Disclaimed: SM owns Twilight

Ch2:Thai Slaw & Terry

Leah inhaled a lungful of crisp mountain air wafting through the open windows of her late-model Toyota Highlander hybrid. The exterior temperature on the rearview mirror read seventy-two degrees, sixteen degrees cooler than what it would have been have been if she had remained in Miami. It was late May, and south Florida afternoon temperatures were already in the mid-nineties.

She had left Palm Beach later than she had planned, and hadn't been able to make up the time because of a storm front that had stalled over the Southeast. There were times when the rain had come down so heavily, traffic along the interstate had been reduced to a crawl. However, the rain had stopped entirely by the time she reached Asheville, North Carolina's city limits. The blue-gray haze hovering above the Great Smoky Mountains never failed to make her smile.

Why have I stayed away so long? She thought. The house with three bedrooms, two and half baths built on more than two acres of lush land with panoramic mountain views had been her first big-ticket purchase once she had gained control of her trust. She had fallen in love with the region while attending Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, and each time she returned it was to wind down from the nonstop pace as an emergency-room critical care physician.

She was luckier than most of the students at medical school. She hadn't been burdened with six-figure student loans because of her family's wealth. Her great grandfather had established Clearwater International, Ltd. in 1925 and it was now the biggest family-owned agribusiness in the Unites States.

Leah was always very low-key when it came to her wealth. She had shared an apartment with another student in college and in medical school, and had driven an affordable car until she had earned her medical degree. She knew she had shocked her mother when she revealed that she did her own laundry instead of sending it out and had learned to cook rather than eat in restaurants or order takeout.

Leah and her two brothers had grown up in a house hold with a live-in housekeeping staff, a full time chef, drivers and a grounds crew. When her college roommate—who had come from a poor Detroit neighborhood and was on full academic scholarship—called her spoiled and pampered, Leah took offense and refused to talk to her for a week. The stalemate ended when she asked her roommate to show her how to do laundry. Learning how to separate whites and colors segued into shopping for groceries and eventually cooking lessons. After four years, Leah and Angela Weber were not only roommates and friends, but sorority sisters.

Even her fiancé had been completely in the dark when it came to her wealth until she had purchased an oceanfront mansion from her cousin. Claire and Quil had designed the prize winning showcase house as a wedding gift to one another. But after an incident that they never liked to bring up, they divorced. Eventually they relocated to Chicago, reconciled and remarried. Leah had bought the six-bedroom, seven-bath house, hoping she and Sam would raise their children there, and then grow old together.

She and Sam had had their first serious argument because he had felt she hadn't trusted him, and that she'd thought if he had known of her wealth he would have proposed marriage because of her money. He had admitted that he would marry her even if she were a pauper. Fortunately she wasn't destitute.

She was only a few miles from downtown Waynesville when she decided to stop at a supermarket in a shopping center. Not only did she need to fill the pantry and refrigerator, but she also needed cleaning products. It had been more than a year since she had been at the house and she hated to imagine what would greet her when she arrived. There was no doubt that the house would be filled with dust and cobwebs, but hopefully nothing more. When she had locked up the house last summer, she had emptied and cleaned the refrigerator, then unplugged it. She hadn't had to concern herself with break-ins because she had installed a security system that was linked directly to the sheriff's office and fire department. Her nearest neighbor e-mailed her once a week to give her updates on the property.

Maneuvering into a parking space near the entrance to the supermarket, Leah cut off the engine and got out of her SUV. Reaching for a shopping cart, she walked into the market and was met with a rush of cool air from the air-conditioning.

Jacob stood in the supermarket produce aisle, checking the fresh herbs and vegetables in his shopping cart with what was listed on a recipe card for the Thai salad he had planned to prepare for dinner. The recipe called for two different types of cabbage, but with more than half a dozen varieties on display, he was a little confused.

He had just moved into a nearby cabin, compliments of the government, and had spent the past two days settling in. Jacob did not mind eating out, but he had recently begun preparing his own meals in an attempt to eat healthier.

"Excuse me miss, but can you please tell me the difference in these cabbages?"

Leah stopped filling a plastic bag with peaches. She stared at the tall, solidly built man with stubble on his lean russet colored jaw. His large dark eyes and strong masculine features made for a strikingly attractive image. He was casually dressed in a white tee, jeans, boots and a well-worn black baseball cap.

"It all depends on what you want to prepare," she said.

