Page 9 of Derek

Derek sat down at his desk and sighed in frustration. His office was extra hot and stuffy with the air conditioning on the fritz. Why did the powers that be always go with the lowest bid when they replaced something? They had just put in a new system that spring, and already, it was broken.

After his crap day, the small office with cheap carpet and beige walls didn’t help his mood. He had spent the afternoon dealing with a family he believed was beyond repair. He’d made a scheduled visit to the home of Mike, Roberta, and their three-year-old son, Kayden. The parents were twenty-one and nineteen. They had already lost custody once, a year ago, due to neglect; they hadn’t known how to take care of their child. After parenting classes and counseling, social services had returned Kayden to them three months ago, over Derek’s objections. He believed there was more to their problems than simple ignorance, and he’d been keeping a close eye on them ever since. Although he didn’t like what he was seeing, he hadn’t had grounds for removing the boy until today. Even though they were expecting him, or should have been, he arrived to find both parents high on meth and little Kayden crying in his playpen, filthy with feces and stinking of urine. He had bruises on his back and welts on his legs, so the case for removing him was clear. The police had arrested the parents and found more drugs when they searched the apartment. If Derek had his way, their parental rights would be terminated, and Kayden would have a shot at a decent home. At three, he was still young enough that they should be able to find a suitable adoptive home for him.

While Kayden was being cleaned up and fed, Derek started making calls to his emergency foster parents, hoping someonehad room. He lucked out on his fifth call, with a placement where the boy could stay for up to a month while he was treated and evaluated for his developmental state and any apparent psychological trauma. Now, he was going through the files of foster-to-adopt families who might be interested in Kayden.

The third file he looked at seemed like it had potential. The young couple’s application information was excellent. He would need to meet with them before he made any decisions on longer-term placement. The husband was a firefighter, and the wife worked part time as a grocery store clerk. He called and made an appointment to visit them the next day.

Next, he needed to finish the write-up on Kayden’s removal and his recommendations. It was already 6:00 pm, and he didn’t expect to be done for another hour. So much for dinner. He had a parenting class to teach from 7:00-9:00 pm, and he really liked this bunch. They were all taking the course voluntarily, as opposed to those who signed up by court order to get back their children. This group consisted of young women and men who were expectant parents and wanted to do things right.

Only one was a couple; the rest were there without their partners. They were all in their late teens, most referred to the class by their high school guidance counselors. He was particularly impressed by the six young men in the class. Three hadn’t known their fathers, while the others had had bad examples they didn’t want to emulate.

It was this kind of group that reminded him why he had gotten into social work. He was helping these young people so their children wouldn’t end up like Kayden. He loved helping children—he wished he could get to them before they suffered serious damage.

He moved his head from side to side to get rid of the kinks. An unpleasant pressure forming behind his eyes told him hisneck and facial muscles were tense, and he needed to relax to avoid a full-blown headache.

He pushed his chair away from the desk and leaned back, lacing his fingers behind his neck. His thoughts returned to the previous weekend and his rewarding visit to Club Indigo. One of his police contacts had referred the club to him.

He fully expected a BDSM club that had members like Jackson to be a great place but meeting Sonja and playing with her had been an unexpected bonus. Taking her home with him had been an impulse, however. Sonja awakened his protective needs like no one had since Angie.

But where Angie had been clingy and needy, Sonja was independent and stubborn in her insistence she wasn’t a Little. He wasn’t deterred by her resolve to keep him at arm’s length. He would give her time and space but make sure to show her how it would be between them when she gave him a chance. When, not if, because he knew they fit together like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Sonja left the Club Indigo changing room with anticipation bubbling in her belly. This would be the third weekend she’d have a play partner. It amazed her how different it felt to be sure someone wanted her there. She’d always liked going to the club, but now, with Derek as a consistent partner, it was even better. Before, she’d had to wait and see if a Dom was interested and available for play.

Derek was fun to talk with and deliciously dominant. They still hadn’t progressed from oral sex and toys to anything more, and she was ready to go all the way with him. That made her nervous. After all, it would not only be the first time with him, but her first intercourse in decades.

Maybe he can come to my place after, or will that send the wrong signal? Why is this so complicated? Can I give in to Derek and let him make the decisions?

As she approached the bar, the music switched to Ed Sheeran’sShape of You.Derek greeted her with a beaming smile and a gesture to the open space beside him. Sonja didn’t break stride as she walked into his arms, and he swept her into simple samba moves. As she fell into step and followed his lead with ease, he enhanced the moves and made their dance moreelaborate. When the song ended, their smiles were full of the kind of joy that made the space feel warmer, and those around them broke into spontaneous applause.

Sonja giggled. “I don’t think anybody has ever danced here before.” She studied him from under her eyelashes. “You really can move, Sir!”

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Thank you, baby. I love to dance, and I’m glad to see you do, too. When did you learn? It’s not that common anymore.”

“Col— Um, a-a neighbor taught me when I was a teenager. He was taking lessons and didn’t have a partner. I don’t get a chance to dance as often as I’d like anymore.” Sonja was a bit shocked she’d almost blurted out his name to Derek. She hadn’t ever told anyone about that time in her life.

“I’m glad you already know how. It’s something I look forward to exploring with you.”

Before she knew what she was doing, she nodded her agreement. It would be nice to go dancing with a skilled partner. She let him guide her back to the bar, where Scott was polishing glasses.

“Good evening, Scott,” Derek said. “Can we have two orange juices?”

Scott glanced at Sonja before giving Derek a questioning look. “In a glass, this time?”

Sonja opened her mouth to tell him off, but Derek gripped her by her nape and gave her a stern look.

“Am I your Dom?”

“Yes, Sir.”

Is that my voice?

“Who decides?”

Sonja’s knees went weak, and her nipples tightened at his display of dominance. She loved it when he took control, and it turned her on like nothing else. “You do, Sir.”

He gave her a long, hot kiss, and when he released her, she sagged against him. His chest reverberated against her ear from his chuckle, but she didn’t care. She wanted to have their drinks so they could play.

---