Silver Fire (Guardians)

by Victoria Paige

  “Mom, this is Derek,” Sophie said. “Derek, Theresa Cassidy.”

  “It’s a pleasure, Ms. Cassidy.”

  “Theresa, please.” She nodded for him to sit down.

  “I understand you helped my daughter come to terms with her past,” Theresa said. “And for that, I am grateful. But your reputation precedes you, Derek and I want assurances—”

  “Mom, we talked about this—” Sophie hissed.

  “I know, Sophie, but a mother always looks out—”

  Sophie pushed back from her chair. “I won’t let you—”

  “Sophie,” Derek interrupted her. “It’s fine. I had expected nothing less. Go ahead, Theresa.”

  Theresa Cassidy’s perfectly arch brow shot up, and a knowing smile formed on her lips. “I’ve always kept tabs on my daughter throughout the years. I know something happened in the past month or so, but I couldn’t get any information even from all the connections I have, and let me tell you I am quite well-connected. It coincided with the same time you showed up in my daughter’s life. Your reputation as a womanizer is well known, but I’ve also heard rumors that you are involved in dangerous activities. Is this true?”

  Derek had not expected this line of questioning, so he answered carefully, “Then you know I was in the Special Forces.”

  “And that you worked in security for eight years after that,” Theresa added. “And now you’re a VP at a defense company. But my private investigator has dug up evidence that you may be involved in something more nefarious.”

  “May I have this private investigator’s name?” Derek asked smoothly. He and Jack might just pay him a visit and make him disappear.

  Theresa blanched. “Absolutely not.”

  Derek leaned in closely. “Theresa, I assure you, I’m not into anything illegal. I love your daughter, and the last thing I want is to put her in danger. This is DC; there’s plenty of misinformation out there. Don’t get caught in the web or you may not break free.”

  “That sounded like a threat, Derek,” Theresa replied stiffly.

  “Not at all.” But the look he cast her held a warning. He hated to intimidate Sophie’s mother on the very first meeting, but hiring a PI to dig up shit on him might just have the poor guy end up in Viktor’s bunker, never to be heard from again. Derek was doing them all a favor.

  “OK, that’s enough!” Sophie said. “Mom, do not make me regret contacting you after all these years. I love Derek. Nothing you say or unearth is going to change that. I don’t care if he was a gigolo in his previous life—”

  Derek chuckled. “Thanks, Angel.”

  “—but he makes me happy and that should be enough. Sheesh, your interrogating him like I’m about to marry the guy.”

  OK, that stung, but he didn’t know why. Derek scowled at Sophie.

  She looked back at him innocently. “What? We’ve only dated for a couple of weeks.”

  “Almost two months, actually.”

  Theresa covered her mouth to hold down her laughter. “Poor man, I see you’ve got your work cut out for you.”

  She was not wrong, Derek thought. He was still glaring at Sophie, who still had no clue what set him off.

  Theresa quickly changed the subject to Sophie’s plan for rebuilding her grandmother’s home. Derek listened dutifully, giving his input when appropriate. That was another item he needed to discuss with her. She was still talking as if she was just living with him temporarily. True; he had not broached the subject of officially moving in together. But hell, he’d never had such a conversation with any woman before. First time for everything.

  ***

  Six weeks later

  “Sorry I’m late!” Sophie announced as she quickly strode into the lab while shrugging on her white coat. “The contractor had an issue about some interior molds and needed to get it addressed quickly.”

  “No problem, Sophie,” Jan said, smiling indulgently.

  The lab renovations had been completed a week ago. There was a section added exclusively for enriching zefinium for MDI. She had hired three new lab assistants to help her with testing different methods for isotopic enrichment to achieve different levels for different uses. The events of the past three and a half months had shown her how little she had lived and that there was life outside her little lab. Hiring more help meant more time to spend with Derek and experience the world. She would like to travel more and probably go back to South Africa without the shadow of a bomb hanging over her head.

  But first, business is business. She had tweaked the design of her molecular laser isotope separator and was about to test it today.

