Page 13 of Just One Look

“That might have been cheaper than what I’m paying for this house.”

“Back home, we have top-notch choices in quality furniture and accessories. Here, I’m not finding the type of pieces I need to showcase without overwhelming.”

“I can see it’s not as easy as it looks.”

At the exact moment she shook her head, her stomach rumbled.

Devlin glanced at his wrist. “Wow. I didn’t realize how long we’d been putzing around. We’d better get moving.”

Slinging her purse over her shoulder, she followed him to the front door. “Are we too late for our reservation?”

“Reservations are only a formality. Even if we’re a little late, Stuart will find us a table.”

“Is he a friend of yours?” She passed him, stepping out onto the porch.

“I’ve known him since college.” Devlin turned to lock the door and place the keys in the realtor box. “He owns one of the best steak houses in Houston. Some of my best business deals were negotiated over a rib eye and burned corn.”

“I’m sorry. Burned corn? Can’t be that good of a restaurant.”

A soft chuckle filled the air. “Don’t let the name fool you. It’s absolutely delicious. The whole family agrees, they’ve been dining there for years so Stuart is pretty much a friend of every member of the family.”

“Oh, good. I’ve worked up a bit of an appetite.” A bit might have been somewhat of an understatement. Right about now, she was hungry enough to eat a side of beef all by herself.

Settled into the car, Devlin latched his seat belt and pushed the ignition button. “We’ll be there in about fifteen minutes.”

“Oh?” She secured her own seat belt. “It’s close.”

A grin spread across Devlin’s face as a twinkle shone in his eyes. “Let’s say I know a few shortcuts.”

What the man probably knew was how to win the Indy 500. She didn’t notice how fast he was driving until he took the last corner on two wheels. Or at least what felt like two wheels. She should have realized any man who picks a woman up in a low to the ground sports car was going to push the engine to the limits. Though it was kind of sweet that he was in a hurry because she was hungry.

“We’re almost there.” Devlin eased the car to a stop at a traffic light. The whirl of a siren sounded and he glanced into the rear-view mirror. Colored lights reflected off the dashboard and Dev inched the car closer to the curb.

For a split second she wondered if he had been driving even faster than she’d thought, but she quickly realized the source of the siren had nothing to do with Devlin’s driving and everything to do with the fire department. Despite the power that she was sure came with the Baron name, it was kind of nice to see that he was not only respectful of the law, but at least to some extent, a rule follower.

One fire engine flew past them and then another smaller truck followed by a police car. “That can’t be good for someone.”

Devlin shook his head. For a second he closed his eyes and she realized he was saying a silent prayer. Why she wouldn’t have expected that from such a prominent wealthy man, she didn’t know, but closing her own eyes and thanking God for protecting whoever was in trouble, she took another second to thank him for letting her meet Devlin Baron. She had a feeling getting to know this most eligible bachelor was going to be enlightening.

The light flashed to green and Devlin stepped on the gas pedal a little less forcefully than before. The problem as she saw it though, was that the closer they got to their destination, the more emergency vehicles flew by, slowing their progress. Another few blocks and the problem became very clear. Black smoke filled the night air. “Someone’s not having a good night.”

Dev shook his head. “That’s a lot of smoke and a lot of fire trucks. Whatever it is, it’s big.”

She couldn’t argue with that. The burning stench filled the car.

Another couple of blocks and the muscles along Devlin’s jawline began to twitch. “Damn it.”

“What’s wrong?” Her gaze scanned the horizon, more specifically, the cluster of emergency vehicles stopped ahead.

“The Steer’s Den is on fire.”

“Steer’s Den?” she muttered softly, but she was pretty sure she already knew what that meant.

“Stuart’s restaurantisthe Steer’s Den.”

Flames shot up into the air higher than Liz had ever seen. Black smoke filled the night air. With more and more emergency vehicles arriving, Devlin couldn’t bring his car anywhere near as close to the restaurant.

“Now what?” Liz gawked at the flames dancing along the rooftops up the street. “It seems to be spreading.”

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