Patience, Derrick. Don’t blow this, man. Not when you’re so close. You’ve waited too long for this.

He tempered his eagerness and took his time gathering the plates and bringing them to the table where Sandra sat. She just looked . . . right. In his house, wearing his clothes, still slightly rumpled from just coming from bed, even with her hair blow-dried from her shower. The only thing that would make it better is if she’d just come from his bed.

Soon enough.

He slid the plate in front of her, watching her eyes widen, a broad smile curving her lips.

“My favorite,” she said huskily.

He smiled back at her. “Of course. Did you think I’d serve you anything else? Waffles with lots of butter and even more syrup. Dig in and enjoy. I’ll bring back milk and the bacon.”

She sighed. “I do love them but I can’t indulge often. Too many calories!”

He shook his head as he returned again with their drinks and the plate of bacon. “There isn’t a thing wrong with the way you look, Sandra. Utter perfection from the top of your pretty head to the tip of those pretty pink toes you sport.”

She flushed, her cheeks going a shade of pink that nearly matched those toes.

“I don’t know how to take this . . . this change in our relationship. I’m off balance. Just yesterday I was planning to let go of you much the way I had to let go of Clement. And now . . .”

She lifted her hand in bewilderment and let it fall back to her lap.

“That wasn’t happening,” he said mildly. “You may have thought you were getting rid of me, honey, but I’m not going anywhere. I would have waited for as long as it took, but there was never a question of me making a move. You just happened to make it first.”

He watched her process his declaration, the brief furrow of her brows as they knitted in consternation. As though she was still trying to understand everything he’d dumped on her in the last twenty-four hours. And then she lowered her gaze, effectively putting an end to her silent contemplation.

She dug into her waffles and he watched, savoring her enjoyment over the breakfast he’d prepared for her. She ate as she did everything else. Artlessly. No self-consciousness. She was a woman unafraid to show her pleasure over even the simplest things. And he intended to bring her a lot more pleasure than waffles for breakfast. He had in mind a hundred ways he wanted to spoil her.

“Now, you wanted to know how this works. What exactly do you mean?” he asked.

Her fork stilled in midair on its way to her mouth. Then she lowered it, licking her lips in agitation.

“You have to know, I mean you do know now, that I’m completely new to this. I told you the things I wanted, but you haven’t told me what you want. How you expect this to work. What you’ll want of me. What you’ll do to me.”

She shivered as she said the last, and he hoped she was imagining all those things he’d do to her. And that those images intrigued and aroused her as much as they did him.

“I think the question is, what do you want me to do to—with—you.”

Impatience flared in her eyes, an emotion he was well acquainted with.

“Derrick, please. Don’t play games with me. This is important.”

At that his expression became utterly serious. He leaned forward, his gaze boring into her.

“This is no game, Sandra. Don’t think that even for a minute. What I feel for you, what I want to do to you, is no game. Not by a long shot.”

“Then help me out here,” she said in a pleading tone. “I’m lost without a road map. I need your honesty. I need to know what you’re thinking. I need to know how you see this playing out.”

“I think,” he said carefully, “that if we are to get into the particulars of our relationship, I’d prefer to do it in the living room where I can at least be touching you when I tell you my expectations and you outline your own.”

“And what if I don’t know what it is I want?”

He could sense her frayed nerves. He knew she was precariously close to cracking. No matter his impatience, no matter his urgency to claim what he wanted and had wanted for a damn long time, she needed delicate handling and all the reassurance he could grant her while still remaining firm. He couldn’t—wouldn’t—allow her to slip through his fingers when he finally had her exactly where he wanted her.

“You know, honey,” he said gently. “You were clear enough last night. Just because you’re no longer dealing with a stranger doesn’t mean that things change. If anything, you should be much freer and without inhibitions with me. I want to know every single thing that’s going on in that pretty head of yours. And you’ll get everything in mine as well. That I can guarantee.”

