Page 7 of Derick

“I don’t know, can you?” Flora’s sassy voice snarked back at him.

Not wanting him to be scared off by Flora’s defense mechanism, I wiggled to shake away any lingering doubt about what I was about to do and strolled down to meet Derick. He was still on the porch, the security screen between them, but as soon as my gaze landed on him, my body froze again, and my throat became dry. He was so handsome. I was sure he got better-looking every time I saw him. I hadn’t been this close to him since I first met him at the self-defense class. He’d been at the second one I went to and the third. Hope didn’t leave Derick’s hold. He’d stayed away from me, but I could feel him watching. Studying my every move.

Clearing my dry throat, I mumbled, “H…hi. I’m n… not…t like them.” Groaning as the words left me, I couldn’t believe I’d blurted that out. I’d been thinking over what I wanted to say to Derick if I got the chance, and I did want to tell him what I’d said, but worded better, and after I told him many other things about myself.

Flora gave a hollow laugh, shook her head, and walked off. She was one of the few friends I had in the house.

Derick didn’t say anything for a while, and I shifted my weight from foot to foot. He closed his warm chocolate eyes and sighed loudly, scrubbing his hand over his face and the scruffy beard he had going on, which didn’t take away from his hotness. His eyes popped open, and I relaxed my body that I didn’t realize was tense, when the swirling depths seemed to slow and warm with a caring glint to them.

“I know,” he said. “I’ve investigated you and had my security team find out everything they could.” He took a deep breath, and I watched as he slowly released it. “I’m sorry. I should have come to you sooner. I’m trying to get past who you share blood with. Your family...” He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I know they didn’ttreat you right. I know…” His words trailed off and he scrubbed his face with the palm of his hand. “Can I come in?”

Nodding, I reached for the security screen and unlocked it, opening it and letting Derick in. He stepped inside, his movements slow and deliberate.

“I’m not scared of you,” I stated without stuttering and lying through my teeth. I was terrified of Derick, but not because he would physically hurt me, but because his words could and how he treated me could also. For some reason I cared about what Derick Silverman thought of me.

His laugh was short and sharp. “I’d believe you more if I didn’t see you shrink back into yourself the closer I get to you.”

Rolling my shoulders back, I darted my gaze up to catch his eyes. “I…I don’t want to.” I inched closer to him and kept my shoulders back. “Tt…there is something about y…you. I c…ca…can’t stop th…thinking about you.”

The smile that spread over his face made me eager to touch him. With his blond hair and light olive skin, he looked like a surf model. The scruffy beard didn’t even make him look homeless like it did some guys, instead, it added to his hotness. If he tidied himself up, he’d have flocks of women following him around and throwing themselves at him.

Desperate to know if his hair was as soft as it looked, I reached out and caught his hair between my fingers. It was soft and silky. The blond strands held different shades throughout it. It was pretty. I could hardly believe how bold I was being, but he didn’t stop me or move away from me.

“Come to my family barbeque?” he said.

My fingertips touched his cheek when he spoke, and I swore sparks flew between us. We were almost chest to chest, and I didn’t feel like I was going to vomit, and my skin didn’t crawl. Most men made me feel like that, but not Derick. I wanted to be close to him. I craved his touch. My body knew though whatmen did, and its defense mechanism kicked in and I backed up, almost stumbling over my own feet to get away.

“I…I’m sss…sorry.”

This wasn’t going how I planned. Not that I really had one. My goal was to get Ruby and Hope to come to a family barbeque. Not all my family; I didn’t want to overwhelm her. Cassie offered to ask her, but I thought this was the perfect time to introduce myself into Ruby’s life.

She’d seen me watching the house. I’d seen her sneaking looks at me through the curtains. I wondered what she thought I was doing watching the house. She hadn’t seemed scared of me when we first met, or when I’d come to the other classes. Hope had left Ruby as soon as she’d entered the gym and stayed stuck to me like glue. I knew down to my soul that even though Ruby didn’t know me, she trusted me, because of everything I’d learned, one huge thing being that Ruby was an amazing mother. Her daughter was her whole life. She would never let her daughter anywhere near me if she didn’t trust me.

Hope liked me. She liked me so much that she’d tried to get to me several times while I sat in the car watching, waiting, and thinking. She was adorable. I couldn’t wait until she could become my child legally. My mother couldn’t wait to meet her and had already bought her everything she could ever possibly want or need.

I’d been watching and waiting for a chance to insert myself in their life. I’d reread the information I’d received on Ruby, over and over. I’d spoken to my therapist about it and tried to come to terms with everything I’d learned. I wanted to be strong forRuby. I wanted to be prepared for what kind of support I needed to be for her. I needed to get over my own anger, so when she told me about herself, I could be there for her and not go into a rage. I wanted her to know that I could be her person. Her one. A true soulmate. With her background, I knew I couldn’t go to her all caveman and possessive. Well, not yet anyway.

I thought inviting her to a family barbecue, and it being me doing the asking, would show her that I didn’t harbor any hate for her like I did the rest of her family. “I would really like you and Hope to come with me and meet my family, please.”

Ruby pulled on the hem of her shirt, and I zoned in on her mouth as she nibbled on her bottom lip. “Hope’s n…napping. When do y…you want Hope and I t…to go to this bar…barbeque?”

“Now.” I jerk my head toward the stairs. “Princess is awake before you say you can’t come.”

Ruby raised her brow and spun around to see Hope dramatically sneaking down the last couple of stairs. Hope ran past Ruby, and I kneeled and opened my arms, which Hope ran into. “Drrk.” Hope was a good talker for her age, but still had trouble with the ck sound, so my name came out like a long, drawn-out double d and r. It was beyond adorable.

I hugged Hope to me, and she wrapped her arms around me. “Hey, gorgeous.”

“Isa miss yous toos.” She kissed my cheek, and my heart felt like it was going to explode with the love that overflowed for her.

“Do you want to come and meet my family, princess? My mummy is so excited to meet you.” I was playing dirty, using Hope so Ruby wouldn’t say no.

Hope bounced in my arms and squealed. I tightened my hold so she didn’t fall. “Mummmmy,” she screamed. “Cans we?” The look she gave her mum made me putty in her hands. I knew ifHope ever gave me that look, I would give in to anything she wanted.

I watched as Ruby melted at the look, sighed loudly, and then glared at me for a moment before she ran her fingers through her hair. “Okay. What do I need to get?”

“Nothing. You have everything you need, and anything you don’t, I can get for you.”

I aimed to have my parents help me convince Ruby and Hope to stay with them. I had learned she wasn’t a fan of some of the other therapists. My parents’ house was huge, and with all the security, safe too. I worried about Ruby and Hope. It was one of the reasons I stayed outside and watched the house. I also had a security team watching Ruby and Hope to make sure they were safe, but after learning what I had about her, I needed them both not just safe, but protected. I never wanted either of them to have to go through anything like what they had again.

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