14. Chapter 14

M e: Please tell me you are stopping by Heartcraft today! I have so much to catch you up on and there aren't enough emojis for me to do it over text.

Harper: Well, I hadn't planned to, but you better believe I'm coming now.

Me: Good! I'm putting out the bat signal. This is an emergency friend request. But like… good emergency, so don't start worrying.

Harper: LOL see you soon. Collin should be there already.

My booth was all set and ready to open, and I kept rearranging my display table for something to do with my hands. I was glad to be working, but my thoughts were full of Derek. MJ, my little crocheted bear, must have been moved at least ten times, trying out different spots on the table.

We hadn't made any plans for today or tomorrow, so I wasn't going to see him again until Monday. Which should be fine. I'd easily gone weeks without seeing previous partners and not been so out of sorts about it. Maybe I could have lasted longer without the constant images of the sexy man in my head if it wasn't for the fact he'd taken on the duty of caring for the kitten we'd found.

In my booth, I also had a few of my house plants to sell. My ficus plants were toxic to cats, though they looked nice and were great at producing oxygen, making it easier to rest. It was sad to see the trimmed, potted bushes for sale, but if I was going to take O'Malley off of Derek's hands, they had to go.

With how comfortable the kitten had gotten with Derek, that might not be a possibility. Still, I wanted to be prepared either way. I'd had a lot of fun with the kitten, too. Now that I had my own house, and not an apartment, maybe it was time for me to consider having a pet when that had never been an option before.

"Okay, I saw the bat signal, and I'm here." Harper's voice came from behind me. "Hey, aren't those plants from your house?"

I turned to him and pulled him into a hug. "Yes! Oh, my God! So much has happened. Remember my new client? "

Harper wore his typical nineties alternative rock shirt and jeans; his wavy brown hair was being held back by a crocheted headband. His brow was arched, his head tilted. "The stalker?"

"Yes! But it was sweet stalking, not scary stalking."

"Um…I'm not sure stalking is supposed to be sweet."

"Okay. Maybe not, but believe me…good intentions. Anyway, we went out."

"You did? How did it go?"

Holding onto the pole of the canopy, I let out a dramatic sigh and leaned against it. "It was perfect. Like beyond perfect. He was so sweet and thoughtful. Derek's not the most forthcoming with conversation. I get the impression that he doesn't socialize much outside of work. But when he does speak… my God ! The sweetest things come from his lips. He makes me feel like I'm in a movie."

Harper grinned. "That's great! I'm happy to hear that. So, you're going to see him again?"

Thinking of Derek finding me in his bed and that heated kiss that followed, I felt my cheeks warm. "I already have."

"Well, look at you. That was fast." Harper crossed his arms with a smirk on his face.

"Says the man who went to a gay bar to lose his V-card."

He simply shrugged. "No regrets."

I laughed. "Yeah. You got lucky. But you know what? I think I have, too. Not that he would be my first, but it feels different. It might be early, and maybe it's because of the baby, but I think it's real."

"Wait? Is he a father? Does he have a baby?"

I grabbed Harper's shoulders excitedly. "No! We have a baby. Oh, my God. He's the cutest."

"So your guy stalked you and then you kidnapped someone's kid together? I'm confused."

"We had a perfectly marvelous date, and he was taking me home, and then we saw it."

"Saw what, exactly?"

The only picture I had was the one Derek had sent me. I would have hesitated about showing it to Harper if he hadn't put it on his Instagram account. It made my heart soar to think that with all the time he'd had his account and never posted, this was the picture he'd been compelled to share.

I stared at it for a moment, soaking in all the hotness and cuteness, before passing my phone to Harper. "That's Derek and O'Malley, the cat."

"Oh! Wow. He's a looker. And the cat? That's the baby?"

"Looker? He's downright dreamy. But then you have your big biker, so I don't blame you for not being more enthused. And yeah, we found the kitten. He was lost and alone, and I couldn't leave him. Derek just went with it, and offered to keep him at his place. Which, by the way, is why I have my plants here. They aren't cat-friendly. But look at that picture. Harper! They are so freaking cute together. Like, my heart cannot take it."

