 
### Passionate Hearts: Romantic Drama & Mystery Collection 1

#### By Sandra Ross

#### Published by Publications Circulations LLC.

SmashWords Edition

All contents copyright (C) 2013 by Publications Circulations LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this document or the related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, companies and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of either the author or the publisher.

The following story is for entertainment purposes only. This book contains sexually graphic scenes depicting consenting adults above the age of 18 engaging in passionate sexual acts. This story is intended only for persons over the legal adult age. By downloading and opening this document, you are stating that you are of legal age to access and view this work of fiction. Mature readers only. Reader discretion is advised.

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The publisher has used its best efforts in preparing this book, and the information provided herein is provided "as is." Publications Circulations LLC makes no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose and shall in no event be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

**~ ~ ~ ~**

### The Mating

Hostile Hearts Part 1

### 

### Chapter One

ILIANA'S HEART POUNDED as she walked towards the man at a table she waitressed. He should have been familiar by now, after all the times she had seen him, yet she still couldn't place his face. She didn't know anyone remotely like him. His soft, enigmatic eyes focused on her face. He wore black clothes: a black blazer, a black tie with a black pin, a black shirt, black pants and shiny, black shoes with black socks. Together with his dark hair, a little longer than Iliana liked it, he looked like a dark, inky blotch fallen upon the fabric of reality.

His name was Nickolas Benson. Or that's what one of Iliana's co-workers told her after she asked about him. He was supposed to be rich beyond compare. Whenever he came to the coffee shop, the force of his presence overwhelmed the quiet, convivial atmosphere normally present in the shop.

As Iliana approached him, his posture changed. He pulled his legs inward and sat straight up in his chair.

"Hello, what can I get you today?" Iliana asked him.

She suppressed a shiver, trying not to show any outward signs of discomfort. She had to be the always-present, always-smiling nameless woman whose primary job was to refill drinks and ask if everything met with the customer's satisfaction. Her wages depended on that image. Any show of fear might put the customer off; even a customer like Nickolas, who appeared not to care about much of anything.

He answered her with his usual deep voice, "Coffee. Black."

She scrawled his order on her pale green notepad. She tried not to look directly in his face when she replied, "Yes, thank you. We'll have it ready for you shortly."

She felt his stare burning into the middle of her back as she walked to the bar to get the order ready. She wanted to run, even knowing she couldn't. Just how would that look, a waitress rushing out the front door just because one man, no matter how unusual, kept looking at her? She imagined herself taking off her heels and just running, running anywhere. The destination didn't matter as long as she could get away from his eyes, those twin magnifying glasses set deep in his skull which seemed to uncover every fact about her existence. She thought that, just by looking at her, he could tell that she had woken up in the morning with cramps and moon blood. He knew it, just by looking. She would have done anything, grabbed at any excuse to leave.

Anthony, her co-worker, smiled when Iliana sighed in front of him. "Let me guess," he said. "Coffee. Black. Right? Did we at least get a hello or something more today? Or just the usual silence?"

A thousand replies sprang into her mind all at once. The words jumbled together in an incoherent babbling from which only a few phrases could be recognized. She opened her mouth to speak and then closed it again when she realized she had absolutely nothing to say about him. Nothing she could say to Anthony, at least. She didn't answer. She couldn't answer. Even while Anthony poured fresh coffee into a cup, Iliana felt Nickolas's eyes on her. She felt as though someone had thrown her into a bonfire.

Delicious fire, she thought to herself. If only he wasn't so handsome. Too handsome.

He had the kind of dark magnetism that she could not resist. She could not deny it to herself, much as she wanted to do so. She knew very well that Anthony and the other workers could see what unfolded. Everyone but Iliana enjoyed the hour Nickolas spent in the shop every day, drinking his coffee, watching her struggle with her emotions. They especially enjoyed Nickolas leaving a huge tip afterward.

It had all started a month ago when Nickolas entered the shop with a man no one at the shop recognized. Iliana remembered his eyes locking onto hers that first day, as well as the rising heat in her own body when he caught her staring back at him, not a single thought in her mind. Since then, he came every afternoon. He ordered coffee and stayed for precisely one hour.

She wondered about his discipline. She had never seen him look at his watch. This quality of his, the way he somehow knew the time without being told, added to his air of mystery. He never appeared to be off balance in anything he did; not that Iliana noticed. He gave off the aura of panther at rest, stretching out its muscular body.

Anthony's teasing whisper intruded on her thoughts. "Oh... if I were in your place, love, I would have gotten a date by now. A god like him, coming to the shop every day just for me, sitting for an hour with a coffee he never drinks... starting at me constantly... and then leaving the biggest tip I might expect to see all day long... hell, not just a date. He would already know how big my bed is."

Iliana said under her breath, "Right, and next morning you will be found in some gutter with your throat cut like a country chicken. Or maybe...?" She frowned. "As far as we know, this guy could be the next Ted Bundy. He's rich and he's good-looking. What could he possibly want with a waitress from a coffee shop at the edge of the city. It's not like I'm some model or famous person."

Anthony looked her up and down. "Honey... how many times have I told you? You are a piece of candy with that red hair of yours. I mean... that dreadful ponytail you have! And not even a hint of makeup!"

Iliana straightened her blouse and form-fitting trousers. "I'm fine the way I am, thank you very much," she said.

This wasn't the whole truth, however. The whole truth proved a great deal more complicated. No matter how much she might feel attraction towards him, she knew very well what he intended. She had been down that path before. She had been able to walk away. She didn't want to go back to that life-not if she could help it. Perhaps more importantly, she didn't want to go back to his table to deliver his coffee, even when Anthony put it into her hands with a whispered admonition.

A moment passed before she found her legs moving on their own. She brought the coffee to his table, trying not to look at his face. She blushed as she turned away to attend a middle-aged woman who had just walked through the door. Or, at least, she tried. His eyes bored into her back at every turn. As resolved as she was to ignore him, she still felt nervous. She took orders from customers twice, only to realize that she couldn't understand what she had written down.

She found herself going back to a table to retake the order. This wasn't like her. She felt irritated. The black heels she wore pained her legs, adding to her irritation. To make matters worse, the shop's owner had picked this day to come to the coffee shop. He considered her with aspersion. Iliana did not know how aware he might be, if at all, of her daily encounters with Nickolas. She noticed, however, how he became sensitive to everyone's actions once he observed the lone man at one of her tables.

Iliana knew she couldn't afford mistakes with the owner fidgeting about with an unoccupied cash register, frowning as though caught up in a difficult problem. He wasn't above docking her pay, meager though it was, if he suspected her of performing her job poorly. Iliana's stomach twisted at the thought. She couldn't afford a deducted paycheck and neither could she afford to walk off the job right there in that instant with no prospects awaiting her elsewhere. At the same time, though, she found her mind wandering. She didn't want it to wander, yet her consciousness drifted off into realms unknown.

She felt sure he noticed how Nickolas Benson watched her. If she did lose her job, how much time would she spend scanning the classifieds for jobs with openings? How many interviews would she attend only to receive the cold, polite silence of people who didn't want to hire her? She had been through that rotating door before and she didn't want to go back. Moreover, the thought of leaving people she knew at her job for people she did not know at a new job frightened her, though she did not want to admit it.

Even so, the tension was just too much to bear. She lost her cool thirty minutes later. A tray with four coffee pots slipped through her fingers onto the floor. Her heart skipped a beat. The glass pots shattered on the tiled floor. Scalding hot brown liquid flowed about her feet. The murmur of conversation ceased. All eyes focused upon her. Iliana suddenly felt like a tiny action figure surrounded by giants whose faces she could barely see. She wanted to run--run anywhere. The destination didn't matter, only that she had to leave at once. Her legs trembled with the thought of bolting out the front door. Her back ached. Her head pounded as though her brain threatened to expand, bursting her skull open.

Moments passed in which the customers must have returned to whatever they had been doing, forgetting the woman in a drab uniform who wore no makeup on her face. She must have fetched a broom, a dustpan, and a mop because she found herself sweeping up the broken pieces of glass. She blinked back tears when the store's owner approached. She knew what he would say. He knew what he would say. She saw the words etched into his angry scowl; saw his tone of voice in his clenched fists.

He whispered in her ear, "The cost for that mess will be deducted from your salary, my dear."

That was the final straw. She knew, just as the owner knew, that the deductions wouldn't reflect the cost of replacing the coffee pots or the cost the business had incurred by purchasing the instant coffee pouches it used. Instead, the owner would calculate how many fluid ounces had been in four full pots of coffee. He would sit down with his graphic calculator and figure out how many cups of coffee he would have sold if all four pots had been given to customers, never mind if any of them had sat about for so long that they had to be poured down the sink next to the smoothie machine. Iliana reasoned she might see a loss of forty dollars or so from her pay-forty dollars in an already stretched-to-the-limit budget. Angry tears flooded her eyes.

It was his fault. Nickolas Benson.

She rushed straight to his table as soon as the owner slipped into his office. "Could you please stop staring at me?" she said. "What are you? Some kind of a pervert? Stop this now! Stop staring at me. In fact, stop coming here! You're only getting me in trouble! Go somewhere else to order coffee you don't drink anyway! You are not welcome here!"

She did not realize her voice had gone up until she noticed how quiet the coffee shop had become. Horror-struck, she turned. Everyone stared at her. She felt her face burning. She heard the wooden legs of a chair scrape against the floor as the man from the table stood up. She turned to him again. She gaped as she adjusted her eyes to his height.

He seemed impossibly tall to her. She had always seen him sitting at his table. Never once had she observed him standing or walking away. In another situation, she might have stopped to think about that. In another situation, her brain might not be spinning around in her head so that she couldn't put a coherent thought together. She stood in place, sure that he would strike her, sure that this time, she had gone too far. She regretted her outburst at once.

"I am terribly sorry, Miss Iliana," he said, not looking at her name tag. He already knew her name. That didn't surprise her. His voice was soft, with no hint of anger.

Then he smiled.

Iliana lost her breath because it literally brought light to his face.

Nickolas said, "I never meant to make you nervous. On the contrary-"

"W-who told you I was nervous?" she replied. "Why should I be? I don't even know you."

Instead of answering, he reached over and softly held her hand with his. His touch, how her hand looked enclosed in his big ones, gave her a sudden feeling of security that confused her so much it did not even occur to her to pull away. The sensation conflicted so much with her frustration at him that, for a moment, she felt sure that her feelings had become jumbled together in a tangled, messy ball.

He gave her such a sweet and innocent look that she felt a smile tug at her lips. She managed to suppress it before it got obvious. This was a very dangerous man, she thought to herself. Not just from a physical standpoint. He was a danger to every woman who could see and feel how virile he was. He was a danger to her. In the back of her mind, she had this tiny yet nagging feeling that his virility was just the first glimpse she had of something far more... strong.

### Chapter Two

SUDDENLY, THE NERVOUS voice of the owner broke her train of thought. He said, "Oh... Mr. Nickolas Benson. What an honor for us to have you in our coffee shop!"

Iliana jumped, realizing the change in atmosphere she instigated, and slipped her hand out of his to usher herself away.

The owner continued, "A thousand apologies. My employee shouldn't have spoken to you this way. She will suffer the consequences of her actions..." He snuck a glare in her direction, then added: "...immediately."

Iliana's heart sputtered to an abrupt stop. She knew exactly what that meant.

With a forced and almost mechanical twinkle in his eye, he said, "I assure you that this type of behavior is not acceptable in our shop, especially towards a fine member of society as yourself."

Her boss was now beside her, talking to the man, drawing his attention away from her. Nickolas evinced a wide, false smile.

Ten minutes from now she would formally get fired, she felt sure of that. Even so, she wanted to see this. As she always believed, if you're going to go out, go out with a bang. Seeing her boss kissing this man's butt was a show she wouldn't miss for the world.

"Please, Miss Iliana has done nothing reprehensible. The truth is that my approach was clumsy, to say the least. She is totally justified to think I am some kind of pervert-especially since she obviously had no idea who I am. I would never, under any circumstances, wish this insignificant incident be the reason for her getting in trouble. That would be extremely unfair, don't you think, sir?"

Her boss looked confused. He wasn't the only one. She saw the look on the faces of a few of the coffee shop regulars who had been watching the three of them since the commotion first started. In the corner, her co-workers beheld the scene, transfixed. They all forgot everything they had been doing prior to this. Anthony even gave her a thumbs up sign from his perch at the bar.

The owner stammered, "Well... yes, of course... since you put it that way... if you really think so. Obviously, it would-"

Nickolas interrupted, "Excellent. And now that everything's settled, can I please have Miss Iliana at my disposal for a few minutes? In private?"

Iliana's face flushed at the idea. She had to ask, "Me? In private?" Being in his presence while other people were around was one thing. But being with him in private? No one else around? Just the two of them? She began to panic. She wasn't even sure what she felt towards him. Attraction? Hatred? Disdain? Lust? What was it she felt? She searched inside herself, and didn't find an answer. Even worse, her mind produced an image of him seducing her while he held a shiny, sharp blade against her throat. She saw a red drop of blood trickle down her neck, saw herself moan with pleasure as he

A single thought intruded then: What the hell...?!

She turned to her manager for rescue but he didn't even look at her. He said to Nickolas, "Why certainly! Take as long as you wish. I will serve the tables if necessary."

She only had time to cast a shocked glance at her boss and catch his threatening look of displeasure before Nickolas grabbed her hand and swiftly pulled her out of the coffee shop, and into the chilly outdoor air. The narrow road outside the shop was empty. He dragged her a little further away from the windows so they wouldn't be observed by curious eyes. He saw how his actions made her feel awkward. When he started talking, his voice was deeper, hoarse, frank.

"I'm sorry I caused you trouble. That was not my intention. My name is Nickolas Benson, and I am a businessman. I promise you, I am neither a freak nor a psycho." He smiled his magnetic smile again, his white teeth showing. And she gulped. "Well, maybe a freak. Depends on who you ask, I suppose."

The better to eat you, my dear...

No, that couldn't be it, could it? She wasn't a helpless child in the forest with a basket of food for an old woman who lived in a cottage. She felt sure she could tell the difference between a grandmother and a hairy, snarling beast whose only interest lay in placing its fangs deep into her flesh.

He continued, "But ever since I saw you at the coffee shop that one day a month ago... I can't get you out of my mind. That's why I've been coming here every day. I should have asked you for what I wanted from the first day but I was worried about scaring you away. You evidently don't scare easily, though. So..." He sighed. "Look how this turned out."

He hadn't let go of her hand and caressed her palm with his thumb. Chills coursed throughout her body. She couldn't pull away. There was a moment when she felt like she would die if she pulled her hand from his. It felt so good, so right, for it to be there.

"I just want to ask you to go out with me; that's all. A date, Iliana. I'll pick you up tonight?" He said this as though he knew where she lived. Perhaps he did. He didn't even bother asking where to pick her up.

"A-A date? That's what this is all about? You want to go out with me? But, but... why me? I mean..."

"Please, Iliana," he implored. "Give me a chance. Dinner, dancing, drinks... anything you want. I would be delighted to get to know you better and for you to get to know me better yourself."

She stepped backwards, finally pulling her hand from his. She almost winced at the abrupt emptiness she felt. It was really ridiculous but she couldn't explain it. She took a deep breath, regaining her self-control. Only then did she dare to look at him.

She found herself saying, "What time?"

Her eyes widened upon hearing herself. That was not what she had planned to say. He smiled widely, this time a true smile that reached his eyes. She felt breathless at seeing him so relieved at her acceptance. Okay, he really was weird, she decided. But he couldn't look perfect and be perfect, right? She could always say no later, couldn't she? Surely there had to be some aspect of him which, when later revealed, would make her able to resist him. She could certainly say no next time. Couldn't she?

### Chapter Three

A MONTH PASSED. The world went about its business as the world always does. People got themselves born, got themselves into school, got themselves a job, got themselves a spouse, got themselves a vacation, got themselves a retirement home and, for a lucky few, got themselves enough money to live peacefully in their old age. Nickolas considered these matters as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. Life, even the most tempestuous life, always passed by certain, unchanging way stations. At some point, even he, a man who liked to think of himself as the master of his own fate, would have to give in to life's demands, whether he wanted to or not. He frowned at the thought.

His long, thick hair reached the back of his neck, swept back and neatly controlled by a comb he set down in front of the mirror. He took meticulous care of his hair. He went to a men's salon famous in the area for having received a number of awards in a local magazine no one read and fewer people knew about. The magazine had provided the business with six reviews, in six consecutive issues, proclaiming that they had been chosen as the best salon in the area for either gender. He knew the first and last name of the man who did his hair. A man who, while taking on the demeanor of one who did his work well, always lived in fear of a single phone call from Nickolas that would mean an end to fashionable, well-to-do clients and a new start at seven every morning in a barber shop where small claims court cases played on the television at three in the afternoon. Even the generous tip Nickolas gave the hair stylist hadn't been enough to keep one or two droplets of sweat from falling down the man's temples whenever he picked up a pair of scissors.

Sometimes, a woman would try to say he should cut it short after a romp in bed. But she would not really mean it. He could tell that much. Nor would he do it, if she actually did. It was the one thing from the old days he insisted on keeping. Today he wore black jeans and a black casual shirt, both expensive brands, on a well worked-out body. Only the best for Nickolas Benson, he thought to himself.

His appearance was a striking departure from old devil, Nick DiAngelo, with his jeans, the filthy t-shirts, and the worn black leather jacket.

