Chapter 5: Danger is Your Name
Derek's turn around was so drastic, people thought he was crazy. So drastic that he was organizing a cocktail for all the staff, and it was going to be huge. He loved a good party himself, but this would be his way of recognizing everyone's hard work. George was pleased that Derek's attitude had changed, thinking he somehow got through to him. Casey had just reached in and changed everything. He was in such a good mood, he even took his siblings away for the weekend, and they honestly thought he'd been cloned.
That Monday he walked past Melody, she had a weary look on her face, and put a card on her desk, "Something for all the hard work you've done," Derek said with a little smile, "I'm sorry for the way I treated you. When you get a moment, come see me."
Melody smiled and opened it up to find several gift cards, "That wasn't necessary, I get it, we all have our hard days. And absolutely, I'll be right there."
As he waited for Melody, he thought of Casey. He hadn't talked to her for a few days. He saw her twice, and he gave her a little nod of acknowledgement, but he was having a hard time refraining himself from talking to her and wanting to go into her office. This staff event would be the perfect distraction. He didn't exactly know how to treat her, they both said nothing would changed between them, but something had changed. There was an unspoken understanding between them.
Melody came in and sat across from him, "What can I do for you?"
Derek was all too excited, "I need your help. I think everyone here has been working to the bone, and well I want to put together something, well awesome. I want to rent out a place, and I'm thinking cocktails, appetizers, some good music, door prizes, and I would appreciate it if you sent out invites to everyone. They can all invite one person, and I may have a list of things that need to be done. Would you help me with this?"
Melody grinned, "Oh of course, that sounds amazing. I mean I think your father always treated staff well, but that sounds incredible."
"Perfect, ideally I want to have it at the end of the month," he said cheerfully.
Ricardo walked in abruptly, and looked at Melody with a little smile, "Oh hi, sorry to interrupt. I'll make it quick. Have you seen Casey today?" he asked with mild concern, "No one has seen her this morning, and it' strange, that woman is here first before I even get there, and she stays way past. I get the impression she has no life. Is she sick?"
Derek immediately felt worried, and cast Melody a look , "Have you seen her today or did she communicate she wouldn't be here?"
Melody paused for a moment, shaking her head but then stopped as she recalled. "I think she may have gone to prison, she mentioned Friday she was going to meet up with her client, although I can't be sure."
Derek felt a wave of protectiveness go through him, "Of course she did, clearly she ignored the fact that she was supposed to take Ricardo with her the first few times, " he said with annoyance, "for someone who follows rules, she just likes to do whatever the hell she wants."
Melody looked surprised by his sudden mood change. "Maybe she just forgot? She doesn't seem like the rebellious type."
Derek tried to keep calm, last thing he wanted was for Melody to tell Casey he seemed worried about her, "Why don't you go ahead and start the invites, thanks again Melody."
When Melody left, Ricardo turned to him and chuckled as he took in Derek's angry face. "Something tells me Casey would have been insulted by the idea of me following her around."
He didn't care how insulted she was, there were rules and she was breaking them. She was still under probation, and he needed to make sure she was doing things safely and correctly. "Well, too bad, I don't care how much she whines, we need to make sure she knows what's she's doing. She is after all brand new with us, we have to make sure she knows what's she's doing," he got up and paced around with agitation, "You know what, I'm going to speak with her, remind her she isn't her own boss," he said angrily.
Ricardo smirked, clearly amused by his annoyance. "Uhuh, I see, well take it easy on her Derek. I'm sure she's just keen to solve her case."
Derek laughed, oh he was sure that was exactly what happened, but he wasn't going to look the other way. " Casey can solve as many cases as she wants, but she's not going to that prison alone again, that will be her punishment for being so reckless. I'm shadowing her until I know she knows what she's doing, it's final."
Ricardo rose with amusement, skewering him with intelligent observation. "Is it just because she's brand new, or are you worried about her?"
Derek paused and glared at him, "Because she's brand new, I'm not worried about her, in fact I'm annoyed with her for being so full of herself. It is protocol," he said adamantly.
"I can talk with her, seems she makes you extremely, um irked," Ricardo offered.
Derek put his arm around him, chuckling quietly, "No way I'm passing the burden of you having to make Casey realize she was wrong, she's stubborn beyond belief. Trust me, I got this."
Ricardo eyed him suspiciously, "If you say so, for someone who claims you're so annoyed by her, you sure go out of your way to deal with her anyway. Your form of hate is weird."
Derek shuffled him out of his office, "I may find her annoying but I still have to check in on her, it's my job."
Casey was taking more and more of his attention, that was the truth. A big part of the reason he was doing this staff appreciation was to have an excuse to talk to her without it being seen as strange, and he just wanted a chance to look at her. He couldn't believe the lengths he was going to just to spend time with her, and now Casey's little mistake was exactly what he was hoping for. Any excuse to be around her, but at the same time being around her was not a good idea. He knew it, but it was hard to fight against the maddening desire to be near her. As long as he kept his distance and didn't do anything stupid, why couldn't he just spend time with her? He was simply curious about her, or that's what kept telling himself. As he made his way to her office, he smiled the entire way. While yes he was annoyed that she didn't follow his instructions, the thought of being able to spend time with her over ruled his need to keep her at distance. You're getting an earful, Case, you're in so much trouble. You're stuck with me now, weather you like it or not.