Harper squeezed my arm. "It's nice to see you so happy, and it seems like things are going well so far. I can't wait to see where it goes."

"You and me both, because, damn , I think I'm already in love."

"Love?"

"Okay, I don't know if it's love, but I am definitely deep in like." And lust , because I desperately wanted to see him naked.

"Sure seems like it. So tell me about your perfectly marvelous date. Or is it dates?"

"Well, one was a date, the other was him finding me in his house."

Harper coughed out a laugh. "Um, what? Like hiding in his home? How does that work?"

"No, not hiding; sleeping."

"So he stalks you and you break into his place all Goldilocks style? This sounds like a weird foundation for a relationship, man." He shook his head and clicked his tongue.

"It wasn't like that, but with the way he growled when he saw me in his bed…I'll take it." Just thinking about the hungry look on his face when he saw me had me flushing.

Harper laughed and patted my arm. "I worry about you sometimes. "

"Yeah, but you love me, too."

"Of course, I do. And if this Derek guy knows what a treasure he has, he'll love you, too."

I couldn't stop the smile from stretching across my face at the thought. "Thanks, bugaboo. He makes me feel like a treasure."

"That's good, he'd better. Keep me posted, okay? I'm going to go see Collin."

"Will do. Go see your man."

The market opened, and there was a great crowd, especially early in the morning. However, this would be the last one that was held in the morning before we switched to evening hours to accommodate for the summer heat. And it was heating up.

With only an hour left of the market, things got even hotter when a delicious man in a suit came walking up. I was fanning myself constantly, plus I had a battery-powered fan behind me, but still, I was sweating and here he was in a full suit, looking barely affected by the midday sun.

My heart kicked up when he strode straight toward me. "Hey, Sunshine."

When he leaned in to kiss my cheek, I put a hand up to stop him. "I'm all gross and sweaty."

"I don't mind, it's just proof of your hard work. Besides, it gives me a great image of what you'd look like in bed. "

I fanned myself even harder. "Well, shit! You came in all hot and ready, didn't you?"

"Hmm…maybe. I think you look great, by the way." This time, when he leaned in to kiss me, I didn't pull away and savored feeling his scratchy, trimmed beard against my cheek.

"Thank you. You look amazing, as always. Were you at work?"

"Yes. We're in the middle of our shoot for the perfume deal. Tempers were getting a little high, myself included, so we took a break."

"And you came to see me?" Those twirlies were back in action.

"Yes, well, I was thinking about how I hated not being able to check on O'Malley while I'm at work, so I went to an electronics shop and picked up a home camera system. Since I was out and I knew you were here, I thought I would stop by."

I stifled a laugh as I thought of just how devoted Derek was to the kitten. "You got cameras? That sounds expensive. You didn't have to do that."

"The money is nothing if it gives me a little peace of mind."

Poking a finger into his chest, his hard chest, "You're just a softie underneath, aren't you?"

He shrugged and held up a tote bag. "Does buying all-natural cat treats and homemade catnip toys make me a softie?"

A laugh burst out of me before I grabbed the bag to look inside. He'd been shopping since he got to Heartcraft. When I saw the bag from Hooked on You , I squealed. "Oh my God! You must have met Collin. He's my best friend's fiancé."

"He was nicer than I thought he would be when I first saw him."

Chuckling, I nodded. "Yeah, he looks scary, but he's not. And no, to answer your question, shopping for O'Malley doesn't make you a softie. Well, maybe it does, but it simply means you are a good cat dad."

Derek looked pensive for a moment before he replied. "It's kind of nice, you know? I've been on my own for so long, there was never anything or anyone I wanted to shop for. So it's nice to have something. And someone . I got you something, too. It's nothing special."

He pulled out a small, crocheted duck from one of the bags and handed it to me. I gasped before grabbing it and clutching it to my chest. "Oh my God!! Derek! It's adorable."

"At least this one won't get mad when you stop feeding it."

