How could Derrick slip with something as insane as forever? While he might think it, he didn’t want to scare her off by saying it. He still wasn’t sure how she felt about him, although she seemed to loosen up, telling him more about herself every minute.
Her walls were coming down, but was she ready to let him into her heart?
He knew she was the one, and he felt like this weekend he’d prove it. He just needed to get these pesky white lies out of the way and clear the air between them. And then there was the nagging suspicion building in his brain ever since he’d been blindsided by Henry Chamberlin entering Elliad Corp’s renovated conference room yesterday. What Elliad offered as an end product to Chamberlin Hotels differed completely from what GCH offered in terms of a partnership, but were they competing for the same bucket of money?
Derrick would have talked to Chamberlin afterward, but considering he hadn’t been invited to the presentation and Jessica knew nothing about his business dealings with the man, he hadn’t gotten the opportunity. He’d even tried to talk to Henry prior to picking Jessica up for their phone-free weekend getaway, but the man never returned his phone call.
The more he thought about it, the more he worried. Jessica had been so happy yesterday. It was the first time she seemed genuinely relaxed outside of the bedroom. If they were in competition, would she forgive him if Elliad Corp lost to GCH?
She came out of the bathroom with her hair wrapped in a towel, another towel wrapped around her body.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
She smiled. “Surprisingly good. I think this was a minor case of exhaustion. I’m hydrated now, and my headache is fading.”
“That’s great. How about some food?”
“Definitely hungry. What did you have in mind?”
“I have steaks marinating in the refrigerator. Why don’t you get dressed, and I’ll pull out everything.”
“So, you want me clothed today?”
He grinned. “Just for a little longer.”
She stepped up, placing her hands on his chest. She raised up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Thank you for taking care of me.”
“Always.”
“Always and forever?” She raised her brow.
“I think we can work on that, if that’s what you want.”
“Would it be too crazy if I said the idea didn’t completely freak me out?”
He smiled. Finally, she was coming around to his way of thinking. “No. I wouldn’t have said it if I hadn’t been thinking about it hard.”
She kissed him softly and left to change, stopping in the doorway. “This is uncharted territory for me, but I want to invest in this, in us.”
“Me too.”
She smiled and blew him a kiss, ducking into the bedroom.
He couldn’t risk it. Derrick dashed to the front hall where their phones were powered down and tucked into a backpack. He powered his up, checking over his shoulder and listening for her to exit the bedroom.
Once he had a signal, he texted Chamberlin. Deal with GCH is off. I’ll call you on Tuesday to discuss.
He hit send, waited a few seconds, and then hit the power button, tossing his phone back into the backpack. Slipping into the kitchen, he blew out a sigh of relief as he pulled everything out of the refrigerator.
While he was innocent in whatever Chamberlin was doing, he couldn’t risk this causing a rift between him and Jessica. It wasn’t the only business deal he was working, and although GCH had a board he should consult prior to making a major decision like this, they were family, so he’d explain it Monday night, have a conversation with Chamberlin on Tuesday, and determine a course of action from there.
One problem down. Now to give her a glimpse of who he was outside of a small business furniture contractor.
He loaded up a tray with foil-wrapped potatoes, corn, and steaks, and met Jessica as she emerged from the bedroom. “Let’s get this stuff on the grill, then I have something to show you.”
Walking hand-in-hand, he took Jessica to a barn the size of an airplane hangar that functioned as his personal workshop and toy garage. “Last night, when you asked whose house this was, I told you it was family property.”
She nodded, her jaw dropping as he pulled the door open and turned on the interior lights. “Wow.”
He disengaged the security system and followed her in. “I might have understated a bit.”
“What do you mean?”
“My family has use of the house, toys, etc. anytime they want, but I actually own everything in here.”
She gawked at him. “Really? I didn’t realize a furniture builder did so well. That’s great.”
He walked her over to the slabs he’d put together for the top of her desk. “Well, for one, it’s not the only business card I own, and if you remember, my business card says I’m the president and CEO of Grayson’s Custom Hardwood. I took over from my dad about four years ago and grew the business from a mom-and-pop operation to something substantially bigger.”
She frowned. “How did I not know this? God, I’m sorry I’ve never asked about your business. I assumed when you took work at Elliad Corp that it was a one-man shop.”
Cupping her face, he lifted her chin up. “It’s okay, but keep that in mind as I add on to the story. I never lied about what I do, but I didn’t correct your assumptions, which I knew were wrong, and did attempt to steer conversation away from my business.”
“Why would you do that?”
