Weak in the Knees Ch. 04

"It seems Mr. Morgan was the mastermind of this whole thing," Detective Sawyer explained. "He swears they wouldn't have hurt her, but desperate men sometimes do desperate things."

Zach suddenly felt exhausted, and asked the detective if they could take Nadya home. He told them he would contact them if they needed anything more, but let them leave for home in Brinxton's car. Nadya wouldn't even let Zach put her in the car seat, so he held onto her the entire way home.

Diego kept silent through the entire trip and stayed along the periphery of the group once they arrived at the house, waiting to see if Zach would change his mind about letting him stay on. Zach glanced at him a few times, but didn't say anything aloud one way or the other. It was a long day, and Zach didn't get much sleep while trying to make sure Nadya was okay. When bedtime came around, though, Nadya would not go down in her crib at all. Any time Zach and Diego tried to leave the nursery, she would start screaming her head off.

Eventually, Zach brought Nadya into his room to sleep on his king sized bed with him. Nadya stirred and cried when Diego tried to go back to his own room, and Zach motioned to the other side of the bed tiredly.

"I think the only way we're getting sleep tonight is in here," Zach told him. Diego laid down on the other side of Nadya, who wiggled until she had her feet touching him while staying cuddled with her dad. Only then did she seem to settle down, and between that and the bottle, she was out pretty fast. The only time she stirred was if one of them shifted like they were going to get up, but once they settled she was back asleep.

For a moment, they lay in silence, the light low in the room and only coming from the window and a small salt lamp Zach had in his room, casting the room in an orange glow. Finally, Zach said, "Thank you. If you hadn't memorized that license plate, I may have never seen her again. I'm not thrilled you didn't tell me before everything happened, but I am also incredibly grateful to you."

"I'm sorry," Diego said quietly. "I wanted to tell you but I guess I was afraid. There never seemed to be a good time to tell you and because I was so hesitant, I never made it a priority."

"Yeah, I can see how it would be hard to find a good time to drop that bomb," Zach agreed. "Which is why I'm going to let it go and just be thankful that both she and you are okay."

Diego shuddered, "I was a little worried that they would try to eliminate me as a witness when they took her, but I didn't care about that as long as she was okay."

Zach frowned at that, and Diego could tell that the idea upset him immensely. "I'm glad they didn't. Your safety matters to me too. More than you could possibly know. I wouldn't have been able to just sit still and do nothing had they gone after you."

Diego looked at him, "You wouldn't have been able to stop them. Your priority would have been Nadya, as it should be."

Zach smoothed down some of the stray curls on Nadya's head, and she didn't even rouse a little bit. He thought about what Diego was saying, and couldn't bring himself to look at Diego when he said, "She's not my only priority though...Does her being my priority mean there's room for no one else then? Do I wait until she's eighteen to even think about finding anything else in my life?"

"No, that's a different thing. Dating isn't a life or death situation," Diego pointed out.

"Only one person came up the stairs," Zach said, going back to his original thought. "They'd only have enough energy to focus on one of us. So I would have had a chance to knock Nadya out of his arms while stopping him. It would have been about being fast enough though. They left your door alone though, so I guess in the long run it doesn't matter."

Diego looked unconvinced, "Yeah, I guess so. I let my professors know that I had a family emergency and would miss a few days. I figured Nadya wouldn't let you out of her sight for a little while and you may need some backup."

Zach looked down at where his daughter's feet were against her nanny. "She might not let you out of her sight either. We're going to have to gently try and get her used to not being attached at our hips, I think."

Zach was proven right too, and it made things difficult the first week after everything happened. It made going to the bathroom difficult, or showers, or any private time at all for either of them. She seemed terrified they weren't going to show up again if they disappeared. As time went on, though, her fears seemed to lessen slowly. It was a triumph the first time Zach got a shower by himself without her losing it, and it felt like a big deal the first time Diego went back to the classroom.

Diego came home to find Zach sitting on a chair in Nadya's room trying to get her to sleep in the crib again rather than his bed. He very carefully extracted his hand from Nadya's tiny iron grip and stood up, taking a few steps back while watching her closely for any changes. He gave Diego a thumbs up as they left the room and very slowly closed the door.

