Derrick drifted back into the room with Courtney's satin gown and robe. Sean and Derrick helped her into the main bathroom. Once she was steady, Sean left them alone to clean the makeshift hospital room. Derrick started the shower and helped her out of the stained hospital gown. Embarrassed, she felt her face flush. It was the first time she'd been naked in front of him. She wrapped her arms around her bare stomach to hide her body.
Derrick
His wife's shyness was evident and Derrick needed to nip it in the bud. It may be the first time he had the pleasure of seeing her nude, but he couldn't look at her in any way than a wife who'd just given him the greatest gift. He wrapped his muscular arms around her naked waist and pulled her body into his, her back to his front. He leaned down and kissed her bare shoulder and worked his lips up to her neck.
"You're beautiful," Derrick said absolute. "Don't hide from me. I'm honored you gave me a daughter. You have nothing to be ashamed of."
Her head relaxed onto his chest and he felt her body sag with exhaustion. While he continued to run his lips along her soft skin, his grip tightened to keep her from falling.
"I love you," he whispered. "Thank you for the gift of our daughter."
She sighed, contented.
"Let's get you in the shower, sweetheart, and then into bed so you can rest," he said.
Carefully he helped her into the shower but didn't join her. Not until she gave him permission would he overstep her comfort zone. He shrugged off his white button down oxford to help when she wasn't able to bend over to wash her legs and feet.
After she was finished, Derrick helped her climb out of the shower, dried off her body and towel dried her hair. He relished intimately pampering his wife. He felt fifteen feet tall taking care of his woman who needed and depended on him.
They went back to the room to find their newborn baby girl screaming, testing her little lungs.
"She's hungry, Court. Are you going to breast feed?" Ryan asked.
"I don't know. That's not something I'm sure about," Courtney shamefully admitted.
"Why don't you give it a try, once, and if she takes to it, great. If not, we go to formula," Ryan suggested.
"Okay," she agreed.
Gingerly she climbed into the bed then was handed her baby girl. She cradled her daughter just as Ryan instructed. With Derrick's help, she pulled her robe apart and slid the strap off her shoulder to try to feed her daughter. The baby girl took to it like a pro. Courtney watched in utter awe. Derrick's eyes danced with sublime joy. There was nothing more amazing than watching his wife feed his child.
"Good job, Court," Ryan said proudly.
"Do you have a name picked out?" Sean asked as he wrote in a chart.
Derrick was impressed with the fact that they may not be in a hospital but her cousins treated the entire delivery as if they were.
Courtney looked up at him with wide eyes.
"I haven't thought of a girl's name," she choked out. "Darren had names picked out for the first pregnancy. I'm not sure about using those."
He stroked her cheek and smiled indulgently. "You have time."
"I'll give you until tomorrow," Sean said firmly, his military tone seeping through. "When I file the paperwork I want a name."
She snorted. "Okay, Sir."
A knock on the door interrupted the laughter. Ryan answered the door to find Mary in the hallway.
"Mr. Murphy, there are quite a few family members here to see your daughter and wife,” Mary said disapprovingly.
He'd forgotten about their family members, who'd arrived hours ago, gathered downstairs.
"Allow Courtney to finish feeding the baby then everyone can come up to visit,” Derrick ordered.
"Yes, sir. Is there anything I can get you?" Mary asked.
His wife piped in. "Get him a glass of whiskey, Mary, and make sure to bring one up for Sean and Ryan as well."
"Yes, ma'am," Mary said. She smiled at Courtney then scurried off to her duties.
Derrick furrowed his brow.
"You deserve it. All three of you do," she said.
"I do need a stiff drink," Ryan agreed and wiped his brow in an exaggerated motion. "Such hard work."
Courtney picked up a towel and threw it at him. Overwhelming joy radiated throughout the room due to their newborn baby girl.
Chapter 25
Trent
Trent stood at The Point for forty-five minutes and anxiously waited. Always the same. Mr. X was never punctual with his scheduled appointments. What the man's job was and what his real name was, Trent remained clueless. Mr. X wasn't exactly the type to confide in him.
