Page 60 of Special Agent Isabella

Sure enough, she saw the worry Tanner didn’t hide. Following her directions, he pulled the car into her parking slot, and they both helped Demi into her apartment. Bella, with her arm around Demi, stopped on their way through the rooms and looked at Tanner. “Help yourself to whatever you can find in the fridge. There might be a cold beer or two. I’ll go with Demi and set her up for the night.”

She led her friend into the modern bedroom she was most proud of and sat her on the bed. Then she rushed to the bathroom, turned on the shower, and put out all the towels and paraphernalia Demi might need. “Honey, everything’s ready. Get into the shower. There’s pajamas in there also.”

“I just can’t, Bella.” Demi sat dejected. “I’ll shower in the morning.”

“Okay.” Bella turned off the water and brought the pj’s to the girl struggling to remove her clothes. Bella helped her and between the two they had her ready to climb under the covers in record time.

Bella sat by Demi’s side and brushed all the red masses of curls from her friend’s face. “You sleep, honey. It’s the best thing for you right now.”

Demi’s eyes closed and her breathing slowed. As if sorrow had been too much, she’d slid into a coma-like sleep. Bella stayed with her for a short while, praying silently for her best friend.

Leaving her with just a small nightlight, Bella took off her own clothes, showered quickly, and slid into a comfy pair of light gray sweatpants with a hoodie to match. An image of a black female dragon with golden flames shooting from between its wicked fangs adorned the front. With her hair in one long braid over her shoulder, she cleaned off her makeup and looked into the bathroom mirror.

Jesus, girl… if the sight of you with a naked face and dressed like a bum doesn’t turn him off, there might be real hope he’s gonna stick around.

She returned to the living room to find Tanner sprawled on the couch, a half-filled beer in his hands, and his eyes closed. She moved forward to retrieve the bottle before it fell, and the big guy jumped as if he were being attacked.

“Whoa. It’s just me.”

“Sorry.” Tanner leaned over to place the bottle on the nearby table and then he dropped his face into his hands. In seconds, he pushed his fingers through his longish hair to force the strands to the back. A sigh broke loose and sounded more like a groan. “I’m beat. Too much shit going on.”

Bella went to the fridge to get a can of ginger ale that she poured into a glass, and bringing it with her, she slid beside him on the sofa. “I know what you mean. It’s freaky that it’s still the same night. It feels like a week went by in twenty-four hours. No wonder you’re exhausted. Maybe you should just sleep here. I can open the couch to a queen-size bed.”

“Yeah? Where will you sleep?” His eyes dove into hers, a question lighting them up while a grin played over his features. “I like sharing.”

She laughed. “I bet you do. But I think it’s too late for us to be fooling around. You’re tired.”

“Not that tired.” His cheeky expression made her slap his arm playfully. “Stop it. We can’t get silly with Demi in the other room. It wouldn’t be right, especially knowing what she’s going through right now.”

He stiffened and the teasing look died from his face. “I know. Doesn’t mean I don’t want to though. Or that I’d give up my bank account just to hold you in my arms.”

Her face swiveled to look into his, her expression shocked. “You want to hold me?”

“Oh, baby, I’d give anything. No fooling around, no sex, just the closeness of your body next to mine.” He reached for her. “Come here.”

In seconds, as if she weighed nothing, he’d lifted her onto his knees while he leaned himself back in the corner of the couch. Nestled close to him like a child, she jiggled to make herself comfortable and felt an instant reaction. His voice groaned while he spoke warningly. “Don’t stroke the fire, baby. Just relax and let me hold you.”

With that gentle, warm coaxing in her ear, she let her head fall back into his shoulder and felt him gather her even closer. In seconds with him stroking her arm, she felt herself fade.

Never before had she ever…everfelt so safe.

Or loved.

ChapterForty-Seven

Demi pushed at the covers, disoriented and unwilling to face the sadness she knew waited in the real world. Living in dreamland where her life had been filled with joy, where a man whose face she couldn’t quite make out loved her… had kept her enthralled.

Lying with her eyes closed and clinging to the fantasy, she refused to come fully awake. She remembered having been in a similar forest many years ago, happy, and blissfully unaware of any troubles.

Just like paradise….

No need to worry about anyone else. No stress every minute for the youths in her care. Just peaceful emptiness. Her and her surroundings. Only one time in her life had she ever felt this way. It was almost too far back in her past for her to remember more than an old man she’d stayed with who she’d called Grampa. There was a cabin surrounded by nothing but trees, a small river close by, and birds and animals busy with their own survival.

She’d loved that place.

Finally, she crawled from her cocoon and made a decision. Unknown to Bella and Tanner, Demi had been aware of the city council’s determination to force Fulton House to give up their sought-after space. She’d even talked to a lawyer and was told to back off and save her money. Fighting would do no good.

It was time to move on and either find another place for the center or close the doors. Unable to come up with the will to fight, Demi had made a decision. She’d looked into giving the deed of the home over to a well-known activist group that had places similar to hers and now that she had no reason to hang on, at least she’d be helping them.

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