Dusk (Young Adult Paranormal Romance)

by Amy Durham

  I had a momentary flashback to the dream that had plagued the back of my consciousness all day as I looked up to discover my rescuer.

  I didn’t know whether to be surprised or horrified to find myself staring into the bright green eyes of Will Harlow.

  “You okay, Jessie?” The softness of Will’s voice always surprised me. At six feet, four inches, he was taller than most guys, with a runner’s body that was lean and fit. You’d expect him to have a big, loud voice, but instead he spoke with a quiet, confident tone that left no doubt that a soft voice did not mean wimp or pushover.

  Holy cow he was cute. I mean, Not that I hadn’t already noticed, but up close he was way better. His jet-black hair was cut short, with just enough left on top to look rustled. And when he smiled his eyes danced.

  The fact that he was smiling at me as he helped me back on my feet was confounding. Good grief, I hoped he wasn’t laughing at me. Falling in front of a crowd of people, even when pushed by another student, was possibly the most humiliating thing that could happen.

  “I’m good,” I said, finally finding my voice. “Thanks.”

  He nodded, still grinning and not taking his eyes off my face. While it was cool to have his attention, the stare was becoming uncomfortable.

  “What?” I asked, and he chuckled.

  He reached up and swiped at my cheek with his thumb. The gesture shocked me, both with its gentleness and with the jolt of electricity that shot through me, and I almost didn’t have enough brain capacity to wonder why he’d touched me.

  “You’ve got a black smudge on your face.”

  The chilly January wind blustered around, blowing my brown hair into my face. Will raised his hand again, his palm soft against my jaw as he worked once again to remove the smudge from my cheek. Meanwhile, I was stunned into silence.

  “Looks like black ink,” Will said.

  I found my voice. “Probably from my pen.” Well, duh.

  “I got most of it,” he said after a few more swipes.

  Not just cute, but nice. Really nice. Could my crush on him get any bigger?

  “Thanks,” I said, stepping back and putting some distance between the two of us. Before I did something stupid like drool all over him. “And thanks for catching me.”

  He winked, playful and charming, and said, “No problem.”

  My heart went thud.

  Will headed to his car, and as I stumbled my way toward my own, I barely noticed the freezing winter air.

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