Chapter 8
Honey flushed, realizing that, by using the endearment honey—of course also being her name—he’d just twisted the words around on her. She stepped closer and shoved her jaw forward. “Whoever the line belongs to, can we go for dinner please?”
He wrapped his arms around her waist and tucked her up close. Surprised, her arms automatically went around him in a hug. She wasn’t sure exactly what she was doing, but instinctively it felt right. Just stepping closer to him, being against him, it was easy to forget their initial meeting. Even their second meeting. All the texts and conversations since seemed to have led to this moment. It still wasn’t quite right though. She leaned back and asked, “Hungry?”
He stared down at her, and she saw a hunger completely unrelated to food.
Feeling the color wash up her neck, she tried to step away, but his arms tightened. She knew the rest of the men watched them. She glared at him. “Not that kind of hunger,” she said in a hoarse whisper.
He leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. “Later.” Then he unhooked his arms to wrap one around her shoulders, tugging her close again. He glanced at the others. “How about we all go for dinner together?”
The men stood, even Laszlo. Honey realized he didn’t look half so bad now. At least no worse than the two men she’d met in the coffee shop, and they hadn’t raised anyone’s eyebrows.
When Erick opened the door, she tried to be the first to step out. But, of course, he wouldn’t let her. He stepped out first, checked the hallway, nodded and held out a hand. She took it. Together the group walked toward the elevator.
“Last night it seemed like there were no lights on in this place.” She recounted the story and how it had terrified her.
“Did you check in with management about it?”
“The bellboy said he would. And, since it hasn’t happened again, I guess they got it fixed. At the time, I can tell you it freaked me out.”
“With good reason. The power going out on your floor is never a good sign.”
Still holding Erick’s hand, finding a level of comfort with it, she’d expected they would step out of the elevator and walk toward the lobby together. The reception area was on the left, open in front of them. Down the right side were the large comfortable seating areas where she’d spent some time earlier. But now it seemed like a lifetime ago. She glanced around the room, but nobody looked their way. So many people moved back and forth through the lobby that her group didn’t raise any eyebrows.
Erick led her casually toward the restaurant. As they stepped inside, she thought she heard a noise. She tensed and twisted, but Erick put his arm firmly around her shoulders. “Relax. It was just luggage dropping.”
She decided to trust him and smiled at the hostess who asked how many in their party. When Erick answered four, she stiffened again.
And then remembered what he had said about somebody always keeping watch. “I thought it was supposed to be two at a time,” she whispered.
“It is. One in, one out. And, at this point, the one inside will be at the table with us.”
She sighed. “I don’t think this is very supersecret spy stuff.”
He chuckled. “It’s not supposed to be, sweetie. It’s supposed to be natural.”
The hostess led them to a table by the window. But Erick shook his head and motioned to a table in the middle of the room. Honey wanted to protest, but he squeezed her hand to keep her quiet.
When they were seated at the new table, she asked, “Why?”
“Windows make you a target.”
She stared at him for a long moment, feeling the color drain away from her face. She reached a trembling hand to her cheek. “Wow, that brought me back to reality fast.”
He studied her intently. “It’s my job to keep you safe. I plan on doing just that.”
She took a deep breath, gave him a tremulous smile and whispered, “Thank you.”
He grabbed her fingers, laced them with his and whispered right back, “You’re welcome.”
She turned and smiled at Laszlo and Cade. Obviously Talon was the one elected to go outside. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m hungry.”
“We had lunch together today,” Laszlo said.
She nodded. She wasn’t sure if Laszlo was trying to goad Erick or if Laszlo was reminding her of her last meal. “But I let you have most of mine.”
He looked at her in outrage. “You did not.”
“Sure, I did.”
“You said you weren’t hungry.”
“You just looked hungrier,” she said with a big grin. “That’s okay. I’ll make up for it now. I’ll eat half your dinner.”
Instinctively Laszlo grabbed his chair and shuffled it ever-so-slightly away from her.
And she laughed. It was the first laugh she’d actually had since the men had arrived. Free and outwardly flowing, full of joy. Because, even though the circumstances were much less than ideal, something was so very wonderful about having dinner with these guys. It had been a long time since she had allowed herself to enjoy the company of men on a social level. It was unique, different, and she was really enjoying herself. She picked up the menu, looked at it and asked, “So what are we having?”