  “Do you have the rock mounted?” Sophie asked Jan as she put on her protective glasses.

  “Yes, I have.” Her assistant had a silly smile on her face. Maybe someone was just as excited as she was about testing the new design.

  “You’re the best, Jan,” Sophie said and peeked through the lenses for a visual of the target zefinium rock. At first she couldn’t tell what it was. Instead of a gray craggy rock the size of a pebble, what she saw was a clear, quartz-shaped rock on prongs and it was dazzling.

  “Oh my god. Is that...” Sophie whispered. She yanked her glasses off and opened the eighteen-inch square glass chamber. Sparkling dizzyingly at her was a huge, princess-cut diamond that was set in platinum. Smaller but no less gorgeous diamonds were paved on either side of the bigger rock. Mesmerized, she reached out her hand to touch it, but a large masculine hand covered hers, and she felt the heat from his body before she felt an arm curling on the other side of her to reach for the ring.

  Derek’s voice whispered in her ears. “Marry me, Sophie.”

  Tears sprung to her eyes, warmth radiated through her chest. She turned around and looked right up at Derek’s face, his eyes warm and tender, gazing down on her with so much love.

  “You’re crazy,” Sophie choked out. “What if I didn’t check the chamber and blasted it.”

  Derek chuckled, his fingers grasped her chin and tilted her face up. He leaned in closer. “I don’t give a damn. I’ll get you another one. Well?”

  “Oh god, Derek, yes,” Sophie cried happily. “Of course, yes!”

  He flashed her a brilliant smile and slipped the ring on her finger. He crushed her in his arms while his mouth took her lips in a scorching kiss. Clapping and sighs were heard around them.

  Sophie managed to free her lips and said seriously, “Derek, we need to talk.”

  “Don’t I know it,” Derek muttered back, a bit impatiently and proceeded to remove her lab coat, flinging it on an empty chair.

  “Wait, I just got here,” Sophie squeaked as he took her hand and basically dragged her toward the exit.

  He paused and said, “Angel, we just got engaged. Everything else can fucking wait.”

  She had no arguments for that.

  ***

  “It’s beautiful out here,” Sophie breathed as she got off Derek’s Harley. It was the end of October and the leaves were in full autumn splendor. The lake before them was languid and added to the peace that she was finally feeling in her heart. “Did you rent it?” She nodded to the lake house that was fronting the water.

  “It’s mine. Bought it a couple of years ago and fixed it up. Haven’t been down here in the past year, too much crazy stuff going on,” Derek said.

  “Sophie—”

  “Derek—”

  They spoke at the same time. Derek gave her the go ahead to talk, albeit slightly irritated.

  “To say that I was shocked by your proposal was an understatement,” Sophie said. “I would have been happy just the way we were.”

  “Well, I wasn’t,” Derek cut in. “No. Let me finish, baby, before you piss me off.”

  “Hey—”

  “Sophie.” Derek looked determined, so she let him have his say. “I’ve been waiting for you to come around. I’ve been patient. You think you’re the one being patient with me because of some misguided notion that I needed to adjust to a life of monog
amy. But ever since that time I made love to you in the shower, I knew. I was in love with you. You are it for me, Sophie. There’s never going to be anyone else. All this time, I was just waiting for you.”

  “I told you I was in love with you,” Sophie reminded him. “In a most public manner, if you recall.”

  “Enough to spend the rest of your life with me?” Derek asked roughly.

  Sophie thought for a moment. “You know, yes. I think I could tolerate a lifetime of your caveman behavior.”

  Suddenly her feet were off the ground as Derek yanked her to him and lifted her so their gazes were level. “You’re a sassy little thing. Whoever would have thought that the geek in a lab coat could turn out to be such a temptress.”

  “Well, you’re the corruptor of innocents,” Sophie replied saucily. “My friends think you’ve turned me into a nympho. Imagine that.”

  Derek gave a hoot of laughter. “What made them think that?”

  “We didn’t have sex for two days after the first time we had that amazing shower sex,” Sophie said. “So I asked my friends if maybe you’d gotten tired of me.”

