Derek worked like a devil for months, he was exhausted and could feel himself getting to the point of delirium. The last few days, as Melody prepared Casey's contract, he had been extremely distracted. Casey certainly didn't help his insomnia. He dreamt of Casey several times, dreams that revolved Casey in that blazer, and him letting her hair loose. Dreams of kissing her, seducing the hell out of her, and her responding helplessly to him. Sleeping was the only escape from the pressures of his life, sometimes he just wanted to leave everything behind, start a new life and change his name. Maybe that was the reason Casey got his attention so severely, she was so different than anyone else, and thinking of her was a form of escape. The moment he left the firm after meeting her, he hooked up with someone in his contacts, just wanting desperately to forget about her. Maybe he just wanted what he couldn't have. It didn't work though, he found himself at random times thinking of those frosty blue eyes, while working out, eating, working, during a staff meeting, it was madness. What was ironic and funny, but not in a funny way, was that if he had met Casey a few years back, he would have definitely made a move on her. He wouldn't have thought twice about it, but the past jaded him. Made him cynical and angry. He was better off just jumping from bed to bed and keeping himself at a safe distance. Casey seemed innocent, but appearances were deceiving. Yet he couldn't stop thinking about her. There was too much holding him back now, he was messed up.

Seven years ago he was plucked out of his youth into grueling law school. The pressure was instantaneous. It was his father breathing down his neck at every turn, it was getting the blow by blow information on the company and constantly hearing his father's fear that his legacy would die with him. George made jokes about his younger brother Edwin being the smart one and how he wished he was the first born so he could pass the firm over to him. Surprisingly, Derek wasn't offended. George was right, Edwin was already smarter than him at the age of 16. Derek was just never the scholarly one, he struggled to do well in his grades which infuriated his father. Derek had a good relationship with Edwin regardless, thankfully his father's comments never hurt their relationship, but he would be lying if he said he was completely unaffected by his father's constant put downs. Marty, his youngest sister was the only good thing in his life. She was a teenager now, but when she was growing up, Marty would follow him around always, and she was cute, he loved her and was extremely protective of her. It was safe to say that the bond he had with his siblings, kept him going. His relationship with his mother, Abby, was also different. From one side, he had George's constant criticism, and his mother was the complete opposite. She spoiled him rotten ever since he could remember. She made no qualms about having it known that she favored Derek over his other siblings. Abby was extremely protective of him, and when he hit a low point in his life, she wanted to take down the people who hurt him. Dealing with polar opposite parents didn't help his stress level, that was for sure. Growing up, his parents were both quite absent, they were always busy and they grew up raised by nannies. To this day Phillipa, still worked there. She cared about the Venturi children, and Derek had more pleasant memories with Phillipa than he did with his own parents.

Five months ago, George announced one morning it was time for him to step back, and he immediately threw Derek to the wolves, literally speaking. He shadowed his father constantly for years, but he wasn't prepared for it to start immediately. The last year was the hardest in his entire life, not just professionally, but emotionally too. And he was pretty sure George was just tired of him moping around, and having an "attitude." Although his father knew why he was so out of it, he was ruthless, told him to get over it and would constantly remind him how lucky he was for everything he had. He was rich, he had everything he could ever need or want. He could go anywhere in the world in a moment on his father's private jet. He had his choice among girls, had plenty of buds, and had no real worries about anything, yet he felt alone. Every single day, people would gush over his status, and he'd get angry. If they only knew the amount of time spent alone in his mansion, just waiting for something to feel real. He wanted to move out of this house, but the thought of leaving his siblings alone, made him weary.

As he got ready for the day, he thought about Casey. He couldn't help it, it was as if she had infiltrated his entire being. "Derek," Edwin called through the door. "Dad wants to see you, and if I were you I'd hurry. He's upset."

Derek rolled his eyes, giving his hair one last comb through. "What's new? I'll be right down."

As he made his way out the room, he ran into his brother. "Ed, what are you doing?"

Edwin shrugged, giving him a silly smirk. "Just, I feel I haven't seen you in days. Is everything okay, bro?"

Derek pushed past him, "Trust me, you do not want to be around me."

Edwin followed behind him, "I see you're cranky, as always. Marty and I were chatting, maybe you need to take a long holiday. Go blow off some steam, and maybe takes us with you," he said with that playful tone.

Derek laughed dryly, "Oh and I suppose you think the old man would be okay with me just taking off? Don't be stupid, Ed," he said surlily. He immediately regretted being so rude, it wasn't Edwin's fault he was stretched thin.

"Oh, you're right. Didn't mean to upset you. I mean even CEO's get vacation right? And you have worked hours in and out."

