Protecting What's His (Line of Duty #1)(59)

“Take off your clothes,” he directed without turning around.

Okay scratch that, she so wasn’t in the mood to be ordered around. Ginger scoffed. “Not a chance.”

“I would remove them for you, but I can’t ensure they’ll remain intact.”

Hating the hollow quality to his voice, she rose from the bed and stomped toward him. “Derek, you’ve had your time to be mad. I did something foolish, I know that. But you can’t ignore me forever.”

He moved so fast, Ginger didn’t have time to protest as Derek ripped the shirt from her body. Her shorts were yanked down her legs next, along with her panties. Then he threw her over his shoulder and strode into the bathroom. The light flipped on so she could see herself in the mirror dangling over his back.

“What are you doing? Are you crazy?”

“I’m taking a goddamn shower. I don’t trust you to stay put, so you’re taking one with me. Would you like to remove your boots or will they be joining us?”

Having no choice, Ginger frantically toed her boots off and let them drop to the ground. She heard the shower start, then a moment later he stepped under the spray. The warm water rushed over her, soaking her bra and running down into her eyes. Finally, Derek bent and set her down on her feet.

She launched herself at him, pummeling his wet chest with her fists. He absorbed the blows without reaction, not even trying to prevent her.

“Why don’t you just get it over with?” Ginger cried through gritted teeth. “Punish me. You know you want to.”

Derek’s eyes darkened and his fists clenched, letting Ginger know she’d hit her mark. She removed her bra and stepped under the shower spray, letting him get an eyeful of the water rushing over her naked body. Then she turned and placed her palms high against the tile wall.

“Punish me.”

A tortured groan echoed through the bathroom. “No, Ginger. You don’t know what I’m capable of right now.”

“You need it.”

“Don’t tell me what I need,” he growled into her wet hair. “You’ve made it clear how little you care.”

Her throat squeezed at the pain behind his words, but she pushed on. “I need it, too. We’ll both feel better afterward.”

Breath harsh against her ear, Derek pressed against her back. “You would like that, wouldn’t you? A spanking followed by a long, wet ride on my dick?”

“Yes. Yes, please, Derek.” Arching her back, Ginger pressed her behind against his slippery arousal, working her hips, enticing him to follow through. She made a sound of protest when his fingers dug into her waist to still her movements.

“Too bad, baby. It’s not punishment when you enjoy the sentence. No, I have something far worse in store for you.”

Derek picked up a bar of soap wrapped in paper, ripping it open with his teeth as Ginger watched over her shoulder. Then he lathered the bar in his hand and began to wash her. Gently, his hands ran over her back, across her belly, dipping between her legs just long enough to frustrate her. He gathered her hair in one hand and pulled it over her shoulder so he could wash the blood from her face. Ginger’s hands slipped from the wall and she swayed back toward him unconsciously, greedy for his touch.

“Wh-what are you doing?”

“I saw your face in the car, Ginger.” His voice sounded low, furious. “When you heard that message. You looked terrified.”

She shook her head in denial. “No, I—”

“Yes. So you know what your punishment is going to be, sweetheart? I’m going to make love to you. Slowly. Hell, it might take me until tomorrow. I’m going to lose count of how many times you come. And every time you do, I’m going to tell you that I love you. Until you f*cking get used to it.”

Tears burned behind her eyes. God, he sounded so hurt. She turned to face him. “Derek, listen to me—”

“No.” His throat worked with emotion. “You’re not going to cry your way out of this.”

Ginger knew then she wouldn’t get through to him with words, only actions. They’d admitted to being physical people since the beginning. Only her body could persuade him to listen. As the water pounded around them, she put her hands on either side of his face and stared deep into his eyes. She stretched up to place her mouth on his and felt a stab of pain in her chest when he flinched.

Garnering her courage, she poured every ounce of love she held for him into the kiss. She apologized with her mouth for making him scared. She praised him for saving her life. Her hands stroked his face and neck, dipping down to his shoulders to pull him closer. Derek’s arousal pulsed hard and thick between them, but she didn’t reach for it like she wanted to, worried he might mistake her meaning. The kiss represented love and she needed him to understand that.

Derek pulled away to scrutinize her face. “Ginger?”

Tears mixing with spray from the shower, she nodded. “I love you, too.”

His eyes squeezed shut. Banding her arms around his waist, she buried her face against his skin and repeated the words over and over again, willing him to believe her.

She heard the shower turn off. Then Derek lifted her in his arms and carried her out of the bathroom. Laying her down, still soaking wet, on the pillows of the bed, Derek sat heavily with his back to her and buried his head in his hands. Propping herself up on her elbow, she waited without breathing.