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  “Dude!” Michael called through the window as Derrick pulled up in front of the group.

  And if he called him ‘dude’ one more time, Derrick might just grant his brother’s wish of another wrestling match. Derrick hopped out and walked around to the sidewalk. He accepted a pat on the back from Jonas and Ry and then a hug from his brother, who quickly stepped back after a second, knowing Tori would want her time.

  “Hey, Tori.”

  She uncharacteristically leapt into his arms, pressing her lips against his. Her mouth worked its magic, parting his lips, and then her tongue touched his. She was an incredible kisser, but he couldn’t do this.

  He pulled back, gasping for air. “Wow. What a great reception.” He took the bag propped up beside her and hauled it to the cargo area.

  Clearly, Tori wasn’t buying his attempt. He was certain she’d felt what he’d felt. Nothing. He loved her; she was one of his closest friends, but he’d felt nothing. Shouldn’t he? Shouldn’t a kiss from a woman you’d kissed a thousand times, but hadn’t in almost a year, make your toes curl, your heart pulse, and other parts of your anatomy react.

  He walked to the passenger side and opened the door for her. She got in, but didn’t even look at him. The three men crawled in the backseat, chattering about which club they’d hit first.

  “Man, am I glad to be back in Boston!” Michael hooted out the back window.

  Derrick raised the rear window and activated the child locks. He glared in the rearview mirror at his immature sibling. “Try to control yourself, brother. You’re not really a college kid on Spring Break, even if you look like one.”

  Michael wiggled his eyebrows. “The ladies don’t know that. To them, I’m a twenty-year-old college student from abroad. I can even speak in a British tongue, and they eat up that stuff.”

  “You are also underage according to your driver’s license, and you barely look as though you’re out of high school.”

  “Never stopped me before. Besides, I have a big brother who’ll let me use his ID.”

  Derrick raised a brow. “You have another brother I’m unaware of?”

  “Are you kidding me, man?”

  “Nope. If you want to stay at my place and drink, fine. I know your real age. But I’m not giving you my ID. You get busted, I get busted, and there goes my career.”

  Michael punched the back of his seat.

  “You put a hole in my new leather, and I won’t buy you any wine either,” Derrick chided.

  Michael huffed, but Jonas and Ry laughed, smacking his brother upside the head. Tori sat in the seat next to him without saying a word.

  Derrick reached over and picked up her hand. He didn’t say he was sorry; he didn’t say he’d try. He just held her hand, hoping he could feel something. Just a flutter…anything. If he could fall for Tori, everything would be fine. It’d remove all doubt.

  She squeezed his hand, letting him know that she forgave him. She always forgave him. She knew what she wanted. What she’d always wanted. The hang up was his, not hers.

  Derrick peeked in the rearview mirror before he changed lanes and locked eyes with Jonas. They’d never gotten along well; they merely tolerated each other. He was an okay guy, but he was a hothead, and losing your temper could get the family in trouble. Of course, falling for someone outside the family could get you in trouble too, so who was he to talk?

  He and Janelle had stuck to their promise, though. In the last month, they’d met several times a week over coffee—and water—and studied. They had lunch a few times, but no more five-star eateries, she’d insisted. They talked and had fun, but he kept his distance. Then, on the nights she worked, he made sure that she and Kristina got home safely. She never went out, so he never had to worry. She pinched every dime.

  Derrick stopped by a liquor store and purchased two cases of wine, the only type of alcohol that he and his family could drink. Chardonnay, because it went with everything, and merlot, because Tori liked merlot.

  As soon as they reached his apartment, Tori grabbed a bottle of merlot and headed into his kitchen. She went directly to the drawer that housed the corkscrew, then pulled a wineglass off the rack. She deftly removed the cork, filled the glass, downed it, then filled it again.

  Derrick followed her into the kitchen, placing his hand over hers. “I’m sorry. You took me by surprise.”

