He shrugged. “I meant to ask you earlier, but then you took me to the office to talk about the bill.” He smiled and let that last word linger in the air a little longer than was necessary. “So?”
“Isn’t that a little public?” No one other than Callie knew about us, and the ball would be coming out in a big way.
“Maybe, but would that be so bad?”
No, it wouldn’t. In fact, it might be nice to get all dressed up and have a grown-up night out. Especially with Derek. “Not bad, no.”
“But?”
Why was I still pushing him away? Hadn’t Derek proved that he wasn’t at all like Callie’s father or any of the other jerks in my past? He had, so what was my problem? I had no idea, and no good reason to turn him down. “But nothing. I’d love to be your date to the ball, Derek.”
The smile he sent me was magnificent and I was glad that I didn’t need my legs to stand right now. “Excellent.” He leaned forward, pressing his body against mine until our lips fused together in a slow burn of a kiss that threatened to set the whole damn place on fire.
I don’t know how long we stayed like that, naked and sweaty and pressed together while we kissed, but it felt like forever. Like maybe when we pulled back, if we ever did, the sun might be rising. It wasn’t, though—the moonlight filtered into the kitchen, highlighting his deep blue eyes as they smiled down at me. “Does this count as date number two?”
His deep laugh echoed in the quiet kitchen and he pressed another kiss to my mouth before stepping back and helping me up. “Technically, it’s date number three, I think. Reese’s BBQ and then dinner at my place.”
So many dates, already? “Then I guess this was the sex date. Appropriate.”
“Really? I can’t wait to see what you have planned for date number four.” Mischief lit his eyes and I pushed him back to slide off the table.
“Me? You asked me to be your date for the ball.” And my answer meant I needed to find a new dress, and fast.
Derek dressed quickly and circled his arms around my body, pulling me in for a sweet, affectionate hug that was at odds with all the dirty sexy stuff that had just happened in this room. “If you think I’m waiting a full week for another date, you are sorely mistaken, Maxine.” He pressed another, hotter kiss to my lips and walked out the back door, leaving me stunned.
My mind spun about what we’d just done. And where! After pulling on my clothes, I got to work cleaning and disinfecting the surface where we would have breakfast in the morning, trying to stop smiling as I thought about Derek’s sweet words. His sexy deeds. And, holy hell, the smoldering look in his eyes when he took in my naked body.
Something about Derek made me feel like more than a businesswoman and a mother. It made me feel like a sexy, desirable woman—something I hadn’t felt in a long damn time.
Derek
Even though I’d convinced Maxine to be my date for the Fall Ball, I couldn’t wait for the night to be over. Sure, it gave me a legitimate reason to get close to an amazing woman, but it also took me away from the thing I loved most: my work. And the man responsible for my current predicament was standing in the doorway to my office with a hopeful smile on his face.
“Steven, what can I do for you?”
He flashed a smile that suggested he was about to ask for another favor, which I would turn down politely. Or not so politely, if it came to that.
“I heard you were in the building and decided to drop in and see how the ball was coming along?” Steven was good at his job, but he had a crappy poker face. “So?”
I smiled knowingly and waved him in. “Sabrina is asking questions?”
He nodded sheepishly, his cheeks turning a bright shade of pink. “Yes. She trusts you, it’s just…” Clearly, Steven didn’t know how to finish that sentence, especially given she was one of the hospital’s biggest and most consistent donors.
“It’s just that she feels the need to control everything? I get it, Steve.” Everything was on track and I told him as much before handing over the updated budget and contact info. “I’ll do one more round of confirmations before the