If he had chosen to wear his usual expensive suits with the matching ties, he knew he wouldn't have gotten past the first date with Iliana. She looked like a doe caught by the headlights the first time they went out, tugging at his hand like she wanted to run. It had to be the men and women in formal evening attire that made her feel the most out of place. Just one of the silk dresses with diamond laced ribbons other women wore could easily buy the entire restaurant she worked at and pay handsomely for its refurbishing.

He knew exactly what she was thinking as she threw glances his way when she thought he wasn't watching, looking over his jeans and his sports jacket, and glancing at his hair. He had deliberately worn casual clothes on their first date. He wanted to tell her to stop looking at her reflection in mirrors they passed, with her eyes critical and trying very hard to look proud. Even with her rags, she was the most beautiful of them all.

He knew she wouldn't believe him. Or if she did, she would feel awkward. She wasn't used to going to expensive places. Instead, he tried his best to distract her from her surroundings by talking to her, asking her questions, making her talk, and making her savor the delicious food above all. If there was anything that he wanted her to appreciate in the first restaurants he brought her to, it was the food. He wanted her to have something she would enjoy if she chose to go out with him again. First of all would be irresistibly delicious food. He wanted to fill her thin frame up. He could just imagine what she fed herself on her meager salary. Nickolas remembered well enough what it had been like; going to sleep hungry, shivering in a place he could hardly call home while the cold wind howled outside. On days like that, he had been happy enough to eat a length of hard, stale bread the supermarket donated to a local food kitchen. Judging by her thin hips and stick figure arms, Nickolas imagined Iliana dined upon instant ramen noodles on more than occasion.

He wanted her, first of all, to be healthy. He knew, though, how precarious a conversation it would be if he brought her attention to what he felt was a desperate need for good clothes to bring out the color of her eyes and, most of all, not make her so uncomfortable around this charade of wealth. She was so proud, his stray cat. So defensive. She sought to always protect herself. He knew if he wasn't careful now, she would be on the verge of making an escape.

He worked on making her comfortable with him first by being friendly and donning casual clothes. He worked on making her laugh. If she only knew how many times men around them would look their way when she laughed in her carefree, melodic pitch. Even while looking like she had come out of a discount clothing store, she radiated. He loved looking at her when she flushed with laughter.

It was as if she wasn't afraid of loss, the very fear that so many in this ballroom had nightmares about. And now she was a pleasure to be around. After a month of dating, she was more comfortable around him. At least she had stopped looking for an obscure spot above his head every time she talked to him.

For a month now, he had been taking her to the hottest spots in the city: the theater, ballet, dancing clubs, restaurants. She was fed not just by food but by beautiful music and artistic sights. Almost every night, he would pick her up outside her apartment and be the escort of her dreams: kind, chivalrous, obliging. At the end of every night, he returned her home before midnight and saw her safely inside her apartment.

He hadn't kissed her once. That was not part of his plan. She had to feel completely safe before he entered phase two of his plans for the two of them. A strong, physical, highly sexual attraction persisted between them. He knew he couldn't kiss her and then just as easily stop. It would destroy his carefully laid out plans. He had to follow the scheme he had charted for them years ago.

He'd lived the better part of his life by planning well-brilliantly, meticulously-so he could arrive at this very point in his future. A future that was now his present. He wanted Iliana. He desired to have her. There was a time when he'd wanted to get her so he could save her and so save his soul from the torture it has suffered since he'd destroyed her life. Since then, his view about his mission had changed. She had become an obsession. He could not allow the possibility of losing her.

Tonight was the night. He was bringing her to his fortress. A shiver of anticipation went up his spine. His shoulders straightened as he watched his image in the mirror. He could see the desire and excitement mingling on his polished face. In his mind, he could see Iliana's exquisite features. He closed his eyes. He could imagine how she would look in the throes of passion. He knew she was aware of him. He knew the signs. He anticipated them whenever they were together. He knew she wanted her hand held when they walked but lately he avoided that because he was afraid of losing control. That wouldn't be a problem tonight. He would certainly welcome the change with relief.

How could they be together in one place with no one around and not touch each other? It would be too tempting. He knew it would be, at least, for him. The wait was over this night. He just hoped that Iliana was ready.

### Chapter Four

ILIANA MURMURED TO herself, "Mediocre."

She stood naked in front of her closet mirror. She was trying to find the thing that made Nickolas notice her a month ago. Of course, she had been wearing clothes then, clothes which Nickolas often observed as though they embarrassed him in a way she couldn't quite identify. Had he been attracted by her worn-out blouse or her pantyhose with a run along the calf? She didn't think this to be the case. Something had attracted him, sure enough. Something had made him sit there and stare at her for an hour every day. He'd even come in on the days when she had off, sitting there all the while as though the aroma of the coffee he never drank brought him back every time. Since he asked her out and kept seeing her, she could only draw one conclusion: she attracted him; if not with her clothes, then her body.

As a result, she considered herself fully, without ornamentation. She had a very common pale face that always seemed to be redder than any other face when she was blushing, with a pert nose and red, puffed lips that looked about ready to burst. She had long, red hair she always kept controlled in heavy plaits or tight ponytails because it was wild and curly. When her hair fell loose, it made her look like a person engulfed in flames when her face blushed.

She had very light blue eyes that she always thought made her look like a blind person. So she always looked like a blind person on fire, she thought, smirking at her reflection a little. What could Nickolas possibly like about that?

She had a body that was thin but fit since she was always working. She supposed men found that sexy. She had a chest she could do without because she had breasts men liked to stare at. Men definitely found that sexy. She could tell.

As a consequence, she hid them in smaller and tighter bra cups and unshapely shirts. She supposed she wasn't really ugly. Anthony always said that she was quite attractive to the opposite sex. She'd grown up trying to fend off male attention, too. On the other hand, some men were so horny they'd hump a post with a skirt, in her experience. She would have to leave the observations to the men. Like Nickolas.

Sometimes he would just stare at her and she would burn. Those times, she could guess what he was thinking. She could tell he wanted her. But he hadn't kissed her yet. While every time they touched, even accidentally, she wanted to rip his clothes off and kiss him all over. She felt it in the core of her being, this irrational desire to do things to him she never would have imagined doing to anyone. He didn't seem to have the same urges. He seemed always in control. He wasn't even touching her lately, even just to hold her hand. For a man, he was certainly giving her very mixed signals, Iliana thought.

If he didn't feel what she felt, why was he taking her on these big, expensive dates? Shoving food at her plate because he couldn't very well spoon-feed her, but not for lack of trying. He sometimes acted like an older brother taking care of his sister. During these times, they only had to touch, even accidentally, for the sparks to come back. The wonderful, glorious sparks that sent shivers through her body. The hackles on the back of her neck rose. She had to force herself to keep under control, not to show that his touch affected her in the way that it did. For, she observed, her touch seemed to affect him not at all. It was very perplexing.

Iliana had never felt like this, nor had she ever experienced anything like this before. Although her sexual experience had been limited to just one lover a long time ago, she was not too ignorant to realize this was no ordinary fling.

But... then... she sighed deeply, heavily.

When he invited her out tonight, she felt something different. Like this night would be a milestone for them. She didn't know why she knew or how it would happen. She just knew. She had grown up listening to her instincts. She had no formal education. There had been no money to pay for that. She had been able to go to school for a while and the teachers had said she was intelligent. Even knowing this, they had to let her go when she couldn't pay her way through.

She had to do whatever she could just to put food on the table and buy medicine for her grandmother, who had lived with her when she was still alive. She couldn't scrape together anything anymore with which she could continue her education-not working at a coffee shop.

Over the years, she somehow managed to get a little ahead of perdition. Other people called their situation hell on earth. They said she couldn't possibly survive, just as others had not. She didn't budge. She still managed to hope.

Her parents had died hoping. When they were alive, there always had been laughter in the house. They were poor but she would always hear laughter. Even when her grandmother fell sick, the old woman always smiled. She would always say, even when she retained little life in her body, hope remained. That she would die hoping for her granddaughter to make a better life for herself. So Iliana promised her grandmother, on the deathbed of a woman she cared for deeply, that she would.

In the end, she fulfilled her promise, though her grandmother could no longer bear witness to it. She used everything she had. Most of all, she used her instincts. She wouldn't have survived that neighborhood without her instincts. Her gut feelings, her woman's intuition, whatever people called it, had never let her down.

In that moment, standing in front of her mirror, they told her that something was up. Her heart could not stop its heavy thudding. He was coming to get her, sooner rather than later. This would be another date, he had said. But the place where they would go would be a surprise. He would arrive in half an hour and she hadn't decided what to wear. In fact, she hadn't yet decided to wear anything at all.

Her options weren't many. She owned nothing controversial or extraordinary. Her wardrobe totaled six articles of clothing. She couldn't realistically afford controversial or extraordinary. If she were Nickolas, she would be embarrassed to take her out to anywhere. And if I were a little less proud, I would be very embarrassed indeed to walk inside all these luxurious places, dressed in my ugly clothes, with him, she thought.

She smiled to herself. Because she was who she was, she walked inside those places anyway. Iliana passed women in expensive dresses trying to appear as if she was the Queen of England, secretly wishing the floor would suck her in yet outwardly showing nothing of the sort as Nickolas held her hand. He didn't seem to mind. If he noticed how others looked at her, an amused expression played across his face for a second. Then he would go back to looking at her as if she was one of those expensive women, with intelligent things inside her head.

So how could she be embarrassed, when a man like Nickolas Benson looked at her like that, while he barely glanced at other women dressed in fashionable, expensive threads? He was one of a few men who could talk with her without ogling her breasts. He steadily held her gaze while she spoke her mind, which grew more frequent as she got to know him. She spoke her mind because he listened. His focus always remained on her. He would ask questions to pick her mind and pretty soon she would be talking. He would answer in ways that told her he understood what she was saying. She wondered how he could so easily understand her. She supposed it was because he was intelligent as a result of handling a lot of people in his business. He was a good businessman. He was successful. He must understand a lot of things, she thought to herself as she strapped a bra on.

She supposed she should be glad that his entire attention was on her despite being in the presence of an actress who had just won her latest Oscar and a state senator with fawning celebrities in tow. None of this seemed to deter him anyway, since he saw elites like that-who always made themselves known whenever possible-fairly often. His eyes never strayed far from her face. Even so, it drove her to distraction. She wanted him to look down for a moment so she could see what he truly thought about her body, if indeed this mattered to him at all.

He never looked down, however. He always had to stay in control. That was Nickolas Benson. She found him irritating. She found him intriguing. However, if she remained honest with herself, she knew that she found it endearing.

She picked a long-sleeved grey dress that ended at her knees and had a tall neck. It had belonged to her mother. She sighed. She had worn it twice with Nickolas already. It would have to do.

Perhaps, she thought to herself, my instincts are wrong. At the rate they had been going, he probably only needed an employee who could serve him good coffee, she thought while she got dressed. Maybe he wasn't really mysterious, but was just weird that way. At least by then she could afford better clothes.

NICKOLAS' CAR sped along the road. Iliana, in the passenger seat, tried her best to stifle comments regarding his driving. He drove with his right hand in the two o'clock, never using his left hand for anything, not even to activate his turn signal. Sometimes, he steered with his knees. Iliana had caught him yawning behind the wheel. She wondered whether he found the privilege of driving-a privilege in which she herself could not afford to indulge-boring. The word stuck in her mind: boring. Even at the best of times, in months where she had a small amount of discretionary income, she had never been able to afford to use her car for anything other than groceries and her work commute. During those times, she had resented stopped at the gas station. Nickolas treated his vehicle with such casual disinterest. Iliana wondered if he'd ever been too poor to drive. She thought not.

He said to her, "Tonight, I will be offering you dinner at The Castle. I think it's about time you see my house, don't you?"

She her body froze at the mention of the name. "The Castle? As in that place with the capital C?" she asked.

His lips twitched in amusement. "Yes. It's my home. It was named this way by the paparazzi. In the end, I came to like it, so I kept it."

She knew about the history of the name but she didn't realize he owned The Castle. It was supposed to be picturesque but very private, highly secure, and inaccessible. The media had dubbed it "The Castle." They could not get in without special passes. They could only stay outside, taking what pictures they might, hoping someone passed by a window.

She could only guess why Nickolas lived in such a house. "Why are we going there? Why not the places where you'd brought me before?" she asked him.

Instead of giving her an answer, he just threw her a mysterious grin. "You'll see," he said.

So of course, her heart jumped, and then began to race.

They drove out of the city on a road that led to a big hill. Large swaths of woods covered either side as far as she could see. She thought no buildings existed anywhere in the area. She supposed it was appropriate a place some people called a fortress could be found here.

Iliana became nervous. Excited. Excited and nervous. Nervous and excited. She started panicking. It would be a huge place, she knew. But it also meant they would be alone, or would have opportunities to be alone. Would he try? Would he finally kiss her tonight? Oh, my God, it's hot inside this car, she thought.

Iliana distracted herself by looking out the window. Only the moon provided light. She saw nothing beyond the car's headlights. Just before they reached the peak of the hill, they turned onto a small, narrow road that was hardly visible. They continued for about fifteen minutes until suddenly, a huge metal double door loomed before them, bathed in the vehicle's headlights.

The door was heavy and thick. Tall walls spread from both sides. Adorning the top of these walls were reels of sinister-looking barbed wire. The Castle, went through her head. The heavy gates opened silently, automatically. Chills flowed up her spine. As they drove through the gates, Iliana felt as if they were passing through a barrier to another time.

Everything-the night, the woods they were leaving behind, the air, and what was waiting for them beyond-was exotic. Then, on one side of the long driveway, a standing canopy appeared. She knew this was only impressed upon her when the car's lights fell on it. But to her tensed nerves, it was suddenly just there. More importantly, a large man wearing a dark suit and holding a walkie-talkie stood outside it, motioning for Nickolas to proceed as they passed.

"Tell me again... what line of work did you say you are in? A mob leader, maybe? How many of him do you have?" she asked.

He smiled as he maneuvered the car to an extension of the long driveway. "Some past... encounters with the paparazzi made me realize that I need a very good security team to protect my privacy. I have a few others like him. But I assure you, I'm a simple businessman."

"Yeah. So was Capone," she said.

Her instincts thrashed about, shouting something. Because if there was something that Nickolas was not, it was simple. It occurred to her that if he wanted to know her background, he could know whatever he felt like uncovering. There was nothing that she could hide from him. Did he know her secret already? She had no way of knowing, short of asking him straight out.

The large man's image appeared inside her head. She cringed. Sure, it was just a paparazzi problem.

Yeah, right... so was Capone...

They continued in silence for a few minutes more. Whatever she wanted to ask, she knew she never would. As they reached the top, Nickolas stopped the car. Then he turned to her with a smile.

"The Castle," he said.

From looking at him, she turned at what his hand indicated. Then she froze. They were at the opening to an enormous, heavily-lit plateau surrounded by tall trees. In front of them, a colorful pandemonium spread as far as the eye could see. Small gardens of all sizes and shapes lay filled with flowers of all kinds and colors. They were separated by a road branching off in a dozen different directions, forming numerous intersections. Beyond, she saw the lighted house.

The Castle.

She stared, wide-eyed.

Enormous in size, it occupied almost the entire back side of the plateau. It resembled a castle straight out of a fairy-tale, replete with towers and turrets. Except for the dark-red towers and window frames, the entire structure gleamed a bright white caused by very modern lights. Behind it lay the forest, while the hill continued onwards in a very dramatic fashion.

"Dear Lord...!" she exclaimed. She had totally forgotten about her nerves.

The view was breathtaking. She laughed.

### Chapter Five

NICKOLAS WATCHED HER put a hand to her chest as she laughed like a child He smiled. Regardless of her delight, he could only imagine what she was thinking about him owning such a place. It was a ridiculous place, but it served its function well. Whatever he thought of it, he knew she would find it beautiful. Or at least, he hoped.

He hoped she hadn't forgotten about the dog-eared children's books her mother bought in a thrift shop and brought home that night to her daughter who loved fairy tales. Those were part of the evidence presented in court by the prosecutor against him.

He'd seen the books, their covers smeared in dried blood, presented before the jury in clear plastic bags, one by one until a stack of them lay there on a cart in the courtroom. Every book smeared in blood, so much blood, that the manner of death could not be denied. Nor had Nickolas denied anything when he saw those books, so wracked with grief had he been that he put his head in his hands. Guilty, he said with his body language. The memory of that day caused him to frown.

That was why he bought this place. That's why he thought of bringing her here. He felt anxious.

He asked, "Well, what do you think?"

She gulped.

He could only wonder if it was the huge mansion or what they would possibly be doing inside it that made her nervous.

"So... are Snow White and the seven dwarves making an appearance now? Or will Sleeping Beauty pass by first? And what about the beast? Will he join us for dinner?"

He blinked. Then he laughed.

He realized he was doing this a lot since he met her and it always felt wonderful. She just looked at him, an oblique, playful smile on her lips. It was like she somehow knew he did not laugh often and she thought that he acted insane.

He couldn't help but feel attracted to her expression. How seductive her eyes looked to him. He found her incredible.

She looked scared. Nickolas thought she offset her fear with humor. In his eyes, that made her beautiful.

A part of his body responded without his permission. He opened the car door, turning his back to her. He couldn't let her see him that way, not right now anyway. He decided that he didn't want to wait anymore. He had to restrain himself until he reached the house... even if that notion seemed entirely impossible to him.

### Chapter Six

NICKOLAS GRABBED HER by the shoulders and pulled her roughly to his body. She had enough time for a brief, surprised scream before his lips crashed into hers. Then everything else was forgotten.

He squeezed her body to his, his lips besieging hers passionately and getting more aggressive by the second. His tongue invaded her mouth, found her own tongue and started playing.

