Silver Moon - Out Now! (excerpt)

My new release, Silver Moon, is now available from Cobblestone Press. The book follows Sabra, a werewolf, as she's required to choose a mate at the upcoming Silver Moon festival.

Here's an excerpt:

Sabra stooped in order to enter her grandfather’s teepee. The room was easier to enter in wolf form, but she didn’t have time to shift because she had to be back at her office right after the meeting. Besides, she wouldn’t want to shift back into her human form. She’d want to go out onto her grandfather’s property and run, but patients were waiting for her. With an exhale, she sat on a pillow and folded her legs beneath her.

The interior of the triangle-shaped structure was large, though it didn’t look like it from the outside. There was plenty of room for a wolf to roam. A low table sat to her left. On it was his special hand-carved pipe along with three stacks books and several stacks of papers. She shook her head at her grandfather’s messiness, but didn’t complain as she was the same way. A large fire pit took up the center of the floor. Other than a few animal hide pillows that littered the ground around the fire, her grandmother’s contribution, there was no other furniture.

With a nervous shudder, Sabra inhaled the scent of sage leaves that burned in a bowl next to the fire. The leather walls trapped the heat inside and made the room warm and cozy. This was his meeting hut. Her grandparents’ main home was miles away from here, but similarly decorated. She already knew what this meeting was about and wasn’t looking forward to it.

Her grandfather, Chief Black Moon, entered in his wolf form, then stalked around the space. His large body took up much of the area. His beautiful white coat glistened in the firelight as he playfully sniffed her cheek before taking a seat next her. As he sat, he shifted back into his human form. Orange flames now danced off of his dark brown skin and reflected in his brown irises.

He wrapped himself in a hand-woven blanket alive with the red, silver, and black colors of their pack, also her grandmother’s contribution. With a wink in her direction, her grandmother, Black River, poured him a cup of tea before shifting into her brown wolf and leaving the teepee. Sabra inhaled his earthy scent and waited for him to take his first sip of tea before the meeting began. She closed her eyes. The warmth of the space and her grandfather was comforting.

The parents of she and her four brothers were killed by hunters who accused them, falsely, of stealing their cattle. Sabra was only six at the time. Since then, they had been raised by their grandparents. While strict, her grandparents also knew when to remove the leashes and allow them to explore both their wolf and human sides. She loved him so. It upset her that, of all the supernatural species, theirs was not offered immortality—but they did live long lives. She didn’t know what she was going to do when it was their time to go. She didn’t want to think of it now.

The Chief was a healthy, youthful-looking seventy years old. His hair hung in silver dreadlocks that flowed over his muscular shoulders and down his back. She watched his weathered face as he drank his tea. He carefully set the mug on the floor and folded his hands in his lap. Before he could speak, she held up her hand.

“I already know what this is about. It’s time for me to mate.”

She’d been dreading this day since she turned twenty eight months ago. All of her friends had already been chosen. Even her four younger brothers were married and starting their families. She was behind as far as the other members of her pack were concerned, but she was busy with her career as a dentist. Black Moon opened his mouth, but before he could utter any words, she interrupted him again as she leapt to her feet and stalked around the space.

The Silver Moon festival coincided with the first full moon of the new year. At the festival, the male werewolves publicly declared their mate in front of the pack. She wasn’t a piece of meat, which was why she’d avoided the festival like a plague. But now, she couldn’t use her studies or career as an excuse to not go anymore. Her pack was counting on her as the lone alpha female to breed more Alphas. She cringed.

“It’s not fair!” she exploded. “It’s a sexist, archaic system, Grandfather. Why do I have to be mated? I’ve graduated college. I have a career. My own home. I don’t have room or time for a mate.”

“Sabra…”

She continued ranting as if she hadn’t heard him. “And what makes matters worse is that I don’t even have the right to choose! The male does all the choosing. What if I don’t like him? What if he’s a complete idiot?”

He chuckled. This enraged her further. She turned to him but softened her posture at the twinkle in his eyes. Of course she was being melodramatic, but she was trying to make her point. Maybe she could put it off for a few more years. No. The elders of her pack, including her grandmother, were already sending her daily emails with offers to set her up with one wolf or another. The sooner she got this over with, the better.