She rose, simmering with impatience—and nervousness. “Then let’s do it. I want to know. I need to know before I make any decisions.”

He caught her hand, pulling her into his side, wanting simply to touch her as he’d wanted to from the moment she’d entered his kitchen. He caressed her cheek and watched her eyes go warm with pleasure. It was a look he’d savor the rest of his life. Because she saw him. Finally, she saw him.

He guided her into the living room and sat down first on the leather couch before pulling her down and into his arms. She stiffened for a moment and he simply waited. Then she relaxed and melted into his arms, laying her head on his shoulder.

He could smell the scent of his shampoo, could feel a slight dampness that hadn’t been removed when she’d blow-dried her hair after her shower. He liked his scent on her. If he had his way, she’d smell like him all the time. His. He closed his eyes, savoring the moment—and the thought—that finally, she would be his. No, she hadn’t yet voiced her decision but he wondered if she knew he could see acceptance in her eyes already.

She was nervous, yes, but he also saw the agreement simmering in those gorgeous blue eyes. Anticipation licked up his spine. Spread out from his groin until his balls ached with it.

She tilted her head up so she could see him and then to his surprise, she touched him. Grazed her fingertip over his jaw. It was as soft as a butterfly’s wing and yet he felt it all the way to his soul. It scorched a path over his skin, his entire body alive with pleasure at her touch.

“Tell me, Derrick. Be honest with me. What will it mean to belong to you? What do you expect of me? I need to know these things. I need to know what I’m supposed to do. What you want me to do.”

“It will mean . . . everything,” he breathed out. “To me and I hope to you as well. You’ll be mine, Sandra. In every sense of the word. Mine and no other’s. I will take care of your every need. Provide whatever you could possibly want. In return for your submissiveness, I’ll give you the world on a platter. I’ll cherish you, protect you, spoil and pamper you endlessly.”

“That sounds like a pretty awesome deal for me. But what about you, Derrick? What do you get?”

“You,” he said simply. “Just you, Sandra. And believe me when I say that’s enough. It’s all I want. It’s all I need. Just you.”

The yearning in her eyes took his breath away. She hadn’t exaggerated. She’d been as lonely and as aching as he had been the last three years.

“And what will you do to me?” she whispered. “How will you exert your dominance? And do you want my submissiveness only in bed or will it extend out of the bedroom as well?”

“What would you prefer?” he asked, turning the question back on her.

She shook her head, her lips forming a tight, determined line. “I already told you what I wanted. It’s time for you to give me an idea of what you have in mind. I want it all, Derrick. No sugarcoating. I want to know exactly what you want.”

“I want everything, Sandra. And by that I mean I want your complete obedience in and out of the bedroom. I’ll call the shots. You might think I’m caging you, but honey, it will be the most gilded cage in the world and there won’t be a woman on earth who is more cherished or spoiled than you.”

She drew in her breath, her eyes widening.

“Now, I think what you’re asking and what you want to know relates to the more physical aspects of our relationship. Am I right?”

She nodded, her cheeks turning that delightful shade of pink again.

“I like complete submission, but surrender is more than just physical surrender. It’s complete emotional surrender as well. And in some ways, emotional surrender is much more powerful and a much more precious thing to be given. It’s an honor, and I don’t say that lightly. A woman can give her body and never share her heart, her mind, her very soul. But a woman who gives freely of both body and mind is the most precious of gifts to receive. I don’t fool myself into thinking that at any time the women I’ve been with—have dominated—have given me anything but their body. And I was okay with that, because they didn’t have my heart either. We shared our bodies and nothing more.”

He paused a moment, allowing her to absorb his heartfelt words. Watched as she processed them, her eyes reflecting a myriad of emotions. Then he touched her, much like she’d touched him, running his fingertip lovingly down the line of her jaw and finally to brush across the softness of her lips.

