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Derek smiled and almost said I told you so. Since she was already unhappy with him, even though she shouldn’t be since she’d agreed to their bet and knew the terms if he won, he kept the comment to himself.
“I guess I’ll take it. And this too.”
He assumed she referred to the sarong. With the exception of the bikini Gabby had suggested, it was the only other thing in the dressing room with her. He knew she’d never buy both swimsuits.
“I’ll let you change and meet you up front. Your boyfriend’s going to love it on you.”
He agreed wholeheartedly. Now he needed to get over the next hurdle: getting her to actually wear it. Brooklyn could be stubborn. He wouldn’t put it past her to put off spending any more time on the beach or on the Affinity with him. Even as she stood changing, she was probably coming up with a half dozen excuses she could use. If she did, he’d pick his way through them all.
Chapter 9
She picked up her briefcase and empty travel mug then switched off her office lights. Although it was not quite five, since she’d come in to work at seven this morning, no one would mind if she called it a day. On her way down the hall, she passed by Derek’s office. The door remained closed. She’d expected to either see or hear from him at some point today. While she knew he had a trial going on, she’d thought he’d stop in her office when they broke for lunch or perhaps send her a text asking her to meet him. Something they both did on a regular basis. Neither happened. While she realized she shouldn’t read too much into it, she couldn’t stop herself.
However, even without any communication from him, he remained in the forefront of her thoughts. The same place he’d lurked ever since he’d kissed her in front of a room full of people.
In fact, she blamed her inability to sleep the night before on him. When she’d returned from Newport, she’d sat up picking apart the entire weekend. She’d scrutinized every word he’d said as well as each kiss they’d shared, starting with the fundraiser and ending with their time at his condo. As far as appearances went, it seemed like he did love her. He hadn’t confused some other emotion with love. And without a doubt she loved him. She’d just always buried and denied the truth. Since their first kiss up on stage, denying the truth had become more and more impossible. After their time together yesterday, burying her love was no longer an option, something that both scared and excited her.
Sure, he’d acted the attentive boyfriend yesterday. What if after she’d left he’d had second thoughts? Perhaps he’d spent the night analyzing their weekend together as well and decided he’d had his emotions confused. Their friendship would be over. Considering the way he’d touched and kissed her on the beach, she’d never be comfortable in the same room with him again if he confessed he’d been mistaken.
No point in worrying about it. It happened, Brooklyn reminded herself as she stepped into the elevator. Besides, she had other fires to deal with. The first being her family. Her dad had left an uncharacteristically long message while she’d been with Derek. In it he’d first reminded her of the promise she made him and how beneficial it would be if she and Trevor married. From there he’d proceeded to remind her Derek would never be welcomed into the family. He’d concluded by alluding to the consequences she’d face if she chose to forget about Trevor and get involved romantically with Derek instead.
She’d deleted the message after listening to it. Unfortunately, she couldn’t erase the words from her mind. She wished she could. It had been like listening to a complete stranger speak using her father’s voice. A stranger she didn’t like or want to know.
All her life her dad had supported her decisions. When she’d announced she wanted to join the swim team rather than dance, he’d wished her luck and gone to every meet he could. Later, when she decided she wanted to be a lawyer rather than study business and join either his company or her mom’s empire, he’d taken her to tour colleges with the best prelaw programs. To have him turn on her like this hurt.
Upset and in shock, she hadn’t returned his call. She knew not doing so only bought her some extra time. If she didn’t call him tonight either, he’d reach out to her. While she could not answer the phone, ignoring him wouldn’t solve the problem.
Brooklyn pushed the glass door open and stopped short. A black limousine waited at the sidewalk while a chauffeur stood near it chatting with Derek. When he noticed her, he started toward her while the chauffeur opened the back door.
“Great timing.” He reached for the door she’d yet to release.
She glanced at the limo once again before she spoke. “Have you been down here long?”
“Nah.” He took her hand and led her over to the waiting car. “Maybe ten minutes. Fifteen tops. I wanted to make sure I got here before you left.”
“And you’re now getting driven to and from the courthouse in a limo? Isn’t that a little over the top even for you?”
“I walked over to court. This is waiting here for you, not me.”
“Were you afraid I’d get lost driving home?”
“You never pamper yourself, so I booked you an appointment at
Magnolia Day Spa. The limo is here to take you over. Afterward, it will bring you home.”
She’d never visited the popular spa, but she’d heard a lot about it. “That’s not possible. You need to book an appointment there several weeks in advance.”
Derek pulled her close and smiled. “There are some perks to having the last name Sherbrooke.”
“Derek, you didn’t need to do this.”
“I wanted to, so please go, relax, and enjoy yourself. And unless you’d rather I didn’t, I thought I’d stop by and see you when you get home.”
“Okay, but I’m warning you. I might enjoy myself so much I never leave.”
“Then I’ll come in and drag you out.” He brushed his hand down her cheek and she leaned more into him, her eyes closing as she enjoyed his touch. “I’m going to visit Gray and Kiera while you’re at the spa. Call me when you get home, and I’ll come down.”
When he moved his hand, she opened her eyes and met his. The tenderness and love reflected there created a tennis-ball-sized lump in her throat. She swallowed a few times before she answered. “I will. Promise.”