“It’s not funny! I know things worked out with you and Grandmother, but this is a different century. It’s time for this practice to die.”

“I agree.”

His quiet statement made her pause. He patted the pillow next to him and waited patiently for her to sit down. After she did, he took her hand. She found herself beginning to calm down as she picked up her mug with her free hand and held it while she waited for her grandfather to speak. Instead of his messiness, she wished she’d inherited his ability to remain calm in the middle of a storm.

“When it’s my time to pass, you’ll be Alpha of the pack. Your mate needs to be strong, confident and able to assist you with your duties.”

“But that’s a long time off,” she whispered.

“Perhaps, but I like to be prepared for anything.”

“That’s what made you a great warrior.”

Squeezing his hand, Sabra laid her head on his strong shoulder. She would love to find a mate like him, but most wolves were jerks. If it weren’t frowned upon, she’d much rather mate with a human. But as Alpha, she’d be expected to breed as soon as she was mated. She shuddered at the thought—she wasn’t ready for kids. At this point in time, she was barely ready for a mate.

“This,” her grandfather continued as he laid he cheek on top of her head, “is why I will bend the rules. Your mate must be equal to you and not want to be with you simply because of your status.”

“I’ll make sure that won’t happen,” she said as she sat her mug on the table.

“As will I.”

“You’re really going to let me choose?”

“Yes.”

This made her feel a little better about the situation, but not much. At least her grandfather had her back. Now, she’d just have to find someone worthy of him, and her. She exhaled. That was going to be the hard part. However, this was going to rock her pack’s world when they got wind of what her grandfather proposed.

“What about the elders?”

“They understand my wishes and have agreed with me.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Do you have a mate in mind?”

Sitting up, she shook her head. “No. I’ve been too busy to look.”

“There’s plenty of time. You’ll know when you meet him.”

He brushed a strand of hair from her forehead. The festival was less than two weeks away. She didn’t even have any prospects to choose from. There was still time to try online dating, but there wasn’t a site for werewolves, and she couldn’t very well put that piece of information in a public profile. Sabra worried that she wouldn’t meet anyone suitable. After her last miserable date two months ago, she’d given up on even looking for a mate. Worry nagged at her. What was she going to do?

Her grandmother appeared with a plate piled with steaming hot corn cakes slathered in butter. Sabra’s mouth watered as she snagged one from the plate and bit into it. She moaned and wished her grandmother would teach her how to cook. Black River refused until Sabra found a mate. After wrapping herself in a throw, her grandmother sat on the other side of her. Sabra’s breath stilled as she sensed a set-up coming.

“When you least expect it,” her grandmother cooed, then kissed Sabra’s forehead, “he’ll show up. The universe just wants to make sure your heart is ready to receive the love it wants to send you.”

“Maybe. But the universe is cutting it pretty close.”

“Perhaps not. Maybe he simply wasn’t ready yet. Maybe he is now.”

Sabra stiffened at her grandmother’s mysterious comment. Aha! At least she was dressed appropriately in her work outfit—red blouse, black slacks and black pumps. She looked around as if her blind date was going to make an appearance at any minute, but relaxed when no one appeared. Doubt pestered her thoughts as she reached for another cake. Was she really that busy with her career to meet someone?

“What if I never find him?”

“You will. I have faith,” Chief Black Moon said.

Her grandfather stood. In one deft move, he stripped off his blanket and shifted back into his wolf. Her grandmother draped an arm around her shoulder. With a final kiss, she, too, stripped off her covering, shifted and followed her husband from the teepee. Admiration swept through her as she watched them. Would she ever find love like that? Climbing to her feet, she filed the thought into the back of her mind. She fished the keys to her SUV out of her coat pocket as she walked toward it. Right now, she’d just settle for a booty call.

Buy it here : http://cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/silvermoon.htm

Also, my other books; Pink Cashmere, Love Bites and Love Bleeds, are still available from them. And Nocturne, published by Beautiful Trouble Publishing, is still available from Amazon, Beautiful Trouble Publishing and All Romance eBooks.

