Swearing viciously at himself for letting Caitlin out of his sight, Graham covered the butt of his gun with his hand.

Pulling it free of its holster, Graham sprinted after the man.

, As he raced around the corner, he saw that the man was shoving Caitlin toward a car parked just at the mouth of the alley.

Pouring on speed, he cut the distance between them.

The man jerked around just as Graham called out his warning.

"Freeze! " He stopped, taking aim.

"This is the police."

It happened too quickly for Graham to react.

'The man threw Caitlin at him and bolted into his car.

Graham's gun went flying as Caitlin collided with him.

He was thrown to the ground, hitting the back of his head on the cement as Caitlin landed on top of him.

The tires screeched as the car roared into life and came straight at them. Graham barely had time to roll out of the way, pulling Caitlin with him.

They rolled into the side of a Dumpster.

Feeling dazed, Graham jumped to his feet, memorizing as much of the

license plate number as he could see.

It was probably a stolen vehicle, but there was always a chance that it

might check out.

The car was gone in the next heartbeat.

Graham looked down at Caitlin.

She was struggling to her feet.

He took her hand in his and helped her up.

"Are you all right?"

She nodded numbly, her fingers curltd about his.

"You're right. I should have gone at the shop."

And then her bravado vanished.

She turned her face into his chest.

"Oh, Gray. .

For a moment he just let her stand there, unable to leave the grip of

frozen feelin s, of what might have been.

And 9 then awkwardly he began to stroke her hair.

"Yeah, I know."

Slowly they returned to him-all the old feelings.

It was like riding a bicycle-once it was ingrained, you never forgot.

His arms tightened around her.

The stroking became less awkward as warmth and emotions unfurled.

Her tears were dampening his chest.

Graham felt impotent anger rage within him against the man who had done

this to her, who had threatened her and frightened her so badly.

Who might have killed her if he hadn't followed his instincts and gone looking for her. Graham raised her chin and slowly wiped away her tears with his thumb.

, we,ii get him, Caitlin.

I swear I won't let him hurt you.

She knew he meant it.

Caitlin nodded as she looked up at him, her eyes bright with tears she

was fighting hard to keep from shedding.

He couldn't help himself.

He didn't even know, when he thought of it later, if he even tried to

stop what was happening.

Graham lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her because there was

absolutely nothing else he could do at the moment.

It was as if he had read a page out of his destiny and that was what was written on it.

At this moment he was to kiss her.

Even if the world stopped.

And for that moment, it did.

Shaking, lost, in need of comfort, she let herself be drawn into the

kiss.

Fear, anxiety, confusion all melded, sublimating their identities into a whirlwind that seized her.

It pulled her in as it swirled about, disorienting her.

The only focal point she had was his mouth.

And she clung to it.

To him.

Her body pressed closer.

Graham held her against him, forgetting the past, forgetting the pain,

remembering only that once, she had made him feel like a young, bronzed god.

Made him feel as if he could touch the sky as he walked the earth.

God, but he had missed her.

He knew then that she had continued to haunt the shadows of his mind, like a whisper of what couldn't have been.

And that, no matter what, she would always be there, a glimmer of what

he could never have.