Sterling by Dannika Dark

bone things and put it in your nose. No offence, it’s just that for some reason I don’t get the piercing vibe from you. I’m not sure what kind of image you’re trying to project but you don’t need it.”
    “Can I buy you dinner?”
    I blinked.
    I practically insulted the man and now he wanted to feed me. What the hell just happened?
    Of course I was hungry; I hadn’t eaten since we arrived. My face suddenly paled when I remembered Adam. He was going to call around nine—the thing about distractions is they always seem to come at the most inopportune time. If I wasn’t in the hotel when Adam returned, there was no telling what he would do. I didn’t know our hotel number, let alone Adam’s cell number.
    “What time is it?” I grabbed my purse and looked around the bar. The clock on the wall was screaming 9:30pm with its arms.
    “I’m sorry but I have to go!” I reached in my purse and snatched a dollar placing it under my glass as I stood up.
    “Wait.” Justus held an arm out without touching me to get my attention. “I’ll walk you to your car.”
    “I don’t have a car, I took the trolley.”
    He frowned and dropped a $20 on top of my dollar bill.
    “Is it still running? I need to get back right away!”
    “You’ll be fine, white rabbit. I am escorting you to the station.”
    I guess I got my male escort after all .
    I thought I overheard one of the girls at the bar spit up a hairball when they caught wind of what was going on.
    “Umm…I’m not so sure that this is a good idea. I don’t—”
    “You will accept my company,” he stated as fact, walking beside me as we approached the door.
    “And how do I know you aren’t some kind of serial killer?”
    Those serious brows lifted a fraction, bemused. “I should be offended. Why would you imply that?”
    I stopped near the door. “Oh, I don’t know, your prey over there?” My arm swung theatrically towards the bar. Mascara lined eyes bore into the back of my skull, but I didn’t turn around.
    “I don’t think I’d qualify as they are the ones stalking me,” he winked.
    “I bet.”
    “And what of this one?”
    When I watched Justus set his hand on the shoulder of a man seated at the table, I blushed from head to toe. It was the dark haired man I was admiring earlier. He looked as strangely confused as I was and as he started to rise from his seat.
    Justus pushed him back down giving me a wolfish grin that sent me running out the doorway…mortified.
     

Chapter 10
     
    The streets were filled with a young crowd after dark—mostly drunk—and looking for fun.  My eyes occasionally looked away from the tips of my shoes to the signs we passed. While I had adjusted to my new legs, I still didn’t trust that I wouldn’t go sailing across the dark concrete.
    Justus tucked his hands in his pockets. For every two steps I made, he only took one. There was a comfort walking with him; I felt like I had a personal guard, even despite the fact he was a stranger I just met in a bar.
    Another strange thing I noticed was how I didn’t have that empty feeling when I was with him.
    “Why did you do that in there?” I asked combatively.
    “Do?”
    “Embarrass me?” As if he didn’t know .
    There was a deep chuckle. “Apologies.”
    Yet no regret. I muffled a grunt and took a deep breath of clean evening air.
    “So Miss Zoë, Where are you visiting from?”
    “We’re from Texas.”
    He lowered his head and followed the swing of my hand, perhaps looking for a ring. When he got the answer he needed he continued. “Boyfriend?” I played with that idea for a minute before I responded.
    “Ah, no. Just a friend.”
    That filled a little corner of my heart knowing that I had a friend. Although once I got back to the hotel that remained to be seen.
    Justus looked up when a car blew past us and muttered to himself, “Friends with benefits.”
    I fell back just a pace. “Now that really stung. Do you think I just sleep around? You think just