wasn't."
"Then... who was it?"
"Someone... else."
"Now you're doing creepy again. Tell me who hired you. No, better yet, you tell whoever it was they can take their CSI job and shove it for all I care. We don't need a pity party. We've done just fine taking care of Abria on our own. Besides, I don't want someone watching her who doesn't have the guts to show his face."
His eyes widened. The air around us suddenly tensed like it did before a lightning storm. A shudder slid down my
spine. He threw back his head, breaking out in a rich, hearty laugh, cutting the tension in the air until it was gone.
"My-oh-my," he said. "You are lively."
"Look you flamer, whoever you think you are, you've chosen the wrong family to stalk, because we won´t stand for
it."
He crossed his arms over his chest and rocked back on his heels, enjoying the tail end of his laugh. "You've got it all
wrong." His firm tone penetrated me to the bone. "I'm not here to do anything but protect her."
"What do you mean? Explain yourself."
"Gladly." His eyes lit on something behind me, and I turned. Marla was heading my direction.
"Oh, no. You... don't move," I shot him a warning look. "No more of this disappearing thing you conveniently do whenever somebody comes along, understand?"
A slow smile spread his lips wide. He was gorgeous, no getting around it, and my female heart fluttered. "I wouldn't
dare."
"There you are honey." Marla came right to me, her brow furrowed. "Are you all right?"
"Yes. Yeah. I'm fine. Just getting a little fresh air and talking to this joker."
Marla's eyes widened as she looked around. "Talking?" "This is the guy I saw sitting on your bus. His name is Matthias.
Although I'm not sure that really is his name. But I'm going to find out." I gestured to Matthias, who, thankfully, had not pulled one of his vanishing acts. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his mouth turned up at the edges.
"Honey, I don't see anyone." Marla's voice quavered. She put her arm around me. "Let me help you back to your car."
I couldn't move. She tugged, but I refused to budge, panic bouncing in my stomach. I could excuse her age for her
faulty eyesight on the bus, but here we stood five feet from Matthias. How could she miss him?
"He's right there," I said, pointing to where he stood.
She looked right at him, but the deep crease in her brow told me she thought I'd lost it. Again she gently urged me
with her arm wrapped around my shoulders. "Why don't you come this way? There's a nurse on staff at the school and I'm
sure she'd be happy to—"
"No." I yanked free of her embrace. "I'm okay. Really." I pressed my fingertips to my temples and closed my eyes.
Then opened them. "Look, Marla." I took her by the arm and led her smack up to Matthias' chest but he took a step back, hands up.
"No touching." He shook his head. "No touching if she isn't my charge."
"Your charge?" I snickered. "Marla, you heard what he said, that he can't touch you?" I waited for some glimmer of recognition on Marlaś concerned face, but it never came. In fact, she turned white.
She leaned close to me, so close I thought she was coming in for a kiss. She sniffed my breath. "Maybe you ought to
let Dan drive you home," she whispered.
I let go of her arm, and stared at Matthias, his eyes like a hawk, pinning me in place. This woman really could not see
him. My mind emptied. Marla muttered something, but the words were buffered by my dulled senses.
"I... need... to... sit." I collapsed to the grass in a daze.
"You want me to get a doctor?" Marla asked.
"No. I'll be... fine... I think." I glanced up at Matthias. The instant my eyes met his, peace spread through my insides, thawing the stony cold shock in my system. I couldn't tear my gaze away, drawn by a magnetic force I couldn't resist.
"Should I get you some water? Maybe some food? Have you eaten? You're a tiny little thing. You're not anorexic are
you?"
I let out a light laugh. "No." I buried
"Then... who was it?"
"Someone... else."
"Now you're doing creepy again. Tell me who hired you. No, better yet, you tell whoever it was they can take their CSI job and shove it for all I care. We don't need a pity party. We've done just fine taking care of Abria on our own. Besides, I don't want someone watching her who doesn't have the guts to show his face."
His eyes widened. The air around us suddenly tensed like it did before a lightning storm. A shudder slid down my
spine. He threw back his head, breaking out in a rich, hearty laugh, cutting the tension in the air until it was gone.
"My-oh-my," he said. "You are lively."
"Look you flamer, whoever you think you are, you've chosen the wrong family to stalk, because we won´t stand for
it."
He crossed his arms over his chest and rocked back on his heels, enjoying the tail end of his laugh. "You've got it all
wrong." His firm tone penetrated me to the bone. "I'm not here to do anything but protect her."
"What do you mean? Explain yourself."
"Gladly." His eyes lit on something behind me, and I turned. Marla was heading my direction.
"Oh, no. You... don't move," I shot him a warning look. "No more of this disappearing thing you conveniently do whenever somebody comes along, understand?"
A slow smile spread his lips wide. He was gorgeous, no getting around it, and my female heart fluttered. "I wouldn't
dare."
"There you are honey." Marla came right to me, her brow furrowed. "Are you all right?"
"Yes. Yeah. I'm fine. Just getting a little fresh air and talking to this joker."
Marla's eyes widened as she looked around. "Talking?" "This is the guy I saw sitting on your bus. His name is Matthias.
Although I'm not sure that really is his name. But I'm going to find out." I gestured to Matthias, who, thankfully, had not pulled one of his vanishing acts. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his mouth turned up at the edges.
"Honey, I don't see anyone." Marla's voice quavered. She put her arm around me. "Let me help you back to your car."
I couldn't move. She tugged, but I refused to budge, panic bouncing in my stomach. I could excuse her age for her
faulty eyesight on the bus, but here we stood five feet from Matthias. How could she miss him?
"He's right there," I said, pointing to where he stood.
She looked right at him, but the deep crease in her brow told me she thought I'd lost it. Again she gently urged me
with her arm wrapped around my shoulders. "Why don't you come this way? There's a nurse on staff at the school and I'm
sure she'd be happy to—"
"No." I yanked free of her embrace. "I'm okay. Really." I pressed my fingertips to my temples and closed my eyes.
Then opened them. "Look, Marla." I took her by the arm and led her smack up to Matthias' chest but he took a step back, hands up.
"No touching." He shook his head. "No touching if she isn't my charge."
"Your charge?" I snickered. "Marla, you heard what he said, that he can't touch you?" I waited for some glimmer of recognition on Marlaś concerned face, but it never came. In fact, she turned white.
She leaned close to me, so close I thought she was coming in for a kiss. She sniffed my breath. "Maybe you ought to
let Dan drive you home," she whispered.
I let go of her arm, and stared at Matthias, his eyes like a hawk, pinning me in place. This woman really could not see
him. My mind emptied. Marla muttered something, but the words were buffered by my dulled senses.
"I... need... to... sit." I collapsed to the grass in a daze.
"You want me to get a doctor?" Marla asked.
"No. I'll be... fine... I think." I glanced up at Matthias. The instant my eyes met his, peace spread through my insides, thawing the stony cold shock in my system. I couldn't tear my gaze away, drawn by a magnetic force I couldn't resist.
"Should I get you some water? Maybe some food? Have you eaten? You're a tiny little thing. You're not anorexic are
you?"
I let out a light laugh. "No." I buried
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