"So, let me get this straight," Derrick started, brow quirked as he glanced back over his shoulder at me, "this guy you work with—"

"Miles."

"Yeah, whatever." He waved me off before flashing his fob in front of the entrance to his condo building. "He tried asking you out the week I left Boston?"

"He did," I confirmed. "But I shut him down. Esme and Harper always thought he'd had a thing for me for years, but I never saw it. We were friends, you know."

"And now that you're both about to go your separate ways, he's trying to get out of the friendzone?"

"Exactly."

"Well," he drawled with a smirk appearing on his lips, "if he asks you out again, just make sure to mention your big and strong boyfriend while you let him down easy."

"I think he's realized you're still in the picture, especially since you sent those flowers," I mused, though sincerity seeped into my tone as I reached out my hands and placed them on his lower back, leaning in to kiss the exposed skin on the back of his neck. "Which, thank you for, again."

"No need to thank me," he replied as we stepped on the elevator. Turning so that we were side by side, he threw his arm around my shoulder and dropped a quick kiss on my lips. "You deserve to know I'm still thinking about you even when I can't physically be there."

Not for the first time that night, I was both touched and pleasantly surprised at how thoughtful and attentive Derrick was as a boyfriend. Or just as a man, period. Yes, having dated for a few months already, I'd known he wasn't an asshole, but he had an unassuming sweet side. Like he was a closet romantic.

On the drive out to Malibu, he'd held my hand. As we strolled through the market, subtly keeping an eye on the sunset, his palm never dropped from the base of my back. When the sun had finally begun to dip below the horizon, we'd found a spot to sit in the sand, and he'd cradled me between his thighs with my back against his chest. We'd spent the time murmuring to one another, listening to the waves roll in and watching the colors dance across the sky.

And that was only tonight.

Over the last couple of weeks there'd been good morning texts, flowers, and so many other, subtle peeks into the kind of person Derrick was. All of them conflicting with the version of himself he'd described when telling me about the last relationship he'd been in. Which made me think it'd been his ex who'd depicted him as the bad guy, because besides the long distance—an unavoidable part of his career—he was the furthest thing from a villain that I could imagine.

Definitely much closer to a Prince Charming.

Fading out of my thoughts and back into the current conversation, I hummed suggestively. "Well, you're physically here now. Or since I came to you, I guess I am."

"That you are," he said, lust shining in his irises. "And don't worry, I have big plans for you tonight."

"Do tell."

The elevator dinged, and with my bag in his free hand, Derrick led me to the end of the hall. "It'll be better if I show you." His voice was low and husky, prompting a shiver to run down my spine at the insinuation. "But," he continued, unlocking his door and motioning me inside, "I want you to see the place first."

There was a prick of curiosity as I felt a crinkle form between my brows, wondering what he was itching for me to see. It wasn't like I was going in blind. When he'd been deciding which condo to rent, he'd sent me the links of the online walkthroughs and had taken my opinions, choosing one of the two I'd thought to be the nicest. Sure, the condos had been empty in those videos—nothing but hardwood floors and white walls—but how much could really change in just a few weeks?

Evidently, a lot.

The walls had been painted—one a darker green while the rest were a light gray—and even though Derrick had been hopping across the country for games, the place looked to be fully furnished already.

"Wow," I said, looking around quickly. "You've had time to get all this done since getting the keys?"

Dropping my bag beside the couch, he leaned his hip against the arm rest. "I may have hired someone Ruderman recommended to help me out."

"Smart," I remarked, and when he stayed silent, watching me intently, I knew there was something more to it. Quirking a brow at him, I saw the corner of his lip twitch before I took a closer look, my gaze arcing around the space. And that's when I realized the true reason behind his eagerness for my reaction. "You went with my décor suggestions?" I asked in awe.

I'd mostly been throwing out ideas and patterns I'd seen while scrolling through Pinterest over the years when we'd video chatted weeks back about how he was planning to decorate his new place. But I'd never expected him to take me seriously.

There was no missing the shelf of fake plants above the television, or the patterned throw pillows lining the couch. Then there was the liquor cart off to the side and the canvas up on the wall that depicted the Boston skyline. All random, off the cuff suggestions I'd made, yet they were all put to use.

Derrick nodded. "I've never really had an eye for all this stuff," he admitted, gesturing his arms around us. "And your ideas were good, so I may have passed them on to the designer."