All of their meetings were held at different locations, causing Trent to travel and come up with excuses why he'd gone off grid for a period of hours. His boss would always question him.
Today it had taken Trent forty-five minutes to drive into the city, fifteen minutes to walk to the fountain, forty-five minutes of waiting, and would be another hour before he returned. If he didn't hit traffic. Close to three hours missing. Someone would question him.
He scanned his surroundings again. The sun beat down without a cloud in the sky on the perfect fall day. A rippling soft cadence from the fountain, that centerpiece of the intersection of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers which created the Ohio River, created a perfect backdrop. Joggers and bike riders passed on the walkway, taking advantage of the mid seventies temperature. No one gave him a second glance. He blended into the scene of those out to enjoy the day.
"Well?" the familiar voice asked from behind.
Startled, Trent spun to find Mr. X perusing the area, definitely paranoid they were being watched. At first, Trent had been concerned the man might be a cop but he didn't give off the cop feel. Maybe PI? Who knew? Who cared? As long as Trent danced that fine line and didn't give him information to damage Derrick Murphy and got paid, they would be fine. Mr. X never asked for damaging intel. Just private questions. And never anything about Darren or Derrick, it was always centered around Mrs. Murphy.
"She had a baby girl yesterday," Trent said.
"A girl?" the man sounded shocked.
"Yes, it was a surprise to everyone," Trent answered.
"They were expecting a boy?"
He shrugged. "I think she thought she was going to have a boy."
A long pause. "How's the baby?"
"Good. Healthy. Beautiful," he answered.
"And the mother?"
"The same."
Trent watched the man's features light up. "I'm sure she's a gorgeous mother."
Something was off. No one made such observations about Courtney Murphy, or at least voiced them out loud. That was an unspoken rule. She was hands/eyes off. Out of respect, the boss's wife wasn't looked at as an object of desire. No matter how attractive she was. And Courtney was gorgeous. But some boundaries you did not cross.
"What is the baby girl's name?" the man asked.
Trent shook his head. "She hasn't named her yet."
"Understandable if she thought she was having a boy."
Awkward silence filled the air between them. Trent watched the man ponder his answers. When Mr. X seemed satisfied with their meeting, he pulled an envelope out of his jacket pocket and passed it over.
"I'll be in contact shortly," the man said in his usual businesslike tone, then turned and walked away.
Trent opened the envelope to count his usual payment of five thousand dollars. He promptly left the city to head back to the busy Murphy home.
It was always the same, mindless, useless questions from Mr. X. What was his deal?
Chapter 26
Derrick
"Caitlin Danielle Murphy," Courtney said when Derrick stepped into their bedroom.
Once again, his baby girl was latched onto her mother's breast. Apparently his daughter owned a bottomless pit.
"Caitlin,” Derrick tested the name.
"It's Irish," she explained.
"Danielle?" he asked knowingly.
>
"An extension of Darren's name."
Daniel had been Darren's middle name.
"I think it's perfect," Derrick said.
He crawled in next to wife and stroked his daughter's bald head. Derrick had no clue he could love something so incredibly deep in his life. The love was far different from the one he felt for Court, who was his everything, his reason to breathe. But Caitlin, baby Caitlin, was a part of him. His daughter was his heart, whereas Courtney was his soul.
He leaned down and kissed Caitlin's tiny, soft head, taking in that newborn scent. When he straightened, he swiftly kissed Court, but when he went to pull back, she reached up and caressed his cheek and prolonged their contact. She took him by surprise. He allowed her to lead, not wanting to push her beyond what she was comfortable with. Fighting his inner Neanderthal that wanted to plunge deep into her mouth and claim her, it took every ounce of willpower he possessed. All he would accomplish was causing his wife to retreat, and they'd made great strides recently for him to make that horrendous error. Her hesitancy evident, as if testing the waters, her butterfly pecks drove him crazy. He could get lost in her heavenly taste.
Courtney
Courtney's need for connection to Derrick drew her to kiss him. The family picture he painted by sitting beside her, gazing tenderly at his daughter, overtook her emotions. But she took a guarded approach, unsure how she might feel.