Jacob went completely still when the woman with a profusion of black wavy hair grazing the nape of her neck turned to face him. She had large light brown eyes with long eyelashes that couldn't have been real, a pert nose and a temptingly curved mouth. He knew it was impolite to stare, but he couldn't pull his gaze away from her flawless face, which was the color of copper. Even her voice matched her face. It was velvety and very sexy.

He blinked. "What did you say?"

Leah smiled, dimples dotting her cheeks like thumbprints. "I said it all depends on what you want to make."

"Slaw—it's a spicy Thai slaw." Jacob couldn't believe he was stammering like an awkward adolescent.

"Perhaps you should try the Savoy or Napa cabbage." Leaning over, she tried reading what was written on Jacob's index card. "What does your recipe call for?"

Jacob gave her a sheepish grin, revealing a mouth filled with straight white teeth. "I guess I forgot to write down the type of cabbage."

"You can't go wrong with Savoy or Napa."

"You must be a fabulous cook."

Her eyebrows flickered. "Why would you say that?"

"You know right off the top of your head which type of cabbage I should use."

Leah wanted to tell him that if it hadn't been for Angela she wouldn't have been able to boil an egg. "It's just common sense. Asian dishes call for Asian ingredients."

"Sometimes common sense isn't that common," he quipped. "Do you shop here often?"

Eyes narrowing in suspicion, Leah asked. "Not really. Why?" Whenever she had come to Waynesville for more than a week, she would visit the supermarket to restock her pantry. However, if she'd planned to stay for an extended weekend, then she shopped at the smaller downtown markets and variety stores.

"I need soba noodles, and I'd hoped you would know why aisle they were on."

"If they do carry them, then you'll probably find them in the aisle with the other imported products."

Jacob shook his head. "Why didn't I think of that?"

Leah wanted to tell the gorgeous stranger that either he truly lacked common sense or he'd embarked on a cooking project that exceeded his culinary expertise. "Good luck with your spicy Thai slaw."

"Thank you for your invaluable assistance."

Turning back to her shopping cart, she glanced at its contents. She had selected seasonal fruits, fresh herbs and vegetables. All she needed was dairy and then she would head home.

She pushed her cart away from the produce section slowly, glancing over her shoulder at the delicious looking man. Her pulse quickened when she saw him standing motionless, staring at her. Raising her hand, she waved, and then turned down another aisle.

Twenty minutes later, she pushed her cart out to the parking lot and transferred her groceries from the cart to the cargo area of the vehicle. As soon as she sat behind the wheel, her eyelids felt heavy. She had been on the road more than twelve hours. Her plan to clean the house would have to wait. After all, she had tomorrow and the next day and the rest of the summer to do all she needed to do before returning to Miami. She hoped when she did return to Miami that she wouldn't be the same woman who had left.

Leah unlocked the door to the house she regarded as her sanctuary, a place to heal. What she didn't want to do was relive the last time she had come with Sam. Miraculously, they had been able to coordinate four days of vacation and they had traveled to North Carolina to unwind. Four days stretched into six when a freak snowstorm blanketed the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains, and they were trapped inside until all the roads were cleared. It would be the last time she and Sam would spend time together in what he had always referred to as "the mountains."

She deactivated the security system and walked in, wrinkling her nose when she encountered a buildup of heat and muskiness. Within minutes she flicked on lights and opened window. Clean mountain air swept into the rooms through the screens, quickly dispelling the stale odor. The imprint from the bottom of her running shoes was clearly outlined in the layer of dust covering the dust floor. Sam had chided her for covering the furniture with dustcovers, but the diligence then now saved her hours of housework.

Her intent to clean the house tomorrow had changed when Leah realized the daunting task she couldn't put off until the next day. It took four trips to her car to bring in her luggage and groceries. She discovered a spurt of energy when she cleaned the refrigerator, vacuumed the floors, dusted furniture, cleaned the bathrooms and made her bed.

The sun had set behind the mountains, taking with it the warmth of the day when Leah sat on the wraparound deck outside her second-floor bedroom, sipping from a mug of steaming coffee. She had showered, changed into a pair of cotton pajamas and then added a thick cotton pullover and socks to ward off the cooler night air.

Without the bright lights from hotels, towering office and high rise apartment buildings the stars in the nighttime sky appeared brighter, closer. Closing her eyes, Leah felt a gentle peace sweep over her body. It was as if she had come to her own private world where she didn't want for anything. All she had to do was wake up, eat, drink, walk, read, watch television, go to bed and then get up to do it all over again.