Casey was stewed about her case. She was angry, upset and just a moment away from having a nervous breakdown. This was crazy the prosecutor wanted to charge him for 10 years, and all based on eyewitness account. Seeing him in jail tugged at her heart string, it wasn't fair, and as she found out more about his whereabouts, the more she wanted to help him. When she got back to the firm, she was just bursting with righteous anger.
As she entered her office, she found Derek waiting for her, looking at her with a cool glare. Oh she'd hardly seen him since that office talk, and to see him there made her heart race unevenly. She thought about him more than she'd ever admit. "Derek," she said a little airily, "What a surprise, what are you doing here?"
He looked so unimpressed, "Where were you?"
Casey looked at him with surprise, "I went to talk to Luis, where else would I have gone?"
Derek approached her stealthily, staring her down with that cool detachment. "You must have forgotten that any lawyer that goes to prison must report their whereabouts, not to mention you're brand new, you were supposed to take Ricardo with you to make sure we know you can handle it."
Casey was instantly irritated, an irking sensation took over her. She hadn't seen him all week, and now he just came to yell at her. It was the last thing she wanted. "Oh, I must have missed that."
Derek laughed with pure annoyance, " No you didn't, you went through everything with me with a flea comb, you knew what you were doing, you just thought you know better or that no one would notice. Do you really think I'm that stupid?"
Casey stiffened, she messed up, but was it really that big of a deal? "No, I'm sorry I just got wrapped in this case, I just forgot. I'm so sorry," she really didn't mean to go against his orders, but it seemed Derek wasn't convinced at all.
Derek's dark eyes flashed with intensity, "Well, you could have had Ricardo go with you, and he would have been quite pleasant," he said with agitation. "But now guess what, you get to take me next time, and I will not be easy on you at all, you're not the boss here, I am Casey, and you ignored protocols, so get ready to have to deal with me once more."
Casey scoffed despite herself, the thought of having him around made her feel a combination of panic and adrenaline. "I said I'm sorry, I don't need you to come Derek. I'll go with Ricardo next time, alright? You have better things to do than babysit me," she challenged.
He laughed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Oh there are a million things I'd rather be doing than being with you, nothing sours my mood than having to chaperone you, and all because you thought you were too good to follow rules."
Casey crossed her arms angrily, she was the one that said nothing would change between them, but it bothered her. So she hung her head guiltily,"You're right, I knew the rule and I disregarded it. I'm sorry, Derek."
Derek was quiet for a moment, and then sighed, "No need to look so damn guilty, it's fine. But I'm going with you Casey, end of discussion."
Casey looked up alertly, no, being around him was too confusing! "I don't want you to come," she said honestly.
Derek laughed taking one step closer to her, domineering over her, and it just made a prickle of awareness go through her. "Oh I'm sorry I forgot the part where I asked for your fricken opinion, I'm your boss Casey, or have you forgotten?"
Casey shook her head quickly, "No, I haven't, and because you're my boss I don't want you to worry, I will take Ricardo with me next time. I promise."
Derek just continued searing her with his eyes, "I'm coming with you."
Casey sputtered nervously, "Why?"
Derek smiled, god he was attractive. "Because I need to know you're doing things correctly. We have a system in place for a reason. All lawyers report when they go to jail, because the firm wants to be aware in case anything goes wrong. It isn't entirely safe for anyone to go on their own, you'd think it was with all those police officers everywhere, but you just never know. Not to mention you are a brand new lawyer, and a woman on top of all that."
Casey's blood ran cold, surely he wasn't sexist? She felt that intense anger go over her, "What does me being a woman have to do with anything?"
He laughed as he scoured over her, from head to toe. What was he doing? "Wow you really are naïve. You' be around prisoners that are more feral than usual, and they have a woman in front of them that isn't entirely hideous, do the math Casey."
She fiddled with a hair nervously, looking away shyly. "Are you saying I'm attractive?"
Derek pursed his lips, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "I said you weren't hideous, anyways, you're too new, and let's face it you're too nice and blind to danger, I can tell."
Casey was trying so hard not to feel like he was scrutinizing her, but clearly he didn't trust her, why else go with her? "Derek, I'm not some baby that needs to be protected. Does Susan, Michaela, Trinity, Fiona, or any other woman at our firm get this kind of treatment? Because if they do, then I have a complaint."
Derek smiled at her almost sweetly, "They don't. It's just routine Case, I know I sound like a jerk but I swear it's policy. Are you too much of a chicken to let me see you work? if you're doing everything correctly, then me going with you should be no big deal. "
She met his challenging gaze, oh he definitely knew what buttons to push to get what he wanted, it was infuriating. "I have nothing to hide. Fine, I'm going tomorrow morning. Meet me there?"
"Nope, we'll take the company car," he seemed suddenly in a much better mood, "Come on Case is being around me that horrible?" He said with a friendly nudge.
"Extremely, but I am a professional," she added with a teasing little eyebrow wiggle.
He laughed loudly, "Well, from what I can tell your professionalism around me suffers all the time, so I'm not counting on it. I'm expecting at least one lash out from you tomorrow. But I'm ready, and I'm coming anyway."
"Can't wait," she said with mock annoyance.