There was only a moment's hesitation before she started to reciprocate. When she did, he could tell just how much she wanted this.

From the way she laughed, there was nothing holding her back. He smiled inwardly. He heard her moan of protest when he took his mouth from hers for a moment.

"My brave, wild cat..." he murmured, looking at the beautiful flushed face, before kissing her delicious full lips again.

In what felt like an eternity cut short, he pushed her gently from him.

"We can't do this here," he whispered in a hoarse voice. "I don't want our first time in this cramped space. I want to make love to you under the stars."

She nodded like she was ready to make love just about anywhere he wanted to. She trembled. He knew that neither of them could wait anymore. He closed the car door, started it again, and drove to the Castle.

He took her to his bedroom. It was manly, luxurious, and modern. Nothing about it resembled any story or fairy tale where the princess laid down on a bed of roses, or some other thing that often aroused disgust in Nickolas. Instead, his bedroom was what a rich bachelor's bedroom should be.

Lit softly by a small lamp on the bedside, the king-sized bed with the headboard leaning on the farthest wall conquered the room. Right above the headboard, a series of windows provided a panoramic view of the forest. Dark curtains were on the sides, ready to obstruct the view of anyone who might be watching. The most beautiful part of the room was right above the bed. There seemed to be no ceiling, and when Iliana stepped further inside, she understood what he had meant about the stars.

The ceiling was a glass partition with a view of the stars in the sky. Thousands of stars, sparkling and glowing. She gaped at them, open-mouthed, until he pulled her to him and he started kissing her again. She forgot about the stars in an instant.

He took her in his arms and sat her on the edge of the bed. He stood still in front of her. His hand lifted her head so that she could see him. He started unbuttoning his shirt slowly, one button at a time, not hurrying a bit. He locked her eyes with his as he took off the shirt and threw it to the floor.

She couldn't breathe as she looked at him. He was simply gorgeous. He had muscles excellently worked out, yet not a single hair marred the perfection of his smooth chest. Only with his shirt off did Iliana realize just how broad his shoulders were. His body, glistening with sweat, reminded her of a statue she'd seen in a museum once. The arms hadn't remained attached, yet the chest, the abdominal muscles, the look of concentration upon the statue's face all told that the subject had been a man in top physical form with an intellect as strong as his biceps must have been. Nickolas was a work of art and right now, he was hers.

His cock was rock-hard, and its shape was visible in the front of his trousers the same height as her eyes. She enjoyed the view, wondering how it would be to make love to him. Her lips were dry and her tongue slipped out to moisten them. He groaned as he watched her.

He pulled her up and his lips searched for hers. He started kissing her madly, like a thirsty man desperately seeking water in the desert. His hands moved down her thighs and started pulling the hem of her dress upwards. As the hem reached her hips, his right hand slipped below it, between her legs, and worked its way upwards to her inner thighs. It crossed softly along the slot of her vagina over her underwear. The spasm his touch produced was intense, causing her to rock a little.

He gently pushed her down until she was sitting just on the edge of the bed again. Then he kneeled before her, in front of her separated knees. With soft movements, he raised her right foot and took her shoe off, then did the same with the other. Grabbing the hem of her dress once again, he lifted it beyond her head and then threw it on the floor. He did the same with her bra. He still looked so much in control. She saw his nostrils flare up once her breasts were free. She saw the fire in his eyes as he stared at them.

At last she knew how he felt about her breasts. For the first time, she was glad she had them. To her, breasts had always been a part of her body like any other, no different than the point of her elbow or knobby part of her ankle. Now, seeing the way he looked at her, what few doubts she harbored in the back of her mind disappeared. She felt his hands quiver slightly when he moved to pull her panties off. Her heart rejoiced.

She didn't think he wanted her this much. He'd never given this much of a clue. He's been holding out on me, the brute, she thought. Her heart, if it could, laughed. She was left with nothing now, totally naked. She never felt that powerful. She had always convinced herself that she amounted to nothing at all. Even when the stubborn part of her brain refused to give up in the face of life's vicissitudes, she could never quite bring herself to imagine that one day, a man would value her so much as to want to do everything with her. This was not merely about Nickolas having his way with her, after which he'd fall directly asleep; no, she decided, something much deeper moved him.

A tingle ran through her body at the thought. Where she might have stopped other men from doing what Nickolas did, she knew that Nickolas wasn't like other men. Another man might use her in place of sex machine. They'd satisfy the needs of their body and be done with it. Not so with Nickolas. A hunger ate away at him that she saw now, for the first time. How he had contained himself through all the meals, the dancing, and the car drives, she didn't know. That, too, added to the mystery of him. Why he had waited so long to do this if he wanted it so badly?

His eyes glittered as they watched her.

"Oh my God... you are magnificent..." he whispered in awe.

And she did feel magnificent. Iliana was much more beautiful than he had imagined. Thin yet fit, slender and elegant, like a statue of Venus. Her skin shone white, her thighs and legs taught with the tension of restrained energy. Her breasts, firm mounds of flesh on her chest, featured brown circles of skin in the middle, on top of which rose a brown nipple on each. Soft red fluff covered the spot at the apex of her thighs.

His eyes went lower. His mind filled with images of pink pleasure. His mouth went dry. He took her in his arms and placed her in the middle of the bed. In his mind, he saw himself attacking her, because his need was so great. He was ready to fuck her until she screamed and came with lust... but that wasn't his plan for her. Even when he felt feverish with this ravenous hunger from deep inside of him, he had to control himself. Had he not planned for this day, thought about what might happen in advance, he might have driven himself mad by not letting his body rule his actions. She exceeded all his expectations, high though they had been. He huffed a breath, deciding what he had to do.

He would make love to her, would please her, and do everything in his power for this first mating to be perfect. Before he changed his mind, he stood from the bed and started peeling everything else from his body. Her eyes followed his every movement with a hunger he hadn't seen in a woman before.

It almost undid him. An inferno danced in her eyes, ready to blaze up and burn everything and everyone in its path. The fire practically roared its fury through her look. Nickolas clenched a fist. Small, half-moon indentations in the shape of fingernail edges appeared on his palm when he unclenched it. To give in would so be so easy, too easy. How often had he played a game of cat and mouse where he had to drag a woman's sensuality out of her only to find that the woman he once had thought might end up as a spinster in her old age now appeared to be sizzling electricity made flesh? He had to stay in control. He had to let his mind rule the day.

Her look said she was ready to rush up, attack him with want. But she remained lying down, bare and naked and waiting for him. Quivering, yet motionless. Finally, he set his cock free and her eyes widened a little as they fastened on him. He knew he was larger than average. That's what all the women he'd ever bedded said to him. This seemed to be of advantage, especially since he seemed to know exactly what to do to make a woman happy. Whether or not women actually cared about the size of it or just complimented on it to make him feel good, he could not tell. Nor did he care overmuch. He only knew, right then, in that moment when he could have done any number of things to her with her permission-even her blessing-his penis, with its pulsing blue veins and red hardness, seemed to excite her even more. Nickolas would not have thought this possible.

He finally lay down beside her, careful not to touch her prematurely, very careful not to lose control. There was a wild insane side within him that he did not want Iliana to discover. Not yet. Sometimes he could feel a familiarity with her that he could not explain. The way she would sometimes unflinchingly receive his stare with her eyes, the way those eyes would seem to challenge his. Dare him to do what? He did not know.

That was where the adventure lay. To go somewhere unknown and do something impulsive. To be wild with her. There was someone else inside her wanting to get out. Wanting to meet him. Wanting to greet the wild part of him. Those eyes were staring into his own now, offering her challenge.

I dare you, she said without words.

### Chapter Seven

SHE DIDN'T MOVE. She didn't speak. Just heavy breathing now, the fast movement of a pulse on the skin of her neck as she anticipated his next movement.

It was his lips that first touched her. His lips covered her own and he started kissing her while his hand reached out to caress her hair. His lips seduced her, slowly. Methodically. She returned his kiss hungrily, eagerly, more demanding than his controlled kiss. He almost smiled.

His wild cat, eagerly showing a little teeth.

His lips left her mouth for her neck. His kiss was fierce now, devouring her flesh, biting, sucking, licking. With every breath, he became brash and bolder. His hands reached for her breasts. He gently held and squeezed both of the perfect, soft orbs together, his eyes watching the view before him. Her breasts were so beautiful and exquisite.

He moved his body, now half on top of her. She felt his cock on her left thigh. He pushed her left knee away from him, until her thigh touched her breast, and he moved until his cock touched her vagina. He rubbed himself firmly at her sex with every move of his body. She moved against him, without fear.

He let go of her knee and now both his hands held her breasts, his thumbs playing with their pink buttons until they were both rigid and aroused, ready for suckling. She moaned when he lowered his head to put one nipple inside his mouth. They were soft, warm, and very sensitive. He felt her quiver as she arched her back towards him, pushing her breast to his face at every nip and suck, with every circle and flick of his tongue on the pink, crinkled bud.

He gave the same attention to her other breast, loving the feel of its softness pressed to his face, the taste of its nipple inside his warm mouth, the feel of the button in his tongue. Oh, he could love them forever. But other parts of her needed attention, too. His other hand traced the line towards the apex of her opened thighs, fingers reaching her clitoris. He started rubbing it, at first smoothly and slowly, dipping towards the wet opening of her sex to lubricate his fingers with her juices. He groaned upon feeling that wetness.

She was so aroused, so there with him. He couldn't lose control. He rubbed two fingers to her clitoris again. She flinched and moaned and started grinding her sex to his hand. He rubbed, fast and fierce. Fiercer and faster. Her lower part was electrified, shaking, her whole body shivering. His tongue licked at her engorged nipple, his fingers playing with the clitoris below, both movements in sync, same way, same extreme speed and fierceness. Her movements told him she was almost there, almost reaching her pinnacle.

"Oh, God... no... wait... don't...!" She groaned and reached out to pull his hand away from her sex.

But she was too late. He had slid two fingers inside her vagina, sliding in and out as fast as he suckled. She couldn't stop him as she moaned her pleasure at what he was doing. He felt the tremors first in his fingers. Then her body arched. A small scream erupted from her mouth, and he knew as she exploded, she'd completely lost touch with this world.

Nickolas watched her reaching the first ever orgasm he had helped her reach. Fantastic and surreal, and terribly arousing. Her face turned white, then flushed. Her eyes closed and tears squeezed out of her lids. She stopped breathing for a few seconds. Then she started making small voices of satisfaction. Her body shivered and shook for a few moments more as he held her. Then in the end, a smile of satisfaction adorned her mouth. She looked like a cat, lying lazily under the sun. When she finally opened her eyes they shone bright.

This was the very moment when he realized, since finding out he really had fallen in love with her, that there was no turning back. He, the person who rarely lost control, was irrevocably taken over.

Iliana felt... complete, full. She had never felt like this before.

Suddenly, a vision of Ramon appeared uninvited inside her head. He had been her first and only lover. Although they had been together almost a year, he never made her feel this way before. She felt like she was somehow betraying this boy she loved a lifetime ago. There might have been no choice but to be with him, and she was grateful that because of him, she was able to get out. She knew that her love for him was born out of a sense of gratitude.

Ramon loved her, too, in his own way. In a place where she'd been, something like that was hard to come by. The harshness of life stripped love away and made hearts immune and as harsh. He loved her. He protected her. He had been the only other person who had been able to reach her heart. She knew she was the only person who had made his life easier. For that reason, memory of him was important to her.

Nickolas watched her smile disappear and her face exchange various expressions in seconds. Wonder, embarrassment, guilt... sadness. He knew exactly what she was thinking. Or rather, whom she was thinking about. He knew so many things about Iliana; she could never imagine he even knew-even before he met her. He found himself surprised by the feeling of rage that suddenly hit him as she thought of somebody else while she lay in his arms-in his bed.

He moved and it startled her. He didn't care. He was finally losing control but he didn't care. She could have no other man but him. There would be no one else. Ever.

He pushed both her knees upwards and hitched her legs over his shoulders, then roughly grabbed her by her buttocks and lifted her hips towards his face. No other man ever... He stuck his mouth into her vagina and started repeating with his tongue what his hand had done a moment before. At first, she tried to resist, tried to push his head away.

"Nickolas... stop!"

She still felt too sensitive there. His hands held her still. He was dedicated to what he was doing. He used all techniques learned from experience and, pretty soon, Iliana groaned and sighed again. His tongue licked, pushed and sucked at her clitoris until she trembled. Then he started rubbing it obsessively, increasing the speed with each move. By then, her body was his and the first spasms started.

His own body ached and his cock had reached an unspeakable size. He wouldn't give in yet. His anger and stubbornness was stronger. His tongue invaded her as deep as it could and she screamed out in pleasure. He repeated it again. Her body shook so uncontrollably that he had to use both hands to hold her still. He continued the same moves with his tongue, in and out, fast and fierce, as a prelude of what would happen later. She was all wet now. Her smell brought him ever closer to what can only be described as a king of erotic madness. He continued this attention until he gave her another orgasm.

Her reactions were exactly the same as the first time. He watched her face as she came, and she was beautiful... so erotically seductive.

"You will be the death of me," he groaned.

All the muscles in his body hurt while his cock vibrated with the need to explode. He didn't wait for her to reply. The moment she opened her eyes, he was kneeling between her legs and was pushing his penis inside her... slow and steady.

### Chapter Eight

SHE WAS JUST getting in touch with the world again when she felt him invading her. He burned a hot trail and he was painfully big, even with her sex so wet. Her body froze with tension. He stopped moving, started caressing her hair and face to relax her. His sensual, whispering voice tickled her ear.

"Easy love, relax. Let me give you even more satisfaction, what only I can give you. I won't hurt you, I swear. I just want to make you feel wonderful, to give you more pleasure."

"Nickolas..." she gasped.

"I'm dying for your loving... I want to get lost inside your warmth, snuggle inside you and bathe myself in your beauty. Pull me inside you, please Iliana. Take me, all of me and burn me in your fire."

She pushed her hips at him, against him, taking him all inside. His eyes shut tight while his mouth gasped.

"Yes... like that... ohhh... yes!"

God... it was so perfect. He was so big and hard. He filled her so completely that she no longer knew where her body ended and his started. She closed her eyes and other senses took over. She could feel him in every part of her. They were one. Neither of them moved for a while as they adjusted. Then he put his hands on both sides of her and pushed up so that he could look into her eyes. He started moving. Slowly, carefully, letting her body follow the beat, not breaking eye contact for a second, letting their rhythm flow. He saw that every push and pull moved her. Her mouth opened and her full lips pouted as she savored the friction of his penis against her vaginal walls.

Every push she marked with her moan and he struggled to restrain himself at the exquisitely feminine, powerfully erotic sound. Each penetration was a little faster, a little stronger. Faster and faster. Very soon, they were both out of control. His body was pounding hers with brash, wild strokes. She was moving against him with fierceness, yet in synch with him. She was, indeed, his very own. They had both forgotten any kind of tenderness or kindness. They were taking each other, conquering each other without caring who was who. They groaned, sighed, shivered, both shaking simultaneously.

His moves were vicious now. Lust had finally taken control over him. The only thing that held him back was his need to satisfy her before himself. When he sensed her spasms around his penis, he penetrated her even deeper. As soon as she reached her peak, he released himself inside her with a loud moan. Afterwards, he fell on top of her, breathing hard, his thoughts chaotic, his body humming with the greatest sexual relief he had ever experienced.

It was all so perfect. He was lost.

It was quite some time afterward that he could finally move. She was still out of it. He pulled her onto his body, so that he could put his arms around her. He laughed softly when she melted into him. And then he just held her, as she held him. He didn't want to think that the situation had not developed as he had planned. He was supposed to seduce her, blind her with sex, not be blinded himself. He didn't want to think that he had had the best orgasm of his life. Or that he wanted her again, like a hungry man, so quickly, while at the same time desperately needing to simply hold her and never let her go. Or that he came inside her without using a condom. He didn't want to think about that.

Even if his partners were using some other kind of protection, he never took such a risk. He knew, of course, that she was taking a pill prescribed by a community doctor due to a minor problem with her monthly cycle, but still... he never trusted anything. The pill was not one hundred percent safe. But he didn't care until that moment when he possessed her. As soon as the first thrust happened, he was completely taken over. However much he reasoned that it had been all planned, calculated, assessed-whatever he called it-their coupling became unexpected, impulsive, explosive, and totally reckless. If she knew that, she would surely kill him.

She opened her eyes, tenderly looked at him, and smiled. He instantly changed his mind. He thought that yes, she could kill him, but it would be all worth it. He could tell the exact moment she realized it. She blinked, and then struggled to escape from his embrace.

"Oh... but... you... you didn't use protection!"

"Weren't you on the pill?" he asked, not letting her know that he knew.

"I... it didn't matter because you didn't even ask!" she replied, starting to push at him. "What if I wasn't?!"

He had to do something to calm her down quickly. He reached and grabbed her back before she could completely be out of his reach. She was as untrusting as a stray cat and he knew why. Weren't they cut from the same mold? Didn't they come from the same place? Except she didn't know that, of course. Nickolas didn't think it was time for her to know yet.

"Iliana, let me explain-"

She tried to pull herself away again and almost freed one of her hands. She nearly punched him. When he tried to kiss her, she tried to bite his lips. She stopped struggling as the kiss took over. Her body was still tense. After a full minute of intense and passionate kissing, she relaxed.

"I'm sorry," he murmured as his hands caressed her breasts. Oh, how he'd completely fallen in love with them. They seem to constantly want his attention, too, as attested by their owner. Iliana's eyes closed, her beautiful face rapt as she let him caress her more.

