weltering gaze. "i just think this isn't the best time for..."

a speeding cab laid on its horn.

with a quick jerk he pulled her against him, the blur of yellow just missing her leg. they stood face to face in the middle of the street, her startled eyes looking up into his, silently pleading for him to stop whatever he was doing. he cupped her face in his hands and dipped his chin. their lips hovered inches apart as his eyes ravished her features, spellbound by something he was at a loss to explain. her eyes glittered with heat, making them glow. he licked his lips, ignoring the way his heart was pounding against his ribcage. when she took a step back he pulled her close and brought his mouth down onto hers, forcefully kissing her with a needful passion that refused to be denied. a soft whimper escaped through her nose from somewhere deep down inside. her arms spread out into the air for balance as he took what he so desperately desired.

his lips pressed against hers with fervor, sucking and caressing, moving from top to bottom. she pushed against his shoulders, trying to resist with little resolve. he kissed her harder and her hands gradually relented, wrapping around his neck and pulling him in. she shut her eyes and sent her warm tongue slipping through his lips. stars exploded behind his eyelids, lighting up the darkness like the fourth of july. headlights swerved around them, the drivers' angry horns falling on deaf ears. their lips probed each other like they had met before, pulling and pressing with a familiar repose. they were the only two people on earth and time had definitely stopped.

they broke the kiss to catch their racing breath. dean's chest rose and fell beneath his black button down as he stared into her star-crossed eyes. her hand slid down his rounded shoulder and pressed into his chest, accepting his heart beat into her open palm, the rapid hammering telling her something words could not. she melted into his eyes, unable to utter a single sound, let alone an entire word.

"we should probably get out of the street," he panted.

she grabbed a fistful of his shirt and pulled his lips to hers, pouring gasoline on the fire inside his pants. their firm embrace was greedy and relentless. he cupped the curves hiding inside her tight jeans and pulled her body against his, pressing his groin against her stomach. her eyes widened as his hardness stole her breath.

a cop car stopped in the street and splashed them with red and blue, adding to their dream-like state. evy's mouth breathed sweet air into him that he would surely die without. their heads rocked back and forth as she emptied her life force into him with reckless abandon.

a screaming siren punctured the night with a double beep. "getouttathegoddamnstreet!" a man squawked over a pa system in a continuous string, jerking them from their trance.

dean turned and raised a hand to the cop, leading evy across the street by the hand. they hopped up onto the sidewalk and began back-tracking their course to sugars in a stunned silence, both trying to come to grips with what had just happened. his mind raced nearly as fast as his pulse. he glanced over at evy to make sure she was real. she looked up and smiled, confirming her validity with swollen red lips. he squeezed her hand, refusing to let it go for anything in the world. she squeezed back and giggled softly. dean laughed with her, sucking in massive gulps of air that tasted like cotton candy.

everything was brighter and more vibrant than ever before. they passed massive flower pots dotting the downtown sidewalks, their petals in full bloom, just like his heart. soft jazz floated from a set of open double doors with a big black guy standing guard outside. he nodded at them and smiled brightly, catching a small taste of their magical aura. it was contagious. whatever they had just discovered between them was as infectious as a bad case of the giggles.

evy studied dean through thoughtful eyes. "what just happened back there?"

his gaze swept over to her as they crossed another street. "i think a tanker truck or something exploded."

she clapped a hand over her beating heart, a practice he had already grown to love. "that was..."

"perfect," he muttered, finishing her sentence for her.

two younger girls, drunkenly walking arm in arm in skintight dresses and high heels, smiled warmly and said hello as they passed by. whatever it was, others could see it in their faces. could feel it.

evy and dean continued walking, their shoes floating above the ground. they were at least two feet taller than everyone else, walking on air. she glanced up at his strong profile and squeezed his hand, simultaneously signaling her surrender and his victory with one simple gesture. "you're not from this planet, are you?"

he laughed. "me? i'm not the one with white wings and flowers in her hair?" he yanked her to a stop and turned to face her. "you are the most beautiful thing i have ever seen."

a bashful smile graced her lips. "i bet you say that to all the girls."

"but this time i mean it."

she chuckled and he leaned in to kiss her again, needing just one more fix to get them to where they were going.

"yo, whassup, man, you gotta smoke?"

dean turned to see a white guy step out from a darkened alley with his pants hanging down to his ass crack and his ball cap turned sideways. black tats spider-webbed across his wiry arms as he eyeballed evy. dean tightened his grip on her hand and led her around the guy. "don't smoke," he said shortly, towing her along.

evy screamed when the guy grabbed her purse and yanked hard, pulling her and dean backwards. without hesitation, dean flew through the air and punched the guy squarely in the face, dropping him where he stood. dean towered over him, the sparkle in his eyes now hardened with rage.

"damn, man," the guy groaned, rubbing his jaw. "i just wanted a smoke, dude."

"next time you'll want a doctor, asshole," dean said through gritted teeth, turning to evy. "are you okay?"

she slung her purse over her shoulder with a weak nod.

he took her hand and kept moving without looking back.

"that scared the shit out of me," she said, taking hurried steps to keep up.

"welcome to the big city."

