by Katie Knight
He looked a bit taken aback, blinking at her with brows raised before returning his attention to the road. “Uh, sorry. Didn’t mean any offense.”
She scoffed and shook her head, staring out the window beside her as embarrassment at her foolishness clawed inside her chest. Yes, she’d overreacted. Most likely it was due to the hormones storming her system. Another gift of pregnancy. Usually, she was known for being pretty even-tempered—a necessary character trait for someone dealing with rambunctious kids all day. Exhaling slowly, she stared down at her hands in her lap. “I’m sorry too. Didn’t mean to go off on you like that. It’s just that romance books mean a lot to me. They got me through my awful breakup with Brad and gave me hope again that maybe all guys aren’t assholes like my ex.”
“Hmm.” He took a deep breath, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. “I don’t have anything against those books, by the way. I just don’t do love.”
Now it was her turn to stare at him. “Why?”
There was a lot to his story she didn’t know, Diana was sure. Ever since that first night they’d spent together, she’d longed to peel back the layers of Demetri Lewis and discover the depths beneath. Now seemed as good a time as any, considering they were trapped in the car together for God knew how long.
Unfortunately, Demetri shut her down, same as always. “I just don’t.” He squinted out the windshield. “Are you going to start that book or what?”
A hundred miles down the road and ten chapters in, Demetri had to admit maybe romances weren’t so bad after all. The suspense plot was thrilling, the mystery was full of unpredictable twists and turns that kept him guessing. Even the love scenes were pretty good, if a bit exaggerated. He was all for wining and dining and wooing a woman, but seriously. Renting out an entire penthouse of a Manhattan luxury hotel? That just screamed overcompensation—especially when the characters were supposed to be on the run from danger.
Diana was slumped in her seat, her chin resting in her hand as she balanced one elbow on the windowsill. She hadn’t said much since they’d started the book, but he had to imagine she was ready for a break. Lord knew his legs could use a good stretch.
They passed a sign for a rest area with gas stations and restaurants and he merged into the right-hand lane to take the exit. “Time for a pit stop.”
“Good.” Diana said, yawning and reaching her arms over her head. The move pulled her T-shirt tighter across her torso, clinging to her cute baby bump and lush breasts. An image of said breasts from the night before, when he’d walked in on her in the bath, flashed into his head before he could stop it, but Demetri shook it off quick. The last thing he needed right now was to be thinking about Diana as anything more than an asset he needed to protect. Bad enough he’d kissed her the night before. He needed to keep his hands and his lips to himself from now on and focus on the mission—keep her safe, catch the stalker, get life back to normal again.
He stopped and filled up the tank, then pulled around to park in front of the restaurant next door. From the kitschy design, it looked like a diner straight out of the 1950s. The interior was even cooler, with a black and white tile floor, lots of neon signs and memorabilia, and even an old jukebox in the corner playing Elvis Presley tunes. One wall was taken up by an old-fashioned counter, complete with stools and an ice cream fountain.
“Welcome to Andy’s,” a hostess said. “Table or booth?”
“Uh,” Demetri looked down at Diana, who shrugged, then said, “Booth, please.”
“Great, right this way.”
They followed the hostess to a booth on the opposite side of the restaurant near the windows. He waited while Diana slid into one side, then took the other himself before looking around. No sign of anyone suspicious. In fact, it looked like this place catered to the geriatric crowd, given that the average age of the other patrons seemed to hover around seventy, at least.
The hostess handed them each a menu and ran down the daily specials before taking their drink orders and walking away.
Diana grinned at him over the top of her menu. “This place is pretty neat.”
“Yeah, if you’re a member of the blue-haired generation.” He frowned down at his menu. Seemed the specialty here was burgers and shakes. “And a fan of cattle. Lots of beef and dairy to choose from.”
She snorted. “Okay, Mr. Grumpypants.”
“I’m not grumpy.”
“Fine. Then I guess you just hate fun then.”
“I do not hate fun.” His frown deepened into a scowl. Something was poking him in the butt, and he scooted around a bit in his seat. “I just happen to like places with a bit more game.”
“Game, huh?” She chuckled, then leaned slightly to look over his shoulder before hiking her chin toward another booth a few down from theirs. “Looks like that man’s game is working just fine for him with his lady, blue hair or not.”
“Dammit.” He slid out of booth and checked the vinyl seat. Sure enough, there was a big rip right in the middle.
“What’s the matter?” She raised a sarcastic brow at him. “Afraid that old geezer’s got better moves than you?”
“No.” He gave her an annoyed stare. “There something wrong with my seat. Scoot over.”
Diana laughed. “You’re joking, right?”
“No. I’m not. There’s a rip in it. Look for yourself.”
She bent over to glance beneath the table, then sighed. “Fine. But there’s not a lot of room.”
He waited for her to move over, then slid in beside her. She was right. Not ideal, especially given the width of his shoulders. Their arms kept bumping and his thigh knocked against hers. Ugh. In an effort to get comfortable, he stretched one arm across the back of the booth, but that only served to tuck her in closer to his side. Which in turn only made him think more about the kiss they’d shared the night before and the warmth of her skin beneath his fingertips.
