I bit my lip, my emotions getting the better of me.
Dereck smoothed the movement with his thumb, his eyes soft. “Yes?”
“I want to leave that kind of impact, that kind of legacy behind.”
“And I think you will.”
I smiled a little at that. “Jerimiah thinks so too. And you are both biased in your opinions, but I’m happy to hear you say that.”
He tapped my chin playfully. I both hated and loved my reaction to such a simple contact. “What about your personal life? Where do you see yourself?”
“Do you think it’s possible to have both a successful career and a successful family life?” I asked.
He frowned a little at that. “I do. But I am getting the sense that you don’t.”
“You think that because you’re a man. You’re not defined by your family life in your career. For me, as a career woman, I will be viewed as less than if I end up marrying and having children before establishing myself. And even after.”
He opened his mouth to argue with me, but I shushed him with my hand over his mouth. I shook my head. “No, listen. I know I’m not. I have nothing but respect for working moms out there. Especially single mothers. Hell, Jerimiah built his empire from the ground up, and he was taking care of me most of that time. Not that I’m comparing my brother to working moms. I’m just afraid I might lose myself completely to family life in the future and forget the aspiring woman that I am now.”
“That could only happen if you didn’t have support from your family and friends. I know Jerimiah will support you in everything you decide to do… I will support you if you give me the chance.”
My heart was beating so hard inside my chest, I was sure he could feel it. Was he saying what I thought he was saying?
And what did that say about me when I could feel hope soaring at his declaration? Was I being optimistic or just plain stupid?
I didn’t know, and I didn’t know how to answer him, so I said nothing. Instead, I leaned forward and kissed him, and for the first time, he let me control the kiss however I wanted. It was me who deepened the kiss when I was ready, and it was me who elicited a soft moan from him, and it was me who pulled away.
Our chests pushed against each other with our labored breaths, and I shot him a soft smile before I laid back down again, resting my head on his shoulder. Dereck turned off the light, and the room was bathed in utter darkness.
He held me, and I fell into a deep sleep, trusting him to keep me safe, even if it was only for one night.
7
Lily
I went to work the next day feeling different.
For one thing, I woke up in Dereck’s arms. We had a small breakfast at his house before he drove me back to my apartment so I could get ready.
Dereck was… curious.
Almost as if he wanted to drink in as much as possible every single piece of information about me. He walked around my apartment with a purpose, taking note of all the books I read, the pictures I had hanging on the wall, and even the food I had stocked in my fridge. It was as unnerving as it was flattering.
Afterward, he drove us to work, and now here I was, sitting in my own little cubicle. I should be trying to come up with a design for Ms. Tracy, but all I could think about was how good Dereck had looked naked this morning, and how talented he was when it came to his mouth.
The mouth he had used to wake me up early this morning. I squirmed a little from the memory alone, only to almost startle out of my seat when I heard a cough nearby.
I looked up and found hardened brown eyes on me.
“Ms. Tracy. What can I do for you?” I asked, proud my voice didn’t waver.
“I am just checking in. How are the ideas coming along?”
I looked back down at the three drafts I had sketched. None of them were good enough to show her. “Good. I should have a rough draft submitted to you by the end of the day.”
She smiled, and there was nothing nice or sincere about it. “Good. Tell me, how was it working with Mr. Anderson yesterday?”
I was thankful for the foundation I wore, as my face was already heating at the mere mention of Dereck’s name. If only she knew what it was I’d done in Mr. Anderson’s office yesterday. “It was good. He just needed someone to cover for him with some administrative stuff. It was pretty standard, all things considered.”
She didn’t look like she believed me. I didn’t blame her. Why, oh why, did Dereck have to pull me out of my job yesterday? And on my first day, no less.
But then, had he not done that, I wouldn’t have felt brave enough to go home with him last night. And as much as I wanted to be smart about this, I couldn’t bring myself to regret it.
“He pulled one of my designers on her first day to help him with administrative work?”
“Well, uh, I mean, there was more than administrative work.”
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, and I quickly added, “He wanted to know what my opinions were on some of the constructing contracts the company had signed recently. Though I don’t really think he took my opinions to heart. I think he was just being nice.”
“Nice?” She laughed, a mocking sort of laugh that made my gut clench in the most uncomfortable way. “Dereck Anderson is not nice. The man is ruthless. There’s a reason why this firm is on its way to the top. Why
