I felt my face heat and tried to shrug off the embarrassment as I headed into the bathroom.But I couldn’t believe how real the dream had felt.As I stood under the shower’s warm stream, I could easily recall every detail about Darius Storm, what he looked like, what he smelled like, what he tasted like.
I stilled.I hadn’t had one ofthosedreams in months.
Then a detail of the dream flashed before me.Darius Storm had stared down at me with red eyes.Ha.Not real.No possibility of it coming true.I immediately relaxed, relieved the dream was nothing but my horny subconscious screaming for sex.
I forced myself to focus on the here and now.
“Mundane details,” I muttered as the water massaged my scalp.“Find an apartment, check on storage, and forget about gorgeous dream men and their amazingly skilled mouths.”I ran my fingers through my hair, rinsing out the shampoo as if rinsing away the pleasure I’d recently felt.“And no more orgasms.”
Orgasms led to needs and desires I’d been working hard to suppress.Hell, I didn’t even touch myself anymore.
After a year with Josh-the -Asshole, I’d thoroughly finished searching for Mr.Right.The fact of the matter was I kept settling for Mr.Right Now, despite my desire not to lower my standards.
I didn’t understand my inability to find someone worthy of my affection.I didn’t ask for much.A man to love me, to respect me, and most importantly, I wanted someone in whom I could trust.I thought about my needs and secrets, the deepest core of myself I’d never shown anyone.
Only a man who truly shared my spirit would understand that which drove me.A strong, intelligent partner to comprehend the oddities that made up the woman who saw things others didn’t.
I turned off the water and shivered while I sought a fresh towel.I couldn’t help wondering whether Darius Storm had any hidden depths.On the surface, he seemed a playboy too confident of his desirability.Sure, he was beautiful with a body to match, but was there anything more beneath his perfect face?
At thoughts of him, my body tingled, and I swore as I dressed in jeans and a heavy sweater.The man had taken advantage of me last night, coming on to me after scaring me half to death in the basement.So what that I’d felt exceedingly needy?It made sense considering how long I’d been without sex.
Adding a man like Darius Storm to the mix was like adding a match to a pile of kindling drenched in kerosene.
No, I’d do better to live on my own.I’d build a secure life for myself both financially and emotionally before I even thought about dating again.Shrugging on a thin parka designed to keep out the cold and wrapping my neck in a scarf, I exited the room with a fresh outlook.
I had returned to Seattle to begin anew.New client, new apartment, new attitude.Smiling, I descended to the ground floor and left the hotel with a spring in my step despite the wintry weather.
Avoiding several patches of ice, I made my way toward a small but trendy restaurant and ordered a large coffee and a late breakfast.
I sat by the window as I ate, hungry not only for food but also for the familiar sight of the city I’d missed for the last few years.At the time of my break-up, distance had seemed just the cure for a battered heart.But now that I’d returned, I realized how much I’d missed my adopted home.
Raised in the Northeast, I’d grown accustomed to harsh winters and clustered traffic.Seattle had plenty of cold rain and traffic jams, yet the spacious outdoors and clear, crisp air made up for the growing population.
I’d never regret the job that had taken me from Philadelphia.It had been exciting to travel across the country to Washington.Seattle’s bright mix of artistic temperament and lucrative marketing concerns had made my transition to the West Coast remarkably easy.
After three years with the same company, I’d moved onward and upward.Or so I’d thought.
Though my potential for promotion had been stymied thanks to the sexist jerks running the business, I’d received plenty of experience and made enough contacts to start my own consulting firm, one that had recently brought me back to Seattle.
Digging into my Spanish omelet with gusto, I started to feel a renewed sense of energy when a commotion outside distracted me.
Swallowing a mouthful of coffee, I watched as a woman dressed in a thick wool coat, which likely cost five times what my parka had, argued with a well-dressed man who stood with his back to the restaurant window.
His height and posture reminded me of Darius, but I couldn’t see Darius Storm owning a fancy suit, let alone wearing one.From what I’d heard of him through Jerry and seen of him last night, he was strictly a jeans and T-shirt kind of guy.
This man wore a dark designer suit, carried a trench coat over one arm and a briefcase in the other hand.
Agitated, he donned his trench coat and ran a hand through his thick black hair while gesturing something at the woman.Damn, I wish he’d turn so I could see his face.
I glanced around me, not surprised to see others staring at the scene outside.The woman’s voice had risen so that occasional shrieks of outrage could be heard even through the thick glass of the restaurant window.
I pushed at the remainder of my omelet as I watched the crumbling woman and forced myself to take another bite, trying hard to distance herself from the woman’s hurt.Men aren’t worth it.Trust me, lady, I know.
When the woman started crying, the man finally pulled away from her and strode in the direction of the restaurant.Several gasps floated around her, but I could only stare in astonishment.
I’d been wrong.
Darius did own a suit and looked like a million bucks wearing it.He appeared just as dangerous as the last time I’d seen him, but now he wore a subtle sheen of sophistication from his wing-tipped black shoes to his neatly brushed hair.A corporate shark who’d just ripped the heart from another victim.
