by Katie Knight
“We need to make a run for it,” Demetri said. “Can you do that?”
“Yep.” She tightened her grip on his hand. “Ready when you are.”
Demetri hazarded one final glance back at Harris and found the guy closer than he’d thought.
Fuck it. Now or never.
Ahead, the bus doors started to close.
“Let’s go!” Demetri shouted, tugging Diana alongside him toward the bus stop. They managed to squeeze through the doors just before they closed, and the huge bus rumbled off down the road.
They paid their fare and found seats near the back. Diana plunked down first, still breathing fast. “That was close.”
“Too close,” Demetri said, squeezing in beside her, his gaze locked on the dark figure growing smaller out the rear window of the bus. He still had a hold of her hand and he wasn’t planning to let go any time soon. In fact, he brought her hand up and kissed the back of it. “But you’re safe for now. I promise.”
Two buses and three taxis later, the better part of the day was gone and they ended up in a non-descript suburban neighbourhood outside downtown Atlanta. Diana had lost count of the twists and turns in their journey. Honestly, they could be in Timbuktu for all she knew. Still, the crowds were gone and the sky was streaked with lovely shades of pink and purple, and best of all, there was no sign of her stalker, Franklin Harris.
Demetri’s posture had finally relaxed a bit and they’d ditched their silly fan gear. A slight breeze blew and the sun set low in the sky as evening drew near. Somewhere nearby a dog was barking from one of the well-manicured lawns. If she didn’t know better, she’d think they’d been transported to a 1950s sitcom.
“So, where next?” she asked as Demetri texted on his phone. “Does the security team have any new information?”
“No, not yet. No luck with a hotel room either.” He frowned down at his screen while they walked, not looking at her. “I told them about spotting Harris in the parking lot, so John and Craig are going to head over there and see if they can find him, maybe figure out where he’s staying or if he’s working with anyone else.”
“Hmm.” Diana adjusted her gait a bit, hoping it might help her sore ankles, but couldn’t hide her wince as she stumbled over a crack in the sidewalk.
“Okay?” Demetri asked, glancing up at her at last. “You need to sit down.”
It wasn’t a question, and soon Diana found herself standing on the porch of a house with a For Sale sign in the front yard. “Uh, you want me to sit on the steps?”
“No.” He let go of her hand. “Stay here a minute.”
Too tired to argue, she did as he asked while Demetri circled the cute craftsman-style house, stopping periodically to peek into the windows. He disappeared around the back and she leaned against one of the columns on the porch, grateful for a bit of shade. It really was lovely here. Someday, she wouldn’t mind having a house like this one. Her old house had been fine, if a bit tiny. The yard was nice, though. Reminded her of the one she’d had back home. That would come in handy with a little one on the way. Thoughts of her house made her throat tighten and before she could stop them, tears clouded her eyes. Her poor house. All her things, gone. All those memories. All the stuff she’d worked so hard for. Being on the run hadn’t given her much time to process everything that had happened, but now…
She sniffled and swiped her hand under her nose just as the sound of a lock being undone issued from the front door. Next thing she knew, Demetri was there, inviting her inside.
“Um, what the hell are you doing?” she whispered, glancing around to make sure they weren’t seen. “That’s called breaking and entering.”
“Nah. We’re just borrowing it until we can find another place.” He waved her inside, then closed and locked the door again. The floor plan was open and inviting. “Sit down.”
Stunned, Diana did, looking around at the bare-bones furniture in the space through the shadows. From what she could see, it was nice, neat, clean and modern, but comfortable. It had obviously been staged by a realtor, since there were no family pictures on the walls and clutter was at a minimum. Fliers for potential buyers were laid out on the coffee table before her and a faint scent of fresh-baked cookies lingered in the air, mixed with the smell of fresh paint on the walls.
“According to this,” Demetri said, picking up one of the fliers and pulling out the tiny flashlight on his keychain, “the owners have already relocated, and the place is priced to sell. They just had an open house yesterday, so I doubt the realtor will open it up again for a few days. We should be good until Monday here.”