And that started a major discussion about the pros and cons of the menu items. Finally she decided to stick with her initial plan. “I want a big medium-rare steak, a baked potato and a Caesar salad.” And she placed her menu on the table and waited for the others.
The men just stared at her. They all closed their menus and placed them on top of hers.
When the waitress came by, after seeing their actions, she asked, “What can I get for you?”
Erick laughed and said, “Four orders of steak, baked potatoes and Caesar salads please.”
It was interesting for Erick to watch Honey fit in with the guys. Not just fit in but be one of them. Their acceptance had happened very quickly. He wasn’t quite sure how that had happened, neither was he sure how she’d gone from being the woman who had run into his prized car to being somebody he now protected. And by choice. She might have been this attractive when they’d first met over crunched hoods, but he didn’t think so.
Back then he hadn’t been in the same shape. He was a whole lot better now. She’d said something about she shouldn’t have been driving at the time. He wasn’t exactly sure what that meant. He was a little ashamed to think he’d been so focused on his own pain and problems that he hadn’t really considered that maybe she was having troubles herself.
Now here she was at dinner with them, joking and laughing over her steak-and-potatoes decision-making. The men were willing victims to her suggestion. And even now she joked back and forth with Laszlo.
He felt a tug of jealousy, wondering how that closeness had happened. He understood they’d spent more time together. He studied them closely, looking to see if any sense of intimacy had developed. But he didn’t see it. Relieved, he settled back, leaning toward her a little more. He didn’t quite understand this compulsion, but something about her reached out to him and wouldn’t let him go.
Just then the waitress returned and leaned across to Honey’s side, placing a glass of red wine in front of her. Several other guys had ordered a beer, but Erick wouldn’t. Since all the surgeries and drugs, his body had developed an intolerance for some types of beer. He wouldn’t risk it tonight. He needed a clear head. Honey, on the other hand, could use her wine to relax. He relaxed and listened to the others’ jokes. It was all good as long as nothing was going on right now. The sense of calm and momentary peace was healthy for them all. His gaze never stopped looking around the restaurant. His cell phone was quiet, which was in itself unusual. But still it was something to enjoy.
Honey turned to look at him. “Do you ever rest?”
Surprised, he raised an eyebrow at the question.
“Don’t you ever let your guard down?”
He shook his head. “Not in a scenario like this. There’s definitely a time to let your guard down, but it’s not when we’re in another country with someone after us.”
She nodded. “I guess I was wondering if you thought we were still in danger.”
“I wouldn’t have a man on watch and wouldn’t be here making sure you’re safe if I didn’t think so.”
Something dimmed in her expression. He searched his words to find the cause, but nothing came up. Finally he decided it was his imagination.
And then she said in a low voice, “Is that the only reason you’re looking after me?”
He studied her face, hearing her words over and over again. “Are you hoping there’s another reason?” he asked. He remembered their light banter while texting, and, at the time, he’d been feeling young and foolish. Now he felt a whole lot older and wiser.
But she didn’t need to bear the brunt of that. Her lip curled. “Deflecting a question with another question?”
He shrugged. “No, it’s not the only reason I’m looking after you. I like you.”
Her eyebrows raised. “So can I crunch your car again?”
And he laughed, the sound startling even him. He shook his head. “No, you can stay the hell away from my car.”
She chuckled. “It really was an accident, you know.”
“Good thing. If I thought you’d done that on purpose …” He let his voice trail off. He leaned over a little closer. “You said you shouldn’t have been driving at the time.”
She nodded. “I’d just miscarried. I was going home to deal with my grief. Probably should have taken a cab.”
Shocked, he gazed at her. “I’m sorry.”
“Me too. I shouldn’t have been driving. Like I told Laszlo earlier, my boyfriend should have driven me, but he’d taken off with my best friend.”
Erick winced, now finally understanding a little more of what could have brought about their car accident. He hadn’t been very nice to her at the time. As a matter of fact, he’d been extremely volatile. “I probably shouldn’t have been so harsh on you.”
She gave him a long look. “What is that, forgiveness?”
He snorted. “No. But it was my first time leaving the hospital by myself, heading home after a year of surgeries and physio, so I wasn’t in the best of shape either.”