The way he shrugged nonchalantly had my head spinning. In a good way. "But you weren't writing anything down when we were talking," I pointed out. "I was just spitballing."

"I've got a pretty good memory," he replied, tapping the side of his head with his index finger.

"Well," I trailed off, moving over to wrap my arms around his waist, "now I'm wondering what other ideas of mine were put to good use."

"The rainfall showerhead."

My eyes widened. "You're kidding."

"Nope, and I'll definitely make sure to be there with you when you first try that out," he replied with a chuckle. "Oh, and—" He leaned down so that his lips were brushing mine. "—you also might want to check out the master bedroom."

Pulling back slightly, I asked, "Why?" But then a lightbulb went off in my head, and I untangled myself from his arms before scurrying down the hall to see if my guess was correct. And it was. "No way."

I'd always been a fan of wall paneling and statement walls, and vividly remembered going on a tangent about one such picture I'd seen with gray washed, horizontal wood paneling. It'd been completely random, but now the wall behind Derrick's headboard looked almost identical to the one I'd been mildly obsessed with.

Turning slowly, I saw that he'd followed me, and was leaning casually against the door frame. His full lips parted in a grin that practically oozed sex appeal and had my heart beating overtime.

"You seriously took all my ideas," I breathed out, flattered.

"I did," he confirmed. "Besides, I don't see the difference in this and going shopping together, which would've happened if we lived in the same city and I got a new place."

"The difference is that I would've known about it and—"

"Would've probably tried to convince me to choose something different," he said, cutting me off as he moved further into the room so there was little to no space between us. Eliminating the remaining inch, he squeezed my hips and pulled me closer so that we were chest to chest. Looking down at me, there was sincerity in his features as he said, "But I didn't want anything different. I liked your ideas. They were fun and laid back, and I figured that if I could only have you here a few times a year, then having you unknowingly decorate the place was the next best thing."

"That's..." I started, though trailed off when I couldn't find the right word.

"Adorable? Crazy? Sweet?"

I huffed out a laugh, shaking my head in disbelief. "Maybe all of the above."

When our gazes locked again, the air around us crackled with tension, and the next second, my arms were hooked around his neck, drawing his mouth down to meet mine.

One kiss. That was all it took—knowing we were alone for the first time since the airport and there was a perfectly good bed less than a foot away—to fall back into the delicious pleasure that sparked each time we were together.

Except this time, nothing about it was soft or sweet. No, we were both needy to make up for the last two weeks. I twined my fingers through his hair and after palming my ass with both hands, he lifted me so that my legs were wrapped around his waist as we got situated on the bed.

By the time my head hit the pillows, my shirt was halfway off, and Derrick made quick work of finishing the job before his lips were back. This time on my neck, trailing down my skin hungrily, easily popping the front clasp of my bra open to free my breasts.

"You know you're fucking beautiful, right?" Derrick growled against my skin.

I didn't answer. Instead, I grasped the hem of his shirt and yanked it up, pulling it over his head before my hands returned to his skin. He shivered under my touch, and I felt the obvious ridge of his cock through his shorts as his own hands got to work on ridding me of the rest of my clothes.

Looking down to see him crouched at the end of the bed, his eyes flicked up to meet mine, appearing dark with desire as his tongue flicked out to trace a line across my waist from one hipbone to the other. A move that had my hips lifting involuntarily, as though a silent plea for more.

"Tell me what you want," he said, before dropping lower and gliding his tongue across my sensitive skin, pulling a moan from my throat.

"Honestly, this whole night has been foreplay," I admitted in a blissful haze, grasping at his biceps to pull him back up the bed. My mouth claimed his quickly in a kiss before pulling back. "I really just need you inside me. Now."

No further questions were asked as he quickly shucked the remainder of his clothes and swiped a condom from his bedside table. Over the next couple seconds, he rolled it on, propped a spare pillow under my tailbone, and situated himself between my thighs before gliding inside.

And the familiar feel of him was exactly what I needed.

With him on his knees—fingers digging deep into my thighs as he thrust his hips hard and fast, never slowing down—I couldn't reach him. So instead, while one hand grabbed at the comforter beneath me, the other cupped my breast, rolling the nipple between my fingers.

