It had been a week since everything had happened. One week of putting the estate back together, of tying up loose ends. Well, at least that's what Derek assumed everyone was doing. He, on the other hand, hadn't left his wing for days. They ate all of their meals in their bedroom, or on the balcony, looking over his perfectly manicured estate while getting some much-needed fresh air as it was officially safe to do so.

Casey was on cloud nine, at least it seemed that way. He had never seen her smile that much. There was something about her that felt lighter. Like she could finally breathe knowing that French was dealt with and she was safe.

Seeing her that way, so free and utterly happy made Derek's day, every day. Even when he was stuck hobbling around on one leg, ignoring his crutches as his body healed.

Thankfully, they got to spend all that alone time wrapped up in each other. Maybe not in the way he really wanted, but Nurse Casey made some allowances that he very much enjoyed to the best of his abilities…and hers. She reminded him that they had to take it easy given all his injuries. But she never stopped him completely. Small wins and all that.

They developed a routine of sorts during their week together. One routine that Derek liked in particular was that when Casey got out of the shower, he would take his time applying her favorite body oil from the comfort of his seat at her vanity, while she towered over him. He especially loved that particular routine when he found his head between her thighs by the end of it; the oil being a precursor to his favorite meal. It almost always ended with her fingers in his hair and her moans echoing against the bathroom walls; his reward for good behavior.

When they weren't wrapped up in each other's bodies, they spent time on their separate interests, but together. Casey read through an alarming amount of books that week; with her head in Derek's lap, his fingers combing through her hair gently. He thought that maybe she was trying to avoid thinking about the real-life plot they had endured, and wanted to get lost in a fictional one instead. Valid.

Derek on the other end clocked in a few hours catching up on some of the series he had missed while he was dealing with French. He had even picked up gaming again, which made Casey feel like reliving her glory days and joining him in that.

All in all, bed rest was amazing, all things considered.

Two weeks later, Izzy had Derek come down for another round of X-rays to make sure his healing was on track. Thankfully whatever she saw was enough to clear him.

After checking in on things around the estate, Derek found himself back in their wing, itching to see his favorite girl again.

He found her in their now shared walk-in closet. She had bubblegum pop playing on the sound system, shaking her hips to a song as she moved around the large room, putting clothes away like it wasn't one of the worst chores to do.

She wore a pair of skin-tight black shorts that molded to her ass perfectly, and a crop top so short it was playing peek-a-boo with her breast. Derek couldn't look away. Her hair was up, with some product in it, deep conditioning is what she had said earlier. She even wore a blue sheet mask on her face, really leaning into the at home spa day she seemed to be having. Good, he liked her like that, relaxed and unguarded.

He stood there, leaning against the door frame, just watching her. He was a lucky bastard who had the luxury to be in her presence; to see her so unfiltered and in her element, without a care in the world. He still couldn't fathom how she looked so good putting away laundry. Laundry!

"Hey!" she beamed, finally spotting him in the doorway. "You're back!" she said, putting down the t-shirt she had been folding, and making her way towards him.

She popped onto her tippy toes with the grace of a dancer. Her hands curled into fists around his t-shirt before pulling him down and tilting her face up to kiss him. She even puckered her lips so he wouldn't end up touching the wet mask on her face, which was sweet, but unnecessary. He would cover himself in whatever just to get close to her.

The corner of his mouth tugged up into a smile, his hand curled around the base of her neck, angling her the way he wanted. Finally, he bent down, pressing a soft kiss to her mouth, sucking her bottom lip into his mouth gently.

They had become those people. The ones who kiss at every greeting. Even if it had only been an hour.

"Hi," he murmured back, not releasing his hold on her. He wanted to keep her just a little longer. The hour he was away tested his tether to her and he didn't like it one bit. He was hooked on that woman. Not that he was surprised, but he wasn't the type to form vices. And yet…

"How'd it go?" she asked, this time, her eyes were hooded, and her voice a little lower than normal. Maybe that kiss did something for her too.

"Well," he started, tilting his head as if he was thinking about it. "I've got good news and bad news."

Casey's eyes narrowed in confusion. She peeled the blue face mask off her face revealing her soft dewey skin below, tossing it into the trash by the door as if she needed to prepare herself for the news. "Okay," she nodded. "Tell me."

