He didn’t blame her, he supposed. She’d made it clear she wasn’t up for a one-night stand. Surprisingly that hadn’t put him off. He wanted to know why she was coming to the club every weekend. He wanted to know who she was looking for and what she was up to.

He wanted to talk to her. She was singular in that he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so eager to be around a specific someone.

Alistair raised an eyebrow at him.

Craig shrugged. “I know her.”

“Right.” Alistair grinned and drifted off down the bar, probably to gossip with Joss. He was worse than a woman sometimes.

Trying to act casual when he felt anything but, Craig set about getting Rain her glass of wine. He caught her eyes as he turned back to her, and held her stare as he placed the glass down on the bar in front of her.

She lowered her long lashes, hiding her gorgeous big dark eyes from him.

Fuck, but she was beautiful.

His eyes drifted over her. Her hair was styled in much the same way as before but tonight she was wearing a forties-style dress that was a pinky-purple color. This dress showed more cleavage and she wore a silver necklace with an elaborate key as a pendant that nestled invitingly between said cleavage.

His eyes drifted up as a hot blood rushed to his dick.

Her full mouth was painted the same color as her dress.

He’d never wanted to kiss someone so badly.

Rain’s gaze was still on her glass so she hadn’t read the thoughts he was sure were clear in his eyes. And he wanted her to. He wanted her to know just how goddamn stunning he thought she was, even if she did think his opinion meant nothing.

“How have you been?” He leaned against the bar and her fruity-floral perfume drifted over him, making him want to nuzzle her neck to find the point of origin.

“Fine.” Rain finally looked up, her expression carefully blank. “And you?”

He smirked at her monosyllabic answer. “My mother is on a date right now, so I’ve been better.”

Humor lightened her eyes. “Oh dear. How uncomfortable for you.”

He grinned. “Understatement, darlin’.”

“She’ll be fine.”

He pulled out his phone and set it on the bar between them. “She knows to call me if she’s not.”

Rain tipped her head to the side, scrutinizing him. “And would you drop everything to go and help her?”

“Absolutely.”

“Even a gorgeous redhead who makes it clear she’ll sleep with you if you stay?”

He was more than a little irritated that she had to ask such a question, but he hid it. Instead he leaned closer, his voice lowering with his desire for her. “Even a mysterious and beautiful jitterbug with bright pink lips.”

She swallowed hard. The gesture was subtle and he would have missed it if he hadn’t been studying her so carefully. Craig was convinced she wasn’t as unaffected by him as she pretended to be. It was the reason he was chatting to her again, wanting to uncover all her secrets. “Fuchsia,” she whispered. “My lip color is fuchsia.”

Craig stared at her lips, picturing her pressed up against the nearest wall as he kissed the living daylights out of her. “Does it rub off easy?”

“Not this again, Craig,” she said softly.

Their gazes met again, hers defiant, his heated. “I can’t seem to help myself.”

“Well, try.”

“I don’t think you really want me to . . . or you wouldn’t keep coming back.”

She gave a huff of laughter. “You think I keep coming back here for you? Well, aren’t you nice and full of yourself.”

He grinned at her. “If not me then who?”

“No one you know.”

Before he could question her any further, customers seemed to pour into the bar in one big drove and he was diverted by the attentions of his job. Ten minutes later he was in the middle of pouring a customer a lager when Joss stopped beside him.

She smirked up at him. “Your gorgeous brunette says your phone is ringing.”

He glanced down the bar and saw Rain waving his phone at him. He’d clearly left it with her. “Shit. It might be my mum. Can you take over for this customer? It’s this lager and I’ve still to get him a JD and Coke.”

“Got it.” Joss took the lager from him, and Craig hurried down the bar to Rain.

“A text from ‘Mum’ popped up on the screen,” Rain said, handing him the phone. “Thought you might want to know.”

“Thanks.” He gave her a tight smile and quickly pulled up the text.

I had a wonderful night. Drew was a gentleman. I’m home safe and sound so you can stop worrying and get on with work. Talk to you later. Love, Mum xx

Craig sighed in relief.

Glad to hear it. I’ll call around tomorrow. Night.

“Everything alright?” Rain said.

He looked at her and was surprised to find she appeared to genuinely care. Christ, he wanted to kiss her so fucking badly. Why was she here? What the hell was going on with her? Craig suddenly found himself irrationally angry and he knew it was because Rain Alexander was a mystery that was beginning to frustrate him in more ways than one.

“She’s fine,” he said.

Rain’s concerned expression turned blank at his sharp answer, and he instantly regretted his tone.

“Craig, if you’re done?” Joss shouted back down the bar.

He sighed and looked back at Rain, but she was avoiding his gaze as she glanced around the bar in that searching way of hers. He strode away to take a customer’s order. Alistair passed him as he mixed a cocktail.

“Who’s the gorgeous brunette?” he asked as he cleaned out a glass.

Craig shot Rain a look. She had her back to the bar now, her eyes searching the club. “Fuck knows,” he sighed.

“I thought you knew her.”

“Knowing her name doesn’t mean I know her.”

Hearing the dismay in his voice, Alistair grinned. “Could it be you want to know her though?”

“Only in a biblical sense.”

Alistair studied him and then grunted. “If you say so.”

As soon as he walked away, he was replaced by Joss. She was grinning at him. He frowned. “What?”

“You have a crush.”

His whole being revolted at the idea. “I’m a grown man, I don’t have a fucking crush.”

Joss shot Rain a look. “Yeah, you do. You can’t stop looking over at her and I have a feeling she’s the same woman Jo was telling me about. Apparently you could barely pry yourself away from her last Saturday.”

“Your point?” he snapped.

She laughed outright at his tone. “Oh man, I’ve been there. I get it.” She patted his shoulder in comfort. “Just go with it. And I must say she’s a fuck of a lot cooler than most of the women you hook up with. And she’s stunning. If I were a guy . . . yeah, I’d go there.”

An image of Joss and Rain together fogged up his brain. “Why would you say that?” he groaned in frustration.

Joss laughed harder. “You need to grow up.”

“I’ll have you know that you saying you’d do Rain would have any man of any age picturing it for months to come.”

“I said if I were a man, I’d go there.” She shook her head. “Head out of the gutter, Craigy boy. We have work to do.”

A lull eventually arrived, so he could get back to Rain, and when he did he discovered she’d ordered a number of shots from one of his colleagues. It was daft, but he was annoyed she couldn’t wait for him to return to her before ordering.

“Moving on to something stronger?” He gestured to her empty shot glasses.

Her mouth twisted into a surprisingly adorable moue.

He leaned over the bar, locking onto her eyes with his. “Am I really that annoying?”

She sighed heavily. “No. It’s not you.” She groaned and leaned her head in her hands. “I shouldn’t have had those shots. I’m a lightweight.”

“Your break time, mate.” Alistair slapped him on his shoulder as he passed.

Craig nodded. “Right.” He walked to the end of the bar, lifted the latch and stepped out onto the club floor. He moved through the crowded bar area and pushed his way to where Rain sat. There were a number of guys who’d eyed her up over the course of the night, but for whatever reason none had approached. The guy standing next to her looked like he was getting ready to try his luck. Craig gave him a look that persuaded him otherwise, and then he gently rested his hands on Rain’s slender hips.