The kiss sends shock waves ricocheting through Maxie, rendering her unable to think, to move, to do anything but lose herself in the incredible kiss.

She’d thought Dillion, also known as Captain Manipulation, a name he took because he has the ability to not only manipulate shadows, but to also warp time, and even, occasionally, use the power of suggestion to help encourage people to take a specific action, was a great kisser, but it was nothing compared to this Heat Flare.

Just as Maxie’s knees turn to jelly, Heat Flare draws back.

He stares deep into her eyes and strokes a finger along her cheek while Maxie valiantly tries to unscramble her brain.

“Until next time,” he whispers in her ear before he steps back and takes a massive leap and soars into the pretty blue sky.

As rational thought slowly returns to Maxie, she glares up at the sky, furious both that she’s let another superhero get his mouth on her and that this one flew away as easily as the other walked out doors.

If Ryan weren’t sitting in the car beside me, I’d bang my head against the steering wheel. Since that’s not an option, I settle on inserting the key into the ignition and twisting it with more force than is strictly necessary.

The entire day has been nothing but one emotional roller coaster ride and I really don’t know how I feel about it.

I steer my car out to the street, hardly noticing that Ryan is driving directly behind me. I lift a hand and press my fingers to my lips, which still tingle from his kiss.

The first time was quick and unexpected. I barely had time to process what was happening before it ended, but at the restaurant… That was completely different.

In the car, Ryan acted like he’d forced himself on me. While it’s true, he hadn’t exactly asked permission, this time I’d known it was coming. If I’d wanted to reject him, I’d had enough time to do so. But I hadn’t.

The truth is, I’d wanted him to kiss me since he first proposed that we become a fake couple. Partly because as I got to know Ryan, I learned that he was a sweet, charming guy, with a great smile and a generous nature, and partly because I wanted to know if his kiss had been as bone meltingly perfect as it had felt in the coffee shop.

Now I know. My memory wasn’t nearly as good as the real thing.

Ryan isn’t as a good a kisser as I remember. He is way better. I couldn’t believe how a relatively innocent kiss has awoken things inside of me I’ve never felt before. In the coffee shop, his kiss made my toes curl. When he sat me on his car, he lit a fire I’ve yet to douse.

Had he not noticed those kids hanging out on the edge of the restaurant parking lot and pulled back when he did, I most likely would have begged him to take me right then and there.

Part of me wishes I had.

My car dings at me, distracting me from my thoughts. I look down at my dashboard, where a warning sign glows bright red. Apparently, a gas fairy didn’t visit my car while it was sitting in the parking lot and fill up the gas tank.

I eyeball the gas gauge and try to calculate the amount to see if it’s enough to get me home and back to the gas station in the morning.

Deciding it’s not worth the risk, I make a swing into the parking lot of a closed hardware store so I can reverse and backtrack down Main Street, my stomach clenching as the car directly behind me repeats the movement. I relax when I spot Ryan behind the wheel.

The only gas station I’ll use after dark is a small but brightly lit establishment that sits kitty-corner to the police department. Since the place always has a nice selection of fresh doughnuts, cookies, and high-quality coffee on hand, almost always at least one, sometimes more squad cars are parked in front of the building.

I park beside the pump closest to the building and get out of my car as Ryan pulls in.

I think back to my last words to him and a strange fluttering motion settles in my stomach. Did he think I was extending an invitation?

He gets out of his car as I flip open my gas tank and start filling it with the expensive, stinky liquid. Out of the corner of my eye, I watch him lean against the side of his car. I feel the weight of his gaze on me.

“Aren’t you going to fill up?”

Ryan shakes his head. “Nah. I’ve got plenty.”

“Then why are you here?” I stare at the flashing numbers on the gas pump’s information panel and struggle to put all thoughts of our kiss out of my mind.

“I wanted to make sure you get home safe.” Ryan crosses his arms over his chest and looks up at one of the security cameras.