"How could you?" she said in a sigh as she turned her face towards his neck.

"I have a box of condoms in the drawer but I just couldn't stop when I got inside you. It felt so delicious... since you probably knew what we'd be doing once I got you inside my house I expected you'd be on the pill. As everyone is."

She suddenly opened her eyes and they looked fierce. She slapped him on one cheek and it smarted. She wasn't even sorry. He seemed to have forgotten, if he ever knew, that contraceptives were expensive.

"I am not everyone! I don't sleep around, Nickolas. I haven't been in bed with a man for years since... since my first lover." She looked confused. "And you never gave indication we'd be... we'd be doing something like this. That you'd be this... I didn't know you would be this lustful." She looked flushed again.

He grinned. "Hmm... lustful is an understatement." He soothed her with more kissing, snuggling, and caressing. "I wanted you so badly... Iliana. I could barely control myself but I tried because I want this to be perfect. I was prepared. You can look inside the drawer and see the condoms, if you want."

She was as distrustful as he knew she would be and she did open the drawer. He heard the sigh of relief when she saw the box. Then she looked at him and she was smiling. He was glad the anger passed. He knew where it came from. Or the doubts she automatically felt for people.

In his case, it wasn't because of the absence or existence of the condoms. It went deeper than that. Right now, she was just grateful that he wasn't what she was afraid he could be-a monster. Now she could let her guard down. Defensive and always on the offensive, that was Iliana. This behavior might be too weird to other people but he knew where it came from. He knew she had gone down that road many times with other people. He knew because he had been through the same and he knew how to play it to his own tune.

He said, "I'll do anything you want. Tomorrow morning I'll go and buy the morning-after pill for you if you want me to, or anything else you want. I'm really sorry. I guess... but you do use protection, right?"

### Chapter Nine

ILIANA TRIED TO concentrate on what he was saying. Although his voice sounded morose and his expression was really guilty, something just did not feel right. He didn't strike her as a man that would just forget such a thing. He didn't sound really concerned, either. He seemed more concerned for things to go his way, except she could not prove it. Logic dictated that it did not make any sense.

Why would he lie to her? She couldn't think of any reason. She looked at him with suspicion.

"I'm taking the pill," she said.

"Ohh... but then... everything is fine! We just ruled out the possibility of a pregnancy. As for other things... I assure you that I'm perfectly healthy and I have no doubt in my mind you are, too. So, no harm done."

This sudden, cheerful mood of his struck her as rather odd. Before she had time to think more clearly, his mouth was once again attacking hers with gusto. She melted into the kiss. He kissed so deliciously, so heavenly. How could she think straight when he was kissing her? She thought they were going to make love again, but he stopped. He used a phone to command someone from somewhere inside the house to get some food ready.

She thought they were going to eat in his bedroom. Instead, they ate in the anteroom, which was similar to a breakfast room. It was connected to his bedroom and from there to his study. They retired there after the call came that everything was ready.

The table was laden with her favorite dishes. It was a delight to know he really prepared for this dinner. There were lamb steaks and fruits-and wine. Delicious, sweet, intoxicating wine. After the meal, he gave her time to clean herself in his bath before he carried her to the bed again. Then they made love again... slow and delirious, very satisfying. They did not sleep despite her feeling so exhausted.

Being with him was electrifying. Feeling their skin against each other, hearing him talk near her ear in his low, sexy voice, seeing the smile on his handsome face every time she looked up to watch him as he watched her, and of course, kissing him whenever she wanted. She couldn't spare any time for sleep if she could help it.

When she thought they were going to make love again, he just kept kissing her. Long, delicious, passionate kisses that didn't go anywhere but made her purr with satisfaction and contentment as she lay in the security of his arms.

And then, dawn came. Rays of light crept through his transparent, glass ceiling. Yellows and oranges flooded the sky while, at the center of it all, the sun peeked over the horizon, half of a circle in the still morning air. Birds chirped outside. A cricket jumped about on top of the glass, its small body making a noise barely audible to either of them. They held their breath, trying to hear. There it was: tinkle, tinkle.

Iliana was half-asleep as Nickolas played with her hair. There was no sign that he was sleepy or even feeling tired. He was wrong-he is going to be the death of me, she thought with a smile as her hand caressed his strong, muscular chest.

"Iliana... where did your name come from? Did it mean something?" he asked.

She was not too sleepy to answer that. "My parents were second-generation Greek immigrants. Ilios, in Greek, means sun. It was my father's idea because when I was born, he teased that my red hair blinded him: as if he had looked straight at the sun with bare eyes for too long. It was silly and funny, but that's how I got my name..."

She smiled as she watched the grasshopper. The sky was starting to show lighter shades of blue.

Nickolas felt his heart bleeding. The old, familiar guilt rushed throughout him. He had chased it away, as he had been doing all these years. He was ready to complete the second part of his plan, which was to make her open up to him entirely. He did not need guilt to accomplish this. He knew he was going to inflict great pain. Yet, he had to do it.

Besides, there were some details he didn't know. He had to learn every little thing if he wanted to keep her alive. His body was stiff with tension. He proceeded.

"Tell me about your childhood, about your family."

She froze. Her smile faded. She looked at him with tortured eyes. "Why?"

He smiled at her. "I want to know everything about you. I knew you've lost your parents because you have already mentioned it but I want to know more. Please, Kitty, tell me."

Nickolas' voice was tender and melancholic and his eyes looked sad, almost as if this talk hurt him as much as her. But she couldn't. She hadn't spoken to anyone about... this. Not even to Ramon, who actually knew the story. She moved from him and turned her face away.

"I don't want to talk anymore now," she said. She felt like she was six years old again.

Nickolas wouldn't let her go. He brought her back to him, skin touching warm skin. Ignoring her attempts to resist, he put his arms around her and placed her head on his chest, right above his thudding heart. He started gently caressing her hair and cheek.

He said. "You have to talk eventually, sweetheart. Talk to me now." There was authority in his tender voice this time. There was supplication, too. "I want to know more about you, everything I can. I want to be able to help you, protect you, to be your wall so you can lean on me when you need to."

He kissed the top of her head. His arms tightened around her. She heard the beating of his heart. Why was it thudding so? Why was this ao important to him? He answered her question with his next words.

"I haven't felt like this with any other woman, Kitty. I feel very protective of you, like you're one stray cat I found and it took me long to get you to come with me but now," he chuckled a little, "now I own you. Do you understand? I want you to trust me. Tell me everything, the most important things about you. I want to know about them."

She could barely breathe. She wanted to sigh but her heart had constricted. He cared. It was important to him. So the strong beating of his heart started to calm her, make her feel safe. Maybe she could talk, after all. Maybe she could tell him.

It was so long ago. Maybe... this man... who seemed to know her so well... understood her and seemed willing to accept her, even when she came from a very questionable background. This made her feel very brave. Besides, he didn't know her parents. It would be just another story to him.

Maybe I... I can tell the story, and maybe feel for the first time that I'm finally not alone.

Not anymore. Maybe she really could trust him. She already felt like they had shared each other's soul after last night. Making love with him felt exactly like that. Like they'd become one; equal parts of a whole. Soul mates.

She smiled to herself. She never thought she could be melodramatic. Maybe she really was in love? She started talking, at first in a flat, emotionless voice. It was the only way she could tell the story without breaking down.

### Chapter Ten

"MY PARENTS WERE poor. In fact, when I was born, we became poorer because my father lost his job. He could hardly find a day's labor and my mother cleaned houses for a living. We lived in a neighborhood that wasn't good. We never went out of the house after dark and in daylight we always watched our steps. Gangs were in control. We had Los Lobos in ours, which in Spanish means The Wolves. The Wolves were always battling against another gang from another neighborhood. They were Italians and they were called Le Pantere, which means, the Panthers."

As she finished her last sentence, his heart started beating irregularly, faster, but she was too immersed in the past to notice. She continued as if she was reciting a text she had memorized. Her voice became deeper and lower.

"One night, my father went out to fetch my mother. She was late cleaning a house. She was afraid to come back home alone. I was six then and he left me with Granny, who also lived with us because she was old and had started to forget things. She had a small pension. That was a great help to us back then. We lived in a small apartment of two rooms and four people living in it. Even I remember that it was hard and I was just six.

"Around ten in the evening, we heard car brakes screaming and constant noise from afar. It sounded... bang-bang-bang, like fireworks exploding one after the other. They were gun shots... but I did not know that then. I was too young to know the difference. I honestly thought they were just fireworks...you know, like people lighting up those snakes that writhed about, smelling awful?

"What I didn't know was that some members of the Panthers had stolen a car. They had come to our territory. They were shooting at everything. Walls, doors, windows, pavement, everything. It's a good thing that people didn't walk outside at this hour.

"Only two did. My parents. And that's how th-they d-died."

Nickolas knew there was more. He felt terrible. He had to let her talk about it. To tell him about it, so she would not wonder how he knew.

"Who found them, Iliana?"

It took her a long time to answer; so long he thought she wouldn't say anything.

"I did. I went out just as they were leaving. I saw them looking at me as they drove away."

Her voice was more distant now, as if she had disappeared into the most hidden part of herself. "I heard the shots and I rushed out of my bed and ran to the door. I just had to see the fireworks and my poor granny was no match for me. I was so much faster than her, she couldn't stop me.

"I ran down the stairs and got out of the house. There was a jeep, and one man looked at me. He held a long gun. He jumped on the jeep with the others before they drove away. My parents... they were lying on their backs on the pavement, just outside the house. They were so near the door... just a few steps more and they could have been inside. They were still holding hands, because, you know, they were always holding hands when they were walking, like couples that I watched in the park across the street."

He understood now why she was so much calmer, so much happier when he held her hand while they walked. When he first did that, she had looked at their linked fingers quizzically but didn't pull away, even though she had been as skittish as a stray cat. He couldn't almost hear anymore. It felt like his brain had fragmented into millions of pieces.

She did not know this. She continued in her monotone: "My father's face was covered with something and I couldn't tell what it was. It was a red gluey thing, with other little white things in it, some soft and others hard. I tried to get it off of him. And my hands were full of it now...

"My mother, she seemed like she was sleeping. Her blouse had two huge holes on it-her beautiful white blouse, with the pink flowers. They were red now. Her hand moved up and down quickly, like she was waving at me. I giggled. I thought she was playing with me so I sat down beside her to tell her about the fireworks.

"I waited for her to smile at me like she would in the mornings when I went to their bed and squeezed myself between them and tickled them until they woke up. Of course, now I know they were faking but, when I was a child, it was one of the most important things...

"She wouldn't open her eyes. She stopped moving. I thought she had gone back to sleep. I thought about tickling her. I decided not to. So I sat there, holding her hand and waiting. It became cold so my granny went inside the house because I wouldn't let her take me. I think I knew. I just don't know... I think something in me knew, even when I was so small..."

She could barely be heard now. She whispered. Nickolas didn't ask for her to talk louder.

"A policeman came. So did many people from the other houses. He made me let go of her hand. I don't remember what happened next."

She paused. Then, she closed her eyes.

Nickolas felt like his chest was going to explode. He still had to ask the question. "You saw the killers?"

Her head nodded once, a very small movement. "Yes. I saw him."

There was no mistaking the difference. There wasn't just one. She was talking about someone in particular.

"Nickolas DiAngelo. That was his name," she continued, sounding almost like a robot now, except that there was so much feeling trapped in her tone. "They said he was put in jail. He was punished for what he did to my parents."

This time, it was Nickolas who closed his eyes.

"I don't want to talk anymore now," she said in a very small voice. "Please don't make me talk anymore."

The sky was already light by then. He held her so tight he thought she was going to protest. But she didn't. She didn't make a sound. When he looked down, she was asleep. Her face was as innocent as a child's. A good thing, because he was already crying.

He breathed deeply, slowly, then reached for the controller and pushed the button for the mechanical blinds. Slowly, the blinds on both the open ceiling and the windows closed. The whole room was bathed in shadows. Tears fell from his eyes. She found refuge in sleep. He knew that. After the night her parents were murdered, she was put to bed and she slept. She just slept. She had to be put in the hospital for sustenance because she wouldn't wake up. They couldn't wake her up. She would just sleep. For six months.

During this time, she had become a ward of the state. Many people pitied the orphan child and they helped with donations. While he scraped together every penny he could and sent it to her grandmother. She eventually woke up-to a life she had to endure as an orphan after her parents were murdered. And he was sent to jail, a minor punishment, as far as he was concerned.

He felt like throwing up. Guilt was back in full force and this time he let it torture him. If he could, he would send Iliana away from him. He was her tormentor. She was his victim. She was his punishment. Every time he looked at her, he hurt. She was so beautiful. She was more so on the inside, remaining so strong even after what she had suffered. If he knew it was safer for her that he let her go, he would. But he couldn't. He couldn't, since death was all around her now. Because of him. Again.

And he, the one who'd brought it in the first place, was the only one who had the power to make it go away...

### The Case of the Secret Admirer

Eve Snow, Psychic P.I. Part 1

### 

### Prologue

SARA APPROACHED HER front door with trepidation. She had seen the elegantly wrapped package waiting on the porch just outside the door as soon as she pulled into her driveway.

Not again, she thought. How much longer was this going to continue?

It had started a little over a month ago with a dozen red roses delivered to her on a Saturday afternoon. At first, she had been sure that they were from Bryan as a way of apologizing and wanting to make up. But the card on the flowers had read, "From your Secret Admirer."

That was rather enticing and exciting. Didn't most women want to have a secret admirer? Someone who would send wonderful cards and gifts without ever signing their name? Of course, at some point, you wanted the person to reveal himself, but that buildup was so seductive. That's why she let it go on for so long before deciding that it was a bit frightening.

The gifts kept coming but they were also getting more personal and, finally, a little creepy. The last gift was the one that had actually chilled her to the core.

The box had arrived at her house while she was at work. It was wrapped in shiny black paper with a silver ribbon and bow. Inside, there was a very slutty black see through nighty, along with a pair of matching thong panties. This time the card said "See you soon, Your Secret Admirer."

Sara was seriously spooked, but she didn't know what to do about it. Bryan wouldn't do something like this no matter how pissed off he was at her. This wasn't his style and it never occurred to her to ask him about any of it. Besides, she really didn't want to see him again. Not after what he did.

Well, she thought now, I can't just stand out here staring at this box.

She picked it up gently, unlocked her door and went inside. Closing and locking the door behind her, she carried the package into her kitchen and set it down on the bar. She got a bottle of wine from the refrigerator and poured a glass. Sipping the wine, she eyed the package like it might attack her at any second.

Finally, she set down her glass and reached for the box. Bringing it to her, she started slowly untying the ribbon. Carefully, she removed the paper from the box. It was a square box, about the size of hat box, but it seemed to weigh absolutely nothing. Setting the paper aside, she slid her fingernail underneath the piece of tape that held the lid fastened.

All she saw were some pieces of black tissue paper; the kind you use to conceal items in special gift bags. Sara wasn't sure what to think of that. Finally, she reached her hand into the paper and searched the box. She still couldn't find anything.

Just as she was starting to withdraw her hand from the box, a sudden, sharp pain shot through the underside of her wrist. Crying out, she jerked her hand out of the box only to discover a horrendous spider clinging to her arm. Screaming in full blown terror now, she leapt from the bar stool and twirled around in circles as she frantically shook her arm trying to disengage the creature. But it hung on, its fangs hooked into her vein pouring its toxic, deadly venom into her body.

Within mere minutes, Sara began to feel cold and hot at once. Her mouth twitched involuntarily as did other parts of her body. Tears ran down her face and severe nausea gripped her. It was impossible to catch her breath as she frantically tried to get to her cell phone. Someone had to help her!

But somehow she knew that she wouldn't make it to her phone and that, even if she did, help wouldn't arrive in time to save her. She was growing weaker as the venom continued its deadly fast and furious path through her body.

I don't want to die, she thought, as her legs collapsed beneath her.

Sliding down the wall, she half sat, half lay with her legs splayed out before her. The pain was unbearable now but she could tell that it wouldn't last much longer. Unable to move other than the continuous involuntary twitching, she felt the life in her body literally being sucked out of her by this creature still holding fast to her wrist.

I wonder who will find me, Sara thought.

Then there was only blackness.

AS SARA LAY fighting for her life in her kitchen, a pair of eyes watched from a rear kitchen window. Glittering with maniacal excitement, they watched as Sara writhed in pain. Yes, now was the time to go in and let Sara see just who was responsible for her untimely departure from this life. Besides, the Secret Admirer needed to collect the instrument of destruction. It wouldn't do to make things too easy for the police once Sara was discovered.

Slipping in through the sliding glass doors, the Secret Admirer walked directly into the kitchen where Sara gasped and fought for her life. She looked up into the face of her executioner and recognition, followed by horror, flashed across her face. It couldn't be possible! Yet, it was.

Sara's tormentor smiled at down at her before picking up the gift box that had brought death to her. Leaning down, the Secret Admirer deftly detached the venomous creature from Sara's wrist with gloved hands and encouraged it to scurry back inside the box. Replacing the lid insured that the spider would stay put for now.

Reaching down, the Secret Admirer brushed Sara's hair from her eyes almost tenderly.

"Don't worry, Sara. It's almost over. You won't be suffering much longer, I promise. I hope you understand why this had to happen. I just couldn't let you get away with it. Try to relax. Stop working so hard to breathe. It's not going to help you. No one is going to get to you in time to save you. It will be much easier for you if you just let death take you."

Sara was trying to speak but her voice made only a very soft whisper.

"Why?" she tried to ask her murderer.

"Poor, dear Sara. If you try very hard, you'll understand everything."

