by Vivien Dean
In the end, he decided not to call. He would look like an asshole if he did. It meant burying himself in paperwork for the rest of the day, but six o'clock came around, and he hadn't picked up his phone for a personal call once.
"See you tomorrow, Nadia," he said as he passed her desk.
She frowned and glanced back at his closed door. "You're leaving early tonight. Got another dinner meeting?"
That was how he had been explaining getting out the door by six-thirty to meet Sam. Tonight, though, he just needed to get out of the building.
"Not feeling hot, actually. Thought I'd pamper myself for a change." He lifted a hand and started again for the elevator. "You should do the same."
Her soft laugh followed him. It helped that the elevator was packed and uncomfortable, so it was easy not to let his thoughts drift. Once he reached the parking garage, though, all bets were off. Especially when he caught sight of a shiny red pickup parked four spaces down from his car.
He slowed as he approached, watching Sam climb out of the front seat. Sam smiled at him, but there was a wary shadow in his eyes, one Derek knew all too well.
"I didn't expect to see you tonight," Derek said, keeping his voice neutral. He stopped at the truck's rear gate and waited for Sam to join him. "I didn't forget something, did I?"
"No, I just needed to talk to you."
"That's what they have these newfangled machines called phones for."
"This isn't exactly a phone kind of conversation."
Those types of talks broke down into either really good news, or really bad news. From the look on Sam's face, he clearly thought it was the latter. That made this a sayonara speech Derek had to look forward to.
"I didn't know there were such things as parking garage kind of conversations either," he tried to joke.
"Well, I'd rather do this over dinner, but I didn't want to leave you stuck somewhere if you decided you didn't like what I'm about to tell you." Sam nodded toward the pick-up cab. "Let's talk in the truck."
"I've got a better idea." He pulled out his keys and unlocked the Ferrari. "Let's talk in my car."
Sam followed him dutifully, without a word of argument. When they were both safely ensconced in the privacy of the front seat, he stroked the leather for a moment before taking a deep breath.
"I don't know how else to say this, so I'm just going to come out and do it. Belinda Gibson offered me a job today."
Derek kept his features even, though he felt anything but calm. "And?"
"And..." Sam took a deep breath. "I want to take it."
Of course he did. Derek refused to react. "So what's stopping you?"
A line appeared between Sam's brows. "You, actually."
"It's not my career, Sam."
"No, but the last thing I want is to make you uncomfortable by taking it. Or messing with what we've got going here."
Derek stared at him. His ears were burning, because he couldn't believe what he had just heard. "Wait a minute. Are you telling me you'd pass on a fantastic opportunity like this, just because you don't want to rock the boat? Since when?"
"Since I already have a good job, but I haven't had a good guy like you in my life in a really long time. I'm not just going to throw that away." He grinned. "I'm reckless. I'm not stupid."
In his life. That's what he had really said. Sam was fully prepared to throw this job offer away to preserve the fledgling relationship he and Derek had. Even if Derek didn't know what it was.
"I don't know what to say."
Sam laughed. "That's a first."
"You think the sex is that amazing?"
"No. I think you are."
Derek stared, sightless, out the front of the car. All these decisions being put on his shoulders today, decisions he didn't want to be responsible for. Hadn't it been hard enough telling Rudy what a great asset Sam would be, knowing he didn't want Sam to get the job? And now here he was, with the perfect chance to get what he wanted, and the words failed to come out of his mouth. All because Sam had slapped on the qualifier, I think you are.
"I think you should take the job," he heard himself saying. "You'd be a fool not to. Belinda's chomping at the bit to get you working with her."
"What about us?"
And then, Derek knew. Because there was an us. There'd been an us from the very beginning, except he'd been too stubborn to let himself see it. "We'll work it out. It won't change a thing."
"So why won't you look at me then?"
Slowly, Derek turned his head. Sam waited for an answer, eyes uncharacteristically somber, his kissable mouth pulled tight. Derek didn't have words to explain it. He just leaned forward, cupped the back of Sam's head, and sealed their lips together.
Sam whimpered at the soft touch, opening to Derek with the same hunger he'd expressed in their very first kiss. He let Derek lead the way, inviting him into the hot corners of his mouth, tangling their tongues together to send shocks down Derek's spine. His gaze was still dark when Derek pulled back, but it wasn't because of fear anymore. That was desire. And something else, something Derek had started to recognize all the way back to Satori.
"I am not holding your hand at the office," Derek warned good-naturedly.
Sam smiled. "You say that now. Wait until you have to see me every day."
"I foresee a lot more Wii boxing in my future."
"And waste all that energy?" Sam nipped at his lips before sitting back with a fresh grin. "Why would you do something like that?"
The smile infused Derek with a brilliant flash of happiness. He returned it, wondering how long he could manage to keep it firm within his grasp. A long time, he hoped.
"Why indeed?"
* * *
Vivien Dean
Vivien Dean has had a lifetime love affair with stories. A multi-published author, her books have been EPPIE finalists, Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Nominees, and reader favorites. After spending her twenties and early thirties traveling, she has finally settled down and currently resides in northern California with her husband and two children.
For more information about Vivien and her books, visit her website at www.viviendean.com
* * * *
Don't miss Wranglers: Voir Dire, by Vivien Dean,
available at AmberAllure.com!
Attorney Sam Kimball finally gets what he's wanted ever since meeting Derek Rossi across a conference room table--his legal rival in his bed. The sex is fantastic, but Derek makes it clear from the start this is a no-strings arrangement. That's why Sam doesn't bother letting Derek know about the weekend he needs to spend in Napa as best man in his friends' commitment ceremony.
But when Derek finds out, and inexplicably agrees to go along as his date, Sam is both excited and terrified. This will be the first time either of them has met the other's friends. He has no idea how Derek is going to handle it, or worse, if he really wants to handle it all...
* * *
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