Dammit! She knew better than to not check her surroundings when she left a building! Now here she was, fighting with a mugger because she had been distracted by that gorgeous man in the coffee shop. She was SO not going to let this happen! This asshole was not going to strong-arm her! She almost had him beaten when the strap on her purse broke, giving him more control over the bag, and enough distance to avoid her fury. She was trying to figure out how to overcome this sudden disadvantage when the tension was suddenly released from the other end of the purse and she was sent hurtling backwards into a solid wall of male flesh. The seemingly immovable mass quickly enfolded her, bracing her until she regained her balance. She was still angry and full of fight though, so when she saw her attacker scrambling to pick himself up from the ground, she lunged forward to finish him off, only to be brought up short by strong arms encircling her waist.

“Easy, fierce one, your fight is already won.” His voice rumbled in her ear, with a mixture of amusement and admiration.

Indeed, the mugger was already staggering from the scene. She turned to face her new-found ally and found that he was the beautiful man she had caught staring at her with open appreciation. It was pausing in the doorway, giving him a chance to approach her, which distracted her enough to walk into the mugger.

“Hell, maybe it was worth it.”’ she thought as she turned in the circle of his arms and saw him up close for the first time. He seemed reluctant to release her from his embrace, but she didn’t mind. He took a half step backward to look her over for injuries but left his hands burning at her waist while he did.

“Are you all right?” he asked, with an accent she hadn't heard before. His voice had a deep resonance and an almost musical quality that was pleasing to the ear. The vibration of his voice struck her like a tuning fork, vibrating through her body, which responded with an enthusiasm that left her stammering.

“I'm fine, really,” she said, somewhat breathlessly. She was more than willing to let him believe it was from the exertion of defending her belongings. “Thank you so much for your help, I thought for sure I was going to lose it there at the end.”

“You were admirably ferocious,” he said with a smile on his face and admiring gleam in his eye. “Most people would not have fought so well! Are you sure you are not hurt?”

“I seem to be all in one piece, though my hand is a little sore.”

He reached down to examine the reddened appendage, lifted it to his chest and manipulated each of her fingers. “It does not appear to be damaged.” He said as he lifted her hand and pressed her knuckles lightly to his lips.

A warm tingle suffused her at the contact. He did it so casually that it was impossible to be offended by the forward act. He stood looking at her and said in that warm voice of his, “I am Jay,” and then stood simply holding her hand to his chest, looking at her quizzically.

His eyes were so mesmerizing that for a moment she lost track of everything else. They were rich amber with flecks of gold, ringed by brown the color of melted milk chocolate. She had never seen anything like them. It finally dawned on her that he had spoken to her. “Oh, yes! I’m Kathryn,” she blurted out apologetically. “I really should get to work; I'm going to be late.” She was internally kicking herself for even suggesting there was any place in the world she would rather be. “Thank you so much for your help. This city is famous for people just watching things like that happen. Or recording them on their smart phones,” she added wryly.

“I am sure you do not require defending very often, but how could anybody stand by and watch such a beautiful woman in such a situation without wanting to play the hero?” he said seriously.

She blushed prettily at his compliment. It was not unusual for her to draw male attention, even cat calls from a distance, but seldom did men approach her at close quarters. Most were just too intimidated or had to augment their courage with alcohol, and she wasn't interested in drunks or men who weren’t confident enough to go after what they wanted. As she struggled to find something coherent to say, he seemed to come to some decision.

"Miss Kathryn, it would be my pleasure and honor if you would join me for dinner this evening.”

How could she possibly turn him down, especially after he had come to her aid? “I would love to,” she said, “but please, allow me to take you to dinner as a thank you for your help.”

He beamed a huge smile at her, and replied, “I would be happy to.”

They exchanged information and promised to finalize the details for the evening later in the day.

“I really do have to run now though,” She said regretfully, “but I look forward to seeing you again.”

Jay once again lifted her hand to his lips, and kissed the back of her hand both more formally, and more firmly, leaving the impression of soft, full lips that warmed her and created an aching, liquid desire in her loins. She had to resist the urge to clamp her thighs together and squirm to quell the throbbing his attentions were causing in her pelvis.

“Until tonight then,” he crooned. He watched her turn and disappear into the mass of pedestrians, craning his neck to watch as long as possible. She tuned, just before she was lost in the crowd, to see him standing in the same spot watching her walk away. Again with that awed expression on his face. She smiled, inside and out, and with a buoyant feeling carrying her forward, she gave a small wave and continued on her way.