Page 48 of Silver Fire

“Can’t you wait until we get home?” Jack had groused to his wife, obviously impatient to get her alone.

Derek was anxious to get Sophie alone too. In her mind, she was going home with Beth. Well, fuck if he would let her. He had behaved like an asshole, that much he would admit. Derek was unprepared for his reaction to seeing Sophie talking to another man. He tried so hard to act like it had not bothered him. When Sophie suggested they try to get to know each other first by going on dates, that’s when his self-preservation kicked in and he couldn’t stop those hateful words from spilling out of his mouth. He had planned to take her on dates—he figured it was no different from when he, Jack and Maia went out to dinner together. He never dated women before he fucked them. He’d have a drink with them in public during the initial hook up and after that, everything was done in private.OK, maybe not exactly in private. He had fucked in stairwells, parking lots and elevators before, but those hardly qualified as dates. Derek knew he wanted Sophie to be more than a hook up. He just had no idea how to handle her or himself.

The women came out of the ladies room together. Derek always wondered why women did that—go to the ladies room in packs and leave together.

“Ready?” Maia breathed as Jack quickly yanked her into his arms and planted a wet one on her lips.

“Talk about a raging inferno,” Beth teased the couple. “Where’s Stephen?”

“He went ahead,” Derek replied shortly.

“Maia, my stuff is in your car,” Sophie said.

“I’ll go get it,” Derek offered.

“I’m going home with Beth,” said the blonde girl, flashing defiant eyes at him.

He bent his head close to her and said, “Wait here with Beth. Don’t fucking move.” Not waiting for Sophie’s response, he spun on his heel and followed Jack and Maia out the exit. Thankfully, since the girls arrived early, the car was parked close to the bar. Jack popped the trunk and grabbed the overnight bag.

“This is it?” Derek frowned.

“She was planning to go back tomorrow with Beth to move her out of the bungalow,” Maia replied.

“I’m moving her out of the bungalow,” Derek answered.

“Does she know that?”

“Not yet.”

Jack started laughing as he clapped his friend’s back. “Damn, I’m beginning to see how pathetic I was with Maia.”

“Shut it, McCord. Might I remind you how pathetic you were this morning?”

Jack immediately stopped laughing and scowled.

Maia shook her head, her lips were twitching as she gave her friend a nudge. “Go get her, Tiger.”

Beth and Sophiewere waiting outside the bar’s exit when Derek returned. He stopped in front of the blonde woman. “You’re moving out of the bungalow tomorrow and moving in with me.”

Sophie’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not moving in with you.” She reached for her overnight bag, but he held it out of the way.

Derek looked at Beth who had her arms crossed and was observing the scene before her with interest. “Are you going to interfere?”

Beth shrugged.

“Good.” Without warning. Derek dropped her bag, grasped Sophie by the hips and threw her over his shoulder, bumped her solidly into place, ignoring her screech of outrage. Then he leaned forward, picking up the overnight bag and started marching to his car.

“Beth, do something!” Sophie screeched.

Beth had a hard time speaking between her laughter. “Lockwood. Derek! Aren’t you taking this to the extreme?”

Without stopping, Derek said, “Maybe.”

People were starting to stare, but none seemed eager to interfere. In fact some of the women clutched their hearts and made swooning noises as the trio walked through the crowded sidewalks of Georgetown. Derek smirked. “See Angel, women think I’m romantic.”

“This is kidnapping!” Sophie hissed.

“No, Angel this is me claiming you.”

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