No. Something about that one word, single and alone with nothing else, slices through whatever need he has for having her immediately. There is still that sane part of Derek that can understand that. His chest heaves as he tries to draw deep breaths to steady himself. He looks down into her eyes, some of that mad desire draining from his eyes to show the soft vulnerability underneath.

Vulnerable, because for a brief second his mind got mixed up and he thought she was telling him no completely. Vulnerable, because some of who he really is was trying to push through whatever had overtaken him. Vulnerable, because the muscles, cockiness, and tough guy routine is, bottom line, an armor that's meant to keep people away, to ward people off from messing with or trying to hurt him. It's a persona he uses to keep himself safe from who and what he had once been.

It's only there for a moment, brief but weighty. And then he turns away and reaches to the same drawer he had gotten the lube from. When he comes back with a small foil packet, that cocky grin is back in place, armor repaired. He can still have her. He just has to do this.

He opens the packet and rolls it on. "I like it that you called me lover. Do it again."