Diane (The Town of Pearl 6)

Paul gave her a wink and a quick kiss. Diane headed toward the door with Paul and Melissa right behind her. The moment she stepped out, she locked gazes with Mark who simply stopped looking at Wyatt, Hank, and Willie. He looked incredibly handsome in his black dress pants, dress shoes, and burgundy dress shirt.

The others turned to see what Mark was looking at and all of them seemed surprised and then smiled. She heard the low whistles and then Melissa telling her men to stop that.

Mark made his way to her, smiled wide, placed his arm around her waist, and pulled her close.

“You’re stunning,” he whispered and kissed her cheek.

“You look very handsome, Mark. I like this color on you.” He smiled and then offered his arm.

“It’s a beautiful night. I thought we would walk through town and meet up with Lucas and Drake so you and I can talk.”

She waved good-bye to everyone and off they went. It wasn’t a long walk through town. Pearl had two and a half blocks of boutiques and specialty stores besides the Main Street Inn and Francine’s.

Mark squeezed her hand. She looked up at him, inhaling the scent of his cologne and wondering how life was changing. Each man was still a mystery, but spending time with them would surely reveal who they really were. The gossip about them lingered in the back of her head. Even now as she walked with Mark, smiling and saying hello to fellow neighbors and friends, she wondered about his life. Being an agent for the government had to be dangerous. What was he working on now? How often would he have to leave for business? She’d miss him. She squeezed his hand.

“Diane, we need to talk.”

Instantly all thoughts halted and a dreadful feeling consumed her. She swallowed hard, waiting on pins and needles for exactly what they needed to talk about. Oh God, I’ve got it bad, and I haven’t even slept with them yet.

* * * *

Mark was glad that his brothers stuck to the plan of letting him pick up Diane at her boutique. When she walked outside as her brothers-in-law gave him the whole warning talk, he nearly lost his breath. She looked like an angel. The sun cascaded behind her, illuminating her hair that flowed freely around her shoulders the way he liked it. The dress was sexy as damn hell, causing his cock to instantly harden and want to skip dinner and have her instead. But he needed to do this right. He needed to make up for missing today because of his need to hold on to the past and not let go of a profession and team he gave years to.

“I’m sorry I missed lunch today,” he told her, and he saw her expression change from concern to a soft smile.

“Oh, that’s okay. I understand that you were working. Are you involved in a new case?”

He turned away and gripped her hand a little snugger. He sent an e-mail off to his commander informing him that he wanted to drop out of helping with the investigation. His commander needed him a little longer. Mark hadn’t told his brothers yet.

“Oh, I’m sorry, you probably can’t tell me, right?”

“It’s not that. I guess, well, I thought my part was over but it seems I need to stay on a little longer.”

“Will you have to travel away?” she asked.

He pulled her hand up closer to his mouth and kissed her knuckles.

“Not if I can help it. My focus is on you now.” She blushed and shyly looked away. The move made his heart soar and his chest tighten. He wanted this. He wanted to feel relaxed and loved, and part of something good and special, not dangerous and corrupt.

He stopped her by the bench a few storefronts away from the bed-and-breakfast.

Placing his hand on her hips, he held her gaze.

“I’m so glad that you got to talk with Lucas and Drake. I’m even happier to be here with you tonight.”

She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and held his gaze.

“They told you about today?” she asked and blushed. He smiled and then moved closer as he whispered into her ear.

“They told me everything.” He kissed her ear and then her cheek. “I wish I could have been there to see you let go.”

Her eyes widened right before he kissed her lips. He wanted to kiss her deeper, longer as he explored her body with his hands, but they were in the middle of town and people were all around them. He pulled away and smiled as he took her hand.

“I’ve thought about doing that all day. Let’s go meet up with Lucas and Drake.”

* * * *

The moment Mark entered with Diane, Lucas could see how people looked at her. She was stunning and sexy, a woman of class and style. His chest tightened as he thought about her going to New York and posing in God knows what next week. He didn’t want her to go. He wanted to keep her all to himself and his brothers, but he couldn’t force the issue. This was her decision and Diane believed that doing this would build her self-confidence. She was shy, reserved, and a bit scared. He realized very quickly he wanted to protect her and possess her. They had to give her breathing room.