Damen (The Marquette Family Book Two) (4 page)

When he fell into step beside her, she glanced over at him. “Where are you going?”

“I’m walking you home, or are you catching a bus?”

“That won’t be necessary.”

“I want to.”

She picked up the pace a little. “Do you offer this personal service to all your waitresses at Marquette’s?”

He grinned, and the setting sun glinted off his glasses. “No, just to the ones who used to be my lover.”

Heaven tripped, and Damen’s arm shot out to catch her. “W-what did you say?”

“You heard me, Heaven.”

Chapter Four

Heaven swallowed. She pulled out of Damen’s hold and started walking again, keeping her gaze on the sidewalk ahead. He couldn’t have said… No, he did say it. He’d said he gave special treatment only to the women who had been his lover.
Okay, Heaven, he could be acting all confident like it’s a done deal that he’ll sleep with you. Don’t jump to conclusions that he remembers the past.

She lectured herself, but her words didn’t ring true, as if that’s what Damen had meant. At the same time, she couldn’t bring herself to make him clarify. “I was…um…I planned to stop at a small grocery near my place. You don’t have to come along. Thanks for walking me this far.”

He checked behind them, and she did too like an airhead. They had stridden maybe half a block. Heaven frowned at the man she had seen a few times at the restaurant. He was bigger than the Marquettes but not sexy like them. Rather he appeared rough and liable to take a person’s head off. Fear closed her throat, and she stumbled again.

Damen drew her close to his side. “What’s wrong, Heaven? I didn’t mean to upset you with what I said.”

“You didn’t.” She tried to pull herself together.

Damen’s hold tightened. “You’re shaking. I told you, I don’t want you to be afraid of me.”

She looked into his worried gaze, and she reached up about to touch his face but drew back.
Get a grip.
“It’s that man. I think he’s following us, and I saw him in the restaurant before. No, don’t look, Damen. Let’s call the police.”

He smiled.

“I’m serious!”

“I know, but don’t let Guy bother you. He’s my bodyguard.”

“Bodyguard?”

“Yeah, I’ll call him over and introduce him.”

“No!”

“Heaven, Guy won’t ever hurt you. If I tell him to, he’ll protect you, just like he does me.”

“Why would you do that?” She shook her head, looking at the man. He still scared her, but she was glad he wasn’t some crazy stalker. Rough men, mean ones, got to her, and she steered clear of them. All she wanted now was peace and safety. “I’m fine, Damen. Thanks. Please, just go back.”

She broke away from him and walked on. A part of her wanted him to keep pushing, but she breathed a sigh of relief when he didn’t. After another block, she glanced back to find Damen and the Guy nowhere in sight. A sense of loneliness came over her, but she hurried along to get home in time to shower and change before she had to pick up Gideon. For the rest of the night and the next morning while at her regular job, Heaven wondered did Damen mean what she thought he did? Did he truly recall her from so long ago?

* * * *

Twelve years ago.

“‘If you ever looked at me once with what I know is in you, I would be your slave.’ Do you know what it means?”

Heaven glanced up from the book she held into the most amazing eyes she had ever seen. She couldn’t help her gaze wandering over the man, so tall and sexy, if very nerdy with glasses too big and hair cut like he’d just stepped out of the military. When she lingered on the glasses, she bit off a laugh because he snatched them from his face. The poor white boy blushed to the roots of his hair. He’d been leaning against the stacks, trying to strike a cool pose, but it came off as awkward. Her heartbeat kicked up right away.

“Yes, I love Emily Brontë. She’s my favorite novelist and poet. You like her too, huh?”

He ran a hand over his hair and shifted from foot to foot. “No, I mean do you know what it means because my instructor is chewing my ass out on this stuff. I hate it.”

She gasped. “That’s sacrilege, buddy, and seriously the meaning of that passage is elementary.”

His face flamed, but he said with boldness, “If I don’t pass English, I can’t get to my field, and I might have to quit school. I might become a bum begging in the streets, hungry and cold.”

