Protecting What's His (19 page)

Epilogue

“You’re not bringing that thing into our bedroom.”

“That
thing
?”

“You heard me. It gives me the creeps. Do you know how hard it is to creep out someone who investigates homicide for a living?”

“A harmless statue?”

Derek confirmed with a single nod, shivering as Ginger wheeled Dolly through the living room. She merely rolled her eyes. After ten months of pretending to live separately, yet spending every single night together, Ginger had finally consented to move in with him. Having tired of her stall tactics, albeit adorable, Derek decided to play dirty, demanding her agreement one night while her legs were up near her ears.

Since then, he’d had to fight to keep the constant smile off his face. She already had him wrapped around her little finger, he didn’t need to give her another reason to torture him.

“Think of it this way, baby. I won’t be able to get hard with a toothy blonde staring down at me.”

Ginger propped a hand on her hip and pouted, heating his blood. “I seem to recall you used to prefer toothy blondes.”

Derek growled, starting toward her. She knew her jealousy turned him on. Big time. Squealing, she turned and ran barefoot into their bedroom. Of course, he chased her. He would always chase her.

He tackled her on the bed, tickling her sides.

“Stop! Oh my God, stop
stop
.”

Her shirt rode up, revealing her navel. Dipping his head, Derek circled her belly button with his tongue. When Ginger’s fingers curled into his recently grown-out hair, tugging with encouragement, he smiled against her belly. Growing his hair out had been a great decision, even if it was a pain in the ass every morning.

“Derek, we can’t. Willa and Evan will be here any minute.”

He groaned, rolling onto his back, only slightly appeased when she continued playing with his hair. “So Willa is staying here and Evan is staying in your old apartment?”

Ginger laughed. “No. They’re both staying in the old apartment. They’re grown-ups now. And they
have
been studying abroad in Italy for the last three months.”

Derek frowned. “I guess I still think of her as a kid.”

“I know. And it’s very sweet how protective you are of my sister.” She tugged on a fistful of hair. “In fact, it’s kind of a turn-on.”

Derek’s eyebrows shot up. “Another one? Jesus, how many do you have?”

“I don’t know. You keep discovering them.”

He turned onto his stomach and crawled up Ginger’s body, his eyes focused on her mouth. “Are you sure we don’t have time?”

Her breath turned shallow. “Be quick.”

His fingers flew to the button of her shorts.

The doorbell rang.

“
Fuck
.” They groaned at the same time.

But Ginger’s lips spread into a smile as she bounded off the bed. Three months was the longest amount of time she’d ever spent apart from Willa. Derek knew she missed her sister terribly. The end of Willa’s semester abroad coincided perfectly with the grand opening of Ginger’s new furniture store, Sneaky Peet’s. They’d spent the last two weeks painting and transporting her inventory to the space in Wicker Park. Several local papers were already creating a buzz about the trendy new store. Derek had every faith that the shop would be successful with Ginger running the show.

“Baby, wait.”

At the bedroom door, she turned with one hand on the doorjamb, eyes shining with excitement. All bare legs and tousled hair, she knocked the breath out of him. Still did every single day.

“Yes, Lieutenant?”

He smiled, then turned serious. “You’re moving in today. Do you know how happy that makes me?”

Ginger launched herself at him, knocking them backward onto the bed. Straddling his chest, she leaned down and kissed him the way Derek asked her to when he needed reassurance. The way she’d done ten months ago in that motel shower when he needed it most. A kiss that didn’t require words.

Another round of banging on the door.

“Mommy and Daddy!” Willa called from the hallway. “Zip up your pants and open the door.”

Ginger kissed him one last time and ran from the bedroom laughing.

Derek smiled after her.

About the Author

Tessa Bailey lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and young daughter. When she isn’t writing or reading romance, she enjoys a good argument and thirty-minute recipes.

www.tessabailey.com

Acknowledgments

To my husband, Patrick, who in addition to working incredibly hard himself, never complains about having to watch the baby while I write (or just sob quietly in a corner wishing I’d never quit smoking). You’re more than I deserve.

To Heather Howland for taking a chance with a new author and being patient throughout this unfamiliar, whirlwind process.

To my mother, father, and brother, who
better
not be reading a word of this book. I love you so much. Thank you for your understanding.

A special thanks to my friend Maggie (aka “Robin”) who read my very first manuscript three times and insisted it was totally amazing when in reality, it was horrific.

And to my ladies! The funniest, craziest girls on the island of Manhattan whose real-life adventures inspire all the female relationships I write about. Best night of my life!

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