L A Y L A ' S   P O V

"Holy fucking shit."

I don't know what I was expecting Derek's house to look like but for him to live in a two story, what I would call a family home, wasn't it.

I followed behind his truck all the way here from work, across town to a much quieter suburb until we turned down a quaint residential street, pulling onto the double driveway of a house I could only ever dream of living in some day.

The whole front of the house has bay windows. Bay fucking windows. I can already imagine myself sitting there on a winter night when it's snowing outside, curled up with a book. Not that I'm imagining living here or anything. That would be weird. We're not even dating and—

I jolt when there's a knock on the drivers side window of my car and I blink away my gawking at the house and shake my overthinking away to find Derek waiting for me outside my car.

He pulls open my door, holding out his hand for me. He laughs, his eyes shining with amusement. "Are you coming in or do you want to stare all day?"

I unbuckle my seatbelt and grab my bag from the backseat and hop out of the car. "This house is really nice, Derek. Like really nice."

"Thank you," Derek says before he carries my bag for me, lacing our fingers together while he guides me up the stone paved pathway to the porch.

"Why the hell have we been spending time at my shitty apartment when you live here?"

Derek's shrug tells me he either can't or doesn't want to get into that right now. So I drop it and watch as he slides his key into the dark wooden front door, a door big enough that a family of giraffes could fit through.

He stands back and lets me walk in before him to the entryway and the inside of his house is just as beautiful as the outside. The first thing my eyes find are the polished wood floors and a graceful banister that curves up as the stairs ascends to the second floor. I do a slow spin, taking in the open plan area of the first floor. The living room is on the right and the kitchen and dinning area are on the left.

It's very modern and clearly freshly renovated. I know Derek does all the renovations himself and I didn't doubt his abilities, but he must have spent practically all his spare time on it because even from a quick glance it looks amazing.

"Go snoop," Derek says, casually throwing his keys down on the side table. He hangs up my bag on the coat rack, shooting me a teasing wink over his shoulder. "I know you want to."

I pause before I cross the threshold to the living room, slipping off my shoes before I step onto the cream colored carpet. The biggest tv I've ever seen is mounted on the wall above the mantle and sleek fireplace. I so badly want to jump on and sink into the plush cushions of the sectional sofa and I would if I wasn't wearing wet clothes.

The soft carpet sinks beneath my feet as I move over to the bookcase against the back wall that's filled with books I know Derek hasn't read because he's a wait for the movie type guy.

Derek is leaning one shoulder against the doorframe and I can feel his admiring eyes watching me as I move around the room, his phone to his ear while he orders us pizza.

The bottom level of the bookshelf has some framed family photos. My heart tugs in my chest when I pick up the picture frame of Derek, who's no older than five, and his dad. He's in his dad's arms and they're both smiling brightly at the camera.

I set that picture down and pick up a much more recent one, what looks to be taken in the last few years. It's of who I can only assume is Derek's mom and his two sisters, mid laughing as the photo was snapped.

I feel Derek's hands slide around my waist and his body slip in behind me. "It's funny, you know." I say, looking over my shoulder at him.

Derek's eyes suspiciously float between me and the picture frame in my hand. "What's funny?"

"That you're the ugliest one in your family."

Derek snorts a laugh, his eyes glimmering with amusement. He points his finger towards his mom and sisters in the photo. "They're going to love you."

Derek shows me to the kitchen next. It's a spacious, well-equipped and deliberately planned kitchen with smooth granite countertops, a huge double fridge and under cabinet mood lighting.

"I want to clean this room so bad." It's not dirty by any means, but the level of satisfaction I would feel from scrubbing this from top to bottom, lighting a candle and stepping back and looking at the shining countertops is unmatched.

Derek chuckles, hugging me from behind when he tucks his head into my neck. He presses a kiss to my skin. "Weird things excite you."

"You're one of them," I say, laughing. "So what does that say about you?"

Out of curiosity I swing open a door on one of the kitchen cabinets to find what is clearly what Derek considers snacks. Everything in here is some sort of protein bar, dried fruit, trail mix concoction. Basically everything that doesn't hit the spot when you want to pig out on junk food.

Seeing the semi disgusted look on my face, Derek places his hands on my hips, chuckling when he moves me over a couple inches, nodding at another drawer. "The Layla approved snacks are in there."

I slide it open to find it full of everything good that will rot your insides. In fact, it looks oddly similar to the snack cabinet in my apartment. Oreos, Doritos, M&M and so much more. Conveniently it's all of the things I know Derek doesn't eat unless I make him and he of course eventually admits are good.

But unlike the other snack drawer, none of these are opened.

A slow smile spreads across my lips and warmth blooms in my chest. "Did you get all these for me?"

"No," Derek says quickly. The answer was too quick and too dismissive.

My eyes narrow and I try to hold back the amusement in my tone. "Uh huh. Sure."

"Moving on," Derek says as he breezes past me, holding his hand out for me behind his back. "Let me show you out back."

I bounce on my toes a little as I follow behind him and slip my hand into his. He totally bought those all for me.

Derek slides open the glass door to the back yard and we step out into the back deck. There's an overhead pergola covering the dark gray patio furniture, fire pit and barbecue area.