Man, what was supposed to have been a nice, casual lunch had now become a whole lot more complicated.
“Have you decided on your order?” the hostess said as she returned with their drinks.
“Uh, I’ll take a cheeseburger and fries, please,” he said. “And a chocolate malt.”
“Same,” Diana said, handing their menus back to the hostess then sipping her water. She seemed about as uncomfortable with this seating arrangement as he did, since she hadn’t looked at him since he’d put his arm around her. If there’d been another choice, he would’ve taken it away, but there was no place else to put it.
Demetri did his best to relax and stared out the window beside them. Pretty soon Diana relaxed too, her body fitting against his like she belonged there, like all this was the way it should be. A strange emotion pinched Demetri’s heart—not yearning exactly, but something pretty close to it. Loneliness, maybe.
Which was stupid because he’d spent his whole life making sure he didn’t form attachments. He didn’t get lonely. He liked being on his own. Alone meant safe. Alone meant secure. Alone meant you never got your heart ripped out and shredded when people left you behind.
And people always left you behind.
At least in Demetri’s experience.
They chit-chatted about nothing important until their food arrived, then chowed down like there was no tomorrow. The food was actually delicious, and he could see now why burgers were their specialty. The ice cream too was a big hit, especially with Diana, who finished her malt before he’d even gotten half through with his and ordered a second one.
He did love a woman with a healthy appetite—and she had every reason for it since she was eating for two.
The older couple she’d been watching earlier got up and started out of the restaurant, passing by their booth on the way toward the exit. The older woman stopped and smiled at Diana. “When are you due, dear?”
“Not for a few months yet,” Diana said.
“Well, it’s nice to see such a happy young couple,” the older man said.
“Oh, we’re
not—” Diana started to say before Demetri stopped her by squeezing her shoulder.
“Thanks.” He pulled her closer into his side, playing it up. “We’re still newlyweds. Four months tomorrow.”
“Happy anniversary,” the older woman said before turning to her partner. “We’ll be celebrating our sixtieth year this November.”
“Congratulations,” Demetri said. “Hope we last as long as you two.”
“Keep her happy and well-loved,” the older guy said with a wink. “That’s the secret.”
Diana nearly choked on her malt at that one.
Once the elderly couple had gone on their way, Demetri released his hold on Diana and took a deep breath.
“Mind telling me what the hell that was all about?” she asked, giving him some serious side-eye.
“In case someone comes in asking questions, we don’t want anyone to know the truth about us,” he said, leaning away from her to pull his wallet from his back pocket to pay for their meal. “So we create false stories as we go. We need to stay under the radar as much as we can until whoever’s after you is caught.” With that, he stood, then helped her out of the booth. “C’mon. We need to get moving again.”
Nine
By the time they reached Atlanta, later the second night, Diana would’ve been happy if she never rode in another vehicle again. Her butt hurt from sitting so long, she was hungry, more than a tad cranky, and she needed to pee. The fact they’d been caught in rush hour traffic hadn’t helped, especially with Demetri cursing and glaring at the other drivers on the road for the last few miles. There was apparently some big European soccer exhibition game in town this weekend, so the crowds were extra bad.
At least his friends had gotten them a nice place to stay for the evening, booking them into a fancy hotel downtown that apparently had top-notch security. Demetri pulled under the lighted canopy at the front entrance and a valet helped Diana from the SUV before a doorman gestured them inside the hotel.
Once they’d checked in, they rode up to the room near the top floor.
“God, that feels amazing,” Diana said, moaning as she toed off her sneakers and wiggled her poor, cramped toes. “Sitting that long isn’t easy on the circulation.”
“Sorry about that,” Demetri said, checking the suite before returning to where she stood in the small foyer. “Looks clear. There’s a nice bathroom with a big tub, if you want to take another bath.” Then, apparently remembering what had happened the last time, he looked away fast, his tanned cheeks flushing. “I mean, it’s obvious you’re stiff from the car ride and it might feel good to relax and…”
“It’s fine.” She took pity on the poor guy and smiled. “I know what you meant. And I think I will take you up on that.” She started off down the short hallway leading to the master bathroom connecting the two bedrooms before giving him a look over her shoulder. “I’ll be sure to lock the door this time, though.”
His lips twitched slightly, though he didn’t smile. “Good. Do that.”
She went to the bathroom, washed her hands and started the water running for the tub, then went back to the living room to look at the room service menu while she waited for the bath to fill.
What she happened upon instead was him sitting on the sofa, searching her iPod.
“Did you need something?” she asked, stopping a few feet away. “Why are you going through my stuff?”
Demetri froze. “I’m not going through your stuff.”
“Says the man with my iPod in his hand.”
“I’m not looking for anything,” he said, then shook his head. “I mean, it’s not what you’re thinking.”
When she didn’t respond, he turned slightly, and she gave him a flat look. “Okay, fine. I am looking for something, but it’s not what you think.”
“Tell me.”
He exhaled slowly, his big shoulders slumping. “I wanted to finish the book.”
It took a moment for that to sink in. “Excuse me?”
