by Apryl Baker
“Let me have your phone.” He handed it over, and she went through and blocked her on all his pages, leaving a note that no one was to pay attention to the crazy stalker lady. Sure to get people talking, but on the plus side, it would help him sell books this weekend. Everyone loved to gossip, especially in the Indie world, authors and readers alike.
“There, she’s all blocked. I’ll look over the rest of your social media in the car and make sure she’s blocked there too.”
“I should really learn how to do that shit myself, shouldn’t I?”
“I would say yes, but I know you’ll never do it.” She slapped his arm playfully. “Besides, then what would you need me for?”
He grabbed her, draping an arm around her waist. “Bite your tongue, babe. You’re the one person I’ll always need. Now, ready to go eat?”
She shook her head, collected her purse, and let him lead her out of the room, relishing how it felt when he was wrapped around her. Her panic at going outside almost disappeared when he held her. He was her safety blanket, so to speak. Besides, she wasn’t so worried about having to chat with anyone if Dimitri had her full attention.
Dimitri hummed to himself as they rode the elevator down. She hadn’t mentioned their morning foray, and neither did he. They’d get into that later. Right now, he just wanted food and good company. He had a bottomless pit of a stomach, and the only person he’d met who could come close to keeping up with him was Kade’s wife, Angel. That girl could pack away some food and not gain a single pound. Dimitri was completely jealous. His food habits put him in the gym for a good hour each day.
The elevator stopped on the third floor, and two women entered. One had blue hair and the other was a little tamer, her blonde hair only highlighted with pink streaks.
“Ladies,” he murmured and moved back, hauling Becca with him. She’d tensed up the minute the two women entered the elevator with them. He pulled her closer and tucked her against him.
Blondie looked up and her eyes widened. He groaned to himself. She knew him. He’d bet money on it.
“You’re Dimitri Kincaid, aren’t you?”
Damn, he knew it.
He flashed her a smile. “Yes.”
“Oh, wow!” She almost jumped up and down, causing her friend to glance up from her phone. “I can’t believe it’s you! I came specifically to meet you at the book signing! I love your shifter series. Kyle and Emma are my favorites. Oh, my gosh!”
Dimitri wasn’t sure what to say. He’d never had to actually deal with readers outside of some book signing at Barnes & Noble, and the staff kept it pretty well contained. This was new. Someone freaking out over his books.
Becca pinched him. Hard. He glared down at her, but she was grinning. Dammit. There was no denying the girl was more excited about his books than him. Round one to Becca.
“I’m glad you liked the books…” Hell, he forgot to ask her name.
“I’m Abby, and this is my friend Shelly. She’s here to meet Jessica Darrow.”
He nodded toward Shelly, who was looking at him like most women did. Appreciative, calculating, and full of lust. She was pretty, but she did nothing for him.
The elevator dinged open, revealing the ground floor. They all spilled out, and Abby turned to him before they left. “It was so nice to meet you! I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Nice to meet you too.” He watched as they walked away, bemused. This was a novel experience.
“Don’t say a word,” he warned when he saw Becca about to gloat. “Not one word.”
She hugged him instead. He laughed and they walked over to the front desk to have the Jeep brought around. His laughter died when she asked if there were any rooms available. The desk clerk ignored his scowl and checked. Thank fuck, there were none. He understood her need to not end up all tangled up with him in bed again, but he took perverse satisfaction in the fact fate thwarted her. The old girl had always been on his side when it came to women.
The desk clerk recommended a local restaurant, the Tattooed Moose, over on Morrison Drive. The trip there was uneventful aside from Becca threatening to break his fingers over the radio. Dimitri would never have guessed she was a radio Nazi. It was cute, though.
As soon as she saw the place, Becca’s entire face lit up and excitement shone in her eyes. “Do you realize what this place is?”
“Uh, a seafood place?”