I will have an exciting new series that will be excusively pubished through All Romance eBooks so. Please stary tuned for details...

Excerpt of new release : Nocturne

Here's a sneak peek at my just released book Nocturne from Beautiful Trouble Publishing:

Nella sat in a ball in the center of her empty bedroom, rocking back and forth. Thoughts assaulted her mind like bullets. She was a vampire. She was about to meet her father for the first time. Her mother was in Hell. This was all too much for her to handle, and, honestly, didn’t want to. She wanted to go back to bed and start this day all over again, but that wasn’t possible.

Finally, after what seemed like days, she rose. Annoyed, she wondered what to do. Her mother had said her father was coming to collect her, so where was he? Refusing to cry, she wandered the empty hall of her home. Finding herself in the living room, she sunk into her mother’s favorite armchair.

 “Oh, God,” she cried out.

Again, pain gripped her muscles when she said the words. She’d have to reprogram her mind because she was a vampire now.  The horror of the realization that she couldn’t say the sacred names she’d learned in church made her ill. Jumping up, she rushed into the bathroom and vomited. She’d have to spend the rest of her life drinking blood? Eww! But then, she already had, and it wasn’t all that horrible.

She stumbled to the sink to splash cold water on her face. When she lifted her head, she didn’t see a reflection. Great. Now how was she going to check her hair out? Or make sure her outfit didn’t make her look fat? Lazarus popped into her head. Had he known? Why hadn’t he warned her?

Nella found her way back into her bedroom and to her window, where she flung back the curtains. Sure enough, the Jag was parked across the street.  She didn’t see him; however she did feel him. His presence wrapped around her body like mist. It made her want to strip and be bad. She could now, being she was a vampire and all. After raising the window, she waved at the car’s dark, tinted windows and motioned for him to come over.

Running her hands through her hair, she turned to unlock the front door so he could come in but stopped. Someone was calling her… in her head.  Clearly hearing someone call her name, she turned back toward the window, thinking it was Lazarus. It wasn’t. This call was erotic and caused her nipples to strain against her shirt. She closed her eyes, letting the call wash over her like a breeze as a third call, then a fourth call, entered her mind.  Each one competed to be heard over the others.

Nella grasped the buttons of her shirt between her fingers and slowly unbuttoned each one. Hissing in response to the calls, she let the material fall to the floor. Her fangs ripped through her gums, and she moaned as the calls intensified. She hooked her fingers in the clasp of her pink bra, ready to pull it off. Suddenly, something covered her chest. When she opened her eyes, Lazarus held his jacket against her.

“That’s one way to get kidnapped,” he said.

“If you’re the one doing it, I’d go willingly.”

She didn’t recognize the husky voice that escaped from her mouth but made no attempt to cover up as she hung out of the window to touch one of his soft dreads.  Slowly, she ran her fingers up the shaft to the root and down to the tip. When he quivered, she chuckled, but realized he made no effort to move away.

“Stop it.”

“Why?”

“You don’t understand what you’re doing, ma.”

“I think I do.”

She suddenly kissed him hard on his lips while she twirled the silky rope around her fingers. He leaned away before she could deepen the kiss and carefully removed his hair from her grasp. Pouting, she clutched his jacket to her chest as though it was his body as she slowly regained her composure.

“What…”

“They were trying to draw you out with a mating call. That wasn’t fair. Especially for a new turn who’s also a master’s daughter.” He paused, turning to address something, or someone, in the invisible night. “Rest assured that I will handle it.”

She blinked as the calls stopped and the fog began to lift. Master’s daughter? Mating call? He nodded, and she stepped back from the window. That meant that he knew. He nodded again.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It wasn’t my place. It was family business.”

She should’ve been angrier, but she wasn’t. He was right. Turning her back, she picked up her shirt and paused.  She didn’t know how she was going to put it on without lowering the jacket. That simple dilemma shouldn’t have set her off, but it did, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

“Nella,” he said.

She turned back to the window. “You know my father?”

“Yes.”

“Is he here?”

“Yes.”

