Turn Me On: Derek and Amanda (Man of the Month Book 7) Page 8

  “You’re still seeing that cute girl you were checking out last year?”

  He nodded. “Hard to believe it’s been that long.”

  “Time flies,” Landon said. “You two must be serious.” Landon was a strong man, and he looked it. Not huge, but a solid block of muscle, covered by a layer of tattooed, black skin. But he had exceptionally kind eyes, and it was Derek’s theory that the combination was what made him such a great detective. Everybody talked when Landon was in the interrogation room.

  Just like Derek was talking now. “I think we are. Hard to know.”

  “Is it? I haven’t really dated much—not since that shit with Vanessa—but I seem to recall the question being a little more clear cut.”

  “I’m pretty sure nothing is clear cut where women are concerned.” He sat on the bench and pulled on his shoes. “I’m out of here. I’m actually meeting her in an hour. A work free Saturday for both of us.”

  “Give me a call when she doesn’t have you tied down.” Landon winked, then tossed his locker key and caught it. “We’ll have a rematch.”

  “You got it.”

  Derek showered and was out of the gym in record time. He waved to the owner, Matthew Herrington, then stepped out into a gorgeous spring day. He headed down Congress toward his condo, pausing only when he saw a familiar face coming toward him.

  It took him a second, but he finally recognized the tall man with dark hair and movie star looks. “Parker? Parker Manning.”

  He saw the confusion on Parker’s face, then the recognition as Parker shook his head in surprise. “I almost didn’t recognize you,” Derek said. “It’s been, what? Ten years?”

  “About that. I’m not even sure where I saw you last.”

  “Something to do with our parents, I’m sure.”

  Both Parker and Derek came from families with Texas money that was sunk deep. The Manning family with their oil and gas roots, and the Winston family with ranching and the hotel chain. And despite popular opinion, the high roller club in Texas wasn’t overflowing with members. Most anyone with that kind of portfolio knew everyone else, and Parker and Derek had spent many afternoons together at country clubs and other watering holes for old Texas money.

  “Are you living here now?” Derek asked Parker. “I thought I’d heard you were in LA.”

  “Was. Just moved to Austin. Well,” he amended, “my company’s been here for awhile, but I just made the move myself.”

  As he spoke, he was looking over Derek’s shoulder, and he took one long step to the right, which put him behind Derek. Then he slipped into the shadows of a nearby building’s entrance alcove.

  “Problem?”

  Parker shook his head. “I know that woman.”

  Derek glanced over his shoulder at a woman with long dark hair and cat’s eye glasses, then looked back at Parker. “Bad breakup?”

  “Not exactly. Let’s just say I want to stay off her radar for awhile. I think she needs some space,” he added, obviously in response to Derek’s questioning expression.

  “Looks like you’ve become quite the gentleman.”

  Parker’s lips twitched. “It happens. So what’s up with you?”

  “Work. Travel. I did just close a deal to purchase a small motel to renovate.” The owners of the South Congress Motor Inn had finally accepted the offer, and Derek couldn’t wait to get the Winston Boutiques division up and running.

  His phone rang, and he frowned when he saw that it was his assistant. “I need to take this. It’s either an emergency or I’m going to have words with my assistant.” She knew he preferred text or email on the weekends. Calls were strictly for crises.

  “No problem. We’ll catch up soon.”

  “Absolutely,” Derek said, then connected the call. “Elizabeth? You know it’s Saturday.”

  “I’m so sorry, Mr. Winston. But Mr. Ingram’s father just called. He wanted you to know that Jared tried to commit suicide.”

  It took a few hours and a half dozen calls, but Derek finally managed to piece the story together. His friend had tried to OD on pills, and he was currently in a private hospital in Vermont for recuperation and psychiatric evaluation.

  Derek was scheduled to fly up there first thing in the morning.

