Page 58 of Turn Up The Heat

Shane pulled into a familiar parking lot and scratched his head. “Jeez, this place is packed.” He scanned the snow-packed gravel. “I don’t see a parking spot anywhere.”

She squinted at the brightly lit side of the building, and wait... “Not to ask a stupid question, but why are we at the Double Shot?”

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t tell you? Lou works the grill out here. The burgers are incredible.” He muttered an indiscriminate curse under his breath as they circled the lot again, coming up on a group of people rushing toward the building.

“Excuse me,” Shane called, rolling down his window and catching the attention of someone so bundled up, Bellamy couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman. “Do you know what’s with the crowd?”

The outerwear mummy grinned. “Yeah. The Screaming Taste Museum got snowed out of the city last night and they needed a place to do their show. It was this or nothing. Good luck finding a parking spot, though. They’re, like, thebest, you know?”

“Right. Thanks,” Shane said, rolling up his window and looking at Bellamy. “Do I even want to know what the hell a Screaming Taste Museum is?”

She laughed. “I doubt it, but if you figure it out, I don’t think I need to know.”

He released a slow exhale. “I’m really sorry. It seems I promised you something I can’t deliver.”

“Well, that leaves you in a jam, my friend, because I am still starving,” she said gravely.

God, that whole serious-face thing he did back at her was really endearing. And sexy. Did she mention wildly sexy? He looked borderline worried, and guilt kicked her mouth into gear.

“Shane, I’m kidding. Well, not about being hungry. But this is no big deal. We can always pick something up and go back to the resort if you want.”

He shook his head and laughed, pulling to the exit. “Bellamy, this isn’t Philly. You can’t just hit up Pietro’s for a couple of calzones on your way home. Unless you like McDonald’s, your options for eating out around here are slim and none, and slim is having a weird rock concert in its dining area right now.”

Bellamy pulled away to look at him, and despite the warning voice in the back of her mind that said it was none of her business, she let her question off the tip of her tongue. “Did you go to school in the city or something?”

It would explain how he’d known about Butcher and Singer the other day, and the reference to Pietro’s. God, everybody who had ever lived in Philly had horked down a pie or two at Pietro’s. The pizza was legendary.

Shane’s body went rigid in the driver’s seat. “Why do you ask?”

Well, she’d taken a step and landed smack in the middle of what looked like Shane’s biggest sore spot. She decided to tread carefully, but tread nonetheless. “Not too many people know about Pietro’s unless they’ve been there. I just thought—”

“No, I didn’t go to school in the city,” he said, cutting her off.

“But you’ve been there.” Her gut told her it hadn’t been on the occasional weekend jaunt down the mountain, either.

“It’s been a while.” His voice made the weather outside look downright balmy.

“Do you want to talk about why you hate it so much?”

“No.” Silence stretched around them like a blanket of thorns.

When he didn’t elaborate, Bellamy nodded. “Okay.” After a minute that felt more like an hour and a half, she decided to go with her gut. “Shane, I’m not really sure what I said to make you uncomfortable, but whatever it was, I’m sorry.”

He snapped his gaze to hers, his eyes looking almost black in the diffused streetlight from the parking lot. “Jesus, Bellamy. I’m the one who should be apologizing. It’s not you, I just—”

Before he could finish, she snatched up his hand and squeezed it hard enough to cut him off. “Let’s make a deal. I won’t say anything about the city until you feel like talking about it just as long as you don’t ever,everutter those three words to me again. Fair?”

Shane blinked, shadowy lashes playing against his skin. “I feel like an ass. It’s just not something I like to talk about. With anybody.” His fingers tightened around hers, and he lifted their hands up so hers rested just under his lips. While the serious look he’d given her when she’d teased him earlier had been open and sexy, the expression he had on now told her not to pry. So he wasn’t a concrete jungle kind of guy. Big deal.

She could live with it if he could.

“A wise old man once shared his sage wisdom with me, and I believe it applies here. What was it that he said…oh, right. No apologies.” The corners of Bellamy’s mouth hinted upward in the slightest of smiles.

“I’m only twenty-nine, you know.”

Shane’s bemused expression made her want to chuck any plans for dinner so she could have him instead, but she held her ground.

“And wise beyond your years,” she teased, enjoying the glower that was doing a poor excuse of covering his lopsided grin. She lifted a brow at him, smiling. “Now, do my stomach a favor and head back up the main road toward Joe’s Grocery, would you?” She didn’t let go of his hand as he lowered it to the armrest between them, keeping her fingers twined around his.

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