“Good evening, my lady.”

Cassie yelped with a start and then looked down the dark alley only to see the very same man she’d been thinking of leaning his shoulder casually against the brick wall one of the buildings. Both his arms and his legs were crossed, as if he had been waiting there for her. But that was ridiculous. How could he possibly have known she would come this way?

Her heart pounding, Cassie managed to say, “Good…good evening, sir.”

“Laith,” he told her gently as he unwound himself from the wall.

“Laith?”

“My name, my lady,” he said as he smiled at her. “Laith Moreland, at your service.” Cassie couldn’t help but think that smile looked oddly predatory, and that she was somehow on his menu. “And yours?” he purred.

“My…my what?” she whispered, trembling, staring at his lips as he spoke.

“Your name,” he said with a grin, taking a step closer. He wore a black cloak that shrouded his body from her view, and suddenly an image popped into her head of him spreading that cloak down on the ground right there in the alley, pulling her down onto his naked body . . .

“My name.” She snapped her eyes shut and took a ragged breath. Her conscience warred with her emotions at that moment. Should she tell him her real name? He was a stranger, after all. However, opening her eyes to him, she saw the intense look in his own gray depths, and something more, something deeper than anything she had ever felt before. Cassie felt compelled to tell him her real name. She knew, as if on instinct, that he would never harm her.

“My name is Cassie. Cassie Chapman.”

“Cassie,” he whispered, making her name sound almost like a prayer. “Short for Cassandra?”

Shaking her head, Cassie found herself taking a step toward him, silently urging him to take her into his arms. What am I doing? she thought. I have to get out of here! But instead of fleeing, she merely looked into his eyes.

“No,” she finally said after a long pause. “My name is short for Cassidy. My mother was in love with David Cassidy when I was born. It’s kind of a silly name, really, but my father liked it, so . . .” She was rambling. She could have cut her own tongue out at that moment. And the man was actually smiling at her!

“I’m sorry,” she said, blushing.

“Don’t be, Cassie,” he said, taking another step closer to her.

“I…I want to apologize for staring at you earlier,” she heard herself saying. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“Who says I’m offended, my lady?” he asked. His smile widened sensually, revealing perfectly straight teeth.

Oh, God, that smile! Cassie blushed just looking at it. Her insides turned to mush and her heart skipped a beat.

Her lips were dry and she darted her tongue over them for moisture. The man instantly noticed and his gaze lingered for a moment on her mouth. They were standing so close that he could touch her if he wanted to, but he didn’t. The heat of his gaze felt almost like a caress itself as he stared at her. However, his next words suddenly snapped her out of her reverie.

“I cannot be offended when my woman stares at me so. I can only be flattered.”

What did he just say? Did he just call me his woman?