She pulled away and opened her eyes to find Derrick intently studying her. Flushed, embarrassed by her actions, she slinked back. Derrick rebuked, shaking his head.
"Don't," he said, running a finger across the porcelain skin of her cheek and down her neckline. He kissed her again then pulled away. "You can kiss me anytime you wish, my Courtney," Derrick said gruffly. "I'll never turn you away."
While he continued to run his finger over her bee-stung lips, his hypnotic touch seduced her. She couldn't respond. "They feel like velvet," his voice soft, deep, husky. He kissed her again. "And taste like sugar," he said more to himself than to her.
A solid knock on the bedroom door pulled them from their deep intimacy. She jerked back, then glanced down at Caitlin, who continued to feed as if she'd been starving her daughter. Derrick sighed, picked up a small, light blanket and placed it over her left shoulder to hide her breast.
"Come in," he called out.
The door flew open and Ryan and Sean waltzed into the bedroom with flowers, gifts, and gift baskets in hand. She laughed aloud, startling the baby, who didn't dislodge despite the fright.
Sean approached Court, handed her a dozen pale, pink roses, and kissed her on the cheek. He lifted the receiving blanket to check on his newborn cousin. Only Sean and Ryan would get away with that invasion.
"Is she doing well at breastfeeding?" Ryan asked. He stepped up next to his brother to look in on his baby cousin.
"Yes, all she wants to do is eat," Courtney complained. "I don't know how long I can continue this."
Both men chuckled. Coincidentally Caitlin had decided she was done eating when both men entered the room. Courtney repositioned her daughter, but Ryan snatched her away to take the task of burping her. Courtney straightened her button down shirt, sat back and allowed her cousins to give her a break from mommy duty.
"I've decided on Caitlin Danielle Murphy," Courtney said.
Both men beamed.
"I like it." Ryan nodded approvingly.
"So do I," Sean agreed. "I'll fill out the birth certificate information and send it in."
Derrick cleared his throat. "I can't thank you enough for delivering Caitlin here in our home, so we didn't have to worry about their safety," he said. "I'd like to pay you in some way..."
Both cousins went to protest but Derrick held up his hand. Courtney snorted, having received that same look and hand numerous times from him throughout the years.
"But I understand you'll refuse any form of payment. Instead, I made donations in both of your names to the hospital. Ryan, I made a donation to the NICU and Sean to the cardiology department," Derrick said.
"You shouldn't have done that, Derrick. There's no need," Sean said, his tone hard.
The air changed from jubilant to tense and rigid. All three men with heightened testosterone levels tried to command the environment.
"Derrick, do you mind if I talk to Sean and Ryan alone?" Courtney asked. The potential conflict needed to end before it got started.
Derrick hesitated, his eyes bouncing between her cousins.
"Please," she pleaded. She gave him her biggest puppy dog look she could manage. Probably wasn't right to manipulate her husband, but whatever worked.
A short, tight nod and a quick kiss on the lips, Derrick left her alone with her cousins.
"Guys‒"
"I don't want to owe your husband a favor," Sean growled.
"Stop it now," Courtney demanded, gnashing her teeth. "You won't owe my husband a favor. He's grateful, damn it. He feels he owes you but has no idea how to repay the favor. If anything, he's indebted to both of you. God, if you went to him and asked for anything he couldn't and wouldn't deny you," she spat. "Stop throwing my husband's thank-you back in his face."
Both men stood flabbergasted. They'd never witnessed the hard, demanding side of her. She watched them risk a glance at each other, doing that unspoken communication thing they often did, which had always infuriated her.
"Oh, stop that," she snapped.
Both men chuckled. Ryan finished burping Caitlin then handed her to Sean.
"Okay, okay. We'll accept Derrick's gift but nothing else. We don't need or want it. Even if you weren't married to Derrick Murphy, we'd still be in the room for the birth of your baby," Sean said simply.
Ryan agreed. God, they drove her batty.
"She is beautiful," Sean gushed at the tiny, baby girl in his muscular arms.