Diana frowned up at him. “We’re staying?”
“For tonight, at least. Maybe for the whole weekend. Unless you have a better idea.”
Dusk was settling in and the thought of wandering around all night made Diana shudder. He was right. She did need to sit down. She also needed a drink and some food and a good long nap. Demetri adjusted the thermostat and suddenly, this place seemed just about perfect to her.
She got up and wandered down the hall while it was still light enough to see, her sneakers squeaking on the shiny hardwood floors. The kitchen was big and open, and all the newly-installed appliances hummed with power. Stainless steel and granite countertops. Nice. There was a master suite on the first floor too, with a huge bed and a nice bathroom. Walk-in closets. Upstairs, she found two more bedrooms and another full bath. A rec room too, that could easily be converted to a nursery, if needed. In a different time, under different circumstances, she might’ve loved to have a place like this to call home with a man like Demetri.
But none of this was real and the sooner she remembered that the better. This was all pretend. They were here to catch a killer, not play “house” together. She shouldn’t be doing any of this. It was wrong. They should leave here and go to the police, tell them what had happened.
Except, what information could they really give the authorities? That some guy in a black hoodie was staring at them in the parking lot? Yes, Demetri’s buddies had connected Franklin Harris to the other sightings and maybe even the burning of her house in Little River, but the fire report hadn’t pointed to any suspects. No, unless they had something concrete to go on, the police wouldn’t be able to do anything to help. Especially since they had their hands full with the soccer match and the crowds of tourists. Resigned, she walked back into the living room and flopped onto one end of sofa while Demetri took a seat on the other.
“Well?” he asked. “What do you think? Better than the place we were in last night. Quieter too.”
“Fine.” She rolled her stiff neck and leaned back into the cushions, never wanting to move again, at least for a while. “But if the cops catch us, I’m totally turning you in.”
He chuckled and took off her shoes for her, then proceeded to give her the most exquisite foot massage she’d ever had in her life. “Does this get me any bonus points?”
“Maybe. Keep going and I’ll let you know,” she said, grinning. “We need to eat again too.”
“I’ll handle it. Oh, but speaking of handling things—hang on a minute,” he said, removing her feet from his lap and hurrying outside again. When he returned, he had the For Sale sign in his hands. He set it just inside the door, then returned to his seat on the couch. “There. Now we just need to keep the lights out and stay away from the windows and that should keep people away until we leave.”
“You’re crazy, you know that?”
“Crazy like a fox.” He winked at her this time and she laughed. She’d never seen this side of Demetri before, all playful and flirty, and Diana had to admit she liked it. Maybe more than she should. He picked up her feet again and used his thumbs to press into her sore arches. She damned near melted into a puddle of goo. “Feel good?”
“You have no idea.” He gently rubbed her toes, then moved to her ankles and calves. A woman could definitely get used to this. “You’re pretty good at this.”
“Thanks. I’m glad you
like it.” He switched feet and started on her other arch. “And hey? Don’t say I never bought you anything.”
Diana raised an eyebrow at him. “You mean the fan gear earlier?”
“No, silly.” He hiked his chin toward the door. “Tonight, I got you a whole house.”
Fourteen
The next morning Diana woke up early and it took her a moment to realize where she was. She blinked up at the white ceiling through the pre-dawn gloom and slowly remembered the house she and Demetri were squatting in.
Usually she slept like crap the first night in a new place, but the past week or so had left her exhausted and she hadn’t so much as moved all night long. She’d had the whole bed to herself too, choosing one of the upstairs bedrooms while Demetri stayed downstairs in the master suite, in case someone tried to get in.
Wide awake now, she got up and used the bathroom, then tiptoed downstairs to the kitchen. As she passed Demetri’s room, she heard the steady deep sound of his snores and sweetness pinched her heart. She was glad he’d gotten some rest too. He’d been pushing hard for just as long as she had and needed the sleep to stay sharp.
