Dusk by Erin M. Leaf

Solomon paused and inclined
his head. “I am. But there is no need for alarm. I am simply here to speak with
Lucy.”
    Lucy glanced at her co-workers. Melinda looked like she was going
to pass out. Shari stared at her, eyes wide, and Lucy knew she was thinking
about the ring. Kathy was the only one who seemed unconcerned, probably because
she was used to a lot of commotion. The woman had three kids under ten years
old, after all.
    “What did you want to tell me?” Lucy asked him, trying to
encourage him toward the door.
    He turned to her, speaking so quietly she had to lean in to hear
him. “I wanted to let you know I have placed extra sensors around this area.
They’ll keep you safe.”
    “Sensors? In Greyson’s territory?” Lucy asked, confused.
    “He agreed to it,” Solomon said.
    Lucy didn’t understand. “Sensors aren’t shields. They won’t do
anything to keep anyone safe.”
    Solomon frowned slightly. “They will let me know if any Spiders
come anywhere close. I can be here in minutes. I will keep you safe.”
    Lucy licked her lips. “You already gave me your ring.” She didn’t
understand his attention, at all. Why did he keep seeking her out?
    “Even so, I wanted to take extra precautions.”
    She couldn’t think with him looming so close to her. He was near
enough for her to feel the heat coming off his skin. She wanted to hug him and
roll around in his warmth. She took a step back. “I don’t know what to say.
Thank you.” She didn’t know why he cared about her. It felt… odd.
    “I should have called you sooner,” he said, surprising her. He put
a hand on her arm, tilting her away from the office window. “Earlier this
summer.”
    “Why would you?” she asked him, floundering. He didn’t owe her
anything. In fact, she owed him, for saving her life.
    He looked at her for a long moment. Lucy was about to step back,
but then he reached up and cupped her cheek. Her heart knocked against her
ribs.
    “The moment I touched you to heal you, I knew,” he murmured, eyes
soft.
    Lucy swallowed, trying to breathe past her panic. “Knew what?” she
whispered. Heat washed through her in a wave. He smelled like fresh air and
sun-baked stone. She couldn’t help it—she leaned into his palm.
    He frowned and dropped his hand, suddenly staring at the door. He
looked abruptly unapproachable. “I must go.”
    Lucy stepped back, cursing herself for letting him get so close. “You
confuse me,” she said past the lump in her throat. You’re just a silly girl
to him, she told herself, embarrassed. She stepped back further. He’s hundreds of years older than you.
    He turned back to her, his eyes dark and worried. “I’m sorry,” he
murmured, then to her shock, he cupped her face with both hands and quickly
kissed her.
    Lucy stood there like an idiot. Do I kiss him back? she
wondered, and then before she could do anything, he moved away, head tilting
once more as if he was listening to something only he could hear.
    “Solomon?”
    His hands fell away from her as he stared at the door. “Stay here,”
he said, frowning. “Something is wrong.”
    “What?” she asked, but he was already outside. She touched her
mouth, dazed. “What just happened?” Her lips tingled.
    ****
    Solomon rushed down the street, heading for the woods on the backside
of the town. From there, he could cut across a few fields to get to his ship.
The moment the sensors tripped, boosting the energy signature of an infestation
of Spiders, his empathic sense picked it up. He wished he was home or at Greyson’s
house so he could access the Stronghold net and run a more intensive sweep of
the area, but sometimes one had to work with the situation at hand. When his
cell phone buzzed, he smiled grimly and dug it out of his pocket.
    “I am already on my way there,” he said, putting the phone to his
ear. He didn’t have to look at the display to see who it was.
    “We’ve got a massive infestation at the southeast corner of