She turned around and her hands automatically tightened on the clipboard the moment she did so. She then swallowed deeply as the nervous sensations stirring in her stomach escalated. How was it possible that he looked even better today than yesterday? He was casually but impeccably dressed. A different pair of jeans and a different shirt, but the utterly breathtaking look was still there. All lean. Well-defined muscles. Perfect abs. And with the tan-colored Stetson sitting on his head, tilted at an angle that shadowed his dark brows, she couldn’t help but admit he was truly a fine, handsome specimen of a man.
“Thank you for the compliment. You look nice, also,” she heard herself say, determined not to get in a sparring match with him. “Will you need to be in my office today?”
“No, I’ll be working in the other offices the majority of the day, other than when I start setting up the accounting for the TCC. It will be a while before I start on that.”
She nodded, not wanting to prolong her time with him. “Then I guess I need to let you get started.”
“How about lunch?”
She stared up at him, certain she had misunderstood. “Excuse me?”
He smiled and she felt a semblance of heat stirring in her blood, through her veins, in a number of other places she didn’t want to think about. “I asked if you wanted to do lunch with me.”
“Why?” She couldn’t help but ask.
“Why not? You gotta eat and so do I.”
“But that doesn’t mean we have to share a meal,” she pointed out.
His smile widened and the heat stirring in her blood intensified. “No, but it would mean that we’re trying to put the past behind us and move on,” he said. “It’s not like we’re going to become bosom buddies, because we aren’t. But I’ll be hanging around here for the next couple of weeks, so we might as well learn how to get along. I’m not going anywhere and I doubt you are, either. So, what about lunch?”
“I’m not sure that would be a good idea, Darius.”
“What was it that you said yesterday? Oh, yes, your very words were, ‘We’re professionals and are mature enough to make the best of it.’”
Summer breathed in deeply. Yes, those had been her very words.
“I promise not to bite.”
She opened her mouth to say something and changed her mind, quickly shutting it. A twist of emotions rumbled in her chest and she knew why. Darius was offering the olive branch, the chance to move on and put what they’d once shared behind them since there was no way it could ever happen again. And deep down she knew she needed that.
She couldn’t continue carrying the bitterness of the last seven years. If they were doomed to live in the same town and would be running into each other on occasion, at least they could be civil to each other. But there was no chance of them ever getting back together. For her, the pain had gone too deep.
“Lunch will be fine,” she heard herself say, hoping she didn’t live to regret it.
“Great. You pick the place, just as long as they sell good hamburgers.”
She couldn’t help the smile that touched her lips. Some things evidently never changed and his love for hamburgers was one of them. “Too much ground beef isn’t good for you,” she said, quoting what she’d told him over a hundred times in the past.
And as expected, he rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I know, and the key words are too much. I’ve become a physical fitness addict, so I don’t indulge in too many things that aren’t good for me, but there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a big, juicy hamburger every once in a while.”
Summer decided not to say anything more on the matter. It was evident by his perfect body that he was into physical fitness. “I guess not. I’ll be in the lobby at noon.”
* * *
Darius stretched his neck to work out the kinks as he leaned back in the chair, away from the computer. He glanced up at the clock. It was almost noon.
He stood and stretched his entire body, refusing to acknowledge the anticipation he felt over joining Summer for lunch. Instead, he tried convincing himself that his nerves were the result of knowing he was slowly but surely breaking down her defenses and in good time, he would have the upper hand.
He was leaving the small office when his ears picked up the sound of commotion coming from the front of the building, near the lobby. He quickened his stride and when he rounded the corner, he saw a man standing outside the building with a baseball bat in his hand, threatening to break the glass door if he wasn’t allowed to come in to get his wife and children. Summer, Darius saw, was talking to the man on the intercom, trying to reason with him.
He watched her, amazed at how calmly she was speaking to the man, clearly determined not to get ruffled by the vulgar language he was using and the threats he was making.
He glanced over at Marcy, who was sitting at her desk. “Have the police been called?” he asked, shifting his attention back to the scene being played out a few feet away. “And where the hell is security?” he continued, keeping his gaze fixed on Summer. She continued to appear composed as she tried to settle the man down and convince him to go away.
“The police are on their way. Our security guard called in sick this morning.”
Darius looked at Marcy. “They didn’t send a replacement?”
“Not yet.”
Darius frowned. Huntington and his group had voted against the idea of Darius’s firm being in charge of all the security for the shelter. Instead, Huntington had recommended a security company the TCC had used in the past, claiming it was top-notch. The majority of the members had gone along with him except for Lance, Kevin, Mitch and Justin. When they had been outvoted, as a compromise, they had pushed for the club to consider Darius to handle the security for all the computers and to set up the billing system.