  “You told me you wanted to take it slow.”

  “Yes, but I was hoping you wouldn’t take me seriously. After all, you bulldoze me in every other aspect of my life.”

  Derek scowled at her. “Wait, was that the day at the cafe—”

  “Yes.”

  “I could throttle you,” he muttered. Sophie knew what had happened with Justin Bishop still ate at Derek, and it probably would for a while.

  “I’ll never get tired of you, Sophie,” Derek whispered, finally letting her body slide down his. “You own me. Haven’t you figured that out yet?”

  “Is this the part where I say, you own me too?” Sophie couldn’t help teasing him. Uh-Oh. Derek’s eyes blazed with possessive intent. Here we go. And she got tossed over her man’s shoulder.

  “Derek! Put me down!”

  He swatted her ass, making her hiss at the sting. “You need a reminder, baby.”

  She felt a quiver of anticipation between her legs. Damn.

  They did not make it to a bed.

  They made it to the entrance of the house where they fell into the foyer. Derek was on top of her, unzipping her leather jacket, tugging her boots off, yanking her jeans and panties off her.

  “Fuck, too many clothes on,” Derek muttered as he took off his own jacket.

  “Uh, you’re the one who insisted on taking the Harley,” Sophie reminded him. They had gone back to the condo to pack an overnighter...or two. His mouth shut her up in a most decisive way, his tongue plunging so deeply, hard and hot, it felt like a brand marking her as his. He tore his lips away and grunted, “Need you, need to taste you so fucking bad.” The urgency of his tone caused her sex to convulse as he threw her legs over his shoulder and buried his face between her legs. Oh god. His tongue, that damned talented tongue of his burrowing into her, his nose grinding against her clit in a double assault. Sophie shamelessly pumped her hips into his face even as her hands dug into his hair to desperately keep him there.

  “I’m close,” She gasped and shivered when he groaned, the vibration catapulting her over into raw ecstasy. He licked her harder, swallowing more of her. “Derek, Derek...love you...god baby...Derek,” she said over and over.

  Suddenly her body left the floor and her back slammed against the door as he was surging up inside her. He thrust in fast and deep. Her limbs wrapped around him helplessly for purchase. “Fuck ...you feel so good...fuck, Angel...” For a few moments, they stared at each each, Derek’s eyes had darkened into orbs of heated passion so intense, she felt them burning into her as he pistoned inside her. He then shoved his face in the curve of her neck as he fucked her harder. Sophie felt another orgasm building inside her, but Derek was keeping her on the brink.

  “Derek, please, let me come...”

  Suddenly her back was off the door as he carried her further into the house before lowering her on a hard surface. A table? He pushed her legs wide open as he plunged back inside her.

  “Hang on, tight, baby,” he growled. “Fucking you harder.”

  ***

  Derek couldn’t get inside her enough. He wanted to be buried so deep that he became a part of her. Deep. Embedded. His.

  “Fuck you so hard, baby.” His voice had become ragged. “You can’t get me out of your skin even if you tried.”

  “Derek, make me come, baby, please.”

  God she looked so beautiful. He loved watching her come apart with him inside her. He drove in deeper, faster, harder. Their bodies had since acquired a sheen of sweat as their bodies merged, and their breaths mingled. He lowered his hand between them and gave her what she wanted. She exploded, convulsing so hard she bucked, writhed and arched beneath him.

  “Fuck!” His curse faltering as her sex clamped tightly around him, making it impossible for him to hold out any longer. His cock grew rock solid—a little more—he thrust deeper, but Sophie continued her tight grip on him. With his climax radiating from his spine, he shoved his face in her neck and bit her; his shattering release made him shudder and collapse on her, pressing her into the hard surface of the table.

  He tried to push off, but his limbs wouldn’t budge from post-coital paralysis. She consumed him. Completely.

  They stayed that way for a minute, him inside her, their sweaty bodies pressed together, their breathing hot and thick.

  “Derek?”

  “Yes, baby?”

  “I think my butt has fallen asleep.”