Not caring that I was sweaty and sticking to my shirt, I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him. "Thank you! That's so sweet. You really don't have to buy me things though, okay? I already like being with you."

"I know, but I wanted to." Derek squeezed my hand before his expression turned sour. "I should probably get back and see if we can get this shoot done. I will be beyond happy when we're done working with this client, but you didn't hear that from me."

I made the motion of locking my lips and throwing away the key. Derek chuckled before cupping my face, his thumb brushing over my stubble, looking as though he was memorizing every detail and mapping each freckle. "Tell me your favorite flower."

A surprised laugh popped out of me at the unexpected demand. "Sunflowers."

He offered me that sweet half-smile of his and lowered his hand from my cheek. "Like the photo?"

Knowing exactly which photo he meant, the first one that he'd liked on Instagram, warmed me deep within. "Yup. They've always been my favorite."

"Why?"

"Besides how bright and beautiful they are, I love that they chase the sun, following its path throughout the day,"

Derek stared so intently, that it felt as if he was seeing into my soul. "I'd like one of those, then."

"A sunflower?"

He nodded once. "Yes. You were the perfect dose of sunshine after a rough morning, so maybe if I have one with me, I can chase some of your light and survive the rest of the day."

I was going to turn to goo, and it wouldn't be because of the heat. Waving my hand at him, I said, "See? Swoony."

He gave me an amused smirk as I picked out the best sunflower I had. When I handed it to him, his hand wrapped around mine on the stem, and he tugged me in for a quick kiss that was over far too soon, but still made my knees weak.

Derek waved with the flower. "See you later."

"Bye!"

After watching that devastatingly handsome man walk away, I introduced my duck to MJ, who had to share the display table with his new friend. Only, MJ would return to my shop as my mascot, but the duckie was coming home with me. A gift from a man I was definitely moving past deep like, ready to go over the edge to the other big L word. Yup, the duck was special; his time on the table was temporary.

The rest of the day was fairly slow, as the heat had gotten to be too much for most folks. Which was both good and bad. Good, because I didn't have to pretend like I wasn't dying, and bad, because it made the time pass by more slowly. When the time came to close up shop, I packed up as quickly as I could. The remaining cut flowers needed to be refrigerated as soon as possible, so I took them straight back to my shop to put them in the coolers. My duck waved goodbye to MJ who would keep an eye on the shop.

Luckily, my house plants had sold—I practically gave them away—but I was happy they were going to a new home. It felt strange to see the blank spaces where they'd been, but that could easily be fixed, I would simply have to get some more cat-friendly plants. Not today, though. Today, I just wanted a shower and a cold drink.

After I'd cleaned up and cooled down, I took a picture with my duck plushie and posted it. I debated tagging Derek in the post, but with how little he used his account and the fact that we hadn't defined what we were doing yet, I opted not to. Instead, I sent the post to his DM. It didn't take long for him to respond.

Derek: Fuck me.

I recalled hearing him say those two words when he walked in on me in his bed and the predatory way he'd looked at me. I imagined him saying it now in the same tone, which made my efforts to cool down ineffective.

Me: Care to clarify?

Derek: Nope.

His short reply made me chuckle, but the amusement ended when he sent me a picture of him holding the sunflower I gave him earlier. And damn , if that wasn't the hottest photo, or at least tied with the one of him and O'Malley. The only response I could form was…

Me: Fuck me!

Derek: Fair is fair. (Winky emoji)

I'd never felt an emoji to my core before, but somehow his limited use of them made them hit that much harder. In fact, I didn't even know he was capable of using them.

Derek: Hey, since I have you.

Oh, he had me, alright. Or I hoped he would, any way he wanted me. Shit, was my air conditioning even working?

Derek: I got the security system installed. If you download the app, I can give you the passkey info for you to access the cameras.

Me: Woah! Hold up! You want me to see the cameras that are IN your home? I don't know, that feels…private.

Derek: I want you to be able to check on O'Malley, too. He's yours as much as he is mine.

Me: That's very thoughtful, but it still feels strange.