Derek bit back a smile. She was so fucking adorable.

"Good news, I'm off bed rest."

Casey's stoic features cracked into a smile. "That's good!" she beamed, not hiding her excitement. "So, what's the bad news?" she asked confused.

Derek made himself frown, to really sell it. "Bad news… I'm off bed rest, " he said again, this time sounding a lot sadder about it.

Casey was confused for a second, till it dawned on her. Being off bed rest meant their caccon, their little unofficially honeymoon period was no longer a medical requirement; he had to get back to work. Then she chuckled, bringing her hands up to his wrap around his neck, pressing herself against him again.

"Ahh well. We had a good run, didn't we?" she teased, eyes twinkling up at him.

Derek nodded, wrapping his arms around the woman who had become his entire world. His hands bracketed her waist, sliding down her cup her ass in those teeny shorts. He was very tempted to lift her up, and have those legs wrapped around his hips and make her see stars. But he knew better than to start down that path even if he had officially been cleared for more fun activities.

"We should get out of here," he declared, bending down to peppering kisses against her neck. His voice was rough but laced with delicious promise.

"W-what?" she asked as if she hadn't heard him properly. Maybe she hadn't.

A grin pulled across his mouth slowly. "I think we earned ourselves a vacation, don't you think?" he teased.

"A vacation?" she asked carefully, clearly not buying what he was selling.

Derek nodded, licking his lips just thinking about her on vacation. Away from the estate, and all his. Sunshine, warm skin, and her. There was no way he was telling her what he had planned. He wanted to see the look of surprise in those blue eyes when they got there.

"Pack a bag," he instructed, his right hand coming up and swiftly down on her ass with a loud smack. "We leave in the morning," he winked.

Casey hadn't stopped asking questions since he had dropped the news. She kept trying to figure out exactly where they were going. Clearly, she wasn't a fan of surprises, which was going to suck for her. He wasn't going to budge. Not even when she pouted her lips and used that soft, sultry voice, or dragged her soft hand down his chest in temptation. He didn't give her a single hint, just leaned back in his seat, letting her explore him however she wanted. Which earned him a few new bite marks, but it was worth it.

Bratty Casey was fun to play with. He enjoyed seeing her all riled up and frustrated, baffled about how on earth she wasn't getting her way. He briefly considered letting her work out her frustration during their flight over…The idea of turning her ass the same shade as her pretty pink cheeks was very tempting. But he wasn't sure how he felt about his staff being so close by while they played, so he pushed the idea aside; at least for the time being. Truly, he was testing his own patience. But he was a resilient man. He could survive a few more hours.

Even though she didn't know the location, she rightfully assumed there would be a pool at the very least, so she packed a swimsuit. But it didn't even matter because he had arranged for an entirely new vacation wardrobe to be delivered to their room upon arrival. Yeah, he was going to enjoy spoiling the fuck out of Casey McDonald, now that he had no limitations and could do whatever he wanted.

He was just getting started.

When their car pulled up to the private tarmac, the Venturi jet was idling, waiting on them. The helicopter was fun for a quick trip. But the jet? The jet was luxury.

Casey's eyes went wide in realization, turning to him like she couldn't believe it. "Seriously?" she gasped, practically jumping out of the car to see it better.

"You've seen the helicopter. Is the jet still surprising?" he countered, feeling a little smug about her reaction. It had been a while since he had purposely shown off or received such a reaction given his close-knit circle. But he couldn't help but admit, he enjoyed it.

"This is different!" she argued, suddenly looking shy about making her way towards the awaiting jet.

Derek would have none of that. He slipped his hand into hers, intertwining their fingers like he wanted to intertwine their futures. With her beside him, he led them toward the jet. The staff had quite literally rolled out a red carpet for them, the one with the Venturi crest on it. They were greeted with smiles and glasses of imported champagne. Nothing but the best.

Casey took her flute, thanking the staff before making her way up the steps and inside. Although she was more reserved than he expected, he knew she was damn near giddy by all of it, and they hadn't even reached their destination yet. Somehow she made the journey feel so much sweeter, Derek did not even care that they had a long travel day ahead of them.

