Page 13 of Till Death Do Us Part

“Crystal,” I said.

He lifted his arms and turned around. “What you pictured?”

A hard wind blew, scattering dead leaves and kicking up the scent of his cologne. I breathed it in, and the butterflies in my stomach felt like they were being pushed around, too, by some invisible force between us.

No, I wanted to say,my imagination didn’t come close to reality,but instead I said, “Somewhat.”

He grinned and slid his finger down my face. The touch was soft enough to linger, but he applied just enough pressure that I knew I hadn’t imagined it. His finger smelled strongly of his cologne. “All healed, Dino.”

I closed my eyes, and my breath trembled out. The feel of his touch sent my pulse running. “Dino?”

“From the Ancient Greek δειν?ς.Deinós. Meaning: terrible, awesome, mighty, fearfully great.”

That sobered me some. I opened my eyes and met his. “I know it means dinosaur, but I’m not sure how to take those adjectives.”

“That’s how I’d describe you.”

“Terrible?”

“On my stress levels.” A second or two passed before he stuck his hands in his pockets. “You look healed on the outside.”

He saw me. Saw past the physical wounds that had closed, but not the ones modern medicine couldn’t touch.

“Somewhat,” I whispered.

He ran his finger down my face again, but this time he lingered. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. The light from the screen lit his face, making the hollows of his stubbled cheeks seem even deeper. He sent a text. A second later, my phone chimed in my purse. I dug around for it and pulled it out.

Unknown Number:Tomorrow morning, 5 sharp, Dino. Be ready for me.

“You sent me a text when you’re standing right here?” I asked.

“Easier than you having to memorize my number this second.”

“Right,” I said, saving his information in my phone. I probably sounded as muddled as I felt.

“Roma.”

“Yeah?” I looked up, blinking. I’d been concentrating on saving his info, taking my time. The intensity between us felt like pressure building, and I wasn’t sure how to release some of it. One idea was to reach out and touch him, to make sure he was truly real, but I couldn’t do it. I wasn’t forward enough.

“Memorize it. It’s the only number you’ll ever need.” He glanced to his right when the sound of a car grew closer. The headlights lit him up. “You’ll be followed home.”

I opened my mouth to tell him I’d run out of gas, but he’d already shut my door. He casually strode to the sidewalk, hands in his pockets, watching as two guys in suits got out of the car stopped in the middle of the street.

One of the guys filled the tank while the other one watched. The one who watched knocked on the window a minute or so later and made a motion for me to try the motor. It turned over and I put the van in gear, pulling out. I watched John fade into the distance, the car close on my bumper behind me, but I knew it was only an illusion. He wasn’t going anywhere.

Fantasy had turned into reality, and he was more than I’d ever bargained for.

Chapter6

Roma

Mamma used to say that when you're young, you don't feel the cold. My sisters and I would try to leave without a jacket even with the first signs of snow. Mamma would stop us and tell us to put a coat on. “Playing outside is not worth getting sick over,”she’d always say.

Yesterday must have been the day I started to feel the cold. I couldn't seem to warm up. I stood on the sidewalk, huddled deep inside my long coat, trying to stop the bone-deep chill from making my teeth knock together.

Or maybe it was nerves.

Felice would be picking me up at any minute. I'd texted him last night and told him to meet me at the Museum of Prehistoric History instead of at my house. It was always filled with people, my sisters especially. The museum wouldn't raise any suspicions because I worked there.

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