Derek: You've been in my house, it's nothing you haven't already seen.

Me: Truuuee. If you're sure.

Derek: I am.

Me: Thanks. Just let me know if it gets to be too much, or you want me to uninstall it. I want to respect your privacy.

Derek: I'll let you know.

He sent me the instructions and waited to see if I got it working, even to the point where he walked through the house, waving to the cameras, with O'Malley following him everywhere. I got notifications when the cameras were activated by motion. It was beyond weird to be talking to him on the phone and simultaneously watching him through the cameras. Derek might have started out as the stalker, but now I felt as if I had crossed over into dangerous territory.

The amount of trust and power he was giving me made my head spin. If I was someone else, I could easily take advantage of this. He must have known that I wouldn't, though, which I both admired and wanted to admonish him for.

Once everything was set, he wished me goodnight, winking into a camera. It made my heart flutter while also causing me to look around to ensure no one saw me peeping at someone on my phone. I quickly closed the app, vowing not to look at it unless I knew he was at work.

Derek

It had been a long day, but I was relieved to know that the shoot was finally behind us. Now all that was left was the final editing of the ad. Thank fuck. If I had to hear the prima donna influencer tell us one more time that she could have made the videos with her filters and been done weeks ago, I would have lost it. Then for her to complain that the lighting was wrong? It had me biting my tongue. I might get short with my team at times, but I knew I had to keep my cool with our clients.

That was why I had to walk away when I did. I hadn't planned to see Marley, but I couldn't resist and he'd been just what I needed to return and get things back on track. Every time I got frustrated, I would look at the sunflower and it would remind me of him.

Unfortunately, though, stopping at Heartcraft meant I hadn't had time to visit O'Malley. The cameras were a huge relief. At least now, I would be able to peek in on him anytime, even if it wasn't the same as in person.

In truth, it had been recommended to me to install them when I first bought my condo, but I was already paying a lot to the HOA for security. It was one of the top things they'd promoted. It was a nice condominium that people paid a pretty penny for, and the security has been one of the main deciding factors for me. What would I need interior cameras for? Everything I owned was replaceable. Until now.

Now I had a living being to keep safe. It was entirely new to me, having something to look after. I always thought a pet would be too big a burden. And while the long day made it hard not to see him, it didn't feel like a burden. I found myself looking forward to getting home and playing with O'Malley. I liked the connection it gave me and Marley, too. I really liked him, but even more than that, we had this little creature to take care of together. I wouldn't even have the kitten if it weren't for him.

Was I too attached? Probably. I already had it in my mind to talk to Marley to see if we had to give him up. And Marley? Yeah, I was certainly attached there as well.

Seeing him in my bed, waiting for me, gave me all kinds of possessive ideas. He might not have done it intentionally, but coming home to him like that had been an incredible sight. I wished I had pushed through my exhaustion yesterday and done more with him. But I didn't want to rush him, even if he had casually mentioned taking to his knees. Fuck , that was a pretty image.

His dark pink hair falling over my cock as he swallowed me down. The thought alone had my blood rushing south. His eyes would twinkle with his internal light as he bobbed. His freckles would become more pronounced with the flush of his cheeks. I rubbed myself through my pajama bottoms, but it wasn't enough.

Climbing into bed, I reached for the bedside drawer and pulled out lube and my stroker, wanting something to pump into besides my hand. It was a simple design, no cartoonish mouth or hole at the end, merely a thin, clear, open-ended tube. It did the job, though, when I needed more .

And right now, I needed more. I'd been half tempted to invite Marley over tonight, but he'd already been here two days in a row and I knew he had been hot and tired when he left the market. In the meantime, I could imagine. The fact that the pillow still smelled like him helped, too.

I inhaled deeply, letting his floral scent fill my nose, and I thought of him back in my bed. In my bed with his face buried in that pillow, his magenta hair splayed out over it, and his ass in the air. I freed my dick from my pajamas and gripped it, stroking a few times, before grabbing the lube and coating my shaft.

