Summer Time Sweets by Alexa Riley

Chapter 12

Fia

“You sore, angel?” Derek asks, placing kisses all over my face and slowly waking me up. He doesn’t wait for an answer, taking my mouth in a deep kiss and leaving me breathless. I finally open my eyes fully and see the morning sun coating the room. This is the second night in a row I’ve woken up in this bed, and I want to do it for the rest of my life, with him in it here with me like this morning.

“Probably not where you think,” I admit, smiling up at him. I’m a little tender between my legs, but not enough to turn down another round, if that’s what he’s looking for. I could stay wrapped up in this bed with him forever with the way he’s been treating me and the things he’s been saying. I think he wants that, too. In fact, I think he wants everything.

His eyebrows rise, concern crossing his handsome face. I can’t stop myself from reaching up and running my fingers along the stumble on his face.

“My mouth.”

His eyes drop to my lips, and a full-blown smile spreads across his face. This one makes his eyes light up.

“Your mouth does look like it’s been ravished. Sorry angel.” He doesn’t look sorry at all. “I can’t seem to help myself.” To prove his point, he kisses me again. He’s been doing it all night. I’d woken in the middle of the night a few times to him just kissing me, then falling back asleep.

“Glad someone is perky and rested today,” I tease. I could definitely snuggle back into the bed for a few more hours. His face changes at my words. His eyes go even softer.

“No nightmares.” He says it like he can’t even believe it. “Not one since my angel came into my life. I haven’t slept like this for as long as I can remember.”

“I didn’t know you had nightmares.” It’s then I realize I don’t know a lot about him, but why does it feel like I can’t remember a time without him? How is that possible? It’s crazy and intense, and I love it. I love him.

“Lost a few men a while back, and I’ve been living in the misery of it.” He leans in, placing another kiss on my lips. “Then an angel walked into my life and woke me up. You saved me.”

“Pretty sure you saved me.” The idea of saving him warms me all over. He makes me feel like I do so much, just by being near him, but I get it, because I feel like that too. Just knowing he’s near me makes me feel safe. Complete. Fills something I didn’t know I was missing.

“If you let me, I’ll save you for the rest of our lives.”

“You love me.” I remember the words he said to me last night.

“I do. How can I not? Never knew something like you could exist. You were made for me to love.” He says it so easily, like he’s been saying it his whole life. My mother loved me, but it wasn’t something that was said very much. I knew it was there, but we didn’t say it enough.

“I love you, too.” I give him the words I’ve never said to another man before, not wanting to live a life without them. I want them to come as easily as they do for him.

“Say it again.” His voice is gravelly now, and filled with so much emotion.

“I love you. I’ve never said that to anyone but my mom,” I admit, wanting him to know how much it means to me to say it to someone.

“I’ve never said it to someone I wasn’t related to.”

“This is crazy,” I tell him, but there’s no power behind it, because I don’t care if it’s crazy. I knew I loved him last night when I told him to cum inside of me. I wanted all of him, wanted every last drop to bind us together.

“It’s perfect.” He leans in, nuzzling my neck. “You still sleepy, angel?”

I nod against him as he trails kisses down my neck, down to the center of my chest, his ticklish facial hair making me giggle.

“You sleep a little bit, and I’m going to run to the bakery down the street and get us breakfast.”

“I’ll go with you,” I halfheartedly say. I don’t want to move, but I want to be with him.

“Sleep. I’ll only be gone a minute.” He pulls himself from me. I roll to my side and watch him get dressed. I don’t care that I’m naked. My shyness died last night. An unknown part of me revealed itself. I hate each piece of clothing he puts on as it covers his magnificent body.

“You working today?” he asks while slipping on his shoes.

“Just the diner today.” I want to groan just thinking about it. God, I hate that place. I’m going to have to quit and find something else.

“I want you to think about quitting.” He says it like he just read my mind.

“I”

He holds up his hand, cutting me off. “Just think about it, angel, before saying anything. I want you to stay with me, so you don’t have to worry about that.”

“I can’t just stay here. I have to help pay the bills.” I don’t want to be a mooch. I’m all for staying with him, but I want to do my part.

He walks over to the side of the bed, towering over me before dropping down so we’re at eye level. “You gave me what I’ve been looking for in life. Let me do the same. Stay with me. Quit the fucking diner before I end up in jail for snapping your boss’s neck, and let me give you what you are looking for in life.”

“I just need you.”

“But you want more, and I can give it to you. If you don’t let me, it will just drive me crazy. I’ll be sitting in that diner every day you work,” he challenges.

