Death of Darkness

by Dianne Duvall

  Her jeans clung to a shapely ass and legs that seemed to go on forever, ending in feet tucked into sneakers instead of high heels. She was so self-conscious about her height that Seth doubted she ever wore the latter.

  Personally, he thought her height perfect.

  Leah grabbed some blue T-shirts. Hips still swaying enticingly, she spun around, then jerked to a halt and let out a squeak of surprise. A wide range of emotions swept across her expressive features as she stared at him. Fear at discovering she wasn’t alone. Recognition and relief. Pleasure at seeing him again. Then a great deal of embarrassment.

  Smiling, he mouthed, “Caught you.”

  Cheeks flushing, she laughed and raised the T-shirts to hide her face.

  The music faded as the song drew to an end.

  “Brittney let me in,” he said. “I hope you don’t mind.”

  She lowered the shirts. “Not at all. But I really wish you hadn’t seen that.”

  “Why? You’re a wonderful dancer.”

  Acoustic guitar music began to play.

  “You’re just trying to make me blush again,” she called over the music.

  He grinned. What was it about her that seemed to instantly lighten his spirits?

  Drums joined the guitar, providing a Latin beat.

  Setting the shirts aside, she started to move toward the back room, no doubt intending to lower the volume. After just a couple of steps, however, she stopped and looked back at him. She eyed him speculatively, then extended a hand to him.

  Seth tilted his head, unsure of her meaning. Did she want him to accompany her to the back room?

  Turning her lithe body to face him, one hand still extended, she began to move her feet in a salsa step that was damned alluring as her hips joined in.

  Surprise flashed through him. She was asking him to dance?

  Smiling, he shook his head.

  Narrowing her eyes playfully, she held out her other hand as well, waggling her fingers in a come on, you know you want to gesture.

  His heart gave an odd little leap. He did, he realized with a great deal of surprise. He did want to.

  Seth straightened away from the wall and would later wonder what imp had seized control of his mind and body. Because all it took was one more waggle of her fingers to compel him to doff his coat.

  The simple truth, however, was that he liked her. Whatever light burned inside her called to him and alleviated—at least for a time—the darkness that seemed to constantly dog his footsteps.

  What the hell are you doing? the voice of reason inquired.

  Ignoring it, he hung up his coat.

  Leah’s pretty face brightened with a delighted smile.

  Abandoning his cares, his concerns, and his many obligations, Seth strode toward her.

  Her eyes widened when he shoved weighted racks of clothing to either side as he did, clearing a dance floor for them.

  A man began to sing in Spanish. Seth recognized this tune, too. “Bamboleo.”

  As soon as he was within touching distance, he took Leah’s hands and drew her close. Their feet began to move in tandem, their hips to sway. Seth knew many of the steps she chose and followed them easily. Salsa. Merengue. Bachata. And the two of them danced as though they’d been doing so together for years. Always touching.

  Leah laughed as he twirled her around and around and back again. Seth grinned, his heart light. Tugging her closer, he slid an arm around her waist and settled his hand above those sexy as hell, swaying hips. She grinned back and smoothed a hand up his chest, curling it around the back of his neck. His skin began to tingle, his heart to race. He spun her again, then again and again before he drew her against him—this time with her back to his front. As they moved, he rested a hand on her flat stomach, slipping it up and splaying his fingers until his thumb rested just beneath her tempting breasts.

  His pulse leapt. Her hair brushed his chin as he drew in a deep breath. Her scent hit him like an aphrodisiac as she inched closer, her ass brushing against him as their hips touched, rocking from side to side.

  Fire flashed through him, heating his blood as long-dormant lust struck hard.

  Seth spun her away to put a little distance between them, clasping both her hands as they returned to the salsa. She seemed completely unaware of the effect she had on him, caught up in the moment, the music, and the dance.

  He twirled her again, grinning when she laughed.

  She moved around behind him and stepped up close. Her pelvis brushed his ass as she slid an arm around him, splaying her fingers on his chest.