Now she understood why people dropped out of society to become recluses. It took too much effort to make it through each day. She had been trained to save lives. And yet, she'd stood by and watched a boy take the lives of her patient, fiancé and another doctor before he was shot by another boy. What Leah hadn't been able to grasp was that all of the gang members were sixteen and younger. Instead of hanging out at the mall, flirting with girls or tinkering with cars, they had carried guns not to protect themselves, but the savagely and arbituarily take the lives of other human beings.

Now, Leah, don't get maudlin. The inner voice, the one she called her voice of reason, pulled her back to center and helped her maintain a modicum of stability. She took another deep swallow of coffee and placed the mug on a low table before settling deeper into the cushioned chaise.

She closed her eyes again and moments later succumbed to a dreamless slumber where there were no screams, bullets or tears.

Jacob felt restlessness akin to an itch he wasn't able to scratch. He had prepared the slaw, and the results were even better than he had expected. He had also prepared a three bean salad, grilled chicken and sweet tea.

Leaving the government registered SUV parked in the garage, he had set out on foot to familiarize himself with the surrounding countryside. His brother was out there, hiding in the mountains and/or forest from a group of ruthless men and women who were ordered to kill him on sight.

Jacob hadn't seen or spoken to his brother in more than two years. Embry Call had been so deep undercover that if he hadn't recognized his eyes, Jacob wouldn't have known who he was. Embry could change his appearance by losing or gaining copious amounts of weight. He would shave his head, grow his hair, beard and affect different accents. Although the wounded gun-shop owner had given law enforcement officials an accurate description of Embry Call, the technicians at the Bureau had subtly altered the mug shot to disguise the undercover agent's features.

Embry Call had become Jacob's foster brother when Jacob's mother took him in after he had been placed in her care by a fellow social worker. Embry didn't remember his drug addicted parents, and at nine hadn't shed a tear when told of their deaths from an overdose. Sarah Black legally adopted Embry and after college and a stint as a Navy SEAL, he was recruited by the ATF. Embry Call-Black had become anyone they wanted him to be.

His younger brother had always been a risk taker, and if Embry survived this undercover mission, Jacob would do everything within his power to convince him to leave the ATF. Their mother's greatest fear was that after burying her husband, who had died in the line of duty, she would also bury one or both of her song. Jacob's father, a former Vietnam War Green Beret, joined the Bureau as an undercover agent. He had infiltrated a radical group in the early 1980s, but lost his life during a confrontation between group members and the police.

Jacob continued walking along the shoulder of a narrow two lane road. He had estimated he had walked half a mile and a total of eight cars had passed going in either direction. The population of Waynesville was about ten thousand, and that meant most long time residents were familiar with one another. However, during the summer the number of tourists visiting the mountain region swelled the numbers appreciably.

Being on the run during the summer months and attempting to hide out in a tourist area was advantageous for the undercover agent, but would prove to be the opposite for Jacob because it would make his search more difficult.

His orders dictated that he work alone, without the assistance of regional agents or local law enforcement. The members of the joint task force did not want anything or anyone to compromise their attempt to eradicate a gun trafficking network spanning more than twenty states.

Jacob knew what lay ahead was a daunting task, but he had to cover acres of virgin forests, mountain caves and miles of streams to rescue the FBI's Most Wanted before the gun traffickers found him.

Jacob decelerated when he spotted a dark shape in the middle of the road. He had spent most of the morning driving along Route 441, which led into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He had walked the trails, searching for his brother. After more than six hours, he had decided to head back to Waynesville.

He had gotten up before sunrise to plan his strategy. He had gone over a map detailing western North Carolina, highlighting the many cities he had planned to visit ranging as far as Black Mountain. His travels would take him south to Hendersonville and Flat Rock, then northwest to Asheville and as far west as the Great Smoky Mountains, and if necessary, into Tennessee.

Slowing and pulling off onto the shoulder, he got out of the truck, his right hand pressed to the automatic tucked into his waistband under his T-shirt. Going to one knee, he saw a small dog. Each time it attempted to move it let out a small whimper.

He rested a hand lightly on the canine's back. "What happened to you, buddy?" Jacob's head popped up when he heard the sound of tired on the roadway. A car was coming closer. Standing, he waved his arms over his head, motioning for the motorist to stop. Fortunately, there was still enough daylight for whoever was driving the vehicle to see him.

