“Are you cold?”
“Nope.”
He wasn’t quite sure how to dote on M, but each night he showed up with food, beer, and blue rays to watch, something other than the news and repeats of comedy shows. All right, so he bought her a damn blue ray player. Big deal. It was more for his own sanity than a gift to her. Mac's choice in television programming needed to be adjusted.
After they ate each night, they would lie in bed together and watch the movies until a headache usually kicked in on Mac and she’d close her eyes and fall asleep. Poor girl. Derk would finish watching the movie then slink out of the room, leaving her undisturbed, late at night.
Mac groan and rubbed her belly. “I’m so full.”
She slid down and burrowed herself under the blankets. Making quick work of tossing the pizza box and paper plates onto the floor, Derk slid in next to her and hit the start button on the player. Absently, his hand went to her stomach, slid under her tee, and ran light circles against her belly.
Within minutes, she was sound asleep, softly snoring. Derk wondered if she knew about the sounds she made while she slept. Probably not. She talked, cooed, chuckled, moaned and groaned. The latter were his faves.
Derk needed to be careful with M. She could unman him. He would never allow a woman to accomplish that task. He’d seen too many buddies lose their balls to their women. At eighteen, he’d buried his parents over his mother's shenanigans as she recklessly played games with his dad's heart.
Nope. Not him. Not going to happen. He refused to let a woman break him. Even Derrick fucking Murphy went insane when his wife had left him close to two years ago.
Fuck that shit.
Derk watched the action movie with his arm wrapped around Mac the entire time. At some point she’d turned, curled into his body, and snaked a leg between his. Man, he had a permanent hard-on around this woman. If they didn't get grinding soon, he might have to call Claire to tide him over until Mac gave it up.
Officially, they weren't a couple. In fact, Derk had no plans on changing his single status, but he did plan on riding M out until their time together grew monotonous. Boredom wasn't high on his list of favorite stages.
Around midnight, Derk slid out from underneath Mackenzie, leaned down and kissed her soft cheek, slid into his boots, and made his way to the door.
"Goodnight," M croaked softly.
He glanced over his shoulder. "Sorry, didn't mean to wake you."
Those large blue eyes blinked at him with some form of emotion he couldn't decipher and frankly didn't want to. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Okay," she whispered.
For an unknown reason he hesitated, hand on the doorknob. "Are you all right? Does your head hurt?"
She blinked at him, her eyelids fluttered and eyes bounced. Shit.
"I just need more rest."
Toeing off his boots, he took off his belt and tee, but this time stripped out of his jeans. "I'm staying, Mac. You don't look so hot."
"I'll be fine." She tried to argue but her voice was unsteady.
"No you won't," he said and climbed back into bed. "Come here." He pulled her into his body. "Get some sleep, baby. If you need me, wake me."
"Thanks."
He kissed the top of her head. Fuck, he hoped she was going to be all right. She didn't seem close to recovering. That fall must have been one hell of a bitch.
13
"There's something not right here," Derk said to Smith.
They'd been sitting outside the restaurant for fifteen minutes waiting for C.D. Maler to show. Derk's tap on the man's phone was crystal clear. The man was meeting a "friend" to "get rid of some items."
It was their first break in the two weeks they'd tried to get a bead on the man, whose death warrant had been signed.
"Man, I'm fucking bored," Derk complained.
Smith remained mute, seated in the passenger's seat, his eyes on their surroundings.
"Why can't I just put a bullet in his head and be done?" Fuck he was in a foul mood. That usually happened when he didn't get a good release in more than a week. His personal hand-jobs weren't cutting it. All because for some ungodly reason he was holding out for Mac. He was convinced he was turning into a woman.
A familiar black Cadillac Escalade pulled into a parking space across the street, in front of the restaurant.
"What's Mrs. M doing here? Murphy didn't call and ask us to watch her." Derk sat up straight. For the past couple years, Derk and Smith were the two men given the duty to tag along with Mrs. Murphy when she ventured out. Apparently she preferred their company as opposed to other men on Mr. Murphy's staff. Derk only knew this because he'd actually overheard her admission to her husband. Naturally, he'd never admit that he was personally pleased Courtney enjoyed his company. A man occasionally needed his ego stroked.