Bidding On The Billionaire (The Sherbrookes of Newport Book 8) (15 page)

The tiny lines around Trevor’s eyes deepened as he glared in Derek’s direction. “I wish I could. Katelyn woke up with a fever. I need to go pick her up.” He put his smartphone into his shorts’ pocket. Then he crossed the gap separating them and stopped next to her, despite the murderous expression Derek directed at him. “I’ll call you soon.”

She expected the peck on the cheek he normally gave her. Instead, he pressed a light kiss against her mouth. Something sounding suspiciously like a growl came from next to her.

“I know my way out.”

Walking a guest to the door was proper etiquette, but today annoyance toward both men had her watching Trevor leave on his own.

Once she heard the door close, she turned on Derek, primed and ready to give him an earful. “What’s your problem this morning? Did you forget this is my apartment, not yours? You acted like a jerk.”

He relaxed his arms but his frown remained. “Sorry. You know I don’t like the guy.”

“How can you not like him? You don’t know him.” Brooklyn yanked the elastic from her hair and redid her ponytail. “I can’t believe you talked to him like that.”

“Fine. You’re right. I don’t like him with you. Is that better? What was he doing here anyway? Did you invite him over?”

“No. I intended to spend today alone. As in by myself.” She hoped he heard the annoyance in her voice because she wasn’t thrilled about his surprise visit either. “He showed up with breakfast a little while ago. I guess he forgot how to call first, kind of like you.” She poked him in the shoulder for added emphasis.

“I told you last night we needed to talk.”

“And I….” She stopped and threw her hands up in defeat. Bickering back and forth wouldn’t get him out of her apartment any faster. “Never mind. Whatever. You’re here. I’ll grab my calendar and we can get the silly dates arranged.” Once they got those things out of the way, he’d leave and she could climb back under the blankets. If anyone else rang her doorbell today, she’d leave them standing in the hall.

Hell
. This visit was not going how he’d planned. Derek blamed Trevor. Seeing the guy sitting in Brooklyn’s kitchen eating breakfast had triggered his temper.

“We’ve got more than dates to discuss.”

“Right. Before you leave, I’ll get your bank information so I can have the money I didn’t use transferred back to you.”

He wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her. “I don’t care about the money or the dates. Those things can wait.”

“If it can wait, why in the world are you here? You better not be planning to ask me for another favor, because if you are, my answer is no. As in absolutely not.”

Maybe he deserved that. Asking for her assistance had caused her a lot of hassle, but it’d done something else too.

“To talk about us.”

“You’ve lost me.” Her eyebrows furrowed together, and she shook her head. “Really, Derek, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Last night. Us. Our kiss.”

Brooklyn’s cheeks turned pink, and she moved her gaze toward something over his shoulder. “Oh.” She pushed at the glasses that weren’t perched on her nose. “I expected it since all the other couples shared a kiss. I know you did it because the photographer was standing there.”

Damn it
. Either the woman had become suddenly dense or she was intentionally avoiding what they’d experienced.

“If you’re worried I’m mad at you or something, I’m not. I know it was all part of the charade. If you hadn’t done it, someone would’ve noticed.”

“I didn’t do….” He stopped himself. “Maybe I started the kiss because the photographer was standing there, but….” The correct words failed him.

“Derek?” Her gaze met his again, the same baffled expression still on her face. “You’re not making any sense. Maybe you need more sleep or coffee.”

He needed sleep, but it wasn’t his problem now. “I didn’t want it to end. You pulled away, remember? Not me.” Her cheeks went from pink to scarlet and the color spread down her neck. “There’s something between us. You know it too.”

She took several steps away from him. “Yep, it’s called friendship. It happens when two people enjoy spending time with each other and share similar interests.”

“We both know it’s more than friendship.” He’d expected a much different reaction from her. He watched her bite down on her lip and wanted nothing more than to kiss it instead.

“Derek, we…. I—” She moved back again, only stopping when the kitchen island got in the way.

“I love you.” He’d never said those three words to a woman before. “And I think you feel the same.” If he’d learned anything from all the women he knew, it was that telling a woman what she felt was the wrong thing to do no matter the situation. Today he couldn’t stop himself.