“The book.” He threw up his hands in exasperation. “You know, the audio book we were listening to in the car. We only had a few chapters left and I wanted to know how it ends.”
Her slow smile grew and she snatched the iPod out of his hand, then took a seat on the opposite end of the sofa, tucking her bare feet beneath her. “So, you like romance after all, huh?”
“Well, I can’t speak for all of it,” he said, sitting back and crossing his arms. “But I like this one. C’mon. Please?”
“Fine. But first, let’s order dinner. Then we can finish the book while I take my bath and you do whatever you want to do out here. Deal?”
“Deal.”
She told him what she wanted from the menu, then tapped her iPod screen while he called in their order, waiting until he was done before starting the book. By then her bath was full and she returned to the bathroom, leaving the door open so they could both hear the book while it played. They’d left off the story right before the climax, so it only took about a half hour to finish the whole book, but man was it worth it. After her soak, Diana felt like a new woman. She got out of the cooling water and drained the tub, then used the sweet-smelling violet and lavender lotion on the counter and took her time drying her hair, all the while wrapped in a fluffy white robe courtesy of the hotel that felt like wearing a cloud. It had been a long time since she’d been able to pamper herself, and it felt good. More than good. Incredible.
She returned to the living room and found Demetri sitting before the windows, staring out at the sparkling downtown Atlanta skyline. It all seemed perfect. The setting and the story they’d both just listened to. There was a reason the author was a bestseller and that story had proved it. The killer had been captured, justice had been served and the couple had found their happily ever after.
Diana’s chest squeezed just a little bit at that. “Do you think that can really happen?”
“What?” Demetri asked, looking as thoughtful as she was. “Solving a crime? Sure. Happens every day.”
“No. I mean the ending of the romance aspect.” Once upon a time, she’d believed love could conquer all. Now she wasn’t so sure. “Do you think a love like that is possible? Where two people find each other and ride off into the sunset together?” She gave a soft snort, then shook her head. “Wait. Don’t answer that. You already said you don’t do love, so I’m guessing the answer is a big, fat no.”
“Do you believe that can happen?” he countered, his tone quiet.
“I’m not sure anymore. Once I did.”
He sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. “I suppose I did too. Once.”
That tingling was back inside her, the one she’d had earlier in the car when the weight of his past felt close enough that she could touch it. She wanted to know more about him but didn’t want to scare him away. He’d shut her down before. Would he do it again?
She shifted a bit closer to him on the sofa, keeping her voice low and soft. “What happened to change your mind?”
For a moment, she thought he’d shut her out again. But then he looked up at her, a vulnerability in his dark eyes she hadn’t seen there before as he said, “My parents died.”
Demetri hadn’t intended to open up to her about any of this, but dammit, he was tired. Tired of holding it all inside, tired of the isolation. Besides, a weird intimacy seemed to have fallen between them as they’d listened to that book. A connection that he didn’t want to break. Not yet. Maybe not ever.
He took a deep breath, then leaned forward to rest his forearms atop his thighs. “My parents were great. They had a love like the couple in the book. Always supportive, always there for each other no matter what. My dad was a cop. He loved superhero movies. He promised to take me with him someday, when I got a little older, to see the premiere of one of the films at the theatre in town, but then…”
His voice trailed off and Diana moved closer still, putting her hand on his forearm. “What about your mom? Tell me about her.”
“She
was awesome too. The librarian at our town library. She made the best chocolate chip cookies in the history of the universe.” He smiled fondly, remembering those sweet treats. “My childhood was pure Americana, apple pie and all that.” Demetri shook his head. “I thought it would last forever. Wished it would.”
Diana scooted closer still, until her warmth pressed into his side. He sat back and put his arm around her again, just because it felt so damned good. “Why didn’t it? What happened?”
The golden memories faded to darker ones. “One day, my dad went to see the opening of the latest superhero flick. I’d begged to go with him, I remember. I’d turned six not long before then and thought I was all grown up. My dad, of course, didn’t and said maybe next time.” Demetri swallowed hard. “I wish I’d known then there would never be a next time. There was a shooting that day at the theatre. Lone gunman. Some asshole who thought life had done him wrong and the way to fix it was to kill a lot of innocent people. My dad was off duty so he didn’t have his firearm, but he…he was still a hero. He charged right at the shooter, and got shot in the chest when he tackled the guy to the ground. He did manage to knock the gun out of the shooter’s hands, and some other people were able to restrain the guy. My dad probably saved a lot of lives…but he never got the chance to know that. He died instantly.”
“Oh, God. I’m so sorry, Demetri.” Diana snuggled into him, tucking her head beneath his chin as she sniffled.
He ran his fingers through her silky dark hair absently, lost in the past. “It was devastating for my mom. One minute, Dad was there, then he was gone. She never got over it. I tried to comfort her, but I was only six. I had no idea what she was going through. And she was trying to protect me, comfort me too, so she would hide from me how much she was hurting.” He inhaled deeply and rested his head back against the sofa cushions, closing his eyes. “My dad was everything to me. My real-life superhero. To lose that was awful. I was scared and grieving. My mom tried to go on, tried to be there for me, but she was lost herself. Without my dad, she couldn’t go on.”