  Holy hell, it felt good. He had missed a woman’s touch. And Leah’s affected him so strongly that it was all he could do not to moan. Slipping his hand back between their bodies, he clasped her free hand, ducked, and twirled under their arms to face her, then spun her around and around. When he stopped, she danced away a bit, raising her arms high as she sent him a flirtatious smile.

  It’s not personal, that annoyingly reasonable voice tried to warn him. She isn’t flirting with you. It’s just the dance.

  Seth ignored it and moved forward. Resting his hands on her hips, he drew her close, too tempted to resist.

  She stared up at him, her face flushed, her heart pounding as loudly as his beneath the music.

  So beautiful.

  He slipped a thigh between hers, hips still moving to the beat.

  Her other thigh slipped between his as her breasts brushed against him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she closed her eyes and nuzzled his chest.

  Seth wrapped his other arm around her and settled his hand on the small of her back, as close as he dared to her lovely ass. He wanted so badly to slide his hand down, palm the firm flesh there, and urge her even closer against his hard body. But she had asked him to dance, not to grind on her and simulate sex.

  He spun her away from him, afraid he might be making her uneasy.

  But she smiled, unoffended, when she looked up at him. “Tease,” she called good-naturedly.

  Laughing, he relaxed back into the dance and sent her into a flurry of spins that ended with him bending her back over his arm in a deep dip as the music ended.

  Both were breathless.

  Seth straightened, keeping his arms around her until she was steady, then stepped back.

  Neither spoke.

  Loud trumpets and drums introduced the next song.

  Turning, Leah hurried into the back room. The volume lowered.

  Seth… didn’t know what to think as he struggled to bring his body back under control. What had just happened?

  Leah returned. “That was awesome!” she exclaimed with an infectious grin. “I mean, that was so much fun!”

  He laughed. “Yes, it was.”

  “You really know how to dance,” she said, admiration sparkling in her pretty hazel eyes.

  “As do you,” he replied. “Thank you for coaxing me into joining you.”

  “Thank you for the dance. Whew!” Fanning her face, she reached back to lift her hair off her neck. Perspiration added a slight sheen to her lovely skin. “I needed that. I’m a total workaholic and have been so stressed lately.”

  “Me, too,” he admitted. “I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed myself so much.”

  “Well, anytime you want to do it again, feel free to drop by.”

  He stared at her, his heart jackhammering in his chest. “Really?”

  “Sure.”

  That was damned tempting.

  A trebly version of R.E.M.’s “It’s the End of the World as We Know It” suddenly sounded. Seth frowned as he dug Zach’s phone out of his pocket. “I’m sorry. I have to take this.”

  “Okay.”

  He answered the call. “Yes?”

  “Seth?” Bastien asked.

  “Yes?”

  “Is Zach fielding your calls?” the British immortal asked.

  “Yes. Why? Is there a problem?”

  Zach spoke in the background. “He thought I was Gershom.”r />
  Frowning, Seth turned and paced away a couple of steps. “You what?”

  “I thought he was Gershom,” Bastien confirmed. “When I called you, Zach appeared instead. The gadget didn’t beep and confirm he was him the way it tells me you’re you. And Darnell didn’t warn me he was redirecting my call, so… yeah. I thought he was Gershom. So did Cliff.”

  Seth did swear then and reached up to rub his forehead. He hadn’t thought about the device he now had to carry all the time or the reassurance it offered those he helped. “Is Cliff okay?” The young vampire was fiercely protective of those he loved. If he thought there was even a chance Zach was Gershom and intended Bastien harm, Cliff would’ve probably succumbed to the madness he battled and attacked.

  “Yeah,” Bastien said, his voice telling Seth otherwise.