“With you, Sandra, it will be so much different. So much better. So much more. Physically? I’ll want complete and unfettered access to your body. It will be mine to do with as I please. Bondage, spankings, there are no limits. I like to inflict pain, pleasurable pain. Pain can be the sweetest of pleasures if given in the right manner. There is nothing more that I wish than to see my marks on you. The blush of red after I’ve flogged your sweet behind. I want to tie you up so that you are completely helpless and at my mercy, but honey, I’ll have the most tender of mercies with you.”

Her eyes had glazed, going dark and swirling with desire. He knew he was speaking to the heart of her. Every single thing she’d fantasized about, she’d dreamed about and ached for, he was going to give her. And he’d enjoy every damn minute of making all her fantasies reality.

He dropped his hand down the curve of her neck until it rested just over the beat of her heart.

“Emotionally? I want your heart. Your soul. Your complete and absolute trust and your surrender. I want your gift of submission and I’ll cherish it as I cherish you. I’ll respect it and never give you cause to regret your decision. That’s the promise I make you.”

She stared at him in bewilderment, her eyes flashing, shadows lurking in the hollows. “How did you know? How could you know, Derrick? How can you see what I’ve only been able to see myself lately? How could you possibly reach into my head and know?”

He smiled and kissed her brow, running his hand around and then up and down her back, reveling in the feel of her in his arms. Finally in his arms.

“Because it’s what I want most too, honey. It’s what I’ve wanted for so very long. And I’ll make you another promise. I won’t rush you. I won’t overwhelm you. We have all the time in the world. Yours will be a gentle initiation into my world. Now that I know you can finally be mine, I intend to savor every moment.”

“You act as though I’ve already made my decision,” she murmured.

“Haven’t you? Perhaps you need time to justify it, but you’ve already made your choice, Sandra. I saw it in your eyes when you walked into my kitchen this morning, and it was all I could do not to do a fist pump or something equally adolescent. You make me that way. Like a kid just gifted with his fondest desire. Birthday and Christmas all rolled into one.”

“I want—I need—to talk with Karla and Sophia. Especially Sophia. She’ll be hurt by this. She won’t understand.”

Then her eyes widened in alarm and she glanced frantically at the clock above the fireplace.

“Oh my God, Derrick! I have to call them! I completely forgot. I promised I’d call them. They were worried. Karla said if she didn’t hear from me she was calling the police. I hope she hasn’t already!”

Derrick chuckled. “Go call the girls. Tell them you’re in good hands. There’s plenty of time to explain to them later. But for now put them at ease. I’m glad you have such loyal, devoted friends. Our friends,” he amended. “And Sandra, they will understand. If they love you—and they do—they’ll only want you to be happy.”

She surprised him again, this time framing his face in her hands and placing her lips on his, full on the mouth. Liquid pleasure rushed through his veins unlike anything he’d ever known. He allowed her free rein, held himself back and let her do it, the exploring. And when she pulled away, her eyes were glazed with passion, surely a mirror of his own.

Oh yes, she saw him. He was filled with triumph and intense satisfaction. The blinders had come off, and she saw him, not as a friend, not as support, but as a man who wanted her with everything he had.

And she wanted him.

There would be many wonderful days ahead, but he’d always remember this one. Not that he harbored any idea that it would be easy and that they wouldn’t have obstacles to face and overcome. But they would get there. He’d make damn sure of it.

“I’ll be right back,” she said in a husky voice. “I just need to tell them I’m okay. And yes, I’ll explain everything to them later. They’ll want to know. For now I’ll just tell them that I backed out of The House. Sophia will be glad. She didn’t want me to go.”

“She worries about you,” he said.

“Yes, and she has good reason to fear the monsters of the world,” Sandra said painfully. “She didn’t want for me what she had to endure for all those years. She fears dominance, control, abuse and being powerless.”

“Yes, that’s understandable,” Derrick said quietly. “But you don’t fear that from me, do you, Sandra?”

The shock in her eyes filled him with fierce satisfaction.

