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I don’t know who it is, but a chill slithers down my spine; like I’ve been plunged into an icy pool. It can’t be Scott. He wouldn’t sneak around like that. He’s the kind of man who tackles things head on.
This weird reaction is nothing. I’m seeing threats only because the Guardians actively look for them, because that’s what a Guardian does. That man ducking into the drugstore is just a man; a stranger I don’t know.
He’s not Scott.
Yet suddenly, my fear intensifies. What if it is? What if he’s spying on me? Or looking for an opening to force me to talk with him? He’d do that. Confront me on the street, in public, where I won’t be able to escape without making a scene.
Suddenly, Rosalie pulls me in for a hug. “You’re too gracious offering your room. I feel bad that I’m making you move out of it.”
I blink, trying to return to the conversation going on around me.
“Don’t worry about it, and you’re not making me move out.” I give her a reassuring smile. “I’m going to be gone end of summer as it is. This is your home now, and it makes more sense than you sharing a room with Carmen until I leave.” I turn toward Carmen and smirk. “Didn’t know you were bringing the heat.”
I’m about to have some fun with Barbi, but the moment my gaze lands on the driver, I’m struck dumb.
His sheer physical presence overwhelms me. Tremendously tall, his square-cut jaw and distinguished chin command attention. His eyes carry a wild intensity that pins me in place. He stands six-plus and his muscles ripple beneath his clothes, tense and poised for action. A wave of raw masculinity radiates off of him in pulses so strong I’m paralyzed by the intensity of it.
I can’t tell if I’m attracted or repelled by the sheer strength of his presence. Which says a lot since dominant men attract me like flies to honey. Either way, I’m frozen in place like a mouse staring down the face of a lion.
When Carmen makes introductions, I swallow hard and the word “Hi” barely makes it out of my mouth. I extend my hand, feeling like I’m treading dangerously, inviting disaster, even though desire engulfs every cell in my body. This stranger stirs a latent heat I didn’t realize was slumbering.
The moment our hands touch, heat spreads like a bonfire, singeing every inch of me until I’m a quivering mess.
Where the hell did that come from?
“Name’s Zeb. Nice to meet you, little mouse.”
Little mouse? Did he read my mind?
He doesn’t release my hand, holding it far longer than a normal handshake should last. Electricity surges between us, buzzing and humming with pleasure. Raising goose bumps on my skin. Sending heat radiating up my arm where it delves deep to my core.
His gaze roams my entire body with undeniable hunger. It’s a deliberate and calculated assessment, like he’s drinking me in.
Devouring me.
His lips curl into a slow, dangerous smile. That smile sends shockwaves rippling through me. It might be presumptuous to be thinking this, but something tells me this is no ordinaryHello. The promise of dark and dangerous things—sinful things—hangs between us. I may regret giving up my single room.
I’m rooted to the spot, unable to tear my eyes away from Zeb, but then a different kind of chill runs down my spine. There it is again, movement in the corner of my eye. My skin crawls, because in my gut, I know who it is.
Scott stands at the corner by the drugstore, radiating jealousy and rage.
His gaze is like a weapon shooting through the air, aimed directly at me. For the first time in my life, I feel real fear.
Carmen’s voice breaks the trance, telling me it’s time to go, but I can’t move. Scott’s come for a fight and this is only the beginning of something far worse.
“Hey, beautiful, how about you let go of my hand so I can help the guys bring stuff in?” Zeb’s words pull me out of my dream-like state, forcing me to look at him. “Is everything all right?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Doesn’t look like nothing.” The concerned expression on his face says he isn’t fooled.
I run my hands up and down my arms. This time, the goose bumps aren’t from the electricity pulsing between me and Zeb. It’s from something else entirely.
“Where is everyone?” I look around and realize we’re alone.
“They’re inside.” His voice is as steady as steel as he forces me to meet his gaze head-on. “You sure you’re okay?”
My heart pounds away like a kettle drum and I shiver as icy tendrils slither down my spine. I try to brush off his question with a shrug, but he isn’t having it. Zeb places a sturdy hand on my shoulder. He knows something’s wrong. He also knows I’m too afraid to tell him.