Hoping to find at least leftover teabags, she searched the cabinets but found them all bare. The pantry was empty too. In fact, the only thing she found was half a package of frozen cookie dough in the freezer, probably left over from when the realtor had last shown the house, and a few slices of pizza from the night before.
Oh well. Beggars couldn’t be choosers. At least it was something to eat, and her stomach was growling again. She turned the oven to pre-heat, then removed the cookie sheet from the dishwasher where it had been stowed before rinsing it off in the sink, breaking apart the squares of frozen dough and arranging them on the pan to bake. She’d just put them in the oven when a deep voice startled her from the doorway.
“Going domestic on me already?” Demetri asked, his words gravelly from sleep. The sound of his voice made her inside tug in the most alarming, sexy way. Oh boy. The more she was around him, the more she wanted him, plain and simple. And it was getting harder each day not to throw caution to the winds and have him. After all, it wasn’t like she was some blushing virgin. They’d been together before, obviously. The baby was proof of that. The one night they’d slept together months ago had been good too. Really good. Unforgettably good, honestly. So, would it be awful to repeat that performance now, if they were both agreed?
Diana’s heart said no. Her head still wasn’t sure.
Cheeks prickling with unexpected heat as he stepped into the kitchen in nothing but his boxers had her turning away fast. All that smooth tanned skin, all those lithe taut muscles, and that smattering of dark hair on his pecs that narrowed down to a fine line leading below his waistband…
She swallowed hard and fiddled with the empty cookie dough wrapper. “No. I was hungry and the dough was all I could find. Sorry, there’s no coffee either.”
“Well.” He walked past her, his warm arm brushing hers and sending zings of awareness through her system. “That’s unacceptable. A man can’t live on cookies alone. Neither can an expectant mother.”
“If you want more food, there’s pizza left.” She tossed the wrapper in the trash, glad her tone sounded steadier than she felt. Demetri had always been a good-looking guy, but being around him all the time these past few days and deepened the connection she felt with him to an intimate level. And staying in this house made it all seem…normal and cosy and… right.
“Hmm.” He took a seat on a stool at the granite-topped island and scrubbed his hand over his face before pulling his phone from his pocket and squinting at the screen. “That’s interesting.”
“What?” She moved over to stand beside him, happy to have a topic of conversation to distract her from all his rumpled yumminess. Hard to believe that even knowing her stalker was chasing them, she still craved him more than she did those cookies baking in the oven. Maybe it was the hormones. Maybe it was fact she hadn’t been with anyone since she’d last slept with Demetri. Maybe it was the false sense of closeness of their forced proximity. Whatever it was, she needed to get it under control before she tackled him to the hardwood floor and had her wicked way with him. The baby kicked, as if in agreement. Diana took a seat on the stool beside his and held a hand over her stomach. “Did the guys find something?”
“Sort of.” Demetri frowned and showed her the screen. “Apparently, Franklin Harris has left town. If you believe what this footage shows that Eric snagged from the state highway department.”
“You don’t?” she asked, narrowing her gaze on the grainy video on his phone screen. It was a bit hard to pick up on what was happening in the darkness, but she could faintly see a vehicle speed past the toll booth heading toward Virginia Beach. “Is Eric sure that’s Harris’s car?”
“Yep.” He closed out the video and brought in a tight shot of the license plate. “Numbers match the car registered to Franklin Harris.”
“Huh.” She sat back and took a deep breath. The sweet smell of baking cookies and melted chocolate filled the air and her tummy rumbled again. Demetri raised a brow at her, but she waved him off. “Isn’t that weird, though, him leaving town now? And why would he use his own vehicle, knowing it could be traced to him? Doesn’t seem very smart.”
“Exactly.” Demetri shut off the video and pocketed his phone, then yawned and stretched before turning slightly to face her. She did her best not to notice how his movements made his washboard abs look even hotter than they already were. “You must take after Peter more than I thought. He’s always good at solving puzzles and strategizing.”
