It reminded him of Sasha’s hair, set off to perfection by the dark purple shirt she wore with a long white skirt that swirled around her ankles as she walked. Once again she’d twisted her hair up on top of her head. He pictured himself kissing the elegant curve of her neck just before he removed the wooden sticks to set her hair free.

He’d dearly love to see it down loose around her shoulders—or better yet, spread out on his pillow as he kissed that sprinkling of freckles on her nose. Something of what he was thinking must have shown in his expression, because when Sasha glanced in his direction, she blushed and immediately hurried on toward the next bed of roses.

But she did take his hand and tug him along in her wake. That small gesture vanquished the knot of nerves in his chest. For the moment, it was enough to pretend they were just an ordinary couple out to enjoy an evening of music and each other’s company.

The concert was winding down, the musicians putting one last burst of high energy into their encore. Sasha couldn’t remember the last time she’d enjoyed a night out more. Larem had produced a blanket from his pack for them to sit on. After they’d staked out their spot, he’d gotten each of them a lemonade and a piece of strawberry shortcake.

Watching him savor the sinful berries heaped high with whipped cream had been an amazingly sensual experience. It was almost as if he were tasting the decadent dessert for the first time.

She barely knew the man, but there was just something about him that stirred emotions in her that had lain dormant for a long, long time. First college and then her heavy work schedule had left little time for a social life. Or at least that had been her excuse. The truth was, when she’d met David Booker, she’d fallen fast and hard for him. Although she’d known the risks of getting involved with a Paladin, she’d hadn’t been able to help herself. And when he’d died, it had almost destroyed her.

Yet here she was, risking the same kind of pain all over again. At twenty-eight, she should be old enough to know better, but obviously not. The more time she spent in Larem’s company, the more reckless she felt. How would it feel to kiss that stern mouth? What kind of lover would he be? Maybe she should just toss the dice and see where the night led them.

Despite its being late summer, there was a chill in the air as the sun went down. Larem noticed when she shivered and leaned toward her. “Are you cold?”

“A bit. I’m not used to the way the temperature drops here at night.”

He hesitated, then wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close, sharing the warmth of his body.

“Is that better?” His voice was a deep rumble near her ear, sending a whole different kind of shiver through her.

Oh, mama, yes!

But she kept that comment to herself and just nodded. Too bad the concert was about to end. She could’ve happily spent hours sitting right there, enjoying the night with Larem.

When the song ended, the crowd surged to their feet, applauding loudly. She reluctantly joined them, immediately missing Larem’s touch.

He folded up the blanket and stowed it back in his pack. “The zoo is open for another hour. Want to wander around a bit before we call it a night?”

“Sure.”

It seemed only natural for him to take her hand, especially with the jostle of the people surrounding them. In just a few seconds, the crowd thinned out, leaving the two of them wandering down a path with only a handful of others nearby.

“Did you like the music?”

Larem nodded. “Very much. We should do this again sometime. I think they do a whole series of concerts here.”

“I’d like that.” A lot.

When a smaller path branched off to the left, Larem took it. The sign said it led toward the animals of the African savanna. As dark as it was, they’d not likely be able to see much, but at the moment she didn’t care. She was really hoping Larem was more interested in finding them a bit of privacy than seeing what the zebras were up to.

Sure enough, when they were alone, he dropped his bag on the ground and turned to face her in the faint glow of a distant lamppost. His big hands gently came to rest on her shoulders. She responded by sliding her palms up the hard planes of his chest. His pale eyes stared down into hers for the longest time.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve been wanting to do this all evening.”

Before she knew what he was going to do, he tugged the chopsticks out of the knot on top of her head. The heat in his smile climbed several degrees as he finger-combed her hair, sending the unruly waves spilling down around her shoulders.

“I knew it would feel like silk. You should wear it down all the time.”

“It gets in the way when I work.”

His accent thickened considerably when he murmured, “Then wear it this way just for me.”

Then he kissed her—finally. His lips settled over hers, gently at first but then with considerably more fire. He tasted hot and male and potent. Grabbing on to the soft cotton of his shirt, Sasha held on with all the strength she could muster. The feel of his hands as they touched and tempted warmed her from the inside out. The man sure knew how to heat up a cool Seattle night.