Derek smiled at her, it was a different smile. One that was soft, and almost innocent, as if they had agreed to go for tea or something. She found herself smiling back, and she really didn't understand it at all. He hadn't said anything that would cause her to smile, yet she felt a humming in her entire body. An anticipation, an excitement to spend time with him. She quickly tried to erase those feelings, they were so inconvenient and dumb.
The next morning Casey was anxious beyond belief, all she had to do was ignore Derek as she spoke to Luis. It wasn't that big of a deal, but she couldn't sleep all night. This intense emotion was taking over her, there was no name for it. Hopefully Derek would only be with her one day, any more proximity would confuse her more. She had a few meltdowns in her car over it, what if Derek ended up being so critical that he decided he didn't trust her? The thought of not getting his approval was eating her alive. As she went to the parking lot, she paced for some time as she waited for him. Oh she should have insisted Ricardo took her. This was such a mistake.
As she was battling it out with herself, he came around the corner. He looked dashing, he was more polished than usual which was a surprise considering he always looked good. Now he looked too perfect, and it made her feel unsettled. As she stared at him, she took in that glint of mischief, that brilliant smile, it just made her stop all movement. She should be used to him by now, but somehow every time she saw him it was as if she needed an ice pack on hand to cool down the heat surging through her.
"You look like you just saw a ghost," he took his keys out and unlocked the car, laughing swiftly. "You need to chill a little, why are you so nervous?"
Casey tried to take steady breaths, "I'm not nervous, I'm just annoyed."
He smirked, "Already? Wow that's a record," and he opened the door for her. He grinned at her, challenging her to get in the car with a little head tilt.
She feared being in that car with him, she couldn't help it. "Yes, I can't believe you are going with me, this is so humiliating. Someone is going to see us, and the word is going to go around the firm that I needed my boss to take me to jail because I'm such a princess," she said bitterly.
Derek laughed leaning over her without any awareness of his magnetic sexual appeal, "Everyone already knows you're a princess, but believe me, no one is paying attention to you. You're not as big a deal as you think you are. Get in Casey," he said with a bit more dominance.
Casey just rolled her eyes, getting in the car like a petulant child. She crossed her arms angrily as he took the driver's seat. She needed to look at anything but him, but she was instantly aware they were in an extremely confined space.
Derek turned to look at her, he was clearly amused by her angry display. "You're on the clock starting now, you may want to change the attitude since you're being observed now. You're under scrutiny for being such a rebel, and if you keep acting like a baby, I may have to come more often. Your choice Casey." Although his words were a little menacing, his voice was laced with that same amused, mischievous voice, oh he was enjoying this very much, clearly.
Casey took a few breaths, and slowly met his gaze, "I definitely don't want to see you more," she said it with a hint of desperation. "I'm just saying, you are going to be bored to tears Mr. Venturi, you should have let Ricardo go with me."
Derek turned the car on, and laughed, "Ricardo wouldn't know how to handle you, not even for a couple hours."
Casey couldn't help talk back, "Well, he's handled me just perfectly fine for weeks, he's knowledgeable, supportive, even sweet. I have a feeling he'd handle me well."
Derek's hands tightened on the steering wheel, for a moment a look of deep annoyance went over his face, "Glad he's being such a gentleman, then," he sounded surprisingly serious. For some reason it made her nerves even worst. He seemed in a good mood, well at least in his strange Derek way, and now he looked moody.
"Do you wish I told you he was a reptile or something?" Casey asked slowly.
Derek smiled a little, "Of course not, I'm glad he's been supportive of you. He's a great lawyer, I've learned a lot of my own tricks from him. Anyways, go over the details of the case I want to make sure I'm versed with everything."
Casey went through an extreme report, until Derek just waved one of his hands to silence her. "Damn, you're thorough, I think I get the picture. And you're actually certain he is innocent?"
"Absolutely, I overthink everything so trust me, he's innocent," she said boldly.
He smiled. As they drove in silence she stole glances at him. He was…...gorgeous, the way the light hit him, his profile, his nose, the curve of his mouth. The laugh lines of his face caught her attention. His dark eyes were sublime, glittering in the sunlight, iridescent, and so beguiling she had to mentally snap herself out of staring at him too much.
He must have noticed because he smiled several times until he just uttered, "If you stare at me any harder, you'll explode my brain or something. You're a little intense right now."
Casey blushed slightly, she couldn't seem to control her eyes. "Sorry, wasn't looking at you, the view behind you is quite…splendorous," she said at last, god she was such a nerd.
Derek laughed, "Why do I get the feeling you're the poetic type? Who the hell uses words like splendorous now a days? Normal people say words like nice, or pretty," he teased.
"I'm not normal. Never have been," she said honestly.
Derek snickered, "What a shock," he said with heavy sarcasm, and at her sudden glumness over him thinking of her as if she was a freak, he smiled and then nudged her. "Don't worry, normal is overrated."
Casey looked away, shaking her head, trying to hide her silly smile. She then took out her bag and pulled out several snacks: she had some veggies, grapes, and strawberries. She noticed him watching her as she ate quietly, and offered him some, "It's important to be healthy," she said matter of factly.
Derek grimaced, "No thanks, grandma," he laughed. And she laughed lightly. It was an hour drive, and by the end of it she was so relaxed, and surprisingly in a good mood.
