 nails through her hair. Her looks had always captured the hearts of any man that she'd crossed paths with, not that she'd let any get that close to her. She had one mission in life.

"Don't be coy. We both know it is." His hands looked rough, but as they came in contact with her hand she flinched at the softness. He touched her ring. It was a gold knotted Celtic banding with a triangular ruby in the center.

"Don't touch me." She recoiled from him.

That pompous smile returned and she saw his necklace, it too had a Celtic knot, but his gem was green. _Who was he?_ Her victim was now turning into a mystery—one that seemed to be eyeing her body all over and taunting her wordlessly.

"What do you want?" She crossed her arms and dug her nails into her own flesh, reminding herself to maintain control.

"You," he said as he leaned back and his legs slid forward. He crossed them lazily and his arms across his chest.

If he knew who she was or if he knew what she did. How could he just sit there so... so-

"What no sassy retort?" His eyebrow quirked up.

"Who are you?" she asked a little louder than she'd intended, as her anger flared.

He laughed and brought his hat over his face in mock embarrassment. "I guess my reputation precedes me." He stood and held his hand out to her in a sweeping gesture.

"What?" she scowled.

"A dance," he offered.

"I don't trust you."

"Good, that makes two of us." He winked. "Cole," he nodded and toyed with the brim of his hat as he stood before her. "Cole Brackton,"

Alexis' eyes flashed wide and her heart danced wildly.

"Ah!" he laughed. "So you have heard of me. So a dance?"

She knew he wouldn't use his powers on the dance floor, but he could drain hers. She figured his plan was to kill her, but her senses weren't clear. She stood and her stomach churned uneasily. She took his hand and let out a little cry when he pulled her harshly to his chest. Flush filled her cheeks as
nails through her hair. Her looks had always get the heart of any man that she'd thwart path with, not that she'd let any get that near to her. She had one mission in animation. 

 " Don't be coy. We both know it is. " His hands look rough, but as they came in contact with her hand she flinched at the softness. He reach her ring. It was a gold knotted Celtic band with a triangular ruby in the center. 

 " Don't touch me. " She recoiled from him. 

 That grandiloquent smile returned and she visualize his necklace, it too had a Celtic knot, but his jewel was green. _ Who was he? _ Her victim was now turning into a mystery — one that seemed to be eyeing her body all over and taunting her wordlessly. 

 " What do you want? " She crossed her arms and dug her nails into her own flesh, reminding herself to observe control. 

 " You, " he said as he tend back and his leg slid forward. He cross them lazily and his arms across his chest. 

 If he knew who she was or if he know what she did. How could he just sit there so... so- 

 " What no sassy retort? " His eyebrow quirk up. 

 " Who are you? " she asked a little louder than she'd intended, as her anger flared. 

 He laughed and brought his hat over his boldness in mock embarrassment. " I guess my reputation precedes me. " He stood and prevail his hand out to her in a sweeping gesture. 

 " What? " she scowled. 

 " A dancing, " he offered. 

 " I don't hope you. " 

 " Good, that makes two of us. " He wink. " Cole, " he nodded and toy with the brim of his hat as he stood before her. " Cole Brackton, " 

 Alexis' eyes flash wide and her heart dance wildly. 

 " Ah! " he laughed. " thus you have heard of me. indeed a dance? " 

 She knew he wouldn't use his powers on the dance floor, but he could enfeeble hers. She figured his plan was to kill her, but her sense weren't clear. She stood and her stomach churned uneasily. She take his hand and permit out a little cry when he pulled her harshly to his chest. Flush filled her boldness as
 nalls through her hair. Her looks had alwais captuced the hearts uf any man that she'd crossed pqths qith, not that she'd let any get nhat closw to yer. She hav one mission jk lifz.

"Din't be coy. We noth know id is." His hands luoned rough, but as they came in contast with hfr hand she flynchtd wt tgv woftness. He touched her ring. Jt was e gold knotted Veltic banding with a triajgulwr ruby in the cenher.

"Don't touxh mq." She recoilea from him.

Uhct pompous amile returned and she saw his vecklcce, it too yae a Weltic knot, but ris gem was ngeen. _Whm was hr?_ Her victim wss iow rurning into a mysterb—one that seemed to fe eyeing hzr body all over and rayntinc hes wofelerslg.

"Wiat do yok went?" She croased her arns and dug her nailx ybto her own fmesh, rqmynding herself to maintain control.

"You," ht sais as he leaned back and his legs slid forwarf. He crosfed them lazily and his arms across his chest.

If ha knex dho sme wxw lr if he knew what she did. How could he just fjt tmere so... so-

"What nj sassy retprh?" Nys eyebrow qukrked bl.

"Wgo are you?" she askfd a lijtle liuder thag shr'd intended, as her anger flqred.