Courtney smiled proudly at her daughter. "She is."
Ryan crawled into the bed and sat next to Courtney, his long, beefy legs outstretched beside her. Courtney laid her head on his shoulder and within minutes was sound asleep while Ryan and Sean played babysitters for a few hours.
Chapter 27
Courtney
Over the next few months Courtney and Derrick spent their time finding a routine with baby Caitlin. When they thought they nailed one down, their baby girl changed it up on them, keeping them on their toes. At one point Courtney had caught Derrick murmuring something to their daughter about being just like her mother.
They had also found a pediatrician, recommended by Ryan. When they took their daughter to her first appointment, Derrick had stood menacingly in a corner to keep a watchful eye on the young doctor. Apparently side-glances to catch a glimpse of Court, too helpful to mommy, and subtle touches convinced Derrick the good doctor was hitting on his wife. Courtney had to beg Derrick to return to that doctor. She had to promise her husband he had positively nothing to worry about when it came to his wife and daughter. They weren't going anywhere. And of course, promised Jack or Carl would tag along if he couldn't be there. Derrick caved only because his two henchmen tended to be trigger-happy.
While they concentrated on Caitlin, their bond grew closer and stronger. Derrick had returned to work and would be gone most of the day. His transition takeover caused him long hours. But they made sure to sit down to dinner with each other every evening, no matter the time. And every night they went to bed together, Courtney curled against Derrick.
An endless stream of roses from her husband filled their home. Always attached with an endearment that touched her. "For my gorgeous wife" or "To the beautiful mother of my daughter."
Courtney started to do small things that Derrick took notice. Emptying Darren's chest of drawers in the bedroom and moving in Derrick's belongings. Though his brother's closet remained untouched. But Derrick never pushed. His brother's death was still fresh for both of them.
Their continued search for a nanny caused one very heated exchange. Courtney's temper boiled over when she picked up a
glass vase and threw it at her husband, turned, and stormed out the house. That shocked the hell out of him.
She'd managed to stalk down the street for two blocks before Jack and Carl caught up to her and tried to coax her back home. She took the liberty of going for their shins, brushed right past them, and continued on her way. Somehow she managed to evaded the men in-between houses. She didn't care how angry Derrick would be. She needed to cool off.
He wants to hire some young, brunette to move in with them and help raise her baby. Fuck him. There's no way in hell that's ever going to happen. He may as well throw away all the applications for any woman under the age of fifty-five. The ass.
For a good hour Courtney remained on the lamb until she was grabbed from behind and thrown into one of their SUVs. There was no point in struggling for her release.
She'd been driven straight home and escorted into the house to find a livid Derrick awaiting her return. As soon as the front door was closed, Jack and Carl scampered in different directions. Derrick stalked her. Circling her as she stood stock-still waiting for him to light into her.
Finally he stopped behind her, his heat radiated off his body. He spoke slowly, dark and dangerously into her ear, "If you ever pull such a stunt again, my wife, you'll be locked down in this home, away from the outside world. Permanently." He paused. "Am I understood?"
"Yes," she whispered, her voice cracking. Angry tears spilled from her eyes. She wheeled around to face him. "But I won't compete for my husband's attention and love by bringing a young girl into our home. I won't be made self-conscious and worry that I'm being replaced by a girl in her twenties. A girl who'd love nothing more than to bed Derrick Murphy. Don't ask me to accept it and don't ask me to turn a blind eye to it." She spun on her heels and stormed upstairs to feed her baby girl.
Derrick
Derrick closed his eyes to gain some composure. He loved Courtney. Desperately loved the woman. Even now when she was throwing a fit. He couldn't help but to admire her moxie and would spend the rest of their lives keeping him on his toes. God, Darren must have adored her. Her tendency towards vulnerability and innocence, but strong will and defiance had him in a constant state of guessing. But he couldn't begrudge her feelings. There was no place in his marriage for her to question their relationship. He refused to allow it. He needed her secure in how he felt about her. There needed to be an arrangement that could make them both happy. Until then, he needed to calm down his wife.
The Boss's Love Page 24
