He patted my arm. “No worries, girl. He knows, eh?”
I sighed, looking around the room. It felt strange to be back here. I had never loved the place, but it was my home. Or at least, I thought it was. It was odd how at home I felt at Damien’s. It felt right being there with him. Here, I felt like a stranger, even though the things around me were mine.
My phone rang, interrupting my thoughts. I answered Deb’s call, my melancholy evident in my voice.
“Hey, Deb.”
“Hey. What’s wrong?”
I couldn’t tell her, so I pretended. “Nothing. Just one of those days.”
“Ah, okay. So, Stew and I were wondering about doing dinner on Monday?”
“Oh.” I paused. “Can I call you back tomorrow to confirm?”
“Everything okay?”
“I just have to check with Damien.”
“Oh, you’re not with him?”
“No, I’m cleaning my apartment right now. He’s, ah, he’s busy today.”
“Okay. Call me later and confirm. Stewart has reservations at Rustic Alley for seven. If you can’t go, we’ll do another night.”
“Okay, sounds good.”
I hung up and shook my head. I was acting as if Damien and I had really had a fight. Broken up. I was being silly. I tossed my phone to the table, opened the blinds, and got to work.
My apartment gleamed, and my body ached. I looked around, satisfied. I had scrubbed every inch. Opened my windows with the music playing. Made sure I could be seen. Egan stayed in the next room, occasionally making a comment, but stayed busy with a sketchbook in his hand. Finally done, I closed the windows again, shutting the blinds, and turning on the small air conditioner. I showered, changed, and sat down. Egan was across from me, his head still bent over his work.
“What are you drawing?” I asked.
“Something for Damien.”
“Ah.”
I had discovered he was a man of few words.
“Are you hungry?”
He lifted a shoulder. “I could eat.”
“I don’t have much here, but we can order in.”
He nodded. “Soon.”
“Okay.”
He kept his eyes on the pad. “So, you are a woman.”
“Last time I checked.”
“Do you find me attractive?”
“Um…” I hesitated.
He looked up with a wry grin. “I mean in general. I know you are Damien’s lady.”
Damien’s lady. I liked the sound of that.
“Yes, Egan. You are very good-looking. Sort of exotic.”
He frowned. “Exotic?”
“You can tell you’re a different nationality. Your features are bold. Your voice is unusual. The accent makes you sound, well, sexy.”
He paused, rubbing his chin. “And that is good, yah?”
I smiled. “Yes.”
He sighed. “My woman. My lady. I cannot get her to give me day time.”
“Um, the time of day?”
He nodded. “Yah. That. We have dinner, we talk, I make sure she is safe. She smiles, she laughs—” he sighed again “—but no more. No kisses, no love. I thought maybe I am too ugly.”
“You are anything but ugly, Egan. This is Sofia, right? Damien’s cousin?”
“Yes.” He put his hand on his chest. “My heart.”
“Have you told her?” I asked.
“In words, no. I try to show her. I know she is worried because of my job. She avoids personal—” he waved his hand “—situations with me.”
“Sounds as if she is worried about what she feels for you, Egan. Maybe she worries about losing you because of what you do. If she admits she cares, it makes it scary. You need to be honest with her. Tell her.”
“And if she walks away?”
“Then you have to accept and move on.”
He blew out a long breath. “Yah.”
He went back to his sketchbook, a frown marring his features.
“Sometimes love is worth the risk,” I said quietly.
He looked up, silent, then smiled. “She is. I will tell her.”
“I hope she responds the way you want.”
He lifted a shoulder. “One way to skin a cat.”
I laughed. “No, the expression is there is more than one way to skin a cat. But I think you meant only one way to find out.”
He smiled. “I like cats—and I will tell her.”
“Good.”
My buzzer went, and he grinned. “Perfect timing.”
“Who is it?”
“Pizza.”
“I didn’t order pizza.”
He winked. “I did.”
He went to the door, hitting the enter button. In the kitchen, I got some plates from the cupboard and took them to the table. A moment later, I heard footsteps, and a delivery man walked in, his hat pulled low.
I felt a frisson of nerves until he lifted his head and I was met with warm blue eyes.
“Pizza,” Damien said with a wink. “Hot and ready.”
Damien handed me the pizza box, which I slid onto the table. He shrugged off the jacket and hat, handing them to Egan, who slipped them on. I noticed they both wore jeans and dark sneakers.
“Thanks.”
Egan shook his head. “All good.” Then he turned to me, lifting my hand and kissing it. “You are lovely woman for my friend. Thank you for advice.”
He left, and Damien shut and locked the door. He turned, holding out his arms. “Come here, Raven.”
I flung myself into his hard embrace, the worry and stress of the day fading away.
“You’re here,” I breathed.
“I’m here, Raven,” he murmured back. “Right here.”
“How?” I asked into his neck.
He pulled back, cupped my face, and kissed me gently. He took my hand and tugged me to the table. “The pizza place close to my building was having trouble last year. Constantly being robbed. Egan and I set up a sting and caught them. We suspected an inside job, and we were right. Idiot was even depositing the money in a bank account, so we got the owner all his money back. Frank was, is, very grateful. On occasion, we borrow his pizza delivery car. Egan said you were feeling pretty low, so I got us a pizza, brought it here. Egan will drive the car back and head home. Anyone looking will see a pizza guy go in and a pizza guy come out. Hiding in plain sight.”
I reached for his hand. “I felt terrible about this morning.”
He chuckled. “I knew it wasn’t real, Raven.”
“Still, saying those words. It felt awful.”
He leaned close and kissed me. “You’re almost forgiven.”
“Almost?”
He lifted one eyebrow, regarding me with a serious expression.
“Oh, the old policemen and the mall security cop thing?”
“Low blow, Ms. Raven.”
“Egan didn’t like it either,” I said, trying not to laugh at his stern expression.
“Shannon, your driver, found it amusing.”
“I didn’t know you employed women.”
“Of course I do. I have several on staff. A couple have even been in the school with you. Women make great security detail. They are capable, smart, agile, and, frankly, lethal if needed. And to be honest, unexpected, which throws people off.”