The wolfhound bumped impatiently against Cain and then sat in front of Katie. “And you’ve already met Gabriel.”
“You followed me home the other night.” Katie glared at Cain. “You had no right to scare me like that.”
Cain stuck his hands in his jacket pockets, but the move made him only slightly less threatening. “I didn’t mean to follow you. I was walking by Coffee Breaks to see if there was another painting in the window. Instead, I saw you.” He gave a small self-deprecating laugh. “I will admit that I bought the painting as much for the subject as the artist’s skill. You’re beautiful.”
Katie was speechless. She’d never thought of herself as beautiful before. That someone would spend that much money on a picture because she was the subject was mind-boggling. And scary.
As if reading her mind, he continued to speak. “I’m not a stalker, Katie. Just a man who appreciates beauty in all forms. I would never harm you.”
Strangely enough, Katie believed him, despite every instinct she had developed after years of city living. The steady look in his eye and the way he held himself away from her told her that she had nothing to fear from him.
She noticed the way that he kept his right side towards her and his left side angled away as if it was his natural way of standing. The left side of his face was in shadows so she studied the other side, which was the epitome of strength. His cheekbone was high and his square chin looked like it was chiseled from stone. His lips were full and his eyebrow a slash of black against his pale complexion.
“Not very pretty, is it?”
Katie flushed in shame as she realized that she’d been standing there just staring at him, but answered him honestly. “No, pretty is too weak a word. Your face is strong.”
He looked taken aback by her blunt comment and then the corner of his mouth quirked up in an amused smile. “Now you sound like a parent trying to comfort a small child. I can assure you that it’s not necessary.”
Katie instinctually knew that for some unknown reason, her opinion was very important to Cain. Hoping she was doing the right thing she gave him the truth. “No, I sound like an artist.” She held her hand out to him once again. “I’m Katie Wallace. I’m glad you like my self-portrait.”
Once again his hand clasped hers. This time he drew her into the shadows and then faced her fully. “I was jealous of the artist.”
Katie stared hard, trying to discern the left side of his face, but with no success. “Why?” she asked as she continued to blatantly stare.
“Because he had obviously spent time with you. Because he knew you, and I wanted to.”
“Are you always this blunt?” Katie was taken aback by his reply. She took a step backwards, towards the light, but Cain retained possession of her hand. It seemed silly to fight him, so she stopped tugging on her hand, stood her ground, and glared at him.
“Always,” he replied. He grinned, looking almost boyish for a moment, and tucked her hand in the crook of his arm. “Would you walk with Gabriel and me? We’ll take good care of you and make sure you get home safe.” When she hesitated, he quickly added, “We were on our way to the park to play. I only take him out at night. It’s quiet there and we can talk.”
Despite her better judgment, Katie answered the only way that she could. “Yes.”
He tucked her closer to his side and matched his longer stride to hers as they strolled through the dark streets towards the park. The night air was cold, but Katie was warm and cozy as Cain’s large body sheltered hers. Cars sped by, sirens wailed, and occasionally the sounds of raised voices filled the air. But the sound was almost muted, muffled somehow by Cain’s very presence.
Chapter Four
Cain’s large body radiated heat, which enveloped Katie as they walked together. She instinctively snuggled closer to him, drawn to the warmth and comfort he provided. It was completely out of character for her to be so rash. Yet, strolling hand in hand with this virtual stranger, Katie was surprisingly content.
Neither of them spoke as they meandered down the almost deserted sidewalks. The silence was comfortable, rather than awkward. Cain steered them unerringly through the dark shadows of the buildings and away from the streetlights. The action seemed as natural to him as breathing.
Why was she here? Katie glanced quickly to her left, but she could only see the right side of his face and very little of that. Her eyes went back to the dark pavement in front of her as she contemplated the enigmatic man beside her. Yes, she found him handsome in an interesting sort of way, but it was more than that. There was something about him that attracted her on a far deeper level. But what?
Katie bit her lip as she mulled these questions over in her mind. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. But underlying her nervous reaction was a feeling of anticipation. It was the same feeling she’d had when she’d first picked up a paintbrush. Her life was about to change in some unalterable way.
“Watch your step.” Cain’s voice was a whisper in her ear. His lips grazed the edge of her ear as he spoke. A shiver ran down her spine, but she ignored it as he guided her up a set of unlit stairs. The sound of their footsteps echoed through the dark. His large hand on the small of her back protected her from stumbling backwards. “Just a little further.”
The sound of his voice reached deep inside her, stirring to life feelings she didn’t recognize. What was it about this stranger that enticed her? That tempted her to do such a foolish thing as walk with him on a dark, deserted street? It wasn’t his looks, as she had only glimpsed one side of his face. Yet there was something in the way his entire energy focused on her when she spoke. His green eye was like some wild beast’s, sharp and intense, as he watched her. He made her feel fascinating and interesting.
He was naturally protective of her as they walked, tucking her arm securely in his and automatically using his sheer size to keep the cold winter wind from assaulting her. There was a strength, both physically and mentally, about him that was mesmerizing. A sureness when he walked. A sense of purpose.
The feeling of grass under her boots tugged Katie from her musings. Glancing around, she realized that they had entered a small park. There were some well-lit paths, but they were well away from those, sheltered in darkness by the large trees. “It’s very hard to see where I’m going.” Her voice trembled slightly. A fine time to get nervous, she scolded herself.
“You’ll get used to it.” He gave a sharp whistle as he strode onto the field and Gabriel came bounding up to him. As she watched, he removed a length of rope from his pocket and threw it. Gabriel raced off in pursuit, a large blur of gray that was eventually swallowed up by the dark.
“Get used to it,” she muttered crossly. “Why would I want to get used to it?”
Katie jumped when a pair of strong arms enveloped her from behind. Like a ghost, he moved so quickly and silently that she hadn’t noticed him sliding behind her until his arms wrapped her in their strength. Her mouth and throat both went dry and she tried to swallow her rising fear. He was a stranger to her, and she had willingly put herself in his power.
“The night is a place of beauty, Katie.” One of his large hands coaxed her closer to him until her back was pressed tight against his chest. She could feel the solid muscle of him through their coats. Her breathing was shallow and quick, creating a slight fog in the air in front of her.
While one of his hands anchored her to him, the other one moved up over her chest, pausing for a moment to stroke her breast before coming to rest at the side of her head. She was taken off-guard by his boldness but said nothing, waiting anxiously to see what he would do next.