The Secret Admirer sat with Sara until the final breath left her body and her eyes, frozen in uncomprehending horror, stared as if they were still seeing something terrible.

I'll just hang around for a little while longer, thought the Secret Admirer. I bet there will be someone coming soon. I wouldn't want to miss all of the excitement.

This one murder might not bring in the incomparable Eve Snow, but it wouldn't be long before her interest would be attracted. Someone would probably want to hire her eventually. That's when things would really get interesting. Oh yes, Ms. Eve Snow would be made to pay for her sins and that retribution was starting right now.

I'll just wait a little while longer. Someone will come to look for Sara sooner or later. I don't want to miss it.

As the Secret Admirer was thinking that, someone arrived in the driveway of Sara's house. A woman got out of the car and headed to the front door. Leaving just as quietly and expertly as entering had been; the Secret Admirer stole back out of the house carrying the box as well as all of the wrapping and ribbon. Moving stealthily to a car parked on a side road across the street from Sara's house, no one was the wiser. Settling in, the Secret Admirer sat back to watch the drama unfold.

Now the fun can really begin.

### Chapter One

EVE SNOW WAS slowly waking up to subtle probing from behind her.

Smiling, she kept her eyes closed and waited to see what would happen next. This had quickly become Hunter's favorite way of waking her up and getting their day started, but she had found that it was just fine with her.

His rock hard erection moved against her bare luscious ass cheeks as she felt him pressing himself against her. That was all it took for her own juices to start flowing in eagerness. Slipping his throbbing cock between her upper thighs, his arm snaked around her body and his hand began teasing her sensitive little nipples.

Her love honey had already made its way to Hunter's needy member and he was sliding himself back and forth between her thighs, teasing her stiff little rosebud of pleasure. It amazed her still that he had to do so little to get her to the point of no return. But she relished it and welcomed it.

Giving herself over to this newfound freedom of pleasure, Eve felt her spasms beginning. Throwing herself into motion, she moved rapidly back and forth over Hunter's cock. Moving just as quickly, Hunter replaced his cock with his fingers and deftly slid himself inside of her most intimate of places. Pushing into her, he felt her muscles contracting over his rod of steel. As she cried out in ecstasy, he gave into his own orgasm, exploding deep within her while uttering a guttural growl.

"Mmmm," Eve purred as she settled herself against his chest. "Hunter Vale, the things you do to me."

Leaning his head down to kiss the back of her neck, Hunter laughed softly.

"Evie, my love, I haven't even begun doing things to you," he promised.

"God, you just might kill me, you know."

"Never. My only intent is to make you weak with pleasure."

"Well, I think it's safe to say that you're doing an excellent job of that," Evie giggled.

Glancing up at the clock on her nightstand, she saw that they still had a few minutes before they absolutely had to get up. Smiling contentedly, she closed her eyes again and just reveled in the warmth of Hunter's arms as they held her close to his body. She could feel his heart beating against her back. This new part of her life was something she was still adjusting to but she had to admit to loving every second of it.

"Hunter."

"Yes, sweetheart."

"I love you."

"And I love you."

They both dozed off a little after that until the alarm sounded on Eve's clock radio. Reaching over blindly to hit the off button, Eve rolled over onto her back and spent a little time simply waking up. She wasn't exactly a morning person and never really had been. So it was safe to say that she wouldn't be bounding out of the bed all bright eyed and bushy tailed.

"It's that time, huh?" asked Hunter sleepily.

"Yep, that it is," Eve replied. "I'm headed to the shower. Would you like to join me?"

"When I have ever turned down that particular invitation?" Hunter laughed.

Eve sat up, swinging her gorgeous toned legs over the side of the bed. Her long dark hair was tangled seductively around her face and she looked mischievously at Hunter from the side of her sexy whisky-colored eyes.

"Wanna race?" she challenged.

Hunter was up on his feet and flying toward the bathroom at an unbelievable speed almost before Eve had finished her sentence. She tore off after him. Ducking under his arm at the bathroom entrance, she managed to push him out of the way and win the race once more.

"You never play fair!" Hunter complained.

"Sure I do," Eve countered. "It's just that you keep treating me like some fragile creature that will break if you aren't careful. I keep telling you that I'm very good at taking care of myself. Apparently, you're either not listening or you just don't believe me. And that's how I keep winning."

"Yeah, yeah," Hunter said. "Are we going to take a shower or not?"

Eve laughed.

"We are as soon as you turn the water on," she teased.

The warm spray cascaded over the two of them as they took turns washing each other's bodies. This was something that they had found they both enjoyed. It allowed them to have a reason to touch, as if they needed an excuse for that. But there was just something so sensuous about performing such an intimate act as washing each other that it had almost become a sacred ritual between them.

Since Eve and Hunter had reconnected a couple of months ago, they had been nearly inseparable. In fact, Hunter was now completing the steps to become a licensed private investigator so that he could be partner at Eve's PI agency. The kidnapping of his niece had changed both of their lives drastically in bringing Hunter a total career change, as well as the plans for a wedding in the spring. After so much pain in the past, life was finally good. For now.

Wrapped in a bath towel, Eve padded barefoot back into her bedroom. A flashing light caught her eye. Walking toward her nightstand, she saw that her cell phone was alerting her to a voice mail. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, she picked up the phone to hear the message.

"Hey, Eve, this is Chad," a male voice said. "Please call me as soon as you get this. It's really important. I'm at 555-3680. Thanks."

Hmm, I wonder what that's all about, Eve thought. I better call him back.

Chad Morrison had been a close friend to Eve for years. They had practically grown up together. After college, when she decided to go into business as a private investigator, Chad had opted for the police academy. He had done quite well for himself, and had just made detective for the homicide squad, the youngest on board.

His voice had sounded very serious; so serious that an involuntary chill went through her.

Punching in the numbers, she returned Chad's call. She knew something was very wrong when he answered the call before the first ring had even completed.

"Morrison," he said abruptly.

"Hey, Chad, it's me. What's up?"

"Hey, thanks for calling me back so quickly. I've got a situation here and I need to talk to you," Chad replied. "It's bad, Evie. It's really bad."

"You're kind of scaring me, Chad," Eve said. "Can't you just tell me what's wrong?"

She heard Chad sigh deeply before answering her.

"Do you remember Sara Cranston?"

"Sara? Sure, we've been out of touch lately, but we were pretty close friends in college and after. Is she okay?"

"I wouldn't use that term to describe her condition, Eve. She's dead."

For several seconds, Eve wasn't sure she had heard him correctly.

"She's dead? What the hell, Chad?"

"We don't know very much at the moment," he replied. "Her sister found her last night. They were supposed to go out to dinner together. When she got here, Sara didn't answer the door but her sister has a key so she went in. That's when she found her. We've been here all night gathering evidence and trying to piece things together. I'm heading back to the office now."

"Wow," Eve breathed. "Do you want swing by here on your way?"

"Yeah, that would probably be best for now. There are a couple of really strange elements involved that you might be able to help with. For now, at least, I'd like to keep this unofficial until we know more. I might want to pull you in later, in a more official capacity."

"Sure, Chad, I understand. Anything you need."

"Thanks, Evie. I'll see you in a few minutes."

She was still sitting on the bed, holding the phone when Hunter joined her. Freshly shaved, he walked over to her wearing only a towel wrapped around his waist.

"Hey, babe, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Do you remember Sara Cranston?" she asked.

"Sara? Oh yeah, she was the one who came over to get your stuff when you moved out," he replied.

"Yes, that's her."

"Was that her on the phone?" he asked.

"No, that was Chad Morrison. He's on his way here to talk. Apparently, Sara was found dead at her house last night."

"What! Dead? What happened to her?"

"Chad said it looks like she was murdered but they're not sure what happened."

Slowly sinking to the bed beside of her, Hunter had a rather shocked look on his face.

"I'm not even sure what to say."

"Yeah, I know how you feel. Why would anyone want to hurt Sara?" Eve said almost to herself.

"Anyway, I need to get dressed," she said. "He's going to be here in a few minutes."

Hunter nodded absently as she stood up.

### Chapter Two

APPROXIMATELY TWENTY MINUTES later, Eve was dressed in some form-fitting jeans and a baggy violet sweater and was standing in her kitchen getting coffee started. Just as she pushed the button on the coffee maker, her doorbell rang.

"Coming," she called, as she hurried toward the front part of the house.

"Hi, Chad, come on in," she said as she stood aside to let him enter.

"I appreciate you seeing me on the spur of the moment like this," he said as they hugged.

"Oh, it's fine," she said. "Hunter and I were already up. In fact, we were getting ready to have some coffee. Would you like some?"

"Actually, I would love a cup," Chad said. "I need something to keep me fueled, and you certainly make some of the best coffee I've ever had."

"Flatterer!" Eve laughed. "Come back to the kitchen with me."

Chad sat down on one of the stools at the bar while Eve poured them both some coffee.

"So how are you and Hunter getting along?"

"You know, I never thought I'd hear myself saying this, but we're really good. Honestly, Chad, I'm happier than I've ever been in my life. We're getting married in May."

"Seriously?" Chad looked a little stunned. "That's great, Evie! So I guess love really is better the second time around."

"Yeah, I'd have to agree with that sentiment."

"Where is Hunter anyway?"

"Oh, he'll be down in a minute. He's still getting dressed."

"Let's wait for him and that way I can tell you both at once what's going on."

"That works," Eve said, as she sipped her coffee. "I still can't believe that someone would want to hurt Sara."

"Well, as I said on the phone, we're still not clear on what exactly happened," Chad said. "But she looks pretty bad."

Just as he said this, Hunter entered the kitchen.

"Hey, Chad," he said, as he walked over to get his own cup of coffee.

"Hunter! It's good to see you, man," Chad said enthusiastically as he rose to shake hands with him.

Hunter sat by Eve at the bar and picked up her hand.

"This is so sad about Sara," he said. "I can't believe she's dead. I mean, we had lost touch over the last couple of years, but she was always a sweetheart. Why would anyone want to hurt her?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out," Chad said. "Her sister found her. She was pretty upset, as you can imagine."

"What do you know so far, Chad?" Eve asked.

"From what we can tell, Sara got home from work at her usual time, around 5:30 yesterday evening. A neighbor said she saw her pull into the driveway about then. After that, it's anyone's guess. Her sister, Melanie, got there about an hour later to pick Sara up for dinner. Since no one came to the door, Melanie used her key to unlock the door. She found Sara on the kitchen floor. Sara was already dead but she called 911 anyway."

"Damn," Hunter said. "Was she shot, stabbed?"

"Neither one of those," Chad said. "As far as we can tell, the only real injury she seems to have is a very severe, ugly bite mark on her wrist. Not like a bite made from human teeth, though. It was more like an insect bite. There were two deep puncture marks and then some serious swelling, bleeding and bruising at the site. We'll know more once the ME has finished with the autopsy. She's doing that first thing this morning. We need to know as soon as possible what the cause of death is."

"Of course you do," Eve said sympathetically. "I can't imagine what her family is going through."

"Yeah, they're taking it pretty hard," Chad said. "That brings me to why I'm here. I want to find answers for Sara's family and I know how good you are at unearthing things no matter how deeply they're buried."

"Well, most of the time my success rate is pretty good. All I can do is try," Eve said.

"I was so hoping you'd say that," Chad replied with relief. "What do you need to look into this?"

"The fastest way is to spend time at the scene. Would that be possible?"

"Sure, I think I can get you in there without drawing too much attention. They're clearing things out now so everyone should be gone by this afternoon. Will that be okay?"

"Yes, of course," Eve said. "Hunter and I have to go to the office this morning for a little while. We're going to be interviewing for a receptionist. But I don't think we have any interviews scheduled after around 1."

"That will work," Chad said. "I'll meet you at your office by 2. We can go over from there."

"Okay, sure," Eve said. "Would you like some more coffee?"

"I would, but I've really got to take off. I've got a ton of paperwork to get done and then I'm going to be interviewing possible witnesses. I'm also hoping that the ME will have some preliminary findings for me by later today."

"Sounds like you've got a heavy day cut out for you," Hunter commented, as he and Eve walked Chad to the door.

"Yeah, and I've got a feeling that this case is going to get more complicated before it's solved. Thanks for the coffee. I'll see you later this afternoon."

"We'll be waiting," Eve said.

### Chapter Three

AS HUNTER AND Eve walked back to the kitchen, they weren't sure what to think about everything that Chad had just told them. Hunter knew that Eve was accustomed to using her ability to help solve cases that seemed impossible to figure out. But he worried about her getting involved in these dangerous ones. He had only just found her again and was terrified of losing her. His problem was that she was used to doing things on her own and she was already pretty resentful of what she termed as his "over protectiveness."

He didn't want to upset her but he couldn't seem to stop himself. All he wanted was to keep her safe. But, according to the world that Eve Snow resided in, she was perfectly capable of looking after herself and didn't need a knight riding in on a white steed to rescue her. Even if that knight happened to be in the form of Hunter Vale. He wanted to stop pissing her off, but he was the kind of man that couldn't stand by when someone he loved was in danger.

Hunter knew that Eve was capable. She was trained in all sorts of self-defense techniques and certainly had shown just how well-prepared she was when it came to various situations. But she was so damned independent. Why couldn't she see that he was only trying to work with her so that they could both stay safe? This was something that they really did need to work on.

Eve was busy making cinnamon toast while Hunter whipped up a couple of omelets. Cooking together had become a favorite pastime for them and they had fallen into somewhat of routine. They worked well together in the kitchen and created many delectable meals. In a very short time, people were eager to be invited to any dinner parties or barbeques that the couple was having. Their cooking had already become the talk of certain circles in town.

This morning, though, they worked together quietly, each lost in thought about the horrible thing that had happened to Sara. As they ate, they bounced various theories off of each other as to what could possibly have caused Sara's death and who could have been responsible.

"I guess we'll just have to wait to see what the ME has to say," Eve finally acknowledged. "Chad promised to call as soon as he knows anything. But we've got some interviews to conduct."

"Yes, that we do," Hunter replied. "We better take off because the first applicant is due in about 10 minutes."

"Dammit," Eve swore. "I had no idea it was so late! I'll meet you at the car!"

"Okay," Hunter said. "Which car are we taking?"

"Let's take mine," Eve replied. "I just need to go grab my bag."

Fifteen minutes later, they were entering Eve's PI office. She turned off the alarm as Hunter headed back to the kitchenette to get some coffee going. They had also decided to set out a simple assortment of pastries for their applicants.

No sooner had they set up the reception area than the first applicant arrived.

Three hours later, they had gone through many applicants without any hopeful winners in sight. So far, they had talked with an 18year old young lady who would be graduating high school in the spring. She was looking for a way "to kill time" during the summer before started college in the fall. An older woman looked promising until the end of the interview when she asked if it would alright if she brought in her grandkids because she also babysat for her daughter on occasion. A man wasn't interested in running the office but wanted to get his private investigator's license and "join the team as an investigator."

"Well, this morning has certainly been a bust," Eve sighed, as she leaned back in her chair and put her feet up on her desk. "We're never going to find anyone at this rate."

"I know it seems that way," Hunter offered. "But we've still got a couple more applicants to see."

He picked up the next application in the stack and scanned it.

"The next one is due in about five minutes," he said. "Her name is Skylar Carson. She looks pretty good on paper. Here, have a look."

Sitting up in her chair, Eve took the resume and started reading.

"Okay, says she's good with computers and has excellent organizational skills," Eve murmured. "I'm afraid to get my hopes up, though."

At that moment, they heard the outer door open.

"Looks like we're about to find out if she's the one or not," Hunter said as he stood up.

Eve joined him and they both went into the front of the office to greet their newest applicant. No one could have prepared them for Ms. Skylar Carson. In fact, they were both struck dumb as soon as they set eyes on her. Eve was the one to recover first.

"Hi, I'm Eve Snow and this is Hunter Vale," she said as she held out her hand. "You must be Skylar."

"Yeah, I must be," the young woman said as she shook Eve's hand and then Hunter's.

She seemed to be rather amused at their reaction to her.

"I'm so sorry for staring like this," Eve said.

"Oh, it's cool," Skylar answered. "I get that a lot."

Skylar Carson was one of the most unique people she had ever seen up close and personal. She was model tall. She easily stood a head above Eve and was nearly able to look Hunter straight in the eyes. Her body was lean and fit while still retaining a feminine appearance. She had a very arresting face. While not being beautiful in the strictest sense of the word, it was definitely a face that one would be drawn to and wouldn't be forgotten. Her cheekbones were exquisitely sculpted to create an unusual definition to her face. Full lips created a sultry and rather sardonic look. Deep red hair was cut into a short, spiky style that somehow suited her perfectly.

Yet, it was her eyes that caught and held one's attention.

Her left eye was a gorgeous emerald green while her right eye was the blue of a summer's day sky.

"It's Waardenburg Syndrome," she said.

"Excuse me?" Hunter said.

"You're looking at my eyes. I have Waardenburg Syndrome. That's what causes the two different colored eyes."

"Oh, yeah," Eve said slowly. "I've heard of that. It might sound odd but on you, it totally works!"

Skylar managed a half grin.

"Thanks," she said.

Eve thought it was kind of funny that the many tattoos and piercings that Skylar was sporting didn't outshine those eyes. Once you looked into them, you didn't notice the rest.

She was dressed in jeans and a tank top that showed off quite bit of her ink and had several piercings in her ears and one eyebrow. Eve strong suspected that the girl may also be wearing some nipple rings but she wasn't about to ask. She could just imagine the sort of immediate impression that Skylar would make on prospective clients. That leather jacket Skylar was carrying over her shoulder looked like it had seen some action in the past.

