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“If you have something else—”
The fingers still cradling my chin gave me a gentle nudge. “Hey, I said, I’ll be there, okay? I don’t give a shit if there is something else. It can wait.”
Giddy, I pulled my lip between my teeth and smiled up at him. “Okay.”
“How are you getting home?” He cut in at the same time.
The apartment was two blocks away. I didn’t own a car and grabbing a cab for such a short walk seemed like a waste, so I said, “Walk?” I hadn’t meant for my answer to come out as a question.
“When?”
I checked my watch. “Ten minutes?”
He gave a short nod. “I’ll walk you.”
I wasn’t going to argue. I closed in record time, leaving what could be left for the next day when I opened. I grabbed my purse and my coat and faced the man who hadn’t moved since walking in. He opened the door for me and waited as I set the alarm and locked up.
It wasn’t pouring. The rain was a light mist that glittered under the lamplight. I pulled my coat closed tight, attempting to keep the dampness from crawling down my collar.
“Did you work in those?”
I glanced up to find him eyeing my stilettos. The glossy black matched my pencil skirt and white blouse.
“Yes? They’re comfortable.”
He shook his head. “A bear trap is comfortable. Those are death traps.”
I rolled my eyes, grinning. “A bear would disagree.”
He grunted and I didn’t miss his grin before he looked away.
We continued the first block in silence except for the click of my heels and the rush of traffic speeding past. While we were waiting for the lights, the gentle drizzle increased, becoming a rapid fire from above. By the time we sprinted across — attempted to in my case — it was a full downpour.
Darius grabbed my hand and dragged me under the patio awning of a nearby bakery. The water cascaded over in a wall that cocooned while simultaneously trapping us in our shelter.
I laughed. “I can’t believe there’s two of us and neither of us thought to bring an umbrella.”
“Would it matter?” he cocked his head to peer at me through thick lashes. “How far do you think you would get in those monstrosities in this weather?”
I puffed out my cheeks in indignation. “What do you have against my shoes, sir?”
“You’re a danger to society,” he muttered.
I gasped. “I will have you know, I have never tripped or fallen—”
“Not what I said.” Eyes the black of storm clouds slid to me. “You in them, kitten, are dangerous.”
It was the first time he’d used my nickname in that toe curling growl since Christmas and my brain malfunctioned. I could almost see the sparks as my entire system sizzled to life, yet I couldn’t think of a single intelligent thing to say. I was, however, perfectly aware of the fact that we were alone, completely isolated from our friends and family, sheltered by rain — and he was still holding my hand.
I sucked in a breath and raised my eyes to his face only to find him already watching me with that same hunger that made my knees weak. The long, warm fingers threaded through mine, each digital infiltrating until our palms meshed. His free hand lifted and caught my chin. My face was tilted to his.
“Stop me.”
I would have laughed if I had any air in my lungs. All I could manage was a weak, “No.”
His teeth flashed with the slow curl of his mouth. “Perfect answer.”
With his fingers cutting five strips of control into my jaw, he lowered his mouth over mine. Months of wishing and fantasizing came to a crescendo, a firework display of heat and strength. He dominated, using our joined hands to hook behind my back and lock me into place against the radiating inferno coming off him in dark tendrils.
