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  How could she think that a man could haunt her dreams and come to her in the light of day? Not possible. She couldn’t have predicted this man would enter her life. No way for her to have known him when he walked into the room.

  And yet he had. And she did.

  There just had to be a logical explanation behind this. Maybe she had seen him somewhere yesterday, but not noticed him, and he’d appeared in her dream.

  Not noticed him?

  Yeah, right. And maybe the homeless guy a few feet away was really Prince William, too.

  Maybe, just maybe, she should have stayed in California.

  Chapter Two

  She glanced behind her and forced her protesting legs to move faster. His footsteps grew closer each passing second. Hair whipped her in the eyes, forcing them to water in protest, which made it even harder to see where she ran in the purple moonlight, but she pressed herself to speed up even more. He’d gotten even closer. His steady breathing sounded in her ears above her own desperate gulps of air, somehow mocking her for her weakness, her vulnerability.

  Her aching chest and weak legs forced her to stumble to the ground at a stream, bringing her frenzied flight to a halt. Her eyes focused on a blur of motion as a shape leapt overhead and easily landed on the other side of the wide stream rushing over the rocks. He emerged from the concealing shadows of the trees, and the moonlight illuminated the perfection of his face.

  She wasn’t shocked to see him. She’d known all along what, or who, she ran from. The hard glint of a predator in his eyes, however, did freak her out. He was clearly the hunter…and she the prey. And as quickly as he had leapt across the stream, his eyes softened, smoothing the harsh lines of the huntsman into that of a different chase—a seducer.

  She couldn’t shake the feeling that though he no longer chased her, she remained the prey. A shiver ran up her spine at the thought, and she watched him warily as her heart raced.

  He flashed a grin at her, and she groaned as dimples appeared on both cheeks. As if the man were not hot enough, God had given him dimples.

  Come on, man.

  “Hello, Amelia,” he murmured. The name rolled off his tongue like silk. “I’ve been waiting here for you to return.”

  “My name isn’t Amelia.” The hairs on the back of her neck rose, and she shuddered. “It’s Sabrina.”

  “Sabrina? That’s a pretty name, too. It suits you.” He stalked toward her, and she shot to her feet and retreated. “But to me, you will always be my Amelia. Don’t run,” he said soothingly, his arm held out, palm up, to her. “Don’t be afraid. I’ve been waiting for you a long time. I’ll not hurt you. I promise to keep you safe.”

  Though her every instinct shouted at her to run screaming through the forest, she stood rooted to the ground watching him as he nimbly jumped over the water and landed in front of her. She watched his eyes move as he studied her face before enfolding her in his arms tenderly. For a brief moment she felt…cherished.

  Until he threaded his hands through her hair and crushed her lips beneath his. Breathing quickly became forgotten as his lips plundered hers, and she clutched his shoulders, desperate to hold onto reality. Her ability to think fled, as all her senses and thoughts were consumed by the man holding her.

  But was he a man?

  Men didn’t come to you in dreams before you ever met them in real life.

  The thought sobered her as being doused with a bucket of cold water would have, and she jerked away from his kiss. His hands tightened painfully in her hair, and she whimpered in protest.

  “Who are you? What are you?”

  His gaze hardened. The hunter look returned to his face, and a shiver crept over her spine. Her mind shrieked at her, warning her of danger.

  “You are mine, remember it always,” he whispered. He tore his gaze from hers and looked behind her head and cursed under his breath. He kissed her hard—rushed—and turned from her and ran.

  Only the sound of her speeding heart and the eerie purple moon kept her company.

  ***

  The next week was filled with writing her current romance novel and decorating, and she didn’t leave her house. Until today, anyway. It was Friday, and she’d decided to take a trip into town for some shopping. Checking off the last item on her list, she groaned when her stomach growled. Time for a dinner break.

  She, of course, knew where to go.