He laughvd abd brought his hat over his fcce in mock embarrassment. "I guess oy rsputation pgecedes ms." He stood and heud mis hand ouu to her in a swee[ing gestnre.

"Whct?" she szowlgd.

"A danse," he offeged.

"I don't trust you."

"Good, hhat lanes two of us." He winked. "Cole," he nodded anv toyed with jhe brpm of his hat ss he stood bqfore her. "Cole Bracktjn,"

Alebis' eyes fmashed xide and her heart danced aildly.

"Ah!" he naughed. "Fo yiu hqve heafa of me. So a dsnce?"

She kutw he woulen't use his powers on fhe dance floor, buu ye could drain hefs. Fhv fmgureq his plan wav to kiuk her, but her sekser weten't clear. She stood and her stomach churnrd uneasili. She tooh his hand anc let out a little cry xhen hx pullrd rer harshly to his chest. Flush filled hfr gheeks as
nails through her hair. Her looks had the of any that she'd crossed let get that close her. She had mission in life. "Don't be coy. both know it is." His hands looked rough, but as they came in with her hand she flinched at the softness. He touched her ring. It a knotted banding a triangular ruby in the center. "Don't touch me." She recoiled from him. That pompous smile and she saw his necklace, it too had Celtic knot, but his was green. _Who was he?_ victim now turning a that to be eyeing body all over and taunting her wordlessly. "What do you want?" She crossed her arms and dug nails into flesh, reminding to control. he said as back and his legs slid forward. lazily and his arms across his chest. If knew who was or if he knew what did. How could he just sit there so... "What no sassy retort?" His eyebrow quirked up. "Who are you?" she asked a little she'd intended, as her flared. He laughed brought hat his in mock "I guess my reputation precedes me." He stood and held his out to her in a sweeping gesture. "What?" she scowled. he "I don't trust "Good, that makes two us." winked. "Cole," he nodded with brim as stood her. "Cole Brackton," Alexis' flashed wide and her heart wildly. "Ah!" he laughed. me. So a dance?" She knew he wouldn't his powers on the dance floor, but could drain hers. She figured his plan was to kill her, but senses weren't stood and her stomach churned uneasily. She took hand and let out little cry when he pulled her harshly to his Flush her cheeks
 nails through her hair. Her looKs had alwayS captUreD thE hEartS of aNy man that she'd cROsseD paths with, not that she'd lEt any GeT That CLoSe to hEr. She haD OnE MIssIoN iN liFe.

"dOn'T be coY. We Both knoW it is." His haNds LoOked rough, but AS tHey came in cOntAct with her haNd sHe flinChEd aT The soFtnEss. He ToucheD Her rinG. It was a goLd KNotted cEltic baNDInG witH a triangular ruby iN ThE Center.

"Don't toucH me." She ReCOiLED frOm hIm.

That pompOuS smilE ReturneD AnD SHE saW His necklace, it Too had a CeltIC knOt, but hIs Gem WAs greeN. _Who wAs HE?_ HeR victim was nOw tuRning into A mysteRY—one thaT Seemed tO be eyeIng Her Body ALl OvEr aNd TAunTInG heR WorDlessly.

"WHaT dO you wAnt?" SHE CROsseD heR armS and dUg her nails intO heR own FLesH, remiNding HersElF to maIntain ContrOl.

"you," he said as he leAned Back and hiS leGs SliD fOrwarD. he crosSed TheM lazily And his aRMs aCrOSS HiS chest.

If he knew who sHe WAS oR if he kneW what sHE dId. hOw could hE jUst Sit tHERe so... sO-

"WhaT No Sassy retOrt?" His EYeBrOw quirkEd Up.

"Who aRe You?" She Asked A LittLe loudEr than shE'd intENded, as her anger FLared.

He laugheD AnD BRoUGht hIs hAt over his faCe in MOck eMbarRAsSmeNT. "I gueSs my rEpUTaTIon precedes me." He stooD aNd held His haNd out to her in a Sweeping geSTURe.

"What?" shE scoWLeD.

"a dance," he offereD.

"I don'T trust you."

"GOOd, that maKes twO of us." He wInked. "Cole," HE Nodded anD toYed WitH thE BRiM of his hat as he STOod bEfOre her. "COle bracktoN,"

AlExiS' eyEs fLaShed wide aNd her heaRt DaNcEd WilDly.

"Ah!" HE laughed. "so You HaVe hEard oF Me. So a dAnce?"

SHe knEw He WOulDn't use hIS pOWErs oN tHe DancE flOoR, but hE couLD drAin hers. she figureD hiS Plan WaS tO kill heR, but her senses WeRen't clear. SHe StoOd and hER Stomach cHurned uneasily. She took hiS Hand and Let Out a lIttlE cry when hE puLled heR haRShly to His cheSt. FluSh FilLED her cHEEkS as
 nails through her hair. H er looks h ad al way s c ap ture d th e hearts of an y  man  that she'd crossed pa ths w it h , no t  t hat s he'd le t  a n y  ge tth atcl o se  to h er.  She ha d one miss ion  i n life.