“No, Derrick! Never!”

He kissed her again before pushing her upward from the couch. “Go and make your calls before the police get involved. If I know Karla, she was absolutely serious about calling the police. It wouldn’t surprise me if she hasn’t hauled Ken over to your house already. You call the girls. I’ll call Ken and let him know you’re okay.”

Sandra leaned back on her couch with a deep sigh and flopped her head backward to stare up at the ceiling. She felt emotionally wrung out, and for the first time she couldn’t blame it on Clement’s death or the anniversary of it.

It was a different kind of turmoil, one she’d never imagined when she’d bravely—or rather thought she was bravely—taking control of her future. Now that future was one huge question mark.

She sighed again and closed her eyes, weariness assailing her. She would have drifted off, despite the chaos her mind was in, if the doorbell hadn’t rung. And rung again. Insistently.

She knew without confirming that it was likely Karla or Sophia or even both. They wouldn’t have been put off by her phone call simply telling them she’d backed out. They’d want to hear the entire story themselves.

With a resigned groan, she pushed herself up from the couch and shuffled towards the door.

Derrick had dropped her off barely half an hour earlier after all the necessary phone calls had been made. She shivered as she remembered the raw desire she’d seen in his eyes. Felt the heat of his mouth on hers. Remembered his fingertips sliding down her face to her neck as he’d said good-bye and that he’d see her soon.

The promise in his voice had given her much to think about. Now that she was back on her own turf, so to speak, she had a lot to contemplate and process.

As soon as she opened the door she wanted to groan again. Karla and Sophia both stood staring back at her. Karla’s gaze was sharp and discerning, looking over Sandra as if she could peel back the layers of Sandra’s thoughts. Sophia looked more uncertain—and worried.

Karla pushed by her, Sophia following behind in her wake.

“Okay, spill it, girlfriend. We don’t buy that bullshit you said about simply deciding to opt out of The House and spending the evening with Derrick instead.”

Sandra followed Karla and Sophia into her living room and flopped back on the couch she’d just vacated.

“And don’t think you’re going to leave a single detail out,” Karla continued. “I’ll sic Ken on Derrick if I have to. One way or another, I’ll get the dirt, so you may as well cough it up now.”

“Are you all right?” Sophia asked anxiously. “Did something happen last night, Sandra? Did someone hurt you or frighten you?”

Sandra smiled ruefully. What to say to those questions? Yes, no and yes?

“I’m fine,” she reassured. “Honestly. It’s complicated.”

Karla’s lips tightened and she got that “aha” look on her face that suggested she’d known something was up.

“What happened then?” Sophia asked.

“What really happened, Sandra?” Karla pushed. “I saw you yesterday. I heard you. And whether you had any apprehensiveness, I know you, and you were bound and determined to go to The House and see it through. And then I get a phone call saying oh never mind, I didn’t go and I’m at home?”

She snorted in disbelief.

“I went,” Sandra hedged.

Sophia’s forehead furrowed. “But you said you didn’t.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t go,” Sandra corrected. “I merely said I changed my mind.”

“And?” Karla asked quietly. “What happened, Sandra?”

Sandra sighed. “Derrick happened.”

Karla’s mouth rounded into an O about the time realization sparked in her eyes. “Oh shit. Derrick was there, wasn’t he? Oh my God, did he freak?”

Sophia looked absolutely confused as she jerked her head back and forth between Sandra and Karla, trying to keep up with what was going on.

Before Sandra could answer, Karla pushed forward.

“I’m so sorry, Sandra. I should have warned you, Derrick is hardly in there. I mean I know he’s a member, but it didn’t even occur to me to tell you that, because what were the odds that he’d show up on the night you went?”

Sophia shook her head in bewilderment. “Derrick—our Derrick—goes to The House? Why?”

Sandra’s cheeks warmed and she and Karla exchanged looks of understanding.

“He’s a Dominant,” Karla said gently. “Like Ken.”

