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

“Come on.” He steered Elian toward his chair. “Sit. How do you take your coffee?”


Dimitri shrugged, walked over to the coffee machine, and pushed the button for a latte. He made an espresso for himself. “Okay.” He placed the cup in front of Elian. “The theme is in eternal lines of time, right?”


Elian’s eyes widened. “I’m not the only one coming here begging you for a date? Of course not, you’re a handsome man.”


Dimitri shook his head, but warmth filled his chest. “He didn’t want to date me, he wanted a woman.”


“Ah. You should start a company that offers dates for a night. I think there’s a market.”


“For Valentine’s, I’m sure there is. People are crazy. But I’m not sure it isn’t illegal.”


Chapter 12