Derek stopped and put his arm around him. It was frustrating not being able to get the freedom he wanted. "You didn't, you just have no idea how much I wish we could just go have fun. Why don't you let me think of something, worst case scenario I'll go to Mom, and let her take on dad," he said with a little smirk.

Edwin grinned, "Oh yeah, dad isn't scared of many people, but mom scares him. There's been times I've seen him hiding from her."

They laughed together as they made their way down the winding the stairs to the dining room area, and immediately the laughter faded as they noticed George at the end of the table with a newspaper. He had a stony look on his face. Derek gave Edwin the head motion of get out of here unless you want to see blood shed. Edwin gave Derek a quick pat on the back, before leaving him alone

Derek sat down, and started piling up his plate with food. He put on his usual unbothered smile, "So, did you get a chance to look over my report? Our number of cases solved, and won have beat last year's numbers."

George put his newspaper down roughly, "Yes I saw it, not bad for a rookie, but there can always be improvement. That's not what I want to talk to you about, though." Derek concealed his disappointment. He never got any praise, but "not bad for a rookie" would have to do. He sat back and waited for the impending insult. "I heard you hired a student right out of university, you know I like to keep in contact with HR. When I questioned them as to why they even bothered looking at her resume, they informed me you were the one that put the profile on their desk and explicitly asked for her to be interviewed, what's her name? Chasey McDonald?"

Derek looked up alertly. Yes it was true, Casey's resume stood out to him from the very beginning. He remember going through a pile of them and for some reason, hers stood out among the rest. His whole body tensed as he foresaw what he would say. "Casey," he corrected respectfully. "And yes, I was the one that wanted to meet her."

George gave him a stony look, "Derek, let me see if I get this straight. Our firm is one of the most prestigious in the country, we have the best lawyers. Lawyers that have worked for years and have put time into their careers. Casey might seem impressive, but hiring a brand new lawyer is extremely risky, the chances of her sinking our reputation is high."

Derek chewed his food carefully, trying to form the best defense possible. He thought of Casey, that passion she carried with her, and that was enough to get him to stop being a coward. "I know that's something we normally stay clear of. Dad I put thought into it. Firstly, we don't have a lot of women lawyers in our firm, that needed to change. Secondly, Casey was highly recommended. She was selected to do an internship, alongside a top professor. He highly recommended her, and when I interviewed her I realized we needed her. We need good, caring lawyers. She doesn't seem weak in the slightest."

George laughed humorlessly, "And let me guess, she's attractive on top of all those qualities? Trust me kid, been there done that, which is why I know what I'm talking about. And also, who the hell cares about someone being caring?"

Derek felt anger rise with in him, "Her looks had nothing to do with why I selected her resume. Before meeting her for the interview, I'd never seen her. And I care, lately all the lawyers hired recently are ruthless to a fault. We need different kinds of lawyers and Casey is kind, but aggressive. She has a lot of qualities I just couldn't pass up."

His father was eyeing him, " So she is attractive then?"

Derek rolled his eyes, was it that obvious Casey had him spinning? How did he know? "That is besides the point, her attractiveness had nothing to do with why I hired her." Trust me, I didn't want to hire her for that very reason, but her work ended up speaking up for itself. But he refused to open up with his father that way, he would only use the fact he felt attraction against him.

George drank his coffee, taking a moment to study him. "You're lack of maturity shows if you're going to let a pretty face take mess with your head. Seems typical of you, will you ever grow up?"

Derek was shaking with frustration, it was pointless trying to convince him. "I have never gone after anyone that works for me, you know that. I may be a rascal everywhere else, but I respect the firm. You can ask around if you want."

George sighed, but then pushed his plate back in fury. "Derek, this is going to come back and bite you in the ass. And I need to be truthful, you're not the best at deciphering people's character. Do we really need to go down memory lane?"

Derek started to shake his head, immediately felt sick to his stomach. "No, don't go there. Please."

George was far gone now, clearly he needed to make the point. "Savitha. You put your hands in the fire for her, and how did she repay you?"

Derek groaned inwardly, the reminder of Savitha reopened old wounds, and he felt himself becoming enraged.

George kept talking, though, unbothered by Derek's sudden agony. "Stop thinking with emotions, kid. You need to think logically, and be more cutthroat. We didn't become the best by hiring hot, sweet natured lawyers. We succeeded because we chose the best possible. Call Casey, and cancel her contract, it's an order."

Derek was quiet for a moment, internalizing all of his words. He used Savitha to make the point, but yet the little he knew about Casey, she was different. Casey was NOT Savitha. And also he wasn't going to let himself get emotionally involved with Casey. It would be strictly professional. Yet as his father watched him with raptor eyes, and dominance, he felt something extreme protectiveness go over him. Casey didn't deserve to be cast aside just because she had little experience or because she was beautiful, it seemed unfair and unprogressive. He slowly got up, and dropped his napkin on the plate.

