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The hunt was on, and I wouldn’t stop until I found her.
9
RAVEN
“I had to leave.”
“But you just got back,” Nolan said, his anger shining through in his words. I’d never seen Nolan get angry. He was about the most docile man I’d ever seen. But I knew how he felt about me. I should have ended this sooner.
“Someone followed me to your place. It was safer if I left.”
“You’re just making excuses. You’re running away.”
I was, but not for the reasons he thought. “Nolan, it doesn’t matter if I stay. Things aren’t going to change between us. You need to realize that.”
“You never gave us a chance.”
“I did. We both know there was nothing between us.”
“Then why did you keep coming back?”
“Because I thought we were friends.” That was partially true. I wasn’t lying to him. I did enjoy his company. I just didn’t want anything else from him.
“Fine, leave. Run away. You know you’ll be back.”
“Nolan—“
“I have to go.”
He hung up without allowing me to say anything else. I didn’t want to leave things like that with him, but I wouldn’t change my mind. We would never be more than friends. And somehow, I knew just from my visit from the handsome man that there was a spark of something there. Maybe he followed me for other reasons, but I had a feeling he was hunting me out of some desperate need. I saw it in his eyes.
I got out of my car and headed into the diner, taking a seat by the window. As I ordered my coffee and some lunch, I took the time to organize the condiments just the way I liked. Then I unrolled my silverware and aligned it on the table, starting with my fork and then my knife just to the left of me. I laid the napkin on my lap, making sure the points went out in a diamond formation on my lap.
I watched for any sign of my mystery man and I wasn’t disappointed. Just ten minutes later, tires screeched, then the car jerked to a stop. Disrupting the flow of traffic in this small town, the car pulled into the parking lot, parking right beside my car. I grinned to myself as the man stepped out and headed straight for the diner.
I finally had a chance to take him in. He was tall, probably about six foot two. His frame was muscular, but on the lean side. His clothes did nothing to hide the sheer power in his body. Dark hair hung just around his ears in a shaggy, slicked-back style. And the scruff that dusted his jaw hid his angular jaw, lending an air of danger to him. But the leather jacket he donned finished off the look.
I didn’t bother taking my eyes off him as he entered the diner and sat in the booth directly in front of mine. He slid in, facing me, his eyes never leaving mine. I lifted my cup, taking a sip. He wouldn’t intimidate me with his watchful gaze.
“Here you go,” my waitress said, sliding a plate in front of me.
“Can I have a water also?”
“Sure. I’ll be right back.”
Without taking my eyes off the man’s brown eyes, I picked up my BLT and took a bite. Mayonnaise squeezed out from between the slices, leaving a trail out of the corner of my mouth. My tongue darted out, licking the remnants from my lip. His eyes grew darker as he watched me. A slight smirk tilted the corner of his mouth.
“There you go. Is there anything else?” The woman asked.
“No, thank you,” I smiled, still not taking my eyes off him.
The waitress hurried over to the man. “What can I get for you?”
“Same as her.”
His eyebrow lifted in some sort of challenge. He knew who I was, yet he wasn’t coming any closer. I wasn’t sure what his game was yet, but I wouldn’t be the first to back down.
“BLT? What to drink?”