I don’t even know what to say to that, but God, I love how freaking protective he is over me. It’s nice.

“Just think about it, okay?”

I nod, making him give me one of those full-face smiles. I know I’m going to crack. I’m not sure there is a thing I wouldn’t agree to just to see that smile light up his face.

He grabs his wallet, keys, and phone, and gives me one last kiss me before he heads out of the room, leaving me all alone.

I snuggle into the bed, thinking about waking up like this every day. A knock sounds at the door, and I pull myself from the bed, grabbing Derek's discarded shirt from the floor. I slip it over my head as I make my way towards the door.

“You forget something?” I ask, pulling the door open.

Sam has a hand around my throat instantly, pushing me back into the townhouse. I can smell the booze on his breath. I grab and scratch at his arm, trying to free myself.

“You fucking whore!” he yells in my face before pushing me back, releasing his grip around my neck and sending me falling to the floor. “You were supposed to be mine. Mine!” His face turns red, and a look of pure evil crosses it.

“You had to do this the hard way, didn’t you?” He starts walking towards me, and I scramble backwards.

“You motherfucker.” Derek’s deep voice growls through the room, and it even sends a chill down my spine.

Sam turns, only to come into contact with Derek’s fist. A loud crunch sounds, before Sam hits the ground, knocked out from the single punch.

Derek goes for him again, but I whisper his name, making him look towards me.

“Please,” I tell him. I don’t want him to do something he can’t take back, because the way he is looking right now, he won’t stop until Sam isn’t breathing.

I reach my hand out to him, and he comes towards me and picks me up. I wrap myself around him. I can feel some of the tension leave his body, the sound of sirens in the distance.

“Are you sure you’re okay, angel?” Derek asks for the millionth time since the cops finally left, taking Sam with them. His face has a pained look on it. I can sense some of the adrenaline still running though his body. He’s wound up tight.

“I’m fine.” I try to wiggle a little, but Derek’s arms only hold me tighter. I’ve been in his lap since the cops got here. Well, after he made me put pants on. Then he put me in his lap and wouldn’t let me go. Even when I had to tell the story over and over again to the police. Luckily they didn’t make us go down to the station, but I think that was Derek’s doing.

“Sunshine, you’re eventually going to have to let her go,” Derek’s dad, Marshall, says, making my cheeks warm. He showed up shortly after the cops did. He’s been sitting in a chair beside us, watching us with a smile on his face.

“The fuck I do,” is all Derek says, proving his point and not letting me go. His dad laughs.

“How’d you know to come back?” I finally ask. Derek had gotten here before Sam could really do anything, and he didn’t look like he’d been to the bakery because he didn’t have anything with him.

“I got a call from a friend on the police force on my way to the bakery. He’s been working the investigation on the fire that burned your old building. Told him to keep me updated.” He lets out a long breath. “They went to question Sam, seeing as he owns the apartments.”

“What?” That was news to me.

“Yeah, angel, he owned the apartments above the laundromat, as well as the diner.”

How did I not know that? Then again, I only ever dealt with the apartment manager. I did find out about the diner needing a waitress because of the apartments. There was a sign hanging in the hallway one day. It was close, and I thought it would be perfect. I’d be able to walk to work. Why hadn’t Sam ever told me that?

“When they got to his place, the door was ajar, so they went in. He wasn’t there, but there was…” He stalls, looking like he doesn’t want to finish his sentence. “Some evidence. A sort of shrine with pictures and all kinds of shit of you.” He growls the last part, and I just stare at him.

“They don’t think you’re the first woman he’s done this to. Let’s just say, he’ll never be a free man again.”

I reach up and cup Derek's face. “Always saving me,” I tease, trying to relieve some of the tension. I should be freaking out about what just happened, but just like the moment I laid eyes on him, I know I’ll forever be safe. He won’t let anything happen to me.

“God, angel.” He leans forward, pressing his forehead to mine, one hand going to the back of my neck, holding me in place. “If I’d lost you…” His voice cracks on the last word, and my heart squeezes.

“I’d never leave you. Ever,” I reassure him.

“You gonna marry me?” he whispers, but I know from the intake of breath from my left that his dad heard.

“Right now if you want.”

He leans back, looking into my eyes. “Dad, you should leave,” he says, never looking away from me.

“Fine, but you better not get hitched without me being there,” he says in a half growl, and I realize it sounds just like Derek’s.

“We won’t,” I say, never taking my eyes from Derek either. I hear the door click, and we’re finally alone.