There was a sharp inhale from Derrick in response, and a mumble that was either a curse or encouragement as he leaned over me, forearms resting on either side of my body as he continued to move. But now, each time I swirled my hips in time with his, my clit got the friction it needed and the sensations building inside me were quickly beginning to spiral to the point of no return.

"Fuck, Lia," he said, almost as though his teeth were clenched to hold off the inevitable. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too," I managed to reply, silently begging to be brought over the edge.

And as he plunged deeper and harder, the pleasure shot higher, causing me to scream his name once, twice, three times over until my orgasm washed over me, drawing a low groan from Derrick as he came as well.

We collapsed together on the bed, breathing hard, and when Derrick left for a few moments to deal with the condom, he returned to find my eyes already fluttering shut with exhaustion.

"Time change finally catching up with you?" he asked, pulling the sheets up over us before cradling my body against his.

"Probably," I mumbled, cuddling closer.

I felt his fingers run softly through my hair, lulling me further to sleep. "I meant it you know," he whispered, lips against my forehead. "I really have missed you."

I could feel a smile forming on my lips, but I didn't have the energy to move, let alone open my eyes. And whether my response was vocalized or solely in my head, I didn't know, as I said, "Me too."

***

Derrick hummed appreciatively as he dipped his head to kiss my neck. "You're looking mighty fine this morning."

Laughing as his gaze caught mine in the mirror, I nudged him away playfully. We'd already spent too much time together in here this morning under that wonderful rainfall showerhead he'd had installed. "Thanks, but shouldn't you be headed to the rink for morning skate?"

"I'm going, I'm going." He held up his hands in mock surrender as I finished with the top knot I was forming. "I'll probably be back around one, and then we can go grab something for lunch."

He'd popped out to grab me a coffee and bagel from the end of the street to tide me over until then, because he hadn't been kidding yesterday when he said he had no food. "Sounds good."

"And..." he drawled, "I have a surprise for you before the game."

I lifted a brow. "A surprise?"

He chuckled, leaning in for one last kiss. "Trust me, you'll like it." Retreating from the bathroom, I heard him shuffling around, likely grabbing his duffle on the way to the door. "Call me if you need anything."

"I will," I replied, and when I heard the door slam shut, I knew I was left alone.

Which, to be honest, was a bit weird to think about, but I didn't let myself mull over it for long.

Without my laptop and my work to pass the time, I settled in front of the television and scanned the channels, finding a home improvement marathon to watch. After all, it was a guilty pleasure of mine, peeping into how other people decorated their space.

Time passed easily, and as the fourth episode began, my stomach began to growl lightly. I figured Derrick would be home soon, but just as I reached for my phone, the buzzer for the condo went.

Had Derrick forgotten his key?

Thrown by the interruption, I figured after a few moments that maybe someone had just buzzed the wrong condo. Then the buzzer went again.

Not knowing what to do, I hesitantly picked up my phone, gnawing on my bottom lip as I dialed Derrick.

Was this supposed to be my surprise? Was I meant to answer the door?

After four rings, someone answered Derrick's phone, but it wasn't him. "Hello?"

"Uh, hi," I said, flustered with the current situation. "Is, uh, Derrick there?"

"Yeah, sorry," the guy—someone I assumed to be his teammate—said. "He's just in the showers but left his phone out for one of us to answer if you called." There was some rustling on the other end of the line before I heard him yell, "Wellsley, your girl's calling!"

The buzzer went off again, and this time, I moved towards the entryway.

"Lia?" I finally heard Derrick's voice in my ear.

"Derrick, hi," I said. "Sorry for calling, but there's someone buzzing your condo and I didn't want to answer it, but they're being persistent so—"

"Lia, it's fine," he chuckled. "You can go ahead and answer it."

"You sure?"

"Completely. And I'll be home in about twenty."

"Okay," I replied, still feeling as though something was off as I hung up. When I pressed the button and spoke into speaker, there was no response, leaving me to think that, for a moment, whoever it had been had simply left.

That is, until there were three raps on the door.

Clearly whoever it was meant to be here.

Unlocking the door, I nervously pulled it open and was faced with not one, but two people. A pair who were around my parents age, and just as I was about to ask how I could help them, a spark of familiarity set in. It was the color of the man's eyes and the crook in his nose, as well as the soft smile on the woman's lips.

Any words I may have had immediately got caught in my throat as a terrifying realization set in.

These were, without a doubt, Derrick's parents.

a/n: remember to vote and leave your thoughts below in the comments!