Both of them leaned against the door with relief, waiting to hear if Nadya woke up. When she didn't, Zach motioned for Diego to follow him to his room, where Zach quietly shut the door before he spoke again.

"Sawyer says they're taking a plea deal," Zach said. "Well, one of them in particular was ready to squeal and it freaked the others out too so now all of them want to make deals. That means we don't have to testify."

Diego breathed an unsteady sigh of relief as he practically collapsed into a seated position on the bed. "I was more than a little concerned that I would get pulled into the case as a conspirator and end up in jail."

Zach chuckled at that and came over to sit down next to Diego. "I don't know the law that well, but I do know it well enough to know that being in league with the police when helping commit a crime to catch someone means you get immunity. Besides, I would have argued with them and gotten you the best lawyer if they even tried that."

Diego smiled gratefully while fiddling with the drawstring on his sweatpants. Zach watched his anxious fiddling for a moment with a frown, unsure whether it was from the court case or him.

"Is it me that makes you nervous, or the case?" Zach finally asked.

Diego realized he was fidgeting and stopped, releasing his drawstring without looking at Zach. "Both. I've struggled with feelings since we talked and I have no idea what the right thing to do is."

Zach couldn't help but chuckle, because he had been dealing with the same thing. "I think what's right changes from person to person. I mean, in some cases, right is right and wrong is wrong, no matter how you look at it. Other things, though, like this, depend on the situation. I've been struggling with that same issue, because if I come onto you, then will you just feel like you have to because I supply your paycheck? So I've done...nothing. Well...I stew on it, but nothing beyond that."

"I mean, some people would be into that sort of thing, for myriads of reasons. I'd probably just tell you if I thought it was inappropriate and quit if it persisted," Diego said.

Zach considered that for a moment and then he reached out and put his hand over Diego's before looking at his face to gauge his reaction. Diego finally met his eye, emotions still warring across his face. Diego could see some of the same emotions mirrored in Zach's eyes, though Zach was better at masking it when someone wasn't looking for it. Zach brought his other hand up and hesitantly ran it along Diego's jawline.

Diego closed his eyes and leaned into the touch, practically purring in response. Zach leaned in until Diego could feel Zach's breath on his lips as his hand continued its trail along Diego's jaw and to the back of his neck. He didn't move in all the way to the kiss though, giving Diego an out if he wanted it, and the in he would need if he wanted to finish the kiss.

Diego felt a sudden rush as his heart sped up. He wanted to be cautious but his body betrayed him as he leaned in the rest of the way and his lips made contact with Zach's. The kiss started off hesitant and gentle, but Zach was less hesitant as the kiss deepened and he slipped his other arm around Diego's waist. Diego found himself going along with Zach's moves, matching his energy easily and naturally.

Zach had kissed a lot of people over the years, but no kiss had ever felt this electric or as fulfilling as this one. He had thought maybe the first one was a fluke, but this one was even better. He pulled out of the kiss before it could get too heated, as he didn't want to immediately jump into bed, though his body definitely wanted to.

"Let me take you on a date," Zach whispered to him. "A real date. Dinner, wine, candle light, romance. The whole shebang. Please?"

Diego, still lost in the kiss, nodded while trying to regain his composure. He unnecessarily adjusted his clothing, even though it wasn't disheveled, and took a few deep breaths, fanning himself with his hand a little melodramatically. "Okay," he finally answered, "if you insist."

Zach smiled at that and kissed him again briefly, nowhere near long enough for either of them, but Diego could tell that Zach was being cautious not to step over any of Diego's boundaries.

When Zach asked Zayne and Brinxton to watch Nadya for the date, Zayne suggested he take Diego to a restaurant called Délices de Paris, which was a restaurant that was built into the top floor of one of the skyscrapers. It was a hot spot, but their friend owned it, and Zach had designed the interior and the windows that protected most of the restaurant from the elements.

"Isn't that a little..." Zach waved his hand in the air as he tried to come up with the word. It was getting harder to always remember the words he was trying to say when he wanted to say them, and he was getting frustrated with it. He eventually gave up and tried a sentence instead, "Very focused on my ego?"