“I wanted to get to know you and give you an opportunity to know me without all the business stuff coloring our worlds. I’ve told you many times, I know what being buried in work and deadlines is like. Been there, done that, and almost lost my family over it. Now, I know what’s important and what isn’t.”
“What are you talking about?”
He took a step back and smoothed his hands over a multi-wood slab he’d assembled. “This is the top of your desk.”
She gasped. “It’s beautiful.”
“I started it the day we met, and the rest of your desk is in there.” He pointed to a cordoned-off portion of the barn that had a spray tent around it to keep as much dust and particles off the stain and lacquer as possible, working toward a perfect finish.
“Is this your personal shop?”
“Yes. Grayson’s Custom Hardwood Inc. is on the edge of the industrial park on the south side of town. We have the original building, and three years ago I bought both buildings on either side.”
“Three buildings? How big is it?”
He glanced around the room. “Well, my dad had a team of twenty for about thirty years. Now we’re just under two hundred and about to get a lot bigger.”
Derrick watched as Jessica did the math in her head, realization taking over her features. “Grayson’s would have to be worth fifteen to twenty million annual to employ two hundred people.”
“Eighteen point seven at the last quarterly review.”
She took a couple steps back, her gaze traveling up and down his body, but not in the way that usually set his blood on fire. Now she looked at him with the same wariness someone might have when looking upon a stranger.
He took a step forward. “It’s still me. I haven’t changed in the last five minutes, I promise.”
“You’re a millionaire.”
He stuffed his hands in his pockets, knowing he was worth a lot more than that. “I’ve got money.”
“Why did you hide it?”
“When I left college, I was all about making money and climbing the corporate ladder. I wanted to be CEO by thirty.”
“You were a CEO by thirty.”
He shrugged. “It’s not exactly the same when you’re self-employed, but yes, I achieved my goal. My lifestyle attracted a certain type of person while in Los Angeles and New York, and they weren’t always good for me. They didn’t keep me grounded like my family does now, and well, most of the women I dated saw my money before they saw me. Not that I blamed them, I wore my affluence on my Armani suits.”
“Gold diggers.” She crossed her arms over her chest, her frown deepening. “And you thought I would be interested in your money?”
“In the end, no.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “As I got to know you, I worried my money would be a turn-off more than a turn-on. You’re a self-made woman, and immensely proud of your accomplishments, as you should be. My initial fears were wiped away when I understood that about you, but by then I’d already hid this part of myself from you. We’ve had so many starts and stops, and I wanted you to love me without all the extra crap, but my omissions have been pushed down the road far enough.”
“You want me to love you?”
Thank God that’s what she took away from all his babbling.
He stepped up to her, cradling her cheek in his hand. “It might not make sense to you, but I know how I feel. It’s been on the tip of my tongue since our first date.”
She wrapped her arms around his waist and licked her lips. “How do you feel?”
“You’re going to make me say it first?”
“No. I love you, Derrick Grayson. Not sure how this happened, especially now, but I’ve decided not to fight the feelings bubbling up inside of me.”
“When did you decide that?”
“When we walked around Independence Lake and you took control of Barney’s leash. I knew right then and there you could be a part of our little family, if you wanted to.”
He closed his eyes, thinking how he’d almost lost her over a jealousy-infused misunderstanding and realizing he couldn’t let that happen again.
“I love you, Jessica McLain. I hope to build a life with you, share everything I have and hold dear. There’s more I need to tell you—”
She raised up on her toes and nibbled on his jaw. “You can tell me more later. Right now, I’d like you to show me how much you love me.”
“Our steaks are probably charred to crisps by now.”
Her head snapped back. “Don’t tell me my sexual appeal has already faded compared to slabs of beef?”
He ground his erection into her core. “Does it feel like anything has faded?”
She moaned, purring into his neck. “I wish my desk was put together right now. I’d love you to take me on it.”
Growling, he lifted her into his arms, her legs wrapping around his waist, and walked her back against a support post. “The day we met, I fantasized about that very scenario. Trust me, when this desk is done we will do that and so much more.”
“Because it will be sturdy?” She laughed, arching her body and providing a delicious friction, causing his eyes to roll back in his head.
“As sturdy as you can take.”
“I’ll take all you give me and more because I love you.”
He’d never tire of her saying that, and made a silent promise to give her a reason to say it every day.
They spent the rest of the night and much of the next morning in bed, leaving only long enough to soak in the hot tub under the midnight stars.
