What was Shayla doing? Kissing a hot former Navy SEAL? A pro football player? Who was she? Not to mention the fact he was only here temporarily.

She sat in her English class and listened to the professor discussing the requirements for their last paper, focusing on the timeless virtues of the Odyssey. Their last paper was picking a character in the book and doing an in-depth study on why the character’s flaws outweighed their strengths and how that was important in the hero story genre.

Her thoughts kept going back to Scar. To the soft kiss. To his hard muscles that held her. To the way he’d insisted on fixing her oil filter. When she’d come out to go to class, her car had been lifted off the jack and all the tools were neatly placed right next to her passenger side door.

A gentleman.

It felt weird to have a near stranger taking care of her. How he just came and helped her was crazy. Once again, she was distracted by thoughts of how his muscles felt against his shirt.

Her boyfriend, Jason, had been everything to her, but she couldn’t remember feeling all this chemistry between them. Had they ever had that? She didn’t know. For heaven’s sake, she’d kissed him for the first time in eight grade, so she didn’t remember feeling this.

She thought of Scar, of the power in his body, the toughness in his eyes. She wanted to know more about him. It dawned on her that she really didn’t know him at all. She wanted to know so much more. How had it happened that she’d been thrown together with this jerk of a guy from the diner? Good thing he’d ordered the wrong eggs. She smiled, thinking of telling him this.

After her class, she went to the library and tried to get the paper going. After two hours, she decided she couldn’t finish it. She was three pages into a ten-page paper, and she couldn’t focus on anything but Scar.

Walking quickly across campus, she looked forward to “pillow talk” tonight. Truly, she would love to have more time to talk to him and get to know him, but it was pointless, right? The underlying feeling she had was that he wasn’t in San Diego for long.

Taking a turn down an alley, she felt that weird feeling hit her in the center of her chest. It stunned her for a second. Then she sped up her walk, turning it into a jog. She had to get to the end of the alley. There weren’t any other people here. She sped up even more, but halted when she saw a guy who seemed to be locking a door. He was jiggling the doorknob with some keys. She was almost past when the guy turned and their eyes connected.

It was the guy from the night at the sports bar. The creeper from the diner. The one who had grabbed her before Scar had stopped it.

He narrowed his eyes.

Turning around, she jetted back the way she had come. “Gotta meet my boyfriend,” she yelled out, feeling erratic and stupid. She kicked it up a notch. She didn’t stop, just got to the end of the alley, turned, and booked it back toward the library. The feeling of fight or flight was so strong she didn’t want to look back.

When she got to the library, she turned. No one there. Her heart hammered wildly as she rushed up the steps and went inside, making for the third floor where she’d found a good place to study quietly.

When she got there, she sucked in a few breaths, telling herself it meant nothing. He hadn’t been following her. He’d been coming out of a door in the alley. Still she couldn’t convince herself it was a coincidence.

Without knowing why she did it, she texted Scar. Just saw the weirdo from the other night at the sports bar.

Not even two seconds later, he texted back. Are you okay?

She breathed in and out slowly. Yes.

Where are you?

She could envision him, agitated with his muscles flexing. It made her feel better to have someone to tell, even though she didn’t want to be a weakling. Why had she told him? At the community library on campus. I’m fine.

After a couple of seconds, he replied. I’m coming.

She felt like an idiot, but knowing he was on his way did help her feel calmer.

Only twenty minutes later, she saw Scar coming through the library. She stood, every part of her feeling lighter. When he saw her, he pulled her in for a hug.

“I’m sorry. It was probably nothing,” she said, feeling stupid.

He stared into her eyes. “What happened?”

She related to him what happened.

Scar looked like he wanted to rip someone’s head off. She knew he could do it, too. “Where was he?”

Gathering up her stuff and her courage, she took him back to the door the guy where she had seen the guy.

Scar looked around, kicking the debris in the alley, looking like a cop. Actually, like a Navy SEAL on a mission. Swerving his eyes back to her, he asked, “Do you have any idea what his name is or what he does?”

“No. I shouldn’t have even brought you here.”

He stepped closer and took her hand. “I’m glad you did.”

Regret washed over her. “Scar, you’re not staying in San Diego.”

“I’m here right now.” He pulled her into him, hugging her. She was lost in the scent his cologne. It smelled like the ocean, which would sound utterly ridiculous if she said it out loud. Not to mention the fact that she and Jason had only been broken up a month ago and it had not been her decision.

Releasing her, he asked, “What time are you done here?”

It annoyed her that he appeared to care about her so much. It bugged her even more that she liked it. “I’ve already taken up your day with my oil filter and now this.”

He winked at her. “I’ve got it handled.”

She sighed. “I should finish my last paper. It’s due in two days.”

“Can you be done for today?” he asked, looking so sincere.

She wanted to say yes, but it unnerved her that she felt so attracted to him. She knew she didn’t want to get too close to him. Hadn’t she had enough heartbreak? “I should stay and get a couple of more pages done.”

He hesitated and looked at her lips, then back to her eyes. Her heart pounded and she thought he might kiss her, but he pulled his hand back, tapping on his phone. “I have a couple of things to handle too. I’ll call you later for pillow talk.”

It felt personal, the way he said it and the way his eyes twinkled.

“Okay.” She pulled away, hauling her backpack over her shoulder and rushing away.

“Wait.”

She looked up and once again was taken aback by her attraction to him. His blond hair fell into his eyes. His tan skin and the scar on his face made him look like amazing. He was beautiful.

“I’ll walk you back,” he said.

When they got to the library, she turned and was about to wave goodbye when his arms slipped around her waist and pulled her in. His lips kind of slammed into hers.

It caught her off guard, and she laughed against his lips.

His hands were firm on her back, pulling her closer. He took her by surprise again, deepening the kiss.

It was like one of those moments in a movie when the girl goes weak in the knees and puts up her foot in complete … what? Bliss? All sorts of warmth rushed through her at the way this man held her like he already owned her.

Just as quickly, he pulled back and gave her a peck on the cheek, his sharp eyes already evaluating her reaction.

Shayla couldn’t help but laugh. “I told you we can’t do this.”

“I heard you.” He smirked.

She shook her head, unable to deny the power of this attraction between them.

Scar sighed. “Are you going to eat at some point tonight? Can I take you out?”

She didn’t know what to do. “No, I don’t …” She trailed off.

He kept her hand inside of his. “Look, the truth is that I’m dying for a home-cooked meal. Would you mind if I bought a couple of things and made dinner for us at your house?”

“What?” She was confused. He wanted to cook for her?

“I try to eat clean, and it’s hard when you’re going out every meal, so it would be a favor to me.” His puppy eyes blinked dramatically.

She laughed, unable to say no. Picking up her keys, she pulled the house one off. “Fine, cook, but I’m doing the dishes. Don’t even try to argue.”

He didn’t respond right away. She thought he might kiss her again, but he only cocked an eyebrow as he took her key. “Can you be home at seven?”

“Okay.” She put up a hand. “I don’t have a lot of food. Sorry.”

A grin spread across his face. “No problem. See you in a bit.”