  She parked in front of the tavern where she’d seen him in the flesh and hopped out of the car with bated breath. Would he be there? She absentmindedly threw a bill into the jar in front of the homeless man—sleeping, again—and entered the dimly lit room. She searched, but only the flickering light hanging over the middle of the room met her eyes. Disappointment crept over her even as she searched the room once more. As if he’d appear from behind the door and yell, “Boo!” To make it worse, no dreams had come all week, and she yearned to see him, to see if he actually existed. This was ridiculous in itself, because of course he didn’t.

  Duh.

  When lingering over her dinner didn’t make him magically appear, she left the tavern heavy-hearted. Each footstep she took seemed harder than the last. She paused and considered the alleyway he’d appeared in the other day.

  Could he be in there?

  “Looking for him, miss?”

  She jumped at the gravelly voice behind her, whirling to see who spoke. It was the homeless man—aware for once. Awake, he positively terrified her. Intelligence swam in his eyes, and that was all she could make out of him. The rest of his face was buried under hair and dirt.

  She hesitated. “I’m sorry? Looking for who?”

  “The tall bloke who came here last time you were, miss.”

  “I thought you were sleeping.” Nonchalantly, she rested her hand on the mace hanging off her keychain—and found it missing…again.

  His eyes followed her small movement. “I just see things, I do. And I saw him leave, and he watched you leave.”

  “So he was there,” she said. “I thought I saw him in the alley!”

  “Yes, miss. But right as soon as he saw you, he scattered like the rats that live there—always trying to steal my food, they are.” He shook his head and grumbled something too quietly for Sabrina to make out.

  “Are you always here?” she asked.

  “I live here, ma’am. Keep an eye on the place to make sure the wrong sort doesn’t get in.” His chest puffed out in pride. She refrained from pointing out most establishments deemed him the wrong sort. She knew he’d take offense at the remark and had no desire to hurt his feelings.

  “Well, obviously you do an excellent job. Have you seen the man here again, recently?”

  “Oh yes, he came here today. Looked real out-of-sorts, he did. Hiding in the shadows, searching for something. Methinks he seeks you.” His tone of voice held a sly tone to it, as if he were in on a secret she wasn’t.

  She shivered and glanced toward the alley. “Is he here, now?” She searched the shadows, but sensed no movement.

  “No, he left a few hours ago. You’re safe with old Zeke here.”

  She fought down the apprehension creeping up her spine and smiled at Zeke. “Well, I’m going home. Keep an eye out for troublemakers, okay?”

  “Yes, ma’am. That’s my job. Thanks for the money.” He tipped his battered hat at her. His hair stuck out in several threadbare spots where the fabric had worn away. “You are the perfect woman. Looks and a warm heart.”

  She blushed, embarrassed by the praise. “Don’t mention it, Zeke.” She waved and got into the car to drive home, feeling curiously empty despite the full meal she’d ingested. She’d obviously gone insane. Why did this man haunt her so? Sure, he was ungodly hot—but did he have to consume her both night and day? Ugh, time for some good TV.

  An hour later, she sat absorbed in the gripping drama of a team of police searching for a killer before they lost one of their own. A thud outside her door caused her to lurch to her feet and gasp.

 
; Holding a shaky hand to her pounding heart, she tiptoed toward the door, without consciously having made the decision to go there. She peered through the tiny peephole, and her breath caught in her throat when she saw a shadow in the trees. The shadow, eerily enough, seemed to creep toward her.

  Anything that moved in the night like that couldn’t be a good thing. It crept far too stealthy, as if it were used to hunting things in the dark night. She watched the threat as it snuck closer to her house, afraid to make as much as a breath of a sound.

  The shadow flew through the air and out of sight. It travelled so fast she questioned the validity of it. Nothing, human or animal, could move so majestically.

  Except…no, it couldn’t be possible. In the dream the man might have done it, but in real life he was simply a man. He didn’t leap over buildings in real life. Unless...she’d fallen asleep. She pinched her bicep as hard as she could and winced as pain shot up her arm.

  Nope, definitely not a dream.