His words send a rush of warmth through me. Maybe because we live in a time when guys just don’t do all that many nice, chivalrous things, like holding doors open for women. There’s no way my last boyfriend would have worried about me getting home safely.

“You don’t have to do that,” I tell him. “This town isn’t exactly a hot bed of criminal activity.”

Ryan’s gaze captures mine. “I want to.”

I blush and fumble with the pump. I don’t know what to say.

I slide the nozzle back into the socket and pull my credit card out of my pocket to pay. A small blue piece of paper falls out and blows across the faded asphalt. Ryan bends and catches it.

He reads what’s written on it and his eyes widen. “What’s this about?”

I snatch the printed receipt from the pump and shove it and my credit card back into my pocket and turn toward Ryan. “What’s what about?”

“This.” He thrusts the small square of paper into my hand.

It’s from a sticky note pad. Dirt and a bit of lint stick to the small strip of glue. On the non-glue side are the words ‘BACK OFF’ written in ink. Whoever wrote them went over each letter several times and pressed down so hard that in a few places the pen actually punctured the thin paper.

The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. “I’ve never seen this before.”

Ryan stares at the note in my hand. “It fell out of your coat pocket,” he says, his voice low and serious. “It reads like a threat.”

“Yeah, I realize that,” I tell him, my own voice an octave higher than normal, “but I’m telling you, I have no idea where it came from or even what it means. It probably got stuck to something that I put in my pocket.” I toss the note into the trash. “There,” I tell Ryan. “Problem solved.” If only I could dismiss the sudden sense of unease it triggered just as easily.

Ryan frowns and stares at the trash can. “Maybe you should turn that in to the police.”

“And tell them what? That we found a weird note, but we don’t know who it’s from, who it was meant for, or even where it came from?” I swing back toward my car. “Now, if you don’t mind, it’s been a long day. I’m tired and I just want to go home.”

By the time I snap my seat belt on, Ryan is already in the BMW. I’m not surprised when he follows me out of the gas station.

My house isn’t anything fancy, but it’s mine. It sits on a quiet side street and is located just a little to the right of the city center. The residents who live in this part of town are either older and have lived here most of their adult life, or are first-time home owners who, like me, sometimes find it difficult to make their paycheck stretch far enough to stay on top of their bills.

My own single floor home is small, but cute, or at least it will be when I finally get around to replacing the faded siding and add a little landscaping to the yard. Since I don’t have a garage, I pull into my customary space beside the porch.

Ryan parks behind me and gets out of his car.

My stomach churns as I wonder if he expects me to invite him in. I can’t even remember how long it’s been since the last time I had to decide what I should do with a guy after a date.

I wipe my suddenly sweaty palms on the side of my jeans and turn to face Ryan.

He’s studying my house, which looks better at night than during the day. “Nice place.”

“I like it.”

Ryan’s attention swings back to me. His expression causes my pulse to quicken. I sense more than see his hand reaching out, slowly moving toward me until it finally reaches my face. The tip of his thumb slowly brushes my lower lip as he outlines it, setting off a tingle that slides down my body.

Sighing, I lean into his touch. Even as I wish for his lips to replace his thumb, I make a decision.

“Would you like to come in for a cup of coffee … or something?”

Ryan’s eyes light up and he grins, but shakes his head. “Thanks, but not tonight.”

Disappointment zings through me.

Clearly, I made a mistake. He doesn’t want me. All of his actions today really were for the sake of his career. And I really can’t get mad at him about that, can I? It’s not like I didn’t know the score when we entered into this farcical relationship.

“So, I guess this is goodnight then.” It’s not easy to keep the grinding disappointment out of my voice, but somehow, I manage.

“Guess so,” Ryan confirms, his voice whisper soft.

He reaches out, taking my hand in his, holding it lightly as he lifts it to his mouth and places a light kiss to my knuckles in an old-fashioned gesture that charms me. My hand trembles. Much more of this and I just might forget that this thing between us isn’t real and I’ll actually start falling for him.

And that would be the worst possible thing I could do.