Huntington had fought hard against it, saying Darius was too new to the club to take on such tasks, but he had lost the fight when Alex Montoya had sided with them instead of Huntington’s group. Darius got the feeling that in addition to the bad blood between Alex and the Brodys, there was bad blood between Alex and Huntington. But then it seemed Huntington had a beef against anyone under the age of forty who joined the club.
The sound of breaking glass recaptured Darius’s attention and in a flash he raced forward and placed himself in front of Summer just as the man who was wielding the bat forced his way through the broken glass toward her.
“Be a man and hit me instead of a woman. I dare you,” Darius snarled through gritted teeth, not trying to hide the searing rage coursing through him.
The man evidently thought twice about following through on Darius’s offer and dropped the bat, taking a step back. Within seconds, the shelter was swarming with police officers. Two of them quickly came through the broken glass door to apprehend the man, who didn’t put up a fight.
Darius turned to Summer. “Are you all right?” he asked in a low voice. He hadn’t realized just how angry he was until now. If that man had harmed a single strand of hair on her head, Darius would have gone ballistic.
In a way, Darius wished the man had taken him up on his offer. That would have given him the excuse he needed to flatten him. The man had just proven what a coward he was. He was willing to take a bat to a woman, but had wasted no time backing away instead of squaring off with a man equal to his size and weight.
He watched Summer breathe in deeply. “Yes, I’m fine. It’s not unusual for a husband to show up wanting to see his wife and children, and when we tell them they can’t, most move on. Once in a while, we get someone like Mr. Green who refuses to abide by our rules and causes problems. Usually when that happens, security handles it.”
Darius nodded. He would be calling a special meeting of the TCC to make sure something like this didn’t happen again. He didn’t want to think what could have happened had he not been there. There was no doubt in his mind that the man inten
ded to use that bat on someone.
Before he could say anything, a police officer approached them to obtain their statements. After recording all the facts, the officer advised Summer that she would need to go down to police headquarters so formal charges against the man could be filed.
No sooner had the officer walked away than a woman Darius recognized as a staff member walked up. “Excuse me, Ms. Martindale, but some of the women are upset. They heard a man was trying to force his way inside.”
Summer nodded. “Okay, I’m on my way to meet with them.”
She then turned back to Darius. “Thanks for your help. I really didn’t think he would go so far as to break down the glass. I was hoping that I’d be able to talk some sense into him.”
She glanced at her watch. “I need to calm down the women and then go to the police station. I guess lunch is off now.”
He shook his head. “No, it’s not. Go meet with the women and then I’ll drive you to headquarters. Afterward, on the way back, we’ll grab something to eat.”
“Okay. Thanks.” She started to walk away and then glanced at all the glass around the door.
“Go on. I’ll make sure this mess is cleaned up and get the glass replaced,” he said.
She gave him an appreciative smile before hurrying off with the staff member.
When she’d rounded the corner, Darius released a curse and pulled the cell phone from his belt, hitting the speed dial for Lance’s number. His best friend answered on the first ring. “Hey, what’s up, Darius?”
“There was an incident here at the shelter and security was not in place. We need to call a TCC meeting.”
* * *
“I thought we were never going to get out of there,” Summer said as they left police headquarters. Darius led her over to his car.
After calming down the women and children, she’d had to meet personally with Gail Green to let her know what her husband had done. Then Summer had to assure Gail that the shelter wouldn’t be putting her and her two children out because of the incident.
Gail and her two little boys had arrived at the shelter three days ago after fleeing from their home in the middle of the night. The bruises on her body were evidence enough that she’d been in an abusive situation, but like a number of other women who sought refuge at the shelter, she had refused to press charges.
“I thought they handled everything in a timely manner,” Darius said, smiling faintly as he opened the car door for her.
She rolled her eyes. “Spoken like a true ex-cop.”
He chuckled before closing her door and moving around the car to the other side. The clock on his console indicated it was after three and they still hadn’t eaten lunch.
“Where to?” he asked when he got settled behind the wheel with his seat belt in place. “And don’t say back to the shelter because it won’t happen. I’m taking you somewhere so we can grab something to eat. I’m hungry even if you’re not.”
As if on cue, her stomach growled and Summer couldn’t help but grin. “Sorry. I guess that means I’m hungry, too. Have you tried that café around the corner from the shelter? The Red Sky.”
“No. I’ve passed by it a few times but have never eaten there.”
“Then I guess this is your lucky day because that’s where I want to go.”
“All I want to know is do they make good hamburgers?” he asked, easing his car into traffic.
“I’ve never eaten one of their burgers. I’m a salad girl.”
He glanced over at her and grinned. “So, you haven’t kicked that habit?”
“You want to consult Dr. Oz to determine which of us is eating healthier?”
“No.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. “I figured as much.”
