Chapter 144: Mother’s Teasing

Chapter 144: Chapter 144: Mother’s Teasing

Ring!

While Derrick and Beth were lying in the bath, enjoying themselves, the phone lying on the table nearby rang.

"Sir. It’s Miss. Rebecca. Would you like me to take the call?" Suddenly the ringtone faded and Silly Bot’s voice appeared on the speaker.

Beth glanced at Derrick, curious as to what the call was about.

"I got this, Silly." Derrick leaned out of the blue gelly filling the tub and reached out to pick the phone.

"As you wish, Sir."

Beth shifted in his lap before settling in a more comfortable position.

Just as he picked the call, Rebecca’s voice sounded from the other side. "Derrick? Why are you in the mountains? I thought you were going to spend all the time with us before leaving for the academy."

"Ah, sorry about that. I came out to train and lost track of time." Derrick looked down at Beth in his arms and traced his fingers over her body.

All the swellings and bruises from their session together were long gone.

Because of her enhanced energy she healed without even needing to take any pills.

"Oh god. Were you training with Beth?" Rebecca’s voice grew more teasing.

Derrick froze for a brief second, his hand pausing over Beth’s waist as a flicker of surprise crossed his face. He hadn’t told anyone back home about their date tonight.

He cleared his throat, taking a quick breath before asking, "How... how do you even know I’m with Beth?"

Rebecca let out a light, mischievous chuckle over the line. "Ruth called the house earlier. She was checking to see if Beth was staying the night with us since her phone was unreachable for a bit. It didn’t take a genius to connect the dots."

Derrick looked down to see Beth poking him gently in the ribs, her brow furrowed in a deeply puzzled look as she tried to overhear the quiet voice from the speaker. He gave her a subtle, reassuring wink, keeping his focus on the call.

"Yeah, well... I am with Beth," Derrick admitted smoothly, stroking Beth’s back to keep her calm. "We’re just wrapping things up here. We’ll be back in a few hours."

There was a brief pause on the other end, the heavy silence dragging on for a moment before Rebecca let out a soft, resigned sigh.

"Alright," Rebecca said, her tone softening with a touch of warmth. "Just don’t take too long.

"I won’t. See you soon, Rebecca," Derrick replied, ending the call with a light tap on the screen.

He set the phone back on the tray, leaning his head back against the edge of the tub as Silly B’s console went dim once more.

Beth immediately leaned up, her golden eyes sparkling with curiosity. "What did she say? Is everything okay back at your house?"

Derrick looked down at her, a low chuckle rumbling in his chest as he pulled her back into his arms.

"Turns out everyone pretty much knows we’re up in the mountains," Derrick said smoothly. "I gave Rebecca a synced location watch a while back so she could keep track of me whenever I’m out. The moment your mom called asking about you, Rebecca checked the ping."

Beth’s eyes widened, a sudden wave of panic hitting her as her cheeks flushed bright red. "Wait—what?! She knows we’re out here alone? In the middle of the night?" She sat up straight, her hands clutching at his shoulders as her mind raced. "Oh god, Derrick, this is embarrassing!"

"Hey, breathe," Derrick soothed, his warm hands resting firmly on her waist to calm her down. "There’s nothing to worry about. So what if they know? It’s not like anyone back home is going to oppose us."

"That’s not just it!" Beth stammered, her voice dropping into a flustered, anxious whisper as she bit her lower lip. "Derrick... I’m older than you! What if your mother thinks I’m taking advantage of you? What if she thinks I made moves on her younger son?"

Derrick stared at her for a second before letting out a rich, unrestrained laugh that echoed off the bathroom tiles.

"Beth, seriously?" Derrick smirked, leaning in to press a firm kiss against her temple. "My mom adores you. And trust me, if anyone was doing the pursuing tonight, it wasn’t just you. Stop overthinking it."

Stepping out of the steamy bathroom, they retrieved their washed and freshly pressed clothes from the laundry chute, crisp and clean as if nothing had happened.

And once they were ready, Derrick and Betty made their way to the garage where the car was waiting for them, ready to go.

"I don’t even know how to face my mom, now?" Beth was so embarrassed just thinking about how their conversation might go.

"You are thinking too much. We will cross that bridge when we get to it, for now..." Derrick pulled her close to him and let his eyes tell her what he desired. "Let’s enjoy the our ride back."

"Ahn~ Derrick, you are so silly." Betty bit her lips seeing his eyes full of desire but the truth was neither of them could keep their hands off of each other.

Soon, the sounds of smooches and moaning filled the car as it drove down the mountains and back into the lands of the Emerald City.

Vroom!

The car slowed down as it rolled into the neighborhood, coming to a stop right in front of Beth’s house.

Derrick got out first and walked Beth to the front door. The door opened the second they reached the porch, and Ruth was standing there with a strange, playful smile on her face.

"Welcome back," Ruth said smoothly, placing a hand on her cheek as her eyes twinkled. "I hope you had a great time."

Beth immediately froze, her whole face turning cherry red.

"M-Mom!" she whimpered, hiding her face straight into Derrick’s arm so she wouldn’t have to look at her mother. "Stop it."

Ruth chuckled softly, her eyes glinting with a teasing warmth as she leaned against the doorframe. "What? I’m just happy to see my daughter back safe and sound. Though I have to say, that mountain air sure did wonders for your skin."

Beth’s face turned even redder, if that was even possible. She pinched Derrick’s waist softly, silently begging him to rescue her from the teasing.

Derrick gave a low, smooth laugh, pulling Beth slightly behind him with a natural, protective charm.

"She’s just a bit tired, Aunt Ruth," Derrick said smoothly, a confident grin on his face. "We pushed ourselves a little hard tonight."