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But when she whirled around, stu a little in her haste to confront whoever was behind her, she saw nothing Only the empty expanse of lawn, dotted with the skeletal shapes of slu trees, an empty bench, and beside her, the dark shape of the house Nothing

Nowhere even to hide

Lily felt her heart kick into a quicker rhythm, and her breath beca for a shape, a shadow, anything that would explain her sudden, overwhel certainty that she wasn’t alone

Stupid, she told herself You’re walking through a horror , is all

Lily knew that was more than likely it, but she still wanted to reach her car and get out of here Soothed a little by the thought that there were a whole bunch of people inside the house ould hear her screa her way out front, casting a lingering look over one shoulder

Though the ht sky, nearly full, and the air was still rich with the very scents she’d just been enjoying, all her pleasure had vanished in favor of the insistent instinct that had kept huht

"Hey, are you all right?"

She gave a s at the sudden appearance of another person in front of her when there’d been no sign of another soul only seconds before

He raised his hands in front of hi in an expression that plainly said he was as startled as she was "Whoa, hey, don’t do that! I’ain" One eyebrow arched higher, plaintive "Please?"

It was the faintly aot her to draw in a single, shuddering breath But she still shot a quick look around, gauging distance in case she had to run

"Look, I’ Lily’s full attention back to hiet out of there for a few Too hosts, you know?"

"I… yeah," Lily said, still trying to figure out how she should deal with this Had he been inside too? She wasn’t sure… There’d been a cluster of people, and not everyone had shown up at the same time It was certainly possible But when she looked more closely at him, she was sure she would have remembered if they’d crossed paths

"Let’s start over," he said

This ti Scottish accent in a voice that was soft and deep but with a slightly rough edge

He extended a hand to her "I’et any more Scottish than that Lily hesitated for a split second, but her deeply ingrained sense of politeness refused to let her keep her hand in her pocket Tentatively, she slid her hand into his and watched as his long, sliers closed around it

"I’m Lily Lily Quinn," she said, surprised by the sensation of cool, silken skin against her own But at the point of contact, waran to course through her system as she finally noticed that Tynan MacGillivray was incredibly good-looking

Not handso word for what he was, though so She let herself take in the sharp-featured, angular face with a long blade of a nose and dark, slashing brows His ly full lower lip that caught her attention far more than it should have, under the circuh for soe appeal, and was set off further by the slightly shaggy, overlong crop of deep brown hair that he’d pushed away froh, that Lily couldn’t seeht, they watched her steadily, unblinking She wanted to believe he meant her no harm But there was an intensity in the way he looked at her that kept her off balance I should getlike a deer that has picked up the scent of a predator

But she was caught by those eyes, unable to look away She shuddered in a soft breath as he stepped in closer, never letting go of her hand

No, she thought, her eyes locked with his, her legs refusing to ht on the heels of that: Yes