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grew louder and quicker. I risked a glance. The streetlight revealed a man in a hooded sweatshirt. He looked eerily familiar. I swear his dark gaze concentrated on me. He was less than half a block behind me now. Whether he was trying to catch me to show how cool he was or whether he meant me harm, I didn’t know. I didn’t wait around to ask.
    I inhaled sharply and flew onto the neighbor’s lawn. Speeding across their grass, I convinced myself if the man got too close I could run onto the neighbor’s porch and they would help me. Ha. They were all a-snooze in their beds.
    I had to make it home. I would run in the house, barricade myself inside Nana’s warm kitchen, and sic her on the man. It was harsh punishment but it would serve him right. I glanced at my pursuer. He was still on the street but dang he was fast. Within a few seconds, he could dart onto the grass and catch me.  
    I pumped my arms to increase leg speed. I dodged a pine tree, spitting gravel and mud into the air as I churned through our closest neighbor’s driveway. Just twenty more feet and I would be safe. I didn’t dare look and see where the man was, but he was closing in on me. My pounding heart verified what my ears suspected.
    Bounding across the lawn, I hurled myself up the steps leading into the kitchen and swung open the screen door.
    “Wait,” the man yelled.
    Cold sweat trickled into my sports bra. I was almost there. Please let me squeeze through that door before he
    “Cassidy,” the man called.
    I whirled, peering through the gloom. My stalker knew my name. I couldn't decide if I was relieved or more creeped-out. I yanked the screen door against my chest, clinging to it for supposed protection and gasping for air. “Who are you?”
    He took a few more steps across the grass and pushed back the hood of his sweatshirt. The porch light illuminated his face. My heart beat quickened, but in a good way.
    “Dr. Tattoo?”
    His eyebrows arched. “Nice to see you again too.”
    I released the door handle and descended a step, obligated to gawk at him for a few more minutes. This man had rescued me on Saturday. Surely he wouldn’t hurt me now. “You scared the bejeebees out of me.”
    “Forgive me.” He bowed like I was some princess from whom he begged pardon. “You were fast. I could hardly catch my breath to yell at you.”
    “How’d you know my name?” I asked, the unease in my abdomen warring with my attraction to him. We hadn’t done formal introductions as he doctored me at the race or afterward when he held my hand until the police separated us for questioning.
    His dark eyes warmed to creamy chocolate. “I heard the announcement that you won the St. George Marathon. Congratulations.”
    I crept down one more stair. How much of a threat could he be with eyes that amazing? “Yeah, great prize.”
    He laughed. “I wouldn’t have minded winning it.”
    “You want to train with Damon, too?”
            “Damon?” He searched my eyes until I had to look away.  
    “Nobody.” I shivered, battling between the chill of the rainwater and the heat from his gaze.
    “You’re cold," his voice softened to a caress. "You’d better head inside.”
    I wished I looked cold enough that he’d wrap me in his arms the way he did on Saturday. I shoved my hands under my armpits and instead of running away as he suggested, I flirted. “Are you still intent on never seeing me again?”
    His cheek crinkled. “Now that I know where you live I’m sure I can arrange more coincidental meetings.”
    I shoved my fears to the back burner, where they should remain, and gave him my most brilliant smile. “Any kind of meeting sounds good to me.”
    He shooed me with his hands. “Go get warm.”
    Reluctantly, I started back up the stairs.
    “Cassidy.”
            I spun around. Was he going to bring up the dead guy? Please don’t let him ruin this. Seeing him again hadn’t stirred those frightening thoughts and I