I want You Deeper

The private plane landed at the airport in Arizona after flying over a landscape that was far more beautiful than he’d expected. Derek had admittedly never spent time in Arizona, but if this was where Renee called home, he’d get used to it. He’d even move here if it was what she wanted.

A smiling face was waiting for him when he landed. His chief operating officer had lined up a driver to pick him up in a limousine, then drive to track down Renee. He had no idea if she’d be home or not, but the only way to truly plan a last-minute romantic surprise was to go for it. If he could have called someone she knew to make sure she’d be home, he definitely would have, but that wasn’t an option.

“Good evening, Mr. Hughes,” the driver said. “Looks like it’s going to be a nice night for a romantic dinner.”

“Sure is. Thanks.”

Derek climbed in, exhaustion finally catching up with him. When April had sent Renee’s address, he’d barely been back in Silicon Valley for a few hours. He’d stayed up half the night, sending emails and waiting for the city to wake up so someone would get back to him.

After the first phone call came in, everything fell into place pretty quickly. His COO was glad to have him back and had been all too happy to call in a few favors with some people he knew in Arizona. From there, it was just a matter of chartering a plane and answering a couple of messages about Captain Jake and April.

Speaking of which… his phone buzzed in his pocket as the limo started toward Renee’s house. April’s name popped up on the screen.

“I’m here,” he said in lieu of a greeting, mostly because he knew what she was going to say. She’d been tracking his progress with Renee since sending her location information to him. He had a feeling she’d be over-themoon happy if he shot a video of their reunion and sent it to her.

Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen.

“She’s home. I checked.”

Derek frowned out the window. “What do you mean you checked? You called her?”

“Texted. Just asked what she was up to. I told her my good news.”

Hesitating, Derek searched his recent memory for something he might have missed. No, he couldn’t recall any good news. Had he been so caught up in missing Renee that April had told him something and he hadn’t heard?

“Are you still there?”

April’s question made him realize he’d been quiet a little too long. He had to admit he had no idea what she was talking about.Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

“What good news?” he asked.

“I got a job. Well, Jake got the job, and it turned out they needed a deckhand. So, I guess I’ll be jumping in with both feet.”

“That’s great! What’s the boat?”

She recited a bunch of details about her upcoming gig, including the name of a yacht owner he’d never heard of. He felt a little disappointed that he hadn’t been the one to come through for her, but it was a weight off his shoulders that they’d not only found work, but they got to stay together.

“I couldn’t be happier for you.”

“Right back at you,” April said. “Are you there yet?”

Derek laughed. For someone who had set out with the goal of going missing, he’d definitely settled back into answering for where he was again. Knowing his father was no longer around had left him feeling more unsettled than he’d wanted to admit. He longed for a connection.

He needed home. Family. The comfort of being with someone he loved. “I think we’re here. I’ll talk to you later.”

Derek looked out his window as the car slowed to a stop in front of a one-story ranch-style home. The house was the very picture of suburbia, surrounded by homes that looked very much like it. The lots were small, and the driveways were filled with cars despite each home having a garage.

It was just like his own childhood neighborhood-the one he’d lived in with his dad before he moved in with his grandparents.

According to April’s earlier message, Renee was at her parents’ house. It was a temporary setup while she decided what to do next. If his plan worked out, he hoped they could make that decision together.

He took a deep breath and reached for the car door. Before he could pull the handle, the door flew opened, chauffeur standing on the other side of it with a big smile on his face. Yes, he’d forgotten about the driver. He’d been on that boat way too long.

“Thank you,” Derek said, stepping out and pulling on his suit jacket.

The chauffeur returned to the driver’s seat, leaving Derek to face his next step. He stared at the home in front of him. Renee was in there.

As he started walking toward the front door, it suddenly opened, causing his heart to skip a beat. There stood Renee, in his line of sight for the first time in days. He hadn’t realized just how much he’d missed her until now.

“Derek.”

For some reason, he’d imagined she’d be surprised to see him. She didn’t seem surprised at all. She’d said his name in a neutral voice, though, making it impossible to determine whether she was happy to see him or not.

He started toward the front porch as she stepped out onto it, closing the front door behind her. “April told you I was coming.”

“No, but she told me you were looking for me. I’m not really dressed…”

“I’m here to take you to dinner,” he said.

Renee stopped on the first step as he walked up the sidewalk. As he drew closer, he saw she was frowning. She looked amazing in a long T-shirt and leggings, but it wasn’t quite a fit for the suit he wore, especially since she’d never seen him wearing anything more formal than shorts and a button-up short-sleeved shirt. “I can wait while you change.” “Come in,” Renee said.

A little of his tension dissipated as she turned and walked back toward the house. She hadn’t sent him away with a rejection. That was a good sign, right?

“Do you want something to drink?” Renee asked. “My parents are in Italy. I’ve been watching the house while they’re gone.”

“Oh. I thought-”

She stopped at the kitchen table and turned to look at him. “They were here when I first returned. They just left yesterday.”

“Sounds like fun.”

An awkward silence fell between them. He knew why it was awkward, too. He wanted to wait for a more romantic environment to have his talk with her, but he also wanted to pour his heart out now. It felt wrong to wait.

“I’ll go get changed.”

She solved the problem by turning on one heel and rushing off, leaving Derek alone in a strange kitchen. He wandered over to the fridge, which was covered in magnetic photo frames, most of which held photos of Renee at various ages. He smiled as he saw teenage Renee for the first time. There were photos of her in San Francisco, too, including one of her holding a microphone.

Seeing that photo, he wondered if reporting was really what she loved. April almost had him convinced that Renee was at her happiest when she was creating culinary masterpieces, but she also looked happy in her San Francisco photos. He wouldn’t want her to give up something that really meant something to her to be with him.

If she wanted to be with him, he’d support whatever she wanted to do.

“All ready.”

Renee’s voice made him step back from the fridge, turning to face her. He felt like he’d been caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to do. But that was forgotten when he saw her.

“Wow.” It was the only word he could make come out. He was, otherwise, speechless. Somehow, in a matter of a few minutes, she’d managed to change into a long, flowy sundress and high-heeled sandals. She looked like she’d spent at least half an hour on her hair and makeup.

How she’d put all that together so quickly, he had no idea.

“Is this okay? I have no idea where we’re going.”

“Just dinner.”

Maybe he shouldn’t minimize it. He had, after all, put a lot of effort into planning all of this. But he didn’t want to put a lot of pressure on her over it. The goal was to keep expectations low, then impress her. That was his strategy.

“Ready?” He started toward her.

Renee looked toward the door. “We’re taking the limo?”

“Of course.”

“I haven’t been in a limo since prom.”

Derek laughed. “I don’t normally ride around in a limo. I’d rather just call a car if I need a ride somewhere. But I wanted to make this special.”

There. If that didn’t make it clear that he was falling for her, he didn’t know what would. He didn’t want her to be impressed by him. He didn’t care about that. What he did care about was that she saw his effort and realized how he felt about her. That was what tonight was all about.

“Thank you,” she said. “Nobody’s ever done anything like this for me before.”

What he wanted to say was that she should get used to it. That there would be many years of him doing what he could to make every day a special occasion. But saying something like that could freak her out. He didn’t want to scare her. He needed to make sure she wanted him in her life beyond today.

“That’s a shame,” he said. “But hopefully, tonight will help make up for that at least a little.” He made a sweeping gesture. “Your chariot awaits.”

Okay, so that was a cheesy thing to say. But she smiled at him as she passed him on her way toward the door. He decided that was a good sign.

Now, if only he could get through the next few hours without his nervousness spoiling things.