up cheese."
He laughed. "Cheese would be tough." The smile suddenly dropped from his face. "How often did that guy hit you?" he asked.
"Only the one time. He was more of a shover. He really liked to grab my arm and fling me around. His specialty though, was verbal abuse."
"Why'd you put up with it?"
"I didn't. I'm here."
His hand covered the one she rested on the granite bar. "I'm glad," he said, giving her hand a little squeeze. He ran his thumb over her skin. She liked the feel of his flesh on hers. It sent little tingles up her arm. "I'll happily take a punch for you anytime."
"What the fuck?"
They both turned to see Armand standing in the doorway, his face enraged. Clare had never even seen him angry, let alone looking like he was about to rip the heads off a pack of wild dogs. Julia's head popped around his back and any beauty she'd possessed earlier in the night was replaced with disgusted horror.
"Oh my God! Clare!"
Darus rose as Armand charged toward them, Julia on his heels. Holding his hands up in surrender, he said, "Relax. I'm leaving."
"Why the fuck are you even in my house?"
"I brought him here," Clare said. "Chris came by and—"
Armand didn't seem to hear her. He was focused on Darus with such burning intensity it was frightening. "You are never to step foot in here again, do you understand? If I ever see you anywhere near my living room I will fuck up what's left of your face."
"No problem." Darus was already heading for the door. Armand shadowed him, hands clenched into tight fists, nostrils flared, chest heaving like a bull ready to charge. Darus pulled open the door leading back into the courtyard. "Thanks for the cold pack, Clare," he said.
"Thanks for using your face as a shield."
He didn't seem to be paying attention to Armand staring him down. "Any time, love." Finally, he glanced at the other man. "Nice place," he said, and disappeared outside.
After a few moments of staring out the door—presumably to make sure Darus left the property—Armand turned to her. The violent hatred was gone from him expression, but his eyes were not nice. "Want to tell me what is going on?" He sounded calm enough.
"Why the hell would you bring him in here?" Julia's tone was not so calm. In fact, she was downright shrill. "After what we talked about tonight?"
"Look, it isn't what you think—"
"Isn't what we think?" Julia's hands were waving around so much, she looked like she might take flight any minute. "He was holding your hand and looking at you with googly eyes. I can't believe you'd even consider…"
This was fucking ridiculous. After everything, she didn't need this kind of scrutiny.
"Look," Clare interjected. "Before you both get your panties bunched so far up your asses you need a plunger to retrieve them, I invited him up here because Chris showed up, thought he was going to use me as a punching bag, and Darus got between us. In fact, he took a punch squarely in the face for me. The least I could do was offer some ice."
"Chris was here?"
"Yes. In fact, I should probably file a police report."
"Are you okay?"
"I am. Thanks to Darus. If he hadn't showed up, I don't know what would have happened."
Some of the anger drained from her face. She sat on a barstool. "I'm so glad you're all right."
"Me too," Armand said quietly, looking pensive. "I wonder what he's up to," he muttered, seemingly to himself.
"Who? Darus? Ever stop to think he might just be being nice? Or that he likes me?"
He gave her a patronizing smile. "He's too narcissistic for that."
"I agree," Julia piped in. "He's got to be up to something."
Clare tossed the thawing bag of edamame on the counter. "Nice." She'd never realized her sister could be such an unforgiving, judgmental bitch. No wait, she did know that. She was just appalled Julia couldn't even imagine Darus' motives might not be evil.
"I'm going to bed," she told them, heading for the stairs.
The police could wait, and arguing with her sister and
He laughed. "Cheese would be tough." The smile suddenly dropped from his face. "How often did that guy hit you?" he asked.
"Only the one time. He was more of a shover. He really liked to grab my arm and fling me around. His specialty though, was verbal abuse."
"Why'd you put up with it?"
"I didn't. I'm here."
His hand covered the one she rested on the granite bar. "I'm glad," he said, giving her hand a little squeeze. He ran his thumb over her skin. She liked the feel of his flesh on hers. It sent little tingles up her arm. "I'll happily take a punch for you anytime."
"What the fuck?"
They both turned to see Armand standing in the doorway, his face enraged. Clare had never even seen him angry, let alone looking like he was about to rip the heads off a pack of wild dogs. Julia's head popped around his back and any beauty she'd possessed earlier in the night was replaced with disgusted horror.
"Oh my God! Clare!"
Darus rose as Armand charged toward them, Julia on his heels. Holding his hands up in surrender, he said, "Relax. I'm leaving."
"Why the fuck are you even in my house?"
"I brought him here," Clare said. "Chris came by and—"
Armand didn't seem to hear her. He was focused on Darus with such burning intensity it was frightening. "You are never to step foot in here again, do you understand? If I ever see you anywhere near my living room I will fuck up what's left of your face."
"No problem." Darus was already heading for the door. Armand shadowed him, hands clenched into tight fists, nostrils flared, chest heaving like a bull ready to charge. Darus pulled open the door leading back into the courtyard. "Thanks for the cold pack, Clare," he said.
"Thanks for using your face as a shield."
He didn't seem to be paying attention to Armand staring him down. "Any time, love." Finally, he glanced at the other man. "Nice place," he said, and disappeared outside.
After a few moments of staring out the door—presumably to make sure Darus left the property—Armand turned to her. The violent hatred was gone from him expression, but his eyes were not nice. "Want to tell me what is going on?" He sounded calm enough.
"Why the hell would you bring him in here?" Julia's tone was not so calm. In fact, she was downright shrill. "After what we talked about tonight?"
"Look, it isn't what you think—"
"Isn't what we think?" Julia's hands were waving around so much, she looked like she might take flight any minute. "He was holding your hand and looking at you with googly eyes. I can't believe you'd even consider…"
This was fucking ridiculous. After everything, she didn't need this kind of scrutiny.
"Look," Clare interjected. "Before you both get your panties bunched so far up your asses you need a plunger to retrieve them, I invited him up here because Chris showed up, thought he was going to use me as a punching bag, and Darus got between us. In fact, he took a punch squarely in the face for me. The least I could do was offer some ice."
"Chris was here?"
"Yes. In fact, I should probably file a police report."
"Are you okay?"
"I am. Thanks to Darus. If he hadn't showed up, I don't know what would have happened."
Some of the anger drained from her face. She sat on a barstool. "I'm so glad you're all right."
"Me too," Armand said quietly, looking pensive. "I wonder what he's up to," he muttered, seemingly to himself.
"Who? Darus? Ever stop to think he might just be being nice? Or that he likes me?"
He gave her a patronizing smile. "He's too narcissistic for that."
"I agree," Julia piped in. "He's got to be up to something."
Clare tossed the thawing bag of edamame on the counter. "Nice." She'd never realized her sister could be such an unforgiving, judgmental bitch. No wait, she did know that. She was just appalled Julia couldn't even imagine Darus' motives might not be evil.
"I'm going to bed," she told them, heading for the stairs.
The police could wait, and arguing with her sister and
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