“I hear that’s good. Eclectic.” He shrugged. “I’m game. What time?”
“Seven.”
He nodded. “We’ll get there a little early so I can scope the place out.”
I texted Deb to say we’d go. She replied with a smiley face.
Deb: See you there!
We began to eat, Damien polishing off his first piece quickly.
“Did you not eat today?” I laughed.
“No. I wasn’t hungry.”
“Me either.”
“Looking forward to dinner Monday?” he asked after his second slice.
“I suppose.”
“You don’t seem very enthused.”
“Deb really likes this guy.” I paused.
“But you don’t?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know him. He gave me a bit of a weird vibe when Deb and I ran into him.”
He paused between bites. “How so?”
“I don’t know. I felt wary.”
“Given what has happened to you lately, that isn’t surprising. Your guard is up when it comes to strangers.”
His words made sense.
“Anyway, you’ll meet him on Monday too. Maybe once I spend a little time with him, I’ll feel different.”
He nodded around a mouthful of pizza. He chewed and swallowed, wiping his lips. “I’ll be there too, so maybe you’ll be more relaxed.”
I smiled at him. “Probably.”
He told me he’d spent the day wandering his place, doing some work, then wandering some more.
“I missed you today,” he confessed. “My place felt empty.”
“It seemed strange to be here,” I admitted. “I felt displaced, which seemed odd since this is my home.”
“Or maybe it’s not,” Damien replied.
Our eyes met, and I had to look away from the intense gaze that he focused on me.
I stood and took the empty pizza box to the kitchen. Damien followed. He stood behind me, his arms on the counter, caging me in. His heat soaked into my back, his voice a low hum in my ear.
“When Egan said you were upset, I couldn’t wait to get to you. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to sleep without you beside me.”
Relief flooded my chest. I turned and met his eyes. “So, you’re staying?”