I can already imagine us on a summer day spending hours out here. Derek barbecuing dinner for us and me shamelessly watching him work. Then in the evening we would huddle around the fire pit and... I'm getting way ahead of myself again.

I listen as he explains how he built the pergola himself and all I can think about is how I already knew he was good with his hands, but this just proves it in an entirely different way.

I step off the back deck and scan the freshly trimmed grass of the yard, enclosed with scrubs and white fencing.

"Right here is perfect for a bed of flowers," I smile, looking back at Derek to find him already watching me. "I loved helping my mom with hers when I was younger."

I have so many vivid memories of me and my mom going to the store and her letting me pick out all of the pretty flowers to plant. We'd spend days on end in the back yard, waiting for them to grow and the excitement we shared when the first one bloomed is something I'll never forget.

"You want flowers?" Derek murmurs, pressing a soft kiss to my temple. "I'll plant you a whole god damn garden."

He's going to plant me flowers... I could cry again.

"Show me upstairs?" I say before I become a sobbing mess again. One breakdown is enough for today.

I follow him back into the house and up the stairs. There's three guest bedrooms on opposite sides of the carpeted hallway. One of them he's converted into an office space but the other two are almost completely bare.

"The master bedroom is down here," Derek says, guiding me down to the end of the hall.

When he opens the door the first thing that catches my eye is the biggest and most comfortable looking bed I've ever seen in my life in the centre of the room. Natural light spills in from two windows behind the bedside tables. There's a tv mounted on the opposite wall above the hardwood dresser.

The bed has matching dark colored sheets and pillows covers.. except the light pink silk pillow case on the right side of the bed. Not only is it exactly like the one he knows I have on my bed, it's on the side he knows I like to sleep on.

His pillow is a little smushed, like you can tell it's been slept on but the other one is perfectly plump, like it's never been touched. He told me that he's never brought any other girl here so there's only one explanation. It's like he's been preparing for me to come over before he even got the courage to ask me.

I decide not to mention it for now and force myself to look around the room to distract myself from crying. Again.

The en-suite door is open and I can see into the bathroom. I open the second door beside it to find it to be Derek closet and I make a mental note to steal half of it when he's not looking.

But there's another door.

"What's in here?" I ask, turning the knob. I frown when I find it locked.

"You'll find out someday," Derek says, amusement in his eyes as he watches me struggle to get the door open.

Someday? That's a very vague answer and it does absolutely nothing to cure my curiosity so naturally, I do the only thing I can think of and jump up, reaching for a key on the top of the doorframe.

Derek's laugh echos behind me. "The key isn't up there," He says. "You won't find it."

A thought crosses my mind and I slowly turn to face him. "Is it a sex room?" I don't take Derek as the fifty shades type, but hey, whatever floats his boat.

Derek shakes his head, the playfulness evident in his features. "If it was a sex room I'd have you in there by now."

"Then what's in there?"

"I'm not telling you."

"Why not? Are you holding a hostage in there?" I drop my voice, leaning into the wood when I tap my knuckles to the door. "Knock twice if you need help."

Despite Derek's laughter, I listen but there's no knock back.

"Come on," He says, still laughing. "Let's shower and get out of these wet clothes."

"But—"

"Someday," Derek says softly, holding his hand out to me. "I promise."

I huff when I slip my hand into his, rolling my eyes when I repeat the word that is now my enemy. "Someday."

Derek guides me into the bathroom. It's tiled with marble slabs, heated towel racks and a huge walk in shower with a glass door. There's a mirror the length of the room behind the sinks. Yes, sinks. There's his and hers sinks and one side has Derek's toothbrush, a bottle of cologne and some other products but the other side is completely bare.

When you really analyse it, it makes me feel a little sad that he lives in this big house all alone. Maybe sad isn't the right word, empty, lonely might be better.

The empty bedrooms, the unused second sink, the six person dining table that doesn't look like it's been used a day since it was built, and even if it has been used, the thought of Derek sitting there eating all alone is enough to make me cry. Again. Again.

Before I know it Derek and I are both stripped off of our wet clothes and I step into the shower before him, setting the water temperature.

I tilt my head back underneath the stream, looking around at Derek's minimal shower products for a distraction from my thoughts. I burst out laughing when something dawns on me.

"What's so funny?" Derek muses, stepping closer to me.

"You don't have any shampoo."

"Oh," Derek says, opening up the shower door and stepping out. "I forgot."

I watch with curiosity as he opens up the storage underneath the sink and pulls out a basket. The basket has a new toothbrush, full bottles of the shampoo and conditioner he knows I use, a box of the brand of tampons I told him I liked and a bottle of contact solution and a contact case.

"If I start crying again will it freak you out?"

"Why?" Derek asks, his face falling. "Did I get the wrong stuff? These are the brands that are in your bathroom. I thought—"

I cut off his nervous rambling when I lean up and crash my lips to his. As our mouths move tenderly against each other's, I put all my thanks into the kiss.

Thanks for holding me when I cried earlier, the snacks he bought for me, the planting me flowers thing, the pillow case and the toiletries. For someone who's never been in a relationship before he sure knows exactly what to do and how to make me feel wanted.

