Protecting What's His (Line of Duty #1)(37)

“Where is your coat?”

“In the back room,” she snapped. “You didn’t exactly give me enough time to go get it.”

He whipped off his jacket and settled it on her shoulders just as they exited the club into the cold Chicago evening. Smokers hung around in packs outside, oblivious to the scene that had just taken place inside the club. Ginger vaguely registered the bouncer at the door calling her name questioningly before Derek boosted her into the passenger seat of his SUV.

They didn’t speak on the ride home, the air thick and tense between them. Derek gripped the steering wheel tightly under knuckles smeared with blood, a muscle ticking dangerously in his jaw.

His obvious anger only fueled Ginger’s. The second they pulled up in front of the building, she jumped out of the car and slammed the door, stomping toward the building without looking back. She sensed Derek right behind her as she turned her key to unlock the front door to the building, but she refused to acknowledge him. When they reached the third floor, she flung off his jacket and threw it over her shoulder at him without breaking stride toward her temporary apartment.

She heard Derek’s dark laughter behind her. “We can have it out in your place or mine, Ginger. It doesn’t matter to me. But it happens tonight.”

“Fuck you.”

“Inevitably.”

Ginger froze outside her door. If she ignored him and went inside, she would fume until the sun came up, imagining all the insults she could have thrown at him. A fight would be infinitely more satisfying.

She marched back down the stairs toward Derek’s place. No way would she wake Willa up with an argument between her and Derek. Furthermore, she didn’t want her sister knowing what had taken place tonight at Sensation. It would upset her.

He wants a fight? I’ll give him one to remember.

Derek unlocked the door and gestured for Ginger to precede him inside, which she did with a toss of her hair. After flipping on the overhead light, she flung her purse on his kitchen table and faced him. He was looking for something under his kitchen sink, which he eventually found. A first-aid kit.

Ginger scowled over his concerned gesture. She’d come here for a fight, dammit.

“All right, Derek. You proved tonight you had the biggest dick in the room. You’ve clubbed me over the head and brought me back to your cave. Where do you want me? We don’t even have to be quiet this time.” She hopped up on the kitchen table and lifted her shirt. “How about right here on the table? Or maybe the couch?”

Derek took two quick strides toward her and slammed the metal box down on the table. He pulled the hem of her shirt back down before it reached her breasts. But not before she saw a familiar hunger tighten his features. “All right, you’ve made your point.”

“Really? I feel like I haven’t even started.” Her eyes flashed with heat. “What were you doing at Sensation tonight?”

“I came to see you.”

“Why?”

“You damn well shouldn’t have to ask me that.” Uncharacteristic regret flashed across his features. “Look, Ginger, I should have called you. Or at least said good-bye Sunday morning. The fact that I was practically handcuffed to my desk for two days is no excuse. I handled this badly.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “Handled what badly, Derek? There is nothing here. We had sex. People do it all the time. I don’t need you to write me a poem.”

“It was your first time.” Anger infused his tone. “You deserved more than a quick f*ck against my bathroom door.”

How dare he tell her what she deserved? He didn’t know what growing up with Valerie had been like. Watching her mother’s self-worth wither or thrive, depending on who occupied her bed. She’d made the decision at a young age never to give anyone the power to destroy her ability to reason. That included the man standing in front of her.

Ginger leaned forward, getting right in his face. “I decided when, where, and with whom my first time happened. No one made that decision for me. And I don’t regret it. I’m sorry if you do. Won’t let it happen again.”

“Don’t put words in my mouth. I don’t regret it. I’ll never regret it. I just wish you would have told me.” He brushed the hair off her shoulder, his fingers lingering against her skin. “I could have hurt you, baby.”

The Derek who hadn’t called her for two days then started a bar brawl vanished, replaced by the gentle, caring Derek who scared her so much more. Recognizing the shift in his demeanor, she pushed his hand away in panic and tried to slide off the table.

He gripped her legs until she stopped struggling, then knelt down in front of her with the first-aid kit.

She stared at the top of his head, dumbfounded. “What is this? What are you doing?”

Derek began cleaning the wound on her leg with peroxide and cotton. “I’m taking care of your cut before it gets infected.”

“No. That’s not what I meant. I don’t need this from you, Derek. Do you have some misplaced sense of guilt because you bagged a virgin? Because you shouldn’t.” She banged her fist on the table to get his attention. He ignored her, produced a bandage, and applied it on top of her injury. “Stop this bullshit! I don’t need you to pretend you want me for more than sex.”

Derek shot to his feet, looming furiously above her. “You have no idea what I want.”