Page 5 of The Daredevil

Hope sparked in me. “Someone’s coming.”

Oskar hissed and tried to move.

“Don’t aggravate your ankle. I can go out and greet whoever it is. Stay.” I pointed to him, earned a smile, and exited the car.

It was hard to see with the rain and wind. The white SUV pulled over a few feet away, facing us, and the driver got out, rushing my way.

He came toward me with his massive black raincoat billowing in the wind and the flash of lightning illuminating him from behind. His silhouette cut him like a superhero coming to my rescue, and my heart skipped a beat.

One beat for the beautiful face with piercing green eyes.

Another beat for the surprise of who they belonged to.

Something strange happened to my body at that moment. My body jerked as though a bolt of lightning zapped my head, sending electricity straight down to my toes. Tingles rushed up and down my body. I had no idea what was happening to me. Could hunger be the reason? People hallucinated when they were hungry or thirsty, right? Travelers saw mirages in the desert when, in reality, there was nothing there. But I just had a snack and a drink earlier, so my body should feel fine. Perhaps fatigue had confused my body and mind.

Like New England, Iceland had unpredictable weather, so I was prepared for the sudden rainstorm. But I wasn’t prepared for the onslaught of strange physical sensations that made this entire scenario seem out of place.

The rain speckled my face, blurring my vision. Wiping the rain away with my hand, I blinked, and his gorgeous face was right above me. He was so big, towering over me like a Viking warrior.

I wasn’t sure if I was imagining things, but time stood still for a moment. My eyes focused on a rivulet that zigzagged down his face and neck. The lightning flashed again, and his green eyes flickered with the flash. I didn’t know what was wrong with me, but I couldn’t stop staring.

Was that amusement in his eyes? Maybe rain got into his eyes, giving him that odd expression. Or maybe it was just my addled and hungry brain going all weird. That was more likely.

I’d traveled to many places, and each time I stepped foot onto foreign land, I felt like a different person. I could beanybodyon foreign soil. Nobody knew me. No one knew my past. No one knew mymonster.

Maybe this odd sensation was the Icelandic version of Michelle.

Thunder shook the ground and yanked me out of my reverie.

“Michelle?”

“Royce?” I knew it was him, but I couldn’t let him know I’d been staring at him. That would be too embarrassing.

He took one look at my body. “You’re drenched. Get in my car.”

My hair, face, and clothes were all soaked. I’d never experienced a “shower” of this magnitude on any of my travels.

“Oskar’s injured. I’ve got some luggage in the back.”

“I’ll get it. Sit in the front passenger seat.”

An hour later, Royce brought my luggage to my apartment on the fourth floor of the five-story brick building. “I need to take Oskar to the hospital.”

“Hold on a second.” Removing my drenched jacket, I walked into the bathroom and draped it over the tub. Returning to the hallway, I said, “Thanks for the ride. I hope Oskar feels better.”

Royce’s gaze wasn’t on my face but on my chest. I glanced down to see my hard nipples poking through the thin white bra and white shirt, which were both soaked. He had a full view of my breasts. His stare only made things worse.

I gasped and flew a hand over my chest as my body tingled all over again.

He lifted his eyes to my face. “I’ll see you later.”

Too embarrassed to reply, I stood there as the door shut. Heat flushed my cheeks as I rushed into the bathroom for a quick shower.

I could already tell the next two months would be interesting.

CHAPTERFOUR

ROYCE

---