  She rubbed her aching arm as a sound came from above her. Frozen in fear, she glanced at the ceiling. The shuffling noises pulled her from her panic, and she scrambled for the phone on the coffee table.

  A soft, menacing chuckle met her ears, and the phone crashed to the floor loudly, followed by an unmistakable rolling sound. She dropped to her knees to search frantically for the missing batteries.

  “Shit, shit, shit!” she exclaimed.

  Oddly enough, the feeling of terror that had come upon Sabrina left. Somehow, she knew whoever, or whatever, had caused her fear had left. This made no sense at all.

  But hell, what had made sense lately?

  Nothing, absolutely nothing.

  ***

  Sabrina sat by the stream in the purple moonlight once again. It seemed like she’d been watching the water move over the rocks for hours before she sensed him behind her. He walked to her side and held out his hand. She took it and rose slowly to her feet. His cool palm caused her to tremble, partly because his hand felt so cold against hers, and partly because of the sensations that shot up her arm at his touch.

  “Hello, Sabrina. Did you miss me?”

  “Why am I even dreaming of you? This makes no sense. I only saw you once, and yet I can’t get you out of my mind.” She met his intense blue gaze. “This is crazy. I’m asking questions of a person in my dream. And to top it off, I’m now imagining things jumping on my roof while awake. I have gone insane,” she muttered under her breath.

  “Something came to your house?” he asked. His grip tightened on her arms, and his eyes flashed possessively. “What was it?”

  “I have no idea! But it jumped on the roof. It reminded me of you, except for one minor detail: you’re not real. You’re a figment of my imagination.”

  “Don’t doubt me, Sabrina. I’m real. I’m here. I’m always here for you.” He captured her hand and kissed it. “Go to McGuiness’s Tavern tomorrow morning. I’ll be there. You’ll see I’m real, and not some silly dream.” He caressed her cheek, and she trembled.

  “But who are you?” she whispered. She licked her dry lips and clutched her hands into fists. His gaze followed the movement of her tongue, and he grabbed her and lifted her so her feet dangled in the air. Despite the roughness of the movement, fear didn’t consume her. Hunger for his kiss overwhelmed her—made her tremble in his arms.

  Instead, he seized her hair and jerked her head backward. Her neck exposed, he lowered his head to the sensitive spot where neck and shoulder met. She heard him inhale deeply, and she shuddered in his arms. His breath felt cool on her skin, and she trembled in an odd mixture of fear and desire. When his lips met her skin, it seemed as though a bolt of lightning jolted through her body, making her jerk in his arms.

  Instant lust.

  “I’m yours, Sabrina. And you’ll get your questions answered. All you need to know right now is you’re mine. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “No, wait. Tell me now,” she demanded. But she spoke to air, for as quietly as he’d come, he had left. Once again, she stood alone in the dark night. She looked up at the moon and shivered.

  “Son of a bitch,” she mumbled. Only the silence of the forest surrounding her answered.

  ***

  Sabrina had lost it, simply lost it. They might as well slap on the straightjacket now and strap her to the bed.

  Padded walls, here I come.

  Things were getting out of her control. She obviously struggled to separate dreams from reality, and night from day. While awake, she saw shadows jump onto her roof and heard evil chuckles echoing in the night. Yet, when sleeping, she would dream of a man tempting her to fall in love. Everything had become backwards.

  It made no sense.

  Yet, even knowing she hovered only a couple of steps away from being committed didn’t stop her from taking extra care arranging her hair and applying her makeup before rushing out of the house.

  She had no errands to run, nowhere she needed to be.

  One thing remained certain, however: she was going to the McGuiness’s Tavern for every meal necessary. Hell, she’d even sleep there next to Zeke. Desperation to see if her dream became reality, or if she was going insane, ruled her.

  And yet, she feared the answer.