She put a hand on her hip. “Are you being funny or dramatic?”

“Both. Do you feel sorry for me?”

“Maybe.”

Damen held up a slip of paper, and she leaned closer to decipher the sloppy writing. Her name appeared and where she could be found—haunting the library.

“Why do you have my name?”

“Well, I was hoping it wasn’t my friend’s idea of a joke as to the woman who could help me with English Lit.”

“I’m not a tutor.”

“But you get Emily. Heaven, help me.”

She laughed, and so did he. The librarian cast them a warning glance, and Heaven grabbed Damen’s hand to lead him around several stacks. When they stopped, she faced him.

“I know Emily, but I don’t know you.”

“Damen Marquette, and if you have any problems with any other subject, I can help you.”

She blinked at him. “Any subject?”

He shrugged. “Any one. I can memorize whatever I need to know. I can comprehend complex formulas and procedures. Historical dates stick in my head like glue. Emotional touchy feely stuff is my kryptonite. I don’t get it. I don’t
want
to get it. So, you help me with Emily, I help you with everything else, and I guarantee to get you an A.”

Heaven rolled her eyes. “You think you’re all that, huh?”

“I’m a genius.”

“Literally?”

“Literally.”

“Wow, okay, get me my good grades, Damen, and I’ll explain Emily, Chaucer, and any other poets all day and night.”

He tugged a lock of her hair, his eyes glazed as if he were mesmerized. “I’ll give you whatever you want, Heaven.”

Her senses went into a tailspin until he dropped to the floor, groaning and muttering “lame, lame, lame!” Heaven stared down at him and noted his nape flaming red, the color going from the roots of his hair and disappearing beneath his shirt collar. She laughed. Poor man had so little confidence in anything other than his brain, but that’s what drew her closer.

Heaven stooped so her lips were close to his ear. “Sounded pretty good to me.”

He glanced up and then flashed that one in a million smile. When he stood straight in front of her, his height dwarfed hers, and nerves made her lick dry lips. Damen followed the movement with his gaze.

“He was right,” Damen said.

“Who was?”

“My friend.”

“What do you mean?”

Damen held the scrap of paper up again but flipped to the other side. She read the words. “Most beautiful nerd, black beauty. Can’t miss her.”

Heaven frowned. “I’m not sure how I should take that.”

“A compliment.” Damen leaned in and slanted his mouth over hers. From the moment their lips touched, she was lost, but it was only an instant before he drew back. His eyes were wide behind his glasses. “Sorry. I don’t know why I did that.”

“Because I wanted you to.” She grabbed his shirtfront and stepped closer. Most of the guys at her school were intimidated by her father. If Damen didn’t know, and it looked like he didn’t—the paper didn’t include her last name—she was going to enjoy him for just a little while.

His cock was hard when she pressed against his body, and it bumped her belly. She tilted her head back, inviting his kiss, and Damen didn’t hesitate. They kissed and kissed, his tongue snaking into her mouth. Tomorrow he might run off or keep her at a distance, but today, she wrapped her arms around his neck and curved her body to his. Damen encircled her waist and crushed her to his chest. The hungry exploration of each other’s mouths didn’t stop until somebody cleared their throat, and she sprang away.

Heaven darted down another aisle, but Damen followed like a lost puppy. “Do you always kiss men like that when you first meet them?”

She glared over her shoulder at him. “No, but I won’t do it again.”

“Too bad.”

She peered at him. He was smiling not judging her. Of course he liked it. “You wanted a tutor not a lover.”

“I’ll take both.”

“Nope, too late.” She stopped before a section on the Second World War and selected a book at random. Damen’s fingers touched hers and traced over her hand to her wrist. Long fingers circled around and tugged gently. She almost dropped the book but transferred it to the other hand. He didn’t let go, but he didn’t push too much either. Their fingers laced together.

“I know I’m awkward,” he said. “But I don’t think I’m too bad to look at.”

She eyed him. “You a’ight.”