She wiped her nose with the back of her hand. “All this time…you weren’t interested in me. You were watching me for my father.”

“Yes and no. Your pop asked me to watch you, but that wasn’t why I kissed you. Look, ma. You’d better meet him and talk to him before we have this convo.”

“Okay,” she said, although she didn’t feel much better.

“Put on your shirt. I’ll get your pop and meet you at the front door.”

When he left the window, she laid the jacket on her bed and put on her shirt. His scent hit her nose as she picked up his leather jacket. She inhaled deeply. The metallic sandalwood scent caused her fangs to lengthen. In a daze she walked toward the front door, still holding his jacket to her nose. She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she wanted him. Tonight. His tall frame filled the glass in the oak door. She flung it open and stared up into his blue eyes, and he flinched as if she had hit him. When he licked his full lips, it took everything within her not to kiss him again. He’d changed from his suit into a red polo shirt and black cargo shorts with black boots.

“Hey,” she said, suddenly nervous, though he’d already seen her almost naked.

“What’s up, ma?”

Her lips began to quiver. His simple question reduced her to rubble.  Suddenly his arms were around her. He pulled her to his chest and stroked her back while she cried. She was such a dork. Here she was, bawling like a baby in front of this big, strong vampire.

“Don’t worry about it. A lot’s happened in a short time. This would’ve reduced anyone to tears.”

“You’ve got to stop reading my mind.”

“Naw. It might come in handy one day.” He chuckled.

She giggled. Leaning away but not leaving his arms, she looked up at him. He wiped away the remaining tears from her eyes with the pad of his thumb.

“You ready to meet your pop?”

“No. I look a mess.”

“You look beautiful. He’s cool. You’ll like him.”

When he dropped his arms, she took a deep breath, trying to calm the swirl of emotions that raged inside of her. She nodded, and Lazarus stepped aside. A tall, thin man wearing an expertly tailored dark suit stood behind him. Nella gasped. Her father’s face was too soft to be that of a vampire. He had her amber eyes, and her high cheekbones. “Dad,” she whispered, afraid to say the word out loud.

When he nodded, she burrowed into his arms, knocking him off the top step and onto the second. She buried her face in his chest and covered it with tears. For so long, she’d dreamt of this moment, and now it was here. She had a dad—a real live father. He kissed her on the top of her head. She had questions, a lot of questions, but for now, she was content to be in his arms.

Buy it here : https://beautifultroublepublishing.com/xcart/Nocturne-EBOOK.html

New Release : Nocturne by R.W. Shannon

My new release : Nocturne will be available from Beautiful Trouble Publishing.

In Nocturne, Nella Jackson has just turned twenty-one, but her birthday is anything but ordinary. She’s just learned that her mother, a former slayer, has made a deal with Hell and on this night, Nella will become a vampire—while her mother is carted off to Hell. What’s more, the father Nella’s never known reenters the picture to take care of her during her mother’s absence—and it turns out he’s a vampire too. Nella’s father assigns his protégé, Lazarus Cole, with the task of serving as Nella’s bodyguard, but the new vampire quickly becomes anything but just an assignment.
Buy it here! https://beautifultroublepublishing.com/xcart/Nocturne-EBOOK.html?keep_https=yes

The Other White Meat

I was once asked why I write interracial erotica and not African American. This person also asked if I felt like I was “selling out”.  She also asked why my male characters “acted black” when they were white.  She also had issues with interracial dating of any form. At the time, I didn’t know how to answer her. Well, I did but I was trying to be nice *smile*.  

As in my personal life, I didn’t start out writing interracial romance. My characters were black. In my book Nocturne (to be published by Beautiful Trouble Publishing), all of the characters were black.  As I was editing the first draft, I realized that my hero didn’t “feel” right. After I changed his race to white, it seemed to flow much better.  As I was writing Nocturne, my first interracial story Pink Cashmere was picked up by Cobblestone Press and the rest was history.

I realized when I stopped forcing my characters to be a certain race when they didn’t want to be, my writing flowed much better. As for the “acting black”, that comes from life experience. I have dated interracially, but the old me had rejected the idea of being with someone outside of my race. Yeah, we could mess around, but I ran away from anything serious.