"Nah," Zayne replied with a shake of his head. "It's a romantic spot with a great view, that you just happened to build. It also lets him see what your drawings turn into. Just be humble about it."

"I don't want him to think I'm trying to woo him with money," Zach commented. "Like, I can see how spoiling someone who doesn't come from money can seem like you're trying to lure them in."

"So don't buy the most expensive thing on the menu," Zayne pointed out. "Actually, her pastas are by far her best dishes, and they are reasonably priced."

Brinxton rolled his eyes. "You sensitive rich-boy types are all the same. Take him to the lavish restaurant and let him order whatever he wants then do something romantic but not expensive afterward. Walk in the park or go stargazing out of the reach of the city lights," he suggested.

Zach smiled at that and decided that that was the perfect idea. So they found themselves on a Friday evening at the restaurant. They had to take an elevator up, and it was glass on one side so you could watch the city lights all around you as you went up through the floors. When they got to the top floor, they stepped out in the restaurant that was surrounded by large windows to give you the perfect view of Denver beyond them. The inside was built to look a little like a lavish lounge with a piano on one end where someone was playing and there were couches and tables by one side whereas the other side looked more like a restaurant.

They were led over to a small private table right next to the window, surrounded by trellises that had flowering vines all along it to give them privacy. Diego took in the ambiance of the place and leaned in toward Zach as he pulled out Diego's chair for him and asked, "Are the trellises so that no one has to watch me blow you?"

Zach let out a surprised laugh and squeezed Diego's shoulders before he went and sat down in the other chair, giving a shrug, though his smirk betrayed how casual that wasn't. "I mean, it is a perk to be sure, but I believe she wanted a romantic atmosphere without anyone feeling like they were being watched."

"Well, that worked. I don't know how to order things in fancy restaurants. You may have to help me," Diego said.

"I'd be happy to," Zach said and leaned over so he could go over what some of their best dishes were, and give his opinion of the ones he'd tried before. The filet was to die for and her beef bourguignon was like being transported to France. "Order whatever you like. Or if you can't choose, we can ask for a bunch of sampling courses. It gives us a little of all of their best dishes here."

Diego's eyes lit up at that. "Let's do that one!" He said excitedly.

Zach smiled and once the waitress came over to get their order, he asked her for the sampling menu and a glass of a good red wine. They ended up sampling about seven courses, each one with nowhere near enough food to satisfy, but all together it did. Everything was delicious and their conversation was easy and felt natural. Between courses, they brought out some raspberry sorbet as a palette cleanser, and then the meal ended with a small trio of their most famous cakes in smaller form for the two of them to share.

"This one," Zach said as he took a spoonful of the limon cake and brought it up to Diego to let him try it, "is my favorite cake here. She uses fresh lemon juice and the zest."

Diego tried it and closed his eyes and moaned in delight. "Oh my god, that's delicious!" he exclaimed.

Zach smiled at that. Even if just the building around them was his accomplishment, he still loved seeing people enjoying his friend's food. He was about to say something when a petite woman with dark hair and dark eyes came out to make sure everything was to their liking. Zach's face lit up when he saw her and she came over to kiss him on both cheeks as he did the same to her.

"Vivien, this is Diego," Zach said. "Diego, this is Vivien Auclair, the owner and head chef of Délices de Paris. And a good friend of mine."

When Vivien spoke, it was with a light French accent that sounded like it had slowly been going away over time. "Why, Zach, I never thought I'd see the day you'd have an actual date here! I hope you enjoyed the food, Diego!"

Diego smiled brightly as he stood up and shook her hand warmly, "Oh, I'm not his date. I'm a paid actor to help flesh out his social image within Society." Diego leaned in conspiratorially and asked, "How am I doing?"

"Ah, oui? That makes plus de sens," she replied with a laugh while Zach shook his head at them. "You are doing perfectly! You had me quite fooled! Don't let this imbécile out of your sight though, or he'll get you into trouble!"

"I just hope he pays up at the end of the night!" Diego said. "He promised me 'an experience I would never forget'."

"Ah, that is code for the sex," Vivien laughed.

"Like you would know," Zach commented with an incredulous look and Vivien grinned at him. "It was all wonderful, Vivi. Merci, mon amie. J'apprécie tout cela."