"Dad, you entrusted your Firm to me. And with it, you have given me freedom to decide what is best for us. I will not cancel Casey's contract, she seems too valuable to give up. I will however, make sure she had the best training possible, although trust me, I know she doesn't need it. But I'll do that to make you feel better."

George stood up angrily, towering over him. "Ricardo is one of our top lawyers, he's far too busy to train Chasey, or whatever her name is."

Derek kept the steady eye contact, "Ricardo won't train her, I will."

George laughed without amusement, "You? Oh please, sure you're getting better in your role, but you son are not the best. But hey, I do like a gamble once in a while. If I'm right, and Casey fails in her role, you give up your role as CEO, and if you win, I promise never to intervene again."

Derek stared at his father's outstretched hand. All he could see was Casey now, those daunting, determined eyes. There was no way Casey would fail, he just knew it. And before he could process what he was doing, he was shaking his father's hand. If Casey didn't work out, which he highly doubted, then he would get what he always wanted, freedom away from the firm. And if she stays then he would finally get his father's trust. Either way, he wins. "Deal, now if you excuse me, I have work to do."

Derek turned away from him, angry beyond belief. Would there ever be a day where his father didn't interrogate all his choices? He couldn't believe he brought up Savitha. He had put that woman out of his mind for good, but the reminder of her name made him bitter. He drove to work in a fury. When he got to the office, he stopped by Melody's desk.

"Melody, can you get Casey McDonald on the line for me? I am personally setting up her schedule. Just taking another task off your list for the day," he said charmingly.

Melody gave him a huge smile. "Are you sure? It's no bother," she said sweetly, "I'm not overworked in the slightest."

He walked towards his office, "Certain of it, please put her on the line."

Derek sat at his desk, grinning against his own will. Just the thought of talking to Casey, made him frustratingly excited. He saw the line blinking and picked up the phone.

"Casey McDonald speaking," she said formally.

Derek couldn't help but smile, "Miss McDonald. It's Derek Venturi." He had the satisfaction of hearing her rattled breathing over the phone.

"Mr. Venturi," she said in a high and squeaky voice, "Hello, how are you?"

He was tempted to flirt so badly, and it was a struggle to fight against his usual tendencies. "Fine thank you. I'm sorry we didn't get back to you sooner."

She did a little intake of air, "Oh, don't worry about it. I wasn't stressing over it," she said with a nervous laugh.

Derek wanted to laugh, he could just imagine her freaking out like the keener he knew she was. "Just wanted to let you know I expect to see you tomorrow at 9 am."

"Tomorrow?" She echoed back excitedly, "Yes of course, I will be there promptly. What is expected of me upon arrival?"

"Check in with Melody, she will give you a tour. And Casey?"

"Yes sir," she said politely.

He rested against his chair, closing his eyes tightly, savoring the sound of her voice. "No need to be so formal with me, call me Derek."

Casey sighed deeply, even through a phone he could just imagine her. She was probably pacing around, trying to control her words after the events of the interview. "That wouldn't be appropriate, Mr. Venturi," she said with determination. "But I look forward to starting, thank you so much for the opportunity."

Derek smiled into the phone, and he just couldn't hold back, and chuckled softly. "Aw, must you always be so proper? Live a little, I promise I won't fire you for calling me by my first name."

Casey hesitated but then gave in, "Thank you for calling," she paused, "Derek."

Hearing her say his name made him irrationally happy, "Well, see you tomorrow."

"Thank you, you as well Mr-" she stopped, "Derek. And thank you."

He grinned, "Goodbye," and he waited for her to hang up.

Casey was in for a surprise, now that his father was so set against him hiring her, he would ensure he looked out for her. He would make sure Casey became the best new lawyer anyone's ever seen. Plus there was the added bonus of having a reason to be around her.

Casey hung up the phone, and nearly fell over from the nerves. She had waited almost five days for Melody to call, and for a moment she feared Derek had changed his mind in hiring her. Not that she would have blamed him, she was the least professional she ever was, and then hearing his voice made her mind go completely blank. This was a dream come true, but the whole week she couldn't seem to stop thinking. It wasn't unusual for her, her mind was always frantically working, but now Derek was so much on the front of her mind, and she hated it. Emily came into the living room, they were best friends for years and she was now her roommate.

"What's wrong Casey?" She went over slowly as she noticed Casey's odd breathing.

Casey looked at her, and slowly smiled. "Derek Venturi called me personally, I start tomorrow," she said with a nervous laugh.

