When I plummeted, what awaited me wasn't the freezing crystal black water below, it was a pair of hands wrapping around my waist and pulling me back onto the pier. Astonishment does not begin to describe what I was feeling at that moment and the fact that my heart was racing to the brink of explosion was adding to the weariness I was beginning to feel. As my eyes drooped close, I heard the sound of the waves crashing into the pier and I felt enclosed around a body that was unfamiliar yet safe feeling.

Awaking in a pick-up truck to the sound of the engine roaring to life was unsettling. As my eyes adjusted to the setting sun and I took in my surroundings, I noticed the man who had saved me earlier putting the truck into drive and maneuvering onto the road. The uneasiness that I felt being in an unfamiliar truck was tucked away when I started to analyze the mans features. His hair was blacker than a ravens feather, his skin was paler than the moon on a breezy summer night, and his eyes were green like the dark stone of an emerald. To simply put it, he was enchanting and for an unknown reason, he made me feel safe.

"How are you feeling?" The man asked me with a brief glance to the passengers seat that I was still belted into. I blushed knowing I had been staring at him and surely he noticed.

"I'm not sure, but I don't feel bad." It was an honest response. I didn't know how I felt. Safe, yes. But also confused because hat feeling was with a complete stranger who could be hauling me into an unknown area to murder me. Then again, it was unlikely since he saved me in the first place. "Thank you for saving me, by the way."

"You're welcome." It was the curtest response to someone saying thank you, but as long as he knew her gratitude, she didn't mind.

"Where are we going?"

"I'm not sure yet. I just needed to get you away from that pier where your life was in danger." She felt that her life had been in more danger than simply falling into an ice cold ocean, but she didn't want to press for more information. Plus, she wasn't sure she could handle it right now anyway. He pulled off onto a small wooded driveway that looked as if it lead to a house way off the road and parked the truck.

"What's your name?" She needed to know his name since they were far from a place she could recognize and since he had saved her life.

"Jev." Jev? Was that short for something, she wondered. It suited him though with his cutting looks, his tall toned body leaning into the familiar seat of his truck…. She was staring again and knew that as her eyes raked the contours of his body, he was watching her do so.

"So, Jev, why did you save me? I mean, it's not like you know me or owe me anything?" She had unbuckled her seatbelt and was finding herself scooting closer to him and she didn't know if it was the chill of the night making her want to find warmth in a close body or something entirely else.

"I saved you because I had to, you would have died. I wasn't going to let that happen when I could easily prevent it."

"Before, you said that you needed to get me away from the danger at the pier, what did you mean?" She knew that he meant more than falling into the ocean but whether he would tell her was another story.

"Let's just leave it at falling into the ocean and dying."

"No. I know you're hiding something from me. What did you mean? Are there people after me for some reason?"

"I wouldn't call them people." The way he said people made a chill tingle up her spine, which only made her cold body shake and she unconsciously scooted all the way over to him clutching his muscular bicep between her hands and nuzzling her face into the shoulder of his shirt. The action seemed so easy and natural with him that before her face could flood with the crimson color that signified her embarrassment, she scooted away. But the action he made in return was what stunned her the most. His arm wrapped around her waist in that now familiar way, and pulled her to him where her body was flush to his side. His other hand made its way caressing her arm up to her shoulder, then to her neck and finally to her cheek. With her breathing rapid and her heart beating erratically beneath her chest, he leaned in to touch his forehead with hers and the action made her melt like putty. As her cheeks flushed with that crimson color and her hands found his bicep and chest, he tilted her head with the hand at her cheek so that she was staring into those pools of green. The smell of the ocean clung to him along with his own distinct musky smell that made him even more alluring. As she closed her eyes due to the feeling of pure bliss, she could feel his breath on her cheek and then his mouth found hers.

Where her mouth began and his ended, she didn't know, and she was more than just fine with that. It started out shy and soft but grew more passionate as she pressed her mouth back into his in response and the moan that escaped his lips only fueled her more. His grip on her wait tightened and his hand at her cheek moved to the base of her neck so he could pull her further to his mouth. The soft sounds of lips meeting and breaking filled the truck until Jev leaned back and placed his forehead onto her hers once again.

"You don't know how long I've waited to do that." She was so flustered, hot, and trembling with delight that it took a second for her to register what he said.

"What do you mean? You knew me before today?" She knew that she should feel alarmed at the thought since she didn't recognize him in the least, for all she knew, he could be a stalker. But, the moment they just shared and the feeling of comfort and safety with him allowed her to remain calm.

"I've known you all your life, Angel." His fingers grazed her bottom lip and the spark in his eyes let her know that he wanted it between his own.

"How? I've never seen you before yet I feel this safety and belonging with you." Her hand moved from his chest to his face where she brushed his dark hair away from his eyes and cupped his cheek.

"I'll tell you when I think you can handle it, but right now is not the time." His hand that was once at her lips now moved to the ignition where he revved up the truck and put into reverse. With her body still flush to his side, they rode in silence to another small wooded driveway where Jev proceeded to drive until he parked in front of an intimate and warm looking cabin secluded by the towering trees. "Home sweet, home."

To be continued….