  Now, he stretched out on the couch, not doing a damn thing except waiting. Not for tomorrow, but for Amanda. She was due any minute, and though his first instinct had been to cancel their date, he hadn’t done so. He’d kept silent because the only thing that he was certain about in this crazy day was that she was the person he wanted to see.

  A moment later, he heard the keypad beep. She entered, started to flash her bright smile at him, then faltered.

  “Derek? What’s wrong?”

  Immediately, a wave of guilt crested over him. He hadn’t cancelled the date because he wanted to see her. But did he really have the right to bring her down, too?

  “It’s fine,” he said, pushing himself up onto his elbows. “I should have called. I’m not really good company today. I don’t want to ruin your Saturday, too.”

  “Hmm.” She dropped her purse on the entry table, then came to kneel in front of him. She reached over and felt his head. “You don’t have a fever.”

  “It’s not that.” He took her hand, deciding he should tell her. “Jared tried to kill himself.”

  She froze. “Your friend? The one you told me about from boarding school?”

  He nodded.

  “Oh, God. Derek, I’m so sorry.”

  “I don’t want to lay this on you, too. You should just go. I can—”

  “No,” she said, her voice firm. “Now scoot over.”

  He didn’t have the motivation to argue, so he scooted.

  She slid onto the couch next to him, then pulled his head down against her. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “Not really. He’s a good friend, and I love him, and part of me thinks I should have seen it coming.”

  “It’s not your fault.”

  “I know that, too.”

  Their eyes met, and the concern he saw on her face made him feel cherished. He wished Jared could have felt that way.

  “There is one thing.”

  “Whatever you need.”

  “I’m so tired.”

  “Well, then close your eyes and go to sleep.”

  “Will you stay?”

  “Derek, yes. Of course. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Shhh,” she murmured, stroking his hair. “Just close your eyes and drift.”

  And so he did, trying to wrap his mind around the entire day. But he couldn’t. All he could process was the fact of Amanda. He’d tried to push her away. She’d stayed anyway.

  Now here she was, when he was raw and exposed. Shattered and confused. Basically a mess.

  And all he could think was, thank God.

  Chapter Eleven

  Even in upstate New York, July was a bitch, and Derek wiped sweat from the back of his neck as he and Jared walked the grounds at the hospital.

  In the months since Jared had tried to kill himself, Derek had made the trip at least a half-dozen times, squeezing the visits in between his increasingly busy travel schedule for work and his regular trips to Austin, which in Derek’s mind had become both sacred and frustrating.

  Sacred because he cherished his days with her.

  Frustrating because even after a year, they were still flying under the radar. They were in a de facto relationship—any lawyer would say so—but she still refused to describe it that way. Or do anything to move it forward.

  But that wasn’t a problem for today.

  Usually, when Derek visited Jared, they took a walk, then played some chess, then talked about something utterly mundane. Last time, they’d actually debated the lighting design in Citizen Kane, a conversation all the more interesting since Derek knew nothing about film. Neither did Jared, really, but under the circumstances, Derek didn’t push that point.

&nbs
p; In other words, their conversation to date had been safe. Dull. Even boring. And definitely not insightful.

  Today, Derek had asked his friend why.

  “A lot of reasons,” Jared said. “Some I’d just gotten mixed up in my head. Some Dr. Crowley says I may not fully understand. But I guess the bottom line is that I couldn’t figure out how to get off the damn hamster wheel. I mean, you know my life. What was the point?”

  “I think you’re the point,” Derek said, and Jared lifted a shoulder. And, thankfully, smiled.

  “Yeah, maybe so. But I’ve got a ways to go before I find my way back to a version of me that I want to hang out with, you know?”

  “I think I do. You staying here for a while, then?”

  Jared nodded. “Another three weeks. About time I put myself in the shop for maintenance, don’t you think?”

  Derek had to laugh, relieved that some things didn’t change. “Yes. Past time. I’ve been worried about you.”

  “I know. I’m sorry about that.”