Emily's dark eyes twinkled with excitement, "No way, he called you personally?" She squealed with and gave her a hug. "I told you they would call, and thank goodness he did, I was worried about your mental health since you haven't slept well or eaten in days."

Casey felt herself relax entirely, she sat down with a slump of relief. It had been a lot on her, especially after going over the interview with time to think. "I just can't believe he actually gave me a chance, I mean he wasn't exactly sweet, but I should have known better."

Emily suddenly pulled out her phone. She had a sappy look on her face, "Well, you know how I love researching people, as a journalist I am very good at tracking down information when I need it. I found a picture of Mr. Venturi," she gave Casey a teasing smile. "How come you didn't mention how sexy he was?"

Casey's face colored, she did talk about him in excess, but left out that factor. "Emily, he was a jerk, why does it matter what he looks like?" She said with a little tilt of her chin.

Emily studied the picture, and Casey felt a little annoyed by her drooling over him, "You're telling me you saw this man, and felt nothing, not even a crush?" She inquired. Emily was very perceptive, and she tried not to get flustered by her questions.

"Please, he's so not my type," she thought back to their conversation in his office. Sure, Derek had a certain appeal that could pass as irresistible to some women, she did see the way Melody reacted to him.

Emily continued to ogle the photo and gave her a questioning glance, "You mean sexy, charismatic, charming and rich doesn't appeal to you?"

Casey hid her face away from Emily. "I don't care how sexy he is, our personalities do not gel well together. Everyone says he's charming, but I didn't see any of that. I also don't care how rich he is, I care more about the soul of a person."

Emily rolled her eyes in annoyance, "Gosh Casey, must you always overthink every question? I'm not asking you to give your thorough analysis on his personality or worthiness, all I want to know is if you found him attractive, if you noticed him. I just find it hard to believe you weren't caught off guard by him. Did you find him attractive, it's a simple question."

Casey looked down, bringing back to her mind Derek's face. Oh, he was definitely attractive. But she was not shallow, she didn't just get carried away by appearances. Thinking about him that way made her uncomfortable, she wasn't supposed to find Derek attractive, he was her boss. She sighed deeply at last. "Emily, attractive doesn't do it justice. God spoiled him. He's attractive if you're only looking at the physical. And then you add the determination to do well in his job on his own, and he almost seems appealing, but then he opened his mouth and everything else seemed to disappear."

Emily clapped her hands with excitement, "I know his status isn't important, but there's something about abut a hot CEO that makes him sound so enticing. He sounds like he could charm a rock, just be careful Casey."

Casey felt that warning hit her over the head. "Why do you say that?"

"You can't let Mr. Gorgeous distract you, because it's either you move up into the most prestigious firm and make it professionally, or you become the woman who "seduced" her boss. You can't have both."

Casey was mortified. As if she would ever go that low to seduce her own boss, that would never happen in a million years. " Emily, you must be joking. I'm not some sort of floozy! I am professional to a fault, me seducing Derek Venturi? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

Emily shook her head, clearly she had poked the bear. "I'm not saying you'll seduce him. Trust me, I know even if you wanted to your goody-good mind wouldn't allow it. I'm just saying he could end up seducing you. And you wouldnt see it coming, it would hit you over the head before you knew it. I know I would fall head over heels for someone like him." Emily left Casey alone with her thoughts.

Derek seducing her was a thought too outlandish to even consider. She was the type of person that wanted a man of quality, a romantic, respectful and sweet. None of those qualities seemed to be Derek Venturi. And he clearly didn't see her as a viable option, he made that clear, he hardly saw her as a human. She got ready for bed and with determination tossed and turned, trying not to think about him anymore. No, she was the most careful person there was, that would never happen. As she fell asleep, she was tormented by those dark, teasing eyes, falling into a deep slumber.

Casey woke up at 4 am, she needed all the time in the world to get herself ready for her first day at work. For someone like her, preparedness was a blessing and a curse. It consumed her mind, and she had so much to prove. She had received the sweetest video from her mother and sister, encouraging her. Lizzie was her little cheerleader, always had been. It made her so happy to have their support. As she showered, and got herself ready, she couldn't help it. Derek came to her mind, it wasn't that she was intrigued by him, but the fact he called her personally was perplexing after that mess of an interview. She put on a maroon blazer and matching pencil skirt over a white buttoned blouse. As she drove to the firm, she took steady breaths. She had gone to see her therapist, Paul a few days earlier, and he had been extremely encouraging. He taught her some breathing techniques, and as she practiced she kept telling herself words of affirmation.

She went up the elevator, and smiled despite her nerves. This was her chance. She found Melody at her desk talking to someone on the phone, but she noticed her and gave her a little wave. Casey's eyes went to Derek's office, and a little wistful smile went over her face remembering that interview.