“No, it’s not a seafood place.” She bounced in her seat, and he couldn’t stop from smiling at her antics. “It’s the place from Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. The duck place!”
“Uh…I’m not a big duck person, Becca. I thought we were eating seafood?” Duck did not sit well on his stomach. Not at all.
“They have other things. Please, Dimitri, can we eat here? Please?”
Well, fuck. There she went with those puppy dog eyes. How could he say no? “Sure, sweetheart. We can eat here.”
She even forgot her anxiety. She was so intent upon looking at everything, she didn’t notice how crowded the place was. Granted, she had his hand in an iron grip, but she was chatting up a storm with the hostess as they were seated.
“Ohmygod…” The words left her mouth in a rush when she saw the menu. So many choices! She’d wanted to try this place since she’d seen it on TV, but never thought she’d actually get here. For that, she’d have to thank Dimitri and his high-handed tactics.
Dimitri, she noticed, was looking at the menu in consternation. He was worried about his stomach. For a man who could eat like there was no tomorrow, he had severe digestive issues. “You can try the Thanksgiving sandwich. It’s turkey and stuffing. That won’t hurt you.”
“What are you getting?”
She took her time and studied the menu, wanting it all, but settling on the duck fries and the duck club sandwich. Dimitri’s face screwed up so fiercely it set her to giggling. He was such a wuss with food.
The waitress came back with their drinks and took the order, Dimitri getting the turkey sandwich with some trepidation. She rolled her eyes. He ate like a horse at Thanksgiving. He could handle one tiny sandwich.
“It is not funny.” He shot her a disgruntled look. “If I end up sick and in the bathroom, you can explain to everyone why I’m not there.”
“That, I can do…dear fans and fellow authors. I must apologize for bowing out of the signing because I’m sitting on the toilet shitting my brains out.”
The first taste of his draft beer spewed out of his mouth. “You would not!”
“Try me. You hauled my ass down here, and you aren’t getting out of this signing.”
“You’re an evil woman, you know that?”
She tossed him a grin. “Only when I have to deal with your ass.”
He stuck his tongue out at her, and it set her off giggling again, something she’d never done in her life. Becca was not the kind of girl to giggle. It always seemed immature, but she found it was impossible to be the mature adult around this man. He was incorrigible.
“Viktor is going to be jealous.” He picked up the paper from her straw and started to ball it up. “He’s always looking for places he sees on that damn show. I am going to gleefully lord it over him that we were here first.”
“Food is a huge thing for you boys, isn’t it?” It was something she’d always found curious. All six of the Kincaid boys were fascinated by food.
He nodded, his fingers rolling the paper. “I guess it’s because our mom instilled a love of food in us. Food was something we associated with family, with get-togethers, with sadness. Every emotion you can have, every event you celebrate or mourn, there is always food. Dad was the one who taught us if we are going to eat like horses, then we need to make sure to stay in shape. He’s the reason we all push ourselves so much, physically. It’s what we know.”
Becca appreciated food for an entirely different purpose. It had been hard to come by in her household. Not because there wasn’t enough money, but because her mother typically spent it all on her habit.
She and Jackson lived off mac and cheese for three whole months. Her dad usually ate at his clubhouse before he stumbled home too drunk to care there wasn’t any real food in the house.
She learned to value each meal, to savor every bite. She tended to cook exactly what she needed, no more, no less. There was always food in her house, but she ate like a person on a strict rationing diet. Only what she needed. Sure, she cooked things that tasted great, but she didn’t overindulge just to make sure she’d always have enough.
“What’s going on in that head of yours?” Dimitri’s voice interrupted her about the same time the wadded-up ball of paper hit her in the face.
“Really?”
His grin was more wolfish than the devil. “You went somewhere in that pretty head. What were you thinking about?”