Jessica stretched her sore muscles, brushing against Derrick’s hard body as she twisted from left to right. “Time to get up?”
He mumbled, snaking his arm around her waist and pulling to him. “I have nowhere else to be.”
“We should make ourselves a promise. No matter what else we have going on, we always spend Sunday morning in bed, then brunch, then a day of whatever. But we promise Sundays to each other.”
He chuckled. “I could get used to spending my Sundays worshipping you.”
“Are you religious?” She asked, craning her neck to look over her shoulder. It wasn’t a problem if he was, but she’d been raised by a heathen, if what her grandmother had said was to be believed, so Jessica had no church she belonged to. No religion she subscribed to. Still, that didn’t mean she was without faith. She believed she just had no clue which religion her beliefs coincided with.
He kissed her nose. “I was born and raised Baptist. My parents are avid churchgoers. Actually, they met at church. I go with them occasionally, but I’m not a regular, as Reverend Jackson likes to point out when he sees me.”
“I won’t be disrupting some Sunday ritual, then?”
“Church, no. However, we have family dinner Sunday nights at my parents’ house, and I’d love to bring you next week.”
She rolled to face him. “You want to introduce me to your family?”
“I love you, of course I want you to meet my family.” He bit his cheek. “Actually, you already know some of them.”
Lifting on her elbow, she raised her brow. “Is this the more you have to tell me?”
“Part of it.”
“Part? Jeez, Derrick—”
He gave her a sheepish grin. “Carter didn’t want me to tell you we were related in case I screwed things up. He likes you, probably more than he likes me.”
She laughed. “Is he your brother?”
“Brother-in-law. He married my sister Evelyn as soon as he graduated high school. Gave up a football scholarship and everything.”
“I played tag with Frankie, Gerry, and Hillary at our company picnic. They’re great kids.”
“I know, that was the first time I saw you.”
“You were there?” She couldn’t believe it. How could a man who looked like Derrick have slipped her notice?
“For a few minutes. As soon as I saw you, I wanted to meet you and bugged Carter to find me an opportunity. That’s why I took the temp work at Elliad, to get a few minutes alone to convince you to go out with me.”
“A CEO taking temp work to meet me? Sounds like a romance novel, but why not just ask me out?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Would you have gone out with me if I walked up to you out of the blue?”
She shrugged. “No. Probably not.”
“You wouldn’t have looked up from your phone long enough to make eye contact.” He jutted his chin. “Which was why I had to find a way to get your attention. It was fortuitous you inquired about new furniture. It gave me an opening.”
“I’ll have to thank Carter for the recommendation.”
He shook his head. “Yeah, don’t do that. He still thinks I will screw this up and wants no ties to our relationship.”
“Why does he have such little faith in you?”
Derrick frowned and rolled over on his back. “Because he knows me. I’ve been successful in a lot of areas, but relationships haven’t been one of them. I can be arrogant and demanding, maybe even a little entitled at times, but my family doesn’t let me get away with that shit. They keep me grounded, call me out on my bullshit, and I’m sure will tell you all about it the first chance they get.”
Jessica laid her head on his hip, slowly tracing the ridges of his taut stomach. “You have two sisters. Is that it?”
“No, I have a brother as well. Alisha and Brett are about eighteen months older than me, and Evelyn is two years older.”
“Are they twins?”
“No, we are all half-siblings. Evelyn is my dad’s from a previous marriage. Her mom died hours after giving birth. Brett is technically my cousin from my dad’s brother, who also died when he was a toddler. My mom and dad adopted him before he was four. And Alisha is my mom’s child from before she met my dad. That’s how my parents met, at a church-sponsored support group for single parents with young children.”
“Wow. Your parents sound like amazing people.” And here she was with no family to introduce to him at all. She didn’t even have a second cousin to call for help. After her grandmother had died, she’d barely spoken to her mom, and now she was gone too.
She had loved her grandparents, spending much of her childhood with them. Her grandfather had pushed college from the time she was in second grade, telling her she would be the first McLain with a degree. She’d done well enough in school to qualify for a few small scholarships, but not nearly enough to afford a full-time university education. Her grandparents, who had very little to live on in the first place, had saved for over ten years, gifting her a bank account upon her high school graduation.
Not having any family members around hadn’t bothered her much over the years. She missed her grandparents, especially when she achieved something she knew would make her grandfather proud. Her recent promotion would have been cause for a celebration, as her college graduation would have.
Now, she wondered what Derrick’s large family would think of his orphaned girlfriend?
He smiled, stroking her hair. “They are. And they will love you.”