We don’t get too drenched really, so I grin at my cousin and show her inside. “I’ll take you to the guest room and then I’ll go and find my man.”
A little bit confused as to where he’s gone, and concerned, I show Olivia to the front guest room. It’s the nicer of the three and I know it will ma
tch Olivia’s personality.
I wasn’t wrong.
She gasps as I open the door, and her eyes rapidly run over the large king-sized bed, the sofa in the same blue and cream stripe as the bed cover, and the white Victorian nightstand. It’s a beautifully calm room and I’m delighted her eyes are gleaming with excitement.
“There’s a dressing gown in the bathroom, you can lounge in that and then we’ll grab our luggage once the rain stops.”
“Okay, now shoo.” She smiles. “I know you’re twitching to go and find Derek. I’ll be fine, go.”
“I’m gone.” I quickly shut the door and hurry to Derek’s room.” I stop and realize it’s no longer Derek’s, but our room, pressing the palm of my hand to the dark wood. “It’s our room,” I whisper to myself, a small smile on my lips.
If Derek isn’t already in bed then I know just the way I’m going to be waiting for him, and it won’t be looking like a drowned rat.
Gripping the doorknob, I slowly turn the handle and shove the door open. My whole body stills in shock at the naked woman sleeping in Derek’s bed. My heart pounds and all I hear is the blood rushing through my head, a voice in the back of my mind saying this isn’t real. It can’t be. Except, Dee really is naked in Derek’s bed. I glance around the room but no sign of the man himself.
As though reading my thoughts, Dee sits up, barely covering her chest and gives me an evil smile. “I guess he chose someone closer to his own age after all.” She smirks. “If you want to ask him yourself, he’s just gotten out of the shower.” She inclines her head toward the bathroom.
I don’t know what to say or do as I slowly back out of the bedroom, and turning, I flee downstairs and straight out through the backdoor. There I stand on the deck and give way to the big heart wrenching sobs that tear through my body, and I take off running. The rain continues to pound down, but all I know is that I have to get away and this is the only way I can think of…I run.
48
Derek
Fuming at the deceitful woman, it isn’t until I stomp into my house full of fury and nearly knock Olivia over that I realize an unfamiliar car was parked out front. Seeing Olivia, I realize why.
Her screech could wake the dead or in this case bring Geary running in, stopping at the sight of me with a woman in my arms. “Great pair of lungs, Olivia.”
“Crap, I’m sorry Derek. You scared me to death.”
“I’m sorry too.” I rub my forehead where I feel a headache forming. “Madison?”
“She went to find you, although I thought she was in your bedroom.” Olivia raises her gaze and blushes slightly while Geary stands to the side, his eyes glued on the petite woman.
Clearing my throat, I introduce Geary and Olivia, and I don’t miss the way Olivia appears surprised at one of my closest friends and employees. Geary even has a slight blush on his dark cheekbones.
“Um,” Olivia takes a step back, “I think I should go and put on some more clothes. I thought everyone was in bed for the night.”
“We would be, but for a conniving woman who I’m about to throw out into the rain,” I rant. “There’s nothing wrong with the main roads, or the road to her house, so she can damn well leave.”
“I think Madison and I have come back in the middle of something.” Olivia’s gaze keeps flittering over Geary, and likewise. It’s enough to calm my temper though.
“Geary can fill you in, I’m going upstairs to see my woman. I’ve missed her.” Smiling, I wish them a goodnight and have a feeling Madison may have made a perfect match with those two.
Smiling to myself, I quickly run upstairs and throw my bedroom door open and have the shock of my life when I find Dee in the middle of my bed—naked. “What the hell are you doing in here like that?” I roar. “Forget that, what the fuck are you doing in my bedroom?”
Her smile slips and becomes forced. “I thought you’d like this surprise.”
“The only surprise I want is to find the woman I love in my bed, and that isn’t you.” I inhale and slowly exhale. “Get dressed now,” I tell her trying to keep my temper, “and get the hell out of my house. Don’t ever step foot on my property again or I will have you arrested for trespassing.”
“You can’t mean that?” The woman is stupid.
“You have five minutes and then I’m calling the sheriff. I want you gone out of my sight.” Then remembering what Olivia had said about Madison coming to find me, my heart sinks when I start to realize just what this evil woman has done. “Where is Madison?”
Her eyes dip. “I don’t know what you mean.”