Sophia went silent, processing the revelation. Tension vibrated from her, and it made Sandra uneasy for what she’d have to tell both her friends. But especially Sophia.

Sophia was . . . Well, she was very black-and-white. Her worldview was very narrow and she didn’t often venture outside the parameters she’d set. She had good reason to be as she was, but it didn’t always make things easy. Sophia was rigid, and this would likely throw her for a loop.

“He was there when I walked in with another man,” Sandra said in a low voice. “It didn’t go well.”

Karla winced. “I don’t imagine it did.”

“He hauled me out and took me back to his house intending to lecture me after he scraped an inch of skin off my hide. He didn’t think I had any clue what I was getting into.”

“And did you inform him differently?” Karla asked.

Sandra nodded. “That’s when it got . . . interesting.”

Sophia’s perplexed look deepened and Karla’s eyes widened. Both of her friends sat forward, picking up on Sandra’s tone.

Sandra drew in her breath, knowing her friends would know sooner or later and she’d rather it come from her.

“Derrick said . . .”

She struggled with just how to put it. This was much harder than she imagined because she still hadn’t come to terms with it herself!

“What did he say?” Karla prompted.

“He said that if that was what I wanted—what I needed—then he was going to be the only man who gave those things to me.”

“Whoa,” Karla breathed.

Sophia’s reaction was a bit more explosive. “What? I don’t understand. He what?”

“He wants me,” Sandra said in a low voice. “Has wanted me a long time. I didn’t know. I feel so stupid, but I had no idea!”

“Wow,” Karla said. “I mean I used to think, a long time ago, the way he looked at you sometimes . . . I thought there was something there. But then you and Clement were so happy and Derrick remained friends with you both, and he never made a move after Clement died, so I thought I imagined it.”

Sophia’s face flushed with anger. “He had a thing for you when you were married to my brother?”

“It’s not like he ever acted on it,” Karla gently chided. “You can’t control who you’re attracted to.”

“Clement knew,” Sandra murmured. “Derrick told me that Clement knew and that it didn’t affect their friendship.”

“I would certainly prefer him to some stranger you pick up at The House,” Sophia said, an edge still to her voice. “But I’m worried about this. You and him. I never imagined Derrick to be that kind of person. I worry that he could hurt you physically and emotionally, and I worry about the strain it might put on all our friendships.”

Karla’s features tightened. “That kind of person? What’s that supposed to mean? Ken’s that kind of person, Sophia, and he’d never hurt me.”

“You know I didn’t mean it like that,” Sophia said wearily. “I’m worried about Sandra, okay? It seems like lately she’s making a lot of impulsive decisions, and I don’t want her to get hurt. And I worry about this thing with Derrick. I’m not sure how I feel about the fact he was attracted to his best friend’s wife.”

Impatience and frustration warred with Sandra. “I’ve considered all of those things,” she snapped out. “I’ve taken into account how it would affect our circle of friends, especially if it didn’t work out.”

She drew in a breath before continuing.

“I’ve never looked at him as anything but a friend until now, and I’m not sure how I feel about that. I hate feeling like I’m betraying my dead husband for even considering this. I would have never been unfaithful to Clement, even if I’d known that Derrick had feelings for me. And I don’t like you questioning his integrity because he had feelings for me that he never acted on until now.”

Sophia grimaced and looked away. Karla leaned farther forward, taking Sandra’s hand in hers.

“Yes, it could change things,” Karla said in a calm voice. “But you can’t live your life without taking risks. If this is something you want to go for, you at least need to try. It’s worse to live with the what-ifs than it is to take the plunge and fail. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.”

“I have everything to lose,” Sandra said in a raw voice. “I lost Clement and it would devastate me to ever lose Derrick’s friendship. It would devastate me to lose yours or Sophia’s. I don’t want to lose anyone else I love.”

Karla’s face filled with love and understanding. It made Sandra’s eyes go watery, and damn it, enough with the tears. It was time to move beyond all that. To stop being such an emotionally fragile person.