Inside, everything about the jet was pristine from the lush carpet to the windows. There were 10 cushy cream leather seats, all adjustable with seat warmers, massagers and most importantly, they fully reclined. Between the rows, there were tables for meals that could be collapsed and tucked away. In the back, there was a full-sized bathroom and a bedroom with a king-sized bed. And of course, there was the staff who made sure everything went smoothly.

He watched as Casey picked a window seat in the middle, curling up into the oversized seat. "You have a jet," she whispered as if it weren't obvious. Maybe it was all starting to settle in for her. Good.

Derek only chuckled in response, slipping into the seat next to her. "Enjoy, sweetheart," he murmured, pressing a delicate kiss to her temple. "You deserve it," he reminded her. Because she did. She deserved the world, and he was just the lucky bastard who got to give it to her.

Casey flushed under his stare, trying to brush off her emotions with an eye roll. Even though she was shaking her head, telling him it was all too much, he didn't care. He'd do it again and again just to see that look on her face.

She watched out the window as the plane took off, taking pictures of the clouds. And he watched her. He saw the way she couldn't stop smiling. He couldn't help but snap a picture of her looking out the window, the sun glowing on her skin making her look like the angel he knew she secretly was. Naturally, when she caught him, she rolled her eyes and blushed, and yeah, he caught a picture of that too.

Once they reached elevation, the flight attendant served them a delicious breakfast that had Casey closing her eyes and kicking her feet in delight. Not long after, when she was comfy in her seat, she dozed off. Naturally, she ended up with her head on his shoulder; using him as her personal teddy bear as she softly snored. But he wouldn't dare tease her about it. He wouldn't take his little snoring princess any other way.

He was tempted to scoop her up and take her to the bedroom in the back, but he didn't want to risk waking her. Instead, he gently pulled her completely into his lap, letting her use him as a bed, and reclined his seat all the way back. The flight attendant noticed, coming by with a cozy blanket for them. After tucking it around her, he closed his eyes breathing in her familiar scent, and got some rest right along with her.

Another blacked-out SUV was waiting for them when they landed, taking them straight to the marina, where a beautiful white yacht was waiting for them.

Admittedly, it wasn't his, he had called in a favor, but only because the Venturi one wouldn't have made it there in time.

Casey eyed him in disbelief, but she didn't bother asking any more questions. She didn't need to. The look in those blue eyes said it all. She could not believe any of it. But he was sure the location, French Polynesia, the humidity in the air, and the sun shining above them were enough to keep her satisfied with their surprise vacation plans.

Once inside the yacht, she changed out of her comfy sweat suit and into something a little more appropriate for the weather. A white bikini, covered by a white crocheted dress paired with oversized sunglasses and her bare feet. Vacation Casey was in full effect. She looked like something straight out of a summer rom-com and he couldn't get enough.

Finding himself obsessed, he slipped his phone out of his pocket to snap a few more pictures of her looking off into the water. She tilted her head back, eyes covered in sunglasses, looking up towards the sun with the sweetest smile on her face. He wanted to taste it.

Briefly, he considered hiring a photographer. Have a Casey photoshoot…maybe a boudoir one? Would she be open to that….? Questions for later, that was for sure.

"You really are obsessed with me," she laughed when she caught him acting like her personal paparazzi again.

"Maybe," he teased as if there was ever any doubt. If only she knew the thoughts that were in his head. She'd go running scared…or maybe not.

He brought her hand to his mouth, pressing a kiss to her knuckles as if she were royalty. "Come on," he murmured, trying to get his thoughts back to normal.

He led them to the front deck where the staff had served a delicious lunch made from locally sourced seafood paired with fruity cocktails to get their vacation started off right.

After a delicious late lunch on the water enjoying each other's company, the yacht pulled up to the island where they would spend one glorious week together.

"Is that what I think it is?" she asked softly, not being able to look away from the lush green island in the distance, her hands curled around the railing in awe.

He stood behind her, pressing his body into hers, bracketing her in his arms; her protection against the world. "Depends," he teased. "What are you thinking?"

"That you own an island?" she asked, turning to look at him with a disbelieving smile on her face. The entire day must have felt like a dream to her.

