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“Don’t put words in ret it I just wish you would have told ering against her skin “I could have hurt you, baby”

The Derek who hadn’t called her for two days then started a bar brawl vanished, replaced by the gentle, caring Derek who scared her sothe shift in his demeanor, she pushed his hand away in panic and tried to slide off the table

He gripped her legs until she stopped struggling, then knelt down in front of her with the first-aid kit

She stared at the top of his head, du?”

Derek began cleaning the wound on her leg with peroxide and cotton “I’ets infected”

“No That’s not what I meant I don’t need this frouilt because you bagged a virgin? Because you shouldn’t” She banged her fist on the table to get his attention He ignored her, produced a bandage, and applied it on top of her injury “Stop this bullshit! I don’t need you to pretend you want me for more than sex”

Derek shot to his feet, loo furiously above her “You have no idea what I want”

Except, she did And, oh God, he really meant it He wanted her And not just for her body She could see it in his face, hear it in his words How had she gotten here?

Push him away

“What if I don’t want more with you? Did you even consider that?”

“If you didn’t want er, you wouldn’t have made me your first”

Her laughter caant You think I want to be your girlfriend or so?”

Jaw clenched, Derek rose froe wrapper in the trash can “I don’t care what you call yourself Titles are irrelevant to what I ith you”

Ginger stared at his retreating back, trying to stop his words fro hold What I ith you Everything she thought she’d known an hour ago had been tossed out theHe wanted ht stand, but what did more entail? A ined it would be like taking the way his nonco it by a hundred

No, thank you

One little problem remained, however

She still wanted him

Ginger watched Derekhis shoulder holster and reun Her heart kicked up the pace as he untucked his shirt, giving her a gliht stomach Oh God, she needed hiuish the fires he’d stoked

Could she have it both ways? Sex without comht? Perhaps as long as their relationship re any kind of feelings for hiood He’d probably need very little convincing to see things her way She still wasn’t entirely convinced his guilt over taking her virginity didn’t drive the argument

He just needs a little convincing that this relationship business isn’t necessary

She tugged down the neckline of her top, then slipped off the table to sway toward Derek His head whipped around, as if sensing the shift in her attitude, and watched her approach through wary eyes