  ***

  Upon arriving at the tavern, Sabrina discovered, much to her disappointment, they didn’t open until lunchtime. Even Zeke, ever present, hadn’t shown up yet. His empty jar still sat there, but he was nowhere in sight. Lunchtime wouldn’t arrive for two more hours, so she hovered outside the door. She could go shopping until lunch, or go home and come back later. Or she could, more sensibly, return home and forget this whole idea. The very suggestion a man in a dream could tell her she would meet him in the reality of daylight rang of ludicrousness, so why had she even come?

  She cursed and decided to head home.

  Absorbed in contemplating her stupidity, she spun and crashed into a rock-solid wall. She broke free from her thoughts and raised her gaze to see she hadn’t run into a wall at all. She’d collided with a man. A very tall man, considering the fact her nose throbbed from slamming into his chest. She stumbled backward and embarrassed herself further when she tripped over her own feet. Arms reached out to steady her, and she blushed in mortification.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry, I wasn’t watching where I—” She broke off. Finally finding her feet steady on the ground, she lifted her gaze to his face.

  Mistake.

  Huge freaking mistake.

  It was him. She stared, stunned into speechlessness. He’d come. He’d actually showed up. And, perhaps even more shocking, he looked even more attractive when she rested in his arms. A small tingle raced up her spine, and her heart quickened.

  “It’s okay. Please, don’t worry.” He cocked his head to the side with a small smile and inquired, “Do you come here often? I think I’ve seen you here before. Oh, that sounded like a horrible pick-up line, didn’t it?”

  She laughed—with a hysterical undertone, to be honest—and mentally flinched at the forced quality that rang through it. “No, I do come here quite a bit. I’m new to the area, and this has become a common place for me. Um, my name is Sabrina. Sabrina Hodges, nice to meet you.” She stepped back to offer him her hand. A covert glance at her outstretched fingers revealed they weren’t shaking like the rest of her body. But it went to hell when his fingers closed over hers. Pure electric energy shot up her arm, settling into unadulterated lust.

  Dear God.

  “I’m Isaac Sterling. Nice to, uh, run into you, Sabrina.” He smiled fully and her eyes widened. It was not fair to unleash such a devastating creature upon women. It became obvious to her, here and now: God was a man.

  Unfair.

  “If you were looking for breakfast, it isn’t open yet, but I might be able to take care of you. My friend Connor is the cook here, and we had a meeting planned inside. Why don’t you come in? He’ll make you an omelet you’ll never forget.”

  “Oh no, I couldn’t. I just wa
nted to grab a bite to eat. It’s nothing that can’t wait.” She protested and shook her head. “Really, I’ll be fine.”

  “Ach, now, you wouldn’t be turning me down, would you? Talk about breaking a man’s heart on the first meeting….” He held his left hand dramatically over his heart.

  She couldn’t help but return his smile. She watched his eyes widen and then darken, and she beamed even wider at seeing the evidence of her effect on him. “Well, I’d hate to break such a kind man’s heart.” She leaned in and whispered, “You did forgive me for running you over.”

  “Indeed. I saved you from falling, too,” he said. He chuckled and gave her an exaggerated wink.

  “A gentleman wouldn’t have reminded me, you know.”

  “Who told you I’m a gentleman?” he teased. His crooked grin caused her heart to do odd little flip-flops in her chest.

  “I just can’t interfere in your meeting, though. It wouldn’t feel right.”

  “Okay, I’ve got a solution, if you’re sure I can’t convince you to join me. Why don’t you give me your number, and maybe you can make your recklessness up to me at dinner? We’d be able to call it even, I’d say.”

  “Hmmm…maybe.” She glanced up at him through her eyelashes and hoped her cheeks weren’t blushing from the excited racing of her heart. “Do you have paper to write it down on, or a phone to put it in?”

  He smiled and pulled his cell phone out while responding, “How about I give you my number now, and you can call me on your phone—presuming you have one—and we’ll have one another’s phone numbers right away?”

  She agreed and called the number he gave her. His ringer went off, and she couldn’t help but notice he had chosen an old-fashioned phone ringing noise for his ringtone. No fancy ringtones for this hunk of a man.