(Side note: though I’ve heard that expression all my life, I still don’t know what “acting black” means.)

It was while I was journaling one day that I remembered declaring to my mother at thirteen that I was going to marry a white guy one day. She looked at me as if I’d lost my mind and while she didn’t try to talk me out, she wasn’t supportive of the idea either.  While she dogs three of my cousins that have chosen to marry outside their race, I’m not sure how she’ll react when I bring home a white boy.

Before I left Arizona to move back home, I had reconnected with a former high school classmate. Never in a million years did I even think about being with this guy beyond friendship since I’d never talked to him in high school. We’d been talking off and on for the last two years. The irony is my mother met him when we ran into him at the grocery store over Christmas and she thought he was black.

(Side note: More on that in another blog, maybe).

Is this what’s really going on? Is this what the universe is waiting for me to finally let go of? Would I be “selling out”?

Six Sentance Sunday

I suppose I should really keep track of these. Sigh. Nonetheless, here is a sneak peek at my WIP : Silver Moon to be released by Cobblestone Press. It's already announced on their coming soon page, so I now have to finish it.

Silver Moon is a werewolve story. Todays scene takes place during the first meeting between Sabra, my alpha female and Z, the alpha mate. She's a dentist and he broke his tooth during a fight. She is required to chose a mate in three weeks but hasn't had any prospects, until now. It's longer than six sentances...

...(Sabra) stroked his fur. She felt each muscle contract as he began to relax. Normally, she’d sedate a wolf before she examined him, but, she trusted Z. He wasn’t going to hurt her. Not even out of reflex. He closed his eyes as she prodded his broken tooth with her index finger. Just as she suspected. It didn’t lengthen while he was in wolf form. That meant he’d suffered some nerve damage.  The whole tooth would have to be replaced. She fought the urge to rub her cheek against his soft fur and slowly backed away from the table.

After they help him off the table, she and Erica left the room so that he could shift back. Erica took the mold to the lab while she banged her head against the wall. What was the universe thinking? Why would they send Z in her direction so close to the festival? She heard him yelp and quickly went back into the exam room. Z was now in human form. She paused to gaze at his muscular olive hued back. His dark hair hung in waves over his shoulders. He was just pulling his jeans over his tight ass.

            “Is everything ok?”

            His posture stiffened at the sound of her voice. “Yeah.”

            She edged in and closed the door behind her. “Are you sure? There was a lot of noise coming from in here.”

            “Just having some trouble fastening my pants.”

            She frowned as she stepped closer. “Why?”

            She could sense his struggle to tell her the truth or not. With a loud exhale, he placed his hands on his hips and hung his head. She wanted to go to him and plant her face right between his shoulder blades. Then, it dawned on her. His pants were unfastened. She wanted to move closer, maybe get a peak at him, but she had to fight against that instinct. Her body reminded her just how long it’s been since she’s been with a man. Too damn long.

            “When you were stroking me,” he said softly. “It made me…”

            “Say no more. I’ll leave so you can fix your…um… pants.”

            “No. It’s fine. I think I got it.”

            She couldn’t explain why her heart was fluttering. She averted her eyes while he reached down to fix himself. When he was all buttoned up, he turned around and smiled at her. She had to fight with every muscle in her hand not to touch his smooth, hard pecs. He took his time sliding his arms into his flannel shirt. There was something she had to tell him, but couldn’t remember what that was.

Something new?

A new character came to visit me last night. She asked that I write something for her, but I don’t know how to use her, yet. Have you ever had that happen to you? Where you have the most amazing character but not a story for them? Then there’s the dilemma, do I build the story around the character or do I fit the character into a story?

The other thing is, I have another project to finish and is past its deadline, edits that have deadlines and other projects that I had hoped to finish when these are done. Plus, she wants to be in a contemporary. I want to say, “look lady, I write paranormal” but that won’t go over too well.

It’s good to switch things up every once in a while and write outside the genre. I’ve been thinking about trying my hand at either steampunk or sci-fi. There’s also an interracial f/f that’s been nagging at the back of my head. Do I stay in order, follow my plan or say, F- it and start something new?

