Page 24 of Devil
He shook his head. “I have one more printer to go through, but then I think I need to call it a night, and I can pick it up again in the morning.” She nodded and turned her attention to her own computer. Minimizing the reports from Cyn, Six, and Nora, she opened her own research. For working at one of the most prestigious labs in the country, Dr. Pritchard was not a particularly interesting person. Or maybe Devil was starting to get grumpy about all the unknowns.
Recognizing that she’d hit her limit, she shut her laptop and looked at Darius. His gaze lifted from his computer to hers. “What?” he asked.
“I need to take a break. I need space to get some perspective and a little time to let a few of the puzzle pieces settle into place. The drive back to Boston will be fast at this time of night, but you’re welcome to stay in my guest room if you’d like.”
She wasn’t inviting him into her bed and he knew that, but still, he studied her. After a beat, he clicked his mouse a few times and shut his computer down. “Are you sure?”
No, she wasn’t sure. But she also didn’t like the idea of him driving back to Boston at three in the morning. Especially not when he’d likely be turning around and coming right back tomorrow. With the introduction of the Lam sisters into the picture, whatever was happening in Pritchard’s lab had jumped from something curious to something they needed to resolve. Which meant it was time for all hands on deck.
She nodded. “I have three guest bedrooms upstairs and another two downstairs. There’s plenty of room.”
“That wasn’t what I was asking.”
She flashed him a rueful smile and decided it was time for a little unsolicited honesty. “I’ve never had anyone other than Cyn, Six, and Nora stay the night.”
Darius’s eyes remained steady. “How long have you lived here?”
“Twelve years.”
“And you’ve never had a man stay in your house?”In your bedwas left unsaid. The question was a fair, if personal, one. She was a grown woman with a healthy appreciation for men, and yet she’d never invited one to her home before.
She shook her head.
“What about family?”
Her brows dropped a fraction of an inch before she caught herself. “What about them?”
“They’ve never stayed here?”
“They come to Boston once a year for dinner, but I don’t recall them ever staying the night. And no, they’ve never even set foot in this house, let alone slept here.” She was aware of what he would—correctly—read into her comments. But he’d witnessed firsthand how close Cyn and Joe were and Six and Gavin. It would be better if he didn’t start getting any ideas about her. She wasn’t really family material.
“What about your graduation from undergrad or medical school? They didn’t come then?”
Devil shrugged. “That’s not really the kind of thing my family does. They sent me a Cartier watch when I graduated from undergrad and a Harry Winston bracelet when I finished medical school,” she answered, knowing exactly how pathetic that sounded.
“Did they at least call?”
That elicited a laugh. “No, I don’t speak to my parents on the phone.” Nor did she ever want to. If her parents wanted to communicate something, they had their assistants deliver the message. He looked about to say something, but she cut him off…she’d bared enough of her soul. “So are you going to take me up on the offer or head home?”
“I’m definitely taking you up on your offer,” he responded without hesitation. “I have a go-bag in my car. I’ll grab it.”
Without another word, he rose and headed out the front door. Devil took a few seconds to ponder his alacrity. Sex wasn’t on the table, so his instant, almost anticipatory response made no sense to her. But then she decided she was probably reading into things that didn’t need to be read into. It was late; no doubt he wanted to sleep as much as she did.
She was placing the last of the dishes in the dishwasher when he returned, carrying a small duffel bag. Without a word, she shut the dishwasher door, then met him in the foyer and reset the alarm.
“This way,” she said, directing him to follow her. They climbed the first half of the stairs, but Darius paused at the landing where they doubled back. “Everything okay?” she asked. He nodded but remained looking out onto the street through the large arched window. “Darius?”
“It’s beautiful here, isn’t it?”
She’d already taken two steps up the second flight, but she came back down to join him. The early morning was lit only by the occasional streetlamp. With a full moon, though, it was easy to see nearly the entire street. Homes built for wealthy sea captains and their families hundreds of years ago lined both sides. Maple trees of the same age cast shadows on the ground. A gentle breeze moved through, and a few branches swayed.
“It is,” she agreed.
“You’re lucky to call this place home.”
“I am,” she agreed, though she sensed he was trying to convey something more than his words indicated.
“It suits you here,” he said. “I don’t know you well, but not everyone finds a place to call home. Not everyone finds a place that, at the risk of sounding like a cliché, gives them meaningful roots. I think you’ve found that here, not just in this house, but in this town, too, and with your friends. You’re blessed with something that really matters, something that some people will never understand.”
