She nodded in agreement.
“But Sharon needs us sitting here with her. I don’t think you’re going to get that dance you wanted after all,” he said, not sounding too disappointed. But she was.
“I guess it wasn’t realistic to think we could have a romantic evening while Sharon was being blackmailed.” She’d just wanted to feel Derek’s arms around her again. She needed him to pull her close and press his cheek against hers while they moved to the beat of the music.
The collar on his polo shirt was crooked. She reached out to adjust it and her hand skimmed the razor stubble on his jaw. At the simple touch, her skin tingled and her body burned.
Instead of pulling her hand away, she caressed his jaw, giving him exactly the signal she wanted to send. “Maybe we can’t dance here, but there are other places,” she said, her voice ripe with innuendo.
His eyes darkened in understanding. Her body craved intimacy and closeness with him in the most basic way.
“I’m back,” Sharon said, joining them again.
Gabrielle pulled back. She glanced at Sharon and smiled.
Derek rose from his seat, insisting Sharon take it again.
The rest of the night passed in a drawn-out blur of drinks that turned into diet sodas after a while and anxious conversation from eight until 11:00 p.m. Three hours later, they finally had to accept the fact that nobody was coming to contact Sharon.
“Well, this was a bust,” Sharon said. “Now what? I wait until he contacts me again?” Her voice shook.
Gabrielle glanced at Derek. “Unfortunately, you don’t have a choice.”
She nodded. “Let’s get out of here. I just need to find my keys.” She dug through her purse, clearly upset.
“If you’d just leave half that crap home, you’d be able to find something in there,” Gabrielle said laughing, attempting to ease her friend’s tension.
Sharon ran her hand through her hair. “I know. I have got to clean this bag out,” she muttered. “Aha!” She pulled out her keys.
Together they walked to the parking lot. Derek walked them to Sharon’s Ford Escort.
“Call me,” Gabrielle said to Derek, her gaze lingering on his. What she really wanted to say was, Meet me back at my room, but she refrained.
Sharon opened her car door. “Oh, for God’s sake. Derek, take Gabrielle home, will you? You two want to be alone so badly, I can feel it.”
“But we didn’t do anything,” Gabrielle protested.
Derek merely shook his head.
“You didn’t have to do anything. It’s obvious. I spent the afternoon at the beach, watching you two stare at each other, remember? It was just like when we were in high school and I was the third wheel.”
“You were never the—”
“Relax. I’m kidding!” Sharon laughed. “Besides, I just want to go home, crawl under the covers and pretend none of this is happening.” She waved her hand toward them, indicating they should leave. “So go.”
“Don’t be silly. I want to make sure you get home and inside your house safely,” Gabrielle said.
“Which you wouldn’t be able to do since I’d be dropping you off at Rhodes Inn, anyway. Stop worrying and acting like my mother. I appreciate it but I’m fine.” She turned Gabrielle around and pushed her toward Derek.
“But…” As much as Gabrielle wanted to be with Derek, she did not want to leave Sharon alone.
“We’ll follow you to your house and make sure you get inside safely. Then I’ll take Gabrielle home,” Derek said, appeasing both women.
Gabrielle smiled at him. “He’s a true diplomat.”
“No, you’re just easy to please,” he said in that deep voice she loved.
Sharon rolled her eyes. “Oh, brother. You two have it bad.”