her of an animal catching a scent, alert, rigid—a hunter beneath that civilized attire. Then his head snapped in her direction and their eyes locked.
An invisible weight slammed into Rose’s chest, and she wheezed. Thankfully, the loss of breath lasted seconds, and she sucked in a huge gulp of air. “Fuck,” she whispered, shaking as the stranger continued to stare at her.
The lasers of light bounced off his face, highlighting eyes so green they couldn’t be human.
It’s the lasers, Rose told herself. No one’s eyes are that color unless they’re wearing contacts.
Nothing, however, explained the intensity of feeling that held her still beneath the man’s regard.
Abruptly, something caught his attention to his left, and he released her from his captive gaze. He waded through the parting dancers, slowly disappearing into the dark. Straining to see, Rose walked along the bar, wanting to stay with him, but Josip stepped in front of her.
He frowned.
“Where are you going?” he said, his accent thick. “Are you all right?”
The interruption seemed to untie the invisible rope around her body. Rose shuddered and her limbs were her own again.
What the fuck was that?
A bead of sweat slid down her temple and she wiped at it with a shaky hand. “I’m okay,” she lied.
Josip was unconvinced. “Take your break. You look like you need it.”
Confused, thirsty, and uneasy, Rose agreed and left the bar area, her attention drawn toward where she’d last seen the hulking, well-dressed stranger. But he was gone. Disappointment flickered through her, but since that was a familiar feeling, it barely marked her. Instead, she was grateful. His absence allowed her to think clearly about what had just happened to her body.
It had been attraction.
Nothing more. Nothing … unexplainable.
Pushing through the dancers, needing distraction from the weirdness at the bar, Rose approached the Staff Only door and grinned at Ivan, one of the security guys. “Kako si?”
His lips curled with flirtation. “I’d be better if you’d let me walk you home tonight.”
Rose smirked. This was a dance of theirs and had been for the past two months. Ivan had made it clear he wanted in there, but Rose had rules. She stayed in one city for a few months, hoping to find something that would make her want to stay permanently. So far, she hadn’t found that elusive place.
She had rules to protect her emotions. If she found a guy she was attracted to, Rose waited until she’d decided to leave the city before she slept with him. Kind of a farewell treat for them both. Ivan was the chosen one this time. He had been for a while. He was Rose’s type to a T. Not traditionally good-looking, but charismatic, sexy, and a big ol’ flirt. Rose loved a flirt. She didn’t have time to guess if a guy was into her. She wanted one who made it clear that he was.
Rose wanted Ivan, and there was a bonus to denying herself something she wanted until the very last second. It could lead to pretty great sex. Not always. But enough to make denying herself worth it.
“Not tonight.” Rose slid by him, deliberately pressing her breasts against his side as she did.
His dark eyes hooded as he watched her. “You’re killing me, Rose.”
She bit her lip, walking backward through the staff door. “It’ll be worth it.”
Ivan lifted his chin in acknowledgement of her promise, satisfaction in his expression, and Rose was glad for the heat of it for it made her shiver with anticipation.
Just the distraction she’d needed.
The staff area was a dingy room with lockers, a table, some chairs, a small refrigerator, a counter with a sink, and a cheap coffee machine. It smelled of deodorant and cigarette smoke. Rose took a bottle of water out of the fridge and emptied its contents in less than a minute. She heaved for breath and then hauled open her locker to find her cell before slumping into a wooden chair with a wobbly leg.
The sight of a voicemail from her mom caused a flare of longing. Rose tapped the screen a few times and held the phone to her ear.
Soon her mom’s warm voice filled her head. “Hey, petal. It’s just Mam, checking in. I’m guessing you’re still in Zagreb. So … your da and I are thinking about getting a puppy and I need your opinion on that. You know us better than anyone. Can we handle a puppy? I think we can handle it, but your da is on the fence.