She told him about the food situation in her house growing up and how it affected her as an adult. The sadness that swept through his eyes made her look away. She probably shouldn’t have told him, but Dimitri knew her better than anyone. He deserved to know these things because he’d trusted her with everything over the years
“Don’t be sad, D. I have more than enough to eat now, and I appreciate food a lot more than some people do. It’s given me a unique perspective and drives me to try so many different things.”
“You know what we’re going to do?” His face brightened.
“What?”
“Every city we go to this summer, we are going to track down at least one restaurant from the show and eat there.”
“You’re going to eat there?”
“Well, I’ll watch you eat while I starve with my glass of water and tiny slice of bread, but it’ll be fun. Something else to showcase on the social media pages. Speaking of which…” He pulled out his phone and leaned into Becca. “Smile, sweetheart!”
She barely had time to plaster on a grin before he was snapping photos. This was why he hadn’t sat on the other side of the table. He was picture-happy. As soon as he was satisfied, he posted to Instagram, the one social media site he knew how to navigate better than Becca did. That was why she’d linked his Facebook account to it, so every time he uploaded photos, it would post there as well.
The waitress interrupted their nonsense with their food, which caused him to take even more photos and post them. “This looks good.”
She snatched up one of the famous duck fries and had a little food orgasm right there on the spot. Divine.
“You should see your face.” Dimitri snapped another photo.
“Post it and you die.”
He stabbed his fork at her. “It shall be my blackmail photo.”
“Please. You don’t think I have at least a dozen of those I can use myself? More memes like the one of you running off the stage to the toilet?”
His eyes widened and she snorted her laughter. “Promise me, Becca. No bathroom memes. I still haven’t lived the last ones down.”
“We’ll see. It all depends upon whether that photo you just took of me ever sees the light of day.”
Dimitri’s phone buzzed and he looked down, alarmed. When he answered the phone, Becca saw it was Sara Jane, only she wasn’t just calling, she was FaceTiming him.
“I thought you were too busy to come eat with us? And now you’re posting food photos? What the hell, Dimitri?”
She sounded hurt, and Becca felt bad. “You can blame me. He refused to abandon me in the hotel.”
Dimitri tilted the phone so Sara could see her. “Is that you, Becca?”
“In the flesh.”
“It’s so nice to talk to you!” Sara beamed. “I know we’ve talked in text and in messages, but it’s great to finally put a face to the name. You could have come with. I invited you as well.”
“I know, I’m sorry. I’m just not big on crowds, and Dimitri, being the awesome friend he is, wouldn’t let me sit by myself in a hotel room eating cold pizza while he was scarfing hot food somewhere.”
“We’re at the Hibachi place.” Sara Jane turned her head and spoke to someone before looking back at them. “I understand about the crowds too, honey. My daughter hates them. Are you guys coming over tonight to set up?”
“Yeah. I’ve been informed she’ll kick my ass if I don’t.”
“I said no such thing!”
“She did.” He nodded and leaned forward. “She even threatened to kick me in the balls so hard, I’d be out of action for a whole month.”
“Asshole.” She bumped his shoulder. “You’re such a liar!” Well, she did threaten his balls, but not in the context he was joking about.
“I’m an author. I lie for a living.”
Sara Jane laughed at their antics. “You two are adorable.”
“See? I keep telling you I’m adorable, but why you refuse to see it, I don’t understand. Sara Jane gets it.”
“It comes from knowing you for so many years.”
“How long have you two known each other?” Sara looked over her shoulder and shrugged.
“What is it, eight, nine years or something?” He reached over and absently popped one of her fries into his mouth before she could stop him. Uh, oh. Duck really didn’t sit well with him.
“Ummm, D?”
“Yeah?” He reached for another fry.
“Do you want to spend the night on the toilet?”
“Of course not.”
“Then stop stealing my damn fries.”
He paused, fry midway to his mouth, and then he dropped it, horror flowing into his blue eyes. “Shit.”
Becca laughed so hard she had to turn away so she could double over. Shit was definitely the word to use, considering what duck fat did to him.
