Lace and Bullets(42)

Relationships weren’t Damien’s strong suit, but…oh, hell. Was that what this was? A relationship? No. It couldn’t be. He’d kidnapped her for God sakes. Tied her to a chair, tackled her in the grass, gagged her so she couldn’t scream.

But after all that…It was something. The first thing he wanted to hear in the morning was her laugh. Her moan, the last thing at night. He knew she loved classic country and French fries dipped in mustard. Cheesy 80’s TV shows and cheap beer.

Mia had gone from a woman he couldn’t trust to one he couldn’t imagine living without. He glanced at her profile as she stared out the window. High cheekbones, perfect nose. Lips he would never tire of kissing.

She wasn’t a fling he would toss aside when the moment was right. He could deny it to himself all he wanted, but it was there, beating inside his heart.

I’m in love with her.

He needed revenge on the bastard who gave the drugs to his sister, but Melanie wasn’t in a hurry. Her bones were already in their final resting place. Mia was vibrant and strong and so fucking alive it made his chest ache.

She needed him more.

He couldn’t be a good man. He couldn’t erase all the hurt and pain and blood on his hands. But he could try to be who Mia needed.

A few hours later, Damien pulled into a better hotel on the edge of another town.

“Isn’t this place expensive?” They were the first words she’d spoken since they had left the mall.

“I’ve got it covered.” He got out and hustled over to her door to pull it open before she could.

Mia frowned at him.

“I’ll get us a room. We can order room service and relax.”

“Okay?”

The single word came out as a question, but Damien ignored it. Tonight wasn’t about the cartel or Marcelo. Tonight was about Mia and coming clean and asking for her forgiveness.

They checked in and got a room and while Mia was taking a shower, Damien got everything ready. He might not be an expert at being a gentleman, but he’d seen enough TV. He could wing it.

Mia came out of the bathroom, her hair still up in a towel, and she paused at the threshold.

“What’s going on?”

Damien glanced at the room service table and the wine and the folded napkins. “I ordered dinner. I hope you’re hungry.”

She sat down at the empty chair and tugged the towel off her head. “You didn’t have to do this.”

“I wanted to.” He poured her a glass of wine and held it out.

Mia didn’t take it.

“Is something wrong?”

She folded the napkin back and forth in her lap and stared at the glass. “No…I just…I don’t feel like drinking.”

“All right. Well, how about dinner?”

Damien watched as she picked up the fork. It hung limp and loose between her fingers as she poked at the salad and chicken on her plate.

As the minutes ticked by, Damien’s hope crumbled. If he couldn’t manage a single nice dinner, what chance did he have for a future with Mia?

She was used to five-star restaurants and lush houses with more art than wall. He could never compete with that. She didn’t even like the wine.

How could he tell her about her father when she could barely look him in the eye? How could he tell her he loved her?

If he couldn’t get through to her, he would lose her before they even had a chance. Damien stood up in a rush. That wasn’t going to happen. Not now.

He pushed the table to the side of the room, grabbed the remote for the TV and turned it to a music station. A soft, slow beat filled the room and Damien held out his hand.

“If you won’t drink and you won’t eat, then how about dancing?”

Mia raised an eyebrow. “You want me to dance with you?”

“I do.”

‘“Why?”

“Because I can’t stand seeing you so sad. I want your smile back, Mia. I want to hear you laugh.”

Her eyes went wide and she took his hand. He pulled her up onto her feet and wrapped his arm around her. Just the touch of her skin soothed the beast inside him.

He nuzzled her neck and she sighed. He pulled her close and she surrendered. Her body hugged his, her arms slipped around his neck, and by the time the song ended, she was back from the darkness.

The light in his life was glowing.

Mia pulled back and managed a small smile. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Distracting me.”

“Anytime.” His hands slid down her body to cup her perfect ass. “Mia, I want you to know…I’d never betray you to the cartel again. When I saw you there in the closet, all I could think about was finally having answers. Knowing the truth.”

Her brown eyes clouded. “About what?”