Leah saw the figure of a man standing in the middle of the road, waving frantically. She pushed a button on the steering wheel, raising the driver's side window. Slowing, she stopped within feet of the man she recognized as the one who had asked her about cabbages two days before.

She lowered the window with his approach. "What's the matter?"

Jacob smiled, despite the seriousness of the situation. He had grown up around pets, but it was dogs that were his personal favorite. Embry liked cats because he claimed they were silent and unpredictable. His brother would pretend to be a cat and try and sneak up on Jacob before he detected his presence. Eight out of ten times he was successful.

He leaned into the window. "There's an injured dog in the road."

Leah pushed open the door, but Jacob wouldn't let her get out. "Let go of the door."

He shook his head. "You don't need to see it."

Her eyes grew wider. "Is it dead?"

"No."

"Then, let me see it."

"No," Jacob repeated.

"I'm a doctor," she finally said.

Jacob froze. "You're a vet?"

"No! I'm a medical doctor. Now, get away from the door so I can look at the poor creature."

He took a step back, opening the door and reaching for her hand to assist her. As his gaze swept over the woman who claimed she was a doctor, a slow smile tilted the corners of his mouth. The other she had worn a pair of jeans, a baggy T-shirt and running shoes. Today she looked softer, more feminine in a white tank top she's paired with a pair of black cropped pants and leather sandals. The delicate pink polish on her bare toes matched her fingernails. A black and white striped headband held a profusion of curls off her face.

His gaze lingered on her profile when she knelt to examine the whimpering canine. "What's wrong with him?"

Leah glanced up at the man towering her. "He has a laceration near his belly. And judging from the swelling, it's infected." She stood up. "I need for you to pick him up and place him on the rear seat of my truck , while I call to find a number for the nearest vet."

"I'm going to put him in my truck, while you pull your off the road," Jacob countered.

Leah rolled her eyes at him. "Whatever. Just be careful with him."

"How do you know he's a male?"

"I know he's a he because I checked. And, he's also a puppy. He still has his milk teeth." When she had opened his mouth, two tiny rice-like particles fell into her palm.

She returned to her vehicle, maneuvering it over to the shoulder behind the black GMC Yukon hybrid. Reaching for her BlackBerry, Leah called information, pen and paper ready to jot down the number. Her heart sank when the operator gave her numbers of veterinary hospitals more than twenty five miles away. She called each one only to find they were closed. The only one with evening hours was in Asheville.

Getting out, she approached the man wearing a pair of khaki walking shorts, thick white cotton socks, Doc Martens, a black tee and matching baseball cap. She didn't know his name or anything about him, but he was the most virile-looking man she had ever seen.

"Where am I taking him?" Jacob asked.

"You're going to take him to my house. All of the vets in the area are closed and the nearest one with evening hours is in Asheville."

Jacob shot her a suspicious look. "What are you going to do?"

"Clean his wound. Now, stop talking and follow me. Please drive slowly. He's already in enough pain without you jostling him further."

"Ma'am yes ma'am."

"The name is Leah Clearwater."

"What's your husband going to say when you bring home a strange man and injured dog?"

"I don't have a husband, Mr.—"

Jacob was hard-pressed not to smile. He didn't know why, but he had hoped the tall, slender woman with the infectious dimpled smile wasn't married. "It's Black. Jacob Black."

"Let's go Mr. Black. Every minute that puppy doesn't get medical attention gives the infection the advantage."

Leah slipped behind the wheel, maneuvering around the Yukon with North Carolina plates, and drove in the direction of her house. She didn't want to get stopped for speeding although she had wanted to get home to set up a mock operating room before Jacob Black arrived.

Her parents had given her a genuine alligator medical bag stamped with her monogram the day she had graduated medical school. She could still recall the joy of filling the bag with bandages, scissors, forceps, scalpels, syringes, gauze and medication she replaced whenever they passed their expiration date.

She parked in the driveway rather than in the two car garage. Moving quickly, she got out, unlocked the door and disengaged the alarm, while leaving the front door open.

She retrieved her bag, spread a stack of towels on the table in the kitchen's dining area and turned a hanging light fixture to the brightest setting. She had placed two pairs of latex gloves and instruments needed to clean and suture the wound in the dog's side on a folded pillowcase when Jacob walked into the kitchen, cradling the puppy to his chest.