"Casey," Melody got up and approached her with a bounce and excitement. This girl looked like a ray of sunshine in a person. "I was so happy when I heard you would be working with us, if you ever need anything I'm around to help."

Casey smiled brightly, shaking her hand respectfully. "You're so sweet, thank you."

Melody waved her over to her desk, and she sat down. "Here's your contract, you need to look over it, and if you have any questions you can leave them with me, and I'll pass it on to HR."

Casey studied the document slowly and thoroughly. Licensed General Attorney, that would be her role. She felt a wave of excitement as she read all the details of the job. The pay was incredible, the benefits were better than she'd ever dream. Melody was studying her keenly. "You look like a lawyer," she said with enthusiasm.

Casey laughed nervously, "Oh thank goodness, at least I look like one." After signing different forms, Melody went over them and with a little nod of approval put them in an envelope.

"Alright Casey, I am giving you a tour, and then afterwards Mr. Venturi will speak to you," Casey looked at her with surprise. Why would Derek need to speak with her? Melody must have sensed her confusion. "Oh, he didn't tell you?"

Casey shook her head, oh dear, was she in trouble already? Melody rubbed her arm sweetly. "Mr. Venturi will be training you directly, he will be with you the majority of the week."

Casey's eyes went wide, she felt her heart beat ferociously in her throat. "He's training me? Is that in his job description?"

Melody got up, and Casey followed her as they walked through the firm. "No, consider it an honor, he must have been impressed by you."

"Or he's worried I will crash and burn," she said jokingly, but she wouldn't be surprised at all if that was the case.

Melody laughed breathily, "I doubt it, Mr. Venturi is just so enthusiastic about learning every position. He's special that way," Casey couldn't help but catch the tone of longing in her voice.

As they moved through the firm, Melody showed her the briefing room, introduced her to different attorneys. She showed her the case room, and explained how there was a seniority system when it came to cases, so not to expect the grand cases right away. But once she was established, and she built a good reputation, then more cases would land on her lap. Melody was so sweet, but it was clear a lot of the attorneys had an air of superiority. She could feel them silently assessing her, as if trying to figure out if she'd be some kind of competition. Melody led her to someone's office. "This is Ricardo Garcia's office, he's the top lawyer in our firm."

Casey peeked in, and saw a tall, tanned man with raven hair, jet black eyes, and an easy smile. "Hi Melody," he said in a soothing voice, "Who's your friend?" Ricardo's gaze went to her, he had an intense way of looking at her, he was intimidating, but when he smiled he seemed approachable.

"Hi, I'm Casey Mcdonald, I just got hired as a general attorney. It's a pleasure to meet you." Ricardo nodded curtly, and came forward seizing her hand in a powerful grasp.

"Well, aren't you a delight?" He said smoothly, Casey was surprised by how blunt he was.

Melody piped up, "Ricardo is considered your supervisor. He will be the one to go to if you need anything case related. He was supposed to give you the orientation, but, as I mentioned Mr. Venturi wanted to do it."

Ricardo laughed, his musical tone suffused her with friendliness. "Well, if I had known who you were, I might have fought Derek to do it. It wouldn't have been a problem for me at all."

Casey smiled sheepishly, and Melody pulled her arm to get her moving away. "We'll carry on then," Ricardo gave her one last smile, and they left.

Melody turned to her immediately, concern vivid in her green eyes. "Don't mind Ricardo, he's a big flirt. Hope he didn't make you feel weird. He happens to be Derek's friend, and their families have known each other for years, which is why Ricardo can come off a little cocky."

Somehow Casey wasn't surprised he was friends with Derek, they were similar. After a while, Melody took her up the elevator. She felt much better, until she got led to Derek's office and waited for Derek to call her in. Casey took a huge gulp of air, somehow felt she needed it to be in his presence once more. She heard Derek through the intercom telling her to come in. Melody gave her a little nod, and for some reason Casey found herself fixing her skirt and rearranging her hair.

Melody laughed behind her. "You look incredible, don't even worry about it." Casey blushed, she wasn't trying to impress him, but it was clear it looked that way.

With a deep breath, she opened the door. Derek was standing in the middle of his office, hands in his pockets, leaning up against his desk. His brown, warm eyes, creased up as he smiled. He looked even more gorgeous than the last time she saw him, it didn't seem possible, but it was true. His gaze went over her in a slow burn, and she had to remind herself to breathe. "Miss McDonald," he said it slowly with a hint of amusement.

"Good morning," she tried to come off as neutral as possible, but her voice came out all weak and quiet. "I heard you will be training me directly."

