Chapter 5

Laura was halfway home before she realized she hadn't checked to see what Robbie wanted for supper. She turned into the first store she came to and parked before searching through her bag for her phone. She smiled as she read his text, "All I want is you. Come home soon."

Sitting in her parked car the genuine sentiment of his text swept over her. Robbie Lewis was the dream she never knew she had. The contrast between his love for her and the love she'd known with Malcolm was night and day, light and dark.

At the thought of Malcolm, Robbie's words from the night before played through her head, "He can't be that bad, you did love him enough once to marry him." She closed her eyes letting her head fall back on the head rest. There was truth in that statement. The tender look on Malcolm's face before he left her office was all she could see. In that moment, she had remembered all of the reasons that she loved him.

She rolled down her car window hoping fresh air would push away thoughts of Malcolm Tucker. Rather than fresh air the smell of a burning cigarette wafted into her car. The memory took her before she could stop it.

She shook the lighter again trying to coax one last flame from it. In a fit of pique, realizing that it wasn't going to light, she threw it across the narrow alley, "Bollocks." She fell against the wall exhaling heavily.

Amused laughter drew her attention right before a lilting voice teased her, "Come on love, you can do better than that."

She turned to see the source of the voice and was instantly mesmerized by a set of blue eyes. It wasn't just the color capturing her attention but the intensity of the gaze. As the owner of the eyes moved closer she heard the distinctive snick of a lighter. She raised the cigarette to her lips and leaned forward slightly. Her eyes never left his gaze.

Just as the end of her cigarette flared catching light from his lighter she felt the soft touch of his hand on hers. There was a jolt through her as their skin connected. Her breath hitched and she almost gasped when he took a step back breaking the physical connection.

He nodded his head toward her, "You wouldn't have another one of those would you."

She shook her head as she exhaled, "Nope, I only bring one at a time."

Shrugging he turned to walk away, "Oh well, I guess it's not my day."

Suddenly she didn't want him to walk away, "We could share."

"Are you sure?" He turned to look at her raising a single eyebrow, "You don't know me; I might be a cold-blooded killer."

She pointed up to the cameras covering the alley, "Well if you are, you aren't a very smart cold-blooded killer. And something tells me you are very smart." She held out the cigarette hoping he would come back to her.

The smile he gave her was the most brilliant thing she had ever seen. As he took the cigarette from her his fingers brushed hers again. Once again a shock of excitement rushed through her. She watched him breathlessly as he slowly brought the cigarette to his lips. His eyes closed in ecstasy as he inhaled. For a brief moment she wondered what it would feel like to touch those lips.

He held the smoke in his lungs savoring the burn. He'd quit smoking months ago but something about her made him desperately want one. As he exhaled, blowing the smoke carefully away from her he handed the cigarette back to her, "Thank you for sharing."

She nodded temporarily speechless, "Thank you for having a lighter."

"That's right without me this wouldn't have been possible."

She laughed, regaining some of her normal spark, "Well you're half right."

"How do you figure?"

"I had the cigarette. Without me you would have just been starting fires."

He leaned down and whispered in her ear. His lilting voice slid across her senses connecting with something low in her body, "Have I started a fire?"

Laura recognized his tactic and decided two could play that game. With a coy smile she looked up at him, "Only on the end of my cigarette." She turned away from him and put the cigarette out in the bin behind her. She looked over her shoulder and smirked, "And now it's gone out."

The man with the blue eyes smiled at her taking a step back. He recognized a worthy opponent when he met one, "I guess next time I will have to try harder."

She watched him bend over and admired the view, "What makes you so sure there will be a next time?"

He handed her the lighter she had thrown in a fit of pique earlier, "Because someone has to teach you how to throw a fit." She took the lighter from him smiling. She started to say something as he turned away but was interrupted, "I'll be seeing you Dr. Laura Hobson." He waved over his shoulder and was gone before she realized she hadn't told him her name.

As she was using her ID card to get back into the building she realized how he knew her name. She shook her head. He was smart. She had a sneaking suspicion he was going to trouble. As she washed her hands before going back to her samples she rubbed the place on her hand he'd touched, definitely trouble, something to look forward to.

Laura closed the window, pushing the memory away. She wished she could go back in time and tell her younger self to walk away. Taking a deep breath she started her car and headed home.

A/N: Now I want a cigarette more than anything I can imagine. Wine will have to do, because I don't smoke anymore, except when I do or at least that's the story I tell my husband.