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off. Every
muscle in his strong arms looked carved from adamantine steel.
    “The
other night – at Caine’s place. I hope we didn’t do anything to scare you
off,” Ryan said, his lips curling into a grin.
    “What?
No, um…, I don’t quite understand.” Julie replied in confusion, wondering what
he meant. She still couldn’t figure out what had happened that night and didn’t
want to give herself away. What if she really had made a fool of herself thanks
to being so tipsy? Had she thrown herself at them or worse, passed out from all
that wine?
    “Okay,
good to hear. Because Caine was worried that you might be avoiding him, especially
with the way the night ended. You running off and everything.”
    Julie
had to conceal her sigh of relief hearing that. At least she’d had the good
sense to make good her escape before she did anything stupid. She could almost
relax now.
    “Oh
no, nothing like that,” she told him quickly. “I have just been really busy
working on some design portfolios for a new client and I’ve been stuck in my
office at home,” she explained, the effort causing her to become more
breathless than usual so she ground to a stop. She leaned against a nearby tree
and drew in a deep, refreshing breath. She looked around at the scenery and
couldn’t help feeling happy once again that she’d moved here. Out there in the
city she’d never had the chance to really exhale. This place made her feel as
though she’d found her home base, a place where she could truly relax and feel
safe.
    “I’m
glad to hear that. I for one began to think I made you uncomfortable,” said
Ryan. Julie found herself getting backed into the sturdy tree trunk as Ryan’s
thickly corded arm propped on the side of her head while he closed the inches
between them enough to give her a whiff of his warm-blooded, deeply masculine
scent that did crazy things to her hormones. His startling blue eyes swept over
her face like he was committing every feature into memory.
    “Uncomfortable,
me?” Julie all but squeaked. Her head was swimming. This was one of the reasons
she’d taken to running and now he was right here, impossible to escape from.
    “Julie,
I won’t lie. The first time I saw you, though fleeting, really struck me. I
haven’t been able to stop thinking about you ever since.” Ryan confessed, his
voice a low rumble of masculine power. His dark lashes, so thick and lush they
made her almost groan with envy, swooped down as he seemed to keep his inner
thoughts hidden. His body language though told her all she wanted to know. Ryan
wanted her and she was almost hyperventilating from the very thought that she
hadn’t been wrong after all.
    “I
don’t know what to say,” she replied, eyes darting around.
    “It’s
okay to be confused. But when I said you didn’t need to be afraid, I meant it.
I’d do all in my power to make you feel safe and protected.” He lifted his
other hand and reached for her cheek and Julie involuntarily flinched, turning
her face away.
    Ryan
scowled, his hand lowering to rest on her shoulder. “Someone hurt you, didn’t
they? Who was he?”
    His
astuteness astounded Julie. How could he possibly even…? She shook her head
dismissively. “He was no one. I’m over that. I’m stronger than I look Ryan and
I assure you I don’t need you or anyone to take care of me.” Her eyes met his
defiantly and he nodded with a humorous smile.
    “I
hear you. Fact is, I definitely like a woman who can stand up for herself. You
can bet I like a lot of things about you, Julie,” he said, eyes twinkling.
    Julie
had to smile at that. “I bet you say that and all the girls just melt.”
    “There’s
only one girl that I want to melt, and each time I look at her it gets harder
to keep myself in check,” he said gruffly, eyes gleaming meaningfully into
hers. “What is it about you, Julie, that makes me want to shield you from all
the bad, bad things in the world – and yet can’t wait to ravish