Chapter 451 - Middle Of The Night (1)

Angela's eyes fluttered open and she smiled goofily at the sight in front of her: Derek's sleeping face.

Angela was confident that she was dreaming. Why else would she wake up next to Derek on the bed in an unfamiliar, dimly lit room? She was nicely tucked in the blanket, while he slept on top of it, like a gentleman. Yup. Derek is many things, but a gentleman is not one of them, so this must be a dream.

She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, inhaling his sinful scent that made her remember his hot touch, and the hungry way he looked at her, and she felt the wetness pool at the cradle of her thighs. Oh, such a vivid dream! If this is the effect of the alcohol, she will get drunk every night so that she can enjoy such nice dreams.

Angela opened her eyes and observed his handsome features and a small smile that lingered at the corner of his lips. Even without the scorching gaze of his chocolate eyes, Derek was irresistible. 

Confident that this was a dream, she reached and caressed his cheek.

Derek jolted at the sensation of Angela's warm palm on his cheek and he blinked at the sight of Angela smiling at him. Did he sleep off?

Only he knew how much trouble was to bring Angela to his apartment on the motorcycle without falling into their deaths. Angela was completely unresponsive, so he ended up placing her to sit in front, facing him with her legs over his, and he used his leather jacket to tie them together, knotting the sleeves at Angela's back.

When they reached his apartment, he put her on the bed, unsure what to do next. Should he undress her? That dark blue dress fit her alluring body perfectly, but it didn't look comfortable to sleep in. However, he guessed how an act of removing that garment would invoke Angela's anger and she would definitely misunderstand. He ended up covering her with a blanket and lying next to her.

Derek observed her sleeping face for a long time while fighting against his urges to kiss her and pull her into his arms. She was relaxed and beautiful and in his bed, absolutely defenseless, and she even snored a little. Breathtaking.

Derek thought about the morning and what he will say, but nothing seemed right, and… he slept off.

He woke up at the sight of Angela caressing his cheek and she smiled while looking at him lovingly and there was only one explanation…

"Are you still drunk?", Derek asked.

Angela frowned a little. "I dreamed about waking up next to my prince charming and I imagined sweet words and kisses, and not questions related to the alcohol level in my system."

Derek was not sure how to respond to this. Did she just call him her 'prince charming'? And she wanted sweet words and kisses? Well, he was never good with words, but kisses are a different thing.

Derek turned his head on the side and planted a light kiss on the inside of her palm which was caressing his cheek until a second ago.

"Baby, I will be delighted to kiss you and do much more, but I want to make sure you are aware of what is going on."

Angela's frown deepened and she retracted her hand. She felt that kiss like it was the real thing. Is this how dreams work? She bit her lip harshly and her eyes widened in horror at the pain. This was NOT a dream!

Any remnants of alcohol in her body disappeared in an instant and she was fully alert.

Angela bolted into a seated position and examined herself. She relaxed a bit when she saw that she was fully dressed (other than her shoes missing), but then she tensed again when she observed her surroundings.

"Where am I?"

Derek swallowed hard, realizing that Angela was wide awake, and she didn't look happy about her location. He pushed himself into a seated position slowly, so that she does not see him as a threat.

"My apartment."

"How did I get here?"

"You passed out after telling me that you don't want to go home for Ash to see you, so I brought you here.", Derek responded honestly while skipping parts about Mia. He also didn't want to mention two guys who were forcing her to dance, because he didn't want it to sound like he was bragging. And he definitely didn't want to mention how he brought her to his apartment, on a motorcycle with her legs around him, sticking to him completely.

Angela's eyes darted over the room and the bed, and his super-sexy messy hair, and even though both of them were fully dressed, she had to ask… "Did we…?", Angela's voice trailed.

"Did we talk? A bit. And that's it."

Angela was not sure what to do next. Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest and Derek's proximity only made it worse. Oh, God! It was her first time partying and drinking and she passed out and woke up in his bed! And he was a gentleman… or was that only part of the act so that she relaxes, and he can get his way with her before discarding her?

She started pushing the blanket away clumsily. "I need to leave…"

"Don't…", Derek pleaded, making Angela freeze her movements. "Please. Can we talk?"

"About?", she asked reluctantly without looking at him.

Derek wanted to talk, but he was unable to come up with anything that will convey his thoughts on what happened and what is going on without messing it up further. He was painfully aware that his mouth runs without any filter, saying what is on his mind, and that got him into trouble more than once. It would be safer if he lets her talk and he can confirm or deny. Yup, that would be the best.

"Isn't there anything you want to tell me?", he asked.

Angela lowered her gaze. There were so many things she would like to tell him, and so many questions she would like to ask, but everything could be summarized into a sentence where she thought that there was something special between them, while he had something else on his mind… and that she can't stop thinking about him. There is no way she will say that.

"No."

Derek knew that she was lying, but he could not force her. At the same time, he knew that this was his chance to clear up things, for better or for worse. Can it get worse? She was about to leave so… it does not seem that he has anything to lose.

"Fine. Let me talk and you listen. Is that OK?"

Derek saw that Angela gave a small nod and he took a deep breath before saying: "I am sorry."

Angela waited to hear more, but after an unbearably long silence, Derek didn't say anything else, so she turned to face him. "For?"

"For not thinking. You see… I don't think things through. I always say whatever is on my mind and I act on an impulse and… I messed up."

"What do you mean when you say that you messed up?", Angela asked reluctantly.

"That day in the hospital, and then in the apartment…", Derek let out a long exhale. "I was attracted to you and I completely neglected the fact that you are Ash's sister. What I did was not right."

Derek was happy that he managed to say this, but something was off. Why was Angela so out of it? Derek knew that he messed up by moving too fast and there was no doubt that Angela likes him (Mia hinted at it, and Angela herself called him her prince charming), and now that he apologized, things are cleared up. Right?

Angela pressed her lips into a line firmly in order to conceal the fact that her chin was trembling.

While basking in Derek's attention at the hospital, Angela felt that she was floating, and the whirlwind of emotions in the apartment when he held her in his embrace made her lose her inhibitions and she was ready to give herself to him, yet he called it messing up and not right.

She cursed herself internally. Since that day, two weeks ago, Angela was telling herself how that was over and she will not allow it to happen again, yet here she was again… with a glimmer of hope in her heart. How foolish. She came to Seattle to study and become independent, yet she allowed one guy to get under her skin and she lost track of what's important before she even started. Ashton was right, maybe she should go back to the farm and be content with feeding cows and pruning apple trees because this city-life is not for her.

Without much energy, Angela resumed pushing the blanket and scooted off the bed. Her eyes searched for her purse and she found it on the side chair.

"What are you doing?", Derek asked Angela when he saw that she got her phone.

"Calling a cab."

Derek moved to stand next to her and placed his hand over her phone, preventing her from making a call.

"I will drop you off wherever you want to go.", he said earnestly. 'After we are done talking. What's the rush?', he wondered.

Angela rejected him. "No need."

Derek realized that something is wrong. Really wrong. She is avoiding to look at him, and this was not the reaction he expected after apologizing. Just what is going on in her mind?

"Angela, why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Running away. I thought you like me.", he said bluntly.

Angela sneered. "Who would like a scoundrel like you?"

Derek's lips twitched. How did he get demoted from a prince to a scoundrel? "I thought I am your prince charming."

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