My Pulse

Chapter 1: Quinn Keane

A sudden chill sears down my spine and ripples through me. It's one of those feelings you wished you'd never had to experience. An uncomfortable tightness fills my chest as goosebumps prickle all over my body.

It's a feeling I've recently become familiar with—the unmistakable sensation of being watched.

Contemplating scanning my surroundings for the third time, I take note of a man sitting alone near the window. An older gentleman sits to my left, and a woman with a two-year-old walks in from outside.

He is here somewhere though; I can feel it. My stalker always has his eyes on me, even in the privacy of my own apartment. Pretending to stare out the window, I register the dreary day and the gray clouds sitting low in the sky. Kelly's café is my favorite local coffee shop downtown Galway.

As I start to turn toward the front counter, my eyes lock with the man who has previously caught my attention. His dark green eyes cascade into a brilliant yellow that hypnotizes me in place.

As if I'm under a serpent's spell, his eyes produce a chilling siren call that freezes me.

And I feel like prey. I have never felt more like a cornered animal in my life.

The man's lips lift in a slight smirk, and my breath falters in my chest. The pit lodged in my stomach drops lower, swirling into a restless heat in my core.

In that moment, there is no doubt in my mind this man will devour me alive and lick me off his fingertips one by one.

The barista says my name, and I quickly recover my composure. My shaking hands reach out to grab the offered coffee, gripping it for dear life.

My heart pounds violently in my chest, threatening to stop at any moment. I nod to the barista, who gives me a worried glance.

Mustering up the courage to look back at the corner, I anticipate seeing a snake. However, my body jolts when I realize no one is there anymore.

All of my good-natured instincts are on high alert. How can I be trembling and buzzing at the same time?

A lethal combination, a mix of life and death, the rush of feeling alive on the edge of an abyss. I can sink or swim, and it thrills me.

With my blood literally buzzing in my veins, I leave Kelly's and turn the corner on Saint Street. A strong figure collides with me, and my heartbeat jumps into my throat.

The man grasps my shoulders to steady me and immediately attempts to ensnare me with his eyes.

"Watch out there, love; you wouldn't want to fall into my hands," the stranger says in a deep Irish accent.

His voice vibrates through every cell in my body like my own personal tuning fork, and I close my eyes to protect my soul. "Open your eyes, sweetheart," he challenges as his calloused fingertips dance over my cheek, sweeping the hair from my eyes.

My body's reactions war with my mind as a shudder racks my system. I blink my eyes open, unable to ignore the control this stranger has over me.

"You... you... were just in the coffee shop," I stammer, trying to step back out of his reach.

"Aren't you perceptive?" He chuckles, giving me a sly smile.

Oh, he wants me to tremble and feel small, feel helpless. The man is undoubtedly dangerous, but his smile has a playful edge to it.

Playing with fire, my eyes fix on his, and I crush his expectations with a dark gleam of my own.

"A woman knows when she's being watched," I say, stepping forward in challenge. "And a really smart woman knows not to falter when cornered by a snake."