When she saw who it was she didn't know whether to be relieved or scared.

Ronan Kieran stood near a secluded spot between the community center and a storage shed. His black coat hung open and flapped a bit in the gentle breeze. Clarissa tried to recall the last time she'd seen anyone so lethal. She wouldn't have needed the incident in the graveyard to understand this man took no shit off anyone. Ever.

His gaze held her like a magnet and a strong rush of feelings pinned her to the spot.

Anger. Fear. Desire.

She'd never experienced all three emotions at once.

Since childhood she'd used her radar, as she thought of it, to detect people she couldn't trust. With him she couldn't be certain of anything. This man displayed a restlessness tempered by steel resolve and determination to see through any mission. But what mission? In the graveyard he'd driven away the mugger and protected her. Yet part of her continued to be scared spitless of him.

He lifted his hand and her fanny pack dangled from his hand. "Your pack."

"Oh, thank you." Her voice sounded wimpy and she hated the breathless quality. She cleared her throat. "I was going back there to pick it up."

He shook his head, exasperation clear on his handsome face. "Are you mad? You would ignore my warnings?"

Anger rose inside her at his patronizing tone. "It's none of your business what I do, so I'd appreciate you keeping your opinion to yourself. Look, I'm not ungrateful for what you did for me." Her cheeks flushed as she remembered he'd done more thanone thing for her, all right. "But I don't appreciate you talking to me like I'm-"

"A silly cow who doesn't know when to quit?"

She gasped and took a step closer to him, indignation rising like hot lava in her gullet.

"How dare you?"

Ronan grinned, and the stunning transformation dazzled her down to her foundations and short-circuited her fury. Wide and unrepentant, his mouth curved in the most attractive, seductive male smile she'd ever seen. In the shadows she almost couldn't see his eyes, but what she could view warmed her. Like melting dark chocolate, his gaze took her in, seducing her. His demeanor appeared receptive, and for a second she saw gentle caring and curiosity slip through the enveloping heat in his stare. It made him even more infuriatingly attractive. The man looked delicious.

And she was certifiably insane for thinking so.

I just want to strangle him.

Yep, that would do it. She would walk right up and wrap her fingers around his insolent throat and wring some common courtesy into his gorgeous person.

Teasing sparked in his eyes. "Damn, woman, but you are a stubborn one. I think I like that."

Unexpectedly, she wanted to hear him laugh. She wanted to know what this exasperating yet intriguing man thought, felt, and wanted.

I am losing my mind.

His grin returned, as if he'd heard a joke.

Clarissa frowned in counterpoint. "Just give me my pack, please."

If she wanted to retrieve the pack she'd have to come closer to him, and that unsettled her in a whole new way. She forced one foot in front of the other until she could reach out and take the pack. Their fingers brushed, but thank goodness she couldn't feel his skin through her gloved hand. She retreated, walking backwards.

It was his turn to frown. "You're frightened of me. Why?"

When he shifted closer her heart did a double flip. "I'm not afraid. I didn't expect you to be here."

"You saw me in the community center."

"Yes, but I thought you'd left already," she said, her voice tight with apprehension.

"When I looked you were gone."

One of his eyebrows twitched up. "You were looking for me?"

She bit her lip and almost groaned. "No, I wasn't. I just saw you in the doorway. What are you doing lurking around here like a phantom?"

"I'm waiting for my friends." His voice sounded almost bored.

"Friends?"

"You saw them inside. Thornton, Tavish, and their women."

She lifted one eyebrow. "Their women. That almost sounds like a phrase from another time."

"I am from another time."

His strange phrase lodged in her mind, but she ignored it. "You know them well?"

"Yes."

She swallowed hard. Time to be cheeky. "Can you introduce me? I need their advice."

His eyes narrowed. "What kind of advice?"

She shook her head. "It's private."

Ronan's skeptical expression came through in the critical shine in his eyes. "I'll mention you to them. Where are you staying?"

Reasonable caution made her say, "I'll give you the phone number and they can call me."

He nodded. "Very well."

After strapping the fanny pack over her coat, she retrieved a pen and piece of paper from the pack and wrote down the number for the Clary Ridge Hotel. As he took it from her hand she made sure his touch didn't linger. He stuffed the paper in his coat pocket.

"You are more cautious now then when we met earlier this evening, Clarissa."

Remembering the way he'd touched her in the cemetery sent a wave of startling arousal over her skin and mixed with instant shame.

Her throat tightened, but she pushed the words passed her lips. "Look, I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone what happened."

"You're making a police report? You should have gone-"

"I know, I know. I should have made a police report right away, but I didn't want to miss this meeting."

"Why?"

"None of your business."

"Ah, so we're back to that, are we?"

"Yes, back to that."