Back to Love: A New Beginning
Chapter 75

Chapter 75:

“Do you feel so insecure when you’re with me?” asked Derek suddenly. I turned around and our eyes met. For a long moment, we looked at each other in silence.

I was the first to turn away. “You’re always so mysterious,” I murmured.

“I don’t think we’ve gotten to the point where we can talk about our sense of security toward each other.”

Derek lightly gripped the steering wheel with both hands. He gave me a slight smile. “I don’t tell you some things because I don’t want you to feel a great distance between us. But you’re smart. You sure have been able to keep track of me, huh?”

I stubbornly refused to give him a look. “Of course. After being with you so long, it would be a shame if I didn’t pick up on some trick.”

He laughed and reached up to ruffle my hair. “Since you’re so eager to know, I’ll tell you all about it.”

Just yesterday I had dreaded the certainty that I would never receive such a warm gesture again.

As expected, Derek drove me straight to Dere International.

He had ample parking. I found myself thinking that I would get lost in it if I had been alone.

However, Derek navigated it deftly and we were soon out of the car. He took me by the hand and led me to the main entrance of the building.

Heads turned as we passed, and people-mostly women-constantly bowed and greeted him. “Hello, Mr. Sullivan.”

As for me, I got a few curious looks and a lot of nasty looks. The unwarranted hostility got to me and my breath hitched under the pressure. I instinctively withdrew my hand, but the man next to me did nothing but tighten his grip.

“Do you think I’ll be able to get out of this place alive?” I asked as soon as we entered the elevator. “I’m sure all those women are already plotting to have me killed.”

Derek smiled and pressed the button for the top floor. He didn’t give me a glance until the elevator doors closed, pulling us away from everyone else.

“Do you remember? The day you became my wife, I told you to hold your head high and walk with pride when you were with me.”

“You’re very popular with your female colleagues, aren’t you?”. I expressed before I could stop myself.

𝕸𝖔𝖗𝖊 𝖚𝖕𝖉𝖆𝖙𝖊𝖘 𝖎𝖓 𝖌𝖆𝖑𝖓𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖑𝖘.𝖈𝖔𝖒

Damn it! It was a stupid question to begin with, and I hated how jealous I had sounded when the words slipped out of my mouth.

Without warning, Derek pressed me against the wall, trapping me with his big body. I felt his hot breath on my head.

“I’ve never been unpopular with women.” I felt my body stiffen at that.

I narrowed my eyes at him. This man was a lady-killer, indeed. Not that he called him that to his face.

“And you had to pick the worst woman to be your wife?” I replied bitterly.

The corners of his lips curved upward and his eyes glittered.

“Yes, I did.” I felt the tide of disappointment wash over me, but before it could wash away, he added, “But she’s exactly my type. My only type, in fact.”

And then he leaned over and kissed me greedily.

At that moment the elevator doors opened. People waiting in the hallway looked at us with similar expressions of shock and loss. I imagined that a number of hearts would have been broken right there.

Derek was unfazed, of course. He grabbed my hand and led me out of the elevator as if nothing had happened, as if we hadn’t made a spectacle of ourselves.

His actions seemed to have brought the employees back to sanity.

They stood up and greeted him in unison as we passed them.

“Mr. Sullivan!”

Derek led me into a huge office. I was totally confused, especially since there was a sign that said “President’s Office” hanging on the door.

“Isn’t your president in today?” I asked with some concern. “May we enter his office without permission?”

He crossed his arms over his chest, giving the impression of amusement. “The president is in front of you.”

I froze and lost my voice. I gaped.

Derek walked over to a huge couch and plopped down. He stretched his arms out to either side and looked at me languidly.

“What, you don’t think I’m good enough to be president?” I thought about the clues that had been there from the beginning. Now it all made sense. It turned out that the gap between us was indeed immense.

It took me a while to get my bearings. When I spoke, I sounded stunned, even to my own ears.

“No, you don’t like him at all. You’re probably the only president in the world who is that shameless and depraved.”

His smile widened as he heard my words. “What kind of man would restrain himself and behave when in the presence of his beloved wife?” his tone was mocking.

“Come over here and have a seat.” He pointed to the place beside him.

I walked over and accepted. Once seated, I took a look around his office. It was much larger than any other office I had ever seen. It all seemed surreal to me.

Derek hugged me, “Eveline, look me in the eye.”

I turned to him. “What’s the matter, do you have sand in your eyes?”

“Don’t you see?” his voice had dropped an octave. “I stood at the hospital gates all night waiting. Now my eyes are bloodshot.”

Now that he mentioned it, his eyes were, indeed, abnormally red. He was visibly exhausted. Still, the subtle traces of desire lurking in those depths did not escape me.

I averted my gaze and ducked my head. “I didn’t ask you to do that.”

“What else could I do but stay and wait? I was terrified you’d run away the first chance you got.”

I didn’t know why, but I burst out laughing at his sullen expression.

He played dumb and looked at me with mock anger before pouncing on me.

“Honey,” he rasped, his lips brushing the shell of my ear. “You hurt me, you know that, do you? How do you plan to make it up to me?”

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