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“Want to get some air?” Sara asked, her lips grazing my neck below my ear, and I nodded.
Unable to form words, I grabbed her hand, and wove through the crowd, heart pounding through my body faster than the music. No one seemed to notice as we got to the edge of the floor and headed for a back door with a single Michaelson guard standing in front of it. He nodded at me and opened it, and we slipped through, weaving through a dark stone hall, before I opened the heavy metal door to the alley, cold rushing in.
“Shit,” Sara barked with a laugh, and wrapped her arms around herself. I stood for a minute in the doorway, watching her stand in the frost-bitten alley, the lights of the city glowing above, thestrong scent of the ocean ruffling around us, and the strange sense that all I had to do was step outside, close this door, and I could have her.
Instead, I slipped to the side, leaning against the wall, and on instinct, reached for my cigarettes and lighter, then paused when delicate hands caught my wrists. She took my cigarette box first and tossed it aside, eliciting a growled protest from me—one that was cut off as Sara took my lighter and tucked it down the front of her dress.
Sara
“I’d make a joke about playing with fire, but I think you know what you’re doing.”
Daniel’s gaze flicked over me, and I repressed a shiver. What was it about this man that his very gaze felt like a touch, that I sensed he was seeing not just me, but all my layers, and was curious about every last one?
Was it just that he stood there and looked so fucking bitable, so perfect in a way that I’d never known I’d wanted? Down to how his hair was mussed from my hands, dabs of my lipstick on his lips, his chin, his neck, and his chest, his shirt unbuttoned almost to his sternum by my hands, and a noticeable bulge in his pants. All from me. Or that he looked at me in the same way, taking stock of what he did to me, my messy hair, my smudged makeup, and wrinkled dress?
Or was it the contrast of his burning eyes with his poker face, now a gentle smirk that I didn’t buy for one second. Not when I could see the lines of tension in his body as though he were holding himself back from shoving me against that wall and doing unspeakable things to me. Not when I wanted him to do just that.
“Before we go, I want to show you something,” Daniel said and held out his hand. I gave him a wary look and he chuckled. “You’ll like it.”
“I’d like to see your apartment more,” I retorted but I took his hand.
Daniel led the way around the corner to a metal ladder and gestured at it. “Ladies first.” He glanced down and raised an eyebrow. “Also, I know you’re capable of taking empires in your stilettos, but I’d like to be down here—just in case.”
“Sure,” I said and grabbed the ladder, wincing as the cold metal bit into my hands. I climbed up it hurriedly and then glanced back to see Daniel looking up and grinning. “Horndog.”
“You grabbed my entire cock on the club floor,” he said as he ascended. “Pot. Kettle. Sassy.”
“You liked it,” I retorted, then gasped as we walked around the corner.
The building was right on the harbor and across the dark water, the city glittered. Below us, the roof rumbled with the bass from the club, and it felt as though Daniel had carved out this piece of night and city and shadow just for us. It also felt intimate to stand here, sharing body warmth, and then Daniel stepped behind me, wrapping his arms around me.
“You should really have a coat on a cold night like this,” he mock-scolded and crushed me harder against him. I swallowed hard, fighting a rush of affection under the lust and logistics and calculations. “But I’m also not complaining.”
The ice of the night had nothing on his body heat, and we watched the view in silence for several minutes before I began to shiver. I was about to say we should go when Daniel kissed my neck and then turned me to face him. His face was hard to read, as he stepped back, gazing at me, as though memorizing me against the skyline. Then he hauled me against him, kissing me breathless, his hands roaming everywhere, and I was barely able to stand upright. Every time we kissed, it seemed to get hungrier, and more reckless, until we were both gasping.
“I always wanted to share this with someone,” he murmured, and my heart did a funny jump in my chest. Then he pulled my hands to his lips and kissed my cold fingertips. “I didn’t mean to get distracted and make-out.” Warmth pooled in my stomach as he gave me a look that seemed more affectionate than lustful, murmuring “Let’s get you warmed up.”
“You too,” I said.
Daniel barked out a laugh. “I’ve got a high tolerance to the cold. Spent a lot of time outside as a kid.” I gave him a searching look and a for a split-second, his gaze seemed to darken, causing my stomach to dip, and then he shook his head. “All in the past. Come on.”
We climbed back down, Daniel going first, gallantly grinning up at me as I struggled a bit more to climb down, and finally he caught my waist when I got close enough and lifted me off the ladder, causing me to let out a squeal. Squealing as I never had in my entire life.
“That was interesting,” Daniel said into my hair as he put me down. “Let’s see what other noises you make.”
“How far away do you live?” I asked, a little breathless, and he winked.
“Hop on my back,” he said and turned. When I balked, he gave me a mock-stern look but there was a glint in his eyes. “Or I can carry you bride-style, Sassy. It’s too far in those shoes, but not far enough for a car.”
“Fine,” I huffed and clambered up on his broad back. I gasped as he walked fast, striding down the alley, his hands wrapped around my calves, and my arms around his neck. People cast us curious looks, one bigger dude even wolf-whistled, but Daniel ignored all of them.
Heat flooded my cheeks but part of me enjoyed this, liked that he had this side to him—somehow silly and practical.
Don’t forget what you’re after.
I pulled in a steady breath. Right. I’d hit the jackpot—and Daniel was going to help me find my best friend once he fell asleep.
Almost too soon, we arrived at a tall building a few blocks over, one of those upscale luxury apartments right on the harbor, too. Daniel put me down when we got into the lobby, then tucked his arm around me, and led me to an elevator that said “PRIVATE.” He tapped a badge against it, then we got in, and he tapped the badge again, pressed his thumbprint against a hidden sensor, and finally, hit the PH button.
