Chapter 28
After dropping Nikki
back at her place, Derek wanted to kick himself. There was so much
more he’d wanted to say to her tonight, to tell her how he really
felt. He’d chickened out. Again. What was it about her? Her eyes,
her hair, that smile, the way she made him laugh. She was the whole
package and yet he couldn’t tell her. He’d never felt so afraid in
his life. She held something over him and dammit, he’d never been
around a woman who made his heart race the way she did. The other
night in the city, he’d wanted to tell her, kiss her, and then
Marco and Simon and their troubles got in the way. Since then, it
was like the cat got his tongue and clamped down on his
feelings.
He flipped on the
stereo and Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On,” was playing. All right,
the hell with it. He was going to do it. He was going to go over to
her cottage right this minute and tell her everything about how he
felt.
Derek went to the
wine cellar and found the bottle of wine he wanted to share with
her that he’d told her about over dinner.
Five minutes later
Derek stood outside Nikki’s door with the wine in his hand. He knew
this was right. He wanted to tell Nikki that his feelings for her
were far stronger than just for an employee or for a friend. His
feelings weren’t nearly that simple, and he should’ve told her at
dinner. The fact was he wanted to be close to her. To smell the
gardenia scent that enveloped her body, to look into her green
eyes, to see that smile that lit up his world every time he saw
it.
He lifted his fist to
rap on the door, his heart thumping hard against his chest, his
nerves taking a stranglehold on every part of him. Something caught
his eye from inside Nikki’s house. He nearly dropped the bottle in
his other hand. His heart almost stopped. How stupid could he be?
There was Andrés, his arms around Nikki, and they were kissing.
They were kissing passionately. Derek turned around and swallowed.
He fought down any emotion, as he walked back home where he took
the bottle of wine and slid it back into its place.