“Sweetie, life is all about risk and there are no guarantees, as you well know,” Karla said gently. “Let me ask you something. If you knew back when you and Clement got married that you’d only have a few short years with him, if you knew he’d die, would you have done anything differently? Would you have walked away from him then to spare yourself the pain of losing him later?”

The question shook Sandra to her core. Without even thinking about it, her response was immediate.

“No, of course I wouldn’t have walked away! I’d do it all over again, and I wouldn’t change a thing, even knowing I’d lose him. Because what time we did have together was wonderful. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world,” she said painfully.

“Then why aren’t you willing to take a chance with Derrick?” Karla asked. “What if it works out? What if he makes you happy? What if he gives you what you want and need? What if you find love again? What if you have one wonderful year with him, and he gives you what you need and then you split up? Wouldn’t you rather have that year and not live with regret over not ever giving it a chance? You can’t stop taking risks just because you lost someone already. It’s no way to live, in fear of living in case of pain.”

“She has a point,” Sophia said grudgingly. “And I do want you to be happy, Sandra. Even if it’s not with Clement. I’ll support you no matter what happens with Derrick. As you told me, we’re sisters, and we’re best friends.”

“Thank you,” Sandra said sincerely. “Thank you both. I don’t know what I’d do without such wonderful friends—sisters. You’ve both given me a lot to think about. And I do have to give this careful consideration.”

Karla squeezed her hand. “We’ll leave you to it then. Just know that I’m only a phone call away. And I also want you to know, that no matter what, I love you. Ken and I both love you. And he’ll personally kick Derrick’s ass if he ever hurts you.”

Sandra smiled, but sadness tugged at her heart. She didn’t want to cause a rift between her friends. She didn’t want Ken to ever become angry with Derrick over her.

Sophia rose and then leaned down to hug Sandra fiercely. Sandra returned the hug and then pushed herself up to go walk her friends out.

“Keep in touch, hon, okay?” Karla said. “And if you ever need to talk, just pick up the phone. Night or day. It doesn’t matter.”

“I will,” Sandra said truthfully. “And thank you both again for caring about me. I’m not going to do anything to cause anyone hurt. I hope you both know that.”

“We do,” Sophia assured. “And I’m sorry if I hurt you with the things I said. I do love you, Sandra. And I do want you to be happy. I know that Clement would want you to be happy. It takes a pretty special guy to remain friends with a man who had feelings for his wife. If Clement could and did live with that, then so can I.”

Sandra hugged them both and then watched as they walked down the paved sidewalk to where they were parked out front. She stood there as they drove away and then she went back inside to get her purse and her keys.

It was automatic to get in her car and drive towards the cemetery. She wasn’t even aware of what she was doing until she neared the gates leading inside. She braked and came to a stop at the entryway, staring ahead at all the headstones that dotted the landscape.

She’d been coming to talk to Clement. To explain about Derrick and ask Clement’s blessing. When she’d sworn she was moving on, letting go, and wouldn’t return here. Not again.

With a shake of her head, she backed up enough to execute a U-turn and then drove away, aiming her car in the direction of Derrick’s subdivision.

HE shouldn’t have brought her home. He shouldn’t have left her alone after dropping such a bomb on her. He should have kept her here with him, within touching distance. Not giving her time and space for her to change her mind or talk herself out of what he knew she was agreeing to.

Derrick gripped the back of his neck as he poured another cup of coffee and glanced at the remnants of his and Sandra’s earlier breakfast. In a kitchen that had never entertained another woman. Certainly not breakfast after a sleepover.

He liked her stamp in his home and in his space. Liked the remembrance of her walking into his kitchen wearing his shirt, and those sleepy, beautiful eyes.

He hadn’t wanted to let her go. Not after finally making a move to make her his. But it was the right thing to do.

You had to let her go to see if she’d come back to you.