  Even though he was the most powerful healer on the planet, Seth had been unable to prevent the progressive brain damage the virus caused in humans from slowly robbing Cliff of his sanity. The young vampire had been valiantly fighting tooth and nail to keep it at bay so Melanie and the other researchers at the network could continue their search for a cure. But he was losing the battle. Something like this could affect Cliff for days.

  He’s all right, Zach spoke in Seth’s head. I didn’t hurt him, and I am infusing him with calm even as we speak.

  Thank you. “Do you need me?” he asked Bastien.

  “No. I just thought I should check before I attacked Zach and fucked him up.”

  Zach laughed in the background. “As if you could.”

  “Sorry to bother you,” Bastien said and ended the call.

  Leah watched Seth pocket the phone and did her best to keep her smile friendly and carefree. But her body still burned from his touch.

  Holy crap, he set her on fire. She didn’t know why so many people believed really tall men—at least those who didn’t play professional sports—were clumsy or awkward. Seth moved more smoothly than her dance instructor had, his glorious muscles flexing and rippling beneath his tight T-shirt. Those big hands of his had made her breath catch and sent desire coursing through her. The way his thumb had brushed the underside of her breast, the touch as light as a feather. His long fingers gliding down her back and coming damned close to cupping her ass. And when he had slipped his thigh between hers…

  Sensation had shot through her as he’d brushed against her. Her nipples were still tight from it, her body throbbing with need. But it had just been a dance. And she didn’t want him to see how strongly it had affected her.

  “Everything okay?” she asked when he turned to face her.

  He nodded. “Just work. As usual.”

  As she watched him approach, she couldn’t help but notice he looked as if whatever information the call had conveyed had sucked some of the fun out of the night for him.

  She could relate. She didn’t want to see the fun end either. Speaking of which… “I wasn’t trying to get my cougar on as Brittney would say, by the way, when I invited you to drop by anytime you want to dance.”

  He stared at her. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what that means.”

  She really did love that she had to look up at him. He was so tall that she’d actually felt his chin brush the top of her head when she had nuzzled his chest.

  Oh shit. Mortification struck. She was forty-six and had just nuzzled the chest of what appeared to be a twenty-eight or thirty-year-old man! “I don’t want you to think I’m a cougar.” Most men his age would be appalled if a woman almost as old as their mother hit on them.

  Uncertainty crossed his handsome features. “I still don’t know what that means.”

  She smiled. He said it as though he feared not knowing would offend her. “Cougars are what some people call older women who pursue younger men.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “Oh.” A smile dawned on his handsome face. “Well, you’ve no worries there. You aren’t older than me.”

  She laughed. “Yes, I am.”

  He slid his hands into his pockets. “I’m older than I look, remember?”

  What was he—thirty-one? Thirty-two? That was still younger than her kid brother.

  Leah shook her head, amused. “How old do you think I am?” she asked curiously. “And don’t round down or lie because you’re afraid you’ll insult me or hurt my feelings.”

  He flashed her a grin. “You’re saying you want me to be blunt?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “All right.” He assumed an exaggeratedly somber expression. Raising a hand, he stroked his chin as he narrowed his eyes and studied her like a scientist might a whiteboard sporting a particularly difficult equation.

  She fought a smile.

  “Let’s see.” That dark gaze of his followed a slow path down her body to her feet, then back up again.

  Sheesh. How could he amuse her one second, then turn her on the next with just a look?

  “You have a lovely, tight, fit body,” he said, admiration glinting in his eyes, “and the same energy level as your assistant, who I’m guessing is… twenty-five or thereabouts?”

  “Twenty-five is right,” she said, surprised he’d guessed Brittney’s age correctly and trying not to feel so pleased that he liked her body.

  Closing the distance between them, he touched a fingertip to her chin and nudged it up.

  She drew in a breath. He smelled good. No cologne. Just him. Just Seth.

  He pursed his lips thoughtfully. “Pale, perfect skin. No signs of crow’s-feet or laugh lines.”