I don't know what he does with the basket of things but the next thing I know Derek's hands slide around the back of my thighs and he gently picks me up, winding my legs around his waist. The kiss continues as he walks us into the shower and my back connects with the wall, needy bodies pressing against each other while the water washes over us from the side.

Every kiss is like the first. Electric, hot, perfect. Derek smiles into it, nipping playfully at my bottom lip, earning a smile in return. My hands glide up his wet toned stomach, fingertips ghosting over the planes of skin and muscle before settling on his chest.

"Layla?" Derek rasps, breathless with half hooded eyes completely focused on my lips.

"Yeah?"

"I really want to keep kissing you but you have the water hotter than fucking lava right now."

"Pussy," I snicker, reaching over and turning the water down from what I would call the perfect temperature, to a more bearable warmth.

I unwind my legs from around Derek's waist and he gently places me back down on my feet and guides me underneath the stream. He grabs the shampoo and his soft hands come in contact with my scalp, gently massaging the shampoo into my roots with his fingertips.

I sigh in relaxation, my eyes fluttering closed in content. "For not having any hair, you really have this shampooing thing down."

Derek laughs, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "You'll never run out of bald jokes, will you?"

"When you grow hair."

-

Derek had to hop out of the shower when I was midway through washing my conditioner out because the pizza delivery guy came.

Stepping out of the bathroom wrapped up in a fluffy white towel, the first thing I notice is that he set some clothes out on the bed for me. I drop the towel and pull on a fresh pair of his boxers, shirt and socks, enjoying the way his scent surrounds me.

I grab my glasses that he also set down on the nightstand and take my contacts out before I slide them onto my face, quickly towel drying my hair before I make my way back downstairs.

I find him in the living room, in a pair of gray sweatpants, his toned back to me as he turns on the electric fireplace. My eyes scan the dimmed room to find the pizza box sitting on the coffee table, a beer bottle and a chilled glass of white wine resting beside. If this is what heaven is, I'll gladly take it.

I sigh as I practically melt into the couch, stretching out as far as my limbs can go. Derek chuckles, lifting my legs before he slides onto the couch, resting my feet on his lap.

"You want to pick the movie?" Derek asks, handing me the remote.

I sit up, grinning as I flick through the selection on the streaming service.

"Oh no," Derek groans, scrunching his nose up when the screen changes to what is clearly his favorite movie genre. "A chickflic? Seriously?"

I barely get a chance to nod before he grips my hips and effortlessly moves me over to sit on his lap. "What the hell?" I laugh.

Derek shrugs. "If I have to watch this, you have to sit on my dick and make the torture worth it."

"I'll make it worth it," I whisper against his lips, pulling away before he can close the distance. "Later."

Derek hands slide up the inside of my thighs, dipping his head so his teeth nip at my ear. "You're a tease."

-

Our pizza is gone, we're halfway through our second drinks and my head is resting back against Derek's shoulder, still sitting on his lap because he refused to let me move. Not that I want too.

Derek has been absentmindedly kissing my head the whole evening, both our attention focused on the movie playing which is now nearing the end.

Already knowing how the movie pans out because I've seen it a million times over, my eyes start to wander over the living room again. Derek has either constructed, put together or assembled everything in this house and it's so attractive to me that he put his energy into building it exactly how he wanted it.

"Derek?"

"Shh," He scolds, his eyes focused on the tv. "They're about to realise that they're made for each other."

I burst out laughing. "For someone who called it torture, you sure seem to be enjoying it."

Derek's face drops when he finally registers what he said and he scrambles forward, reaching for the remote and turns the movie off. "We never speak of this again."

I'm still laughing when I turn to face him, straddling his hips. "You don't know me if you think I won't bring that up again."

Derek half groans, half laughs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Great."

With the tv off it's much darker in the room now, the only light coming from the flickering fireplace across the room. I rest my chin on his chest, enjoying the warmth from our bodies pressed so tightly together.

"What I was going to ask was, what's next on your renovation list?"

Don't get me wrong, Derek's house is beautiful. More than that actually, perfect. Somewhere I could only ever dream of living someday. But, I know from him and other people telling me that he's always finding something to change or fix.

Derek cradles my face in his hands, his eyes holding mine with a certain warmth I can't describe. "I think I'm finally done now."

Part of me wonders if in all of his months of renovations and fixing that this is what he felt was missing from his home. This. Me. Us.

I lean up and connect our lips, kissing him softly. Our lips are both curved up into a smile but that quickly fizzles out as the kiss gets more heated, more urgent.

I can feel Derek growing hard between my thighs, the thin fabrics doing nothing to hide how much he's enjoying me grinding my hips against him, moaning into his mouth.

My lips leave his and rain a path of kisses across his jaw, down his neck as his breathing gets heavier and heavier. "It's a shame you've never had sex in your bed," I say, reaching down to palm him through his sweatpants.

Before I know it Derek has thrown me over his shoulder and I'm upside down, giggling as he practically runs up the stairs.

If this is the first time he's having sex in his house, the least I can do is make it memorable.

-

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)