"De rien," she replied. "Without you, the restaurant would not look so beau."

"Nah, you had a vision and you made it reality," Zach said with a shrug, like his work on the place was just an extension of her imagination.

Diego was looking between them like he was watching a tennis match. When there was a break in the endless compliments and the pair looked at him, he exaggeratedly rolled his eyes and said, "The humility in this room is making my teeth ache! You two are adorable."

Zach looked embarrassed but Vivien just laughed. "Zach always had a little trouble with the languages, so I tutored him through most of high school. So when he sweet talks you in French or Spanish, that was all me. And when I sweet talk a girl in English, that's all him."

"Alright, before you embarrass me more," Zach said. Vivien grinned and bid them adieu. Zach paid the bill and then they went back down the elevator.

Diego stepped close to Zach and whispered, "Am I supposed to go down while we go down?" before winking and sticking his tongue out at Zach.

Zach turned toward where Diego stood and trapped him against the window by putting his hands on the hand railings. "Who says you'd be the one to go down, hmm?"

"Ooh, kinky," Diego quipped, breaking into a smile.

Zach smirked at him and then leaned in and kissed Diego. Diego matched his enthusiasm and they were still liplocked when the bell dinged and the doors opened. Diego's cheeks colored when he realized that there were people waiting to get on the elevator and they had just broken their kiss. Diego looked over at the three or four people waiting outside the elevator and then back at Zach.

Zach grinned and took Diego's hand to lead him off the elevator while he nodded his head in greeting to the people waiting as they stepped off. Zach brought them back to the car and then he drove them to one of his favorite parks to walk through under the lights of the lamps and stars. It was such a romantic scene and it left Diego wondering about who Zach was under all of the layers he had already seen of the man.

Diego was appropriately impressed by the views in the moonlit park, enjoying the company more than the date itself at this point. Zach held Diego's hand the entire time they walked through the park talking to each other. He knew Zach was a fairly affectionate person by how he was with his brother and daughter, but he was seeing it in a more intimate way right then; like Zach couldn't get enough of touching Diego.

If he was being honest with himself, despite not being someone that others touched, Diego couldn't get enough of Zach's touch either. Every touch on the lower back or along his arm from Zach was electric and made him yearn for more. Eventually they were standing by one of the trees, and Zach encircled Diego's waist with his arms as he looked down at him.

"I really don't want this date to end," Zach admitted.

Diego looked back into Zach's eyes and smiled, "Ditto." He nearly laughed because he was quoting a movie line from the late 1900's and he doubted many people would recognize it.

Zach smiled at that, partly because of the reference but mostly because Diego seemed to be feeling the same way he was. "I'm a little rusty at this relationship thing, but despite my brother and friends' joking, I have actually had relationships. It's just been a while. I really don't want this to be just about sex though, you know?"

"You? You've had relationships? What do you feed them? How often do they need to be let out to pee?" Diego joked, his eyes lightening slightly as he distracted himself from his ardor with that thought.

Zach laughed and pulled Diego closer as he replied, "Well of course, I took them for walks three times a day, and fed them a balanced diet, but gave them a little treat now and then for being extra good. A little bit of protein." Zach's silver eyes sparkled in his mirth.

Diego's eyes darkened again with desire as Zach pulled him closer. "Slut..." he said before kissing Zach fiercely. All he wanted in this moment was to be as close to Zach as possible.

Zach felt no need to dispute Diego's claim, as he had been a slut for a while now. All he cared about, though, was Diego's lips on his, and the feel of their bodies pressing together. Zach deepened the kiss, running his hands up Diego's back and to his shoulders. Diego moaned into Zach's lips and pressed himself closer, trying to eliminate any gaps between them.

When the kiss broke apart, Zach trailed his lips along Diego's jaw, to his neck and right to his earlobe, which he bit gently. "Should we go somewhere more private?"

"If you insist," Diego breathed.

Zach brought them back home, where Nadya was not at the moment, having let his mom and dad take her for the night to try and get her used to staying with other people again. When they got upstairs and into Zach's room, Zach pushed Diego up against the closed door and kissed him again, right back to the same intense feelings they had been at before.