Theo’s nostrils flared as he took a few deep breaths, and then he turned and walked away. Dani and Andreas watched Theo pacing about thirty feet away with his hands on his head, before she turned back to Andreas.
“He’s not usually like this,” she said.
“You mean, a churlish oaf?” he said, crossing his arms.
Andreas’s words stung a bit.Churlishandoafwere two words she’d never use to describe Theo.
“You don’t understand,” she tried to explain. “Those men? They beat him. Threatened him. They convinced his whole family that he was dead. And the one time he managed to escape,the police brought him right back to them. I’m sure you can see why he might not be the most trusting.”
Andreas’s face softened, and he relaxed his arms. “I didn’t know. I hope you realize, however, that I’m only trying to help. I promised my yayá I would help you. She said she feels like she knows him.”
“I do realize that. There’s earnestness in your eyes, especially when you mention your yayá.” It reminded her of Theo.
He smiled sweetly, took a step forward, and reached for her hand.Oh God, what is he doing?“I can see the sincerity in your eyes as well.” Her heart pounded, and he gave her hand a squeeze. “I’ll be back shortly. Maybe we can talk more then.”
He let go and then walked away. What just happened? The heat kicked up a few more degrees, and she started fanning herself again.
And when she turned around, she found Theo staring right at her.
Chapter
Thirteen
Theo
Being friends with Dani overthe past thirty years meant learning to cope with jealousy. Theo had watched men come and go. He’d watched her heart get broken and her break hearts in return. He’d witnessed her flirting, and on more than one occasion, he’d been sitting right next to her when someone came up and asked her out.
But it didn’t mean he had to like it.
He needed to shake it off. One more night. He could spend one more night with her and then they’d, hopefully, return to the States and get back to their—separate—lives.
Theo grabbed his and Dani’s bags and headed down the hall toward the room Christos pointed out.Please, please, please let there be a couch in this room.He couldn’t spend another night in a bed next to her, and he wasn’t sure his shoulder could take a night on the floor.
Dani opened the room and stepped inside. But when Theo went to follow her in, he was greeted (pleasantly) by her backside.
“What are you—” he started, but quickly stopped once he craned his neck around the open door.
He should have wished for more than a couch. This room wasn’t much bigger than a tin of sardines.
Dani squeezed the rest of the way into the room with the door only inches from hitting the bed. “I know rooms in Europe are smaller than in the U.S., but this is…”
Her voice trailed off, so he finished her sentence. “Puny.”
There wasn’t a couch. Just a bed. There wasn’t even room for him to sleep on the floor, not if he didn’t want to be in the way of the door. And the full-size bed didn’t look nearly large enough for the two of them.
They closed the door and both stood, staring at the bed.
“Is it me or do the beds keep getting smaller?” she asked.
He couldn’t help but snicker, washing away all the frustration and annoyance from earlier.
“Why are you laughing? This is ridiculous!” she said. “What the hell are we supposed to do with this?” she asked.
“Ithinkwe’re supposed to sleep on it.”
“Quit joking around! This can’t be it,” she said, trying not to laugh and gently shoving him.
“And what do you think the alternative is?”
