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What the hell? She knew this wasn't still some part of that earlier nightmare. It was too real, the place too old-fashioned. She heard crickets and saw lightning bugs twinkle outside the window. A fly buzzed over her head and she listened to a mosquito or two, droning in their search for the rich, red blood beneath her skin.

She didn't hear the blast of car horns, tire sounds on pavement, or the grinding noise from trucks changing gears as they flew up and down the hilly countryside. It was so quiet, no music, no talking, nothing. Then she heard a latch lift and something large and furry jumped up onto the bed, knocking the breath out of her.

Anxiety left her speechless as the light from the open door spilled into the room and onto the bed she lay in. The dog was next to her, warm and wild smelling, doing her no harm. The large figure approaching her now made her breathless, anxious. She knew it was a man; his silhouette starkly outlined by the light behind him.

When he reached the bed, he bent toward her, only to pick up the tiny piece of candle still barely burning. He lit a stained glass-covered lantern and placed it on the bed stand beside it. Keealyn stared into a pair of green eyes that reminded her of misty mornings.

Clean-shaven, his thick, dark chestnut hair flowed past the collar of his navy muslin shirt. It opened halfway down the front, to reveal a smooth muscular chest. Very tall, lean, and brawny, well-defined biceps, triceps, and pecs filled his shirt. He had a slim waist and strong shoulders. His worn blue jeans, held up with a handmade leather belt, hung low on his hips. His skin seemed to glow in the lamplight in a warm, bronzedtone.

He was gorgeous.