Strangers In The Night. Kristin Gabriel

off the curb and into oncoming traffic. A car horn blasted and something jerked her off her feet.

      A moment later, she found herself in Adam’s arms. He held her on the sidewalk, her body clasped tightly against his own. “That was a close one.”

      It took her a moment to find her voice. He’d probably just saved her life. He’d also been the reason she’d stepped into traffic without looking. “I suppose I should thank you.”

      “Don’t worry about it.” Concern etched his brow. “It’s probably my fault.”

      “Yes,” she agreed, distracted by the soft touch of his fingers caressing her cheek. She wanted to close her eyes and enjoy the sensation. To let him soothe away the fear and uncertainty quaking inside of her.

      His arms tightened around her and Josie could feel the hard length of his body aligned with her own. She shifted slightly, fitting more intimately against him before coming to her senses.

      She pulled away from him. “I have to get back to work.”

      “Are you sure you’re all right?” he asked, watching her smooth down her suit.

      “Positive,” she lied, then turned away from him and waited for the Walk light to appear. After checking the traffic in both directions, Josie headed across the street, sensing that Adam was still watching her.

      As she walked to the library, Josie relived the experience over and over again. The oncoming car. Adam’s rescue. Her temporary insanity in his arms. Just more proof that the man was dangerous.

      By the time she reached her desk, her emotions were once again firmly in check. Until the head librarian, Evelyn Myerson, approached her.

      “I have a phone message for you,” Evelyn said, handing Josie a note.

      Was it a message from Adam? Her Adam? She took the note from her, aware that Evelyn was still standing in front of her desk as she quickly scanned it. The message wasn’t from her boyfriend, but from her mother.

      Disappointment rushed through her as she read the note, questioning why Josie had missed joining her for Sunday dinner. The shock of waking up in bed with the wrong man had made her completely forget about her mother’s dinner invitation.

      “Thank you,” Josie said, tucking the message inside her skirt pocket.

      Evelyn took a step closer to the desk and lowered her voice. “You seem a bit distracted today. I hope everything is all right.”

      The head librarian had always given Josie stellar evaluations, impressed by her willingness to take on any task assigned to her. Evelyn Myerson didn’t tolerate messy work habits or disorganization. A widow with no children, she’d made the library her life.

      “I’m fine,” Josie assured her.

      Evelyn sighed. “You do excellent work, Josie, so I have no complaints in that department. However, I must ask that you handle any personal conflicts on your own time. If you need to take a few days off, I’m sure we can arrange it.”

      She clenched her jaw, surmising that Evelyn had witnessed her altercation with Adam this morning. Her boss was a stickler for adhering to library policy and rules, something Josie had always admired about her. But at this moment, she’d prefer it if Evelyn minded her own business.

      “That won’t be necessary,” Josie said. “What happened this morning will never happen again.”