Samhain Publishing

Jenny mounted the bike, her heart thundering with excitement and the fear of the unknown. She had no idea what awaited her at the end of this path, no idea what threats lay lurking in the shadows. She knew only that for the first time in her life she felt free, at peace. She could stay here forever, breathing in the crisp sea air, listening to the chirruping birds, losing herself in the gentle caress of the breeze blowing against her face as she rode deeper and deeper into the shivering forest.

Before long the house she sought loomed ahead, a rustic wooden structure perched on the edge of a sea cliff. From where she stood, it seemed as if one strong gust of wind could send the two-story cottage tumbling down the jagged rock into the hungry mouth of the ocean.

No lights shone inside the narrow windows, but she caught a flash of movement on the porch. A tall, solitary figure stood, bracketed by the falling sun. The wind whipped his hair, the shoulder-length strands reminding her of a warrior in an old movie she’d once seen.

Pedaling up the pebble-dotted path, she approached the stranger. Somewhere in her rational brain she knew she should be afraid. There was something unattainable, almost forbidding about him. But fear didn’t hold her back this time. Fascination quickened her pulse, propelling her forward.

The wind rustled through the lofty maples and brittle pines, masking the sound of her bike as she drew nearer. With a surge of anticipation, she put the bike aside, strapped her duffel bag over her shoulder, and climbed the wooden steps of the porch. A floorboard creaked beneath her feet and the man slowly turned toward her, his face shadowed by twilight and a curtain of black hair falling across his left cheek. Surprise shimmered in his eyes right before he looked away. His grip tensed, tightening around the railing. Stunned, Jenny watched him turn his back to her, his broad shoulders taut with unease.

“What do you want?” Despite the words he spoke, his voice wasn’t harsh. It was calm, soothing like a lullaby.

“Are you Daniel Frost?”

He nodded, allowing her a scarce glimpse of his right profile. It was a handsome profile, with a high, chiseled cheekbone and a straight sculpted nose, which led down to a pair of full lips and a powerful chin. Not a face one should feel inclined to hide.

“I’m Jenny Logan,” she said, a beehive of activity fluttering in her chest. “The assistant you hired.”

The first thought that lanced through Daniel’s dazed mind was that someone had made a horrible, horrible mistake.

Even though he hadn’t specifically asked the employment agency to send him a male assistant, he had emphasized that the job could prove too strenuous for a woman. But right now, the job requirements were the least of his worries. He couldn’t work with a woman, couldn’t have a woman living in his home.

Especially one so breathtakingly beautiful. When he first saw her, for a brief moment he thought he’d dreamed her—a specter from his wildest fantasies, gliding up his front porch, her deep, solemn eyes asking him why he stood alone gazing at the sunset. In that frozen moment he’d forgotten about his face, had wanted nothing but to look at her.

“Assistant?” He stared at the sun sinking into the sea, its vibrant colors bleeding into the sky only to fade like threads of mist. As the last pulsing rays dimmed, dusk finally fell, bringing with it the comforting cloak of darkness.

“Yes. You did hire an assistant, didn’t you?”

He searched for something to say that would settle this mess and send her back where she’d come from. All he managed was a nod. Thick, empty silence swelled between them. “I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow,” he finally uttered. “I thought I was picking you up at San Juan. How did you get here?”

“I have a friend who owns a boat. He dropped me off. I wanted to get a head start on the job. Is that all right?”

No, it wasn’t all right. Her presence here was nothing but a huge mistake. Why wasn’t she afraid? What kind of woman accepted a job with a stranger on a remote island?

“You know, it’s pretty hard to talk to someone when he has his back turned to you.”

His heart gave an involuntary jolt. He didn’t want her to look at him, didn’t want to catch that inevitable flicker of pity and revulsion in her eyes. But he knew he had to turn around sooner or later, and nightfall had descended just in time to conceal him. Slowly, he pivoted on his heels, praying the wind wouldn’t blow his hair off his face.

“You’re not much of a talker, are you?” She smiled at him and her expression glimmered with humor and friendly warmth. The darkening night had had the intended effect. He was safe, for now.

“You just caught me off guard.”

“Then let’s do this again.” Extending her hand, she waited for him to meet it. “I’m Jenny Logan.”

A swift, primal instinct urged him to wrap his fingers around hers, but he hesitated. She seemed too perfect for his touch, too ethereal to be breathing the same air as he. Long dark locks swayed around a face as fine as a porcelain doll’s. Wide, curious hazel eyes fringed by long black lashes gave her a childlike innocence, contrasted by a moist, sensual mouth and a curvaceous body. She was a poet’s muse come to life, an angel sculpted in heaven who’d floated down to earth on invisible wings.

Aware that he was staring, he met her handshake, if only to prove to himself she was flesh-and-blood real. An unfamiliar heat instantly spread through him, drowning his voice. “Daniel Frost,” he whispered.

Jenny smiled again and his heart folded with a loud thud. “That’s much better,” she said, releasing his hand.

The faint scent of vanilla wafted toward him, filling his lungs with a feminine sweetness long forgotten. He wanted to draw her closer, inhale her enticing perfume.

This was a horrible, horrible mistake. There was no way he could work with Jenny Logan. The employment consultant had said he was sending him a high school student. Although the girl standing before him looked older, she couldn’t be more than eighteen.

“Did the employment consultant explain the details of the job?” he asked.

She shrugged evasively. “More or less.”

“So you’re aware you’ll have to work with heavy tools—a drum sander, drill press, shaper, router…”

The blank look she gave him convinced him she had no idea what the job entailed. He made a mental note never to use that incompetent employment agency again. “Are you sure you want this job? There must be something more appropriate you could do—”

Jenny grasped his arm, sending a bolt of energy ramming through him. The dread that swept over her face silenced his next words. “I need this job. I’m a fast learner. Anything you tell me to do, I’ll do it well. Maybe I don’t know what a drum sander or a rotter is—”

The foreign tug of a smile curled his lips. “Router.”

She let go of his arm, a gentle flush infusing her cheeks. “Router,” she corrected. “But I’ll learn. I promise I won’t let you down.”

Daniel expelled a labored breath. Damn it all to hell. He couldn’t turn her away just because she happened to be a radiant, desirable woman he could never have. He needed an assistant and she obviously needed the job. “Fine. I’ll get you settled in tonight and give you a tour of the workshop tomorrow morning.”

For a horrifying second he thought she’d fling her arms around him. Gratitude lit her features, making her all the more lovely. “Thank you.”

He fought the impulse to brush the back of his hand against her cheek. Her skin would be soft, like velvet. He could tell just by looking at her.

Cursing his disturbing reaction to his new assistant, he invited her into his home. Fortunately, she didn’t ask why he didn’t turn on the lights as he led her up the dim staircase. He left her standing in front of the guest room, his throat knotted with anxiety. How would she react once she saw him in the light of day tomorrow? She might very well solve his problem by deciding she didn’t want the job after all.

As much as Daniel prayed she’d do precisely that, a part of him already mourned the fated moment when she’d walk out of his life.