The compliment made her feel far prouder than it should. Still, she didn’t want Demetri to know how affected she was by him, so she shrugged it off. “I watch a lot of detective shows on TV—plus the romantic suspense books I read. Some of it rubbed off, I guess. You don’t think he’s actually gone, then?”
“I don’t know.” The timer dinged and Demetri slid off his stool, motioning for her to stay put while he went over and grabbed the dish towel draped over the edge of the sink to get the hot pan out of the oven. “You’re right about all those details being hinky as hell. And I just can’t see Harris being that careless. He might be an asshole, but he’s a smart one. I think we should still be on guard and act like he’s still around, because he just might be.”
They ate their cookies right off the pan and took turns drinking from the faucet, since there were no glasses. As Diana wiped her chin with the back of her hand, her gaze tracked a droplet of water slowly making its way down the side of Demetri’s neck, mesmerized. Man, what she wouldn’t give to trace that moisture with her tongue, taste the salt of his skin, hear his breath catch and feel his big body tremble beneath her touch. She bit her lip to keep from doing just that.
“Right,” Demetri said, stepping around her and heading out of the kitchen, thankfully seemingly unaware of the need pulsing through her like molten lava. “Get dressed and then we can head to the store. According to the map on my phone, there’s a superstore within walking distance. That is, if you’re up for it?”
Fresh air and space sounded like the best option at the moment, so she readily agreed. “Definitely. Give me twenty minutes.”
Two hours later, they were walking the aisles of the superstore, filling a cart with simple things they could make in a microwave that wouldn’t stink up the place too badly. They were still squatters, after all, no matter how nice it might feel to Demetri to play house with Diana. Besides, they’d be leaving this stuff behind when they headed out. How many Lean Cuisines would cover rent for a few nights? Maybe if they threw in some bath towels and a bottle of shampoo—both of which were already in the cart?
“How about some popcorn?” he said, picking up a box of movie theatre butter flavoured. “You like this kind?”
“That’s fine.” She continued down the aisle to the canned goods. “Soup is probably a wise choice. Easily heated up. Add some crackers or a sandwich and you got you
rself a meal.”
“Cool,” he said as they loaded up on several cans of chicken noodle and a few of beef stew, then went in search of bread, peanut butter, and cold cuts. “I wish we didn’t have to do the instant coffee, though. Guess it’s better than nothing.”
“True.” She snagged a box of saltines from the shelf as they passed. “Probably should get some disposable cups and some bottled water too.”
“Agreed.”
Once they’d picked up food and personal care items and a box of acetaminophen and prenatal vitamins for Diana, they headed to the register, where she insisted on paying for it all since he’d gotten the hotel rooms and food thus far.
“Seriously,” she said, pulling out her wallet and handing over money to the cashier, not even needing to be reminded to use cash instead of credit cards. His already burgeoning admiration for her skyrocketed. “We’re partners in this, remember? Fifty-fifty.”
He gave a curt nod and grabbed all the bags as the cashier filled them. Paying was one thing. Carrying a bunch of stuff was another, especially in her condition. They walked back out of the store into the sunshine and headed back toward the house.
“Why’d you get the cleaning products?” he asked while they waited for the light at the corner. “The house is spotless as it is.”
“Exactly. And we need to keep it that way,” she said, staying by his side as they headed across the street with the other people at the light. She lowered her voice and leaned closer to say, “It’s the least we can do since we’re basically trespassing.”
The breeze blew, surrounding him with the sweet scent of her shampoo. The simmering lust that never seemed to go away whenever she was near notched higher. He wanted her, he admitted. Even if he’d never allow himself to have her again—and that was something he was sure he couldn’t allow himself. It was too risky, what with his strange feelings for her, and with danger potentially waiting around every corner. He needed to stay focused on keeping her and the baby safe, with Harris still out there, not think about the best way to get her back into his bed.