That changed however as they arrived at the gloominess, the smells, the darkness was daunting. They entered together, and Derek watched her as she talked to the guards. They waited in silence until they got summoned to see Luis. He was waiting behind a glass partition, and Casey pulled her chair up to him. Casey questioned him about his whereabouts so Derek could hear his story. Derek's CEO persona came back and he was serious, but he had that quality that made people feel comfortable. Luis' story was so gripping, and she found herself trying to maintain a stoic expression. She needed to win for this man, it seemed vital. Even though she was nervous with Derek there, she had this overwhelming need to impress him. She needed Derek to trust her, so desperately.
As Derek watched Casey, he was consumed by her. She was so hot, Casey on lawyer mode was the most erotic sight he'd ever seen. He found himself at times just checking her out discreetly as she spoke, and he kept having to shake himself out of that trance. Luis answered all her questions, and he seemed taken with Casey, not that he could blame him. He'd have to be blind not to notice her, but Casey was oblivious. He'd never known a woman so completely unaware of her beauty and sensuality. She gave him little looks throughout, seeking his approval, and he'd nod a little to encourage her, and that seemed to rev her. She talked with so much passion and renewed energy. Casey was going to win this case, there was no doubt about it. He wanted to find something wrong, something to criticize , but he couldn't find anything wrong. The only thing wrong was the fact that just like that his day with her was ending, and he had no real reason to go with her again without it seeming obvious that it was all just a ruse for him.
On the way back, she asked Derek how she did, and he smiled. "You seem to know what you're doing, and Luis really seems to trust you. That's great," he said easily, "Are you sure he's innocent?"
Casey nodded eagerly, "Yes, so much so, it's just this feeling. There isn't enough to incriminate him for a 10-year sentence."
He glanced at her, she looked so determined and self-assured, it was cute. "You really are a romantic aren't you? Look I hope you're right."
The to his complete shock Casey starting crying. He was so thrown off, he literally pulled over. "What's wrong?"
Casey was hiccupping and crying, looking embarrassed as hell. She tried to cover her face with mortification. He leaned over gently tapping her shoulder, "I said you did a good job Casey, I'm sorry-"
She shook her head quickly, "It's not that. Derek you should have seen how upset his family was, he went out to get his daughter a birthday cake, and her father gets arrested. Let's say he did it, why would he risk committing a crime the day of her birthday? It just doesn't make sense. I'm sorry I'm so weepy, it just seems so sad. The worst part is Luis feels he's lost, and I need to find a way to get the jury on his side. I need to."
Seeing her cry was more than he could handle, wanted to reach over and hug her. "You're right, you made solid points, but don't cry, please I beg you."
Casey sniffled, becoming even more upset. "I know it makes me overly emotional."
Derek fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. "It's not that, it's just I don't do tears. It freaks me out." He reached over and clumsily dabbed at her tears.
Casey stopped moving, staring at him with wide, surprised eyes. He was so intent on making her stop, he didn't deal with weepy women, ever. She giggled as she noticed his discomfort. "Seems you weren't exaggerating, you're getting everything but my tears," and he stopped. She smiled at him, and he just felt kind of dumb, staring at her as he paused his movement on her cheek. She slowly reached for his hand, touching it softly. For one moment he felt like there was nothing else but her. He was trapped, and her gaze bore into him, striking him in his place. One second, it was probably all it was, but he felt scalded by the realization he was touching her, and she was now touching his hand, her thumbs circling around his fingers in a gentle sweep, it was enough to disarm him.
Casey blushed a little, "I'm okay Derek, really, no need to freak out," and he let go as she pulled at his handkerchief. She turned away from him abruptly, and reached for her purse, pulled out her compact and wordlessly cleaned herself up.
Derek sighed harshly, he could never stand weepy females, but Casey actually made him want to stop to take care for her, to hold her. The warm thoughts were so unusual since his usual MO was to think of holding a woman just for pleasure, so the fact he wanted to hold her was shocking him. Neither of them said much on the way back.
"I'm sorry I took up your morning, I promise I will follow protocols, I'll never forget again," Casey blurted out, there was a shrill anxiousness in her voice.
He tried to come off as cool and collected, but he was definitely freaking out. "All forgiven, no worries. Just please always report your whereabouts from now on, alright?"
Casey looked ahead without sparing him a glance, "Okay. I guess you were right, I was a total baby," and as soon as the car parked, she got out hastily. "Thanks for your time Mr. Venturi, sorry for the tear fest. It won't happen again."
She got out of the car quickly, and he immediately bolted after her, and reached for her arm , snapping her back to him. He couldn't understand anything he was doing, "Hey, it's alright. Just talk to me," he said softly.
Casey just stared at him. "I just don't understand," she said shakily. It seemed like she was going through an anxiety attack, her breathing was coming all choppy, and he seized her shoulders.
"Just breathe, it's okay," and she closed her eyes for a moment, "Don't understand what?"
Casey opened her eyes, looking at him as if she was trying to figure out a puzzle. "I have lived my life in such a way with no room to be anything less than perfect, in everything I do. And yet whenever I'm around you, I'm just-not myself, keep making so many mistakes, keep trying to demonstrate my professionalism, and I fail, every time. I'm a failure," she said gravely.