"Put him down on his uninjured side," Leah ordered Jacob. "After I wash up I want you to do the same."

His eyebrows lifted a fraction. "Why?"

She gave him a dimpled smile. "You're going to be my assistant."

"Oh fuck no." Jacob protested.

"Oh hell yes Jacob Black! If you didn't care about this animal you never would have stopped. Now, stop sniveling and do as I tell you."

Jacob glared at Leah. He wasn't sniveling. In fact, he had never sniveled about anything in his life. He wanted to tell her only girls sniveled but didn't want her to think he was a sexist.

Leah took his silence as acquiescence. "Please watch him while I go and wash up."

Taking off his cap, Jacob tossed it on one of the four chairs at the oaken round table. His gaze shifted between the motionless puppy and Leah's retreating back. He hadn't realized how slim Leah was until he saw her from the back. She was taller and much slimmer than women who usually garnered his attention. At six-four and two hundred twenty pounds, he liked women who were a bit more substantial than the sharp tongued doctor.

He had only mentioned the possibility of her being married because of how good she looked. Exchanging places with Leah, Jacob went unto the half bath off the kitchen to wash his hands and forearms. He felt like an actor stepping into a fictional role as a surgeon when using a nail brush and antibacterial soap to scrub his fingers. Shaking off the excess water, he returned to the kitchen. Standing only inches from Dr. Leah Clearwater, he smiled down at her head when she dabbed his arms and hands with a towel before holding a pair of latex gloves for him to slip on.

"Damn, Doc, they're too tight."

Leah shot him a frown. "Stop whining Jacob. They won't be on long enough to cut off your circulation." He tried flexing his fingers. "Stop that or you'll rip them." She added, this time in a softer tone as she slipped her hands into a pair of gloves.

"Why do I have to wear them if you're going to perform the procedure?"

"I'm operating in what is a non-sterile environment. I'm going to put Terry under and I'm going to need you to hold him steady."

Jacob gave her a sidelong glance. "When did he become Terry?"

"He's a fox terrier, therefore, he's Terry."

"You can't name someone else's dog, Doc."

"Stop calling me that! And I doubt if he's anyone's pet. He's filthy and undernourished, which means he's probably a stray." Leah ripped open a package with a sterile syringe and inserted it into a bottle of morphine, filling the syringe with a small amount of clear liquid. "Please hold him, Jacob. He's going to feel a little prick."

Jacob held the puppy's head between his palms. "How do you know how much to give him?"

"It's based on his body weight. I doubt if this little guy weighs more than seven pounds. You, on the other hand, would have to be injected with the entire bottle before you'd go out."

His eyes narrowed. "What are you trying to say?"

Leah swabbed an area on the puppy's hip, wiping away dirt and debris. If she had time, or if the wound hadn't been infected, she would have given the dog a bath. She gave Jacob a quick glance. "You're at least six four- six five, and I'm willing to bet you weigh about two twenty or thirty, and that translates into injecting you with a lot more morphine to put you down than what I'm going to give Terry."

Jacob exhaled an audible breath. "I really don't like the term put down."

Terry let out a small yelp with a prick of the needle. Seconds later he lay completely still. His ribs were clearly visible under a sparse coat of grimy, light-colored wiry fur.

Leah winked at Jacob, her gaze lingering on his cropped black hair. "Not to worry, Mr. Black, I promise not to put you down. You can let go of his head now."

Concentrating intently, she shaved the area around the wound and cleaned the infected flesh. She applied a topical antibiotic then closed the laceration with small, even sutures.

Jacob leaned over to survey her surgical skill. "You do very nice work. Dr. Clearwater."

"Thank you. You can take your gloves off now."

"When is he going to wake up?"

"He'll probably sleep for the next two to three hours. I'm going to call the animal hospital in Asheville to let them know I want to bring him tomorrow for an observation. After that, I'm going to try and clean him up."

"I'll do that," Jacob volunteered as he gently lifted the puppy off the table.

Leah gave him a skeptical look. "Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Yes, I'm very sure. Where are you going to wash him?"

"We'll use the mudroom."

She led the way across the kitchen to a side door that led to an unheated mudroom. It was where she stored garden equipment and did her laundry. She filled two plastic basins: one with warm water and a mild shampoo and the other with lukewarm water for rinsing. Reaching for cleaning cloths from a stack in a canvas basket, she spread them out on the utility table attached to a wall.

