Free Only Skin Deep by Mahalia Levey

protect a person from the cold here. I
swear the wind chills you to the bone. I’m tired of freezing my ass off.” Phil
chuckled on the other end. Nice to be so amusing to others . Derek thought before
replying. “Nah, there are perks to being here, plus business opportunities not
available elsewhere. Look, I gotta go. I’ll check in with you later this week
to see how things are going.” He clicked off his Bluetooth, pressed the button
to open his closet, and grabbed dark blue worn washed jeans and a flannel
shirt. Tossing the hangers on his bed, he was moving to the shower when his Bluetooth
chimed again. “ Tresvant .”
    “Hey beautiful.” Derek tossed his socks and boxers on the
bed. Her tone worried him. “What? Where are you?” He listened to Deja give her location and grimaced. “You should’ve known
better than to leave your place. Are you hurt? What, you don’t think so? Call
9-1-1. Deja . A bump on the head can be dangerous.” The more he
listened, the more she aggravated him. “Fine. Stay on
the phone with me until I reach you. If I think you’re falling asleep I’ll call
9-1-1 myself.”
    Anger
surged through him as he hurriedly shrugged into his clothing and found his
boots. “Calm down. No, I’m not yelling at you. I’m concerned. Deja —listen. Get in your car and lock the doors. Can you
crank the engine on?” While waiting for her answer, he grabbed his coat,
gloves, hat and keys. “Good. Are there any odd odors coming from the car?” Questioning
her would keep her lucid enough until he reached her side. Derek let himself
out of the condo and paused before giving her more instruction. “Now turn on
your heater. Can you tell me if warm air comes out of your vents?” After a few
moments she reported her heat worked. “Good, that’s one less thing to worry
about. Did you put the blanket kit in your trunk?”
    Her
silence told him she hadn’t done as he told her. Hell, he grew up on the West
Coast and knew to be prepared. Prevention meant being prepared. He held his
breathe before counting to ten. “I’m on my way, don’t fall asleep. Just sit
tight. Do not get out of your car,” he reiterated, ready to take off like a bat
out of hell to reach her.
    Time
moved slowly or so it seemed as he climbed into his four wheel drive. After
checking the chains, he wished he’d had the foresight to purchase studded tires
for her or a better set of snow tires, but he had good tire traction and
warranty still in effect. Heat blasted him in the face and he reached down to
adjust the setting. By the time he got on the highway ramp irritation began to
fade. What else did he expect from his Deja …She never
planned for anything, but ran full speed ahead. He’d
be lying to say he wouldn’t have her any other way. Getting her to listen and
take some advance measures would be ideal, however, it
wasn’t in her personality so he couldn’t begrudge her.
    Jammed
traffic prevented him from getting to her in a timely manner. Frustration at
the twenty minute wait seized him before he pulled up to her vehicle. After
turning on his hazard lights, he looked for oncoming traffic. What she’d told
him wasn’t half as bad as he’d expected.
    Derek
braved the cold, trekked over to the car and rapped on the window. Relief crossed Deja’s face as she rolled it down a bit. The bump
looked big. Her pallor worried him.
    “I’m
so sorry to drag you out in this. I hit a patch of ice.” Deja stepped out of her car on wobbly legs.
    Derek
took in her attire. “Aren’t you cold?” He slipped his gloves off and ran his
fingers over the knot on her forehead, feeling the heat emanate under his
fingertips. “That’s a nasty bump. Let’s get you in my truck. We can take care
of your car later.”
    One
look at her stiletto boots told him she would break her fool neck if she
attempted to walk on the shoulder of the road. “You should really dress for the
weather.” Derek bit the tip of his tongue and picked her up