"So I guess you're here about the job," Eve said.

"Yeah, I'm kind of in-between gigs right now and this one sounded like a kick."

Hunter made some sort of strange choking noise and Eve ignored him.

"Well, let's go back to the office so we can talk more," she said.

Leading the way, Eve motioned for Skylar to follow. Hunter brought up the rear. He didn't look particularly enthusiastic about this turn of events but Eve didn't really care. There was something about this young woman that Eve was starting to like more and more.

### Chapter Four

WHEN THEY REACHED the office, Eve indicated that Skylar should have a seat in the chair across from her desk.

"Would you like anything? We have coffee, juice, tea, soda, and water, along with some pastries," Eve said.

"Do you have any apple juice?" Skylar asked.

"I believe we do," Eve replied. "I'm kind of a juice person, too. Hunter, will you please bring Skylar some apple juice?"

He looked a bit annoyed at being cast as errand boy, but he went into the kitchenette willingly enough and returned with a bottle of ice cold apple juice, which he handed to Skylar.

She removed the lid from the bottle and took a long slow drink. Then she looked back at Eve expectantly.

"It says here that you've got a lot of computer experience and that you're very organized," Eve said, as she read Skylar's application.

"Yes, I'm the best computer person you're gonna find anywhere on this side of the country."

"Is that right?" Eve asked.

"Yep. I can get into anything on the computer. I've created my own computer programs, too."

"I see. I've got a ton of files that need to be set up in the computer because I just never seem to have the time or patience to do it myself. Is that something you could do?"

"It's not the most exciting thing in the world, but yeah, I can do that."

"Hunter, why don't you go return those phone calls while I talk to Skylar?" Eve asked, looking at him.

"Sure, I'll do that," he said. "You ladies don't seem to actually need me at the moment."

Chuckling, he exited the office, closing the door behind him.

Skylar's eyebrows went up a bit as she watched him walk past her. Looking back at Eve, she winked.

"Nice," she grinned.

"Yes, I, too, love to watch him walk away," Eve laughed.

"So, you and him?"

"Yes, me and him," Eve replied. "Actually, we're getting married in the spring, which is another reason that we need someone to run the office. We're planning on a week or two away for our honeymoon."

"Ah, well congratulations," Skylar said.

"Thank you," Eve said, smiling. "Believe me, it's been a long time coming. Anyway, back to you and why you want this job."

"Well, it's pretty much all there in front of you," Skylar said with a shrug. "And when your fiance gets back from calling all of my references, you'll have even more information."

Eve sat back in her chair and studied the strange and beautiful young woman sitting across from her.

"You certainly don't miss much, do you?" she said.

"Not a lot, no," Skylar replied with a grin.

Eve nodded.

"Okay, you should know that we keep some odd hours sometimes and you'll be expected to adjust right along with us. Is that a problem for you?"

"Not at all," Skylar said. "I'm not a real 8 to 5 kind of person anyway. As long as I get a little sleep every day, I'm pretty much good to go."

"So, you don't have a child, relationship, school, anything like that to schedule around?"

"Nope, none of those. As you've probably figured out, I'm sort of a free agent."

"Somehow that doesn't exactly shock me," Eve said laughing.

The two women chatted for a bit longer and Eve was getting quite comfortable with Skylar Carson. In fact, by the time that Hunter reappeared in the office, giving Eve a quick thumbs up behind Skylar's back, she had all but made her final decision to hire her.

"Okay, Skylar, would you excuse us for a few minutes? I need to speak with Hunter. Just wait out in the reception area and help yourself to any of the food. It won't be long."

"Sure thing," Skylar said as she rose from her chair and sauntered out the door.

Hunter closed the door and turned to face Eve.

"I want to hire her," Eve said.

"Now wait a minute," Hunter said. "Are you sure she's the first impression that we want people to have of the agency?"

"Her references checked out, right?"

"Yes, they did. Apparently, Ms. Skylar Carson walks on water. But that doesn't mean she's right for us."

"Of course it does! Look, she's a veritable computer genius on paper and if she's at least half as good in action, she's exactly what we need! Yeah, I know she's not exactly a dress suit wearing chick, but neither am I. She's also a self-described free agent and can be here whenever we need her because she's got no other ties outside of working. And did you see her martial arts training on here? Come on, Hunter! She's PERFECT!"

Hunter looked at Eve and sighed. He knew when he wasn't going to win and this was one of those times.

"Okay, Evie, let's do this. We'll hire her on a probationary basis. If, at the end of that time, she works out, we'll keep her on permanently. Otherwise, she's out and we find someone else."

Leaping up from her chair, she launched herself at Hunter and hugged him. It wasn't the time to remind him that she was still the primary owner of The Agency and he was still working his way in. She was getting pretty smart about these relationship things.

"You go call her in," Eve said.

Hunter went out to the reception area and brought Skylar back in with him.

"So, Skylar," Eve said. "When can you start?"

"No time like the present," Skylar said with a big smile.

"Awesome! Welcome to The Agency!"

"Thanks! This seems like it will be a fun gig. I do have one question, though. Is the name of this place really The Agency?"

"Yep," Eve replied. "I'm not very creative sometimes, but it also seemed to be a little different than the other places I've seen. So when I couldn't think of a name, I just went with The Agency."

"Okay, that's cool," Skylar said. "I was just curious. So that chair and desk out there are all mine?"

"They sure are," Eve said. "Hunter, why don't you go get Skylar settled while I return some of these phone calls?"

"Okay," he said. "Welcome, Skylar. Let me show you around."

Sitting back in her chair, Eve smiled broadly as she watched Hunter take charge of getting their new staff member acclimated. Picking up the phone, she called into her voice mail. There were several messages that she needed to return and she made notes of names with phone numbers. Hanging up the phone, she was just going to return the first call when it rang. Grabbing it before giving anyone else a chance, Eve spoke into it.

"Thanks for calling The Agency. How may I help you?"

"Evie, is that you? This is Chad."

"Oh, hey, Chad! I was hoping to hear back from you! Anything new about Sara yet?"

"Actually, yeah. Would it be possible for you to meet me at the morgue in about an hour? I want to show you something and I think it may help you to get a feel for this case."

"Sure, okay, Chad. Hunter and I will meet you there in an hour."

"Great! Let me tell you, Evie, this one is really weird."

"You're starting to make me very curious, Chad. We'll see you soon."

"Thanks, Evie. Bye."

### Chapter Five

EXACTLY ONE HOUR later, Eve and Hunter were inside the morgue area waiting for Chad to arrive. Having familiarized Skylar with where everything that she might need was located, they told her they would check back in shortly. She was so involved in the computer that she barely acknowledged their farewell with just a nod of her head. They had left her with their cell phone numbers along with strict instructions to call them in the case of emergencies or if she just had a rather important question. After all, they were leaving her on her own immediately after hiring her.

Finally, Chad burst through the front double doors and headed straight for them. Shaking Hunter's hand and giving Eve a quick hug in greeting, he motioned for them to follow him through another set of doors. These doors led to the back part of the morgue where bodies were stored and autopsies were conducted. It also held the viewing area where family members or close friends could identify bodies with some modicum of privacy and dignity.

Eve was kind of hoping that body viewing wasn't something that they were going to be doing today. She had done it in the past on more than one occasion, but it was never at the top of her list of favorite things to do. Therefore, she was more than a little relieved when Chad led them into the area that housed the offices of the ME and her assistants.

Stopping at a closed door that had the words "Dr. Irina Novak" on it, he rapped quickly. A voice from within called to them to enter.

Sitting in a rather small room on the other side of a desk was an attractive woman with a small stature and wild, dark red hair. A pair of glasses perched on her nose and she looked up at them with moss green eyes. Her mouth was almost heart-shaped and looked as if she were pouting even when she wasn't. There was also a no-nonsense attitude about her that people rarely missed in their dealings with Irina. She was damn good at her job as the Medical Examiner and she knew it.

Eve and Irina had met on a few occasions in the past. They had a mutual respect for each other even if that didn't exactly extend to a genuine friendship. It was almost as if they were still sizing each other up in a more personal way.

"Hello, Detective, Eve," Irina said as she stared at Hunter.

"Thanks for seeing us, Doc," Chad said. "This is Hunter Vale, Eve's partner."

"Ah, hello, Mr. Vale," Irina said.

"Please call me Hunter," he said.

"Of course, Hunter," she smiled slightly.

"Can you go into more detail about what you found with Sara Cranston?" Chad asked Irina.

"Yes, of course," she replied, as she picked up a file from her desk. "Why don't you have a seat and I'll try to explain this to you."

Eve and Hunter settled on a leather couch and Chad sat in a chair that was on the other side of Irina's desk. They all looked at her expectantly.

"Okay," she began. "How much do you know about poisonous spiders?"

"Well, not a lot," Eve piped up first. "I know that the brown recluse, black widow, and tarantula are supposed to be pretty dangerous."

"Yes, well those are all spiders to stay away from, but the ones I'm talking about are the truly deadly ones. These are the spiders that we don't hear that much about because they're either very rare or they aren't found in the U.S."

"Yes, I've heard that there are some pretty nasty tropical spiders," Hunter offered.

"Have any of you ever heard of the Australian Funnel Web Spider?" Irina asked her captive audience.

Everyone agreed that they had never heard of the spider.

"I thought as much," Irina said. "To be honest, I wasn't all that familiar with it, either. There's a reason for that, too. The Australian Funnel Web Spider isn't normally found in the United States, hence the name Australian Funnel Web Spider. It is considered to be one of the, if not THE, most deadly spider in existence."

"That's all very interesting and pretty damn frightening, Irina," Eve commented. "But what does that have to do with Sara's death?"

"It has everything to do with Ms. Cranston's death," Irina replied. "It is the bite of the Australian Funnel Web Spider that killed her."

"How in the hell could that have happened?" Hunter asked.

"Well, that would be the interesting part," Irina said as she pushed her glasses back up onto her nose.

Looking at the file more closely, she gave them a short rundown on what happens when someone is bitten by this spider. By the time she had finished, Chad, Eve, and Hunter all looked a bit ill. They were imagining what poor Sara had endured up to the point when the poison had claimed her life.

"How would one of these spiders that is native to Australia get into Sara's house?" Chad asked.

"I would hazard a guess that someone acquired this creature in some way and then went about raising it. If the spider was startled or hungry or both, it's a good assumption that it would attack. This bite appears to be larger and more vicious than most of the ones showing up in the research that I've done on this."

"What else do you know so far, Doc?" Chad asked.

"Well, I do know for sure that it is the bite of this spider. It may sadden you to hear this, Eve and Hunter, as you knew the victim, but Ms. Cranston died a very painful death. The only positive here is that, while not instantaneous, her suffering most likely didn't last very long. Detective, am I to assume that the spider was not found on the premises of the death?" Irina asked.

"Yeah, that's right, Doc," Chad replied. "Forensics was all over the house and didn't come up with a spider, weird or otherwise."

"In that case, you may want to send a team back in now that we know what we're looking for," Irina said. "It's possible that it's hiding. I hate to think of this thing on the loose."

"Agreed," Chad said. "Yeah, I'll get right on that and have another team comb the house for this spider. Most likely, specialists in deadly insects will be sent in because I doubt that many people on our Forensics team will know much about how to handle a spider this deadly."

"If you need anything from me, Detective, just let me know," Irina offered. "I'm happy to expand on what I've already printed up about this spider. Please reiterate just how important it is to exercise care. This spider is deadly. Ms. Cranston's body leaves no room for dispute on that point."

"Yeah, I get it," Chad said. "Thanks so much for your time, Doc. We'll get out of your way for now. Let me know if you get anything else important."

"Will do, Detective," Irina said. "It was nice seeing you again, Eve, and meeting you, Hunter."

"It was, Irina," Eve said. "Hopefully, one day we can see each other outside of this place."

"That would be wonderful," Irina replied with a smile.

"Nice meeting you, Doctor," Hunter said as he got up to take his leave.

"Oh, please, call me Irina," she said.

"Irina, then," Hunter said, as he shook her hand.

As the three of them headed back out of the building to the parking lot, the shock was still very palpable among them. Lost in their own individual thoughts, there was also an air of horror. Eve was the first to speak.

"Chad, can you get me inside of Sara's house?" she asked.

"Sure, I can do that," he said. "But probably not until Forensics has gone over it again. That spider is certainly nothing to take lightly."

"Oh, I couldn't agree more," Eve said. "The problem is that the energy won't be as strong after they go through. I need to go there as soon as possible if I'm going to pick up anything useful."

"I hate to hear that, Eve, and I wish I could help you but, after what the Doc said, I can't put you at risk that way."

"But, Chad, I thought you wanted my help."

"And I do, Evie," he replied. "But not at the risk of you getting hurt or worse."

"I see," she said in a defeated tone.

Hunter cut his eyes over to her sharply. This was Eve giving in? He highly doubted it but he waited to see what would come.

"Look, I'll get you inside the house just as soon as Forensics clears out and deems it safe for humans, okay? It's really the best I can do."

"Sure, Chad, I get it," Evie said. "Just don't say I didn't warn you about the low energy threshold."

"I know you'll do your best, Evie," Chad said as he patted her on the back. "Now, I've got to get back to the station. But I'll call you as soon as the house is cleared."

"Okay, thanks, Chad," Eve said as she waved goodbye.

Once they were out of earshot, Eve turned to Hunter.

"We've got to hurry because we've probably only got about an hour or so before the Forensics team shows up at Sara's house," she said.

"What do you mean we've got to hurry?"

"Oh, don't pretend that you didn't know this was coming," she said. "I truly don't feel that the spider is still anywhere near Sara's house. All I want to do is get in there while there's some of her energy left so that I can get a better chance of seeing what happened to her. Get in the car. I'll drive."

Hunter sighed as he opened the passenger side door and entered the car.

"Evie, it's amazing that you've lived this long," he said.

"Come on, Hunter," she said. "You trust me, don't you?"

"In theory," he said, smiling to take the edge off of his comment.

"You've got to know that I wouldn't put you in danger."

"Yeah, like you haven't put me in danger ever before."

"Shut up and kiss me," she said, leaning over to him before starting the car.

He complied without a complaint. Their mouths molded together for longer than either of them planned simply because of the passion that always instantly ignited between them. Heat and desire rose quickly as their kiss took hold.

"Whoa," Eve said as she forced herself to pull away. "Let's put this on simmer for now."

Hunter groaned as he felt her mouth leave his. It was a rather bereft feeling that he didn't particularly like.

"I'm going to hold you to that," he growled.

Giving him a smile that promised everything, she started the car, put it into gear and drove in the direction of Sara's house.

### Chapter Six

THE HOUSE WASN'T that far away and they arrived within a very few minutes. Pulling over a couple of houses down from Sara's, Eve cut the engine. She and Hunter watched the house for a few minutes to assure themselves that no one else had arrived ahead of them. Then they exited the car and casually strolled to the back of house.

Climbing up the few steps to the deck, they approached some sliding glass doors that looked directly into the eat-in area of the kitchen. They had just stopped to look into the doors when a sudden energy of such malevolence slammed into Eve that she staggered and would have fallen if Hunter hadn't caught her.

Black! No, black with blood red streaks twisting through it like small little rivulets of blood. She couldn't remember ever having felt such rage and madness. Her head instantly felt as if it was on the edge of exploding.

Oh, yeah, she thought. This is a bad one.

She knew instinctively that she was seeing through the killer's eyes. Sara would never be capable of producing such rage as she had been a rather sweet and gentle soul. No, this was something much more intense and horrible.

Without being aware of it, she clung to Hunter while her vision started to turn into a replay of what had happened to Sara on the day she died. While she stared straight ahead, Eve watched as Sara entered her house carrying a package wrapped in black paper with a silver ribbon tied around it. Eve saw quickly that Sara was unsettled, almost frightened, as she carefully set the package on the bar in the kitchen and simply stared at it.

In slow motion, Eve watched in horror as Sara slowly opened her package. She wanted to scream at her not to open it but knew it would do no good. What Eve was seeing had already happened and there was no saving Sara now. All Eve could do was continue to watch as this drama unfolded before her eyes and then report what she had seen.

And she saw it all.

Eve saw Sara open the box and then put her hand inside of the box, pushing around the black tissue paper in search of whatever the box contained. She watched as Sara withdrew her hand from the box screaming as she did so. Eve saw the spider that had attached itself to Sara's wrist and helplessly watched as Sara spun around and around, still screaming. This terrifying event seemed to go on forever until it ended with Sara sliding down the wall and half sitting on the floor.

As Eve came back to herself, her wide eyes stared unseeingly at Hunter, who still had his arms around her. A sharp pain stabbed through her head and the last thing she saw was blackness.

When she came back to, she was lying on a chaise lounge on Sara's deck. Hunter was speaking softly but urgently to her.

"Evie, wake up baby," he said. "Come back to me, Evie."

She tried to open her eyes, but it was too bright for her to tolerate at first. However, she did manage to wave her hand weakly to show that she was now conscious.

"Oh, thank God," Hunter breathed. "You know, I really wish there was an easier way for you to do this. It scares the hell out of me every time this happens. Tell me what I can do to help you."

"Nothing," Eve whispered. "Just let me lie here for a couple of minutes and then help me to the car. This will pass."

"I don't want to seem insensitive, Evie, but the Forensics team will be here shortly. It doesn't seem to be the best idea for them to find us here, do you think?"

"No, of course not," Eve said as she struggled to sit up. "Let me just do this slowly. Then you can help me to the car."

Within about five minutes, Eve was strong enough to stand. Leaning on Hunter, they made their way back to the car. They hoped that no one saw them coming or going, but little could be done about it all now. Chad was going to be furious when she told him what they had done, but she did have some new information for him.

