He sighed and lowered his lighter. “I thought you were someone else.”
“Obviously,” she muttered and sneezed. She saw his full lips quirk into a smile and her heart beat double-time.
“As you can tell, the lights are out due to the storm. Perhaps we should head upstairs, where you can introduce yourself and explain what you were doing down here.” He nodded to the stairs behind her, his words clearly an order rather than a suggestion.
She didn’t care. Samantha wanted heat and more distance from the man rousing her sleeping libido. As she turned and quickly climbed the steps, she could feel his gaze on her back like a physical caress.
Shaking her head, she reminded herself that too little sleep and this weather had made a muck of her sensibility. Stiffening her spine as she entered the warm atmosphere of the club once more, she headed for her things behind the bar and turned once she had a firm grip on her satchel.
She hadn’t heard him move and gasped to find him standing right behind her. Had this guy never heard of personal space?
She swallowed audibly. Was it her, or did he seem even taller than the six-four she’d earlier estimated? “I’m Samantha Brooks, the assessor Gerry Barnham hired. I take it you work here.”
“Let’s see some ID, sweetheart.”
She clenched her jaw. When he crossed muscular arms over a massive chest and leaned against the back wall, unmoving, she removed her wallet, flashed him her driver’s licence and waited impatiently while he examined it.
Finally he nodded. Stuffing her wallet back into her bag, she turned to face him again, disturbed by his arrogance and his larger-than-life sex appeal. “And you are?”
“I bartend here for Gerry.”
Not a bouncer. That surprised her. With his stature he could easily intimidate those not playing by the rules. But if he was one of the bartenders…he had to be Darius Storm. Gerry had mentioned the amazing draw his newest employee had, bringing in more women than the club knew what to do with. Seeing him, she understood the attraction.
The man raked her up and down with an assessing gaze, his eyes returning to her face and roaming over her as if committing her features to memory. “I’m Darius.”
She released a pent-up breath, hearing him confirm his identity. He really did work here. Unfortunately, her evil twin, the sexual imp dwelling inside her, lamented that he wasn’t a sexual lunatic bent on ravishing her. She cursed her treacherous imagination and the blush that inexplicably stole over her cheeks and focused on the here and now.
His left eyebrow rose, clearly telling her he’d noticed the blush. “I wasn’t expecting you tonight. Gerry mentioned you’d arrive sometime this weekend.” He leaned closer to her, his arm moving around her and she tensed. He smelled of rain and spice, a scent she couldn’t place but one that made her want to kiss the arrogance from his lips.
Instead of grabbing her, as he appeared ready to do, he pulled his hand from behind her back and handed her a towel with a smirk. “You’re soaking wet.”
Irritated that he made her nervous and that he knew it, she released her satchel and grabbed the towel from his hands, stifling a breath when her fingers touched his. A flare of heat raced up her arm from the contact and she couldn’t help the shiver that passed through her.
He frowned. “You must be freezing.” Moving swiftly, he wrapped her in his arms, much more gently than he had earlier.
“Hey! What the hell—” She paused as heat radiated through her. “Ah,” she moaned, warmed by his unnaturally hot body. Hot in more ways than one, she amended.
With tenderness she wouldn’t have credited him, he pressed her face against his chest. She could feel his heart beating rapidly against her cheek and wondered if she wasn’t the only one affected by their proximity. But he made no other move than to hold her while her shivers passed.
Belatedly, she realised her hair and jeans were drenching him. “I’m sorry,” she said in a voice more husky than she’d like. “I’m getting you all wet.”
He rubbed his hand over her back in slow swirls, making her melt into his rock solid frame. Then he shifted slightly, making her aware of something else rock-hard against her belly.
My, oh my, was all she could think of the ridge that seemed to grow as he held her. Before she could say or do anything, however, he released his hold on her, putting some distance between them.
“You should feel better now.” His eyes blazed, a strange hint of colour seeming to swirl within the black depths. Then he blinked and the oddness vanished.
“I feel much better, thanks.” Samantha couldn’t stop staring at him, now understanding Gerry’s comments about females visiting the club in droves.
In less than ten minutes in Darius’ presence, she wanted to jump his bones. Her nipples ached and her loins throbbed, and he’d done little more than hold her.
Time to go, right now.
She frowned and scooped up her bag and jacket, containing a shudder as the coat soaked through the sleeve of her shirt. “Well, sorry to have disturbed you. I see you’re still busy so I’ll just be on my way.” She looked around for a phone. “I just need to call a cab.”
“I’m about finished here. I’ll take you home.” He made the suggestion sound like a command.
“No.” She must have said it too forcefully for he raised a brow. “That’s nice of you, but I don’t want to put you to too much trouble. Just point me to a phone and I’ll be out of your hair.”
He pointed her to a phone and watched her as he finished cleaning the tables in the club. “Do I scare you?” His mouth twisted into a wry smile.
She bristled. “No. But I’m quite capable of taking care of myself.”
“I’m sure you are,” he said with a suggestive grin, his eyes focused on her stiff nipples. “But I’m more than willing to give you a ride…home. After all, it’s probably my fault you’re all wet.” He paused and stared hungrily at her body, resting on her groin.
She couldn’t believe his nerve, but when she opened her mouth to blast him, he added oh-so-innocently, “Had I been upstairs when you first arrived, I could have spared you the rain and told you to come inside.” His eyes gleamed, knowing full well she’d understood his sexual undertones.
The jerk! Unfortunately, his words stoked her imagination into almost forgetting her self-imposed celibacy. Despite his comments and his arrogance, she sensed he’d make her forget any man she’d ever been with before. It was all she could do not to run for the door when the taxi finally blared its horn.
“I’ll deal with you tomorrow,” she called over her shoulder in a warning, intending to adjust his attitude once she collected her thoughts after a good night’s rest.
“Yes, you will,” came his definite reply.
Darius watched the woman go with blazing eyes. Arousal, strong and true, flared within him, surprising him at the sheer scope of need flooding his system.
In the endless days spent in this tedious world, he’d not once felt such intensity about a female as he did this one. And he didn’t even know her. Obviously his body recognised their perfect chemistry.
He shook his head as he cleaned the rest of the club. Perhaps fortune finally smiled upon him. What else but fate could be responsible for his decision to switch clean-up shifts with Michelle then to stay late so Mike could leave early to be with his girlfriend?
Darius had thought to leave a half-hour ago but for some reason had delayed returning ‘home’. He grinned, recalling the full breasts he’d recently felt against his chest.
Returning the large trash bins to their places, he threw all the cleaning supplies back in storage and locked the door behind him as he left.