  She tucked the bottle under her arm and looked up at him. “Bring your own bottle and meet me on the roof.”

  He knew he didn’t have a choice. He opened a bottle of chardonnay, downed a glass, and then filled another. Unlike his brother, he rarely drank, but he needed to loosen up.

  He followed a few minutes later. Michael and his buds had already cranked up the music on some video channel, so they’d have fun all by themselves. They’d probably leave the apartment after they had a few, but as long as his brother didn’t have his ID, he didn’t care. Even drunk, Michael could outrun any of The Boys at Boston PD.

  Derrick pushed through the door to the rooftop. Tori stood at the ledge, looking out over the Back Bay skyline. The night air was cool, but she’d removed the sweatshirt she’d been wearing earlier, displaying her finely sculpted arms. He walked up behind her and set the bottle on the wall.

  In a relaxed, unhurried manner, she turned to him. The wine must have started working. He couldn’t deny that Tori was all kinds of beautiful. Sleek black hair that almost reached her slender waist. Legs that seemed to go forever, wrapped in close-fitting, faded-in-all-the-right-places jeans and a body-hugging, white tank top that showed off her ample chest. Any man would jump at the chance to have her, and she wanted him.

  The two glasses of wine he’d downed warmed his insides. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her.

  She draped her hands around his neck and molded her body against his. “Let’s try this again.” She pressed her lips to his, and he accepted her this time. He moved his hands through her hair. He wanted her. He wanted her badly. Maybe if they…

  She pressed her hips against his, pulling him with her as she backed up against the wall.

  Coming to his senses as his body lit up with a hunger to consume her, he retracted from her lips. “Tori…”

  “Maybe if we…” She kissed him harder, and her hands gripped him powerfully. “Maybe if we just tried…maybe we’d fall.”

  Everything in him wanted to experience her fully, but he knew he couldn’t allow that to happen. He couldn’t lie to her. His brother could whisper plenty of sweet nothings into a woman’s ear. He had no problem taking what he wanted. Derrick couldn’t seem to clear his head.

  “No, Tori. It’s not right.”

  “Then let’s just enjoy it. It doesn’t matter if nothing happens. I know this is me pressing this. I don’t expect anything from you.”

  He pulled back. “No…”

  “Derrick, I’m a thirty-year-old virgin. I’ve waited for you for twelve years. At what point do we just go for it?”

  He pressed his hand to her cheek. “Why? Why me? Tori, you have five more years in London. Most of us meet our soul mates in school. Why are you waiting for me?”

  She narrowed her eyes. “Because I love you…”

  In the nicest tone he could muster, he reminded her, “Love isn’t enough. You know that. I love you too. But I’m not going to take advantage of you.”

  “Even if I ask you to?”

  He smiled. “Even if you ask me to.”

  She dropped her head against his chest. “I’ve missed you.”

  Derrick brushed her hair off her shoulder and pressed his lips to her neck, inhaling. “I missed you too. I really have. You’re my best friend.” And damn, he wanted her, but he couldn’t do it.

  She lifted her head. “I wish I wasn’t. Then maybe you’d be willing to take advantage of me.”

  Derrick laughed. “That still wouldn’t happen, Tori. I’m just not that kind of guy. I think you’re confusing me with the other Ashton downstairs.”

  “Y
eah,” she laughed, “Mike’s a slut, and he doesn’t seem to know how to turn it off.”

  Derrick pressed his forehead against hers. “I know. I really am glad to see you, Tori. It’s been so boring here without you—or Mike, as hard as it is to believe I’d ever admit that. Don’t tell him, though.”

  Her dark eyes glistened in the dim light. “Maybe I could just come home now.”

  “You know that’s not possible.”

  “Will you wait for me, Derrick?”

  “What other woman would I choose? There’s no one like you. The few women my age came home from school attached,” he lowered his gaze at her, “which is normal.”

  “You didn’t come home attached,” she said, smiling.

  “That’s because I left the only girl I ever cared about, ever even kissed, in London.”