“What’s so funny?” Sara demanded.
Dimitri stared at the plate of duck fries with utter disgust. Dammit. How many had he eaten before she stopped him?
“He said shit,” Becca gasped out, and Dimitri shot her a look so hostile, it had Sara raising her eyebrows at him.
“It’s not that funny.”
“Yes, yes, it is.”
His scowl turned slightly evil right before he attacked her rib cage, tickling her for all he was worth.
“Stop!” Becca gasped, but she was trapped between him and the wall. He kept up his assault until she cried uncle.
“That is what you get for being mean to your best friend.” He sat back, a smug grin dominating his face.
“That wasn’t fair!” She wiped the tears from her eyes. Dimitri was so dead later.
“I told you once already, Rebecca. I don’t play fair.”
Becca’s laughter died when she heard the seriousness in his voice. A quick peek confirmed his own laughter had fled. He was staring at her with an intensity that stole her breath.
“Ahem…” Sara cleared her throat. “I think that’s my cue to say goodbye.”
“We’ll see you later tonight, Sara Jane.” Dimitri disconnected the call and turned his full attention on her. Those blue eyes that had been dancing with laughter were now serious and ominous. “Let’s head back to the hotel. We do have a lot of work to do, but I also want to talk to you about last night and this morning.”
“I’d really rather not talk about it.”
“Tough shit, Becca. We’re talking.” He signaled the waiter for their check and carry-out boxes for the rest of their food.
Well, hell. Talking was the last thing she wanted to do, but it looked like Dimitri wasn’t going to let her hide from this any more than he was going to let her hide away in her apartment, content to stay there safe and sound from the world.
She had a feeling it was going to be a come to Jesus moment for them both, and one she wasn’t looking forward to.
Chapter Nine
They rode back to the hotel in silence. The quiet only made Becca more and more nervous. Dimitri was never quiet. It was one of the reasons she loved talking to him. He didn’t know how to shut up. All she had to do was toss in something wherever it was appropriate.
This, though? He hadn’t loo
ked at her once since they got in the Jeep. His eyes never left the road. What was running through that head of his? Lust. That much she knew. Even if she’d wanted to deny it, this morning proved otherwise. He’d said yesterday he wanted something he knew he couldn’t have, and he’d been referring to her. Another fact no one had to point out.
The problem was she wanted him too, but she also loved him. Dimitri loved her, but it was more like a sister or that best friend who’d be there forever. Becca was in love with him. If they took their relationship to a more intimate, physical one, it would break her knowing he’d never return her feelings.
It would ruin their friendship for that very reason. Dimitri might be able to do the whole friends with benefits, but she couldn’t. How was she going to tell him no? Her body screamed yes, but her heart and her mind? They were yelling at her in shouty caps, NO!
When they pulled up to the front of the hotel, she got out quickly, but Dimitri sat there. She looked through the windshield and noticed sweat beaded his forehead. She opened the door and leaned in. “You okay?”
He gave her a curt nod and got out. He took his time coming around, and she spotted his slight limp. His legs were bothering him. That was why he’d been so quiet, not because of some sexual tension between them. She berated herself as she met him and slipped an arm around him. Here she’d gone and wrapped herself up in her own worries, and her best friend was in pain. She should have offered to drive.
Dimitri leaned into her, and they made their way to the elevators. He didn’t say anything until they got back to their room, and then he collapsed on the small sofa, groaning.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were hurting? I would have driven.” Becca helped him stretch his legs out and ignored his baleful expression.
“Maybe because I hate feeling like a fucking invalid?”
“Well, acting like some macho idiot and pretending nothing’s wrong when it obviously is doesn’t help things either.”
“I hate this.”
The quiet venom in his tone startled her. She looked up and saw the anger, the desolation, the depression floating in his eyes. Her heart broke just a little for him. “The body heals at its own pace, D. You have to be patient.”