She liked that about him. Before she could tell him so, he lifted her off the ground and carried her backward several steps.

“Uh, Larem?”

“The bench,” he murmured.

Then he sat down and settled her across his lap. Oh, yeah, he was just full of good ideas. She kissed him hard and deep, the tip of her tongue inviting his to play.

Sasha didn’t know about Larem, but she was about to go up in flames as his fingertips brushed across the curve of her breasts. She arched into his touch, asking for more. He didn’t hesitate, cupping her breast in his palm with a gentle squeeze and coaxing her nipple into a hard peak with his finger and thumb. Immediately a need for so much more pooled deep inside her, making her wish they were somewhere more private.

Then his hand settled on her ankle before stroking upward, slipping under the hem of her skirt. He hesitated just below her knee.

“Sasha?”

Her name became both a caress and a question on his lips. Her breath caught in her chest as she read the intent in his eyes. She should stop him. It was too much. Too fast. Too soon. But she couldn’t find the words or the will to hold back. Instead, she buried her face against his neck, drawing in the scent of his skin.

Larem took that as a yes. Smiling against her hair, he pressed a soft kiss on her forehead as his hand resumed its journey. She sighed and closed her eyes as he took his time to learn the soft curve of her knee.

“Kiss me,” he demanded as he stroked the top of her smooth thigh.

Her lips found his, opening for him like roses in the bright light of the sun. Oh, yeah, this moment was so perfect, her response to his touch beyond anything he’d hoped for. He eased his hand between her legs, going slowly to give her a chance to protest. She didn’t, not even when he sought out the center of her heat.

One stroke had her moaning, two had her arching up, her legs squeezing tight against his wrist and locking his hand in place. He continued the gentle assault, stroking and pressing, wanting nothing more than to lay Sasha down and make love to her.

For now, he’d settle for having her come apart in his arms. He eased past her flimsy panties, stroking deeper, faster, harder.

“Larem! Please, I can’t—”

He wanted to give this to her. “Yes, you can. I’ve got you. Just let go.”

Then she shuddered, her head falling against his shoulder as the storm broke within her. He held her close as they rode it out together. When he finally remembered how to breathe, he tugged her skirt back down, struggling to find the words to describe what the moment had meant to him.

But then he heard the sound of approaching footsteps. They ended abruptly with an embarrassed, “Whoops! Excuse us!”

They both froze until the intruders retreated. Sasha suspected she was blushing big-time, but then Larem laughed quietly and pressed one more kiss on the top of her head.

“Whoops, indeed,” he said with a chuckle.

She reluctantly joined in the laughter. What had she been thinking, to let things get so far out of control? Not that she could bring herself to really regret it.

“I don’t know about you, but I haven’t gotten caught making out like that since I was a teenager.”

“It’s been a while for me, too,” he agreed. “But they’re still good memories.”

Then he set her back on her feet and stood up. After picking up his pack, he said, “I guess we should be moving on.”

He kissed her again before they headed back toward the main path. She laced her fingers with his as they made their way to the exit, where she called for a cab. As they waited, Larem’s cell phone rang. His expression went from happy to grim in the space of a heartbeat as he listened to the person on the other end of the line.

“Don’t worry about me. Just go.”

He listened another few seconds, holding the phone in a white-knuckled grip. “No, I’m sure. And, Lonzo, watch your back. I don’t want to break in a new roommate. I’ve barely got you trained.” He hung up and loosed a deep breath.

“What’s wrong?” she asked. A knot of pure fear settled in her chest.

“That was Lonzo. He’s been called out again. The barrier near St. Helens is still down. They’re sending in a second wave to support the guys who’ve been fighting since noon. It sounds pretty bad.”

He stared up at the sky the whole time he was talking, the vein on the side of his neck visibly pulsing. Clearly knowing his friend was headed into combat was hitting Larem hard.

“Are you being sent in, too?” she asked, mentally crossing her fingers that he wasn’t.

He simply shook his head, offering no explanation. She didn’t miss the fact that he was flexing his sword hand as he stood there. Obviously he wished he were being ordered into the fray.

Suddenly images of David’s memorial came rushing back to Sasha, only this time it was Larem’s picture being displayed, surrounded by flowers. Even if it didn’t happen tonight, it would someday. A crippling pain lanced her heart. There was no way she could endure that again.