little too loudly. This was one night she wanted to be left alone.
* * * *
Darus was zoned out on the TV when someone pounded on his front door. The violent knocking was startling enough, the fact that it was his front door made it even more alarming. No one used his front door. No one he knew anyway.
Had he latched the shutters after Clare fled? Shit, he hadn't. At least the deadbolt auto locked. There were plenty of crazy people in the Quarter. He might normally be one of them, but he wasn't hopped up on PCP or bath salts. He couldn't say the same about the stranger outside trying to beat down his door.
Peeling away the curtain, he peered through the crack.
"Fuck." Jerking the deadbolt free, he yanked open the door. "Jesus, calm your shit. What do you want?"
Armand's stance reminded Darus of an agitated gorilla. He'd probably beat his chest at any moment. Shit, maybe he'd been too hasty opening the door. Armand's repressed temper was more dangerous than PCP or bath salts.
"What did you do to Clare?"
He started to snap a retort and then stopped himself. Getting Armand riled up wasn't going to help his case, and the last time he'd responded to Armand's accusation with a smart-ass comment, he wound up with a broken nose and a nice cozy cot in jail. Dropping his chin to his chest, he stepped back and opened the door wide. "Why don't you come in."
Crickets? Were those crickets he heard?
He lifted his head. When his gaze met Armand's, the other man seemed to snap out of a daze and shoved past him. He stomped around the living room and then wheeled on him. "She was here, wasn't she?"
Darus quietly shut the front door. He wasn't surprised Armand could smell Clare since her scent was so similar to Julia's. "Of course she was here. Willingly, and happily I might add, until I said something stupid. Which really shouldn't surprise anyone. Especially not you."
Armand closed the distance between them, just as threatening as the silverback gorilla he resembled. "She came home completely undone. What fucked up mind game did you pull?"
At one time, very recently in fact, Armand intimidated the shit out of him. He was bigger, in many ways he was meaner, and his temper and sense of righteousness could be downright dangerous.
Darus may have opened his mouth foolishly, but he hadn't done Clare wrong and wasn't going to let the amazing evening they'd spent together be twisted into something sordid. Well, beyond the natural sordidness of hot, dirty sex.
"You need the back the fuck off," Darus said. "You are in my house, under my invitation, leave the testosterone at the door." Armand cocked an eyebrow. "Yes, I said something stupid but I doubt it's what you think. I didn't mean to upset her. I really didn't. I'm crazy about your sister-in-law, bat-shit crazy. I'm sure as hell not going to apologize for it. And I'm pretty sure she doesn't hate me, either. But I jumped the gun. Even knowing what she's been through, I couldn't seem to help myself and divulged my desire to be with her and only her. When she balked and expressed an interest in maintaining her freedom, I got jealous. It freaked her out. Rightfully so."
The intensity of Armand's scrutiny could be felt across the room. His brow knitted together, he blinked a few times, and then asked, "That's it?"
"Yes. And I don't care what you say, or Julia thinks, if I can find a way to be the man Clare needs, I won't hesitate to pursue her. In fact, whatever it takes. I don't think there's anything I wouldn't do for her."
Armand blinked a few more times. "I..."
"You what?"
"I…don't know what to say."
"There's a first time for everything."
Armand almost smiled. He shook his head and jabbed his finger at Darus, started to say something then stopped, curling his finger back into his fist, which he bounced against his chin.
"Just say it. You won't tell me anything I haven't told myself."
"Angel thinks you have changed, and while I believe she's overly optimistic, I also
* * * *
Darus was zoned out on the TV when someone pounded on his front door. The violent knocking was startling enough, the fact that it was his front door made it even more alarming. No one used his front door. No one he knew anyway.
Had he latched the shutters after Clare fled? Shit, he hadn't. At least the deadbolt auto locked. There were plenty of crazy people in the Quarter. He might normally be one of them, but he wasn't hopped up on PCP or bath salts. He couldn't say the same about the stranger outside trying to beat down his door.
Peeling away the curtain, he peered through the crack.
"Fuck." Jerking the deadbolt free, he yanked open the door. "Jesus, calm your shit. What do you want?"
Armand's stance reminded Darus of an agitated gorilla. He'd probably beat his chest at any moment. Shit, maybe he'd been too hasty opening the door. Armand's repressed temper was more dangerous than PCP or bath salts.
"What did you do to Clare?"
He started to snap a retort and then stopped himself. Getting Armand riled up wasn't going to help his case, and the last time he'd responded to Armand's accusation with a smart-ass comment, he wound up with a broken nose and a nice cozy cot in jail. Dropping his chin to his chest, he stepped back and opened the door wide. "Why don't you come in."
Crickets? Were those crickets he heard?
He lifted his head. When his gaze met Armand's, the other man seemed to snap out of a daze and shoved past him. He stomped around the living room and then wheeled on him. "She was here, wasn't she?"
Darus quietly shut the front door. He wasn't surprised Armand could smell Clare since her scent was so similar to Julia's. "Of course she was here. Willingly, and happily I might add, until I said something stupid. Which really shouldn't surprise anyone. Especially not you."
Armand closed the distance between them, just as threatening as the silverback gorilla he resembled. "She came home completely undone. What fucked up mind game did you pull?"
At one time, very recently in fact, Armand intimidated the shit out of him. He was bigger, in many ways he was meaner, and his temper and sense of righteousness could be downright dangerous.
Darus may have opened his mouth foolishly, but he hadn't done Clare wrong and wasn't going to let the amazing evening they'd spent together be twisted into something sordid. Well, beyond the natural sordidness of hot, dirty sex.
"You need the back the fuck off," Darus said. "You are in my house, under my invitation, leave the testosterone at the door." Armand cocked an eyebrow. "Yes, I said something stupid but I doubt it's what you think. I didn't mean to upset her. I really didn't. I'm crazy about your sister-in-law, bat-shit crazy. I'm sure as hell not going to apologize for it. And I'm pretty sure she doesn't hate me, either. But I jumped the gun. Even knowing what she's been through, I couldn't seem to help myself and divulged my desire to be with her and only her. When she balked and expressed an interest in maintaining her freedom, I got jealous. It freaked her out. Rightfully so."
The intensity of Armand's scrutiny could be felt across the room. His brow knitted together, he blinked a few times, and then asked, "That's it?"
"Yes. And I don't care what you say, or Julia thinks, if I can find a way to be the man Clare needs, I won't hesitate to pursue her. In fact, whatever it takes. I don't think there's anything I wouldn't do for her."
Armand blinked a few more times. "I..."
"You what?"
"I…don't know what to say."
"There's a first time for everything."
Armand almost smiled. He shook his head and jabbed his finger at Darus, started to say something then stopped, curling his finger back into his fist, which he bounced against his chin.
"Just say it. You won't tell me anything I haven't told myself."
"Angel thinks you have changed, and while I believe she's overly optimistic, I also
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