Intensity (Book One) *SAMPLE* (Published)

Prologue

  Huge grey clouds hung thickly over sparse autumn trees. The small drops of rain that they released were invisible compared to the tears that fell from Kya's eyes. She could feel the presence behind her. Despite the rest of the mourners who had paid their respects and left, he lingered in the background. Watching. Waiting.

The thought of her father standing there, dressed as an officer of the law caused Kya to bite down on the inside of her cheek, and a tiny amount of blood seep onto her tongue. She promised herself and the spirit of her mother that she would not snap if he showed his face, blessed her with his condolences, and tried to use this as a gateway to her life. Instead, she would accept his sympathy and move on. That promise went out the window as memories of her mother begging him not to leave and the nights she prayed for his return replayed in her mind.

She stood to smooth the wrinkles from her dress. With easy steps, Kya ignored the person behind her and approached the polished, white pine, resting her head upon it. It was cool to the touch, much like the strong wind taking her hair into the breeze. Hair her mother used to braid as she sang her favorite songs from the radio and sometimes cheesy TV commercials. The memory provoked a smile and watery laughter through mournful sobs.

Movement behind Kya made her rise, blindly take a few steps back as she prepared to give her father a piece of her mind. Instead, she found a stranger in his place.

Dressed in an all-black suit, equally dark shirt, and satin tie, danger rolled off him in massive waves. Dark shades covered his eyes, drawing hers to the features Kya could see lightly tanned skin, a strong jaw aligned with neatly groomed stubble forming an anchor, lips that were sized perfectly, and jet black curls pulled tightly at the nape of his neck.

Under normal circumstances, Kya would have admired his appearance. Nibbled on her bottom lip allowing her mind to conjure visuals of this man pulling each piece of clothing off, seductively and slowly to reveal the well-toned body she could already make out. However, here and now was far from normal. They were in a cemetery surrounded by thick clusters of trees and fog that sheltered them from others that may be in the distance. That feeling in the pit of her stomach twisted and rolled to the surface like millions of goosebumps.

He took a single step toward her and instinctively, Kya stepped back. As if he realized her actions as fear, he remained where he was and watched her intently. Raising one gloved hand to the inside of his open suit jacket, he revealed the gun tucked into his waistband. Sleek. Shining. Lethal.

Had it not been for his deadly and overwhelmingly threatening demeanor paired with a youthful appearance, Kya would have assumed he was a cop. One she had possibly met when she was too young to care, there to say goodbye to an honored colleague's wife and place a comforting hand on her shoulder, but that wasn't the case.

She knew it, felt in her stomach and as deep as her soul. The way he stood gave off the feel of a highly trained assassin, a cold-hearted murderer with her name on his list.

She stilled, swallowed hard as her heart raced to the sound of her blood rushing in her ears. She felt his eyes on her the entire time and knew he was watching her from behind those darkly tinted lenses, consuming her.

He pulled his hand free of his jacket, but rather than closing her eyes with a silent prayer, Kya watched unblinking, waiting for the gun and hot metal to hit her in the face. Instead, there was a vibrant shade of red and the brightest green she had ever seen outside of spring.

Pinched between his fingers, he held a rose. Single and at rightful bloom. Beautiful.

Fully expecting him to pass her and place it on the casket, Kya breathed a sigh of relief as she moved to the side of the aisle, her hand over her heart while using an empty chair for balance.

But he didn't move. Not the way she thought. Not where she anticipated.

He closed the distance between them in a few short strides, willing her with his closeness. The heat from his body, the scent of his cologne, and taste of the air that followed him had her locked in place, vulnerable to his presence.

Having her full attention, the man brought the rose to his lips and kissed one of the soft velvet petals. The corners of his mouth tipped with a half smile that gave her a glimpse of a deep and alluring dimple. He extended the rose to Kya and waited for her to drop her eyes long enough to take it. However, she refused to move. Barely breathing correctly since the moment he approached her, all she could do was stare at her reflection in his dark glasses. Kya wanted to see him, to look into the windows of his soul, to know the man who was gently taking her hand and adorning it with that rose.

With more care than he seemed capable of, the dark stranger closed Kya's fingers around the stem. There were no words and nothing more than the feel of him touching her before he pulled back, turned, and retreated into the fog with a broader smile she nearly missed. It wasn't until he was entirely out of sight that the switch in her brain flipped on. The situation hit her; the rose in her hand realized.

There were so many things Kya wasn't sure of, but the notion that he was dangerous, she was sure. Whoever he was, he could have easily killed her, snuffed out her life with the cover of fog to protect him, yet he granted her with a sweet red gesture instead.

She brought it to her lips, kissed it, and silenced the questions running through her mind.

It did not matter where he came from or why he was there, as long as he came again to steal her sad reality and replaced it with another rose.