Velvet Haven

him. He was scary in a way, yet sexy, too. She’d never been attracted to the long- hair type before, but suddenly she had visions of running her hands through that mane.
    The guys she’d dated had always been safe, even boring. But this guy—he had danger tattooed all over him. A total bad boy that Mairi couldn’t deny turned her on.
    She sensed he possessed the same sexual prowess her dream lover did. And how stupid was that? Her dream babe wasn’t real. And this guy . . . well, what the heck would a guy like him be looking at her for? And why did she care, because she was never going to see him again, and she didn’t do one-night stands with complete strangers.
    Jumping, she squeaked in surprise as she felt a big, warm hand clamp around her elbow. The minute she felt his touch a warm hum infused her blood. Glancing up at him, she saw that he was watching the crowd as though he were looking for someone. Suddenly his grip hardened.
    “Ow,” she cried, pulling back. He looked down at her and Mairi got lost in his eyes. They were the strangest eyes she’d ever seen. One was gold and the other pewter, and both were thinly rimmed with a violet edge. Contacts. Had to be.
    “I did not mean to hurt you,” he said, his fingers soothing the sting on her flesh. “My apologies.”
    He had a faint Scottish accent. His voice was deep and smooth, and she liked the way it seemed to wash over her. He was watching her, expecting her to say something. She could only nod, bereft of speech as she gazed into his eyes. Completely mute . A rare condition for her.
    “Shall we?”
    He waved her ahead, and Mairi was struck by the gentlemanly veneer beneath the leather and long hair. She would never have pegged him as having manners, but he did. Good ones, in fact.
    They followed Sayer and Rowan to the back of the room, where it was darker and fewer people congregated. Most people were at the bar; a few were at booths sipping champagne and martinis. Sayer sat them at a high-backed booth upholstered in fuchsia velvet.
    “What are you ladies drinking tonight?”
    “Water,” they said together.
    “C’mon. Just one.” He winked and smiled, his magnetic personality drawing them in. “Have one on me. I’ll bet you’ve never had a caramel apple martini, have you?”
    Rowan’s eyes went wide. “No, but you’re speaking to my heart.”
    “I knew I would,” he murmured as he gazed at Rowan. Mairi saw his eyes darken and flicker; then something weird happened to his pupil—it flipped and became long, slitlike. But when he turned his attention to her, the pupil was normal. “What about you?”
    “I’ll have a beer. With the cap left on, please.” There was no way in hell she was taking any chances that she’d be slipped some drug. She glanced at Rowan, shooting her a look that told her to do the same.
    “On second thought, I’ll have a beer, too. Cap on.”
    Sayer exchanged a glance with his friend, then strolled over to the bartender. He ordered, then leaned up against the bar, watching them.
    “So, Mairi,” Bran murmured, his voice deep and gravelly. “This is your first time here.”
    It was not a question, but a statement. “How do you know?”
    He shrugged, then stretched back, resting his arm on the back of the booth. “If I had seen you here before, I definitely would have noted that.”
    Smooth. Her stomach did a little flop, but she ignored it. “You a regular, then?”
    His brows arched as he scanned the group of people who were headed to the empty booth beside them. “I come here when I feel . . . a certain call.”
    Uh-huh . “You mean a booty call?”
    His gaze slid to hers and she fought the urge to squirm beneath his intense stare. “I’m not familiar with that phrase, but the way your voice changed when you said it makes me believe it is something derogatory to your sex.”
    Is this guy for real?
    “You have a lovely voice, you know. Very soft and soothing.”
    “Are you changing the subject?” she asked.
    “No, we’re still talking about you.”
    She laughed and suddenly felt a ton of pressure evaporate. He smiled and brushed a few strands of her hair away from her eyelashes. “You have a lovely smile, too.”
    Mairi looked away. This guy was definitely smooth. Top notch in the seduction department. She was definitely feeling tempted just by having him sit next to her, not to mention the way his attention was completely focused on her.
    “What do you do for a living, Mairi?”
    “I’m