He was completely taken back, "Casey," he said gently, trying to get her to look at him. "The things you consider failures, are actually good things, okay? You being able to stand up for yourself, being strong and unwilling to allow someone like me to get away with anything, makes you different, in a good way. You are sensitive, but that's not a bad thing. I know I tease you a lot, but I swear, there's nothing for you to be ashamed of. I don't like tears, that makes me the baby here, not you," he said with a smile.
Casey's eyes softened, her breathing stabilized, and she smiled. She was so beautiful, and he looked away, feeling like he was just sinking the longer he was around her. He dropped his hands away, "Thank you," she said softly, "Um I should get back to work," and with a little smirk she moved away, "Trust me, there's only so much of me you should ever have to endure, you've exceeded your limit."
Derek watched her as she left, and was utterly confused. Why do I get the feeling you're wrong about that? The more time I spend with you, the more I want you, clearly I've gone crazy.
Casey went through the next week on autopilot. She was at work, but her mind was just all over the place. She was so out of it, and she had avoided running into Derek. She would arrive to work really early, and leave late, she knew his usual routine, and she made sure to stay clear. The only time she couldn't successfully avoid him was at the staff meeting. But she forced herself to look neutral as Derek went through different matters. He wouldn't look at her either, no surprise there. She freaked him out for sure, as much as he said her outburst wasn't a failure, to her it was. What was it about Derek made her just lose control? She was a stranger to herself, she hated showing that side of her, the out of control, anxious side of her. It was a side that she didn't even like to share with her family, so why was she messing everything up? And with Derek of all people!
The worst part was just how sweet he was for a moment, more than once. The handkerchief moment was unbearably sweet, he didn't make fun of her tears, thank goodness. Her anxiety attack made her feel so small and worthless. But, he didn't make fun of her, and as she stared into his eyes, everything melted away. As if her heart simultaneously stopped beating, and started beating all at once, the anxiety faded gradually. And all she could see was Derek, she couldn't help but smile at him, but just as quickly, she felt her breathing change but in a different way. It was a sensation she hadn't felt in so long, years, an intensity went through her like never before. A longing so disorienting, it left her breathless. His words wrapped around her like a blanket of comfort, Derek and comfort in the same sentence? It seemed unlikely, yet it was happening. And now, Derek was just moving through that room, laughing, being charming and knowledgeable. It was so great seeing him become more confident in himself, and she felt proud of him. It was so hard keeping herself collected.
One evening she stayed at the firm until almost 8, it was dark out but she was getting so much new information about her case, she couldn't just walk away. When she reached the parking lot of the firm, she heard footsteps behind her. She looked over her shoulder, and saw nobody. Her heart was pumping wildly, and as she turned back she saw a man right in front of her. He was wearing all black, a ski mask, and all she could see was green eyes. She started to run, screamed for help as he reached around her and held her hostage. He covered her mouth and heard a raspy voice by her ear.
"Give up," the voice said, "Give up on this case, or I'll kill you," he said viciously.
Casey tried struggling, tried kicking, flailing her arms, but he was much stronger than her. Suddenly the man was torn away from her, the sudden impact made her fall back on the ground.
"You fucking moron," it was Derek, he threw the man to the ground with a loud thud. Derek looked angry beyond belief as he towered over the attacker. "You touch her again, I'll have your ass sent to prison for fifty years." The man stood up quickly, taking a knife out of his back pocket and swung it in Derek's direction.
Derek sprang back away. Casey started shouting, "Derek just let him go, please it's not worth it. You're going to get hurt!" she begged. The man took the opportunity when Derek was looking at her to just skitter off in a hurry.
Casey was rattled and Derek bent down to help her up. He looked frantic, studying her closely, "Damn it Casey are you okay?"
She was shaking but managed a nod. Suddenly he cupped her face gently, completely taking her by surprise, and then his hands roamed over her, inspecting her with rabid rage, touching her arms, her waist, her hips, with complete gentleness. He glanced up and down over her body, searching for injuries, but let out a sigh as he realized she was completely fine. "You're shivering, oh I'm going to hunt him down, I swear," he said angrily, "Did he ….do anything to you?"
She managed to shake her head, "That must have been the culprit, he told me to give up."
Derek was furious, "Oh that is a walking dead man, I'm going to check the security cameras, but I'm not letting you out of my sight tonight," he pulled her by the hand all the way up to his office. She couldn't believe it, Derek Venturi was holding her hand, and had it been under any other circumstance, she would have pulled away, but she wasn't thinking clearly, adrenaline was going through her in voltages. When they got to his office, he let go of her.
Derek moved in close to her, watching her with complete care. "Do you need to lie down?"
Casey looked away, she wouldn't give him another reason to worry about her, not even for a moment. " I'm fine Derek…..it was just a close call that's all."
Derek groaned softly, "Case you don't have to be tough right now."
She plastered a smile, trying to come off as confident as possible. "It was scary, but I think he was just trying to scare me, I don't think he would have killed me."
Derek kept staring at her, and he was still still shaking slightly. "Casey you need to be careful. I'm not just telling you this because you're a woman, okay? I'm not trying to take your female power or whatever, I'm telling you this because the better you become the more you could possibly run into sketchy people. Maybe you shouldn't stay at the firm so late. God, I'm still furious just the image of him holding you …..fuck, It sent me spinning with rage. I promise I will hunt him down," he was about to go to the cameras when she reached for his arm.
"No that's the police's job and now mine to figure out who he is you. I don't need you to get involved. I'm not some wimpy little girl Derek, I can take care of myself."
