Authors: Casey Clipper
Both men chuckled. Ryan finished burping Caitlin then handed her to Sean.
"Okay, okay. We'll accept Derrick's gift but nothing else. We don't need or want it. Even if you weren't married to Derrick Murphy, we'd still be in the room for the birth of your baby," Sean said simply.
Ryan agreed. God, they drove her batty.
"She is beautiful," Sean gushed at the tiny, baby girl in his muscular arms.
Courtney smiled proudly at her daughter. "She is."
Ryan crawled into the bed and sat next to Courtney, his long, beefy legs outstretched beside her. Courtney laid her head on his shoulder and within minutes was sound asleep while Ryan and Sean played babysitters for a few hours.
Courtney
Over the next few months Courtney and Derrick spent their time finding a routine with baby Caitlin. When they thought they nailed one down, their baby girl changed it up on them, keeping them on their toes. At one point Courtney had caught Derrick murmuring something to their daughter about being just like her mother.
They had also found a pediatrician, recommended by Ryan. When they took their daughter to her first appointment, Derrick had stood menacingly in a corner to keep a watchful eye on the young doctor. Apparently side-glances to catch a glimpse of Court, too helpful to mommy, and subtle touches convinced Derrick the good doctor was hitting on his wife. Courtney had to beg Derrick to return to that doctor. She had to promise her husband he had positively nothing to worry about when it came to his wife and daughter. They weren't going anywhere. And of course, promised Jack or Carl would tag along if he couldn't be there. Derrick caved only because his two henchmen tended to be trigger-happy.
While they concentrated on Caitlin, their bond grew closer and stronger. Derrick had returned to work and would be gone most of the day. His transition takeover caused him long hours. But they made sure to sit down to dinner with each other every evening, no matter the time. And every night they went to bed together, Courtney curled against Derrick.
An endless stream of roses from her husband filled their home. Always attached with an endearment that touched her. "For my gorgeous wife" or "To the beautiful mother of my daughter."
Courtney started to do small things that Derrick took notice. Emptying Darren's chest of drawers in the bedroom and moving in Derrick's belongings. Though his brother's closet remained untouched. But Derrick never pushed. His brother's death was still fresh for both of them.
Their continued search for a nanny caused one very heated exchange. Courtney's temper boiled over when she picked up a glass vase and threw it at her husband, turned, and stormed out the house. That shocked the hell out of him.
She'd managed to stalk down the street for two blocks before Jack and Carl caught up to her and tried to coax her back home. She took the liberty of going for their shins, brushed right past them, and continued on her way. Somehow she managed to evaded the men in-between houses. She didn't care how angry Derrick would be. She needed to cool off.
He wants to hire some young, brunette to move in with them and help raise her baby. Fuck him. There's no way in hell that's ever going to happen. He may as well throw away all the applications for any woman under the age of fifty-five. The ass.
For a good hour Courtney remained on the lamb until she was grabbed from behind and thrown into one of their SUVs. There was no point in struggling for her release.
She'd been driven straight home and escorted into the house to find a livid Derrick awaiting her return. As soon as the front door was closed, Jack and Carl scampered in different directions. Derrick stalked her. Circling her as she stood stock-still waiting for him to light into her.
Finally he stopped behind her, his heat radiated off his body. He spoke slowly, dark and dangerously into her ear, "If you ever pull such a stunt again, my wife, you'll be locked down in this home, away from the outside world. Permanently." He paused. "Am I understood?"
"Yes," she whispered, her voice cracking. Angry tears spilled from her eyes. She wheeled around to face him. "But I won't compete for my husband's attention and love by bringing a young girl into our home. I won't be made self-conscious and worry that I'm being replaced by a girl in her twenties. A girl who'd love nothing more than to bed Derrick Murphy. Don't ask me to accept it and don't ask me to turn a blind eye to it." She spun on her heels and stormed upstairs to feed her baby girl.
Derrick
Derrick closed his eyes to gain some composure. He loved Courtney. Desperately love
d the woman. Even now when she was throwing a fit. He couldn't help but to admire her moxie and would spend the rest of their lives keeping him on his toes. God, Darren must have adored her. Her tendency towards vulnerability and innocence, but strong will and defiance had him in a constant state of guessing. But he couldn't begrudge her feelings. There was no place in his marriage for her to question their relationship. He refused to allow it. He needed her secure in how he felt about her. There needed to be an arrangement that could make them both happy. Until then, he needed to calm down his wife.
He found her staring out the nursery window, Caitlin in her arms breastfeeding. Quietly, he approached from behind, pushed her hair out of his way, bent down and kissed the side of her neck. She leaned her head against his chest.
"You have nothing to fear," Derrick assured her.
"I thought the same thing with Darren, until that night," she replied.
He stiffened. "You know that never happened. Do
not
accuse my brother of adultery that never took place."