"you reacted so fast," she gasped. "like edward cullen fast."

he flashed a cocky smile without slowing. "those guys always ask to bum a smoke right before they jack you up. it's a dead giveaway every time. they should try some new material." he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him, slowing his stride. with their body heat blending, he tried not to stare at her breasts poking through her t-shirt but couldn't help it. he wanted to rip that shirt off and take them into his mouth. bite down on her nipples until she arched her back and moaned in delight.

"you really are from another planet."

he laughed uneasily.

"what's your weakness? kryptonite?"

he turned to her and softened his gaze. "you."

she stared blankly at him as the world revolved around them. she was his and he was hers, each heavenly step confirming it in his mind. they rounded a corner, arm in arm like a couple who had been dating for years. sugars sat up ahead, dark and quiet.

her brow folded.

"what's wrong?"

"she must have closed up early. what time is it anyway?"

dean checked a silver watch on his wrist. "quarter to two."

"in the morning? how'd it get so late?"

a devilish grin met her incredulous stare. "time flies when you're havin fun."

she smiled and dug a ring of keys from her bag.

he swooped in and pulled her against him. she screamed out in surprise, still unnerved after the near mugging. her keys fell to the sidewalk when he started kissing her hard. they probed each other with a fevered intensity, their heads swaying back and forth in perfect compliment, like they had done this a million times before.

evy tore herself away, her lungs begging for breath. "you have to stop doing that."

he drew in a deep breath and returned it into the night. "never."

she locked eyes with him, weighing his statement, everything and everyone dissolving into another place and time. he still wasn't sure if it was real or not as he reluctantly left those warm green pools to pick up her keys. the metal felt cold in his hand. felt real. she took them from him and shook her head, trying to clear away the fog swirling inside her head. he watched her unlock the door, her shapely rear end driving him to the brink of disaster. he had to feel it again but she was already pushing through the door and entering the darkened dessert bar.

a nearby streetlight spilled through the large front window, basking them in thick shadows as they crept past the vacant tables and chairs. even her silhouette was amazing. she led him behind the counter and through the swinging door into the back, where she hit a light switch that brought a modest sized kitchen to life.

she slid a gun, loaded with a tube of chocolate frosting, off the worktable in the middle of the room and hurriedly tucked it away in a walk-in cooler stocked with eggs, cheese, milk, and cases of cold beer.

"so this is where all the magic happens, huh?" he asked, surveying the room's many shelves of flour, sugar and spices. four industrial-sized ovens rested quietly against two walls. "i bet it gets hot in here when those things are cookin."

she spun around to him, aghast.

he leaned against an industrial sized mixer bolted to the floor, his eyebrows drawing together. "what's wrong?"

"i don't even know what you do for work."

a relieved smile broke across his face. "i'm a corporate lawyer for a small, up and coming firm."

"oh," she said, overly understandingly. "well, if anyone tries to sue us because our coffee is too hot i guess i'll know who to call."

"hopefully you'll call either way."

she leaned up against the cold island table and folded her arms across her breasts. "your parents must be proud."

he winced and tried to hide it, hating this turn in the conversation no matter who he was with, especially now. the pity in their eyes was always embarrassing and the last thing he wanted was anyone's pity. he had done just fine on his own. "my parents died in a car accident several years ago."

evy moaned softly while that dreaded pity seeped into her eyes. "i'm sorry."

he shook his head and peered through a small window with a desk and chair on the other side, unable to look into her eyes. "it was a long time ago."

"how old were you?"

"nineteen."

she wrinkled her brow. "how old are you now?"

"thirty-four. how old are you?" he asked, eager to change the subject.

"twenty-eight." her eyes narrowed, the pity slowly draining away. "what's your last name?"

he smiled. "jacobs. and yours?"

"burnett," she said faintly, as if still contemplating his last name, trying it out on her mental tongue.

the humming fluorescents buzzed in their ears. his eyes explored her silky skin, his pulse beating against his neck. she stared at him without speaking. he wanted to know more about her but had no clue where to even begin.

"siblings?"

he shook his head.

the pity crept back into her eyes, making him shift from one foot to the other. she tilted her head to the side. "so where do you...spend the holidays?"

"at my friend shaun's house...with his family."

she nodded and stepped closer, drawn to him like a magnetic.

"are your parents in des moines?" he asked, taking a step toward her.

"uh-huh."

he took her face in his hand. "any other brothers or sisters?"

his thumb gently traced along her jaw line, making her eyelids grow heavy. "just brooke," she replied, nestling her cheek into his palm.

dean wasn't sure if she had even heard the question and didn't care. he inhaled a breath of chocolate swirling with mint as she explored his stomach. his abs twitched beneath her delicate touch and her lips curled at the corners, pleased with his reaction. her fingertips ran along his beltline. he set his jaw and watched her slide a hand up his shirt, flesh on flesh. his heart rate quickened. her lips called out to him, intoxicating and terrifying him at the same time. evy stopped her hand over his thumping heart and watched his expression. dean grabbed her by the ponytail and pulled. a soft moan burst from her lips. he looked her over for three or four seconds, exploring her like a newly discovered planet, and slowly lowered his mouth to her neck.