"It's not mine," he admitted. "I just have friends," he shrugged like it was no big deal.

"Friends who own islands?" she countered, sounding like she didn't believe him.

"Friends who own countries," he clarified. "But, if you like this one, I'm open to expanding my portfolio," he explained as if buying an island was no big deal. But he already had his eye on just the one. He just wanted to get her input on it first.

Once they were docked, their bare feet padded along the warm plush sand, his hand in hers, as he gave her the grand tour.

Naturally, the island was beautiful, surrounded by crystal blue water and covered in lush greenery, hammocks hung between palm trees. The house was nothing short of perfection, and the infinity pool with ocean views was a nice bonus, even if it was unnecessary.

Inside, they walked through the open-concept kitchen, grabbing the glass of the homemade lemonade and nibbling at the charcuterie board that had been laid out for them. The fruit was sweet and juicy, strawberry juice slipping out the corner of Casey's mouth when she took her first bite. Without hesitation he pressed his lips against the corner of her mouth, his tongue peeking out to lick at the sweet juice, not letting a drop go to waste.

"Concentrate, Venturi," she teased, pushing him away but giggling all the while. "I want to see the rest of this place," she reminded him, moving the tour along.

He tried his best to ignore the tension brewing between them and showed her the rest of the house. Although huge, with several bedrooms, they would be the only ones on the island and would take the master. The bed was a king-sized four-poster dark wood frame, with a billowy white canopy surrounding it. He could not wait to use it.

Casey on the other hand was sucked into the closet full of her vacation attire. She didn't bother arguing about it either. She simply picked out a different swimsuit throwing a wink at Derek before slipping into the bathroom to change.

Yeah, he was in heaven. And they had just gotten there.

They made it into the water for golden hour. Swimming with her in crystal clear waters, with the cotton candy sky in the background might be one of his top places on earth. They had snorkeled and were greeted by the local fish. They swam and raced each other, bickering about the other cheating. And after all of that, they floated, together.

She had her legs wrapped tight around his middle like an anchor. The rest of her body was buoyant, floating in the blue water. Her eyes were closed, her hair forming a halo around her. He thought back to that night he found her floating in his pool, when he wanted nothing more than to jump in and join her, touch her. He looked down at his hands that were wrapped around her hips, his thumbs sweeping arcs across her hip bones melodically. He knew how perfect she'd feel in his arms, even then.

He could watch her forever. But there was something in the back of his mind pestering him. "Hey Case," he started, softly.

"Hmm," she hummed, not bothering to open her eyes.

"I want to show you something."

She cracked her eyes open at that but didn't say a word.

"We should probably wash up for dinner first," he offered. Although the idea of getting out of the water, of losing the feeling of her pressed up against him was a painful one, he knew after the hours in the water, they needed to eat and more importantly, talk.

Casey headed to their bedroom to rinse off the travel day and sea salt from her hair.

He took the time to make them a quick dinner. It had been a while since he was the one cooking, but he wasn't half bad behind the grill. Chef had made sure Derek had the basics down. Plus, the staff had prepped everything, he just had to cook the burgers and throw the fries into the oven. Maybe it wasn't as fancy as their last few meals, but a burger after a sunset swim didn't sound half bad to him.

He set their food out on the balcony of their bedroom. The space was large enough for another bed, overlooking the water, decorated with twinkle lights, an outdoor seating area, and a hammock he knew he'd find Casey cured up into soon enough.

He popped inside to change when she came out of the bathroom. Her face flushed pink from the day in the sun. She was towel drying her now clean that was draped over a shoulder. And more importantly, she was wearing a tiny pink silk robe that kissed the top of her thighs and wrapped nicely around her body.

"Foods ready," he managed to say, without tearing his eyes off her long legs and the idea of how much he'd see when she turned around.

"You sure you don't want dessert first?" she teased, strolling towards him in temptation.

Derek used the tip of his pointer fingers to tip her chin up. He let his eyes linger on hers for a beat, letting the silence do half of the work for him. "I plan on enjoying every bit of dessert," he promised, his voice smooth and low. His eyes traced a line on her lips, her throat, and the top of her breast exposed by her robe. "Wait for me out there," he instructed, tilting his head towards the balcony.