He shook his head at the absurdity of his thoughts. It wasn’t like him to spout hokey psychological shit, and he wasn’t one of those who indulged in philosophical crap “like if you love someone, set them free.”

He was more of a “if you love them, then never let them go” person. And yet he hadn’t kept her. He’d driven her home and had very civilly informed her that they’d be seeing one another soon. And then he’d kissed her. Not as he’d wanted to. She’d looked too fragile, too close to unraveling at the seams, and so it had been one of comfort and reassurance. Not one of a man consumed with passion for the woman he was holding.

He looked up when his cell rang, and he remembered he had an important call today. He cursed, because his mind was not on business. Bringing in a new partner, while necessary, wasn’t ideal at the moment. He’d wanted to ease Sandra into it, and then everything had changed. Would this put a barrier between them at a time when she was finally seeing him as more than a friend?

He picked up the phone and strode into his office, his mind quickly shifting gears to the task ahead. He had to put Sandra out of his mind, at least until he squared away this particular matter. And then? He was pulling a full-court press. He missed Clement too, but his best friend was gone. His business partner was gone. It was time to start thinking about his own best interests instead of pushing them down, as he’d done for the last six years.

He and Clement had founded a successful consulting business. Corporations called on them when they needed or wanted to downsize and cut costs. Most of their contracts came from the many oil companies in the Houston area, but they also did consulting work for other large corporations and even a few smaller ones.

Clement’s natural affinity for people and Derrick’s analytical mind had been a very successful combination. The two had worked in tandem, Clement on the front lines, wining and dining potential customers, Derrick on the back end, doing the analysis, drawing up the proposals that Clement would later present.

Only now Derrick had been forced to be both the front line and the back end. By bringing James Brown on, Derrick would effectively take over Clement’s responsibilities and push himself to the forefront while James would handle the behind-the-scenes details.

“Derrick Chase,” he said, when he entered the confines of his home office.

He closed the door behind him and then went to his desk to open his laptop as James gave his greeting.

“I’m glad you called,” Derrick said. “We have a lot to discuss. Did you have time to look over the documents I couriered over?”

James Brown was someone Derrick had met through business a few years earlier. He and Clement had dealings with him, and Derrick respected the other man. Thought he’d be perfect as a partner when he and Clement looked to expand. That was all before Clement’s death.

Derrick had set aside their plans and focused on keeping the business afloat because he’d wanted to make damn sure Sandra and Sophia were both provided for. Sophia was a damn good office manager, but losing Clement had put a strain on her. Derrick had wanted her to take a break from work. Take a few weeks off to deal with the grief and shock over her brother’s death, but she’d insisted on coming in to work. She’d needed the outlet, something to occupy her time, but Derrick knew it was a temporary bandage. He wasn’t sure if she had ever truly dealt with that grief or accepted Clement’s death.

Neither Sandra nor Sophia would likely take well to Derrick replacing Clement, but perhaps Sandra would be more accepting than Sophia since Sophia was the one who would have to work with someone other than Derrick and her brother.

The two men spoke of their ideas, James adding several of his own that Derrick found appealing. They’d met several times already but all that was left was for James to formally accept and the two businesses to merge.

What was once Barkley and Chase would now become Chase and Associates. Leaving room for further expansion down the road if he and James so chose that route.

James wasn’t an arrogant man who insisted his name be plastered or that he receive credit. Derrick wouldn’t have minded giving the man his due, but he was content to leave Derrick’s name at the forefront and work more behind the scenes.

Where before, Clement had been the front man and Derrick had worked out the kinks, troubleshot and worked the back end, now Derrick would take his place, leaving James to do more of the legwork.

He hadn’t planned it as a way to be able to give Sandra more of his time and not be so wrapped up in his work. After all he hadn’t had any clue that he would be making a move this quickly. But the timing was perfect, because if he had his way, work would take more of a backseat to his relationship with Sandra now that he finally had her precisely where he wanted her.