"I know it never happened, at least now I do. But you saw the consequences when I thought he had cheated on me." She turned in his arms. "I don't want that for us. I don't want to doubt you or our marriage." She looked straight into his eyes. "I love you, Derrick. I love you so much, and I won't be able to handle losing you to another woman. I know this marriage was arranged but you're my husband and have been here for me through too much. I can't lose you," she said, desperation pouring from her.
She loved him. His Courtney admitted to loving him. He felt his heart swell with an insurmountable love, an emotion he'd never had before. He reached up and cupped her delicate face into his hands. "You will never lose me. Ever. I'm yours, Courtney. You own me, body and soul. You always have."
Only Courtney herself would never hear his admission. Because unlike his brother, he refused to allow his love for her to be used as a weapon against him. If she needed reassurance of her place in his heart, he'd keep her mind at ease and give her that acknowledgment. But only directly to her.
Derrick kissed her hard to prove his admission. When she opened herself up to him, he took advantaged and devoured her, unable to hold back. The need to claim his wife weighed on him when she was near. Hell, when they were in bed together, his desperation to roll over and possess her body nearly consumed him. Those soft, plump lips, he wanted to own. He never wanted her to desire any other man's lips. Including his brother's.
With a quick sweep of his tongue, that heady sugary mix caused him to want seconds. Courtney obliged. Derrick slid his hand into her thick, blonde hair and pulled her closer, their tongues binding them. He explored ever inch of her warm, moist mouth that pliantly fused to his. He moaned, then gave a final swoop of his tongue. When he pulled away, he leaned his forehead against Courtney's while they both caught their breath.
"I love you," Derrick whispered.
"I love you," Courtney replied.
Derrick
As baby Caitlin grew, she became as beautiful as her mother. Large sapphire blue eyes, fair skin, her father’s dark brown hair, and a semblance of her mother's demeanor, everyone in the Murphy circle adored the newest member of the most powerful family in their world. She was showered with nothing but love and affection and protected above everyone, including Courtney. Derrick's daughter, innocently unaware, ruled the Murphy home. Meanwhile their search for a nanny continued.
"You know, Derrick, an older woman would be harder to get information out of than some young girl that could easily be swayed with gifts, money, and power," Jack offered. "You hired Mary for those same reasons," he reminded his boss.
"True," Derrick agreed.
Derrick, Jack, and Carl stood in the kitchen at the island scrutinizing a stack of resumes in front of them.
"I hate making my wife self conscious about hiring a younger woman." He sighed, frustrated at the entire process. "Maybe I should allow Courtney to make the decision."
"Yes, then you could always remind her that she was the one who hired the nanny when something isn’t to her liking." Carl raised a brow.
"Is that what you do to your wife?" Derrick asked, not amused.
"Hell yes." Carl laughed. "I wash my hands of it then I can't take the blame."
"He's scared to death of his wife," Jack snickered.
Derrick chuckled.
"You've met my wife. You're scared of her, too." Carl waved a finger.
All three men laughed. Derrick truly liked Jack and Carl. Since his brother's death, he'd gotten to know the two men. They never left his side, and if they had, it was to shadow Court. They were given a free pass for their honest, personal opinions about business. Within reason.
"I won't do that to Courtney, but I will give her total control of this. I can't fight with her any longer. The woman is stubborn and holds her ground," Derrick said with a hint of pride.
Suddenly the sounds of a very unhappy, screaming baby girl entered the house. Abandoning Jack and Carl, Derrick went to help his wife but stopped dead. Trent followed behind Courtney carrying the diaper bag and stroller. Split-second murderous rage consumed him. What the hell was Trent doing alone with his wife?
"What the fuck?" Jack mumbled.
He turned and shot Jack and Carl a glare that could burn a hole right through their heads. By the shocked looks on their faces, they didn't expect to see Trent with his wife.
"She's hungry," Courtney said, unaware of the pure hatred spewing from Derrick, Jack, and Carl.
"Where's Johnny, Trent?" Jack asked, fronting nonchalant but with a deadly undertone.
"He's worried about his father, who's back in the hospital. I told him to go be with his dad. I asked Trent to take me to the store," Courtney answered. She carried Caitlin into the living room. She smiled up at Trent, who beamed at her.
"I don't like you having only one security, sweetheart. It was fine when it was just you but we have Caitlin now. I want someone for her as well," Derrick spewed.
"I know, I know." She tried to placate him and looked up empathetically. "But, honey, if it was your father you would want the same respect."
As he approached her, his lips uninvitingly curled at her response. He kissed her chastely. "One of the reasons I love you. You think of others and my men love you for it."
Courtney’s cheeks pinked over the praise from him. She pulled Caitlin out of the carrier and sat down on the sofa.
"I'm just about over this breast feeding thing," she complained. "I think I'm going to finish out this month and call it quits. That way you can finally help me." Courtney winked his direction.
Derrick laughed, throwing his head back. He sat beside to her on the sofa. "Is that right?"
She leaned into his body so he could wrap a protective arm around her. He knew she loved the closeness and feeling of safety. Her need to feel secure stemmed from Darren's death. Caitlin settled in and started her lunch.