“Well, I’m glad your Mustang is fixed.”
“Almost fixed,” he emphasized. “It’s not a hundred percent yet. But I have hopes.”
“How come it’s not all done?”
“Original parts,” he said. “That car was all original, and I’ve been scouting the junkyards across the country to get more original parts.” He shrugged. “The insurance company has fixed the vehicle. But they weren’t original parts, and I want it back to all original. I’ve done most of it, just waiting on the last couple pieces to show up somewhere.”
She nodded. “Well then, at least I can say I’m glad you got this far.”
He nodded. “What brought you to this workshop?”
“I want to do more. The US is very behind in stem cell research.”
He stared at her in surprise. “Really?”
She laughed. “Americans always think that Americans are at the cutting edge of everything. But we’re not. I came over here to learn more. I’d been trying to attend for years. Then, out of the blue, there was a cancellation, and here I am. Unfortunately it’ll still be decades before I can use a bunch of these techniques in my practice.”
“That’s sad.”
“It is indeed,” she said cheerfully. “But what I can see coming down the road will be huge. I’ll work toward the future, so, when the time is right, I’m there.”
He admired that. Forward thinking, progressive. “Glad to see you can think big picture.”
“Always,” she said with a laugh. “Not something that’s appreciated when you work for other people.”
“No, in my line of work, it makes it difficult too. Big picture is when we have a world of peace. Small picture is, I have to deal with the current conflicts.”
Just then their steaks arrived. She smiled when she cut through the center and saw the reddish-pink medium rare on the inside. She looked up at the waitress and smiled. “It’s perfect, thank you.”
After that there was very little talking as everyone dug into their food.
Erick watched as she took each bite and savored it. It was rare to see anybody enjoy a meal quite so much. He leaned over and said, “Has it been that long since you had steak?”
“Prior to being here, I tried three months as a vegetarian,” she explained. “It’s just so not me.”
He laughed, and the others stared. “Are you serious?”
“Yes.” She shrugged. “I was trying it out for stress relief more than a position of belief. It’s not that I like how our animal husbandry industry works in the US, but I found it very difficult to be a vegetarian.” She cut into her meat again and said, “There’s nothing quite like a good steak. I’m really enjoying it. So this was an awesome idea, thank you.” And she went back to her food.
Erick continued to eat and study the restaurant. It all appeared calm. He caught Laszlo’s glance and asked, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
Laszlo nodded as he popped the last bite of steak in. “Yeah. It’s too quiet.”
Honey froze beside him. “Too quiet? When are you supposed to switch out men?”
Erick checked his watch. “Five minutes.”
Laszlo pushed away his plate and said, “I’ll go switch with Talon.” He stood, and the waitress hurried over to him. He ordered another steak, baked potato and salad, explaining someone else was joining them. He gave a thumbs-up sign to those at the table, turned and walked out. The waitress cleared off his plate and brought back a new place setting. And then, with a smile at everyone, she left.
They waited for Talon to show up, but nothing changed. Just when Erick started to get concerned, about to follow Laszlo out, Talon showed up just as his steak was placed on the table in front of him. He sat down with a famished look. “Thank God for this.”
Erick waited until he had eaten a couple bites, then asked, “Is everything okay?”
Talon shook his head. “No, it’s not.” But he wouldn’t say any more. Finally he finished his plate and stood.
The others rose as a whole.
Erick tucked an arm around Honey’s shoulders and led her toward the cashier. There he paid for the entire group and walked her to the elevator. She went quietly. She’d heard Talon’s words at the same time as he had. They went up the elevator, stopped at Laszlo’s door and went in.
She glanced at Erick. “Why this room?” She turned and studied him and Cade behind him. “Where is Talon?”
“He is in your room.” Erick turned to look at Cade. “You okay?”
Cade nodded. “I’ll check back in five.” And he left.
Erick looked at Honey. “I want you to stay here.”
“Why? Are you staying?”
“I’ll check the other rooms. Then I’ll be right back.
“Wait, why?”
“Talon saw the man who was in your room.”
“How can you be sure it was him?”
He gave her a lopsided grin. “We can’t. So we’d love to have a second chance to meet him and ask him in person.” And he left.