A small, unpleasant-sounding laugh escaped her. “We both know you love me like a sister or maybe a cousin. Guilt because of last night’s kiss has you confused. Tomorrow or the next day, you’ll realize it. Go home and get some more sleep. Then have some coffee and go for a swim.”

“Brooklyn, I know the damn difference. Trust me, what I felt last night and what I’m feeling now is not at all brotherly.” Instead of giving her an opportunity to argue, he moved in, ready to show her. His arms circled around her waist. With a not-so-subtle tug, he pulled her against him, molding her body against his, loving the way her curves fit against his hard planes. Bending his head, he took her mouth. Last night he’d started their kiss gently. Not today.

When her arms wrapped around his neck, he tugged on her lip, demanding entrance. The moment she parted her lips, he made his move, dipping his tongue inside to meet hers. His hands moved down lower, cupping her ass and pressing her more firmly against his erection.

Fingernails scratched his scalp as she raked her fingers through his hair. The minor distraction caused him to release her mouth and move his attention to her neck. Brooklyn’s sigh reached his ears and he smiled against her skin.
God.
Why hadn’t he done this sooner?

“Derek,” she suddenly said, sounding breathless. “Please. Stop.”

Not the words he wanted to hear.

Her fingers left his hair and dropped to his shoulders.

He kissed the erratic pulse in her neck one last time before he looked at her. “What’s the matter?” He already knew the answer. He’d moved too fast for her again.

“This… this isn’t right.” She pulled away from him.

He suspected his chin rested somewhere down near his chest. Not right? He’d never experienced anything like what they’d just shared. How could she say it wasn’t right?

“You can’t love me.”

“Why the hell not? Did you not feel what kissing you did to me? Do I need to show you again?” He gave her arm a yank, intending to pull her against him so she could feel for herself his current aroused state. She held her ground and refused to budge.

“This is
me
, Derek. We’ve been friends for over ten years, and I know your type. It’s not me. And if you really loved me, it wouldn’t have taken you this long to figure it out.” She jabbed him in the chest with her finger. “Maybe this is your way of getting me to stop seeing Trevor. You’ve been against it all along.”

“You want to know why I’m against you seeing him?” He backed away from her before he either kissed her or strangled her. He couldn’t decide which he wanted to do more. “Because every time I think of you with him, I want to hit someone. The thought of him or anyone else kissing you makes me physically sick.”

She gaped at him. Not just stared, but honestly and truly gaped at him, her jaw slack and her eyes wide.

“I love you. Yeah, it took me a while to realize it. So what? Let’s not waste anymore time arguing about it.”

“Derek, I don’t know.” The stunned expression disappeared only to be replaced by a more serious one.

“Have I ever lied to you? Come on, Brooklyn. You feel something more for me than friendship. I know you do. I can tell.”

“You’ve never lied, but what if you’re confusing love with something else? Are you willing to risk our friendship?”

“For the last time, I’m not confused. I know what I want. You.” He’d laid it all out there. She had the next move.

“It’s not that simple, Derek. I wish it was.”

A hard, cold fist tightened around his heart. “Because of Trevor.”

“Please don’t go there. He’s only a small part of it. Did you forget my dad hates you?”

“We skip your family gatherings.” He’d never figured out why Donovan Novak disliked him so much, and until now, it never seemed much of a big deal. Perhaps he’d have to do some digging.

“Will you stop interrupting me? I’m not convinced you’re not going to wake up tomorrow and realize you were mixed-up.” She moved closer and touched his arm. “We’re good friends who care about each other. Maybe we should leave it at that.”

“Stopping telling me I’m confused or mixed-up. Why can’t you believe what I’m telling you?”

“Would you believe me if I showed up at your place and suddenly announced I loved you? You’d think I’d lost my mind. You’d be saying the same things to me.”

All he could do was clench his teeth, because she had a point.

“It’s not like you’ve ever hinted at it before.”

“Let me prove it to you then.” She might doubt him, but he recognized what he felt as the real deal.

“Excuse me?”