  “Don’t be. I get it.”

  Jared studied him for a minute. “Do you?”

  “Yeah.” He frowned. “Why?”

  Jared waved the question away. “Spend too much time around shrinks and you start thinking like one. I just worry about your hamster wheel, you know? May not be as rickety as mine was, but it’s still spinning.”

  He thought of Amanda. And he thought of the unending crisscross pattern he was following over the continent, and the renovations on the motel that were stalling because he didn’t have a free second to push the project forward.

  He thought of all that, and he nodded. “Yeah. I know.”

  When Amanda got to The Fix Wednesday night, she was surprised by how crowded it was. This was the sixth of the bi-weekly Man of the Month contests—they’d kicked off in April—and each one had drawn a bigger crowd.

  “Amanda!”

  Amanda turned just in time to get caught up in Megan Clark’s exuberant hug. A makeup artist by trade, Megan had recently begun working with Jenna, and had come up with an advertising flyer that seemed to be working.

  “You know,” Amanda said, “I think this may be the best night yet. Your flyers definitely upped the interest, and what’s on the flyer’s not too bad either. I mean, Parker? Holy hell, that man is hot.” Somehow Megan had convinced Parker Manning—the Parker Manning—to enter the contest. And Amanda could only wonder what sort of bribe she’d used to make that happen.

  Griffin Draper had come in with Megan, and now he rolled his eyes. An up-and-coming voice actor and web series creator, Griffin was extremely talented, but also self-conscious of the scars he’d received after being burned as a child. Megan, Amanda knew, had become one of his closest friends.

  Megan ignored Griff’s reaction, pushed a lock of dark hair off her forehead, and nodded in solidarity with Amanda. “Seriously hot,” she agreed.

  “Honestly, if this were a bachelor auction instead of a calendar contest, I think I’d have to bid.” Amanda started to fan herself, but when Megan clapped a hand over her mouth in an obvious attempt to hold back laughter, she turned around—only to have her eyes fly open at the sight behind her.

  Parker was there, yeah. But she wasn’t embarrassed by what he might have overheard. For one thing, it was true, and he was surely used to being fawned over by women by now. For another, she barely even registered Parker.

  No, what had her eyes going wide was the man with Parker—Derek. What on earth was he doing there tonight?

  She heard the others talking, but she was too shocked to process words, so she didn’t clue back into the conversation until Megan spoke up. “Who’s your friend?”

  “Sorry,” Parker said. “Everyone, this is Derek Winston.”

  Everyone started introducing themselves and shaking hands. And then it was Amanda’s turn. She met his eyes, and she knew hers were full of questions. Some of her friends who came to The Fix knew they were acquainted, of course. But Brooke wasn’t around at the moment, and so right now it just seemed easier to take his extended hand, ignore the ever-present zing of connection, and mutter her name in introduction.

  She was certain that everyone could read her face and figure out what was going on, but no one seemed to notice her at all.

  “You’re Winston Hotels, right?” Griffin asked. “Nice properties.”

  “Thanks,” Derek says. “It’s a family business, but I’ve taken over as the director of North American operations. I’m in town visiting the Austin properties. Since Parker and I go way back, I thought I’d come watch him shake his groove thing up on that stage.”

  “If my groove thing does any shaking it won’t be on that stage,” he said. And although it might have been Amanda’s imagination, she could have sworn he looked at Megan.

  “There you are!” Taylor D’Angelo hurried forward, her ponytail bouncing. She shoved her way through the crowd, then grabbed Parker’s arm. “You’re supposed to be in the back. It’s almost time for the show to start.”

  “See you all later,” Parker said as he was dragged away.

  About the same time, Megan headed toward the stage, leaving Derek and Amanda alone, with Amanda gaping at the man. She was trying to gather her thoughts, when a familiar looking man approached, and she remembered him as the guy sharing a table with Derek that very first night they met.

  “Hey,” the man said, “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

  “I came to see Parker humiliate himself.”

