Imagine ending a relationship with him.Josh had been difficult to part from, but he was only a man.Darius seemed much more than that, a larger-than-life heartbreaker.
He continued toward the restaurant.For a moment I thought he might enter.But he walked purposefully past, his eyes shuttered, a dim frown on his hard face.
Before he left my view, he turned his head to peer at the restaurant full of earnest gawkers and muttered something under his breath.Returning his attention to the sidewalk, he took a few steps and left my sight, much to my simultaneous disappointment and relief.
But seeing his face stunned me anew, and I had to force myself to swallow the eggs congealing in my mouth.
Since when did Darius Storm have blue eyes?
Chapter5
Darius
Icursed at the light spearing through the window right into my face.I loved the outdoors, particularly the heat from the golden sun hovering in the sky, but not first thing in the morning.
With a grunt, I threw off my covers and slid out of bed.Needing something to soothe my grumbling stomach, I threw on a pair of jeans and stomped downstairs into the kitchen.Never pleasant in the morning, I was doubly foul today after suffering heated fantasies of Samantha Brooks all night.
As much as I felt an attraction, I now felt annoyance, frustration, and anger at the infuriating woman for invading my sleep—rest I prized dearly.
“Well, well, well,” Cadmus drawled from the kitchen table.He sat with a mug of steaming coffee as he perused the newspaper.“It’s nearly noon and you’re finally awake.If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were turning into the nocturnal Djinn.”
I glared at Cadmus and subtly focused on my brother’s mug, in no mood for humor.
With a curse, Cadmus let go of the now scalding cup and glared back.“What’s got you so irritable?You just woke up.”
I poured some coffee and smiled through my teeth.“I had a lousy night, okay?And what the hell are you doing here?I thought you had a job.”
Cadmus shrugged.“I’ve decided to try another occupation.I wasn’t meeting many women building houses.”He grimaced.“The primitive construction techniques here boggle the mind.”
“Not so primitive,” Aerolus denied as he joined us in the kitchen.“It’s a lot easier to build things when you rely on sorcery.It’s more difficult to create from bare wood, clay, and water.”
Cadmus and I shared a glance.
“And to what do we owe this honor?”I asked dryly as I watched Aerolus settle next to Cadmus with a small smile on his mouth.
“Arim contacted me this morning.”
I immediately pounced, excitement replacing my frustration.Only Arim could return us home.“What did he say?Did he give you the spell to take us back?”
The shifty sorcerer kept in contact as often as he could with promises of return to Tanselm.He and Mother continued to lead the fight against the Netharat, who had apparently retreated to regroup.
“No.”Aerolus paused, his eyes thoughtful as he stared at me.“Apparently, the spell is within each of us.”
“What the hell does that mean?”I asked.
Aerolus shrugged.“He intends to visit as soon as the situation settles.Our spellcasters have just recently reinforced the borders.”
Cadmus snorted.“They should have done that months ago.What the hell have they been doing in our absence?I knew we never should have left.”
Aerolus sighed.“Cadmus, it’s as I’ve said before.Time here moves much more quickly than at home.A year has passed here, whereas only a few weeks have passed in Tanselm.To our benefit, that gives us more time to find our affai.”
“Come on, Aerolus,” I chided.“You don’t really believe the women here capable of sating a Storm Lord, do you?Even in Tanselm, only a select few could handle our powers.”
“Yet that didn’t stop you from bedding as many as you could find.”My brother’s stare made me flush, an uncomfortable feeling of guilt swamping me.But what should I feel guilty about?The women I’d bedded had enjoyed every minute of bedsport and had known exactly what to expect from me.
Pleasure I’d certainly delivered.Nothing more.
Aerolus didn’t so much as blink when he added, “Tell us of your adventure last night.”