It felt good to laugh. She would never admit it to anyone, especially to Darius, but Samuel Green had truly frightened her and she was glad Darius had been there. When Mr. Green had burst through that door after breaking the glass, she’d had flashbacks to that time with Tyrone when she’d been exposed to his true colors. She had seen his anger out of control, and that anger had been directed at her. A backhand blow had sent her sprawling across the room but she had been quick enough to make it to the door before he could do anything else.
That had been the one and only time Tyrone had raised a hand to her, and she made sure it was the last. A courier had returned her engagement ring to him in the same box it had come in and later that same day, he’d been notified of the restraining order she’d filed. Thinking about it now, she appreciated the fact that she’d gotten out of an abusive situation. She had known when it was time to part ways even if Tyrone hadn’t.
She glanced over at Darius. “Did you get much work done today?”
He shrugged. “Not as much as I would have liked, but that’s okay. Typically, a job of this sort wouldn’t take a whole lot of time, but security is a concern at the shelter, as it should be.”
There was no way she would argue with that.
“And as far as the billing system goes,” he continued, “I understand the TCC has money, but they want a firm accounting of how their money is being spent.”
“Yes, and rightly so,” she said, wondering if he thought she felt otherwise. “This shelter is fortunate to be funded by such a distinguished group of men. Do you know any of them?”
He lifted a brow. “Any of whom?”
“Members of the TCC?”
“Why would I know any of them?”
She noted that he sounded offended by her question. “I didn’t mean if you knew them personally. I was just wondering if you’ve ever met any of them. After all, you were hired by them.”
He didn’t say anything for a moment. “Yes, I’ve met some of them. They’re okay for a bunch of rich guys, and I respect the club for all the things they do in the community. It’s my understanding that some of the members prefer not having their identities known. They like doing things behind the scenes without any recognition.”
Summer nodded. She could respect that, knowing there were a number of wealthy people who preferred being anonymous donors. She appreciated everything the TCC had done so far and all the things they planned to do. She was definitely looking forward to her meeting with Mr. Novak on Friday. Presently, Helping Hands could accommodate up to fifteen women and children that needed shelter care. Already the TCC had plans in the works to expand the shelter’s facilities to triple that amount.
“You’ve gotten quiet,” he said.
She glanced over at Darius and couldn’t help but feel a rush of gratitude. He had stood back and let her handle things until the situation had gotten out of control. She appreciated his intervening when he did, playing the role of knight in shining armor once again.
She continued looking at him. His eyes were on the road and her mind couldn’t help but shift to another time when he’d been driving her someplace. It had been their first official date. They had gone out for pizza and afterward he had taken her home. She had invited him inside and later, sitting beside him on the sofa, the kissing had begun. A short while later she had been lying beneath him in her bed as he made love to her in a way she hadn’t known was possible. The intensity of the memories of that night was almost enough to push everything that had happened over the past seven years into the background.
Almost, but not quite.
“Summer?”
She blinked when she realized they had come to a traffic light and he had glanced over at her, catching her staring. “Yes?”
“Are you sure you’re okay? I guess incidents such as what happened earlier are expected to some degree, which is the reason I’m installing state-of-the-art security software on all the computers—to reduce the risk that the location of the women seeking refuge is discovered. But still, it has to be unnerving when one of the husbands or boyfriends shows up.”
If you only knew. “Yes, and what’s really sad is the fact that the women have to go into hiding at all. The Greens have two beautiful little boys and today their father showed up demanding them back with, of all things, one of their baseball bats. The person we saw today was not a loving father or husband but a violent and dangerous man.”
Summer frowned and then she sighed deeply. Tonight she would get a good night’s sleep and try to forget the incident ever happened. Fat chance. She would remember it and she would imagine what could have happened had Darius not been there.
“Here we are.”
She looked around. Darius had pulled into the café’s parking lot and brought the car to a stop. She glanced over at him. He was staring at her with an intensity that sent shivers of awareness through her body.
Sexual chemistry was brewing between them again. She could feel his body heat emanating from across the car. Summer forced the thought to the back of her mind.
“Umm, I guess we should go on inside,” she forced her mouth to say. The way he was looking at her made her want to suggest that they go somewhere else, but she fought the temptation and held tight to her common sense.
She decided now was as good a time as any to thank him. “I really do appreciate what you did today, Darius, and I want to—”
“No, don’t thank me.”
His words stopped her short. “Why?”
“Because I didn’t do any more than what was needed. No more than any other man would have done.”
She contemplated his words. He was a man of action. Twice she had seen him in full swing and neither time had he accepted her words of gratitude. “I will thank you, Darius Franklin, because you deserve to be thanked.”
And before he could respond, she got out of the car.
* * *
“Hey, Ms. Martindale, do you want your usual spot?” Tina asked when Summer walked in.
“Whatever is available,” Summer answered, feeling the heat of Darius’s chest close to her back. His nearness was almost unsettling.
One More Night Page 4