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Truth be told, I never thought I’d be here. Ever. Not in a thousand lifetimes did I think I’d by lying in Doctor Derek Tanner’s arms. It’s everything my prepubescent self has ever wanted. Though, what happened last night…jelly beans. The man certainly has a way with his hands. I mean, he does perform surgical procedures so I shouldn’t be surprised. No wonder women throw themselves at him. I’m starting to question anyone who wouldn’t, actually.
Dim light filters in from the window, just enough to let me see the features of his face. When I was a little girl, the only thing I saw when I looked at him was the depth of his eyes. I was transfixed. Now, as a woman, I notice more details. His sharp stubbled jawline, the perpetual five o’clock shadow that’s become his style. The small scar on his chin from a bicycle accident when he was thirteen. Now it’s nothing more than a small, silvery, crescent shape. The indentations in his earlobes from having them pierced when he was graduating high school. But when he went into college, he gave them up. It’s a good thing too, because piercings never fit him. Not in my opinion, anyway. He’s always worn his light brown hair the same way.
The natural gentle wave that Hawk combs out, Derek embraces. It drives me wild when he runs his hands through it. It always has. Even when he was sixteen and decided to frost his tips. It was all the rage for some unknown reason. I cringe at the thought. But even still, somehow he pulled it off.
Derek rustles in his sleep, his eyes softly fluttering and opening. As soon as he sees me looking at him, he smiles. “Are you watching me sleep?” he asks.
“Maybe,” I admit.
“For how long?” he asks.
“Just a minute or two,” I lie. “I just woke up.” I’m not proud of lying but the truth sounds too creepy in my head.
He nuzzles his face into my neck, inhaling deeply. “You smell like coconut.”
I giggle. “I take it that’s a good thing?”
“Definitely,” he says. Then, a sigh. “I have to go to work today.”
I groan. “Are you sure?”
“Unfortunately,” he says.
“Can we have breakfast first?” I ask.
“Yes,” he says. “I figure breakfast, then we’ll head back to the apartment and check it out. Then I’ll have to grab my stuff and go.”
“I guess I should get some work done too,” I say. “Even if the shop isn’t technically open.”
“Look at us, being so grown up.” He laughs. “But I’ll be off work in time for a late dinner, if you want?”
“Okay,” I say.
“I’ll miss you,” he says, nudging the side of my face with his.
“You will?” I ask playfully.
He moans his response into the sensitive skin just below my ear. I don’t know why I didn’t say I will miss him back. I’m pretty sure I’m still finding it hard to reconcile this as reality. I’m expecting to wake up any moment, back in my bed alone, still yearning for this man.
A faint rustling comes from the hallway. People must be awake. Early risers around here. “Time to get up, I guess.”
Derek groans. “If we must.”
We slip our clothes back on and Derek steals some quick kisses before we walk out. Normally, I wouldn’t approve of this. Not before brushing my teeth. But his insistence and persistence is hard to resist. And he didn’t seem to mind my morning breath. I didn’t even notice his. Of course, he’s one of those lucky few people that just don’t seem to have bad breath in the morning. His perfection knows no limits.
“Good morning, love birds,” Drew says, standing at the counter, Ava right next to her.
“Oooooh you guys are love birds now?” Ava says, her eyebrows raised high on her forehead.
Derek slips his fingers between mine for a moment, looking down at me and wrinkling his nose. “Maybe,” he answers.
Ava waggles her eyebrows, causing me to laugh. “So you can be my aunt!” she exclaims.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Drew interrupts.
To my surprise, Derek didn’t react. I thought for sure a look of panic or nervousness would fly across his features at her comment but that didn’t happen. He also didn’t flinch at the term love birds.Love. Birds. LOVE.This man, even after two decades, continues to surprise me.
Maybe,I think to myself,maybe the truth won’t come as such a shock to him after all. Maybe, just maybe, one day it will be safe to divulge my deepest secret.