He nodded solemnly, watching her intently. "Is that a problem?" he said with that teasing tone. "You look sorely disappointed by the looks of it."

Casey gasped, already feeling like she was making a bad impression again. "Oh no, please forgive me if I look unenthused, it's just I was surprised by it. You are a busy man, and I didn't know you would have to be the one to train me."

Derek laughed gently, the sound of it wrapping around her, it was hard not to smile. "Well, I needed to make sure you felt comfortable, seeing as you have no real experience. Trust me, once you are trained, you will hardly see me. Shall we?" He said as he moved towards the door, giving her arm a little tug to follow him. She snapped into action, following his brisk pace.

Derek led her to the elevator, and they went in. As the door closed, she breathed in sharply. She could feel his gaze on her, and she tried to keep her eyes on her shoes. "How's your morning so far?"

Casey glanced at him slowly, trying to look grateful and excited to be there. "So far, I still can't believe this is really happening."

Derek smiled, and she got caught up in the silence of the moment. She tried so hard not to look at him, but his gaze was steadily on her, and it made her insanely nervous. As the elevator came to a sharp stop, she tripped slightly on her feet, falling on Derek with a strong force. He hit the side of the wall with a loud thud, he caught her fall, and his arms went around her securely. It took Casey a moment to realize she had Derek pinned, she looked up at him startled out of her mind. He was smirking down at her, and she could feel her heart racing wickedly. The firm feel of his body molded to her body like a glove. She found herself taking in his aroma, he wore some cologne, but she could detect his scent underneath, it was subtly alluring. She was aware of his hands on her back, imparting a gentle pressure. One moment with Derek alone, and she was pinning him to the wall. Emily would have gotten a kick out of this for sure. She couldn't seem to look away, or move, everything in her just stopped working. Those eyes were so unfathomably rich and intense. One second felt like an eternity.

"Well, on top of all your impressive qualities, you are also a klutz," his voice curled around her like fog. "You're just full of surprises."

Casey turned scarlet, "I'm so sorry, I have poor coordination skills," she said abashedly. She straightened up, trying to put distance between them. Derek let go of her, with a low chuckle. She started to ramble, "Clearly I wasn't honest about all my weaknesses."

The elevator door opened and she got out of it lightning fast, desperately trying to recollect herself. She heard him laughing beside her, "I wouldn't call it a weakness, just an extremely funny quirk. Sorry to break it to you, but there's nothing graceful about you. You're as clumsy as a panda bear." Any enchantment she felt for a split second smashed into pieces. She stopped and gave him a piercing look. There was a teaspoon of teasing in his eyes that made her fiery side come alive. Embarrassment clouded her mind. Clearly Derek had no filtering system, he could say whatever he wanted without a second thought.

He must have sensed her fury, "You're insulted over being compared to a panda bear? Well did you know they could rip a person to shreds? Looks like I may have been right, you look absolutely deadly right now," he said with a grin.

That did it. "You just compared me to an animal, how could you Derek?"

Derek laughed, and looked thoroughly amused, but continued walking, and she followed him silently. Casey tried to take a breath. So he made a joke, it was warranted, yet for some reason, she took it as if he had insulted her entire being. What was wrong with her? When Derek led her to a small, but nice looking office he leaned up against the door, and turned his attention back to her. She clearly had a look of annoyance on her face, and he was just smiling at her discomfort, the jerk!

"Clearly you have a horrible sense of humor," he teased.

Casey couldn't help herself, "Oh so you would find it funny if I made such a remark to you?"

Derek's eyes sizzled with challenge. "By all means, go for it. But you don't seem to have a mean bone in your body."

Casey took a steady breath, and he motioned for her to go in the room. "Maybe this will cheer up, check out your new office."

Any annoyance she had over Derek's remarks went away as she took in her office. She walked by the window, she was in the fourth floor, with a great view of the city. There was a desk, a nice chair, a little coffee maker. She noticed her degree over her desk, there was something about seeing it so proudly displayed that filled her with giddiness. There was a client chair, a couch, and the walls were a nice mauve color. A smile took over her face, "This is so beautiful," she breathed.

Derek nodded in agreement, "Melody really went all out for you. She must like you."

Casey couldn't help but clap her hands and jump with excitement. "I'm a lawyer, me a lawyer. It's official," she said with pride. "This has got to be the most amazing day of my life, even with your remarks." She said giving him a little eye roll, but he didn't seem offended by it. In fact, it only made him smile wider.

"Alright, save the happy feet for later, we have work to do. Ideally I would like to go over everything with you today, and for the rest of the week I will simply be shadowing you as you deal with clients." Casey turned to look at him, he seemed to be enjoying her discomfort at the thought.

