Confide in Me

Chapter 5

The next day, sat at her temporary desk in Ellis' office, Meredith found herself holding the party invite that Maddie had made for her in her hands, studying it carefully. She'd never actually been to a kids' party before, never mind hosted one, and wasn't sure what it would entail.

She wasn't entirely sure a party had been planned at all. She had a few hours to kill, and decided that hunting down Derek and asking him about it, would probably be the best place to start, after a quick google search had left her with even more questions than she had started out with.

Invite in hand, she left the office and made the short journey to where she knew Derek would be holed up in his own. She knocked on the closed door, not wanting to interrupt anything, only to be beckoned by his voice from the other side. When she entered, though, he did seem pre-occupied with his phone pressed to his ear. She arched an eyebrow, but he used a motion of his hand to usher her over to him. It seemed that whoever he was on the phone to was doing all the talking.

Meredith held up the party invite, hoping the question was clear on her face, but it didn't seem he understood what she was getting at. He reached his hand to her, and she took it, refraining from laughter when he pulled her into his lap and gestured toward the computer. She shook her head in amusement, and brought up a blank word document, starting to type out all the questions she could think of running around in her mind about Maddie's party.

She started to type out questions on the screen regarding the party. His arm stayed around her, his other hand occupied by the phone against his ear. He grazed small patterns with his fingertips over the skin on her abdomen. The sensation sent little shocks of pleasure through her spine, and in response she bit down on her bottom lip.

Meredith stopped typing. She leant back against him in the chair and got comfortable on his lap. Her head fell on to his shoulder, her lips ghosted along his jaw. In response, his fingers drifted lower, prying against the top of her trousers. She hadn't worn scrubs today – due to the plethora of meetings she'd had to attend – and instead wore flared black dress trousers, and a burgundy blouse.

Her own fingers clawed at the collar of his shirt, and she realised how much she missed seeing him dressed so formally and wondered what he could be dressed like this for. Her lips smiled against his throat as she continued to kiss along his skin.

She felt more than heard the groan in the back of this throat at her touch, and she couldn't resist the smirk. His voice on the call became rushed to finish up, especially when her hand drifted down his front and came to rest on his crotch.

He finally got off the phone, almost throwing the device down on the desk before his hand cupped around her jaw, his eyes fixed on hers. "I'm sure you came in here for a reason other than to seduce me while I'm on the phone."

"I definitely did," she grinned at him. "But the opportunity arose, and I am, at heart, an opportunist."

He chuckled and pressed his lips to hers in a kiss that she happily returned. He murmured against her mouth. "Hello."

"Hi," she whispered, just before she deepened the kiss and traced her tongue across his bottom lip.

His lips parted, allowing her to deepen the kiss. She turned to straddle him in the chair, her fingers winding into his hair. Soft gasps of breath sounded between each kiss, and his hands settled at her waist with a gentle grip.

When he lifted her up to set her on the edge of the desk at her back, her head fell back with a laugh, and she felt a rush of excitement through every nerve in her body. He chuckled as he stayed sat in his chair, and he pressed a kiss against the small section of skin on her chest that wasn't covered.

"You were showing me a very glittery party invitation?" He murmured; his fingers occupied with the hem of her shirt.

"Yes, I was concerned your daughter had arranged a birthday party without your knowledge and was inviting the majority of your colleagues along to it," she laughed, and wound his hair around her fingers.

"I only agreed to a small family party," his breath sent shivers over her skin. He pressed more kisses up her collarbone.

"You should probably clarify that with her," she said. "And explain to me why you didn't tell me her birthday was coming up."

"I keep meaning to tell you, but you keep distracting me," he chuckled.

"Don't blame me," she shook her head. She pulled at his hair, his head tilted back at the force to look up at her. She lowered her lips down against hers. "What does she want for her birthday?"

"She wants the world if she could have it," he chuckled.

"There was talk of a pony," Meredith quirked an eyebrow.

"Yeah, that's definitely not happening," he groaned. He stood up from the chair and nudged his nose against hers. "What were you thinking?"

"I may have persuaded her to want more of the soft toy variety of ponies, but I want to get her something... more," she shrugged. "I don't know, I'll keep thinking on it."

"Just know I already plan to spoil her rotten, and her grandparents always do," he kissed her quickly.

"I wasn't planning on spoiling her rotten," she rolled her eyes.

He moved his hands to her waist and kissed her again, slower this time, making it last. Her fingers tightened in his hair, still wound around the strands. Her legs moved around his waist, tight as she pressed against him.

"It's been too long," he groaned against her lips. "I need a night alone with you, soon."

"I'm leaving tomorrow," Meredith said, regret obvious in her voice. "Maybe when I get back, if you can get a babysitter."

"Hmm, I'll cook you dinner, and we'll spend the night alone," he smirked and kissed her again. "Maddie can sleep over at my mom's, she's being asking when she can have her next."

"Sounds like a plan," she grinned. "But for now..."

"I have a surgery in ten minutes," he chuckled. His arms squeezed around her waist, and he hugged her close, his nose buried into her hair.

"You should come and find me later, my afternoon is free," she said.

"Best words I've heard all day."

****

"I go away in two days," Meredith said, her voice barely a whisper.

"I'll miss you," Derek said, his fingers tangled in her hair. He pressed a kiss against her shoulder. "But I know you have work to do."

"I'll miss you," Meredith said. She turned onto her front with a sigh, tucking her arms beneath her head.

His fingers ghosted down her spine, sending a cold chill through her bones. "But you'll be back sooner than either of us will ever know."

"I'll be back for Maddie's birthday."

"You'll only meet the wrath of Madeleine if you're not," he joked, and pressed his lips against the skin of her shoulder.

"I didn't think Madeleine had any wrath in her," Meredith said, an eyebrow raised at him.

"The only time she's ever had anything close to a tantrum is when she's been tired, or when she was a baby," he said. "So maybe she has no wrath in her."

"You have a very well behaved daughter," Meredith agreed.

"She's definitely been coming out of her shell more, I guess I have you to thank for that," he murmured on her skin.

"Not just me," Meredith said. "I mean, I don't like to speak of people I don't know personally, but from what you've told me, and because of her absence, maybe that has helped, I don't know."

"I know what you mean," his voice was only a whisper, his face shifting to bury into the pillow beside her face, their noses barely touching.

His arm slithered around her waist, pulling her body against his. Soft lips met hers in a kiss. She parted her mouth to his, almost losing herself in the taste of him.

"I still want to thank you," he murmured into the kiss. "Don't underestimate how much you mean to Maddie, how much you mean to me."