Hunter helped Eve get into the car and then he went around to take the driver's side. It went without saying that she wasn't in any condition to safely handle a car right now.

"Why I don't take you home so you can rest for a little while?" Hunter suggested.

"No, really, I'll be fine. I probably need something to eat and that will boost my energy level. Besides, I want to check on Skylar. Did you hear from her?"

"Nope, not a word. Do you think that's bad?"

"Who knows? But she did seem to be pretty computer savvy and starting her off with moving the files into the computer wasn't all that challenging. Still, I want to see how she's doing."

As they headed to the office, Eve took the opportunity to tell Hunter what she had seen in her vision. By the time she had finished talking, he looked slightly pale but also very angry. He parked the car in front of the office and turned off the engine.

"That's just too horrible for words," he said. "No wonder you passed out! I would love to get my hands on the person responsible for this. Sara was a good person and she certainly didn't deserve such a terrifying death."

"I know," Eve agreed. "That's why we've got to do all we can to find out what really happened and why Sara was targeted. Of course, it's totally possible that she was just being stalked by some lunatic because that does happen more than I'd like to think. But that doesn't feel like what it was all about, if that makes sense."

"Yeah, it does make sense. But we're going to figure this out, Evie. No one should get away with that kind of evil."

Reaching over to Hunter, Eve pulled him to her across the seat for a hug.

"You've got such a good heart, Hunter," she smiled. "And I love you."

He embraced her back and gave her a quick kiss.

"It's so nice to be appreciated," he said.

"Consider yourself appreciated," Eve replied. "I'll show you just how much later."

"So you keep saying..."

Playfully punching him, Eve laughed.

"Is that all you ever think about?" she teased.

"Not all, but it occupies a lot of my time lately," Hunter replied.

"Come on," Eve said. "Let's go check on our new office manager."

When they walked into the reception area of the office, they stopped in amazement. The entire room had been rearranged. The thing was that the way it now appeared worked so much better than the way it had been. Skylar was sitting at her desk diligently typing at the computer. They were still standing there simply staring when Skylar glanced up and saw them. She removed her headphones and grinned.

"So what do you think?" she asked eagerly.

"I... I think it looks amazing," Eve finally managed to say. "What about you, Hunter? Don't you think it's amazing?"

"Did you do all of this by yourself?" Hunter asked.

"Yep," Skylar said. "It wasn't hard. You just have to know how to use your body."

"I suppose...," Eve said. "It actually does look a lot better this way."

"I thought it would, too," Skylar said excitedly. "Let me show you what I did with your office!"

"You changed my office around, too?" Eve stuttered.

"Wait until you see it!" Skylar said as she hurried down the hall.

Eve and Hunter exchanged looks. Then they ventured slowly behind Skylar. She stood in the doorway looking very pleased with herself as she presented the grand changes in the room. Peering cautiously into the room, both Eve and Hunter's eyes widened.

The office really did look great. Eve was actually rather astounded to see what a difference it made with things moved around the way Skylar had somehow managed to arrange them.

"Wow," she said. "That's about the only word I can find at the moment, Skylar. How on earth did you do all of this? I mean, seriously. Did you call some of your friends or something?"

"Nope. I did it all myself. I meant it when I said that you just have to know how to balance things with your body weight. It wasn't so hard."

"I find that difficult to believe," Eve said, laughing. "But I won't ask any more questions."

"Oh, and I finished putting in all of those files you needed. Also, I set up a message program for you on the computer. It's something that will work while the office is closed and it can be set up to forward calls to your voice mail so that you can decide whether or not it's important enough to call back right away."

"Just how long were we gone?" Hunter asked.

"Yeah," Eve said. "I don't know how you managed to get all of that stuff done in such a short time."

"I told you," Skylar said. "I'm very organized."

Hunter and Eve laughed as they shook their heads. Skylar explained the new computer message system to them and then showed them how to access the files she had input. Eve knew that she was going to rub Hunter's face in this later since he had been a bit skeptical about hiring her.

"Well," Evie said, with a rather bemused expression on her face, "I'm very impressed with your organizational skills, not to mention your furniture moving ability, although I'm still not sure I believe you did all by yourself."

She added a little laugh onto the end of that one because she didn't want to make Skylar think she was being called a liar, especially since everything looked so much better. Not only that, she had done all of the data entry plus setting up a computer message system. Where did this girl come from?

"I think that Skylar has earned a well-deserved lunch break," Hunter said. "You're probably starved after all that work especially since it's nearly 2:00."

"Actually, I do kind of need to run a couple of errands if you're sure it's okay."

"It's fine," Evie and Hunter both said at the same time. "Take your time. We plan to be here for a while."

"Sweet!" Skylar said as she grabbed her bag. "I'll be back."

As she flew out of the door, Eve certainly hoped she would be back. This girl was a miracle worker! There would be time to ponder that later, though. Right now, she needed to call Chad. She was pretty sure he would want to know what she had witnessed as soon as possible.

### Chapter Seven

IT WAS ANOTHER hour before Chad was able to get to The Agency.

Now, they were sitting in Eve's newly arranged office where she was trying her very best to explain to him what she had seen. He was pretty upset that she and Hunter had gone back to Sara's house, even after he had expressly told them to wait. In fact, they couldn't seem to get him off of that subject long enough to tell him what Eve had seen in her vision.

"You know, Eve, I would expect this shit out of you," Chad fairly shouted. "But Hunter, I'm baffled and, quite frankly, stunned that you would go along with something like this. "

"Hold on, Chad," Hunter said. "If you're going to keep yelling like that, we're not going to get anywhere. Aren't you the least bit curious about what Evie saw?"

"Of course I am. I just don't know how in the hell I'm supposed to explain this to my boss. He's not a huge believer in things that he can't see. Not only that, but the two of you could have been hurt by going back there alone. We still don't know who did this to Sara or why. The murderer is still around and could be anyone."

"Chad, come on," Eve tried to placate him. "You've known me for years, right? Don't you feel that you can trust me once in a while?"

"It's not a matter of trust, Evie. I specifically told you not to go back to Sara's house without me and you just totally ignored me. That's what pisses me off. You have no regard for authority whatsoever. I could arrest you, you know."

"Look, Chad, we can sit here and argue about my methods or I can tell you what I saw while we were there. It's up to you, but the longer we go around in circles the longer it's going to take you to act on what I have to say."

Chad sighed heavily before indicating that she should start talking.

After she had relayed the details of her vision to him, Chad seemed to have forgotten how upset he had been with Eve just a few minutes earlier. Now he was excited that they had some information to work with.

"Okay, so what you're saying is that this spider most likely arrived in a gift wrapped box?" Chad asked.

"That's what I saw, yes," Eve replied. "She brought it inside with her when she came in. But she was afraid of it, Chad. She put it on the bar in the kitchen and just stared at it for a long time before opening it. To me, she seemed to be reluctant to open the box."

"And you saw this through the killer's eyes?"

"That's right. And let me tell you, I've never seen such rage and hatred in my life. Whoever this is needs to be found as soon as possible."

Chad asked her a few more questions to clarify her vision but Eve hadn't been able to tell who it was or why Sara was so afraid of that box.

"Chad, I need to go back there," Eve said. "I'm pretty sure I'll get more once I'm inside the house. You see, where I was standing had to have been where the killer was. Whoever did this was watching Sara and knew what was going to happen. That's why I was seeing things through the killer's eyes. If I can go inside of the house, there's a good chance I'll see through Sara's eyes."

"Evie, that's not a good idea," Hunter said firmly. "That last episode was hard enough on you. It's not possible for you to go back there."

"Hunter, we talked about this. I did just fine before you came along and I know what I'm doing now. So stop trying to tell me what I'm going to do and not do. Are we clear?"

"Okay, Eve," Hunter barked as he rose from his chair. "Do whatever the hell you want. But I won't be a part of it. If you're going to kill yourself, you'll do it without my help!"

With that, he stalked out of the office. Chad and Eve both heard the front door to The Agency slam as he exited. They looked at each other ruefully.

"Is there any truth to what he's saying, Evie?" Chad asked. "Are these visions dangerous for you?"

"No, Chad. They're not dangerous, but they might look that way to someone watching. I do get skull crushing headaches during the visions and usually the pain causes me to pass out for a few minutes. But then I'm fine."

"Good God, Eve! You should have told me what these things do to you! I can't put you through that again! Damn, I'm so sorry."

"Chad, you didn't put me through anything. I did it on my own and Hunter is still getting used to seeing me have the visions. I know he means well, but he's got to learn that I can take care of myself. Now, don't worry about him. I'll handle Hunter. Just tell me when we can get back into Sara's house. I know I can get more to help you find her killer."

It took a little while longer, but Eve finally convinced Chad to let her have one more crack at Sara's house. She knew that he was torn because he didn't want to cause her any pain but, at the same time, he really wanted to catch this murderer. It was the latter part that she knew would get her inside the house. Finally, he agreed but he was adamant that she would give herself a full twenty-four hours to rest and recover from today's events. She had no choice but to agree.

After Chad left, she called Skylar and told her not to bother coming back to the office until the next morning. She was going home to try and figure out more from what her vision had shown her today. Besides, she hadn't wanted to admit to anyone how much that vision had taken out of her. The headache was still there, just behind her eyes, even though the pain was tolerable now. All she needed was a couple of painkillers and a nap. Then she would be fine.

She had forgotten that she had brought her car today until she had set the alarm and locked up the office. Therefore, she was both puzzled and grateful to find it still parked outside. It made her curious as to how Hunter had gone home. She couldn't really see him calling a cab and it was a bit of a walk back to her house.

Eve felt bad now for having snapped at Hunter in front of Chad. There was a lot for both of them to work on, especially herself. She would have to learn how to curb her temper more, and snapping at him in front of other people was just inexcusable. She put her car into gear and pulled away from the curb. Now, she was in a hurry to get home.

### Chapter Eight

STEPHANIE ANDERSON'S FIRST gift arrived at 5PM that evening. Having just come home from work, she was in the midst of changing into more comfortable clothes when her doorbell rang. Quickly pulling on her t-shirt, she zipped her jeans and ran down the hall to the front door. Glancing through her peephole, she saw a young man standing on her porch with a huge bouquet of flowers. Puzzled, she opened the door.

"Hi there, are you Ms. Stephanie Anderson?" the young man asked.

"Yes, I am," she said still staring at the flowers.

"These are for you!" he said with a smile.

"Seriously?" she asked with pure skepticism in her voice.

"Yes, Ma'am," the man said as he handed her the bouquet. "There you go!"

Stephanie accepted the bouquet and realized that she probably needed to give the guy a tip. Setting it down on her foyer table, she turned back to him.

"Hang on a sec," she said reaching into her purse.

Handing him a $5 bill, she thanked him and slowly closed the door. Now who on earth could be sending her flowers. Not Ryan. They had broken up months ago and she had heard he was dating someone new. Ah, there's a card, she thought and reached over to open it.

Beautiful flowers for a beautiful woman, Your Secret Admirer

Shaking her head and laughing a little, she put the card back in the envelope. Well, I don't mind playing a little game for a while, she thought. These really are gorgeous flowers. In fact, all of my favorites are in here. Roses, carnations, orchids. Damn, this was certainly not a cheap bouquet. Whoever her secret admirer was must have plenty of money.

Picking up the bouquet, she carried it into the living room and gave it a place of honor on the mantle.

A PAIR OF malevolent eyes shone from across the street as they watched Stephanie accept the bouquet. Part two of the game had begun.

I wonder just how long it will take Eve Snow to connect the dots, the Secret Admirer thought; a cruel smile forming. I've been waiting a long time for this and I plan to savor each moment of it.

Enjoy your flowers, Stephanie. You'll be hearing from me again soon. I promise.

Eve arrived home to an empty house. Hunter's car wasn't in the driveway and he didn't appear to be inside, either. She sighed. She had really hoped to be able to talk things over with him and apologize to him for how she had acted.

Climbing the stairs, she went into the master bathroom and retrieved a bottle of ibuprofen. She downed four of them with a glass of water and went back into the bedroom.

It was really strange how quickly she had become accustomed to Hunter being here with her all the time. Before he had returned to her life, she never noticed an empty house, let alone minded one. She enjoyed her privacy.

Now that Hunter had pretty much moved in with her, she found that she didn't like this feeling of being alone. She grabbed her laptop and propped some pillows behind her and settled on the bed. Looking up Sara's name, she found a few links to her but most of the information was around Sara's murder. Even those articles didn't carry a lot of information because the police hadn't released much. She knew more than these articles told.

In the end, Eve decided that this was a rather futile measure. Closing her laptop, she set aside and leaned her head back on the pillows. Her headache had started to subside now, but she was so tired. She let her eyes close. Maybe resting just a minute would help.....

Eve!

She heard her name being called urgently but was having trouble swimming up out of the murkiness of sleep.

Eve! You've got to listen!

Finally, she was able to open her eyes and focus.

There standing at the foot of her bed was Sara.

Eve blinked hard a few times.

"Sara? Is that you?" she finally managed to ask.

"I don't have much time, Eve, and you've got to stop this! It's already started again! The Secret Admirer is going to kill again and you've got to stop it!"

As Eve became more aware, she noticed that Sara seemed to be floating rather than standing. She wasn't sure what should be frightening her more; the fact that Sara was floating at the foot of her bed or that Sara was here at all. Wasn't Sara dead?

"Sara, what are you talking about?"

"The killer! The Secret Admirer! There's going to be another murder and the victim has already been chosen."

"Are you saying that you know who killed you?"

"The next victim has been chosen. Look in your past, Eve. It's all connected."

"Wait, Sara! Who is the next victim?"

"I've got to go, Eve. Look in your past!"

A JARRING NOISE at her head startled Eve awake. It was her cell phone. Fumbling around on her nightstand, she finally located it.

"Yeah," she croaked in a sleep filled voice.

"Evie, it's me."

Hunter's low sexy voice came across the airwaves. Immediately, Eve was wide awake and sat up.

"Heyyy," she drawled. "Where are you?"

"I'm at my sister's house," he answered.

"Oh, you're at Suzanne's?"

"Yeah, I'm going to have dinner here and spend the night."

"Why would you do that? Hunter, I was hoping we could talk," she said.

"We can talk tomorrow, when I get home."

"Hunter, I'm so sorry for what happened at the office today," Eve said. "I had no right to speak to you that way, and certainly not in front of Chad. I promise you it won't ever happen again."

"Thanks for saying that, Evie. I appreciate it."

"But you're still not coming home tonight."

"Honestly, I just need a little breather. It will be okay, Evie. But I need to stay here tonight. I'll see you in the morning."

"I see," Evie said coldly. "You sleep well."

"I love you, Evie," he said quietly.

But Eve was already pushing the button to disconnect the call.

### Chapter Nine

EVE WENT DOWNSTAIRS to the kitchen and poured a glass of cold sangria. Probably not the best idea considering the ibuprofen she had taken earlier, but she wanted it. Then she decided that she would temper the sangria with a little food.

Rummaging through her refrigerator, she discovered that she probably needed to do some food shopping tomorrow. But she had eggs, milk, cheese, and butter. Those were all the ingredients she needed to whip up an omelet. A little more digging netted her some mushrooms and scallions. This was starting to shape up into a great omelet.

She sipped on her sangria as she cooked. As the aroma of the food hit her nostrils, she realized just how hungry she was.

Of course I'm hungry, she thought. I haven't eaten anything since breakfast.

She allowed herself to briefly wonder what sort of feast that Hunter was indulging in right now. Eve knew from experience what a fantastic cook Suzanne was and she found herself to be a bit jealous that he was getting to enjoy that particular culinary experience.

"Oh well, I don't care," she muttered to herself. "My omelet will be perfect!"

As it turned out, the omelet was damned close to perfect.

She carried her plate and glass of sangria into the family room where she set it on the coffee table. Picking up the remote, she clicked on the television and then sat back to eat.

Now, she thought, I can try to figure out what that dream I had earlier meant.

Mentally, she went back over each part of it. She knew that it had been Sara speaking to her in her dream, but she wasn't sure if it had actually been a dream or a vision that she had had while sleeping. She hadn't allowed herself to think about it until now. None of it had made any sense to her previously, but it might now that she could calmly recall the dream.

Eve had never had actual medium experiences in that she didn't normally have the ability to communicate with the dead. That didn't mean it couldn't happen under certain conditions. She had had a tie with Sara in life so it was very possible that Sara had sought her out. Obviously, Sara had information about her murderer but she had seemed more concerned with something that was coming.

Now what was it that Sara had said? Something about a secret admirer? And I'm supposed to look into my past for some reason.

Leaning her head back, she closed her eyes and tried to re-enter her dream. Slowly it came back to her.

Sara had been at the foot of the bed talking about a secret admirer. Now, what on earth did that mean? Oh god! Wait! Sara said another victim had been chosen! Sara had been trying to tell her that someone else was going to be killed!

I've got to call Chad!

Reaching for her cell phone, she put together in her head what she would say to Chad about all of this. In the end, she just asked him to come over because she had something to tell him about Sara's murder. He agreed to stop by before going home.

Finishing her omelet, Eve carried her plate and fork back into the kitchen and poured another glass of sangria. She returned to the family room and settled down to wait for Chad. As she glanced at the television, she saw that the news program was putting up a picture of Sara. Turning up the volume, she listened to the newscaster talk about Sara's murder.

"So far, the police haven't released any details as to the cause of death but Detective Chad Morrison, lead investigator on the case, has stated that they're leaving no stone unturned in finding the person who killed Ms. Cranston."

