Four years ago, Dimitri Petrov had his leg blown off by a landmine while in military service. Suffering from PTSD, he doesn’t do crowds, and he doesn’t do people. If he had his way, he’d never leave his house at all. Dimitri’s sister, Irina, runs a dating agency, and despite that it would be better for business if they had a pretty woman working the front desk, Irina insists Dimitri’s the man for the job.<br><br>In a whirlwind of pink shirts, flapping hands, and outrageous flirting enters Elian Hubert. Elian needs a date. Invited to speak on love through time in fiction at a Valentine dinner, there is no way he’s showing up alone. When Dimitri tells him The Single Pursuit is unable to help on such short notice, Elian suggests Dimitri be his date.<br><br>Dimitri doesn’t do dates, and he doesn’t do dinners, but Elian’s made him happier in the last few minutes than anyone’s been able to do in years. He might not do Valentine's, and he might not do gatherings, but maybe he can do Elian ... a favor and accompany him to his presentation? If things go too badly, he can always hide behind a curtain and pretend he’s somewhere else.

Be Still, My Heart

PTSD, Irina had told the man while apologizing for Dimitri’s behavior. Dimitri hadn’t accepted the diagnosis, but there was something not right with him.


“Hey.” Elian’s voice was soft. “Did you change your mind?”


“Pretending to be a shirt lifter.” His face twisted in resentment.


“I have to pretend?” Dimitri didn’t move a muscle in his face, but hadn’t Elian figured out he was gay?


Elian flinched. “Six. Can we go together? I sort of insinuated we’re living together.”


Dimitri gave him his address, and Elian said he’d be there at five-thirty. It would be a race against the clock since Dimitri got off at five.


Chapter 6