Casey, slipping into subspace so smoothly, simply nodded, her feet taking her away before her eyes ripped off of him. When she turned he got a peek at the curve of her ass kissing the bottom of the robe. That woman was pure temptation and he was not immune to her charm.

"Fuck," he cursed under his breath, his hand tugging at his own hair in hopes to keep it together and on track. He shook his head, turning away from her and straight into the bathroom for the quickest, coldest shower known to man.

Once he was clean and in a pair of gray joggers, he joined her on the outdoor couch where she was munching on some fries.

He took his seat next to her, opening his arm out in invitation. Without reservation, she snuggled into him. Her skin was still warm from the shower and she smelled like florals and sweetness. His fingers played with her wet strands as he breathed her in. Peace. He felt it wash onto his bones like honey.

"Do you remember when you showed up in my office?" he started softly.

"Kind of a hard day to forget," she countered. "Why? What's wrong?" she asked, her features sobering quickly from the languid soft woman who had curled up to him like a cat.

"Nothing's wrong," he promised, brushing the hair out of her face, hoping his touch would soothe her worry. "That day, and the days after, I made a promise to you that I'd keep you safe. That I'd eliminate the threat against your life. And I fulfilled that promise," he explained.

Casey nodded slowly, not tracking where he was going.

Derek bit his lip, this was the hard part. "You're free now, Case," he finally blurted out. "You can do whatever you want. Go wherever. Live wherever," he finally said the words he had been dreading. "I don't know if you want to go back to your old place. Or maybe a new place in one of my properties? Whatever you want," he promised, trying his best to be reassuring. "I put together a list," he admitted, eyeing the folder on the table next to his plate of food. "I want you to take a look and let me know what you think. It doesn't have to be right now, or this month or this year. But I wanted to give you options, ok?" he asked, trying to look into her eyes, but she was avoiding his gaze.

"Hey, look at me," he urged, trying to get those blue eyes back on him. The ocean in front of them was beautiful, sure, but the haunted look on her face sure wasn't.

Eventually, her eyes slide toward him. Tears. There were tears. Fuck. She was not taking it well. She wasn't understanding.

"You trust me, right?" he asked, needing her to say yes.

"With my life," she responded without hesitation. And he wasn't sure if she knew what those words meant to him.

He closed his eye, sucking in breath. "Then trust me now," he told her, voice bordering on begging. "Please," he added, eyeing the folder once more.

She sucked in and pick it up, opening it as if she was ripping off a band-aid. There was only one option written on that paper. There was only one place he wanted her in. But he needed her to agree, with her own free will, and the world at her disposal, he needed her to choose him when she could choose anyone.

She stared down at it for a long time, a few more tears slipping down her cheeks.

Derek started to panic. "Maybe I misread this-"

"No," she interrupted, finally looking up at him. "No, you didn't misread anything," she clarified, putting the folder down behind her before sitting up to her knees.

Derek's heart thundered in his throat.

She cupped his face in her hands so gently, that he hoped she wasn't about to break his heart. "I don't want to go back home, Der," she explained, chewing on her bottom lip, eyes locked on his making sure he heard her. "I don't want to live in one of your many penthouses," she added. "Not unless you're there too," she admitted, softly.

A woosh of relief flooded through his body. "Thank fuck," he cursed, pulling her into his lap. She cried into his neck, but he didn't care, because she had chosen him when she had all the choices of the world.

They sat there wrapped up in each other arms, Casey's hands in his hair, Derek's hands rubbing up and down her silky back, till the tears subsided and the touches slowly morphed into a different kind of connection. Their emotions shifted from sadness and relief to hunger and yearning. Her face in his neck prepared kisses that turned into nibbles, and her thighs, wrapped tight around his hips started to rock ever so slowly against him.

Derek groaned, pulling her mouth to his for a filthy kiss, not being able to hold back any longer. His hands had a mind of their own, untying the knot that held her robe together. He needed more, more skin, more her.

He was well aware of how empty the island was. He was the one who gave the order of complete privacy, dismissing the entire staff. He knew no one would see her, no one except for his greedy eyes. Alone on a private island, he could have her this way. And with the sun tucked safely away for the night, and the moon coming out to greet them, he felt safe about exposing her to the the twilight around them.