Excerpt from Chasing Dawn

Since it's ebook week, I decided to post an excerpt of my book Chasing Dawn which will be released by Phaze Books soon. (I'll let you know the exact date soon).

Chasing Dawn is about a mild mannered comic book store owner Chase who sculpts a life sized image of his favorite comic book heronine Dawn. When his dream girl literally comes alive, Chase must deside if it's possible to love a real life superhero and Dawn must decide if a superhero can live in the real world.

This excerpt is their first meeting. Enjoy!

Chase’s date met him at the above ground King Street just as the snow was beginning to fall. He was surprised but not shocked. She was very attractive, but he felt nothing. He was dreading going to the bar. He didn’t want to waste her, or his, time but had no choice. They were going down the escalator when his cell rang. It was the alarm company telling him that his silent alarm had been triggered. He had declined their offer to call the police and told them that he’d go check it out. Thank. You.

                Apologizing, he told his date about the alarm going off at his store. She offered to come with, but he had declined. He promised her that he would call her later and set up something for another time. She seemed disappointed but understood. They made a u-turn and went back up the escalator. After making sure she got on her train, he ran across the platform to his and headed back to the shop. As he sit in the first available empty seat, he wondered what could have tripped off the alarm. He had double checked the doors before he left.

                Maybe it’s Dawn.

                He laughed at his joke, but his heart fluttered at the possibility just the same. He had thought of what he’d do if he ever saw her in person. He’d just like to be able to hold her warm body in his arms, inhale her scent and feel her heartbeat against his would be enough.  The train screeched to a halt at his station. He quickly got off, took the elevator to the street level and sprinted the three blocks to the Dark Tempest.

                There didn’t seem to be any damage to the front door or to the plate glass windows on either side. He fished his keys out of his back pocket and quickly open the door. It squeaked open, revealing the dark retail space. The light panel next to the door flashed red, the color code for the back door. He punched in the security code, then shut and locked the front door. Grabbing a replica of Thor’s hammer from the display as he passed, he made his way to the back of the store.

                The color drained from his face as he saw the gaping hole in the wall. No, he thought, it couldn’t be. How had she escaped? How did she come to life to escape? She was a statue for crying out loud. He peeked through the hole. She was gone. In a panic, he backed away from the scene, knocking over a box of comics. Where’d she go? Then it clicked. The hole. The alarm. Backdoor. His stomach and heart flip flopped as he edged toward the door. Alive. She was alive!

                Shock and disbelief give way to worry as he paused at the door with his hand on the knob. She couldn’t have gotten far. She didn’t know the terrain of the city. She didn’t even know what city she was in, for that matter. Without further hesitation, he flung open the door and stopped short.

                 Standing just outside the door was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. The wind whipped her white hair around her shoulders. Her breasts heaved beneath her leather jumpsuit. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from her erect nipples that embossed the leather material of her costume, but he did and noticed that her hands were balled into fists. He looked into her eyes. Gone was the serene expression that he had put there. It had been replaced by an expression of being seriously pissed off.  He dropped the toy hammer.

                “Dawn?”

                Suddenly, his body felt like it was on fire. He didn’t see flames but a flash of light as lightning exited the palm of her hands and entered his chest. Cursing, he fell to his knees, clutching his chest as she vaulted over him. On reflex, he reached out and grabbed her ankle. She used her free foot to kick him in his face, knocking off his glasses. He let her go. Gingerly, he rolled onto his stomach, and then lifted up onto his hands and knees. After searching for and finding his glasses, he put them on.

                That was cool, he thought as he stood on wobbly legs. He was sore, but he’d  have to stop her before she made it to the front door. Calling her name, he stumbled through the back door. He tried to keep his voice calm and steady. Hoping not to alarm her any further. Pain shots through all of his limbs as he made his way into the quiet storeroom. He closed the door behind him and turned around.

