Paula Graves - Forbidden Temptation

“Southside Neighborhood Association Special Meeting. Tuesday evening at 7:00 p.m.” The date and location were listed, along with Frank Carter’s name-he was to speak to the attendees about self-protection.

Daniel looked at Rose, whose glare was both angry and defensive. Did she expect him to scoff? “It’s a good idea.”

“Something needs to be done,” she answered tightly. After a brief pause she added, “You’re welcome to attend, of course.”

He tamped down a smile of amusement at her grudging offer. “I’ll check my schedule.”

She moved past him, handing several flyers to Sasha. “Could you put a few of these where your customers can see them and pick up a copy? We’re trying to get the word out.”

Sasha took the flyers. “Of course.”

Rose turned back to Daniel, her chin coming up again as if in self-defense. She handed him one of the flyers. “In case your schedule is clear.”

He folded the paper and slipped it in his pocket, his gaze following her as she left the shop and headed down the sidewalk toward the next store. A neighborhood meeting was actually a damned good idea. He should have thought of it himself. A killer couldn’t move as easily in places where the citizens were informed and alert.

Orion’s decision to kill in a smaller area made him more vulnerable, and this meeting might even draw him out. Could a smart, experienced killer really resist the chance to see his potential victims all in one place?

Daniel was pretty sure the answer was no. Orion would be at the meeting Tuesday night. Daniel knew it deep in his gut.

And he’d be waiting for him.

THE LIBRARY meeting room was already starting to fill up by the time Rose arrived Tuesday evening with her contribution to the refreshments table, a tin of apple-bran minimuffins. As she was placing them on a platter, Melissa Bannerman arrived with a box of pastries from the Elegant Eatery.

“Oh, good, I was afraid I’d be late!” Melissa set the pastries next to Rose’s tray and folded the box top to display the confections. She dusted powdered sugar off her fingers and looked around the room. “Nice crowd.”

“People are worried-”

Melissa’s attention fixed on someone across the room. “Hey, there’s Jesse.”

Rose followed her gaze. A sandy-haired man in a white button-down shirt and jeans stood near the doorway. He spotted Melissa and smiled, nodding in her direction.

“Jesse?” Rose murmured, arching an eyebrow.

Melissa made a face at her. “The technician who put in my new alarm system. He’s with Professional Security Systems. You should give them a call. Jesse!” Melissa waved the man over.

He crossed to them, his smile spreading over his face. “Melissa! It’s nice to see you again.”

The familiarity in his tone surprised Rose. He spoke as if Melissa was an intimate friend rather than a client. Though in fairness to him, Melissa was the type of person who never met a stranger. Maybe the security technician figured, when in Rome-

“Jesse Phillips, this is Rose Browning. You should give her your card. She might be in the market for a system.”

Jesse produced a business card and smiled warmly. “Nice to meet you, Rose. Do you live in a house or an apartment?”

“House,” she said, taking the card. His fingers brushed hers-deliberately, she suspected. She forced herself not to jerk her hand away. She glanced up at him again and found his gaze focused intently on her face.

“I love my new system,” Melissa said. “A dozen levels of security but really user-friendly.” Already her attention was straying, leaving Rose to deal with Jesse’s laser focus.

“I bet you live in an old house,” Jesse said, his voice pitched low. “I can tell you’re an old soul.” His gaze moved lazily over her, male appreciation glimmering in his eyes.

Rose had to wonder if she’d be so uneasy about his obvious interest in her if she hadn’t lost the true-love veils. The old Rose loved to flirt, secure in the knowledge that, long before she got too involved with a man, the true-love veils would let her know whether or not he was the one for her.

But the veils were gone, leaving her off balance and wary of every man who looked her way. She couldn’t deal with Jesse’s obvious interest in her. She didn’t know how, anymore. “I see someone I need to speak to.” She started to move away.

Jesse caught her hand, his grip firm and hot, and gave it a quick shake. Her skin quivered uncomfortably where he touched her. “It was a delight to meet you. Give me a call and I’ll set up an appointment and we’ll get you a good system.”

She managed a polite half smile as she began to weave her way through the crowd in search of the closest quiet corner. Before she made it halfway across the room, she ran headfirst into a solid wall of muscle.

“Excuse me-” She looked up, her apology dying in her throat as she stared up into Daniel Hartman’s gunmetal eyes. “Daniel.”

“Ms. Browning-”

“Rose, where’d you get off to-” Melissa came up behind Rose, stopping short when she saw Daniel. “Dr. Hartman.”

“Good to see you again, Ms. Bannerman.” Daniel glanced at Rose, no doubt wondering if she recognized his name. She feigned ignorance, wondering how much longer he planned to keep up his pretense. True-crime buff, indeed.

Melissa looked from Rose to Daniel and back, obviously aware of the tension stretching between them. “I guess you’ve met already. I told him about you.”

Rose dragged her gaze away from Daniel’s to look at Melissa. “You did?”

“He mentioned he was in the market for a wedding planner.”

Rose slanted a look at Daniel.

His eyes glittered. “Thanks for the referral.”

“We’d better grab a seat now if we want to be near the front.” Melissa led the way to the front of the room, where there was a scattering of open seats. Melissa took one near the aisle and Rose settled in beside her.

Detective Carter entered the room and shook hands with the neighborhood association president. The detective exuded a sense of calm and purpose that eased the knot forming in Rose’s stomach. Maybe his presentation would have the same effect on the jittery nerves of the women in the Southside neighborhood.

“Nice crowd.” Daniel slipped into the empty chair next to Rose. He smelled good, as if he’d just stepped from the shower. Maybe he had; his dark hair had a hint of damp curl to it and a tiny nick on his jawline suggested a recent shave.

She pressed her lips together, annoyed at herself for noticing. “People around here are worried.”

“With reason,” he conceded.

Melissa leaned forward to look at Daniel. “Are you going to address the meeting, too?”

He shook his head. “Just here to observe.”

“The presentation or the crowd?” Rose murmured.

Daniel met her curious gaze. “Both.”

The look in his eyes sent the skin on the back of her neck crawling. Slowly, she turned to look at all the people settling into their seats behind her.

Her breath caught. Her heart skipped a beat and then hurtled headlong into hyperspeed.

Like a silvery sea of wraiths, almost every woman’s face was covered with a blood-streaked death veil bearing the telltale ribbon of red across her throat.

The killer was here.

HE DRANK IN THE SIGHT of their faces, pale and dark, round and narrow, young and old. Apprehension and hope battled in their expressions, a sweet reminder of what his actions had created. They were his handiwork, these women teetering on the edge of panic. They feared his power and his whims.

It filled him with satisfaction, seeing them all gathered in neat little rows, awaiting words of comfort and hope.

How can we protect ourselves? What can we do to avoid becoming victims?