Derek then put his arm around her, he spoke so softly it filled her with warmth. "I never meant to imply you weren't tough. "
She looked at him as steadily as possible, "I'm just scared you'll treat me differently, with kid gloves. You came with me to jail, you saw me crying, and now this…..I don't want you to see me as weak." The thought was tormenting her, it was way too much to handle.
He looked at her so tenderly, his hand on her shoulder moved with gentle pressure, and it made her unsteady. "You have some serious guts Casey, I'll back off, but you need to promise you'll be more careful. I won't go with you anywhere ever again, but you need to make sure you report your whereabouts…I'm not babying you, I promise. As a CEO it's my job to keep my employees safe, don't hold that against me."
Casey smiled, "I'm not, I do appreciate your help and your concern. Do you think he'll try to come after me again?"
Derek smiled back, "If he does, then he has the brain of a goldfish, two people saw him. He basically dis incriminated Luis, he's an idiot." And then he let go of her and went to look at the video surveillance.
She looked at it over his shoulder, "Is there anything about him that you'd remember if you saw him again?"
"Green eyes," she muttered, "That's all."
Derek compiled all the videos from different angles, "I'll have them sent to the police, why don't you go sit for a bit? I'm walking you out," he said decisively.
As she waited for him, she just couldn't believe her luck that Derek had come just in time, and the way he protected her just made her weak in the knees. That was like a moment out of her favourite novels, having him touch her with such tenderness sent her spinning. She watched as he spoke to the police on the phone, and filled out a report, she knew it wasn't about caring about her personally. That he was watching out for her as her boss, but she couldn't help but melt a bit. As much as she tried to avoid being around him, she just couldn't seem escape him.
Derek needed to relax, he was all tense, and obviously hyped over what happened. He didn't mean to be so touchy with her, but he couldn't help it. He kept glancing over at her, sitting on that couch with a vacant, carefully controlled expression. It was clear she didn't want to break apart in front of him, and normally he would run the other way, but he just couldn't seem to want to leave her alone with this. The pure rage he felt when he saw that douche holding her was as if he was suffocating. He saw them the moment he stepped outside. He ran so fast across that lot, his lungs were moment from combusting in his chest, all he kept thinking was Casey! It terrified him.
He glanced up at her, "What were you doing here so late?"
She shrugged meekly, "I got caught up in this case, and I guess I have won but not in the way I wanted to."
"Is that all? Ricardo mentioned you're always here late, don't you have a life?" He turned off his computer and went to her, handing her her jacket.
Casey stood up and reached for purse, "I'm a bit of a workaholic. I don't have much of a life," she mused. "Thank you Derek," she blushed, it was adorable, "For um getting there just on time."
He waved his hands in dismissal, "Seriously, it was nothing. I wish I could have unmasked that son of a bitch, but I'm just glad you're okay."
Derek turned off all the lights, and as they walked to her car, he asked the question he'd been wondering for weeks. "So, um, are you single, engaged, secretly married? "
Casey laughed a little loudly, looking at him as if he had spouted some ridiculous conspiracy theory or something. "So single it's not even funny, I've been…..off the radar for years. Not even a date. I'm a little…..high maintenance, so finding someone that can deal with that is well, you know rare."
Derek was staring at her, how the hell did she go through years without guys flocking her? How could someone like Casey be so…..lonely? It made no sense. "You're not that bad, a little irritating, but nothing you should worry over becoming a spinster or something. Just because you're strange doesn't mean you'll end up lonely. My advice is don't let life pass you by, you're young still." he chuckled.
Casey reached her car and turned around to face him, leaning back against the hood of her car. He couldn't help but get a couple of crazy fantasies right there and then. "I'm a romantic, and well I have high expectations, so I've realized I'm not really going to ever find that, so what's the point?"
Derek grinned, of course she had high standards, he wouldn't expect anything less. "Not surprised you're a romantic, well it's not entirely hopeless. You could still find that out there somewhere, a lot of weirdos out there," he smirked and she rolled her eyes playfully.
Derek felt so disqualified for that role, even if he wanted to be with her, he'd never live up to that dream of hers. It sucked, but it made it easier to hold back from doing anything stupid. If Casey hadn't been on date for years, did that mean she hadn't had sex in years? For some reason the thought was in before he could process, fuck, no wonder she was so uptight. Casey could clearly use some attention, some passion in her life, someone to please her, make her crazy and breathless. And he wanted to give her that, it was insane how much he wanted her in such a short time.
"Um are you?" she asked quietly, shaking him out of his lustful thoughts
He furrowed his eyebrows, "Am I what?"
Casey blushed, and looked down at her feet. "Are you single?"
"Hell yes. Probably will be until the day I die," he said with decisiveness, no way would he ever date again. Not even Casey.
"That's a shame," she muttered quietly, and met his gaze. Fuck don't look at me like that, please. "Please don't fire me for saying this, but I don't think being alone for the rest of your life is a happy way to live."
He laughed away the tension, why did she care so much about what he did with his life? "It's after hours, I can't fire you for anything you say now, and anything I say now is not coming from your CEO, deal?"
She nodded keenly, "Deal, but you didn't answer the question."
He wrestled with himself before sighing deeply. "Oh it isn't, I'm aware of it. I happen to love misery though, and well it's not like I made a vow of celibacy either, there's plenty of ways to not be lonely."
