Free Off the Beaten Path: Eight Tales of the Paranormal by Sharon Sant, Angela Roquet, Jason T. Graves, Monica La Porta, Chip Putnam, D.R. Johnson, Kath Langdon Page A

shadows again, as far away from me as he could possible get on the tiny balcony.
    “Where have you been?  How did you even get up here?”  I jittered, as my eyes jumped from him to the rickety fire escape and back again.  I finally looked down to inspect my injury.  The cut didn’t seem so bad.  The glass had barely penetrated the arch of my foot.  Gathering my courage against the pain, I clasped the small shard with my fingers and pulled it free.  Bright red droplets of blood splattered on the concrete.
    “Are you okay?” he whispered, his voice full of concern.
    “Sure,” I grumbled, rolling my eyes at my own stupidity.  I pulled the blanket from my shoulders to wipe away the blood, not caring if Nik saw me half clothed.  It was easier to replace a blanket than carpet.  “Come inside while I clean this up.  Then you’re going to tell me where you’ve been!”
    I used the blanket to get myself from the balcony to the kitchen without spilling a drop of blood, and proceeded to bandage my wound while casting eager glances at the open balcony door.  Nik still had not followed me inside.  My mind began to create more scenarios, weaving doubt where there had only been excitement before.  I reminded myself I didn’t know Nik as well as I wanted to.  Over our short friendship, fantasies and wayward thoughts had filled in pieces of the puzzle I was desperate to put together.  By the time I was done with my bandage, a healthy amount of fear had wedged itself into my mind.
    Why is he here now?
    With trepidation, I stepped slowly toward my balcony.  The night wind was playing with the curtains, causing them to billow back into the apartment and give the room an eerie effect.  That wasn’t helping me win back my courage.
    “ Nik?” I asked.  The uncertainty in my voice rang in my ears.
    I paused in the middle of my living room floor, waiting.  The lights shown off the broken glass on the balcony, and I was considering fetching the broom and dustpan to clean it up when the shadow of Nik’s form moved into the doorway.
    “I’m sorry,” he said as he stepped across the threshold.  The dim light surrounded him, and the broken bottle was forgotten.  “I never meant to startle you.”
    A part of me realized that I should be indignant or, at the very least, scared.  However, as soon as I saw him, all the doubt, insecurities, and fear melted away.  His eyes captured me.  Dark and smoldering, they stared into my depths, my soul.  I forgot how to breathe.
    “Are you okay?” he said, taking two more steps toward me before stopping.  Somehow, I mustered a nod in answer as my eyes drank in his appearance.  He wore brown cowboy boots, a dark pair of jeans, and a tight, black, V-neck T-shirt that was probably at least two sizes too small.  It clung to every overly-defined muscle on his chest, and I wanted to rip it off him.
    His dark brown hair – longer than I remembered – had fallen down into his face.  I wasn’t used to seeing it so unkempt.  At work, every hair had always been perfectly in place.  His new, careless style was sexy, and had me wanting to run my fingers through it.
    By the time I met his eyes again, his concern had fled, replaced by a knowing smile.  My eyes lingered on his lips for a moment, so full and beautiful.  I wanted to be kissing them, tasting them.  I felt my body flushing from head to toe.
    I shook off my daze, feeling ridiculous.  Stumbling over to the couch, I fell back into the soft cushions, doing my best to drum up my resolve.  I wanted to at least act like a respectable woman, even if I didn’t feel that way.  That was going to be a difficult task considering my attire; I still looked the part of the hussy.
    “Laura.”  He whispered my name the same way he had done earlier.  It was a long, drawn-out caress that made my skin tingle with anticipation.  I looked up at him, and my desires flared again.  He knelt in front of me, but still kept his