It was cathartic, he realized, and his urge to wring her neck died a quick death. Dinner had been too much, and this was her way of venting. “Well, hell,” he muttered. He’d been afraid she was going to do something to hurt herself.
Instead she just needed to let off a little steam.
The song ended and the crowd screamed for more. Sin paused, but when the music began again, so did she. Troy grabbed a chair off to the side and checked his watch. Midnight. He let out a sigh and shifted to get comfortable. He unbuttoned a couple of shirt buttons, thankful he’d ditched his coat and tie earlier. He might as well settle in.
Senada felt her stomach rumble and knew it was time to eat. She had a pack of crackers in her purse that would keep her in balance, but she’d danced for hours and, wonder of wonders, her feet were starting to hurt.
“Must be getting old,” she muttered, glancing down at her high heels. She felt tired, but better. The music lifted her spirit, dancing took the edge off her disappointing meeting with her father, and now she’d be able to sleep like a baby.
As long as she found a ride home. Ricardo, the man fate had brought by the restaurant at just the right moment, had consumed a little too much tequila. Unfortunately, when Ricardo drank too much tequila he became convinced that he was God’s gift to women and that no woman could resist him.
She sighed. That could be tiresome right now. Glancing down at the men standing around her table, she smiled. “It’s been fun, boys, but it’s time for me to go. Where’s the phone?”
They moaned their disappointment and made various amorous suggestions in Spanish and English. She smiled again and shook her head. “You tempt me, but you’re all so wonderful. I can only handle one man at a time. How could I choose?”
More suggestions followed while she looked toward the bar for the phone. Spotting it, she stepped down from the table onto a chair. One of the men was determined to assist her, putting his hand at her waist and taking her hand. She murmured a quick “Gracias,” and extricated herself. It took another little dance, but she escaped and arrived at the phone, purse in hand. She dialed for a taxi and waited while the dispatcher took his time.
When he told her no cabs were available, she bit back an oath of frustration. “What do you mean you only have two drivers working tonight and both are busy?” she demanded.
From behind her, a large masculine hand pushed the receiver down, and Sin whipped around to tear a strip off the macho idiot who dared—
She stopped dead when she saw it was Troy.
“You’ve had a busy night, haven’t you?”
She hadn’t expected him. The mere sight of him, his presence, grabbed at her heart. God, he looked good to her.
He raised his eyebrows at her silence. “Need a ride?”
She stared into his eyes expecting censure, but finding none. She waited a moment, wondering when he was going to start in on how irresponsible she’d been. He didn’t. In fact, he seemed at ease, accepting.
“Or did you want to dance some more?” he added.
She shook her head, still unsure of him. “No. I’d like to go home.”
“I can do that.”
She walked with him out to the car and got in. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him how he’d found her. Senada bit her tongue. Taking an inventory of his appearance, she wondered what was going through his mind. He wore the shirt and slacks from dinner, but he looked rumpled in a sexy, masculine way. His hair was mussed as if he’d run his hand through it several times in exasperation. Senada restrained the urge to smile. Her middle name was exasperation.
He started the engine and pulled onto the road. “Didn’t know you were such a good dancer,” he said.
She felt a dart of surprising self-consciousness. “You saw me.”
“Kinda hard to miss,” he said. “I watched the last thirty-minute set. The guys around your table looked entertained.”
“You should have joined them,” she told him, giving it back to him a little.
“Never was much for being one of a crowd.”
“You’d prefer a private dance?” She heard the huskiness in her voice and wondered where it had come from.
A charged silence followed before he dipped his head. “Is that an offer?” he asked low and deep.
She felt a wicked surge of excitement. “Guess you’ll have to find out.”
He chuckled. “You’re a tease, Sin. You could drive a man insane.”
Satisfied he might not grill her after all, she relaxed and laid her head back on the seat. “I think insanity’s underrated. Look at all the things you can get away with if people think you’re insane. You can dress however you like, walk in the rain without an umbrella, sing in public, dance at a funeral—”