Casey's cheeks went rosy, the cool air was making her breath come out in little puffs. "Oh, well um, forgive me for being so blunt, but that's not the same as having someone um love you and take care of you, someone you can share your dreams with, someone to trust," she looked away, "I'm a hopeless romantic aren't I?"
Derek's heart had been locked up for so long, but hearing her say that made him wish for a moment he could have that, and if he ever had that again, the thought of that person being Casey made him react intensely. And as he looked at her, biting her lip as if she was afraid she asked too much, he felt an attraction beyond his control. He moved closer to her despite the bells ringing in his head. He tried to laugh, "A little hopeless, but let me tell you a little secret."
Casey looked at him alertly as he reached for her arms and gripped her tightly as he lowered over her until he was right by her ear. "I would rather be a hopeless romantic, than dead inside." He didn't know what madness made him whisper in her ear that way, her body was so close, her scent jumped his senses, but he couldn't move away. He heard her breathing stagger, and he slowly pulled back, but he remained close to her face, could not look away from those eyes. She was looking at him with intense emotion.
"That's heartbreaking," she breathed, "I'm…..sorry you feel that way," she actually looked affected by it.
He forced himself to laugh, damn it, that was too revealing, but he couldn't seem to help himself. "I'll survive, trust me, you get used to it," he said as charmingly as possible.
Casey stood up and moved in to him, copying his earlier action. "Well, I'll tell you a little secret," she moved closer and his heart spazzed out as he felt her mouth so close to his ear.
"I lied. I used to be a hopeless romantic, but I've been afraid to fall in love. I'm also dead inside, but here's the thing, I don't want to feel this way. And I have a feeling you don't want to feel dead either. I guess we do have something in common," Her voice wrapped around him, oh god, he felt a merciless shiver go down his back. When she pulled back, they just stared at each other.
"Who would have thought it?" he said faintly.
Casey smiled shyly, "Certainly not me" and as if a bucket of ice had been dumped on her head, she move away quickly. "I should get home to my roommate before she freaks out. Um, thanks again, goodnight Derek." He didn't want her to leave.
"Don't go into any sketchy alleys now," he teased.
She smiled one more time before getting into her car, "I'll try," and she got in her car without another word. He waited until she had driven away to let go of a strangled breath.
Oh fuck. How did a night of suspense and Casey getting attacked result in him touching her several times and whispering his feelings? What the hell was that? Why did he speak to her like that, why did behave like such a moron? Casey thought she was failing at being professional, but he was slipping badly. He overestimated his ability to control himself. This week had been intense, and without a doubt he was losing this game. Badly. He needed to get a grip.
Casey's head was spinning, what a crazy night. Derek protecting her made her melt, and the way he touched her, the way he looked at her with extreme care made her queasy. And then he just decided to whisper in her ear, and she was in a strange hypnotic trance. He smelled so good, it was comforting, and she felt a tide of arousal go through her. And then she found herself leaning into him, whispering the fact she felt the same, dead, and for some reason that one common thing, was enough to pull her into him like a magnet, this wretched desire to convince him that the life he said he wanted wasn't truly what he wanted consumed her. Surely he didn't truly want to feel dead and alone, how could someone like Derek Venturi be so alone in this world? It was a tragedy, she couldn't believe she spoke to him that way. Danger, that's what he was to her now, her mind seemed to scream it, run the other way, don't get close to him, but then another much bigger side of her wanted to know him, wanted to be near him.
When she arrived back home, Emily was watching Tv. She walked in wanting to tell her everything that just happened, but she quickly turned off the TV. "Casey, I've been waiting for hours, are you okay?"
Casey managed to nod, "I'm perfectly fine," she said a little dreamily.
A smile went over her face, " Of course when I'm dying to talk to you, you take your sweet time. I found something about Derek."
Casey looked at her alertly, threw her stuff to the ground and sat beside her eagerly. "Oh my gosh, tell me."
Emily handed her a few photos of Derek with a woman. He was laughing with her in one, in another he was kissing her, some shots of them that looked like they were in a photography studio because they were so sweet looking. She couldn't contain feeling jealous. "Who…." She managed to say.
"From all my research this is Derek's only serious relationship. They were involved for three years, but all I can find is little pieces of their story, but as to why they ended I cannot seem to find anywhere."
Casey was staring at Derek's smile, he looked so carefree, so happy, there was no stress , no exhaustion. Her heart ached, "What's her name?"
"Savitha Brooks. She's a beauty, though I'm not surprised." Savitha was more than just beautiful, she looked angelic almost. She was tall, slender, had a body that screamed sin. Her long wavy brown locks fell around her to her chest. Her honey colored eyes were beautiful, almost like amber. She had dimples, a full mouth, a sweet smile. How could one woman look angelic and at the same time look like a temptress?
Casey felt a little breathless, like she could ever compete with someone like her. Emily's voice broke through the noise, "I can't find much on her either, it's crazy. All I have is that she comes from a well off family, that's all. Maybe Derek is such a womanizer because this woman hurt him."
His words swirled through her mind, the fact he felt dead inside an how he vowed he'd always be single. He must have been the one that got hurt. "You okay?" she asked softly.