"Jacob please try and not wet the sutures."

"I'll be careful." He said as she turned and walked out. He dipped a cloth into the soapy water, wringing out most of the moisture, and then began the task of washing and rinsing the grime covering the puppy's fur. Jacob poured out the water, refilling each bin before he was able to discern the white coat with a faint tan patch of color on the back of the neck, back and above the tiny tail. Wrapping a fluffy towel around the canine, he picked him up and dropped a kiss on the top of his head.

Leah stopped in the doorway to the mudroom, smiling when she saw the tender moment between Jacob and the dog. There was something about him that enthralled her. The longer she remained in his presence, the more she knew it had nothing to do with his face or body.

Even as an adolescent, she had never been one to find herself attracted to a boy because he was cute. For Leah, it was always deeper than that. With Sam, it had been his passion for medicine, yet with Jacob she hadn't been able to identify what it was. For all she knew he could be married with a half dozen children.

When his head came up, he saw her staring at him. "He smells wonderful."

She smiled. "He looks adorable. I spoke to a veterinarian at the animal hospital, and he's set up an appointment to see Terry at eleven."

"I'll go with you."

Leah shook her head. "Don't bother. I can take him."

"Are you going to be able to hold him while you drive?"

"Maybe I'll ask my neighbor to go with me if she's not busy." Children's book illustrator Kim Walsh was also a stay at home mother. She was now in her last trimester with her second child.

"I'm on vacation which means I have a lot of free time," Jacob countered. He wasn't on vacation, but on assignment. Accompanying Leah to Asheville would fit nicely into his plans. He had to present himself as a tourist or garner unwarranted attention.

Crossing her arms under her breasts, Leah angled her head. "I'm also on vacation. But wouldn't you rather spend your free time vacationing with your family than babysitting an injured puppy?"

She didn't tell Jacob that she'd been on vacation for the past year. Somehow, she couldn't bring herself to return to the hospital and relive the horror of the minute that had changed her and her life forever.

A beat passed. "No."

"Why not, Jacob?"

"Because other than my mother, brother and some cousins, I don't have much of a family. I'm going with you because I'm concerned about my dog."

"Your dog? I save his life and you say he's your dog?"

"Why don't we compromise?" Jacob suggested.

"How?"

"Since we're both on vacation, we can share Terry."

"I'll agree. But he stays with me until he's fully recovered."

He extended a hand. "You've got yourself a deal."

It couldn't have worked out better for Jacob than if he had planned it in advance. Hanging out with Leah Clearwater would provide the perfect cover when he became the typical tourist, touring the area and asking questions.

Leah offered Jacob her brilliant dimpled smile when she took his hand. Slowly, seductively, his gaze moved from her parted lips to her throat and still lower to her chest before reversing direction. She tried to ignore the eddying sensations racing along her nerve endings. She didn't know who Jacob Black was, or what he did for a living, yet she had agreed to share a stray puppy with him.

"Deal."

Jacob released her soft, delicate hand. "I'll come by and pick you up at ten." Turning on his heels, he made his way out the mudroom.

"Jacob?"

He stopped. "Yes?"

"Leave the puppy."

"Oops," he said hiding a grin. "He's so light I forgot I was holding him." Leah extended her arms and he handed her the sedated dog. Taking a step, he angled his head and brushed his lips over her cheek. "Kiss Terry for me, when he wakes up."

Leah experienced a jolt of awareness from the press of his mouth to her face. She followed him as he walked through the kitchen, living room and dining area and to the door. She stood in the doorway, staring into the encroaching darkness as nightfall descended on the mountain like someone pulling down a gossamer, navy-blue curtain. She stood in the same spot, staring at the red taillights of Jacob's vehicle until he disappeared from her line of sight.

Leah found Jacob so compelling, his virility so forceful that he reminded her of what she had missed—had been missing—for nearly a year.

She wanted a man, but more than that she needed a man to make her feel alive, desirable. She had joked with her brother about taking a lover for the summer. After meeting Jacob Black, the joke was upgraded to a notion. Besides, she mused, she could do a whole lot worse than the hunky stranger who cooked and had a soft spot for dogs.

Kinda got a bit carried away with the chapter and kept writing

but finally our Jake and Leah have met and we know that Embry may possibly be innocent

\(^_^)/

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