  “Didn’t we all? I’m Landon, by the way,” he added, thrusting his hand out for Amanda. “An old friend of Derek’s.”

  “Oh. Right. Well, I’ll leave you two to talk. It was great to meet you.”

  She saw Derek’s eyes go wide, but she didn’t hesitate. Just cut through the crowd and headed to the back of the bar. In all the time they’d been together, they’d never come to The Fix. They’d never talked about it; it seemed to be an unspoken rule.

  So to see him here now was strangely upsetting. No, she thought. Not upsetting. It was confusing. Because as much as she’d wanted some time to think, she also couldn’t deny an almost overpowering urge to sit with him at a table in the back, their heads bent close together as they watched the contest. And that desire—that craving to have more of him than she already had—had been growing constantly for months.

  And, yeah, that scared her.

  Frustrated, she dragged her fingers through her hair. Bottom line, she wanted Derek. Heavy underscore beneath the bottom line? She wanted all the parameters tailored to her convenience.

  Well, hell.

  Fortunately, he hadn’t pushed her to change the status quo. And surely tonight was just a coincidence.

  In fact, he was probably just as surprised as she was, which accounted for whatever odd vibe she’d picked up.

  Biting back a grin, she eased toward the back of the bar. If she slipped out through the back exit to the alley while the contest was going on, no one but Derek would miss her. And he’d undoubtedly know to look for her at his condo.

  She eased through the crowd and was just about to slip into the hallway, when she heard the familiar voice calling her name.

  “Amanda.”

  She turned, her breath leaving her as she saw him, his broad shoulders filling the space and his eyes full of so much passion she knew that her panties were already soaked. If it wouldn’t be so damn dangerous, she’d just drag him into the ladies room and have her way with him right then.

  Instead, she just smiled and said, “Hey. I’m sorry for cutting out on your friend. I was surprised to see you. I was afraid he’d read something on my face.”

  “Baby, that’s not even on the radar. I just want you to meet me in our room in an hour. Will you do that for me?”

  “Absolutely,” she said, although she was surprised that he wanted to meet at the hotel. Usually they went to the condo. Then again, they had met in July. Maybe he wanted to celebrate their anniversary month in the same room they’d ma
naged so well in before.

  “I have news,” he said. “I was going to wait to tell you, but baby, I’m too excited.”

  “Really?” She couldn’t imagine what it could be. Maybe tickets to a show tonight? They’d been talking about going to see something this summer.

  He took her hand, then leaned in close, his breath tickling her ear. “I’m moving permanently to the condo. And I’m cutting out the work travel, too. No more waiting. From now on, you can have me anytime you want me.” He pulled back just enough to meet her eyes. “And baby, I always want you.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Derek had known that his news was going to blow her mind, and he’d debated whether to drag out the news or tell it in one fell swoop. In the end, he’d decided to do both. Tell her about the move to Austin first, and then tell her the rest when he got her alone.

  What he hadn’t expected was such a visceral reaction from her. But here she was in their hotel room, pacing back and forth, barely saying a word.

  “I guess I don’t understand,” she said. “You just decided to up and quit your job?”

  “My job that required me to travel so much, yes. I’ll still be employed.” At least, he hoped so. That discussion was part of the dragging it out portion of tonight’s program, and right then she didn’t look primed to hear it.

  “But—”

  “Amanda, please. Sit down.”

  She scowled, but complied, settling herself on the foot on the sofa in the suite’s living room. Since he wanted to see her face, he sat on the ottoman across from her. “I did a lot of thinking after Jared’s suicide attempt,” he began, then tried to put into words for her how much he’d empathized with Jared’s feeling of his life having no meaning, no real connections.

  He took her hands then. “But I’m not Jared. I have you. And I wanted more, but that wasn’t possible unless I made some changes. I thought—hoped—that you wanted me in your life. And not just in a way that pops in periodically.”