  “Because my pale skin sunburns if I spend more than five minutes in the sun,” she said dryly. “So I always covered up instead of laying out and tanning like my friends did when I was younger.” Such tended to age the skin faster, she knew.

  “No gray hairs.”

  “You can thank a certain hair dye for that.”

  His lips twitched as he released her and stepped back. “If I had to guess, based solely on your appearance, I would say you’re thirty years old. The fact that you own a successful and thriving business, however, leads me to believe you’re a decade or more older.”

  “You think I look thirty years old?”

  He nodded.

  “Wow, Seth. You’re my new best friend.”

  He laughed.

  R.E.M.’s “It’s the End of the World as We Know It” arose once more.

  Irritation darkened his features as he shook his head. “I’m sorry. It’s work again. I have to take this.”

  She nodded.

  “Yes?” he answered. “Yes.” A moment passed as he listened. “I know. I’m sorry. I neglected to take that into consideration.” He shook his head but didn’t speak as his gaze lowered to his big boots. She could actually see the muscles in his shoulders begin to tighten as tension returned. “Aside from that, all is well?” He nodded. “All right.” Sighing he pocketed the phone.

  “Bad news?” she asked tentatively.

  For the first time since he’d entered, the smile he sent her looked tired. And his eyes carried so much weariness that it almost convinced her he really was older than he looked. “No. I shouldn’t have taken time off, I guess.”

  “Well, personally, I’m glad you did. Because it made me take a little time off, too.”

  His spirits seemed to lighten. “Then I’m happy I did.”

  “What line of business are you in?”

  “Private security. And like you, I run my own business, so…”

  “You’re a total workaholic, too?”

  He nodded.

  “It’s the End of the World as We Know It” again began to play.

  “Damn it!” he ground out.

  She bit her lip.

  Offering her a little grimace of remorse, he touched her arm in a light caress. “Forgive me. I’m enjoying myself and hate for work to intrude.”

  She smiled. “Don’t worry about it. I understand. I really do.”

  He drew the phone from his pocket and answered it. “Yes, Zach is fielding my calls.
” Turning, he strolled away, head down. His hair was so long and shiny and silky, drawn back in a thick ponytail and falling past his waist. She could almost imagine gripping it in a fist while he took her in his arms and—

  “Yes,” he murmured.

  Her heart sank a little when he reached out with his free hand, grabbed one of the racks of clothing he’d moved earlier, and effortlessly pulled it back into position. Damn, he was strong. Those things were weighted and heavy enough for kids to hang on without tipping them over. Yet he moved them as easily as she did the little plastic chairs she sometimes used for storytime.

  “No. The fault is mine,” he said.

  She had a feeling he was once more thinking It’s my fault for taking time off. Poor guy.

  He moved another rack. “Everything is fine otherwise?” And moved another rack. “All right. Zach, I know you’re listening. Meet me at David’s. This isn’t going to work. I shall be there shortly.”

  She even liked the way he talked. Not just the accent, but the words and phrases he chose.

  Pocketing his phone, he turned to face her. “I’m afraid I must leave.”

  “That’s too bad.” Crap. She hadn’t meant to say that out loud.

  He smiled. “My sentiments exactly.”

  Leah strolled past him as he finished moving the last few racks back into place. Lifting his coat from the hook by the door, she held it up for him.

  “Thank you.” Giving her his back, he slid his arms into the sleeves and shrugged it on.

  Leah couldn’t resist touching him one last time and did so in the guise of brushing lint off a broad shoulder. “I didn’t ask what brought you here tonight.”

  “Adira’s favorite unicorn toy is missing. I thought perhaps we had left it behind earlier.”

  “Is it pink with a key chain clip and a flower on its butt?”

  Grinning, he faced her. “Yes.”

  “I found it earlier.” She headed around the counter to fetch it from the lost-and-found box she kept there. “Here it is.” She held it out to him.

  Seth took it with another thank-you. Before she could withdraw her hand, he caught it and pressed a kiss to the back of it. “Thank you again for the dance.”