Casey tried to shake off that strange sensation, "Yeah, um, it's just the more I find out about him, the more puzzling he becomes….the more layers I find…..the more I'm just….."
"The more you want to know?" she asked softly.
Casey sighed deeply, "Derek Venturi is an enigma, who is he really? You wouldn't believe it but tonight someone attacked me. And out of nowhere, Derek comes and gets him off me, he was so angry and he made sure I was okay afterwards, and well, it was sweet. I know he was pulling his CEO persona, and he doesn't actually care about me, but I swear he was compassionate even at times. And then he told me he would be single for the rest of his life, it came out of nowhere, we talked about personal issues, and now my head is spinning. But I bet you tomorrow he's going to ignore me."
Emily looked at her as if a lightbulb turned on, "Oh, what if he's acting so crazy around you because he's attracted to you?"
Casey blushed, instantly standing up, and shaking her head adamantly. "No that's definitely not it, how could you even come up with that?"
Emily took out a notebook and started writing down notes, as if she was journaling a masterpiece. "Derek has been known to be a womanizer, and based on what you told me about Melody, he seems to treat every woman in that firm politely and respectfully. You come along, and he immediately begins acting like a jerk, for no reason either. If he picked your resume, why would he have tried to get rid of you so quickly? Maybe he saw you as a distraction from the start, and now you add the fact he's your boss, his commitment issues, and Savitha, and we may have a story here. Whatever happened with this woman could be the key to figuring out why he just sleeps around. What if Derek is acting all over the place because he's tempted by you? More than he's been in a long time?"
Casey laughed hysterically, although underneath she was shaking from the thought of it. "Please, this is Derek Venturi, he has plenty of options out there, why would I be the one to make him crazy? That's ridiculous."
Emily got up with a little wink, handing her the invite from Venturi Firm, "Open it," she pleaded.
Casey opened it to find an invitation to a staff appreciation cocktail, signed by Derek. "To Casey and Guest," the invite stated.
"Wow, Derek is throwing a staff party, basically," Casey said with surprise.
Emily nudged her, "Take me as your date, I can scope out the situation. I have this feeling I may be right, Derek might be interested in you, please Casey. I'll be discreet, I'm a professional."
She felt an infinite blush go through her, "Emily, you can come, but don't be a lunatic. Derek Venturi is not attracted to me, you are living in a fantasy world."
Emily giggled, "Maybe I am, but if I'm right, this could be huge Casey. Aren't you a little curious?"
Casey got up with a huff, "Not even a little, that's is the worst thing that could happen to me, Derek being attracted me is a nightmare, and I don't believe it, not for a moment that he feels that way!" she laughed forcefully, "You really should consider writing romance novels, because your imagination is incredible. But no, I'm not curious, not even a little," and with that she stormed in to her room and slammed the door shut.
Her heart was rattling, why? Just the mere thought of that being true, sent her reeling. She threw herself on her bed, tossing and turning, that night, that week had been a little intense between them, but it didn't mean anything. She thought about that mystery woman, who was she, why did they end? She couldn't seem to shut off her min. Derek was only doing his job and keeping her safe, he was not attracted to her. That night she dreamt of him.
Derek was taunting her with that wicked smile, he looked inhumanly gorgeous in that suit. His seductive laugh curled around her as he approached her, "I could keep you safe anytime you want," he teased, "But it will come with a price."
Casey moved back away from him, "I don't need you to keep me safe, I'm a strong independent, woman. You are too full of yourself Mr. Venturi."
He moved closer until he was looking into her eyes, intense, witty, eyes that stole her very soul. "I may be full of myself, but I'm never wrong, try me Case."
Casey swallowed, "What's the price?"
He traced her mouth with a tantalizing touch, "Just one night Casey. Let me torment you a little, you know you can't resist me," he said with a shock whisper, she was trembling.
Casey couldn't form a word, she was shaking as he moved in against her, "You're an idiot," she managed to breathe.
Derek smirked, "That's not a no, times up," and his mouth came down in a blistering kiss.
She woke up with the sheets twisted all around her, her heart was pounding violently. Oh dear god, she was in deep trouble, "Derek, your name is danger", she whispered into her pillow. "I know you could never even like someone like me, but oh, why does it make me so hot thinking about it? Clearly I need to get examined, I must be coming down with an incurable disease. I must be crazy, out of my mind, you don't like me, I know it, and I hate you, I hate everything you represent, but oh god, you are sexy. I admit it, irresistibly so."
Derek Venturi was obnoxious, a jerk, liked to mess with her head, but he was also charming at times, funny, and sweet. The two extremes confused her so much. Could it be true? Could Derek Venturi really be attracted to me?
Author's Note: And let the true pining begin. I had so much fun with this chapter as I start to develop their relationship, and already they are both losing their minds! Now that Casey is learning more about Derek, and about his past, she'll just become even more obsessed with figuring him out. Derek cannot be professional as hard as he tries, just like Casey can't help it. Haha let the torture begin. Please let me know how you're feeling about this story :) Sorry about the cutting back and forth between POV's, normally there won't be as many switches, but it was important to get both of their POV's as they start connecting deeper.
*I wanted to say a personal thank you to Lucy, you have commented on all of my stories consistently, and I haven't been able to properly thank you, but I love hearing from you! Your comments make my day 😊 The same goes to all my guest reviewers, I love your words, and it's because of you I keep going with this story.