With the silicone tube in hand, I brought it down to the head of my cock, pushing with just enough pressure to slide inside the hole that stretched around me. The ridges inside felt wicked, making me groan, as I continued to work it onto me.

Just as I got my full length inside and was about to start stroking, my phone rang. "Dammit!" I reached for it with my free hand, not ready to let go in case it wasn't important. My heart seized in my chest when I saw Marley's name. Why would he be calling so late? Was he hurt? Did something happen?

I answered it in a panic. "What is it? Are you okay?"

"Ummm…yeah. I'm okay, but…" His voice sounded funny, strained.

"But what? What happened? "

I heard him blow out a deep breath, and I held mine. "I wasn't meaning to look. In fact, I thought I changed the settings, but one of the cameras activated."

"Okay?"

"Um, well, it's the one in your bedroom. I thought you should know…it's still on."

The camera in my bedroom? I looked up at the one I'd pointed at the bed to see if I could catch O'Malley sleeping while I was at work. The one that, right now, was pointed at me. At me, with my hand holding the stroker that hugged my hard dick. That he could see me right now should have given me pause. Instead, it made my cock jump with excitement.

"I see." I gave a lazy stroke, feeling scandalous about being seen. But it had been him I was wishing were here, anyway.

"So, I'm going to turn the app off for now." Marley's voice was thick and rough, making me wonder if he was enjoying the view, even while he was trying to be polite.

"Wait! Keep it on."

"Are you serious?"

Thinking of him watching me, I pumped the tube over my cock, hearing Marley suck in a breath. "Unless you don't want to, but I'm game for it if you are."

"I didn't take you for an exhibitionist, Derek."

Since he hadn't asked me to stop, I continued my slow pumps, wondering if he was reaching for himself too. My throat was thick with lust, making my voice come out deep and primal. "Not normally, no. But knowing it's you, I can't deny how hot that makes me. It was you I was thinking about anyway."

" Fuuuck ," Marley let out low and slow.

"Are you with me?"

He let out a soft groan that threatened to make me explode. "Yeah, I'm with you."

Putting my phone on speaker, I put it on the pillow beside me to free up my hands. I stared directly at the camera, enjoying the curse that came from the other end of the phone.

"You look so fucking hot right now. I can't believe this is real," Marley panted.

"It's real. I'm right here. I only wish I could see you, too."

My hand moved the stroker at a faster pace. The way the internal textures rubbed along my shaft was tantalizing, but even more so as I imagined that it was Marley's body that hugged mine.

"Faster, Derek. I'm so close." Having him direct me when he wasn't in the room was hot as fuck.

With only the sound of him as a guide, I matched the pace of my hand to the rhythm of his frantic breaths. I was already achingly close, so when I heard him cry out through the phone, I came hard. So hard that I quivered with the aftershocks as my release spilled from the end of the stroker.

Neither of us spoke for a moment as we caught our breaths. It was Marley who broke the silence first. "Fuck, that was so hot. And you…wow! I wish I was there with you."

"Me too. And agreed. Wickedly hot. That wasn't what I had in mind when I installed the cameras."

Marley gave a nervous chuckle. "Yeah, me neither. I promise I didn't intend to watch you in your bedroom. I want you to know I respect your privacy. I wouldn't normally…uh, watch."

Coming down from the adrenaline rush and the euphoric haze, my mind was still catching up to what had happened. If it were anyone else, I doubt I would have done that, but even in a moment where I was completely exposed in a way I never had been, it didn't bother me.

"I know, Sunshine. As I've said, I trust you, and I have no regrets. In fact, that is probably going to live in my head for a long time. Even if I couldn't see you, hearing you on the phone was incredible. Know that I want to see you when you're ready."

Marley hummed with a contented sound. "Hell, I almost drove over there, so…yeah, I am ready."

Hearing his eagerness had my dick perk up. I tucked it away and pulled the sheet up to my stomach, not wanting to start things up again, not with distance between us. It had been a long time since I'd shared an orgasm with another person, but now that it had happened once, I couldn't wait to do it again. In person. "Soon."