  Tori pressed her body against his again. “Then let’s just go to your room.”

  “There are three other men in my apartment. Not happening.”

  She moved from underneath his arm. “I’ll go remedy that right now.”

  Derrick reached for her. “No. Can we just talk?”

  She sighed. “You are so not a guy.”

  He directed her to a bench situated between a few potted evergreen shrubs. The night was clear and cool, and she had to be freezing. He pulled her into his arms. “Believe me, I’m a guy, and you, as always, are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. But tonight, this week, nothing is going to happen between us. And yes, I will wait until you come home, and I will try. But we’re not going to have sex until I feel it in my heart first.”

  “But, Derrick, I’ve heard that the only way to really fall is to have sex.”

  “Did my brother tell you that?”

  She lowered her head.

  “Tori…I know you don’t have a mom, but maybe you should stop hanging out with just us guys. That is not true. My mother, and my father, assured me I’d feel it in my head and heart before I felt it anywhere.” Tired of having this conversation every time they talked, he sighed. “Besides,” he nudged up her chin, so she’d look at him, “What if we did fall? How could I live here without you while you’re in another country for five years? You know that’d be impossible.”

  “If we fell, maybe I could stay.”

  “No…you have to complete your training. It’s the law. We’re all required. We don’t have that many laws that we can’t abide by them. And since I’m going to be overseer—”

  She bolted upright. “You are? My uncle didn’t tell me that.”

  “Shh…it’s not public yet. But according to my father, they’ll announce it at the next meeting. Since the four of you are home, it’ll probably be this week.”

  Tori kissed him quickly. “I’m so proud of you, Derrick. Are you ready? It’s a lot of responsibility, being in charge of all the families in New England. And my uncle said the overseer always has enemies. Even though he’s part of the council, he said if there were any rogues who didn’t want to follow our ways, they always blamed the overseer if they banished them.”

  “I can handle it.”

  “I have no doubt about that. After all, you’re the strongest in the family.”

  Tori nuzzled against him, and he automatically wrapped his arms around her. He did love her, and he would wait for her to come home. He didn’t have any concern that another creatus woman would turn his head. Only one woman had captured his heart and mind, Janelle. But…Janelle was human.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Derrick stood proudly beside his father. It was an honor, even though everyone assumed he’d step right in as overseer with his father and uncle as part of the council, and then, Tori’s uncle, Dean, who’d always been like an uncle to him.

  Michael and Tori whooped and clapped, as did all the other families within their family. Well, except Jonas. Jonas just stared at him, lightly tapping his hands together. Derrick didn’t think he was actually jealous of him, so it must be something else. Jonas’ gaze wandered around the room and fell on his brother and Tori. Ahh…that’s the problem. Jonas wanted Tori, and Tori only had eyes for him. Of all the eligible bachelors, he’d prefer it to be anyone but Jonas. If it were anyone but Jonas, he’d probably step in and see what he could do to get them together.

  His father adjourned the meeting, but nodded at Derrick as though he wanted him to stay. Derrick sat, but watched a sullen-looking Tori gaze back. She’d evidently had plans for after the meeting. Derrick glanced at his watch. He had plans too. The town of Harvard was a little more than an hour’s drive from Boston, so he needed to get going soon.

  The room cleared and Dean approached him. “Congratulations, Derrick. You know I’ve always thought of you as one of my own, and I can’t think of a better man for the job.” He gestured to the door, even though no one was there, then sat down beside Derrick, his mouth close to his ear. It wasn’t easy to keep secrets among the family. “What about you and my niece? Anything new on that front?”

  Derrick’s face heated. “We’ve been close for years, sir, but no, she still has almost five years of school.”

  “Nothing stops love, son. Tori wants you…we’ve spoken several times.” He pulled back to look at him. “But you don’t know?”