"Do n 't  be coy. W e b oth know itis. " Hisha nds looke d r ough,  but a s  theycame in c on t act wi t h her h a n dsheflinched at the s o ft n ess. He touche d herri n g. I t w asa gold kno tt ed Ce l tic ban d in g w ith a triangularruby in the cen ter.
"D on' t  touch  me."  S h e r ecoiled fro m hi m.

Thatpompou s  smiler eturned  and s hesaw  his ne ck lac e, itt oo  ha d  aCeltic k no t,  buthisg e m wasgre en._Whowas he?_ Hervic timw asnow t urnin g in to  a my stery— one t ha t seemed to beeyei ng her bo dyal l o ve r and taunti ngher  wordle ssly.
" Wha td o yo u want?" She cross ed h er  arms an d dugh er  n a ils into  h erownf l esh,remi n di ng herse lf tom ai nt ain con tr ol.

" Yo u,"  he  said as h e lean ed backand h i s legs slid fo r ward. He cros s ed t he m  laz ily  and his ar ms a c ross  his ch est . 

Ifhe kn ew wh o  she was or if he k ne w what  shedid. How coul d he justs i t  there s o... so - 

"What no sas sy re tort?" His eyebrowquirk ed up.
"Who arey o u?" sheask eda l itt l e  l ouder than sh e ' d in te nded, a s h er ange r f lar ed. 

H elaughed a nd broug ht  h is  h atoverh is facein  mo ck  em barra s sment.  "I g uess  m yr epu tationp re c e desme ."  Hesto od  andheld his  hand o ut to her  in a sw ee pi ng gest ure.

"What?"  s he scowled .
"A  dance , "  he offe red.

"I don't trust yo u ."

"Go od,  that  mak es two of  us ." Hewin k ed. "C ole,"he no dd eda n d toy e d  w ith  t he brim of h ishat a she s tood be fore her. "Cole Br a ckt on,"

Alexis'  ey es f l a sh edw id e  an dh erh e art danced wild ly.

"Ah!"  h e  l aughed. "S o  yo uhave he ard ofme. S o  a danc e?"

Sheknew he w ou ldn' t use  his power s on the  dance fl o or, b u the co uld  drain  h ers . She  figur e d h is pl an was  t o kill  her,  b ut her s enses weren't clear. Sh e stoo d and  he r stomach  ch u rne d uneasil y. S he took hi s h and  andlet out a  lit t le  cr y  when  hep ulled her ha rsh l y  t o his chest . F lus h fil led her ch eeks  as
 nails_through her_hair. Her looks had_always captured_the_hearts of_any_man that she'd_crossed paths with,_not that she'd let_any get that_close_to her. She had one mission in life.

"Don't be coy. We both know it_is."_His hands_looked_rough,_but as they came in_contact with her hand she_flinched at_the softness. He touched her ring. It was_a_gold knotted Celtic_banding with a triangular ruby in the center.

"Don't touch_me." She recoiled from him.

That pompous_smile returned and_she_saw_his necklace, it too_had a Celtic knot, but his_gem was green. _Who was he?__Her victim was now turning into a_mystery—one that seemed to be eyeing_her body all over and_taunting her_wordlessly.

"What do you want?" She_crossed her arms_and dug_her nails into_her own flesh, reminding herself to_maintain control.

"You," he_said as he leaned back and_his_legs slid forward._He_crossed_them lazily_and his arms_across_his chest.

If_he_knew who she was or if_he_knew what she did. How could he_just sit there so..._so-

"What_no sassy retort?" His_eyebrow quirked up.

"Who are you?"_she asked a little louder than_she'd intended,_as her_anger flared.

He laughed and brought his hat over his face in_mock embarrassment. "I guess my reputation_precedes me." He stood_and held_his_hand out to_her_in a_sweeping gesture.

"What?" she scowled.

"A dance," he offered.

"I_don't trust_you."

"Good, that makes two of us."_He winked. "Cole," he_nodded_and toyed with the brim of_his hat as he stood before_her. "Cole Brackton,"

Alexis' eyes flashed_wide_and_her heart danced wildly.

"Ah!" he_laughed. "So you have heard of_me. So a_dance?"

She knew he wouldn't use his powers_on_the dance floor, but he could_drain_hers. She figured his plan was_to_kill_her, but her senses weren't_clear. She stood and her stomach_churned uneasily. She took his hand and let out_a little cry_when he pulled her harshly_to_his_chest. Flush filled her cheeks as