Ashfall by Denise A. Agnew

reasoning. Many years ago she’d walked into a burger chain restaurant on an army post to grab her lunch after attending a meeting for a military charity she’d helped run. The room was full of men—no women. Half the conversations had stopped and most gazes turned her way. She hadn’t felt assaulted, but overwhelmed by male attention. She’d averted her eyes, and later experienced shame that she’d allowed herself to turn from their watchful interest. There were plenty of reasons why the men had noticed her…the sea of battle dress uniforms against her bright blue suit being one reason. Who wouldn’t have noticed? Yet she’d also felt like she hadn’t belonged there among all that strength and power.
    Mally jerked her attention away from the conversation. The voices stayed muffled, and then she heard chairs scraping across the floor. She escaped upstairs to the apartment before anyone could find her loitering.
    As she entered, she slammed into a body so hard she flew back and landed on her rear in the foyer. The man hovering over her didn’t look the least remorseful. A smile crept across his thin-lipped mouth. Unlike Ian’s blond/red hair, this man’s hair was so white it appeared almost bleached. Over six feet tall, he had the build of a boxer in his long-sleeved shirt and jeans. His brutal-looking face only reinforced her impression of a boxer. His nose had been broken more than once, and not reset properly. She guessed he might be in his fifties. He was about two hundred pounds of ugly, but it wasn’t his face that prejudiced her against him. He planted his hands on his hips. He looked like the very last guy she wanted to run into. Ever.
    “Who are you?” he asked.
    She eased to her feet. “Mally Andretti.”
    His smile curved, becoming unpleasant and a bit menacing. “Oh, yeah. Becker’s piece of ass.”
    “What the—”
    “I heard about you.” The hostility on his face grew stronger. “He can’t get his fucking job done because he’s obsessing over you.”
    Anger grabbed her by the throat, but before she could answer his accusations, Adam’s voice interrupted loudly from behind her. “Get the hell away from her, Magnus.”
    She swiveled as Adam strode her way, his eyes steel, mouth a slash of barely leashed anger. He no longer wore the heavy vest, the baseball cap or the semi-automatic. He still looked every bit as dangerous.
    “What the fuck are you doing up here?” Adam asked the man.
    “Picking up my shit, what else? I don’t want to stay in here any longer than necessary.”
    She moved between the men and faced Adam, fearing a fight. When Adam reached her, his hands gently cupped her shoulders. “You okay?”
    “Other than being insulted, I’m great.”
    Magnus snorted and walked by without another word. When he’d disappeared from view downstairs, Adam steered her into the apartment and closed the door. His eyes were hard and unforgiving.
    “What’s his deal?” Mally asked, walking into the kitchen.
    “I’ll get your luggage and be right back. We can talk about it then.”
    Irritated at what had just happened and the delay, she headed for the single portion coffee brewer. She filled an enormous white coffee mug and settled on an upholstered chair next to a small table on one side of the room. She plopped her feet up on the footrest and cupped her hands around the mug. Savoring the heat, she took a sip. A shiver raced through her, but she wasn’t cold any longer. The last several moments had warmed her up. After Adam brought in her cases and placed them near the bed, he took the matching chair nearby.
    “Magnus won’t bother you again,” he said.
    “That’s a relief.” She sipped more coffee. “But there’s no need to go all caveman. I can handle myself.”
    With a poker face he said, “I know.”
    “I’m serious. Men like him just make me more stubborn and determined.” She eyeballed Adam.
    His gaze snapped up to Mally’s, challenge in his eyes. “If I give