“You gave Trevor a chance? Do the same for me. Let me prove to you how I feel.” He’d dumped his heart at her feet, but she’d said little about her true feelings. “Or look me in the eye right now and tell me I’m merely a friend. Tell me you don’t feel anything toward me. If you do, I’ll walk out and never mention this again.”

She dropped her gaze toward the floor.

He had her. Her expression told him everything. “You can’t do it.”

She shook her head. “Part of me wishes I could. It’d make life a lot easier.”

“Then you’ll let me prove it to you?” He almost had her agreement.

“What about my dad? I gave him my word.”

Hell, not that again.
“Fine. Keep your promise to him. We both know things between you and Trevor won’t go anywhere.” He ran his fingers across her cheek and cupped the back of her head. “Please,” Derek whispered before he brushed his lips across hers. “Let me show you how much I love you. Prove to you we belong together.”

She touched her mouth to his again, all the answer he needed for now.

When he’d asked her to spend the day with him, the heat from his mouth remained on her lips, and she’d been incapable of saying no. A full day later, she found herself reconsidering her decision even as she drove over the Newport Bridge. Spending the day out on the
Affinity
was nothing new. During the summer, they regularly took it out and spent hours together enjoying the ocean air and the cool water. His little announcement yesterday changed everything.

He loved her. Well, he claimed to love her. She wanted to believe him. A part of her had always loved him as more than a friend. Rather than risk the relationship they did have, she’d chosen to keep those feeling hidden deep down in a place she never even went. At times it wasn’t easy, but she’d known it was the right thing to do. Their talk in her kitchen had her second-guessing everything.

If Derek said he loved her, then he believed it. Or at least believed it for the moment. At some point though, he might realize he’d confused his current emotions toward her for love. Then what? Could they fall back into their old friendship as if nothing ever happened? He might be able to, but she didn’t think she could. Once she unburied her true feelings for him, she suspected hiding them again would be impossible.

Derek changing his mind was only one of the issues making her wonder if agreeing to give him a chance was a bad idea. Her dad hated him. He’d outright told her Derek would never be welcomed into the family. At the time, she’d dismissed it as irrelevant, but if their relationship went anywhere, it’d be a major obstacle. One she doubted they’d get over.

Of course, last but not least on her list of problems was Trevor. She’d never promised her dad wedding bells, but he expected them. He saw a marriage as the ideal way to solidify his relationship with Trevor’s grandfather and join the two companies. She kept her nose out of her father’s business, but even she recognized such a merger would be beneficial for both parties.

Pulling into Derek’s driveway, she put the car in park and turned off the engine as she stared out the windshield. Nope, not today, she thought with a shake of her head. She needed a little more time. A few more days to think things through without Derek standing in front of her and the taste of his toothpaste still lingering on her tongue.

Yep, once she got everything straight in her head, she’d either tell him she’d changed her mind or move forward. Until then, she’d keep as much distance between her and Derek as possible, considering they worked down the hall from each other.

Brooklyn started the car again. Once she got over the bridge, she’d call and tell him something came up. She moved her hand from the ignition to the gearshift, but didn’t get the car in reverse before Derek’s front door opened. With a wave in her direction, he bounded down the stairs, her chance at escape thwarted.
Darn it.
She’d waited too long.

She watched him walk toward her and killed the engine.
Face your fears
.
Don’t fret over them
, she reminded herself of her grandmother’s favorite saying. She’d never considered the statement truer than at this very moment.

Derek pulled the car door open and extended his hand in her direction. She hesitated then slipped her hand into his, the truth hitting her head-on. No matter what decision she made today, their relationship was about to change.

“You were thinking about leaving.” He held her hand tight, making her wonder if he feared she’d bolt.

“No, I… okay fine, I was. But I didn’t. See, I’m right here.” She kept a gap between them, but even so, her whole body tingled as she remembered what he’d felt like when he held her close the previous day.

“Only because I came out before you backed out of the driveway.” Derek reached for her other hand. “But it doesn’t matter. You came and you’re here with me.” He raised her hands to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. “Unless you’d rather go out on the
Affinity
first, I thought we’d spend time on the beach, go for a swim, and then head out on the water. How does that sound?”