Casey's eyes were blown wide, her lips swollen, but she watched as his fingers dragged the silky robe open, and down her shoulder, her arms, slowly revealing more of her skin to his eager eyes. His mouth soon followed the same path, pressing kisses down her neck, her collar, her shoulder, anywhere he could reach.

Casey arched in his lap, throwing her head back and giving him all the space she could, enjoying his mouth, his lips, his tongue. She whimpered when his mouth reached her breast. His lips covered one peak, his palm covered the other, as Casey rolled her hips against his lap, aching for friction and melting under the attention.

Releasing her with a pop, he dragged her mouth back to his. Her hands, clumsy reached for him, for more. And who was he to deny her? They had done enough of that over the last few months.

"Case-" his voice was rough; pure gravel against the quiet.

"Yes," she rushed to answer. "Whatever it is, yes," she breathed. "Please," she added.

Derek nodded, his hand slipping between them where he found her swollen and wanting. His eyes fluttered for a second. They were done taking things slow and he would soon be wrapped up in her. He rubbed his thumb in circles the way he knew she liked, making her breath catch in her throat. She was so soft, so warm, he prayed he'd last, that it would have all been worth the wait.

"Der-" she whined, her nails clawing into his shoulder and back and she tried to stay upright. She wanted, no, needed more.

"There's my girl," he cooed, his voice smoky with desire. He gave her what she wanted, his fingers going deeper. "Begging, as if I wouldn't give you the world," he growled. And although it was words said in the heat of passion, it was also very much true.

Casey didn't respond, too lost in the feeling, teetering on the edge. She was a mess of breaths and whimpers, as her hips tried to follow his pace.

He let her have her fun for a minute, but before she tipped over into no return, he removed his hand. He brought his fingers to his mouth and sucked them clean; teasing himself with the taste of her.

Casey could only stare, lips parted and lost in the tension between them.

"Go ahead," he coaxed her, spreading his arms across the back of the couch, completely submitting to her. "Take what you need," he urged her.

Her lips parted in desire, but she was focused on the goal. She lifted up to her knees quickly, just enough to give her space to pull him out of his joggers. Derek bit back a hiss when he felt her hand wrap around him, but it was quickly replaced with a different feeling when she finally lined them up.

She didn't bother teasing him, or herself. They were both past the point of no return. He didn't need anything more. And then she looked him in the eyes as she slowly sank onto him, inch by very slow inch.

He didn't dare take a breath, letting himself enjoy the feeling of being wrapped in her for the very first time. Warm and soft and perfect. He could live in the moment for the rest of his life and he'd die happier than most.

Once seated, once completely connected, he watched as she closed her eyes and took a slow deep breath. When she opened them again, there was a faint smile across her swollen lips. She looked like a woman well loved. And she was, even if she didn't know it yet.

She was his home, the feeling between them so crystal clear at that moment.
And he was hers. He only had to make her believe it.

And then she started to move. Slowly at first, rolling her hips, finding her rhythm that worked for both of them. "Eyes on me," she instructed, the control in her voice sexy as sin.

He hadn't even realized he had closed his eyes, but she had caught him, bringing him back to her, as if he'd ever leave.

There must have been a look in his eyes when he opened them because she looked down at him with mischief and delight. "Hands on me," she added with a hint of a smirk across her lips.

His hands landed on her hips, following her slow torturous pace. But he couldn't stop moving; he couldn't decide where he needed to touch most. Her hips, her thighs, spread wide across him, her stomach, her core working so hard to pleasure them both. Her round ass in his lap, her breast, perfect handfuls, with peaked nipples. She was a work of art and he was nothing more than an observer.

There was something about her naked, under the moonlight, riding him as waves crashed into the sand in front of them that amplified the moment. He was glad they waited, glad he held out till they could have this perfect moment together. His eyes didn't leave her, the way her lips were parted, her cheeks flushed, the silhouette of her body against the blue twilight.

She gripped a handful of his hair in one hand, tugging and making him look up at her. "Mine," she vowed, before crashing her lips onto his.

Hers. That's all he ever wanted to be.