Page 5 of Silver Fire

“My ass,” Jack muttered.

“Gentlemen,” Laurie admonished. Derek chuckled at Laurie’s attempt to curb Jack’s cursing. Cursing and the military way of life went together. Jack and Derek had that habit in spades, particularly when they were riled or dealing with the DoD and when there were no suits from Washington DC around.

“You need to show her a good time,” Stephen told Derek. Obviously, the formal part of the meeting was over.

“You do realize you’re pimping out your boss,” Derek said, his brow arching.

Stephen grinned and then shrugged. “I’m just having fun teasing both of you. She’d never agree to go out with you. Otherwise I wouldn’t have suggested it.”

Was Parker daring him? He, Derek Lockwood, who had no problem getting any woman in his bed? Jack noticed the gleam in his friend’s eyes and shook his head. Too late. The gauntlet had been cast.

* * *

“Don’t do it, Lockwood,”Jack said sternly. They had dropped Laurie off at the MDI headquarters before driving out to their manufacturing plant located on the outskirts of New Park City.

“That’s unfair, don’t you think,” Derek fired back irritably. “You didn’t let anybody naysay you when you pursued Maia.”

“Silver Fire Research is our business partner. The last thing we want is you screwing around with their CEO.”

“That’s harsh. What if I told you this time it was different.”

Jack snickered. “Are you serious?”

Derek bristled inwardly. He didn’t know why Jack’s response annoyed the hell out of him because it was not unusual for them to rib each other about their sexual activities. It was probably because Derek knew his friend was right, that it smacked of unprofessionalism and intrigue and that was the last thing MDI needed when they had just sunk a 250 million dollar investment in the research lab.

“You’re right,” Derek conceded. “Dr. Leroux looks too uptight for the relationships I’m used to.”

“Or the non-relationships,” Jack added.

“Look, you’ve made your point,” Derek said through grit teeth. “So get the fuck off my case. Not everyone can have what you and Maia have. So stop rubbing my nose in it—OK?”

Derek stiffened when his friend flicked him a worried glance. They rode in tense silence for a while; Derek started tapping his fingers on the side of the car door. He was happy for his friends, but he definitely doubted the choices he had made. What if he had taken a chance with Maia, would he be in Jack’s sickeningly blissful place right now? He quickly banished the thought. Jack would beat the shit out of him if he knew what he was thinking. Besides, he stopped looking at Maia lasciviously the moment he realized how much he valued her friendship. Now Sophie Leroux though, was a different experience—different but not enough for him to give up his harem, as Maia called them.

Derek kept three women in rotation each week (or month if they were good)—all non-exclusive. One or two would show up at his place when he called them, they fucked and then they left. No sleepovers, no dates. He’d not had a girlfriend since high school; he had women.

“Look, I’m all for you hooking up with Sophie Leroux,” Jack began cautiously. “All I’m saying is don’t lump her with your other women. Maybe you could put…uh…the others on hold while you explore whatever with her.”

“Oh, there will be exploring, but I don’t think we’re on the same page,” Derek laughed.

Jack chuckled. “You’re hopeless, Lockwood. Take it from me, you never know when you meet the One.”

“Marriage has turned you into a sap,” Derek said mockingly.

His friend just grinned, that stupid grin he wore whenever he thought about his wife.Jesus.

The phone on the Escalade’s dashboard vibrated. Speak of the devil. Jack punched the speaker phone.

“Hey, babe.”

“I had to push back my meeting with Sophie Leroux, something came up at AGS. I don’t think I can make it back at the apartment by 6:00 p.m. So we’ll have a late start heading down to see your parents.”

“I hate getting a late start, Maia, 95 traffic can be horrendous,” Jack said. “Why don’t we—”

“It was your idea that I take on the Leroux account,” Maia cut in.

“I was going to say,” Jack stated calmly, “That I can swing back at our apartment, pick up our suitcases, and we can pick you up at Leroux’s place. We, meaning Derek and I. Derek can take your car with him and we can drive from there. That OK, Derek?”

Derek shrugged. He was looking forward to seeing Sophie again, but he would be damned before he made himself too obvious.

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