He chuckled. “So do you have any problem with my skin color?”

“No, of course not. Why would I?”

“Just checking.” He released her hand and stroked her cheek. Heaven leaned into it before she realized what she was doing. Then she spun away, putting her back to him. Way too intimate for a first meeting, but she was always like that. Not the kissing part, but the hope inside when they touched her.
Damn, damn, damn!

She had seriously crossed the line with Damen, maybe because of his awkwardness and the gentle look in his eyes.

“Okay,” Damen said behind her. “Let’s keep it professional. You help me. I help you. That’s all. Sound good?”

She faced him. “Yeah, sounds good.”

He nodded and stuck his hand out. “We’ll start over. Damen Marquette, genius idiot.”

“Heaven… Nerd.”

“Beautiful
nerd. Get it right.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot.”

* * * *

Heaven crossed over to Saint Louis Street and started walking. Halfway to Marquette’s, she spotted a familiar face up ahead and came to a stop. Damen leaned against a wall, hands in his pockets and whistling as if he always spent his late afternoons hanging in the street. She hesitated and scanned the area, but she didn’t spot Guy anywhere.

“What are you doing, Damen?” she demanded when she drew up alongside him.

He shrugged. “Enjoying the weather.”

“It’s hot.”

“Are you saying I look sweaty?”

Let’s be real. Even if you did, you’d look good enough to eat.
She said none of this out loud to the big-headed man. “No, I’m saying, you aren’t just hanging around here for no reason. You were waiting for me.”

He smiled. “You’re pretty sure of yourself.”

“I’m not!” She grumbled. “Don’t play with me, Damen. I’m not in the mood. You didn’t come by my house, did you? I won’t be stalked.”

He grew serious. “Of course not. I wouldn’t do that unless you invited me. I also don’t know your address. Creed handles personnel files, and while I could get into them, I’m not going to violate your privacy. I know the general direction you come from, and yes, I was waiting for you.”

She kept walking, and he fell into step beside her. “Why, and where is your bodyguard? Shouldn’t he keep watching over you just in case? I know all of your faces have been in the media so many times. Everyone knows who you are.”

“Are you worried about me, beautiful?”

She rolled her eyes at him.

“He’s around. I told him to stay out of sight because he frightens you.”

“I’m not scared of him,” she lied, but it surprised her he would go to such lengths on her behalf. “I don’t want you to risk your safety for me.”

“I’m not. Don’t worry. Guy’s keeping watch from wherever he is.”

She looked around again but was kind of too scared to spot him, so she let it go. “You still haven’t told me why you’re following me around like a lost puppy.”

If she expected him to blush like he did in the past, she was doomed to wait forever. He hitched his shoulders and stuffed his hands into his pockets again. Heaven tried looking away from him, but she couldn’t make her eyes obey. Just a little longer. He must have shaved a second time that day because even with it being late afternoon, his jaw was smooth. He smelled like sandalwood.

“Heaven, I don’t think you forgot our sessions,” he said. “In New York.”

Well, that cleared that up. “The hours we spent studying.”

“The hours spent
not
studying,” he corrected.

She bit her lip. “I remember you, but it was a long time ago.”

He agreed.

“You didn’t remember me when I first came to Marquette’s.” She could kick herself for bringing that up. Her words sounded whiny and self-pitying.

“I remembered as soon as I saw your face. I thought I would prompt you by saying your name was familiar.” His gaze swept her body, and Heaven hoped the tightening of her nipples wasn’t noticeable through her bra and work clothes. Damen’s lingering look made her wonder.

“Oh well, whatever.” She waved her hand. “What’s in the past is past. Not a big deal now. I heard you got married and…” She trailed off because she couldn’t bring herself to introduce the subject of his daughter. If she did, that left her open to discuss Gideon. Not taking the cues would mean she was truly lying to him, and she couldn’t come down to that. The problem was, if she didn’t discuss the little girl, she couldn’t gauge what kind of dad he was. Even her dad came off warm and wonderful to everyone else.