Page 63 of Dark Lover

“ARE YOU GOING TO invite me up for a drink?” Sam stepped out of the shadows cast by the setting sun as she spoke.

Rupert Hemmer had just gotten out of his sedan and was about to enter his building. She’d been waiting for him. It was about six o’ clock.

He slowly turned. Instead of evincing surprise, he smiled, pleased. “Well, if it isn’t the mysterious Samantha. You stood us all up last night. I was so very disappointed.”

Sam smiled back at him, but her insides curdled. His evil was suddenly present, as if he’d kept it disguised previously. That could be done with black power or black magic. “Something came up.” Just in case he could read minds, she kept hers blank.

He looked at her now, taking in her short denim skirt, the muscle tank, and the heavy biker boots. “An interesting choice of attire for cocktails. Of course you can come up. Where’s your latest toy?”

“Probably doing your wife.”

Hemmer’s smile didn’t falter but his expression darkened. She’d hit a nerve. “I expect attitude from you, Samantha. You will hardly unbalance me with your remarks.”

“Actually, it’s Sam. And I expect blackmail from you, Rupert.”

He smiled coldly and led her past the doorman to the four brass elevators at the lobby’s other end. “Maybe Becca is with Maclean. She told me she’s having drinks with the girls tonight. She has enough to go around, if you know what I mean.”

“So much for true love.” But her heart had lurched unpleasantly at the idea of Ian being with Becca Hemmer now.

Not that it should matter what he did or who he did it with. Last night had been casual and meaningless, for both of them. But she’d been thinking about him far too much and that inkling of compassion hadn’t gone away. Worse, it seemed to have taken root beside a seed of concern.

Hemmer gave her a look. “I married her for her amazing body and the way she uses her mouth. Not to mention that my rivals all lose their wits when she’s present.” He shrugged. “You have enough to go around, too, don’t you, Samantha?”

“I’m actually all played out. Can you believe it?”

“It must have been quite the night.” His eyes gleamed as they stepped into the elevator. “You do know what it means if they’re together?”

“It means we have your place all to our lonely selves. Lucky me. So, where did you get the DVD?” Hemmer had remained on the top of her to-do list. After all, he’d been the bearer of bad gifts. She’d spoken to Kit and the DVD wasn’t a fake.

Which meant that one day, she and Maclean would make love. Her heart thundered.

Hemmer pressed the elevator button to the penthouse. “I collect sex tapes, Samantha. I decided to start a folder just for you.”

She tensed. “How nice.”

“I think so.”

“You went to a lot of trouble to get that tape, then.”

“Not really.”

“The video came from the future.”

“Clever girl.”

“Mortals can’t time travel. So who does your dirty work for you?”

“Actually, even though I’m very human, I do have the power.”

Sam met his gaze, no longer smiling. It was not a good thing if Hemmer could leap through time at will. “Wow. So, what did it cost you—your soul?”

He led her out. “Something like that.” He smiled at her, as if truly pleased.

Sam shivered.

“Cold?”

“Some evil entities bring a great chill with them.”