She refused, however, to go down that road again with him, not until she had a better handle on her emotions and the situation she faced. Odd, but accepting he was from another world and that she had become involved in a fight against evil was easier to stomach than having ‘feelings’ for the bossy Adonis.
Spending more time around him, watching him interact with family and friends in his home—in this world—would better illustrate just what kind of man he really was. She didn’t want to be clouded by desire, even though she could find no way to turn off her body’s reaction to his nearness.
She’d spent Monday managing Gerry and finishing up administrative work. Tuesday Darius collected her winter clothing from her storage facility. So much for apartment shopping. At least she wasn’t wasting money on rent.
Wednesday, Thursday and this morning had been spent in a similar fashion—willing herself to relax, to think of her time off as a vacation, one she hadn’t had in years. She readily compared her new accommodations to a luxury hotel and figured she was lucky to reside in such comfort.
Staring at the mountains from the living room’s bay window, she couldn’t help admiring the house Darius lived in with his brothers. Had she the money, she would have bought something similar. She loved the Greenlake area, and the house had a phenomenal view of both the lake and the mountains.
The room she requested, away from Darius, sat on the first floor, allowing her a nice picture of the Storms’ now frozen garden. She could just imagine the blooms in late spring, which according to Cadmus, didn’t come close to rivalling her natural beauty.
She’d been hard-pressed not to laugh in his face when he’d said that, doubly amused when Darius glared and set his brother’s napkin on fire. She’d found it immensely satisfying to see Darius jealous, because of her.
Grinning at the memory, she stared at the gloomy picture of Friday morning and thought how well Darius had seemed to take their separation. When she’d initially asked for her own room, he’d seemed affronted. But after a few hours he’d changed his tune.
“You need time and space to sort things out,” he’d grumbled, the insightful comment unexpected, and one that made her question Darius’ hidden depths.
Though normally curt, bossy, and rude around his brothers, he never presumed with her. Aside from knowing exactly what her body needed physically, he didn’t take her mental and emotional desires for granted.
He’d been surprisingly solicitous since she’d ‘moved in’, constantly making sure she had everything she needed. And he’d given her space, leaving the house often to do whatever it was he did during the day. The one time she’d asked him he’d grown so prickly she hadn’t questioned him again.
Cadmus and Marcus proved charming companions, another thorn in Darius’ side. Oh, she could tell he loved them dearly, though it might pain him to admit. The way they interacted, how he sought to keep them out of harm’s way, showed how much he cared.
Only yesterday he’d adamantly denied her request to go downtown, despite Marcus’ promise not to leave her side.
“It’s not safe, and I’m not about to lose either of you due to your arrogance,” said with a look to Marcus, “or your impatience,” said with a look at her.
While she appreciated his caring, she didn’t relish his constant need to control. Marcus had muttered something condescending under his breath, and she’d secretly agreed.
After five days of catching up on work, her personal needs, and the latest DVDs and novels, she felt ready to burst if forced to stay inside one more minute.
One of the brothers entered the living room behind her, his face visible in the window’s reflection. She turned, noted the brown eyes, and smiled. “Good morning, Cad. Nice to see one of you is an early riser.”
He grimaced. “I hate to admit it, but I’d still be sleeping if you weren’t here.” He grabbed coffee and a banana and settled into a leather recliner. “How are you this morning?”
“Stir crazy.”
He nodded. “I told Darius you wouldn’t take being cooped up in here much longer. Frankly, I’m surprised you haven’t bolted before now. Granted, Darius has a point wanting to keep you safe. But really, what’s it going to hurt if you take a walk around the block?” He sounded cranky, partly, she suspected, because he hated sitting inside with her.
“I’m sorry,” she started but he waved away her apology.
“Don’t be. It’s my own fault. Marcus has a job and Aerolus, well, I’m not sure what he’s doing right now. I’m the only one available at the moment to babysit—” at her look he quickly amended, “to protect you.”
“Thanks,” she said wryly, shaking her head. “You know, the first day I met you four I was baffled by how alike you were. Now I can’t imagine why I thought that.”
He grinned, his brown eyes sparkling with mirth, and she realised the truth of her statement. Darius she knew instinctively. She could feel his presence when he entered the room, could sense him drawing near without looking.
Marcus and Cadmus, on the other hand, had distinct personalities that made their identical appearance fade in comparison. Now when she looked at them, she saw them, not mirror images of Darius.
Marc, as she liked to call him because it annoyed him, had a tendency towards arrogance far beyond Darius’ capacity to condescend. Marcus acted like royalty, as if she should cherish every moment spent in his presence. Yet beneath the attitude she felt warmth and acceptance, and she had to admit she loved his dry sense of humour.
Cad, on the other hand, loved the nickname she’d given him. Easygoing and openly affectionate, he constantly joked. Despite their nature as quadruplets, he really did seem the baby of the family and the others treated him as such. Though he had to resent it, he treated Darius and Marcus with tolerance and ever-present amusement.
She also noted how in tune he was with nature. The small greenhouse attached to the kitchen flourished with plant life, all courtesy of Cad’s green thumb. And being inside stifled him. She could see the toll it took on him to remain with her inside the house and wished it could be otherwise.
“You sure are thinking hard,” he murmured as he finished his banana.
“Yes, well, that’s all I can do in here. No offence, I love your house, but really, do we have to stay inside?”
She glanced outside and saw the sun parting the clouds hovering over Mount Olympus. He followed her gaze and shot her a sly look.
“You know, if we snuck out now, we could get a nice walk in before anyone noticed.”
“No.” Darius stomped into the kitchen looking bleary-eyed. Secretly thrilled to see him, Samantha focused on keeping her inner shields intact and her heartbeat steady.
“Awe, come on Darius,” Cad protested. “We’re dying in here. It’s so boring staring at each other all day long.” He winked at Samantha. “Though come to think of it, we could find something else to entertain us if you’re planning on going out again.” The suggestive leer he sent her made her want to laugh. Darius, however, didn’t find Cadmus amusing in the least.
He said something in a foreign language that had Cad arching his brow.
“Touchy.”
“Samantha,” Darius said, studiously ignoring his brother, “would you like to go out with me tonight?”
She blinked. “Where?”
“I thought we could grab something to eat downtown,” he said casually, his eyes intense as he waited for her answer. “It won’t be fancy or anything, but I thought you might want a break from my family.”
She forced herself to pay no attention to Cadmus and his cheeky grin. “I’d love to.”