So they hadn't told the general public about the spider yet. That was probably a good thing. It could cause widespread panic if the community residents heard about a deadly spider that may or may not be on the loose. Her doorbell rang and she turned the volume back down.

Even though she was pretty sure that Chad was on the other side of her door, she looked through the peephole anyway. Sure enough, Chad stood on the porch peering intently at the door. Eve opened the door quickly to let him in out of the cold.

"You know, that peephole doesn't do you a lot of good if everyone on the other side of it can tell when you're looking through it," he said by way of greeting.

"It's the thought that counts," Eve laughed as she took his coat. "Let's talk in here. Can I get you anything?"

"I'm good, thanks. You said you had something new to tell me about Sara's murder?"

"Yes, that's right. Of course, you're in a hurry to get home. I'm sure you've had a long day. I'll get right to it."

Then Eve proceeded to tell Chad about her dream. Unlike most people, Chad had known Eve for a very long time and never discounted her abilities. That's why he took anything that Eve told him very seriously. Together, they took the dream apart bit by bit and dissected it to see exactly what information was really there for them to use.

"Ok," Chad said. "She said something about a secret admirer. In the vision you had at her house, you saw her bringing in a package wrapped in black paper with a silver ribbon. It's possible that someone sent her that gift and signed it as a secret admirer."

"That would make a lot of sense," she said. "Have you talked to her friends and family yet?"

"We're still sifting through them because most of them have been difficult to track down. They were at work or out of town or something. We're still working on talking to everyone."

"Do you mind if I tag along on some of those interviews?"

"I'll see what I can do," Chad replied. "By the way, where's your other half tonight?"

"Hunter is having a family night," Eve said a bit sarcastically.

"Uh oh, I'm sensing trouble in Paradise here."

"No, it's not really anything like that," Eve sighed. "I just did something stupid and I guess he's going to make me pay for it. We've already talked on the phone and he'll be back in the morning. It will be okay. You know me, Chad. I'm not used to relationships and apparently I've got a lot to learn. But I'll admit that I really do miss him."

"Well, Evie, compromise is important in all successful relationships. You two obviously love each other and that's the main thing. As long as you're still talking, you'll be fine," Chad comforted her.

"I'm pretty sure that you're right, Chad, but thanks for saying that."

"I do believe it, Evie. And now I really need to get home. I've got a bed there that's got my name on it."

They both stood up and Eve walked Chad to the door, stopping on the way to hand him his coat. He hugged her and was just starting to leave when Eve stopped him one more time.

"Are we still on for me to visit Sara's house tomorrow?" she asked.

"Oh yeah, I can take you over sometime in the morning, probably around 10. Do you want to just meet me there?" he asked.

"Sure, I'll be there. Hopefully, Hunter will be with me."

**~ ~ ~ ~**

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**Wrong Number**

Devon wakes up to the news that her husband was involved in an accident that left his wrecked car at the bottom of the river, with no body to be found. Followed by a series of mysterious phone calls asking for Dan that send chills down Devon's spine, she knows something just isn't right. But the worst is yet to come...

* * *

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#### Wrong Number

Finally! Devon thought as she sat down on the couch in her new apartment.

Moving was never easy, but she had done it so many times now that it was becoming somewhat of a routine. However, this time it was different. She wasn't going to be moving again in the near future, if ever. It had taken a while to save the money she needed, but now she had her very own book shop. Even better, her spacious apartment was right over the shop, which meant that she had everything she needed conveniently within reach.

The first order of business had been to get her belongings moved into the apartment. Tomorrow, Devon would begin unpacking boxes and stocking the shelves of her shop with the help of Janina, the girl she had hired to help her. Together, she hoped that they would be able to get most of it all done within a couple of days. She really wanted to have her grand opening by the end of the week. Saturdays were usually excellent days to hold them because people would be looking for something to do on the weekends.

Devon had planned it all out beautifully. She did her research and found that this tiny coastal town on the east coast would be the perfect location for her book shop. Crystal Cove was small enough to be quaint, but large enough that tourists visiting nearby beach resorts would be able to find it easily enough. In fact, tourism was a large part of the town's income. When she found Crystal Cove, it boasted one casual dining restaurant, one fine dining restaurant, a Victorian bed and breakfast as well as a small but elegant inn. There were other necessary businesses in town but there was no book shop. That's where Devon came in.

She was going to be selling all sorts of books. There would be sections for romances, mysteries, occult, research materials, and even a children's section. That was going to be set up as a story time area. Her favorite part, though, was in the back of the shop. That's where Devon would be offering Tarot readings in a private and specially decorated area. No one had to know that her information came from sources that had nothing to do with the Tarot. She had been playing that off for years so that people didn't become afraid of her and her abilities.

Well, Devon thought. I can't just sit here daydreaming. I've got to get busy. Her electricity, water, and landline phone were all turned on and she could now stay here. The movers were due to arrive in a few hours to bring in her furniture. One thing at a time, she thought. She got up and started to do some cleaning and measuring so that she would know where she could put what.

This is going to be amazing, Devon thought. Dan would have loved it. No, I'm not going to think about him right now. It's only going to make me sad and I can't afford to get depressed right now. She went into her sunny kitchen and grabbed a diet soda from the refrigerator. Stocking the refrigerator had been something she had had the foresight to do. She would get her bed set up and at least be able to eat something in her own home tonight.

Just as she popped the top on the soda, her phone rang. Startled, she nearly spit out her swallow of diet coke. It had to be a wrong number, she thought as she went back into the living room to answer the phone. Picking up the phone, she said a cautious but cheery "Hello." At first, no one said anything.

"Hi, is anyone there?" Devon said.

"Hi," a deep male voice said. "I guess I must have the wrong number. I was trying to get in touch with Dan, but you're obviously not him."

"Dan?" A little unpleasant shock ran through Devon's body. "How do you know Dan?" "Hey, I'm really sorry for bothering you."

Before she could say anything else, her caller had hung up. She checked the caller ID and saw Unknown Number registered there. How odd, she thought. There wasn't enough time left to dwell on it, though, because at that moment, the movers pulled up. She was distracted for the next couple of hours with supervising the unloading of her furniture and boxes of things.

As she had promised herself, Devon got her bed set up and a path cleared so that she could eat a simple dinner in her very own kitchen. She nibbled on a salad and an avocado and bacon sandwich when she remembered the odd phone call from earlier. That really had to be a coincidence, she thought. It did make her miss Dan even more than ever. That feeling was especially bad at night. She tended to remember the way he used to make her body absolutely sing with pleasure. No man had ever been able to do that for her before or since. In fact, Devon was pretty much afraid that she would never meet another man that would do that to her.

Suddenly, she realized just how tired she was. She got up and changed into her pajama pants and spaghetti strap t-shirt. Washing her face and brushing her teeth completed the bedtime ritual for tonight. She slipped into her bed and turned out the lamp on her nightstand. Just as she was dozing off, her telephone started to ring. Fortunately, she had an extension sitting on her nightstand so all she had to do was reach over and pick it up.

"Hello," she said.

"Hi, is Dan there?" came the same male voice from earlier.

"It's you again," Devon said accusatorially. "Who is this and what do you want?" "Oops, I've got a wrong number again! So sorry!" And with that, the connection was broken.

Dammit! Now, Devon would never be able to get to sleep. What the hell was going on? Was someone trying to play some sort of joke on her? If so, it was a very cruel one and she didn't appreciate it. Dan was gone and he wasn't ever going to come back. She had only recently begun to accept that and now, some asshole was trying to rattle her cage. Of course, she could be crazy. It could just be that it was an honest mistake. Dan was a pretty common name, after all.

Common, however, was the last word that would ever have described her Dan. Laying back onto her pillow, she could see his tousled black hair, high cheekbones, blue green eyes and sexy sideways smile. God, how she missed him! No one was ever going to take his place and she knew it. Her body still missed him every night. Even right now, when she was tired and hot, her body wanted Dan to be touching her, kissing her, and making love to her. Finally, she turned over on her side and went to sleep with a single tear sliding down her cheek.
"Wake up, sweetheart. Devon, open your eyes and look at me."

"Mmm but it's so wonderful to lay here like this with you, Dan. Do we really have to get up now?"

"Yes, darling. I would love nothing more than to hold you in my arms all day, but now isn't the time. There's something I must tell you and it's important that you pay attention."

"Of course, Dan, I'm listening. What is it?"

"You need to be careful. I can't protect you from where I am but you need to know that you're in danger."

"Danger? Who on earth wants to hurt me?"

"Shhh, don't speak. I'll tell you everything."

There was a ringing sound in Devon's ears suddenly. She was trying so hard to hold Dan's face in her mind but he was fading very quickly. The ringing became louder and more insistent. Devon's eyes flew open. She realized that the telephone was ringing on her nightstand. The sun was shining brightly and streaming through the partially opened curtains. Her bedside clock read 8:35 AM. Who the hell could be calling her at this hour? Reaching over, she lifted the phone and mumbled into it.

"Good morning, is Dan there, please?"

This again! She didn't even bother trying to carry on a conversation. Simply disconnecting the call would have to do. Devon didn't have the time, patience or energy for this. However, she was awake now and had a full day ahead of her. A shower sounded great to her at that moment so she got out of bed and padded into the bathroom.

Minutes later, she was stripped and standing under the refreshing spray of water. Picking up the tube of shower gel, she squirted some into her hand and started to move her soapy hands over her body. As she passed over her full breasts, the unexpected stimulation caused her to emit a gasp. She had lost count of how long it had been since she had experienced any sort of sexual pleasure. Her toys had even been neglected because she just hadn't felt the need for them. Now, however, as she absently lightly pinched her nipples, she felt a jolt of sexual electricity move through her body.

Closing her eyes, she continued to tease her nipples until the ache had moved directly to her clit. Without seeming to be aware of her actions, Devon slid one hand down over her stomach to her nether region. With a single minded motion, she parted the folds that revealed her clit that stood out like a tiny erect cock. Stroking it only brought her a more exquisite and torturous need for release. As she continued, that special sensation started to creep over her before slamming into her violently. Devon cried out as she rode her hand, moving the other one down so that she could slip two fingers deep inside of her soaking and spasming pussy. Just as she was coming down from that orgasm, she felt it rising inside her again. Before she returned to herself, Devon had reached a total of four intense orgasms. Now, she was weak and her legs were barely holding her up. Giving into the afterglow of the moment, she slid down the shower walls and sat under the cascading water.

Well, she thought. I suppose that was inevitable. After all, I'm still young and healthy, and it has been quite a while since I allowed myself to have any physical pleasure. Dan wouldn't want me to deny myself. This is probably good for me and will help me clear my mind because I really need to think about that very odd dream I was having before the phone rang.

Devon finished showering and dressed in faded jeans and a spaghetti strap tank top. It was going to be rather warm today while she and Janina worked in the shop. That reminded her that she needed to be sure that the air conditioning was turned on. Otherwise, they were going to be sweating all over the books. After putting a on a pot of French Vanilla coffee, she toasted a bagel and covered it in cream cheese. This was, sometimes, her favorite part of the day. It had always been so very special for Dan and her.

Thinking of Dan brought the memory of her dream back to her. There was something that he had wanted to tell her. That part of the dream she remembered very clearly. It was something about her being in danger and he wasn't going to be able to protect her. Dreams can be very strange events. She did remember how real it felt, though. She could still see Dan's beautiful blue green eyes gazing into her big brown ones. I really didn't want to wake up, she thought. Maybe I should read on it later.

Of course, now it was time to get to work. She had a new life here in Crystal Cove and she wanted to be sure that it got off to a great start. Carrying her coffee downstairs, she entered the box filled shop. Just as she walked into the main part of the shop, Janina knocked on the window at the door and waved at her. Hiring her is one the best decisions I've made, Devon thought, smiling and waving back. She went over and unlocked the door to let Janina inside.

"Hi there, you're right on time!" exclaimed Devon. "Would you like some coffee? I made some just before coming downstairs." "Oh that sounds great! But don't worry; I'll go up and get a cup myself."

"Ok, but be careful. Everything is still sort of a disaster area." Janina's long, toned legs quickly jogged up the stairs that led to Devon's apartment. She was back in no time holding a large mug of coffee. The two women discussed where they needed to focus first and got started with the unpacking and arranging. Time flew by and they didn't stop until it was nearly 2:30 PM. They had started making quite a dent in the work that needed to be done.

"Ok, let's take a break," Devon announced. "I'm actually hungry and pretty thirsty. I can't believe you didn't say anything!"

"Not me," laughed Janina. "I didn't even notice how much time went by."

"Let's go upstairs and dig around in my fridge for lunch. Then, we'll work a little longer."

As they got to the stop of the stairs, they could hear Devon's landline ringing. She opened the door quickly and ran inside, grabbing the phone in mid-ring. With a breathless "Hello," Devon listened to the silence on the other end of the phone. Repeating herself, she listened intently to see if there was really anyone on the other end of the line.

"Yes, hello, is Dan available?"

"You again. Look, how many times do you need to call this number to understand that it's a wrong number? There is no Dan here, as I've told you every other time you have called here!"

"Oh, so sorry to have troubled you."

Devon slammed the phone back on the table with a curse. Janina looked at her quizzically. She supposed she should give Janina an explanation. So she told her about this man that kept calling and asking for Dan.

"Dan? But isn't that the name of..?" "Yes, it is." Devon answered curtly.

"Ah, well I can see why you would be so upset. But, you know, it's probably just a really awful coincidence. Try not to let it get to you. It's a new number so give it a little time. You're probably going to have a few other wrong numbers before it levels off."

"Yes, I know, you're probably right. Come on, let's raid the fridge. I don't know about you, but I'm ready for some food and something to drink!"
That night, Devon decided to go out for dinner and just relax. She asked Janina to go with her to Bon Appetit, a great little restaurant just down the street from the book shop. It was quiet and the food was excellent. She felt it was just the place to unwind after her busy day. Besides, they had accomplished quite a lot that day.

As Devon and Janina chatted over two plates of shrimp pasta, salad, fresh baked bread and some great wine, Devon felt herself starting to relax for the first time in weeks. They were chatting about the shop and what they planned to accomplish the next day. At the end of the meal, they decided they wanted some of the restaurant's bread pudding for dessert.

Devon stretched back in her chair as she surveyed the ruins of their meal. Patting her stomach, she groaned.

"I'm so full I can barely move," she said.

Janina was laughing at her, but she was also moving pretty slowly.

"Hey, I doubt that you've eaten a decent meal during this entire move. It's good for you!"

"Yeah, good for me but not my budget when I have to replace my entire wardrobe with larger clothes!"

"Oh stop! You can stand to gain a pound or two."

The women were still laughing together when Devon suddenly looked over to the window of the restaurant. She saw a man standing there just in the shadows and out of the street light. It seemed as if he was looking in at them. As she watched, he moved from the shadows into the light just long enough for her to see his face.

"Oh my god!" she gasped. Leaping up from her chair, she took off for the door of the restaurant. By the time she had yanked the door open, the man was gone. She went outside and looked up and down the street but there was no sign of the man. Janina appeared at the door as Devon stood on the street corner.

"Hey, what's going on?" Janina called.

"Nothing," Devon said. "I just thought I saw someone I knew."

She went back inside the restaurant to find the manager eyeing her warily. Oh my god, she thought. He probably thought she was skipping out on the bill. To put his mind at ease, she quickly paid for both meals plus a generous tip and they left.

"Ok, now tell me the truth," Janina demanded. "What did you really see?" "I did tell you the truth," Devon replied. "There was a man standing outside the window and he was watching us. I'm sure of it. Then, he stepped briefly into the light and I saw his face. Janina, it was Dan!"

Janina watched her for a several minutes before replying. She wanted to be very careful of the next words she chose.

"Dev, you've been through more than anyone should have to. I understand that and I know that you've been trying your best to move past it. It's no wonder that you see guys sometimes that remind you of Dan." "This man did not remind me of Dan! He looked exactly like Dan! I did not imagine it! I saw him!"

"Ok, ok, sweetie, calm down. But you know that there's no way you could have seen Dan standing outside of that window or any other window. You need to accept that you're not going to see him again. Look, I'm coming home with you and we're going to spend some time unpacking some boxes. Then, I'm spending the night with you. It's obvious that you're overly tired and I'm here to help."

At first, Devon started to argue, but then realized that not only was she grateful to have the help in getting her apartment in order so she could start feeling at home, but she was also more than a little shaken by what she had seen. So she just nodded and they both walked back to her apartment. It was a short walk and the night was pleasant, so they were able to enjoy the rest of the stroll.

After Devon let herself and Janina into the apartment, they broke out a pitcher of sangria that Devon had made the day before. It was nice and chilled and ready to be enjoyed, and enjoy it they did! Within a few hours, they had unpacked nearly all of the boxes and had the apartment looking almost like someone lived there. The sangria was also gone and the ladies seemed to be feeling no pain.

They were sprawled on the sofa and laughing at some joke one of them had told when Devon decided that she really needed a shower before she was ready to retire for the night. She told Janina to make herself at home while she had a quick shower. As she moved through her bedroom, Devon started stripping off her clothes and leaving a little trail of them as she made her way into the master bathroom. Stepping under the warm water spray, she couldn't help but remember what had occurred in that very shower not so long ago. It's probably because of all the sangria, and then the wine before that at the restaurant.

She started to soap up her body with the lavender and vanilla scented shower gel. Leaning her head back under the shower spray, she closed her eyes and let her hair get really wet. Suddenly, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her from behind and a wet, naked body pressed against hers.

Screaming from fright, she tried to turn around but was held in place by those strong arms...

* * *

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