, Derek had feared that he waited too long. That all his chances were gone. But now it seemed there was one chance left. He planned to make the most out of it.

He hung her coat on a hook then walked to the couch. Patting the spot next to him he said "Get over here, sexy."

She slowly made her way across the room and sat down, facing straight ahead.

Derek placed a hand on her knee, in a comforting gesture, "You wanna talk about what happened with Lynch?"

"No. Not really. What's done is done, right? No use crying over spilled perfume."

"Look at me, baby."

She turned her head. Her eyes were wide and filled with insecurities. He asked "Are you here cause you wanna be with me or you want to forget about him? Cause he's not worth you hurting over and doing anything you'll regret later."

After a moment she asked, her tone cold, "You never had any intention of going through with this, did you? You just brought me here to get out of me what went wrong with Kevin. You know what, Derek, I don't need you to be my shoulder to cry on right now. I don't need your pity!"

"Penelope-"

She bounded to her feet. "I'll get a cab to go home."

He jumped up and took gentle hold of her arm. "Baby girl, wait. Don't walk out of here like this. I waited way too long to get this close and then have you walk away."

"Waited for what exactly? To see if I'd finally make good on all my flirting? To make me a notch on The Derek Morgan's bedpost? What have you been waiting for, huh? Because I seriously don't think we've been waiting for the same thing. Not at all."

She was quite worked up. Filled with fear and doubts and pain. Derek knew that Kevin was not the only guy who put those feelings into Penelope. Derek even blamed himself for some of her insecurities about herself. All he wanted was to take them away so she'd see herself as the gorgeous, brilliant Goddess he did.

He didn't want their first kiss to be anything less than perfect- and this moment was just a mess of confusion and hurt for her- but he saw this as maybe his last possible moment when she'd let him in this way so he took her face in his hands, bent close, and then gave her a tender kiss full of his love for her.

A kiss he prayed showed her his heart.

When he pulled back she had a dazed and dreamy look in her eyes. He said "Waited for that....I've been waiting, baby, to give you all of me."

A trace of tears came to her eyes but she fought believing it. "You haven't waited at all. You've always had a string of skinny little things to keep you busy."

"Distractions, that's all. But nobody ever came close to the real thing...that's all for you, baby girl."

"Derek?" she asked, her voice breaking, as she dared to believe in his words.

Pulling her close he said "Never doubt it when I tell you I love you. I've been miserable for two years now waiting out you breaking things off with Lynch. I thought you were his for good, baby, and it was killing me."

She looked up and into his eyes. Her hand caressed his cheek. "How could I settle for being his for the rest of my life when I'm dying to be yours, my love?"

He let out a possessive soft growl. "That's what I wanna hear, baby girl." He kissed her again, this time with more passion, and his tongue slid into the warmth of her mouth.

A part of his heart that was closed off, scared to death she'd never be his, came back to life in that moment.

They fell onto the couch and kept kissing for long minutes. Her hands roamed over his chest and he loved how it felt...because it was her. That made everything more intense than he had ever known.

He stopped them before they went too far. Her glasses were all fogged up and crooked. He chuckled, took them off her, cleaned them and put them back on her face. "Give me a minute, baby," he said.

Derek went and let back in his dog, Clooney, who ran over to the couch to lick Penelope's hand. Before Derek came back to the couch he grabbed his lap top. "Think you can do your magic and book another seat to Chicago on my flight in the morning?"

Her mouth dropped. "Are you asking me...to go to your Mom's for Christmas with you?"

"Yeah, baby, I don't want to spend three days without you. Besides my ma wants to meet the woman whose name comes out of my mouth every other minute when I call her."

Penelope smiled. "That's sweet of you, handsome, but this holiday is for family."

"Baby girl, you're where my family starts and the line forms after you."

"But..." she said, unable to believe him right away "lately its been so strained between us...and though tonight is magical in every way...its just one night....and a few kisses. We've barely gotten started on...whatever this is."

He took her hand. "That's true but I still want you to come home with me. If you don't want to then that's okay but know when I get back I want to pick up right where we left off," he leaned close to her "which, as I remember it, baby, was right here." His lips fused to hers. After pulling back he whispered, his tone low and throaty, "Come to Chicago with me, baby girl."

"I can't refuse you anything, my Adonis."

A huge grin curved his lips. He gave her another quick kiss. "You came through on your promise: I'll show you a good night, handsome."

"Derek," she said, as she chuckled at how happy he was and it was all over her.

"You being here is the best Christmas present in the world. No lie."

She shook her head, but smiled, amazed at how he felt about her.

Derek asked "Tell me something, did you and Lynch breaking up have anything to do with me?"

"You sure do think a lot of yourself, handsome."

"You don't have to answer that question if its out of line."

"I can answer. It had to do with a lot but...yes...you played a role. I just couldn't keep pretending that he was enough for me....when I don't see Kevin in my dreams....I see you, Derek."

Grinning he pulled her onto his lap and went about kissing her till she was breathless. It would be another long month of building towards it before they made love but by that time Penelope had no doubts that The Derek Morgan wanted her to be his woman for life.

THE END

Inspired by Wild Love Affair. Sung by Soul Sister. Mvid by SarahVanWijck.