  Derek burst out laughing. His poor Angel with her cute little ass. He brushed her lips gently before knifing up. He swept her in his arms and carried her to the bedroom.

  ***

  They finally made it to the bed. He cleaned her up and was all ready for another round, but her phone rang and she had to answer the damned thing.

  Derek sighed. It was Beth on the other line. Hopefully, her friend would clue in and know that she was intruding.

  “Beth, you’re going to bust my eardrums,” Sophie grumbled. She held the phone away as her friend practically squealed and screeched on the other end.

  “Why didn’t I call you?” Sophie continued when her friend had calmed down. “Well, for starters, Mr. Caveman here decided to whisk me away, I can hardly call you when I’m hanging on for dear life on the back of a Harley...Well, there wasn’t time when we arrived...Ah-huh...Yes, you know how Derek is.” Giggle.

  Derek started to nuzzle her neck.

  “Derek !” Sophie hissed. “Beth! You’re as bad as he is...No we haven’t planned the date yet.”

  “One month,” Derek said as he crept down and started planting kisses up her leg.

  “You can’t plan a wedding in one month,” Sophie told him, switching back to Beth. “No, I don’t want any fancy wedding. God knows when the news gets out, every single hook up he’s ever had...Ow!”

  He bit her inner thigh and slowly edged higher.

  “Yes, you don’t have to wear any stupid maid-of-honor dress. We’ll probably just elope to Vegas...Unh—”

  Derek took a swipe of her pussy. He wasn’t going to fucking wait for her to finish the call. If she didn’t take a hint, then she would just have to let Beth hear her come.

  “I have to call, uh, back.” Sophie ended the call, tossed her phone and grabbed his head.

  “Stop!”

  “Are you sure, Angel, because this little pussy of yours is begging for attention.”

  “Seriously, Derek, you just fucked me on a hard table. Give me a chance to recover,” Sophie complained.

  “I love it when you say fuck.” Derek grinned and then chuckled when Sophie scowled at him and gathered her legs toward her in annoyance.

  “I have an idea, let’s talk while you recuperate,” Derek said. And this had been bugging him forever. “You’re officially moving in to the condo.”

  “But my house is almost ready—”

  “Angel, until we have kids, we’re
not staying in some suburban atrocity.”

  “My house is not an atrocity,” Sophie replied indignantly. “Wait—kids?”

  “First, yes, your house is not an atrocity, sorry about that, but I just hate the suburbs,” Derek informed her. “Second. Yes. Kids. That naturally follows marriage and with as much sex as I plan to have with you, it’s a distinct possibility with or without protection.”

  “I’m not sure I want kids,” Sophie murmured.

  Derek shrugged. “I’ve never thought about having any of my own, but imagining you growing heavy with my child, it’s such a turn-on. But if you don’t want any, Angel, I’ll be happy with just you and me.”

  “But what will I do with my house?” Sophie wailed, addressing the immediate concern. “You should have said something. You knew I was all bent on rebuilding it!”

  “Yes, I should have,” Derek agreed regretfully. “I knew that was a part of your grandmother’s legacy, and I didn’t want to interfere.”

  Shit. Sophie looked so deflated. Was living in his condo really worth putting that look on her face? Hell, no. He would buy her the fucking moon if it would keep her smiling. Still, he couldn’t believe he was saying this: “Sophie, if it makes you happy that we live in your house rather than the condo then so be it.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yes.” Fuck, no. But he would grin and bear it if it made her happy.

  She smiled and he sucked in a deep breath. Totally worth living in suburbia to keep her smiling. God, he loved her.

  He found himself on his back, tackled and straddled by one naked, blonde woman peppering his face with little kisses.

  “You are the best,” Sophie said when she finally stopped smothering him. “But you are such a terrible liar.”

  Derek sighed. “That bad, huh?”

  “Yep. But I appreciate the sweet gesture, Derek,” Sophie said. “Mom can stay at my house. I think she’ll love it.”

  She stared down at him, those beautiful gray eyes of hers filled with so much emotion and adoration as she said, “I love you Derek. So, so much. I belong to you.”