Free Romancing a Stranger by Shady Grace Page A

kitchen and set the parcel down on the counter. Is this supposed to be a birthday gift? She had few friends, and they had already taken her out for drinks last weekend. Besides, Blackwood and Bishop were not similar by any means. Somebody in the mail department messed up.
    “Well, Mrs. Millicent Blackwood , let’s see what we have.”
    Milli grabbed a knife from the cutlery drawer, slid the tip through the brown tape holding the top flaps together, and opened the box. Sitting inside, surrounded by scraps of some soft-textured gold cloth, was an amethyst globe atop an ornately carved wooden pedestal. What’s the meaning of this?
    No note accompanied the globe. No indication at all of where or whom it came from. She reached inside and carefully pulled the amethyst out from the box. The workmanship and detail of the base was out of this world and appeared very old.
    A chill made her arm hairs prickle. Why would somebody send her this? And was it really meant for her?
    Etchings of intertwined foliage covered the base, encasing the smooth amethyst like a carving from ancient times, rich in detail and clearly handcrafted. The wood was very dark, almost black with a hint of red; she guessed it must be mahogany. Milli had seen globes before, but never of this beautiful quality. She lifted it high, cupping it firmly, and nearly dropped it when she read the engraved phrase beneath the globe, Hold time dear to your heart . What were the odds of seeing those words twice in one night?
    Impossible. I must be drunk.
    Fascinated, she swept her hands over the globe, captivated by how smooth it was. She didn’t think it was possible to cut and polish amethyst so perfectly. And she knew it was real amethyst by the swirled hues of purple, pink, and white within the globe.
    The lights flickered and died.
    “Shit.” She’d forgotten about the power outage.
    Setting the globe down on the counter, Milli went to search for a flashlight. While she was digging through her closet, a rustling sound from somewhere in the house made her pause. After a recent string of break-ins in the neighborhood, she feared a burglar had gotten in.
    She found the flashlight and gripped it like a weapon, and inched her way quietly down the hall. A rich, floral perfume wafted in the air. As she neared the kitchen, keeping her back tight to the wall, a light glinted through the crack under the door.
    Garnering every ounce of courage she possessed, Milli swung open the kitchen door with a harsh cry, waving the flashlight like a sword.
    Her hand paused high in the air, and her jaw dropped.
    The amethyst globe was glowing like something out of a sci-fi movie, and then a flash of purple streaked through the kitchen.
    Milli bit back a scream.
    Something magnetic…something indescribable lured her closer to the glowing globe. She tiptoed to the counter, all the while her pulse pounding in her ears. It felt like she was floating there, as if she had no control of her movements. Milli couldn’t speak, couldn’t breathe, felt possessed by something out of this world as she picked up the globe.
    The hues within the amethyst sparkled and danced in her wide, unbelieving eyes.
    The globe pulsed and flashed like a strobe light. Objects in the kitchen swirled around her in hazy, elongated shapes.
    Strange voices echoed in the air…before the world around her suddenly vanished.

Chapter 1
    Warden Blackwood was ready to set his cards down and win the pot when a disturbance in the parlor cut him short. It sounded like an argument.
    Damn women. What have they done now?
    “Excuse me, gentlemen. Duty calls.”
    “Come now, Blackwood, I’m sure your wife’s sister has the matter handled.”
    “I’m sure she does, but if that babe in her belly arrives tonight and I’m not there to aid her, I’ll make you assist the midwife.”
    Bromley’s face turned pale, and he averted his gaze back down to his cards.
    Warden chuckled and threw his cards down. “That’s what I