  Derrick looked to his father. Thirty-five years old, and he felt like a teenager being interrogated by his girlfriend’s father, and Tori wasn’t even his girlfriend, even if everyone thought they were. Never once had he told her that. He’d always been honest. He’d only promised that he’d wait. “No, sir. I don’t.”

  Dean narrowed his eyes, then lifted his chin at his father. “Lyn, haven’t you explained ‘the birds and the bees’ to your son.”

  The three men laughed. Derrick didn’t find his love life, or lack thereof, funny.

  Matthew Ashton sat down on the other side of Derrick and smacked him on the knee. “I assure you, Dean, my nephew knows all about how things work. He’s just sensible. Aren’t you, Derrick? We didn’t choose him as overseer lightly. He knows the laws, so he’s keeping them. I wouldn’t want my wife across the Atlantic either.”

  Derrick nodded, silently thanking his uncle, who just so happened to be the attorney in the family. He handled the law within and outside family business. His practice also took on other family law issues, just as their clinic treated humans. They still had to live and work in the human world.

  Lyn Ashton stepped in front of Derrick and offered him his hand, pulling him up from the chair, away from the inquisition. “Let’s go eat, gentlemen, or Sabrina will be out looking for us.”

  The two men strolled off, and Lyn held Derrick back again. His intelligent eyes trained on his and he moved closer. “What is going on with you?”

  Derrick narrowed his eyes, tilting his head, asking what he meant without speaking.

  “You’ve stared down at your watch fifteen times since we started,” Lyn said. “And you’ve been late to take over the nightshift several times in the last few weeks, and you’re never late for anything.”

  Derrick closed his eyes. He couldn’t lie to his father, but this wasn’t a conversation for here. “Can we talk tomorrow?”

  “Do you have school in the morning?”

  “No.”

  “Then let’s meet for breakfast on the wharf. It’s private enough.”

  Derrick nodded, but cringed inside. How had his father known? He didn’t think he was just upset, he knew the conversation was private too. His eyes darted to his watch again. “I have to go. Will you apologize for me, please?”

  His father nodded, but then shook his head. “Be smart, Derrick.”

  “I will, Dad.”

  The next morning, Derrick strolled along the wharf, taking in the sounds. He loved coming here. The smells from the harbor, the cry of the seagulls, the salty taste in the air always reminded him of when he was a child without a care in the world. Truly, he had no cares right now. Other than Janelle. He worried about her safety, he worried about her health, and he hated that he couldn’t be
with her. That’s what his father had seen in his eyes: hopelessness. He’d always been happy, always been carefree. Suddenly, he was morose.

  What good was life if you couldn’t be with the one you loved? And he did love her; he knew he did. He didn’t have to kiss her or make love to her to know he loved her. He just had to spend a few days a week working, studying, and eating with her to know it. Maybe it was because he knew he couldn’t have her.

  Nice try, Derrick. If that were it, he’d be like Michael, interested in everything that walked upright and was female.

  Derrick heard his brother’s laugh before he saw him. He dropped behind the seawall, wondering what his brother was doing here—and so early. He’d been up past four again last night.

  “Derrick,” his father called.

  Derrick pulled himself back onto the wharf. His father had brought his brother. Why?

  Lyn Ashton motioned both of them to the park. “You know the family is counting on you. Both of you.”

  “What do you mean?” Derrick asked.

  “We need a new position, and though Michael won’t be back for a while, we think he’s the right man for the job. As overseer, you could reject him or the new role within the family, but I think you’ll agree we’ve needed this for some time. We also want Michael to finish his medical degree, as we still need medical staff. But we think he’d be better suited as head of national security. He has an eye for noticing things.”

  “Hell, yeah, I do!” Michael resounded.

  His father glared down at his youngest son. “That’ll be enough with the language. I didn’t rear my sons to talk like that.”

  If it were possible, Michael looked contrite. Not many men took down Michael; he was a beast. But his father could knock him to his knees with a few words and a poignant gaze. Good. His brother had been getting on his last nerve this week.