                 “Dawn. I don’t want to hurt…”

                His words were interrupted by her fist to his jaw. The sucker punch knocked him on to his back. Dawn hovered over him like an angel. He smiled at her. At least he thought that he was  smiling. He couldn’t tell. His jaw was numb. Judging by the expression on her face as she stared down at him, she wasn’t impressed. He reached up to adjust his glasses, but her foot on his chest stopped his movement. He held up his hands defensively.

                “Dawn, calm down.”

                “Calm down? You freeze me. Lock me in that little cell as you try to steal my powers and you want me to calm down?”

                “I can see how it might look like that but…”

                He yelped as the heel of her boot pressed into his chest. She bent close to study his face. Hers was a combination of delicate exotic features with high cheek bones and full lips that he longed to kiss. Her husky voice sent shivers down his spine. He caught a glimpse of her cleavage and inhaled a shaky breath. He was grateful that she couldn’t see the tent forming in his pants.

 “Who are you? Why am I being held captive?”

                “I’m not holding you captive. You’re free to leave whenever you want,”

She looked at him as if his statement was hard for her to believe, but he saw the thoughts turning in her mind. Removing her foot, she picked him up by the collar of his coat and sets him on his feet. Damn. He knew that she was strong. He had witnessed her beat up villains three times her size in the comics but, for some reason, he didn’t think that would translate into real life. Chase was a 6’3”, 193 pound soldier but this woman could snap him like a twig.

                Why did the thought of that turn him on?

                With a scowl on her face, she turned on her heels and walked through the storeroom toward the front door. He quickly leapt to his feet and rushed after her. She stood at the door, with her hands on her hips, looking out of the window at the snow.He stopped a few inches from her. She looked so vulnerable. Nothing like the heroine on the G-force pages. He wished that he could scoop her up in his arms but that might cause her to hit him with another bolt of lightning.

                “I’ll take you wherever you want to go,” he offered.

                She turned around. His breath again caught in his throat.

                 “Where are we? I saw a box that said this is Virginia.”

                “Yes. We’re close to the DC.”

                 “Where the President lives. He’ll be pleased to know about the mad man that lives in his back yard.”

                 “Mad man? Is that what you think of me?”

                He didn’t know why those words hurt coming from her, but they did. The hardened expression on her face was back as she walked past him and picked up a copy of the new G-Force episode from the display.  He wondered how much she knew. How much she remembered about her life on the pages? How much of that now translated to now. He’d have to explain there was no war between mutants as there was in the comics.  He’d have to show her that he wasn’t m not a bad guy.

                “What is all of this? Diaries of superheroes? Are you trying to find their weakness to harness their powers, too?”

                “What? No! These are comic books. I didn’t draw these. I just sell them.”

                Before he knew it, his hair was in her fists as she pulled him to his knees. He could see how his tone could have sparked her fury but damn.  

                “Sell them to whom? Other villains?”

                “No...”

                The pull on his hair told him that she didn’t believe him. She also didn’t laugh at his joke that he couldn’t draw like this and offered to show her. She, as his father would have said, was one tough cookie, and even thought he’s sure he’d have a bald spot when she finally lets go of his hair, his heart still fluttered just being this close to her. No, his feelings haven’t changed. They were stronger.

                 “Why should I trust you?”

                “If you let me go, I can explain.”

                He was surprised when she did. He rubbed the back of his head as she stood back with her arms folded across her chest. He glanced out of the window. The snow was falling heavier, faster. He was sure the Metro would shut down soon and if they had any chance of getting home, he’d have to leave now. His heart churned at the thought of bringing Dawn to his home. He looked at her. Her eyes still held a look of distrust but something else, that he couldn’t put his finger on, was mixed in.

                “I’ll explain everything you want to know, but first,” he gestured over her shoulder. “It’s coming down pretty hard out there. We better get some place safe.”

                She narrowed her gaze at him and cocked her head to the side as she studied him. He held up his hands in a defensive manner and took a step back.

                “Where would you suggest?”

                “My place.”

                She looked puzzled. “This isn’t you lair?”

                “Lair? No. This is my store. I live out in Vienna. It’s about a half hour train ride and we’d better go before they shut down because of the snow.”

                “Why should I trust you?”

                “I have one question for you,” he said as he dropped his hands.  “If you leave, where are you gonna go?”