"Oh I see," she tried not to sound to disappointed by the fact. A whole week with him? So far she failed at being respectful, something about him that irked her and overwhelmed her usual calculated and thorough thinking mind. But, she was so excited to start working. "Well, I'm ready," she said with a keen and interested smile and pulled out a notebook to jot down any important information.

Derek pulled over a chair, and sat beside her, turning her computer on. "I hope you can keep up," he said with a soft laugh as he noticed her waiting expectantly. She gave him a brief nod, and looked at him with renewed challenge. As nerdy as it was, she was so excited to learn, and she was practically jumping in her seat. Derek just rolled his eyes and with a little smirk said, "You're such a keener."

Within a few moments, Casey sat there in complete fascination as Derek's whole attitude suddenly change. Teasing and jerk Derek vanished, and in his place a professional man came out of nowhere. He showed her all the programs on her computer, explained all the routines of the firm. He went over the weekly staff meetings, what they would entail, he went over the expectations of the company. He was still Derek, in the sense he would throw a joke here and there, but he was so focused on giving her all the information. She found herself deeply mesmerized by his knowledge. He was also quite lively, he had the kind of presence that made her want to listen to him. He had a vision, and she sat there in complete awe of him. He wasn't just a pretty face, he seemed driven, educated and smart but in a very different way than her. He explained the seniority system, and told her with the sheer amount of cases the firm had, the chances of her being over worked was high. Although he would pretend annoyance at her sheer amount of questions, there was subtle amusement in his eyes. Yet he was patient, answering every question with confidence. He took the time to respond to her detailed inquiries, despite her wanting constant clarification. He would take a breath, smile, and then explain it again. Emily's words came back to haunt her, she was right CEO Derek was extremely attractive. It wasn't the fact he was rich, it was this innate confidence, charisma, and a powerful presence that made him so appealing . She tried to shake off those thoughts, but then suddenly Derek was doing something else to make her even more mesmerized. She tried telling herself this was just his work act, it wasn't truly him, but she found herself stealing glances when he was looking at documents, or going over things on the computer. He didn't seem to just be working there because he got handed a company, he seemed to truly care about the firm, and she couldn't help but admire that.

As Casey was going through the filing system, Derek watched her. It was completely distracting. "How am I doing so far?" She asked shyly.

Derek leaned against the wall, and observed her up and down bluntly. A smile touched his lips. "You're a little uptight, try to relax. I realize this is a serious firm, but you are allowed to relax and have fun once in a while." As if she could relax when he was staring at her like that.

Casey looked at him with surprise, and laughed with derision. "Work and fun in the same sentence? No, I'm either having fun or working, I will never mix the two."

He pursed his lips ruefully, "I'm not telling you to throw a party, although that would be hilarious. I'm telling you to just live a little, smile, laugh, make fun of me if you want. You need to act like a person."

Casey's mouth gaped open, "Act like a person, what's that supposed to mean?"

He put up his hands in a defensive motion. "Your clients will need to see the human side of you in order to trust you. So if you smile, or joke or you know just relax, they will relax. But if you're all tense and work-focused, you loose connection. As much as I love anything robot-themed, I prefer my lawyers to act like people," he said with a little wink.

Everything Derek was saying made sense, but she couldn't help feeling judged and scrutinized. Casey's thoughts were suddenly on the surface and she needed to ask. "Derek," she said shakily. "May I ask why you're the one personally training me? Do you regret hiring me, or do you not believe I'm capable? I was told you never do this, it just makes me wonder if you are checking up on me. I realize I may deserve it, our interactions have been all over the place, but have I done something wrong?" She slowly looked at him, and he looked rattled.

"You're right, I never do this. Can I be honest?" He looked away from her, and she was frightened by what the reason could be. "The truth is we've never had a freshly graduate before. It's not that I don't trust you, I just want to make sure you know what you're doing, because let's face it anything that goes wrong with the people I hire, reflects poorly on me."

Casey faltered, dropping a couple documents due to the nerves. She quickly picked them up, and tried to form the words. "Trust me, I know you took a risk hiring me. And believe me, I want to prove to you that I was worth it. I also don't want to make you look bad. Just, please have patience it's all I ask."

Derek smiled, and nodded curtly. "Okay, I guess I could give you a little patience, but don't take it for granted, alright?" She let go of a breath, and thanked him. He suddenly started walking towards the door. "Why don't you take the time to organize your office. I'm sure you're just dying to put everything in order. I'll be back later. Just relax, princess," he said soothingly, "You're overthinking , believe it or not we both want the same end result." He stopped and looked over his shoulder. "And Case?"

Casey felt a strong reaction to him calling her 'Case', it seemed so personal. She met that vivid gaze slowly. "Smile, it's an order."