The men spoke several more minutes, confirming what Derrick already knew. That James would be joining him. All that was left was for him to come on board and for Derrick to announce it.

“There’s one thing, James,” Derrick said at the end of their conversation.

“I’m listening.”

“I need time—a few days—before we make this public. I want to tell Sandra and Sophia myself.”

There was a pause. “Are they resistant to my presence?”

Derrick could hear the wariness in the other man’s voice. The hint of irritation that Derrick would approach a business decision allowing emotion to rule. But Derrick wasn’t heartless.

“They don’t know about your presence,” Derrick said. “And I want it to come from me. No one else.”

“And will they be trouble?”

“No,” Derrick said shortly.

“I can give you a few days. Nothing more.”

“That’s all I need. We’ll meet on Monday. My office.”

James agreed and then rung off, leaving Derrick sitting at his desk in brooding silence.

He’d told James the women wouldn’t be trouble. And they wouldn’t, simply because they had no choice in the matter. Clement had left Sandra enough to keep her financially protected her entire life, but the business had been left in Derrick’s hands. Sandra had no power, no decisions. She’d have to accept whatever Derrick decided. As would Sophia. But neither had to like it, and Derrick didn’t want this to drive a wedge between them. Any of them.

When he finally made his way from his office back toward the kitchen, he heard the sound of a vehicle outside his house. Frowning, because he wasn’t expecting company, he walked toward the window that looked out to his drive.

To his surprise, he saw Sandra’s car parked there. But she hadn’t gotten out. She was still sitting in the driver’s seat, her hands curled tightly around the wheel.

A curl of apprehension snaked down his spine as he stepped out the front door. When she saw him, the car door opened and she stepped out.

It was obvious even from a distance that she was upset. She was pale, her eyes large and wounded. And when she lifted her gaze to meet his, fear gripped him.

He was ten kinds of a fool for pushing her so hard, so soon. This was it. She was here to tell him . . . no. And this time, she’d run, and she’d keep running. He may never see her again, and that simply wasn’t an option.

He’d lost her before he’d ever had a chance to win her.

She looked desperately unhappy. Sadness shadowed her eyes and that was the very last thing he wanted for her. It hurt him to see her like this. It hurt him to know that he was the reason for her sadness.

“Sandra,” he began.

To his surprise, the moment he said her name, she hurried toward him and threw herself into his arms. He caught her against him, holding her so she didn’t fall. So they both didn’t fall. And he savored the warmth of her body, her softness tucked so sweetly against him.

For a moment he closed his eyes and inhaled the scent of her hair, wondering if this was good-bye.

“Oh Derrick,” she said, his name catching on a sob.

“What is it, honey? Why are you so unhappy?”

He stroked a hand down her hair, pushing it behind her ear as he gently pulled her away so he could look into her eyes.

“I was on my way to the cemetery,” she blurted. “I was going to explain to Clement. To ask for his blessing or perhaps make him understand. It sounds so stupid, I know.”

Derrick slowly shook his head. “It’s not stupid, honey. He was your husband. You loved him very much. It’s only natural that you’d want to share this kind of thing with him.”

She closed her eyes as a tear slid down one cheek. That single tear nearly ripped him in two. He didn’t want her sad any longer. He wanted her happy. Even if it was without him.

“I didn’t go,” she said. “I couldn’t. I promised him—myself—that I wouldn’t go there anymore. It’s not how I want to remember him. I can’t go there anymore. It hurts too much.”

“You came here instead. Why?” he asked, dreading her response.

She lifted her gaze back to his, emotion smoldering in those beautiful eyes. Eyes that were drenched with moisture. Misery clouded the depths, and he swore viciously to himself, because this wasn’t what he wanted at all.

“Because I have to try,” she whispered. “I won’t know unless I—we—try.”

His insides caved in, relief overwhelming him. His knees wobbled and he had to steady himself so they didn’t both end up on the ground.