She felt her temper rise and he quickly held up both hands. “Okay, okay. You don’t like it. You’re entirely repulsed.”
“Derek…”
“What?” He smiled at her, a beautiful smile and she looked away. “I really do enjoy it, sweetheart. And I honestly did miss you.” He stepped closer to her once again, his gaze bright and probing. “You didn’t mind yesterday in my office. You asked me to kiss you then.”
Angel drew a blank. He was right, she had pushed the issue. But that was when she’d thought he might not be interested, when she’d thought he’d need motivation.
For a single moment she wondered if he was toying with her, but his expression was enigmatic, impossible to read. “This is a bad time,” she said, suspicious and determined to resist his classic charm. “I have tons of things to do.”
“I can help.”
“Derek…”
He came close to laughing, but swallowed it down. “Okay, I’m sorry. I’m pushing again. But damn, I have so much to make up for and I’m anxious to get started.”
Nonplussed, she moved past him, removed a large basket of laundry still needing to be folded, and sat on the couch. “The past is the past, Derek. You can’t erase it, and since you haven’t contacted me in all this time, I have to assume it didn’t matter much to you until now.”
“You’re surprised at my easy acceptance of things?”
More than surprised. She was amazed.
His hands were deep in his trouser pockets, his coat pushed back, and he rocked on his heels as if in thought. Finally, his head down, he sat beside her. Silence hung heavy in the air. He turned to her. “I’m sorry.” He shrugged his wide shoulders, his expression earnest. “I have no excuse, nothing, to explain why I was such a bastard. I wish I did, I wish I could pull up some believable tale to help smooth things over, to take away some of the hurt. But what I did to you was unforgivable. I know that. Still, I want you to forgive me.” Dumbfounded by this outpouring of emotion, she allowed him to take her hand, holding it when she would have pulled away. “Do you think you can?”
When she merely frowned, he added, “For Grayson’s sake?”
Angel stared at him, so many things he’d said clogging in her brain. He wanted forgiveness, even though he admitted there was no excuse for his behavior? And to use the baby’s welfare against her…but that was her biggest concern, her reason for contacting him in the first place.
Only he didn’t act the way she’d expected, as she’d planned for. She’d expected grudging help in calling off his family—if indeed they were behind the threats. She didn’t even want to contemplate the possibility of another enemy.
She wanted only to live in peace, to be able to take care of herself and her son without fear of danger.
His hand was large and warm and again she noticed the roughness, which had never been there before. To buy herself some time, she said, “What have you been doing?” She turned his palm over and looked at it. “You have calluses.”
He blinked at her, then looked down at his hand. With a twisted grin, he said, “Chopping wood, if you can believe that.”
“It might be difficult.”
“I know. I’m not normally the physical type.”
She shook her head. “No, you’re in shape, always have been. But from a gym, not from physical labor.”
She continued to look at his hand and he raised it to her cheek, curling his fingers around her jaw and lifting so that her gaze met his. His eyes were bright, intent. “I’m glad you noticed, but it doesn’t matter. Will you try to forgive me?”
His voice had been so soft, so cajoling. She hated herself for wanting to believe in him again, for wanting so many ridiculous things. But she’d been so alone for so long now. Her mind scurried for some response, some way of making him back off.
“We could start over,” he said. “I’m different now, everything will be different. If I start to backslide and I disappoint you or Grayson, then you can toss me out.”
At her skeptical look, he made a cross on his chest. “I promise. The decision is yours. You’re right about my family, they wouldn’t make good relatives at this point for Grayson and they’d likely make your life a living hell.”
If Angel was right, they were already making her life hell—and determined that it get much worse. But she kept the words unsaid for now.
Derek smiled. “And since I plan to be involved, that means they’d make me miserable as well. They don’t need to know anything about Grayson, or about you for that matter. At least, not until you’re ready.”
As she opened her mouth, he interjected, “If you’re ever ready.”
She had no defense against his optimism, his good humor. It was beyond her to remain disgruntled when he was being all she’d ever hoped for—for Grayson’s sake. “All right.”
His grin was wide and sexy and suggestive. “Thank you. Damn, but you know how to keep a man on pins and needles. I hope this is the last time you test me, because my heart can’t take it.”
She snorted, not ready to believe his heart was involved. Then to her disbelieving eyes, he set the laundry basket between them and began folding baby blankets. Angel stared.
“Shocked you, have I? Well, good. God knows you’ve done me in enough times lately.” He lifted a small gown, struggled with it for a moment, then handed it to her. “I think I’ll leave the more complicated garments to you, and stick to the blankets and—” His voice trailed off as he lifted a pair of panties from the basket. They were pink and satiny and her blush was so hot, she knew her face had to be bright red. She snatched them from his hand.
“Not a single word out of you or you can go.”
“I’m mum.” He continued to fold, now in silence, but she could see his devilish smile.
He was so very different, so unlike the Derek she knew, the man she couldn’t forgive or ever care about, not with the way he’d turned on her. This Derek was considerate and warm and somehow, more of a man because of it. In the past, she’d been drawn to his confidence, his good looks and his sophistication. She’d been overwhelmed by his attention, so flattered she hadn’t been able to think straight. Then he’d abruptly discredited her in every way possible.
They worked in near silence, other than Derek humming, until all the laundry was done and put away. After Angel had placed her unmentionables in her dresser, leaving Derek to put up the baby’s things, she found him standing over Grayson’s crib, just watching the baby sleep. When she crept in to stand beside him, it somehow felt right to be there together, sharing the sheer joy of seeing the baby, hearing his soft breathing. When Grayson made a grumbling squeak in his sleep, Derek smiled, a small, proud smile that touched Angel’s heart and made her feel too warm and full inside. She turned around and walked out.
She’d barely reached the kitchen before she felt Derek’s hand heavy on her shoulder. Her pulse raced, her breathing quickened. Slowly he turned