Casey could feel herself sputtering nervously, and he just raised his eyebrow, waiting for her to give in. And she smiled. How could she not? He was extremely persuasive, and begrudgingly realized he was right. She needed to lighten up. He seemed pleased, and left without another word. She looked at her watch, it was only noon. She was going to have a full week of Derek being around her, of being around his teasing and jokes and at the same time, his sophisticated persona. It was confusing how two completely different personalities could exist in one person, he was a mystery, and she felt a drive with in her. She wanted to know who he was, and why he acted so differently towards her.

Derek took a moment to collect his thoughts. Damn, being around Casey that long almost felt like slow suffocation. She made it extremely difficult to breathe, or act normally. Did he just ask her to smile? It was so random, but he couldn't help himself. She seemed slightly upset over him shadowing her, and before he knew it, he was asking her to smile for him. And she did, it made his breathing stagger in his throat. She was so damn beautiful, it was killing him. He closed his eyes. He thought of that moment in the elevator. He could still feel the way she felt up against him, the softness of her, how fricken cute she was when she got all embarrassed. He didn't recognize his own actions. Did he compare her to a panda bear? He chuckled, it was either that or tell her she could fall on him anytime she wanted.

And then there was the last two hours of Casey watching him intently, asking a million questions, and clearly seemed deeply attuned to his words. Having her whole attention was extremely distracting. He threw himself into the work, tried to give her all the information he could, not only to beat his father, but because he wanted her to succeed. He tried not to look at her too long, or tried to focus on tasks but she was hard to ignore. He needed to get a grip. Taking breaks away from her was the only way to keep himself in check.

"Derek," Ricardo came up behind him slapping his shoulder, hard. "I just found out you are training the new lawyer, and I just met her. Man I would happily train her, I know you're busy I could have done it. She seems...keen," he said with obvious interest.

Derek could feel a singular wave of jealousy hit him. He wasn't stupid, he knew Ricardo had no problem sleeping with his coworkers. And that was something he looked away from, but the thought of him trying to bed Casey made his blood stop surging.

"First off, Casey isn't that kind of women, so if I were you I'd look elsewhere. And my father didn't want you distracted, seems he was right to get me to do it." He tried to smile, to come off lighthearted, but he felt annoyance.

Ricardo looked completely smitten, and a stupid smirk went over his face. "She's a babe, where did she come from? Yeah , I can tell she's the serious type, only makes me want her more."

Derek felt a cold smile go over his face. The dynamic with Ricardo was different. They were friends for years, went to the same school, and their fathers worked together. He was a few years older than Derek, but they always got along well. Derek had seen him at his worst, partied with him, and had a list of crazy things they did together. It was hard to separate their friendship to strictly professional. Ricardo was a very good lawyer though.

Derek forced a laugh. "Ricky, let me offer you some advice. Casey seems like the type to raise a sexual misconduct charge on you. Trust me, she's not your usual type. Let her be, she seems to want to actually want to work, okay?"

Ricardo gave him an unsavory smile. "Seems to me she's made quite the impression on you, though I don't blame you. Sucks to be a CEO sometimes doesn't it?"

Derek rolled his eyes, and made himself look completely offended. "Please, you know nerd is not my type. Casey is not a problem for me. I'm just telling you what I noticed. She's the career driven type, I doubt she would ever tangle that with anything personal."

Ricardo groaned with exasperation. "Fine, guess I'll just have to admire her from the distance. See you around," he left Derek alone with his thoughts.

Like hell, he would let Ricardo near her. Casey was not for him, she was too good for him. That jealousy consumed him, and it took him a moment to realize he had his fists clenched. What the hell ? He needed to get a grip. He took a deep breath and went towards Casey's office. When he looked in the office, he stopped. Casey had put on some music and she was organizing her office. Casey was dancing as she moved around the office, in a little world of her own. She was smiling brightly, that was clearly the face of someone who made her dreams come true, and she was finally letting herself be happy. Her dancing was lively, and every move she made was precise, and she was incredible. Casey the lawyer, the nerd, the goody-good, and keener, the girl who just told him she'd never mix fun and work together, was now dancing, and doing a very good damn job of it. She was sexy as hell. He couldn't help questioning if she lightened up because of him. He closed his eyes, trying to control all his thoughts, but he couldn't stop the burning desire. The more he got to know her, the more he wanted her, and that terrified him. He shook his head stubbornly. No, get it together. It's time to get a grip, man. You will not lose control, there's too much at stake.

Notes:

Hi,
I'm sorry this story took a bit of a hiatus for me, but here is the second chapter. I am enjoying this AU so I am working on more chapters, and they will come, just slowly. Please let me know if this is something you're interested in. Thanks!