He was surprised she didn’t have a headache from doing that. “You said—”
“Nope.”
On anyone else the refusal to back down would piss him off. He liked to be in control, to come out on top of any argument. But he loved that she pushed him. She didn’t try to impress him. She didn’t need to try because she did it naturally, just by sitting there.
He conceded this point to her, expecting it to cost him something. For it to grate against his nerves. “I apologize for unilaterally making the decision. I should have conferred with you.”
Once it was out there, he waited for a kick of frustration to nail him. He should be running to work. He didn’t spend afternoons hanging around at home. Hell, he spent most nights at his desk. Until he’d met her, that was the only answer. Push forward, drive in more business. But now, today, he was perfectly content to sit and look at her, to wait to see what she would say next.
Lately his frustration with his father’s demands, the needs of the company, his brothers and his own instincts were pulling him in too many directions. Ellie cleared away all the noise and stress and let him relax. It had been a long time since he’d felt comfortable in his own skin—then again, it wasn’t really comfort he was feeling.
But he was holding back details. They’d agreed to be honest with each other, but he hadn’t told her all of it. She didn’t know that him being successful in calming Noah down was part of a bigger plan to win the business. That, in reality, he needed her. He hated needing anything but this time he did.
“That sounded more like a presentation to your bankers than a real apology, but I’ll take it.”
He finally let out that laugh he’d been holding inside. Leave it to her to judge his apology and sincerity and find both lacking.
He glanced around. “So, how exactly did you make all this happen in such a short amount of time?”
“I told your movers to leave the boxes here then I dumped the contents all over your living room.”
Joe Cantor was an idiot to fire her. If he’d harnessed her drive and talent, his business would be doing much better today. Derrick would bet the Jameson water properties on it. “By yourself?”
“It was my idea but I asked Jackson to help.”
The idea of Jackson and Ellie teaming up against him hit Derrick like a shot to the chest. He would stand almost no chance against their joint forces. But he did like that they seemed friendly, that Jackson was protective of her.
Still, he was the boss and there should be limits, at least in theory. “He’s fired.”
“We both know that’s not true.”
He peeked at her legs again. Followed the long line to her knee then to the line where that soft skin disappeared under the shadow of the robe.
He dragged his gaze away. Moving forward meant letting her into his life in a real way. Not telling her everything risked her wrath.
He was torn and frustrated. He was also on fire for her.
Without thinking he reached over and slipped his hand under her ankles. Picked up her feet and put them on his lap, slippers and all. “You must be exhausted.”
The move knocked her off-balance, but only for a second. Her hands went to the cushions on either side of her to steady herself. “I’m still on a bit of an adrenaline high.”
That made two of them and Derrick didn’t see the rush dying any time soon. “Interesting.”
His palm skimmed up her leg from her ankle. He massaged first one calf then the other, with his thumb tracing gentle circles over her skin.
Her fingers flexed against the couch material. “Derrick Jameson, are you flirting with me?”
“I’m trying.”
Heat flared in her eyes. “That’s dangerous.”
He’d skated way past that point. For him there was no longer an if. It was all about when. And if she showed any sign of agreeing, he’d have their clothes off in record time. “No, dangerous is what I want to do to you.”
She didn’t move. “Tell me.”
He said goodbye to the idea of getting any work done today. “Any chance you’d let me show you?”
Her gaze went to the floor then to the boxes leaning against the end of the couch. “There’s not much room in here.”
“My bedroom is pretty spacious.” Not his most subtle line, but it was out there now. “Unless you dumped boxes up there, as well.”
“I was tempted, but now I’m happy I didn’t.”
His hand stilled on her calf. “Be sure, Ellie.”
“The answer is yes, Derrick.”
* * *
She didn’t know how they made it upstairs without breaking something. The barriers she’d erected, the promises she’d made to herself about not getting involved and the need to ignore her attraction to him…it all floated away.