The Dominant's Obsession

Chapter 10

A L L I E

"So after work we're all heading to this bar called Randolph's," Lauren said at lunch on Friday. "All of the teams get together and go out, every Friday. It's practically a work thing. So are you coming?"

Oh great. Socializing. "Um, a bar?" Allie said. "I don't really drink."

"Oh, don't worry. There's lots of other things to do. They have pool tables – always a hit with the guys – darts, karaoke, they even have live music sometimes. So what do you say? Are you coming?"

Allie chewed her lip. "Will Dacian be there?"

The last thing she wanted was another run-in with her cantankerous neighbor. Even if he was hot as sin.

"It's tough to say," Lauren said. "Some weeks he goes out with us, some weeks he doesn't."

Allie chewed her lip.

"Come on," Lauren begged her, "don't make me go by myself again. I'm seriously outnumbered by guys. It's like swimming in testosterone. I need another girl in the room."

And she did need to make friends...

"Okay," Allie said, giving her a shy smile. "Yeah, I'll come."

* * *

Randolph's was a short five minute walk away from their building and up on the fifth floor of another skyscraper. As she and Lauren walked inside, she was struck by the stench of beer and male body odor.

It was very dark inside the bar. There were no exterior windows, every surface was painted black, and the lighting consisted only of color-changing strips along the walls, giving the place a feeling of perpetual night.

A long bar stretched along the right wall, with three bartenders dishing out drinks left and right. Hard rock played over the speakers, and a sprawl of dining tables and booths covered the floor near the bar. Further back to the left, Allie could see what looked like the karaoke and live music stage, and to the right was a raised room with two pool tables and a dartboard. Immediately to her right there was a dark hallway with a sign for the restrooms.

"Cozy," she said to Lauren.

"I know, right?" Lauren moved toward the bar. "What do you want to drink?"

"I'll just have a beer."

Lauren rolled her eyes. "What kind of beer?"

"Oh. Um, let me see what they have." She pulled out one of the drink menus on the bar and started looking it over.

"I'll have an Amber Ale, please," said a low voice beside her.

Allie glanced over to find Dacian standing beside her. He leaned on the bar with his arms and casually slid his gaze over to her. Heat sizzled through her.

"When did you get here?" she said dumbly.

"Just now."

The bartender brought him his ale and he handed her his card, then glanced at Allie again. Allie turned studiously back to the menu and tried to ignore him, but she remained painfully aware of Dacian's every movement beside her as the bartender ran his card. When she'd finished, he picked up his drink and sauntered off with one last unreadable look at Allie.

Allie glanced sidelong at him to see he was heading toward the pool tables. Christophe and Eduardo were already playing at one of the tables. The guys she usually saw Dacian with at lunch were setting up a new game. Dacian walked toward them with a casual, confident grace that made it hard to look away.