Shay stopped, staring back, breathless and uncertain. His eyes narrowed and his gaze dropped, skimming down the length of her body as she stood in a pool of reddish light.

Shay didn't dare to move. When he looked up again, he seemed almosta angry. But why? He hadn't wanted her to greet him?

She scowled and started forward, intent on asking him. She didn't get a chance to move before a deafening crack rattled the air and a blinding burst of electrical light seared the dark night. One entire side of the streeta"her sidea"fell into blackness and Shay knew the lightning must have struck a transformer. The darkness was absolute, the lights from across the street not quite penetrating that far, making it impossible to see, making her more aware of the noises around her, more aware of the man approaching the shadows with her.

The sounds of people leaving the many bars, the hush of excitement as darkness gave leave to wicked possibilities, was nearly drowned out by the raw severity of the storm. Shay turned to look behind her and knew that men hovered in the doorways.

Her skin p.r.i.c.kled with dread. Safe within a building was not the same as being outside in a horrendous storm during a blackout. She hadn't lost all common sense, and she knew the situation could turn lethal. Crossing the street into the light became a priority, but as she jerked about to do just that, she managed only one step before she slammed into a solid wall of warm muscle.

Large, firm hands closed on her upper arms and held her steady when she would have staggered back. Her own hands lifted to brace against a wide chest. Muscles leaped beneath her fingertips and she stilled.

Then a voice, so close she felt the warmth of his breath and smelled the clean scent of damp male skin, whispered into her ear. "It's not safe here. Come with me. Now. "

Wow. Not a question, but a command, and a very tempting onea"if she were an idiot. Even before she lifted her gaze, her heart tripping with a mixture of antic.i.p.ation and excitement, she knew it was him.

Across the street, one of the bars turned on floodlights, probably in the hopes of scaring away any looters. The illumination fanned out over the wet pavement and filtered onto the opposite sidewalk, providing a soft glow. Through the pelting rain, Shay stared at the man, able to make out his features for the first time. And Lord, was he incredible.

This close, she could see the golden chips in his dark eyes, and his thick, almost feminine lashes. Combined, they should have softened his gaze, but didn't. He was too intense to be softened in any way.

Dark brows were lowered in an expression of grim concentration. His cheekbones were high, his jaw lean with an edge of hardness. Tall, broad shouldered, clean and very commanding, he was a direct counterpoint to most of the men she'd seen in the area, men who skulked about, their postures either humbled or belligerent.

This man was enough to make a woman swoona"if she was the type inclined to such things. But Shay had no intention of closing her eyes for a single instant. He might very well disappear if she did.

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end.